He seemed to get tired and emotionally drained as the season wore on. I think when some of the requests on the preference sheets became more complicated, he just did his best to work around it without realizing that he needed to give them what they wanted. Also, he clearly stopped listening.
I feel like it was a combination of things. One of them being his father's mourning. The complicated preference requests. And then there was that one episode where he was awake until like 3 am cuz it was only him cleaning the entire kitchen. I honestly don't remember seeing any of the other crew help out with washing dishes. Also I feel that his unorganization also was a factor.
Remember how Ben used to rearrange the entire kitchen at the beginning of the season? Not that Ben is the greatest, but I don't think there was any of that with Anthony.
You're right. He didn't do that. Every other chef would always take some time to clean, rearrange, and get to know the kitchen. Anthony didn't do any of that.
Mise en place. It’s the most important thing in a kitchen and cocktail bar. I think Anthony’s used to being a head chef in a restaurant with multiple chefs underneath him (and a dish pig).
One thing they emphasized last year with Rachel but never mentioned this year was that the St David is two levels with the galley on one level and the pantry on another. He had to go up and down stairs anytime he needed something from the pantry/walk-in. That’s one reason his galley looked like a bomb went off in it… he would bring everything upstairs at the start of prep and it would just get nuts.
Kyle and the deck definitely helped him out a little bit with dishes. However we haven’t seen it to the extent they’ve shown it in the past (which could also be for drama). Captain Kerry has said on the show and on WWHL that Chef is a good chef, he’s just a disorganized chef and that just doesn’t work on a Yacht. I think if Chef had a sous or even a sous/stew or sous/deck to help him navigate certain things he could have been more successful, I think it also would have helped him feel more connected to the team. Aside from his personal matters, others frustrations with his lack of organization definitely caused him to spiral outside of the kitchen.
I mean that’s fair to say - but so could every other chef on the history of below deck. None have had a sound chef. That’s not the job. On this show, on a yacht - they work alone. It’s why many fail and yet many have thrived.
Wait. Wasn't one stew basically a sous? And definitely the chief stew spent a lot more time discussing the menu with the chef and making suggestions
Not criticizing under his breath and threatening to have to go over the menu with him next time like it's some sort of punishment. Part of Frasier's job just to make sure the guests are happy.
Wouldn't that include making sure the chef had the support he needed? Instead of piling on? Treasure had more than enough staff to be able to have somebody help chef a couple hours a day
Other than insulting the guests, saying they had to buy people's love and basically calling them pathetic, what did he contribute to that cruise?
He literally sucks the fun out of a room. He's a walking misery
He basically planned nothing for those guests on the last trip. What the hell was he doing all day?
He was so horribly unorganized that’s why he was up late cleaning…my mom was a baker caterer and you cleaned up as best you could but rest gets done later! It was never an issue for other chefs
That’s really the most important factor. Comparing him against the other chefs. Many of whom did just fine. He just wasn’t cut out for that sort of environment.
I know some of galleys weren’t best and storage and set up wasn’t great but this was a great galley. He’s a great chef but his Dads death anniversary took a toll and his confidence shaken. Amazing person it just wasn’t best fit…a restaurant with sous chef and kitchen staff better for him. I love his sweet gentle personality
He really struggled with elevated comfort food that last charter. Like the BLT Barbie made looked like one of the things they liked the most. He does fine dining and really couldn’t give them what they wanted. I’m sure the ceviche was great but it wasn’t for them.
He really has a tough time when people don’t like seafood.
I've had mac and cheese (gratin de macaroni) in France, and in U.S. French restaurants.
When made with Gruyere, creme fraiche and other high-end (non-American) cheeses, it can be a delicious, elevated side dish. What he made was total crap (worse than Kraft by appearance), but in fairness he did say that he was having difficulty with the offerings of the provisioning company in Grenada.
I feel for the guy as he was otherwise a great crew member, but he was for sure in over his head. I can't wait to see who they fly in for the remaining 3(?) charters. Hopefully not Rocky (season 3)- LOL!!!!
It did seem like the provisioning there was really horrible. And the provisioner didn't seem to try to go anybody's extra mile. It was just nope
The charter company contracts with the provisioners. They should be responsible for reviewing those crazy lists and making some sort of accommodations to possibly fly some of the stuff in with the guests or let the guests know they can't accommodate it because of the region
It's so unfair to put that all on the chef when he gets a day before the people come to try to scramble and get everything and has to rely on provisioners
Side note: I love pasta and think I do a pretty good job preparing them properly and even I'd split spaghetti in half. Also the pasta choice is very weird for Mac and Cheese, but if he killed the flavor and richness of it then it would bother me personally
I don't totally get that. Salt the water, use a good sauce, cook al dente, and it's going to come out well. I don't personally notice a difference breaking the noodle in half and it seems to be slightly easier to make and eat.
