The Former Top Chef Champion Brings a Fresh, Rugged and Exciting Take on Food Competition
In a lot of ways, Ilan Hall was the first notable chef to embrace a one-on-one culinary battle with a more personal fervor on television. He took it to heart that in the second season of Top Chef, and he wanted to gut his competition the same way he would gut a fish.
It was also a motivating factor that he never really got along with the opposition, Marcel Vigneron, who is largely known as a douche regardless of what E! News might write about him. (To be fair to both chefs, they’ve acknowledged that they have also buried the hatchet a while back.)
But I digress.
Ilan, as Top Chef fanatics might remember was a polarizing character, but ultimately he is highly regarded because of the passion he displayed with food and with cooking. Hall is still currently the youngest to have won Top Chef at age 24, showing flashes of brilliance in the finale after an impressive showing throughout the season.
Without question, having Ilan host this new show was a great move, introducing a refreshing concept to holding culinary contests. It looks like food’s version of ‘Fight Club,’ held in a very underground, street-feel and informal setting.
Tonight, Hall presents the brand new series Knife Fight on Esquire Network. The show, which was announced a month ago has attitude and grit. It will be fun to see how it all plays out, with Hall having some pretty notable talents behind the counter, all while having high-profile celebrities heckling and observing the competitors.
(I personally am excited to see Nyesha Arrington on the show, who was a talented contestant from Top Chef Season 9.)
Check out the extended preview below for Knife Fight.
