The essential episodes of Top Chef
Watch these 15 in order and you've got Top Chef — each pick states its reason.
- 01
In the first episode of the series we meet the 12 contestants. For the quickfire challenge they are tested in Fleur de Lys (a San Fransisco restaurant). For the elimination challenge each chef must make their specialty.
- 02
The foodies dock in Juneau, Alaska, and must prove their culinary worth with a local delicacy, king crab. Then, they're tasked with giving their own spin to salmon-and-sourdough dishes. Sean Brock is the guest judge.
- 03
The chefs open pop-up restaurants that reflect their respective neighborhoods; guest judge Ludo Lefebvre joins the others for Mexican, Persian, Korean, and vegan cuisine and picks the dish that best reflects Los Angeles' mosaic of cultures.
- 04
Eight new chefs face off against eight returning chefs in Charleston, S.C.; the new chefs enter the kitchen first to cook as many dishes as possible in one hour using a whole chicken; the veterans square off to re-imagine shrimp and grits.
- 05
A diverse group of chefs must make a potluck dish to introduce themselves to the judges; the chefs also prepare their take on a meat-and-potatoes dish for a block party with 200 diners and Denver's biggest culinary names.
- 06
It's holiday time for Top Chef, and Richard Blais and Brooke Williamson help spread the festive cheer by presenting a white elephant Quickfire challenge. Then, the Chefs receive an unexpected gift as Michelin starred super Chef Eric Ripert sits down with them to celebrate an elaborate traditional French Christmas dinner. However, once the last bite is taken, Padma informs the Chefs that they're missing the final part of the tradition of Le Revillon de Noel...the presentation of 13 desserts. It's a midnight pastry free-for-all as the Chefs try to avoid being on the placed on the naughty list.
- 07
Fifteen of the competition's fiercest challengers return to face-off in the toughest season yet! A mise-en-place challenge set at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles kicks off the battle, where the Chefs size each other up since last competing.
- 08
Fifteen of the country's best chefs compete in Portland, Ore.; for their first challenge, chefs combine their favorite ingredients into one cohesive dish; contestants must create a dish featuring one of Portland's iconic local birds.
- 09
In the most anticipated challenge of the season, the chefs are put to the ultimate test. Not only will they have to build restaurants from the ground up, but the Chefs' Table is back. If that wasn't enough pressure, "Top Chef's" signature challenge levels up yet again, requiring the chefs to satisfy their VIP counter and a dining room full of guests watching their every move in an open kitchen. Guest judges Tiffany Derry and Hunter Lewis join Padma, Tom and Gail on the battlefield.
- 10
The chefs are in for a surprise when they walk into the Top Chef kitchen and see Gaggan Anand, praised as one of the world's best chefs, as their guest judge. For the Quickfire Challenge, they must take a page from Gaggan's playful menu and create a dish inspired by an emoji. For the Elimination Challenge, they're tasked with taking inspiration from one of Gaggan's famous dishes and creating a plate with a message that's visually stunning and can be eaten without utensils.
- 11
While in Madison, the chefs receive a message alerting them that they'll be shopping for their quickfire challenge, but they do not know what the challenge is.
- 12
For the Quickfire challenge, the chefs undergo a blind taste test where they must identify as many ingredients as they can. Guest judge Paul Bartolotta joins the host judges.
- 13
The chefs pick an ingredient from the pantry and are tasked with preparing a dish while also incorporating the judges' surprise ingredients; for the Elimination Challenge, the chefs prepare dishes that highlight Canada's five diverse regions.
- 14
The chefs must make their own version of a Jamaican patty as a Quickfire Challenge and create dishes best served cold or risk elimination.
- 15
For this week's Quickfire Challenge, the chefs are tasked with creating a savory dish inspired by a sweet treat. Then the chefs head to PuckerButt Farms for a pepper tasting with Ed Currie, the inventor of the world's hottest pepper. For the Elimination Challenge, the chefs are split into two teams and must create a progressively hotter menu. "Top Chef" season 12 winner Mei Lin joins Kristen, Tom and Gail at the judges' table.
Shows like Top Chef
The closest matches on shared genres, ranked by match strength and popularity.
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