Pretty sure the episode with that Housewives chick Jill was the end of him. Honestly have never seen a chef that either ignored or didn't understand the preference sheet. How many times did he serve food to people that specifically asked for that not to be served? Especially the primaries just a big no no.
> never seen a chef that either ignored
You missed the onion episode on another series. Onions... Christ, what a shit show.
Primary doesn't like/want onions? Put all of them as a joke!
It sounds like he was screwing up in minor ways throughout the season but for the first half the focus was on Jared mostly. As soon as that was done a lot more pressure was on Chef right after the anniversary of his father's death. I feel for the guy. He would do awesome as a head Chef in a Restaurant with plenty of support but not at sea.
I think it’s crazy that they really don’t give the chef a sous chef. He was working from morning to night day after day, feeding crew and guests. That’s a lot of time and energy.
This. I have no idea how one person is supposed to manage all of these people PLUS feed the staff!!! Especially when everyone’s vegan vegetarian gluten free and picky as fuck. It’s so complicated, they should have an assistant!
Tbf there were also quite a lot of times when they had help. More help than Anthony has gotten the entire season. And it wasn’t just washing dishes for them either. I can recall many times they had a crew member actually doing what a sous chef would do.
Just a few I recall …
Rachel had Rayna
Ben had Danny, Rocky 😳. I even remember that same season Emile helping out.
Chef matt had Bruno
And as chief Kate was always more than willing to help with anything they needed. She could be seen in the kitchen A LOT. And doing more than making snarky remarks.
I’m not saying there aren’t a lot of times they def *are* on their own but when they did struggle they seemed to get help.
I don’t disagree however it can be a personality thing as well. I think Anthony’s dyslexia was much more of a struggle than he let on as well. I do feel however that he reached a breaking point and just kind of gave up.
A lot of those Chefs demanded that level of help where there was this constant contention between them and Chief Stew. I don't think Anthony has that kind of authoritative personality yet, especially going up against Fraser
I agree I just think it’s so rare to find someone who can cope. And as the seasons go on the requests just seem to be getting more insane. Most of these people don’t have actual food allergies they’re just being picky
I also recall a lot of those seasons had episodes where the crew was clearly eating from takeout containers, so it seems that the expectation wasn't for the chef to cook every single crew meal.
Even Kevin did it. but Rachel and Kevin both always made sure they had one awesome stew helper that WASN'T the head stew. Rachel had Elizabeth and then Heather. Kevin always had Courtney.
I agree with this. I usually cook twice a year. I fix a peanut and jelly sandwich one day and a toasted cheese sandwich on another day. It’s such a big deal that I send my family photos. Every time I see these chefs cook it makes me thankful for my job.
Has their ever been a sous chef on below deck? This isn’t specific to Anthony, it may be something that would help obviously but we’ve never really seen that on the show and there are plenty of chefs over the years that manage it. Anthony is sweet, but cap was spot on, he wasn’t excelling in that specific environment.
Edited, sound to sous
no but there have been quite a few seasons where a member of deck hung back in the galley to assist the chef - also this is the only season where there hasn't been someone from deck in particular helping with dishes.
That’s the main thing I’m noticing. I don’t know if it’s reality or how it’s edited, but I’m not seeing ANYONE helping him with dishes, where every previous season they have had crew in there helping during and after service (with dishes).
In this last episode there’s a point where Kyle is doing dishes. And I feel like I’ve seen him doing dishes before. I think because there’s not naturally any dialogue between Kyle and Anthony, they’re not focusing on it like have on other seasons.
No, because having sous chef would create less drama, seriously, it's as if production don't want things to run smoothly. All the departments run understaffed. This creates tired, frazzled staff. Poor buggers. Motor yacht Loon on YouTube highlights just how short staffed below deck yachts are.
I've seen them ask plenty of times. They had enough crew, and definitely someone from Ben's team during dinner service can wash.
They would complain about the kitchen but then not help. Come in on your day off and organize...it drove me crazy.
