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Gordon Ramsey Kitchen Nightmares

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P

Protome

Member
Looking at All4, there's something called Ramsay's Costa Del Nightmares. Looks like its from 2014 so I assume it follows the US format rather than the good format?

I've never seen it before but if it's worth a watch i might give it a go.
 
F

Frozenprince

Banned
Protome said:
Looking at All4, there's something called Ramsay's Costa Del Nightmares. Looks like its from 2014 so I assume it follows the US format rather than the good format?

I've never seen it before but if it's worth a watch i might give it a go.
Click to expand...
No it follows the UK format. It's quite good. The LeDeck episode is my favorite.
 
Q

Quixzlizx

Member
Hero said:
Gordon is great, although his US shows can vary from meh to great. MasterChef peaked with season 3 and it's been on a downhill slope every since. Still watch it though.
Click to expand...

I don't remember which season it was, but I stopped watching it after a black guy who was obviously one of the top 2-3 chefs of the season was knocked out by a sushi-rolling challenge. What was the point of that? I was saltier than when I get fucked by Hearthstone RNG.
 
F

frankie_baby

Member
Protome said:
Looking at All4, there's something called Ramsay's Costa Del Nightmares. Looks like its from 2014 so I assume it follows the US format rather than the good format?

I've never seen it before but if it's worth a watch i might give it a go.
Click to expand...

It was the last ever british series i think, seem to remember it being a bit longer ago than 2014 though
 
P

Protome

Member
Frozenprince said:
Yes. It's about four British run restaurants abroad who are in danger of going under because of the recession.

Three are in Spain, one in France.
Click to expand...

So kinda like the La Parra de Burriana and the Piccolo Treato episodes idea but a whole series? Into it, Ioved those episodes.

frankie_baby said:
It was the last ever british series i think, seem to remember it being a bit longer ago than 2014 though
Click to expand...

All4's air date might be wrong then, it happens. Regardless I haven't seen it!
 
R

ReAxion

Member
Nordicus said:
That little surprise cook-off was something else.

The owner actually coped well with 30min time limit, while head chef Perla took 15 minutes to get the idea of chicken breast with garlic and salt, I was like, how do you even feed yourself??? Head chef of a mexican restaurant, and your dish ends up simple and flavorless. How the fuck.
Click to expand...

that was so embarrassing it almost hurt.

how do I watch Costa Del Nightmares in the US? the video player on channel 4's site doesn't do anything.
 
B

BamfMeat

Member
Because of this thread, I went back and watched the Amy train wreck and reveled in it. I knew of them back when the food blogger has his run in with them. Joel I think his name was. It was kind of a big deal here. Then this episode.... oh lord I feel bad for her. She's very obviously mentally ill.
 
G

Gemüsestäbchen

Member
I'm on UK Season 2 - strikes me as several tells of a failure restaurant - filthy kitchens that straight up fail health inspection, crap staff, lazy cooking and no vision...
 
Lamel

Lamel

Banned
One of the best is that Indian restaurant in mahattan, "Purnima" I think.

The way Gordon gets the tomato and yells "it's rotteeeennnn!!!" is fucking gold.
 
M

mm04

Member
Well, I'm glad this thread introduced me to the Amy's Baking Company episode and the follow-up. Wow. I loved the UK version because it really centered around just changing the strategy of the European restaurants as Gordon's main source of being helpful. I only watched a few episodes of the first season of the USA version because to me it seemed like the restaurants in need of help had to be rewarded with expensive appliances and remodels and such courtesy of the show on top of Gordon Ramsay being there.

On another note, my GF at the time and I ate at the Terra Rosa in Vegas years ago and the season 2 winner of Hell's Kitchen, Heather, sat down at our table and talked to us for a while because we were fans of the show. That was very cool.
 
C

CarpeDeezNutz

Member
BlueLiquid said:
One of the most interesting episodes of the UK series was when he went to a high-end French restaurant in Scotland where even Gordon described the chefs as a culinary dream team and they were using top ingredients. Their problem was that they were too good.

They were serving incredibly elaborate and complex French dishes in an area that just didn't have a market for it. It was the first head chef gig for the chef there, and Gordon said that many young chefs like this one who came from top restaurants and were now on their own would often try to outdo their last restaurant.

