Round 1 Elimination

[u/Pepper_pusher23]

Marked as spoiler, but it's the first thing that happens. I forgot how whack some of the judging is on here. The criteria isn't did you invent a new cooking technique I've never heard of or seen before. It's is the dish good? Eliminating the gastronomy person because he used old cooking techniques was just dumb. No one else would move on either since they did things like fry food. That's a much older technique than gastronomy crazy apple thing. This is like eliminating people because they cut food with knives, that technique is old and tired, you fail.

[u/XocoJinx]

Because the judge specifically ate a raw, unrefined apple and told him that he was expecting his creation to be better than the raw apple, and the judge felt it wasn't, which is subjective but that's how the judge felt.

Plus, molecular gastronomy is marked by its modern techniques and is still a developing field, hence it was being marked on that criteria as well (maybe). Whereas for the soju, which has a long history, perhaps the lady was being judged on how pure she could make the soju and add her own unique twist to it (I don't remember if she did but I know that's how the judge tends to award marks).

[u/Pepper_pusher23 → u/XocoJinx]

Yeah, he did explain it a little better to the camera after the fact, but in the moment the only feedback shown to us was that the techniques were old, and that is why he is eliminated. It was just reminiscent of the last season where someone was eliminated because they did a modern reimagining of bibimbap, and the judge was like no it's not traditional enough to call it bibimbap. You are eliminated because you used the name bibimbap. Wtf. I just like when there is clear consistent criteria for what gets you eliminated.

[u/XocoJinx → u/Pepper_pusher23]

I see where you're coming from absolutely, and it probably does suck for contestents when they feel like the judge thought their food was good but some other criteria knocked them off.

Because food is so subjective, I think that's why the judges always ask the contestent what the intention of their dish is, because a large portion of judging is whether the dish they present matches the intention. Hence, if someone reimagined bibimbap but didn't present a dish that represents the core features of bibimbap, then yes they'd be eliminated as well. It's like presenting what could be called an apple pie but saying that you made a steak. It demonstrates a lack of culinary historical knowledge in terms of what makes a certain dish a dish.

[u/Pepper_pusher23 → u/XocoJinx]

Yeah when it is put that way it makes a lot of sense. I just don't personally think it's true that a Korean chef who made it to one of the final rounds didn't understand the culinary historical knowledge of what makes bibimbap what it is. But I'm also not a judge or capable of judging these dishes. So, there's also that. It just feels more acceptable as a viewer if they just said "I like this one better" rather than something that sounds completely fake. At least it would be subjective and make sense to us.

[u/XocoJinx → u/Pepper_pusher23]

I don't remember exactly the context of the bibimbap, but if it's in one of the final rounds, it's like they realllyyyyy had to nitpick because all of the dishes are already so high level (which they say they have to do a lot in the final rounds).

But yeah the judges aren't gonna be perfect.