Gordon Ramsay

[marcvolta]

Does anyone here like Kitchen Nightmares??????

i kinda think Gordon is funny when he is telling people that the food at their places is shite and they are bollocks.

some people should really never open a restaurant. i've worked in the food industry before and there is a large lack of common sense, judging from my experiences.
i dont ever want to have to work food again, its terrible.

[Laz69]

I've watched it before and found it rather frightening that, in many cases, the chefs are shit and are costing the business a fortune. It is good when he kicks off at the chefs/owner/waiting staff, but he's come close a few times to getting his head kicked in... you'd think they'd maybe listen since he is trying to turn the place around and, without his help, they'd all be out of jobs.

Master Chef is my cooking program of choice though... my guilty pleasure!

I worked in retail for many years, and i swore i would never go back to dealing with "customers" as most of them should not be allowed out the fucking house!

[James T]

Kitchen Nightmares USA is one of the greatest things ever to hit the TV. I'm not bothered if it's a bit acted and he is a total prick, it is hilarious.

The best is when that guy Pinto keeps talking about fresh frozen chicken or some other dumb shit.

[spzretent]

I worked in retail for many years, and i swore i would never go back to dealing with "customers" as most of them should not be allowed out the fucking house!

I was in retail for 13 years. I have been out of retail for 14 years. I am opening a shop June 1st w/a friend and cant wait. But I always liked my customers for the most part. And I never thought i'd say this, but I do miss retail.

[scratch]

Master Chef is my cooking program of choice though... my guilty pleasure!

yes! masterchef is the best of the competitive cooking shows - dunno why exactly..
guess it just feels more honest than hells kitchen or top chef and more exciting than rosemary.

[BzaInSpace]

I like Kitchen Nightmares for the purely theatrical aspects:

Act 1 - Ramsay tries a meal. "DISGUSTING." Help us, Chef Ramsay...

Act 2 - The Kitchen Check - "What the FUCK is this???"

Act 3 - The Restaurant Makeover ..."we've replaced these with real food..."

Act 4 - Opening night, nearly runs smoothly but then calamity! Usually at one point the cameras are one hand outside to catch Ramsay - or one of the chefs - bolting outside in frustration/stress etc. "You're meant to be in the FUCKING KITCHEN!"

Act 5 - Everything is now better.

Also, those rapid hand-slapping gestures are great! If one was that way inclined, i'm certain it could inspire a great drinking game...



Regarding Masterchef, i'm reminded of a recent quote from Peep Show...

"Everyone's into truffle oil. Jamie, Nigella, those two men who look like burglars on Masterchef..."

[runcible]

I find the staged aspect of the US Nightmares annoying. The UK ones seemed a little more genuine. In the American episodes Gordon Ramsey's over-the-top hand gestures aren't done in time with his words cos the guy can't act.

Bottom line is that I think GR is a prick, albeit a slightly entertaining one. Marco Pierre White is more pompous but more interesting. He grew up near where I live coincidentally but that's of little influence. I also like the story that MPW actually made GR cry at one point many years ago - GR is plainly terrified of the guy.

My favourite cooking show is Saturday Kitchen as I like to watch it in bed with my toast and coffee on a Saturday with the other half and sometimes the kids, plus I've cooked quite a few of the recipes (Michel Roux's Coquilles Saint Jacques is incredible). James Martin is a very irritating man but we've got round that by playing James Martin bingo. Basically you count the number of times he says 'there you go' as we noticed he simply cannot stop saying it. On a poor day he'll say it 35 times but has been close to 60 on a frantic Saturday and he can say the words 4 or 5 times in a minute sometimes. He also loves 'dive in', 'I have to say' and 'happy with that?'. When forced to leave his auto-cue and revert to ad-libbing the man is completely made of catch phrases...

[Laz69]

I worked in retail for many years, and i swore i would never go back to dealing with "customers" as most of them should not be allowed out the fucking house!

I was in retail for 13 years. I have been out of retail for 14 years. I am opening a shop June 1st w/a friend and cant wait. But I always liked my customers for the most part. And I never thought i'd say this, but I do miss retail.

I think it depends on the type of retail... don't think i would tire of working in a record store or something like that... always having new things to discover, the smell of used vinyl, etc
Dealing with the huge cross section that is the general public in a normal grocery store is a whole different world of fucknut!

[toomilk]

I find the staged aspect of the US Nightmares annoying. The UK ones seemed a little more genuine.

My sentiment as well.

I really like the show, but the predictability of it can be a little annoying. Although every once in a while, they have one where the owners sold the place or they went out of business. Wasn't there even one where an owner took a swipe at Gordon in the newspapers, saying he ruined their restaurant?

[sunray]

The English version is definitely better.
I too love Masterchef, even used to watch it back in Lloyd Grossman's days: "Well we've deliberated. ruminated and cogitated". Or something like that anyway.

Anyone into Iron Chef? Saw the original Japanese version in Austin in 2002 and loved it then never saw it again until recently with the American version, which i'm not so keen on. Have only seen 10 mins of one of the English ones so can't comment on it yet.

[spzretent]

I think it depends on the type of retail... don't think i would tire of working in a record store or something like that... always having new things to discover, the smell of used vinyl, etc
Dealing with the huge cross section that is the general public in a normal grocery store is a whole different world of fucknut!

[/quote]

Agreed. I was pretty spoiled w/my first venture into retail. Hopefully I will be spoiled this time around as well.

[scratch]

..started wondering about Floyd so I googled.. apparently he died last september. RIP

[burningwheel]

yeah i watch him, good stuff

[Shaun]

Bottom line is that I think GR is a prick, albeit a slightly entertaining one. Marco Pierre White is more pompous but more interesting. He grew up near where I live coincidentally but that's of little influence. I also like the story that MPW actually made GR cry at one point many years ago - GR is plainly terrified of the guy.

MPW was a bully in his kitchens. Pompous, firey but brilliant. He's started to mellow now and it makes him even more pompous, well that's how his screen persona is. When he was younger he didn't have time to be too pompous, it was all about getting those stars. But I like the guy.