I am obsessed with cooking competitions and I have the Netflix watch history to prove it. From the Great British Baking Show to Nailed It!, I will gladly watch anything related to cooking/baking skills. So, when I stumbled across The Final Table in my recommendations, I figured it was worth a try. 2 days later, I finished the season completely engrossed in the show and frantically searching the internet for more information about this show. So here are my top 5 reasons why this competition series is different from any other and why it is definitely worthy of your next Netflix binge.
- Teams
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In this competition, the chefs are working in teams, but it isn’t a head chef and a sous chef team, but rather a team consisting of two world renowned chefs who have endless Michelin stars and awards. The two chefs are usually friends who have worked with each other before, but often live in different countries and run their own unique restaurants. This creates interesting dynamics on the teams as the chefs figure out how to work together and how to pull off beautiful dishes each round of the competition.
- The Set-Up
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This competition is set up in a way I haven’t seen before. It follows the same elimination style format with teams fighting to stay in the competition and one going home each week, but the theme of each week is what intrigued me. Each week of the competition is focused on a different country as its theme. All the dishes and judges for that week are centered on that country and telling the story of its rich history with food and its influence on the culinary world today.
- The Judges
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Like many other food competitions, the judging panel is composed of celebrity guests and renowned chefs from the home country of the week. However, unlike many competitions, the judges are the ones deciding what dishes the chefs are going to be making. The first round, the three celebrity judges select the dish they feel embodies their country best and the second round is centered around an ingredient picked by the 9-judge panel. Yes, a nine-judge panel. Some of the world’s most renowned chefs come together to judge these contestants and the judging is usually critical but fair, leading this viewer to usually agree with whoever is going home that week.
- The Information
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I surprisingly found myself in love with this show not only for the competition aspects but also because of the things I was learning through the show. The show takes time during each episode to show viewers around the country of the week, talk about its history, and the amazing array of dishes that it offers to the culinary world. There are also great segments on each constant, the country they come from, and their amazing (even sometimes jaw dropping) restaurants. The information presented throughout the episodes show how much this competition cares about the food and the immense beauty and detail that is put into becoming a world-renowned chef.
- The Food
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This show stands out from every other competition I have watched because there are no limitations other than the country and the clock. What does this mean? That these incredibly talented chefs are putting out the most amazing food I have ever laid my eyes on. These are not your average chefs, and this is not your Mom’s cooking (no offense Mom) as they take food to the next level, showing you why so many of them are running five star restaurants. The quality of the food everyone is producing only raises the competition that much more, making it feel like every chef truly deserves to be there and that the caliber of the competition is through the roof.
This show captured my attention from start to finish and I am eagerly awaiting the next season. The caliber of the contestants and the food they were putting out set this show apart from any other competition I have watched, and I can’t recommend this show enough. So, if you are looking for something the whole family can enjoy this Thanksgiving break, maybe give The Final Table a try.