Gordon then secretly brought in a reviewer and had a cook-off with the chef there. They both made a grilled scallop dish. The chef there made this incredibly complicated dish with about 18 different items on the dish. Gordon's was much more simple but elegant. The reviewer told the chef that his dish was good but not world-class good but Gordon's knocked it out of the park. The chef didn't take it well.

But the thing that really stood out was Gordon telling them about his own failure where he closed his restaurant in his own hometown. They started well but he made things more and more complex to the point that the locals gave up on the place as they wanted simpler and more familiar fare. He saw them on the same trajectory.
Click to expand...


That sounds interesting whats the name of the episode?
 
F

Frozenprince

Banned
CarpeDeezNutz said:
That sounds interesting whats the name of the episode?
Click to expand...

La Riviera.

Spoilers for the aftermath for those interested:

It's one of two places from the UK series that is actually still open, but the name changed to "Abstract" and the Chef from the episode has long moved on (note, he has never, to my knowledge, won a Michelin Star).
 
S

Sephzilla

Member
Gordon's insults are fucking hilarious but sometimes I do think he goes a little too far with it. I'm sorta surprised nobody has lost their shit and taken a swing at him.
 
F

Frozenprince

Banned
I think my favorite of his insults was that Oceana episode where he keeps calling that disgusting cook they have "Chef" every time he finds a new, disgusting thing in his walk in.

They're better when they are subtle.
 
R

ReAxion

Member
My favorite Ramsayism is definitely when on MasterChef, he just sighs "damn..."

The most brutal yet succinct "I'm not mad, I'm disappointed"
 
K

kramer

Member
Frozenprince said:
La Riviera.

Spoilers for the aftermath for those interested:

It's one of two places from the UK series that is actually still open, but the name changed to "Abstract" and the Chef from the episode has long moved on (note, he has never, to my knowledge, won a Michelin Star).
Click to expand...

I looked it up when I watched it - he moved back to France and did get a Michelin star https://www.francetoday.com/food-dr...ants_in_colmar_l_atelier_du_peintre_reviewed/
 
F

Faddy

Banned
With La Riviera the problem was the owner was letting the chef do whatever he wanted instead of looking at it like a business. The owner was partially treating it as his personal dining experience iirc.

What happened is kind of bizarre. They took Gordon's advice and did really well but then opened a second restaurant and reverted the other one back to the previous failing menu. Then they opened yet another restaurant with the elaborate menu in Edinburgh which didn't do too well and shut in a short time. It seems like the owner just wants to put his head chef on display with vanities projects instead of proper businesses.
 
S

Saint of Killers

Member
I've never seen a UK ep of this ¬_¬ Channel 4 only ever seem to show US one. I always did wonder how UK one compared to the often OTT US one (which is one of my guilty pleasures), seems I've been missing out : ( Thanks C4.
 
S

SolidSnakex

Member
I always felt the main difference between the UK version and the US version is that the people in the UK version desperately wanted his help to fix things while in the US version that's rarely the case. In the US version it's usually the kids, wife, or husband that asked for the restaurant to be on the show while the chef or owner is always combative. So, it's not surprising that the US version comes off as more reality TV-like. The way Gordon acts on the US version is expected since it's easy to be frustrated when you're called for help and are being fought with every inch of the way.

Another difference is that Ramsay visits some absolute hell holes in the US version. Restaurants that have no right even being open with how poorly the kitchens are maintained. It doesn't surprise me that so many restaurants would shut down afterwards because who the fuck is going to visit one after they see chefs serving or attempting to serve people rancid food? There's no excuse to ever have your kitchen in a state that some of the restaurants on the show had theirs in.
 
L

leng jai

Member
So are all the restaurants and setups 100% legit? I've watched most of the episodes and half of them look ridiculously fucked up.
 
G

GhaleonEB

Member
One of the biggest surprises in my watch was seeing the Lido's episode, and then following up with the revisited episode and seeing what happened. The owner was young, in way over her head, didn't take it seriously and had no experience. I thought the place was a goner, but she grew up fast and got her shit together. Pretty great turnaround, one of relatively few. I hated seeing some episodes end on an optimistic note and then see they closed a year later. For most their problems just ran too deep.

Some of the most painful were when you can tell Ramsay realizes partway through that they're hosed.
 
Braag

Braag

Member
Sometime last year they showed like 4 different Gordon Ramsey shows from the TV here during a single day. I used to watch Kitchen Nightmares sometimes when it happened to be on. It's pretty addictive, once you start watching it's hard to stop.

