6 Surprising Things About ‘Top Chef’ Restaurant Wars | Eater

"Set up as a vegetable‑centric restaurant on the Top Chef: Destination Canada “Restaurant Wars” set, this pop‑up leaned heavily into composed vegetable dishes and desserts that ultimately outshone the savory courses. Dining alongside the judges under heavy television production—with crew doing beauty shots and tight timelines—left service feeling frazzled: wine ran low, portions were notably small (the Pithivier was served as a half portion), and some plates suffered from temperature issues (for example, Lana’s trout with pot likker consommé arrived at an odd room temperature). Despite those execution hiccups, the desserts received the most praise from both diners and judges, and the executive chef, Tristen Epps, notably continued cooking through a family bereavement, lending the service a sense of dedication. Overall, the concept and presentation were engaging, but production pressures and portioning made the experience feel more like a television service than a fully satisfying restaurant dinner." - Stephanie Wu