Pack your knives as a result of Prime Chef is heading to London! Bravo has introduced collectively 16 of the very best cooks from totally different worldwide variations of the franchise to compete in a “World: All-Stars” version.
Season 20 of the Emmy-winning collection, hosted by Padma Lakshmi with judges Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons, will characteristic returning U.S. contestants Amar Santana (season 13), Sara Bradley (season 16), Daybreak Burrell (season 18) and reigning season 19 winner Buddha Lo competing towards winners and finalists from different Prime Chef iterations together with Italy, Canada, Germany, the Center East and extra.
“I wouldn’t name it a standard Prime Chef season,” Lakshmi completely instructed Us Weekly whereas on set in London throughout fall 2022. “The advantage of getting these all-stars and having them be world is that not solely do you get a crop of opponents which can be already seasoned and know what the present is about and know kind of what to anticipate, you even have individuals who have been form of the cream of the crop of their nation.”
Of the caliber of competitors, she mentioned, “I do know so many Prime Cooks who didn’t even win and who didn’t even make it previous Restaurant Wars. And but their eating places are full and their reservation books are packed and closed for months due to the expertise and the publicity that they’ve obtained. So right here you’re beginning off with people who find themselves already on the high of their sport, and that’s thrilling. So it’s under no circumstances like an everyday season of Prime Chef.”
(L-R) Buddha Lo, Begoña Rodrigo, Amar Santana, Gabriel Rodriguez, Padma Lakshmi, Tom Goetter, Charbel Hayek, and Could Phattanant Thongthong. David Moir/Bravo
Simmons agreed, telling Us, “They’re all finalists or winners of their respective seasons so that they’ve been on this sport, they’ve received this sport, they’ve conquered this sport. And despite the fact that it’s slightly bit totally different from how we do it, I feel their aggressive spirit is absolutely obvious.”
Lo, who got here in first place throughout Prime Chef: Houston in early 2022, is again to defend his title on this all-star version. “I feel it’s nice. I feel I’d wanna try this too,” Lakshmi mentioned of him returning for back-to again seasons. “Buddha is a really aggressive chef. I feel he’s additionally sensible in understanding that he needs to attempt to preserve his title slightly longer if he can. Time will inform whether or not he’s ready to do this, however he’s additionally had the newest observe.”
Simmons shared that sentiment, calling Lo “unstoppable.” She added, “I feel he’s simply on a excessive and was, like, ‘Let’s simply preserve going. I’m within the groove. I’m simply gonna preserve plowing ahead. World domination.’ I imply, respect. I can’t consider after I confirmed up right here and noticed that he was one among our contestants.”
In previous seasons, the finale has been hosted in areas world wide like Singapore, Italy, China and Mexico, however that is the primary time the manufacturing is filming a complete season outdoors the U.S.
Lakshmi really lived in London for eight years so she was acquainted with the culinary choices. ”I’d describe the London meals panorama as probably the most worldwide on this planet,” the cookbook creator instructed Us. “London may be very various in that it’s additionally the middle of the world. I feel in North America we’re slightly bit remoted, and naturally, we have now so many immigrant cuisines that affect meals in massive city areas like New York or L.A. However right here in London, I feel what’s great is that you would be able to not solely discover eating places from in all places on this planet, in each the excessive finish and the mother and pop, little hole-in-the-wall.”
(L-R) Tom Colicchio, Padma Lakshmi, and Gail Simmons. David Moir/Bravo
The Style the Nation host continued, “You may also discover grocery shops with every thing – lots of African delicacies, lots of Center Japanese delicacies. Each totally different nation in Asia is represented right here. I imply, that’s largely partly to colonialism and a post-colonial world, nevertheless it’s additionally as a result of, to me, the very best cities on this planet to eat are London, New York – of the locations I’ve been – and maybe Hong Kong.”
Simmons additionally loves the “streamlined modernity” of the U.Ok. “Sure, there’s the standard British meals, however then there’s unbelievable meals from in all places else,” she defined. “You will get the very best of the very best, the very best Sri Lankan meals, the very best Nigerian meals, the very best Malaysian meals, the very best Filipino [cuisine]. There’s a lot power to this metropolis. My listing of eating places is limitless and limitless as a result of there’s so many locations I wanna strive. However I additionally actually love the British sensibility that lots of eating places right here actually carry to their meals.”
The Meals & Wine editor added, “It’s additionally simply nice to be out of America for a short while. It offers you perspective on our meals, on what we predict is essential as a precedence, not simply in life, however particularly in cooking and meals. It’s all the time a terrific examine to go away your consolation zone and to be overseas that doesn’t care as a lot about America as America cares about America – as any nation cares about itself, you already know, you’re very introspective. There’s lots of navel-gazing. And so it’s simply good to see that there are larger developments, larger tales being instructed, extra tales than we’re used to listening to. It actually shifts your mindset.”
(L-R) Angela Harnett, Padma Lakshmi, Tom Colicchio, and Gail Simmons. David Moir/Bravo
The collection has been nominated for 42 Emmy Awards since its 2006 inception, profitable two – Excellent Image Modifying for Actuality Programming and Excellent Actuality-Competitors Program.
“This season feels larger than ever,” Simmons defined of the landmark twentieth season. “I do know that we’re not a tiny present anymore. I used to love be like, ‘Oh, we’re simply this tiny little present,’ and, like, eight seasons later, they needed to be like, ‘Yeah, we’re not so small.’ And as you’ll be able to see, we’re a fairly large manufacturing right here, however this feels actually particular this season. I’ve seen it. Each location we pull as much as, each time I’m on set, I’m like, ‘Wow, we actually created one thing that may’t be replicated.’ We’ve actually executed it effectively. And our producers have all the time been open to new views, they usually’re all the time open to our concepts and to the altering moments in our trade.”
As for the way forward for the present, Lakshmi instructed Us, “I feel every thing has a starting and center and finish. It’s exhausting say. I feel we are able to solely decide when these factors are looking back. We’re very fortunate. We now have a really loyal fan base.”
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Prime Chef: World All-Stars premieres on Bravo Thursday, March 9, at 9 p.m. ET.
