Here's What It's Really Like To Be A Diner For Top Chef's Restaurant Wars
As one of the most popular food-based reality shows on television, "Top Chef" has an interesting premise that manages to keep its audiences hooked. Talented contestants must overcome a series of daunting cooking challenges to impress the show's judges. According to Mental Floss, the show's concept is so popular that it has inspired many others to come up with their own versions in different countries. Guess what? There are at least over a dozen versions of "Top Chef" in the world. Whoa!
Per the A.V. Club, one of the most interesting aspects of the show is the part when teams are asked to manage pop-up restaurants in 48 hours. If you are curious, you will be interested to know that said Restaurant Wars are an unexpected experience not just for the participants, but also for those who get a chance to dine at the location. There are some challenges, too. For example, those who wish to have a meal at the location must wait for their turn and remain patient before being led to a table. Additionally, after getting a table, the food takes quite some time to arrive, as well (around an hour, at least.) The good part? Diners are served plenty of wine to make the entire ordeal more bearable.
For diners, the experience can be quite a rollercoaster
Per the A.V. Club, it can be pretty cold in the establishment and the entire dining experience easily takes two hours. But the good part is that nothing is forced and things are fairly authentic. However, there may be a few instances when diners will be asked to wait and answer a few questions for the camera, but that's all. The quality of the food itself is impressive, something that will make the experience worthwhile.
Also, Restaurant Wars offer an ideal opportunity to interact with other fans of "Top Chef." Even when you are required to wait for your next course, you will probably be engaged in an interesting conversation with another fan and won't get the chance to feel bored or exhausted. Of course, as a diner, you will also be asked to rate the food based on how you feel about all the dishes. All in all, Restaurant Wars can be something to look forward to as long you mentally prepare yourself for the long haul.