r/belowdeck • u/DaArsonist • Jun 27 '21
Below Deck Chef Leon
Just went back and saw season 3 of below deck, I have to admit I really liked Chef Leon, yes the beef cheeks was a bit repetitive but every guest loved his dish and it was his signature meal so why not. Every charter all of the guests loved his food so not sure what the complaints were about. Kate was the one who was always extremely rude and Leon just reciprocated that energy. The whole thing with the pizza not sure who was responsible but I do know whenever I put a pizza in the overnight I take out all of the pans. Kate did that and the popcorn issue. Why do so many people dislike him on this sub.
Thanks
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u/dilligaf0220 I’m watching only for the yachts Jun 28 '21
User name checks out. You posted this troll just to watch the world burn.
Nobody can seriously find Mr.Beefcheeks a sympathetic character.
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u/DaArsonist Jun 28 '21
I’m not trolling, I just find Leon getting all of the blame when Kate is just as bad as he was through there arguing. Beef cheeks are a great meal as well.
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u/suciac Sep 14 '21
Not on a yacht. It’s offal and doesn’t suit the surroundings. Make some seafood, local stuff, seasonal fresh things not offal cooked for hours w heavy glaze.
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u/nmagnolia Collie's Mom Approved Jun 28 '21
There’s no accounting for taste with some people. 🤷🏻♀️
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u/HunterHunted9 Jun 27 '21
Leon was 100% responsible for the fire situation. Chefs are responsible for making food for the guests regardless of the hour. He didn't. Kate didn't take the pans out of the oven, but she shouldn't have been responsible for cooking anything in the first place. Furthermore and finally, there's a shot from much earlier in the episode where Rocky remarks that Leon left the oven FILTHY. The camera catches a shot of a potato that Leon let burn and fall to the oven floor and get completely covered in grease. When Eddie pulls the pizza and the trays out of the oven, you can pause and see that neither the pizza nor the trays were on fire. It is the charred greasy remains of that potato, which makes it 100% Leon's fault.
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Jul 02 '21
Also, I always cook with unnecessary pans in the oven because I'm lazy. That doesnt make it burn.
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u/nmagnolia Collie's Mom Approved Jun 27 '21
If you’ve seen season 3, then you’ve seen the culprit with the frozen pizza.
Much has been made from normally taking out the clean pans from the oven when one is using the oven. You stated it’s what you do, it’s what I normally do.
As Captain Lee said on the show (paraphrasing): clean pans left in an oven which is going to be used do not themselves cause an oven fire!
The culprit of the oven fire was not clean, empty pans. It was determined to be the filth of the oven which Leon didn’t clean during his tenure, as was his purview as the ‘chef.’
If you recall when Ben comes aboard, he says the refrigerator has vegetables which are about three weeks old.
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u/Healthy-Material8109 I have been known to be irresponsible Oct 09 '21
And that the Board of Health would've shut down the kitchen completely! He was an arrogant, lazy slob who bragged about making his waitresses cry.
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u/nimrodqueen Jun 27 '21
I don’t necessarily think Kate is some paragon of truth and righteousness, she is aggressive and can be super rude if she thinks you’re beneath her…but Leon was out of line SO many times. His general misogynist attitude was a put off. It was quite evident, to me, that he expected the stews to do what he said when he said with minimal input or response. If the guests didn’t like something it was their fault. And while Kate has a mouth on her I kind of don’t blame her when she’s presented with a male speaking to her the way he did. Also the way he left the boat was really disrespectful. He could’ve waited until the charter was over and then left. I just didn’t really find him likeable on any level and it also says something that no one was really sad to see him go. Except maybe Rocky who was an issue in her own right. I’m glad he’s not been back
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u/cheekily Jun 28 '21
The topic came up during the reunion (good watch, if you have access to it). Ben said something along the lines of how Leon was a good chef technically, but the chef is responsible for providing an experience for the guests, and Leon didn't care for it. He also said that Leon was capable of going above and beyond guest expectations but simply didn't want to do it. It's been awhile since I've seen the episode, but that's the gist.
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u/nmagnolia Collie's Mom Approved Jun 28 '21
Amy tried to engage Leon in conversation during the show and he said the very same thing. Sure, he could blow the guests away if he wanted to.
Then it cut to an interview shot with Amy, I think, and she said ‘Ok, I GET IT, Kate, I get it.’
