Yes, Chef!

This is one of the worst "cooking" shows out there. They claim it's taking amazing chef's who are being held back by ego in some way. Yet, they allow a single contestant to screw everyone else over by hoarding ingredients he doesn't even use. Week after week. How is that about the cooking, or working on these chef's issues? Then they judge the contestants on what they make when they are tasked with making specific dishes, which they then CAN'T make because of one guy. This isn't a cooking show. This is clearly a staged "competition" with manufactured drama. If they at least advertised it like that, like shows like Survivor do, I wouldn't mind. But it's almost a bait and switch with the show they advertise and the show you get. But what do you expect for a show produced and hosted by Martha Stewart?

I thought I would enjoy this show. The premise had a potential: established chefs would work together to get over their biggest setbacks. Plus juried by Jose Andres and Martha Stewart.

Think: Top Chef All Stars sans Padma, but with some ego trips.

What happened was a disaster.

First, the rules of the game were quirky and actually promote weaker performance.

But most importantly, the casting is the problem. Starting with the judges, who don't seem to enjoy their setting and don't control the group or the show itself.

Then there's Katsuji, planted for some vicious reason to make the show more spicy.

Absolutely disgusting character that made me give up on the show after 1st episode.

It's not a good time to make another show fuelled by terrible human flaws.

Are we watching a cooking competition show, which could inspire us making good food? Or are we watching a bunch so-called "best chefs" who need anger management help? The show doesn't care about making good food, it's about who is the least annoying person so they can survive for another week, even their food suck.

All the contestants looked miserable, upset, and angry. I know this is what this show all about, but do I really want to watch a bunch of angry people attacking each others after a long working day?

This show was trying to be clever and special, it didn't fail completely, at least they achieve one thing... "specially bad".

Oh, and the hosts were not good either...

Shame...

Somehow I managed to get through 2 episodes of Yes, Chef! I should have stopped at one. I gave it a chance because I think José Andrés is a wonderful person. It is nothing more than an angry, backstabbing, poorly conceptualized mess. If this is the future of cooking competitions, then it's probably best that they just fade away. I found Katsuji to be one of the most annoying contestants on both seasons of Top Chef and he is more over the top and arrogant on this show. Who invited him, again? I just hope that the money that is made from this bizarre schoolyard bully driven nonsense goes to José Andrés many charities. Also, Martha Stewart seems incredibly bored. I may skip to the end episode though, just to see if it ends like The Menu.

I've been watching cooking competitions for 25 years. I have witnessed brilliance, artistry and creativity that is off the charts. Then there is "Yes Chef!". I eagerly watched the first offering and was immediately repulsed by the reemergence of Katsuji. And then I saw a few other cheftestants that were identified as "hard to work with" and realized the emerging theme: Annoyance...that we are paying into with our time and attention.

So I gave it two episodes to cement my emergent feelings.

By the middle of the 2nd, I was asking myself aloud why I would want to put myself through this any longer. (Spoiler alert: I don't).

To see what the producers do behind closed doors in planning the next cooking show, one needs only but begin with a good cooking competition like say, Top Chef. Then ask yourself: What will give us what we really want (emotional response).

Then over-analyze it with focus groups to hone in on the absolute MOST annoying parts of the occasional chefs' ego and sociopathy. Build a show with one media personality and a world-class chef and humanitarian as leads and put the word out that you need culinary star wannabes who don't work well with others.

Stress them. Turn one against another (it's not that hard a task).

Broadcast. Wash, rinse, repeat.

Crap.