I have watched a lot of food competition shows. Top Chef, Master Chef, Secret Chef, Grocery Games, I love them all. So, when I saw Culinary Class Wars come across my Netflix queue, my interest was piqued. The screencap was of a chef creating giant strings of sugar. The slow pan in preview to her building this creative visual while she describes her dish and what inspired it, struck a chord with what I love most about these types of shows.
Needless to say, this show did not disappoint. I was filled with anticipation each week waiting for a new episode to come out. And although I still am happy to watch new episodes of the before mentioned chef competitions, there was a sense of enthusiasm that had long remained dormant with each of them.
Here are just 5 reasons why Culinary Class Wars outranks all the other culinary games that are currently on T.V.:
- The art of food is highlighted in each episode.
Plenty of food competition shows focus on techniques and the skill it takes to create tasty dishes. However, what makes this show unique is the choice to have the dishes be the main star. In each episode we learn about the story and inspiration each chef drew upon to create a dish. The aspect of competition plays secondary to the craft of cooking/creating dishes. In this viewpoint the audience has the opportunity to appreciate the dish like a work of art.
2. Each challenge pushes every chef out of their comfort zone.
Even with the competition playing second fiddle to each plate of food, the challenges still managed to portray the intensity and the stakes at risk with each win and loss. And in addition to wanting to win to stay on the show, there was an added layer of having to prove yourself in terms of status, between the newer generation and more established chefs on the show.
3. The game theory is refreshing and unpredictable.
The production value alone for the challenges could have carried this show. But the production doesn’t solely demonstrate this show’s distinctive flair or set it apart from other food competitions. The judging, the tasks, and the rules were always different with each challenge, which keeps viewers on their toes and anxious to see who will prevail.
4. It upgrades challenges that are familiar and proven crowd favorites.
Not only did this show create new levels of competition with their unique challenges, but they also remixed beloved challenges like a restaurant take over, secret ingredients, and a convenient store raid.
5. It demonstrates how in any stage of your career you can feel the need to prove yourself.
The idea to take chefs who were established within the culinary community and chefs who were at the beginning stages of their career to battle it out was intriguing. But as the show went on, the lines blurred between who was more established. Each chef made a name for themselves, challenge after challenge within the competition. And although there were celebrity chefs that were recognizable, you realized that the newer chefs’ skills were just as notable as the established chefs.
If you are looking for a binge-worthy reality competition, all episodes of Culinary Class Wars are streaming on Netflix!
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