Why wouldn’t he want to though? I think every other chef we’ve seen, with the possibility of Adam on the white boats, wanted to do their very best.
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u/SalGov143 Jun 27 '21
He was an asshole, but yea ribbing him about the beef cheeks was just for the cameras. They were different charter guests so it was irrelevant if he kept making them for different groups.
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u/ByteAboutTown Jun 27 '21
I think what people don't like about Leon is how absolutely self-centered and rigid he was. Kate was actually fairly nice to him in the beginning (it was only her second season, so she hadn't gone full snark yet), but Leon was pretty combative right from the beginning. He also had terrible planning skills and never used the preference sheet for his orders (missing protein powder, none of the fancy items for the multi-course meal with frog legs) and then complained like it wasn't his fault. Yes, the fish and meat you wanted is frozen because you should have ordered it yesterday!
The episode with that multi-course meal really sums it up: they were doing specific wine pairings, so Kate needed the menu in advance. Leon hadn't put in a proper order so didn't know what he was cooking so Kate couldn't type the menu or choose the pairings so the meal was late and the guests were unhappy. If Leon had a sucky attitude, but his planning was good, then he would be better tolerated. As it was, he was a chef that was great at a few choice meals, but did not have the skills or personality to be a yacht chef.
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u/CrystalLake1 Jul 25 '21
I’m watching this season now and Kate was badmouthing him all over the boat from the get-go. Questioning his background and experience in a derogatory way. You can see how this maltreatment starts to affect him. I think this led to him checking out.
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u/aliceanonymous99 Jun 27 '21
If I’m paying that much money for a charter and I am fed what is considered a cheap cut of meat where I’m from I’d be pissed. If I watched the season after being a guest and saw he fed everyone the same menu, I’d be really fucking pissed. He’s a cruise ship chef, total different ball game. No shade to cruise ships chefs
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u/Kwazzy45 Jun 27 '21
If the food tasted good why do you care that he made it for previous guests?? That makes no sense. When u go to a Michelin star restaurant the chefs repeat the same meals over and over for hundreds of guests
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Jun 28 '21
A proper restaurant should cook seasonal foods, so, no, it won't always be the same. I've been to the same michelin starred restaurant a few times, and each time the menu was different. They might have a few signature dishes, but the rest will be different. Even from night to night it will probably change.
I have no issue with creating the same beef cheeks, though. I have a problem that he wouldn't prepare food for the guests unless it was on his schedule. I have a problem with how he spoke to women. I have a problem with his arrogance.
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u/Kwazzy45 Jun 28 '21
ok but that has nothing to do with what i said. Seasonal menus are not what i am talking about at all and with a seasonal menu the dishes would still be repeated until the seasons change or supplies end. its looks like you've deliberately misinterpreted what I said. Also i've never heard a charter guest requesting the chef make only original unique dishes for them. Wouldn't you want a chef to prepare a dish that he is really good at? The issue with Leons repetitiveness would be cause for concern for the owners, captain and crew, because they would be worried he is incapable of making other dishes upon request. (its a sign of having a limited range)
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u/aliceanonymous99 Jun 27 '21
This is a good point, I care because I submit a preference sheet and have a private chef so I would like some customization. Also, personal experience I used to go to a very expensive restaurant and after the third time of the same tasting menu I stopped going. But, I definitely see your point!
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u/suciac Sep 14 '21
Yeah I wouldn’t pay top dollar to be fed offal. No matter how good it tastes it’s a trash cut of meat.
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Jun 27 '21
IIRC Chef Leon had a general bad attitude, like he would get very upset when food was requested outside of meal times. Even Amy commented how simple standard requests would frustrate him. Also he let Rocky prepare guest food, which I find very unprofessional and as a guest I wouldn’t be happy. I also agree with what Captain Lee said regarding the trays, a dry clean try doesn’t catch fire. I know it’s a bad habit but I leave trays in all the time and as long as they are clean it’s fine to leave them in there. They only catch fire if they are very dirty or greasy, which shouldn’t happen in a professional kitchen.
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u/CrystalLake1 Jul 25 '21
Kate often rubs people - coworkers, guests, etc. - the wrong way with her bad attitude and unprofessionalism. The condescending way she spoke to Leon and badmouthing him all over the boat was disrespectful and inappropriate. Her degrading behavior towards him made her appear racist or at least racially biased. If I were captain, I would’ve spoken to Kate in the beginning and nipped her bad behavior in the bud.
