Marcel's Quantum Kitchen

Cooking using cutting-edge scientific equipment, what could be more fun right? If that's what the show's focus was on, it might be. Unfortunately, the host wants to emphasize the drama of deadlines, mistakes, and the incompetence of his help. If the focus were on the intricacies of the techniques, and the fun of combining cooking with science the show just might work. Right now, the show is duller than the dishwater they use to clean their utensils. I'd re-title this show "Marcel's Quantum Sleeping Pill." It's the Sci-Fi channel--more science and less drama, or move the show to Lifetime. Also, although I never watched Top Chef, Marcel has zero charisma as a host, he needs some lessons from Chef Ramsay on how to handle himself on camera.

I think overall this show is pretty good. It shows a unique way of cooking and some of the techniques that are interesting. While sometimes it is a little drama like its pretty good over all. I just started watching and have watched almost all the episodes and it is rather good. I also enjoy how they create a total feel to go with their food. They do a good job of tying the food with the theme of the party that they are doing. I wish there was another show similar to this or that they did a little more showing of the cooking but they do a pretty good job of trying to cram everything in to 45 minutes.Those who wrote the bad reviews must have only watched one or two episodes.

First, a comment about Mr. Dawson's review...don't call a show bad and then give it 5 stars. A 5 out of 10 rating would mean that it is perfectly average, being neither good nor bad.

Now back the the review

The host is terrible. He apparently came from the Top Chef reality show and I can only assume he didn't win else that show is in trouble. Very little science but lots of drama on the first episode. The Marcel guy must think he is the only person with brain and his help is nothing more than walking zombies. Since the show focuses very little on the "science" of cooking, I am confused how this show ever make it on the SciFi channel. All I can say is that the minutes wasted on this show are lost forever. The SciFi channel has being going steadily down hill for the past several years but if they elect to run this show another episode it will truly hit rock bottom.

Marcel Vigneron is definitely a polarizing figure, but he knows his molecular gastronomy, which I'll assume is why the powers that be decided to put 'Marcel's Quantum Kitchen' on SyFy.

Gastronomy = science = science fiction? The logic is tenuous at best, but I suppose it could be justified if the focus of the show was the science behind the techniques and technologies behind Vigneron's creations. With those facets being an afterthought (instead, they decided to focus on the drama of running a catering business with a culinary niche), though, it feels terribly out of place as a show on SyFy...which may be why the first I heard of this show was stumbling upon it while perusing Netflix.

Getting past where it appeared, though, the show itself is actually a solid hour of entertainment. Virtually nobody watching the show is going to try these techniques at home, so 'Quantum Kitchen' is light on recipe and heavy on the pressure of deadlines, which are only magnified by the fact that, generally speaking, the cuisine being created hasn't been thought of in this fashion yet. As a result, the excitement caused by the team's setbacks and successes (and yes, even outright failures) resonate quite well.

Marcel Vigneron is occasionally still bristly, true (although he strikes me as someone who is actually putting forth an effort at being on his best behavior); still, it strikes me as a double standard that the reason why Vigneron is so reviled is the same reason that Gordon Ramsay is beloved: that temper of theirs. Vigneron is obviously passionate about what he does, and if the six episodes of season one are all we get, then I for one am pleased I got a chance to take a brief look into the art of molecular gastronomy with someone who excels at it.

I really don't like this show. The host is pretentious and conceited. The techniques are interesting, but the host really just kills the show. There are so many other young, burgeoning, molecular gastronomes out there. But they found this guy. Maybe it will get better in time, but if the first episode is any inclination of the future, it is terrible. The whole show feels very staged and a lot of the characters seem coached into the situations they were in. I guess some people who are not familiar with the molecular gastronomy may find this show to be entertaining, but I have followed this cooking evolution for the last ten years and there a lot of other chefs who are not nearly as snobbish as Marcel. Pass.