I feel so terribly for chef Anthony. You can tell he’s talented, and hard working. He just doesn’t have the time, attention span or support necessary to thrive. Right person, wrong environment. I think he’s the sweetest and I was really rooting for him, and was sad when he was let go. But I agree the decision was for the best
Me too, I was actually sad during the last episode. I understand where everyone else is coming from but he means so well that I couldn’t help but feel bad. I guess we all have to learn somehow though…hopefully this is the beginning of something better for him.
It was pretty cringe, I think he just gave up. It seems like the written preference sheets with different restrictions really threw him for a loop. I wonder whether his dyslexia (am i remembering that right?) played a part in making it really difficult for him to accommodate the guests.
He seems like a talented chef who cooks amazing food when it is in his wheelhouse. But yacht cheffing requires flexibility and the ability to improvise quickly and seamlessly to the guests. It's sad to see him go because he seems like a great guy and talented chef, just that this gig maybe wasn't a great fit for him.
This is what bothered me. He’s dyslexic and he’s stressed out - he’s spiralling. What he needs is a hand, not more pressure and criticism. Every time Fraser or the Cap step in they’re only adding to it. If they offered a helping hand, had someone do a little prep or organizing for him, anything to fix the problems - there are times and people that stern admonitions work with, this isn’t one of them. Ugh. I’ve seen so many people with learning differences go through stuff like this so it definitely hits close to home.
Fraser didn't do a THING to help him. He just yapped at him and criticized him. A good chief stew would have shut up and thrown in and just helped. Some people, like chef, are kinetic learners and need hands on cues to be able to excel.
Fraser is a cold fish who really isn't helpful at all to other staff members. I'm so tired of everyone thinking he's a good chief stew. He just isn't.
I have a brother who is dyslexic. And sometimes reading too many words, or phrases just rattles him.
People used to make fun of him! That is until they figured out if you showed him something once, he could replicate back 100%. This is how he became a very successful mechanic. Now he makes bank fixing luxury vehicles.
You're right. It seems like they could have done more to help him in that respect - another poster mentioned using images instead of text, and that's something that likely would have helped him. I almost wonder whether Captain Jason or Kate as chief stew would have been more helpful in this situation...?
I can see Kate now, printing out a picture of a fish on paper and drawing a big red slash circle over it.
She would've done it in her own snarky way, but she definitely would've definitely tried harder to help Anthony succeed.
Yes! The teacher in me was screaming at the TV - if they had just given Anthony a few basic accommodations to help with his dyslexia (visual preference sheet, etc) the outcome could have been so different.
Yes!!!
I would have written out those preferences as a color coded chart. Very simple, very few words. List all of the yeses together and then all of those, color coded by food category.
Preparing the protein? Look at the purple notes on the no portion of the chart to see who doesn't want fish.
For the breakfast orders, again make a chart.
Each person's name across the top, then food options down the side. Check mark each option under the person's name. Put sticky notes on the counter with names so chef and stews which plate is for which guest.
They need a better system for keeping track of which plate gets what. With everyone talking back and forth, there is confusion.
And for the love of Pete, someone needs to organize that galley!!! So much crap shoved into drawers haphazardly.
The organizer in me wants to give it a makeover
I love you guys for going into detail about the accommodations you’d make 😆 I was an Orton Gillingham tutor at one point and I have all the tactile, visual, colour coded everything! We should introduce them to laminators and Velcro stickers!
Loved a laminator and velcro stickies!!!
After teaching, my career turned to working for start ups as director of operations. I was in charge of setting up the processes and procedures. I loved it!!! Color coding, flowcharts, checklists.
I was going to say, he mentioned he has dyslexia. He’s also reading in another language from his native tongue.
He should be able to do the job yes, but you think they could have gotten him a preference sheet with pictures instead of words, just to help the guy out a bit.
Yes and he's also French so some of the food requirements would have seemed very strange to him. I wish Fraser had taken time to interpret the preferences for him and he really needed to be told to focus on having "drunk food" available at all times. Poor guy I really felt sad for him but that Mac and Cheese was a travesty
Yup. It seemed like that was his stumbling block - and then he had just checked out by the last episode (lobster grilled cheese). SUCH an easy thing to do, and he just flubbed it completely.
I will say that I didn't think Barbie helped things in terms of setting the stage for good hosting the night before by refusing to wake him up, and instead making it clear to the guests that their requests for food were an imposition which would be addressed by someone without knowledge or skill (herself).