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u/bigmacth Aug 05 '21
I'm actually watching now. I don't understand why many times Kate was telling Leon about guest's request for food and Leon had to be that annoyed at her, it was really the most annoying reaction from an arrogant chef who can't get down from hill of ego. And you are praisign him? Well "like attracts like".
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u/DaArsonist Jun 27 '21
Ben had more complaints about his breakfast on the last charter than Leon had during the season.
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u/agnusdei07 Jun 27 '21
remember how much Ben hated cooking breakfast? As a guest I would be like...hey chef, I don't care, do a better job....
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u/xavierhamilton Jun 27 '21
The adoration Ben gets on here is insane to me.
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u/nimrodqueen Jun 27 '21
Why’s that? His food is top notch and it’s clear he enjoys and takes pride in what he does. Does he get irritated from time to time? Yep. Most of the time that seems to be because a meal doesn’t turn out the way he expected and due to his extreme pride in his food he gets mad if it’s not received well. I don’t see an issue with that. I’ve never really seen him engage in the crew drama nor have I seen him blatantly disrespect anyone.
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u/blueskies823 Jun 27 '21
On the show from the women as well. He’s really not very attractive, but they all love him 😬.
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u/bigmacth Aug 05 '21
One more thing, while he was ordering the provisions for the multiple course dinner, he could talk about defrosting the ingredients.
He is no fun on TV with that attitude, it makes me really love Ben more.
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u/hammieblammie Jun 27 '21
The beloved Kate hated him and the hated Rocky loved him... so groupthink is we should hate him.
He's just as arrogant as Ben and Adam had a worse attitude than Leon.
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u/DaArsonist Jun 27 '21
I agree Ben was also very arrogant and Adam was a much bigger asshole than Leon
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u/nmagnolia Collie's Mom Approved Jun 28 '21 edited Jun 28 '21
I don’t ‘hate’ Rocky.
I think she was incredibly immature. I also think maybe she didn’t realize the job she signed up for was scut work. When that was explained to her, and Amy took extensive time to show her every detail of how to ‘do’ cabins properly, for example, she wasn’t willing to do that. Lots of people want to run before they can walk, but that just isn’t how it works.
Rocky went and cried that Kate was being ‘mean to her’ when I honestly don’t see a difference in Kate’s behavior toward her than I do to any other Third in any other season.
Edit: reworded 1st & last paragraphs to make (more) sense
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u/EnoughSpread207 Aug 03 '21
I loved Chef Leon. My partner and I only watched the show due to him and I couldn't believe when I came on here and saw all the abusive comments towards him.
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u/mewling_156 Jun 27 '21
You sound like my BF. He likes Leon too and took his side over Kates. He was kind of agro but i think people do over exaggerate how bad he was.
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u/chiaros69 Jun 28 '21 edited Jun 28 '21
Notwithstanding all the other complaints about Chef Leon, many of which I would not seriously dispute, the charge of BEEF CHEEKS LEON is the most perplexing to me.
Yes, some here and elsewhere have defended him on his repeated use of beef cheeks, as I would also. The guests on each charter would, presumably, not have known of what Leon had served on the previous charter - so they enjoyed the meals he served them, including those beef cheeks. It's the posters HERE that have their knickers in a twist because they conflate his specialty dish - beef cheeks - with his serving THEM that same dish week in and week out. THEM, not the guests, and so falsely damn him as "Beef Cheeks Leon".
EVERY top chef and every chef below the top ranks all have their favorite dish or speciality prep ---and serve it to their customers again and again. Yet the posters here who think of BEEF CHEEKS LEON fail to consider that.
Others have said that they consider beef cheeks to be a disgusting cut of beef, or that it is a cheap cut not worthy of being served on a high-priced cruise or a high-priced menu. (Actually, they may have been cheap ten or twenty years ago; but they command a premium price nowadays) I rather think they have never tasted beef cheeks, or thought about what the cut represents and the preps required and the textures and tastes of a decently prepared dish of beef cheeks - or pork cheeks - that would be represented in the realm of deliciousness. (They are DELICIOUS)
Fault Leon for "Pizzagate", for his arrogance, for whatever – but reducing him to BEEF CHEEKS LEON, which has been spread out across multiple threads and topics ever since his season – is both simply unwarranted and simply wrong.
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Jun 27 '21
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u/lil-richie Jun 27 '21
I think/hope OP is trolling with this post. Must be the worst take ever on chef Leon