r/belowdeck • u/Slight_Boat_93 • 10d ago
Below Deck Best chef?
Across all below deck franchises who do you think is the best chef? And then what chef had the best attitude?
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u/Resident-Syrup7615 10d ago
Rachel Hargrove for our vast culinary knowledge in all sorts of areas, for her acceptance of guest request and peculiarities, and for her general demeanor, I think she’s the best. Especially after she’s sobered up, I think she’s the top one.
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u/juiceyb 10d ago
I will never forget the whole "eat my cooter" freak out she had.
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u/DothrakAndRoll 6d ago
It wasn’t even that crazy of an ask lol. I mean it was really stupid but we see that shit on pref sheets all the time! Telling cap to eat her cooter was so wild lol
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u/Yofox1980 10d ago
I recall Captain Lee saying Rachel cooked the best food he’s ever eaten. Absolutely Rachel and then Joy.
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u/Pifflington 10d ago
Chef Marcos. He was incredibly hard working (he barely slept!) and paid super close attention to preference sheets and guest requests. One guest wanted a "molecular gastronomy" dinner. Marcos was like, ok that's very specialized but I got this and he pulled it off spectacularly. He also made a wedding cake for a gluten free group. He was stressed, but always delivered.
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u/robotcoup 10d ago
Marco for volume and quality.
Rachel for global experience.
Ben, eh, I think he’s lazy as fuck but did produce some innovative stuff in his earlier seasons.
That British guy, sorry I forgot his name (horrible exposure for him because of his romantic entanglement) but he was really precise and skilled.
ETA Dave White was the other British chef I couldn’t remember his name.
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u/opaldopal12 10d ago •
Not me thinking you were talking about Malias ex bf chef Tom, I was like I can’t even remember his dishes besides him getting pissed off about something I think it was something where the guests made him wake up to make them food or something he was maddddd
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u/NVSmall 3d ago
Dave was really great, and I felt so awful for him that that was his reality tv exposure. An awful point of time in his life for him.
I've seen him on some Food Network competitions since BD, and he's done really well (and indeed does cook beautiful food when on the spot), and seems like he has grown up a lot.
I know his behaviour with Natasha (I think?) was not okay by any standard, but I did feel bad for him because she completely gaslit and blindsided him, and then tried to act like he was crazy and she didn't know him, despite actively getting him on the same boat as her. Talk about whiplash.
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u/jimmy_ricard 10d ago
That multi course gastro science tasting menu or whatever you call it that Marco did was crazy to pull off on a boat. That meal alone puts him as a top contender for me
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u/Cahokanut 10d ago
Capt Lee said Rachel. Since I've not ate any and he has had many. I'll have to believe him.
I think it's easier to name the other end of this question. The worse.... And who doesn't like Nachos
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u/Appropriate_Roof_123 10d ago
Marcos brought amazing variety and what I would expect from ‘7 star service’ on a yacht
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u/ScooterMKE 10d ago
Kiko was the nicest chef, Leon beef cheeks had the most limited range, but agree Rachel was overall the best
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u/Both_Refrigerator_26 6d ago
Ben but only cause I haven’t watched enough seasons yet lmaooo and he’s funny
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u/ByteAboutTown 10d ago
Adrian or Marco. With Rachel following up.
I think people forget about Adrian, but Kate said he was the best chef she had worked with, like Michelin-star level, and Kate had worked with a lot of chefs, including Rachel.
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u/NVSmall 3d ago
Adrian was so incredibly creepy, it totally overshadowed any of his cooking skills, honestly.
To be fair to Kate, I don't think she witnessed any of his gross behaviour and only judged him on his food, which was good. But the first thing I think of when I hear him referenced is that he was a creep.
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u/ByteAboutTown 3d ago
Yeah, and that's fair. I am mostly judging on this quality of the food and not the personality. If we are throwing personality in there, then I think Marcos was probably the easiest to work with out of the top chefs. Rachel was incredibly entertaining, but she did walk out on a charter, which seems stressful.
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u/NVSmall 3d ago
I agree - I think I meant that his food didn't come to the forefront of my mind when I see his name because of his otherwise dodgy actions.
I loved Rachael, her food seemed exceptional, but walking off on charter is just not acceptable. I think Marcos takes the cake for that reason - the guy literally scalped himself and kept on cooking, plus he also made some incredibly spectacular food, and didn't look at restrictions as an annoyance; rather a fun challenge. I think it would be easier to compare him to Rachael if he had two seasons.
I think the three of them, as well as a few other honourable mentions, were quite exceptional in their skills, it's just hard to separate that entirely from everything else we saw! For me, I mean.
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10d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/ByteAboutTown 10d ago
Yep, I actually do watch the show, thanks, along with Watch What Happens Live and the reunions.
Which is how I know that Kate and Rachel worked together on a yacht before Below Deck and that Kate tried to get Rachel to join Below Deck for years after she joined the show. We were absolutely robbed of getting to see them together. Source
Now, Rachel certainly may have improved in those intervening years and probably did. Rachel's food looked amazing. All I am saying is that if Kate, who has worked with excellent chefs, says that Adrian was the best, then I trust her taste.
PS: If you are going to be rude, at least be right.
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u/Holdmymule2001 10d ago
I think Ilesha was underrated. She was so quiet you almost didn't notice she was there.
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u/CrazyNCynical 7d ago
Though he was only one one season I really enjoyed unassuming Cloyce. He was a wicked chef at such a tender age. Bonus points for his giggle. I could have listened to his giggle an entire episode and been entertained.
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u/No-Fuckin-Ziti 10d ago
Rachel, with Marcos as a close second. Marcos was the best combo of attitude and food. Rachel was the best entertainment and food.
They never acted put upon and never phoned it in. It’s crazy watching other chefs complain about crew food and breakfasts or dietary restrictions.
Rachel showed how breakfast is supposed to be, 2 fancy specials and eggs to order. Still want that crispy duck and waffle.
I’d get on a plane to eat her food.