Language Hebrew | ||
Similar Kitchen Nightmares Israel, MasterChef Israel, Irreversible, Survivor, The Voice Israel Profiles | ||
Game of Chefs (Hebrew: משחקי השף. In Hebrew the name resembles the Hebrew name of the popular Game of Thrones series) is a reality cooking competition show that debuted on 19 January 2014 on Channel 2. The format was developed by Reshet, one of the two concessionaires running the Israeli Channel 2, in collaboration with ITV. The final episode of the first season aired on 8 April 2014, reaching a rating of 32.9%. A second season began on 28 February 2016.
Contents
A recurring theme throughout the show is the competition being decided using blind taste tests in almost all stages of the format.
The format was sold to RTL Group.
Format
The show is a competition open for both amateur and professional chefs, competing for the title of "Israel's most talented chef". It is hosted by Miri Bohadana. The show has four stages: The blind auditions, training camp, kitchen battles, and finals.
The blind auditions
During this auditions stage, candidates prepare dish within one hour, which is then sent to the show's three judges for a blind taste test. The jugdes don't see the candidate, and know nothing about him or her. While the test is performed, the candidate watches the jugdes and hears what the say, until just before they deliver their decision. Afterwards the candidate meets the judges and each of them reveals his decision. A "pass" decision is signified by the judge giving a kitchen knife to the candidate. A candidate receiving at least two knifes continues to the next stage, the training camp.
The training camp
30 candidates (in the second season, 33) that successfully pass the blind auditions stage arrive at the training camp. They are tested in three missions, one from each chef (judge): An accuracy and technique mission, a taste balance mission, and an imagination mission. At the end of each mission, each chef picks two candidates for his team, so that every team grows to 6 contestants.
The kitchen battles
In this stage each episode has two parts.
In the first part, the teams competes against each other. Each team must prepare a single dish to be served to 14 expert judges brought especially for each episode based on the changing episodes` topics (Carnivores for a meat mission, Italians for a pizza mission and etc.) The chefs cannot taste the dishes or touch it, each chef can help his team by consultation only. The winning team gains immunity for this episode, and doesn't participate in the second part.
The remaining contestants then compete against each other, with each preparing his or her own dish. The three chef judges grade each dish in a blind taste test, without knowing who made it, or to which team he or she belongs to. The contestant with the lowest grade is eliminated from the show.
When only 7 contestants remain (one stage before the quarter finals), the number of external expert judges drops to 7, and the winning team doesn't receive immunity. Instead the chef of the winning team gives immunity to one of his team members.
Final episodes
In the semi-final, 5 contestants compete against each other preparing dishes invented by the show's own chefs.
In the final episode, 4 candidates (In the second season two only) compete in two tasks. The first task is judged by the three chefs in a blind taste test, followed by eliminating two contestants. The second task is graded by 24 of Israel's leading chefs, who choose that season's winner.