‘Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen’ episode 9: Jason Stratton takes on Karen Akunowicz
“Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen” has become a redemption story through the past few episodes with Jason Stratton winning out against many of his opponents; not only that, but it is somewhat reminiscent of when Louis went on his own epic winning streak previously on the show. He was extremely driven to work his way back in the competition, and editing-wise we felt like we learned a lot more about him from watching the webseries.
From Jason this week, we learned about his drag alter ego, and that he has no problem mixing things up on a Teppanyaki table like the ones you tend to see at many Japanese restaurants. This was without a doubt his biggest challenge yet, given that Karen Akunowicz is someone who specializes in Asian cuisine. She was looking to redeem herself here after making a Japanese dish in Thursday’s episode that was perhaps a little too Chinese for the challenge.
Ultimately, it seemed like both chefs rose to the occasion in balancing the entertainment and technique portions of the task, but if there is one way in which Jason defeated Karen, it was probably having a dish that he knew he could execute a little more confidently. Karen took a bigger swing in trying to do an omelette, but when that fell apart she had to call a last-minute audible that was not entirely successful based on the critique from Tom Colicchio. Then again, Jason’s beef was also slightly overdone.
This was a tough back-and-forth battle, but Jason lives on! Our heart goes out to the Pink Dragon, though, given that she fought pretty hard here and there were at times this season where we thought she had a serious chance to make the finals. She’s really the first chef this season that we felt that confidently about during the show itself who is now eliminated.
You can watch this edition of “Last Chance Kitchen” below! Also, sign up over here to get some other TV news on everything we cover, sent right to you via our CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: Bravo.)
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