'Hell's Kitchen': Will Chef Ramsay finally get his?

 

If you've ever watched "Hell's Kitchen" and wondered when an aspiring chef would finally be pushed too far and turn on Gordon Ramsay -- well, your wait may be over.

By the end of tonight's two-hour season premiere, one of the chefs -- a former Marine with an itchy trigger temper -- has had enough of Chef Ramsay's haranging. He rips off his chef's jacket and charges Chef Ramsay, challenging him to step outside into the parking lot. (This isn't a spoiler. Fox has been milking this moment in its own promos.)

But the knowing doesn't ruin the moment -- the two-hour ramp-up merely serves as a delicious appetizer to the show-stopping entree.

Chef Ramsay said in a media conference call last week that, as more contestants watch the Fox show and decide to apply for a spot, they arrive in "Hell's Kitchen" with a chip on their shoulder (and most likely a desire to garner some camera time).

"Contestants are getting more and more confrontational ... it's like dealing with petulent teenagers," he said, adding that he has this piece of advice for them: "Let your food do the talking; you'll be surprised at how far you will go in a very short time."

But Ramsay said he welcomes a certain amount of bravado from his underlings — they will need it to succeed. "I encourage that level of confidence. That's great." He said the proper response to criticism is not to challenge someone to a fistfight but to learn from it: "You take it on the chin, you put your head down and you get on with it."

Not surprisingly, Ramsay defends his treatment of his aspiring wards and considers it his duty to drive them to the brink of their insecurities. That's how they'll learn. He said that chefs experience an emotional breakthrough when they finally realize he's there to teach them and impart his exacting standards. Even though it might not feel like it when he's calling them such signature insults as "donkey," "cow" or the inexplicable "doughnut."

Chef Ramsay said the prize being given out on this season of "Hell's Kitchen" is the best yet: The winner will become head chef at Araxi Restaurant & Bar in Whistler, British Columbia, a restaurant celebrated for its use of local ingredients. Moreover: Vancouver is host to the 2010 Winter Olympics, Chef Ramsay noted, so the winner of this season will also have the honor of welcoming the world to his or her restaurant.
 
Ramsay offered up a story about one of his own screw-ups in the kitchen: He was working in Paris for the legendary Joel Robuchon and was supposed to prepare a duck-covered-in-pastry dish that is supposed to be unveiled tableside with a flourish. Only Chef Ramsay hadn't browned the duck properly and was ordered to do it over. Well, somehow the pan was put back into the oven, baked and then brought out into the dining room -- without the replacement duck. "I completely screwed up," Ramsay said. He joked that there should have been a TV camera on him at the time, and then humbly added: "It would have been a Hollywood blockbuster."

— Rene Lynch

Photo credit: Fox.com

Comments

[Tricia]

What the hell with tonight's episode. These are the most unprofessional Chef's that I have seen on Hell's Kitchen. It's painful to watch and uncomfortable. Is this for real? This show is unlike any other season. I have watched every show and season and glued to the tv, but the episode is making me doubt the direction of the show.

Chef Ramsey allows this people into his space? He is above these chefs and expects more..a lot more. Consider your fans. I want to continue to watch and support by not at this caliber.

[The Fool]

Joseph is a 5150 wacko. I'd sleep with my .50AE cause Joseph has absolutely no intention on cooking but on destroying randomly. Ramsey should kick his ass just on principal.

When you see the end of episode 2 you will understand.

[hugh]

Man, the cooks they get on this show are obviously below standard. They do this so they can have a show of Ramsey shouting his mouth off at them all day. Whats the point in having a real cook, when they cant yell at him because he actually doesn't run his mouth and does his job. That marine guy was off the hook though. It was entertaining, although it hurts what little integrity the show has. Him and the Roid junkey who was going to knock out that floor manager guy were hilarious. How they even got into the show with their attitude is beyond me.
I seriously think they get all these retards and angry guys to come on the show just to add controversy.

[Dr. Art Scott, Ph.D]

I can both see where the probes for this Hell's Kitchen go around comes from, but I also have no problem finding a way to stop such arrogance. When I was 25 I applied to U.S. Army flight school as a civilian--roughly a 1 in 500 chance of being accepted (the odds of getting in if you're already IN the Army are much better... more like 1 in 3, but if you're coming off the street it's extremely difficult). As I arrived at Officer Candidate School I noticed immediately every single person who'd been accepted into flight school had an almost unwieldy ego. After all, it takes someone with that mindset to fly a bird you cannot just "punch out" of into war.

Here's where that becomes relevant. You see, the T.A.C. officers (drill instructors for officers) are faced with people who are every bit as arrogant as the people on this year's show, and they had to find a way to combat such petulance. How do they do it? Well, roughly 1 in 4 people who are accepted into Army flight school actually graduate. Since they KNOW people will arrive with a 'tude, the T.A.C. officers are encouraged to do whatever they can to get you thrown out on your ass.

I would recommend Chef Ramsay do the same thing. Have his 16 starters (or whatever... 14?), and then have 16 alternates. This would make it very simple for him to immediately tell those with the WRONG attitude (as we saw with the Marine... He was dumb enough to join the Marine Corps in the first place so I'm not surprised) or those with absentee brains to truly piss off... as in no air time-no camera time... just get the heck off the set.

I'm really rather appalled at the behavior of the chefs this go around. I'm really a bit surprised
Chef Ramsay didn't just toss a few of those people off the show, but if he had absolutely zero planned alternates, he's a victim of the Army's 6P rule.... Poor Prior Planning leads to Piss Poor Performance. And IMO, having zero alternates forces him to deal with these snotty asswipes, when someone who has achieved his station absolutely should NOT have to deal with such people.

If these people are getting a break in life (and they are) then they ought well be thankful instead of insolent. lem aris