I love Gordon's "fuck me" when he sees something terrible.

leng jai said:
So are all the restaurants and setups 100% legit? I've watched most of the episodes and half of them look ridiculously fucked up.
Click to expand...

Maintaining a restaurant is hard work and a lot of people can't commit to it fully. I have seen some seriously fucked up restaurant kitchens with my own eyes. The stuff you see in the show is unfortunately quite common.
 
R

ReAxion

Member
GhaleonEB said:
One of the biggest surprises in my watch was seeing the Lido's episode, and then following up with the revisited episode and seeing what happened. The owner was young, in way over her head, didn't take it seriously and had no experience. I thought the place was a goner, but she grew up fast and got her shit together. Pretty great turnaround, one of relatively few. I hated seeing some episodes end on an optimistic note and then see they closed a year later. For most their problems just ran too deep.

Some of the most painful were when you can tell Ramsay realizes partway through that they're hosed.
Click to expand...

that one's still open too.
 
N

Nordicus

Member
It's surprising how the Capri episode turned out.

The twins in charge were just the laziest pair to ever step foot in a kitchen, the place was only open 35 hours a week, they took naps constantly, no cleanup, all frozen or canned food, then somehow they broke their bad habits basically overnight and seemed satisfied working dusk till dawn afterwards. The restaurant is still open to this day

Wonder if they were the type of personality that can easily dedicate all their free time to something as long as it becomes sustainable routine.
 
indigo-cyclops

indigo-cyclops

Member
Both versions are some of my favorite food-based shows. UKs subtle and somewhat underproduced charm vs the overproduced but hilariously confrontational and genuine US version really balance out and highlight his strengths. Ramsay is a hell of a chef and individual. I've never seen him as someone with an inflated ego or someone who isn't completely genuine. Honestly, Bobby Flay could learn a lot from him.

Mad respect for Ramsay.
 
newtypepilot

newtypepilot

Member
SolidSnakex said:
I always felt the main difference between the UK version and the US version is that the people in the UK version desperately wanted his help to fix things while in the US version that's rarely the case. In the US version it's usually the kids, wife, or husband that asked for the restaurant to be on the show while the chef or owner is always combative. So, it's not surprising that the US version comes off as more reality TV-like. The way Gordon acts on the US version is expected since it's easy to be frustrated when you're called for help and are being fought with every inch of the way.

Another difference is that Ramsay visits some absolute hell holes in the US version. Restaurants that have no right even being open with how poorly the kitchens are maintained. It doesn't surprise me that so many restaurants would shut down afterwards because who the fuck is going to visit one after they see chefs serving or attempting to serve people rancid food? There's no excuse to ever have your kitchen in a state that some of the restaurants on the show had theirs in.
Click to expand...

I think some of those restaurants in the US version went on the show for the free publicity as well as the free decor makeover.
 
F

Frozenprince

Banned
Nordicus said:
It's surprising how the Capri episode turned out.

The twins in charge were just the laziest pair to ever step foot in a kitchen, the place was only open 35 hours a week, they took naps constantly, no cleanup, all frozen or canned food, then somehow they broke their bad habits basically overnight and seemed satisfied working dusk till dawn afterwards. The restaurant is still open to this day

Wonder if they were the type of personality that can easily dedicate all their free time to something as long as it becomes sustainable routine.
Click to expand...
Not only is it still open, it's got really good reviews.
 
C

Coriolanus

Banned
Nordicus said:
It's surprising how the Capri episode turned out.

The twins in charge were just the laziest pair to ever step foot in a kitchen, the place was only open 35 hours a week, they took naps constantly, no cleanup, all frozen or canned food, then somehow they broke their bad habits basically overnight and seemed satisfied working dusk till dawn afterwards. The restaurant is still open to this day

Wonder if they were the type of personality that can easily dedicate all their free time to something as long as it becomes sustainable routine.
Click to expand...

Occam's says that they already were diligent workers, but hammed up the laziness for the episode. All the rest with the canned food was prolly true tho.
 
D

Deleted member 20920

Unconfirmed Member
Bluth54 said:
Gordon Ramsey decided to end the show. Based on what he posted on his site it sounds like it wasn't cancelled but he didn't have time to do it anymore because he didn't have enough time. Gordon Ramsey is doing a show called Hotel Hell which deals with hotels and their restaurants.
Click to expand...

I didn't know there were seasons 2 and 3 XD
 
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