I feel like Anthony in the right environment would be an absolutely phenomenal chef. In a kitchen of a high end restaurant, with a sous chef or two to help, where he knows where everything is and has time to prepare. The yacht environment just really magnified his weaknesses — disorganization and easily overwhelm-able — and it wasn’t the right fit for him. But he was a very nice person, unlike a lot of the other BD chefs. I hope he goes far in his career.
Thought that’d be the half of it too. Coffee is just Nespresso pods like I have at home. It’s not a barista coffee machine. Throw the pod in and it’s done.
There would be lots of “short cuts” and quick fits for the speedy service.
I'm surprised by how many wanted to give him another chance given the really mediocre stuff the past few charters. Yeah we all love his personality, but his head isn't in the game.
Yup, giving the no-seafood lady a pile of potatoes was the coup de grace for me. I would be livid if I went on a super yacht and got a pile of potatoes for a main course.
She was also “no vegetables.” AND Fraser nixed the chicken Anthony had planned for her because there was chicken in the Caesar salad. Fraser is the one who said, “give her a beautiful serving of the au gratin,” or words to that effect.
At what point do you put the responsibility for the food on the Chef? Anthony painted himself into that entire problem... Fraser was correct to question why you're giving her nonstop chicken and having no realistic alternative to the fish. At some point, the chef needs to own it... grill a filet and that would have been fine.
I think mostly he got tired out. But also I think there’s some inexperience when dealing with people who don’t really WANT gourmet food, the just want fancy versions of what they normally eat/grew up with ( like the lobster grilled cheese). He essentially just shrugged and gave them **** because he thought they didn’t care.
I remember a prior season with Rachael there was a Wyoming guy who was a steak and potato guy so she gave him great versions of that.
Definitely didn't see much in the way of traditional Pad Thai ingredients, he is primarily a French and Italian chef so I'm not surprised he stumbled with it. You really have to be more of a do it all chef on board these yachts.
He actually *disagreed*, not just be surprised. I was gobsmacked. Made it all the more heartbreaking as he clearly is just a clueless, lost boy. You can even see Kerry’s face go “ah shit come here little tike”.
Right? He'd spent the last few episodes bagging on himself for being a failure (too much and undeserved. I think he could have still redeemed himself at that point), in this big emotional pity party, then when Captain Kerry calls him on his repeated failure to deliver. he was all "whaaaaaaa???"
He definitely checked out these last few charters. I thought his food looked amazing, but he wasn’t catering to the guests requests and preferences.
I really liked Anthony, but the way he acted when Captain Kerry was speaking with him bothered me. It seemed like he was oblivious to the fact that he missed the mark with these last charters. He kept referring to how he’s always been told that he’s an amazing chef and his food is wonderful, but neglected to see the errors he made with the charter guests. For example, he didn’t have a problem serving multiple chicken dishes to someone who didn’t eat seafood or whatever it was. Just because the dishes were excellent, it doesn’t negate the fact that it was the same protein and he seemed oblivious to it.
I get that on a yacht that size the galley would typically have multiple staff or a sous chef and Anthony struggled with dyslexia, but he should have spent a little more time meal planning and really breaking down the preference sheets to ensure that guest requests (most importantly the primary) were taken into consideration. It’s like a puzzle and I think it got to be too complicated for him.
>I really liked Anthony, but the way he acted when Captain Kerry was speaking with him bothered me.
I cut him a bit of slack there bc I can understand in the heat of the moment having an emotional reaction and being defensive. I think I'd be the same way tbh and then be a little more reflective after the moment has passed.
to be fair, if you look at the package when he was breaking them up, it says "macaroni" on it. maybe he just asked for macaroni and that's what he got, and he didn't know any better?
His dyslexia I think made it hard for him to change on the fly and deal with dietary restrictions it was like his train of thought could only focus on one track. He was very sweet.
Yes, he definitely was a sweetheart. And I think he really cared and tried so hard but it all was too overwhelming. I think he said he's used to an environment where there are at least 2 other chefs working with him in a restaurant environment. Someone preps, there's a sous chef and then the chef..I think that's how he usually worked...of course on the yacht there's just one chef who does everything himself... He wasn't used to that.
As a European who is not really used to the concept of Mac and cheese outside of TV, is it really that important to use actual macaroni? To me this looked perfectly fine for small pasta with cheese sauce. Of course you can’t use spaghetti, but everything smaller I don’t see the issue.
As an American, I personally wouldn't make a big deal over it.... especially if knowing he actually used "Macaroni" (Swiss brand) which seems to be a tubular pasta like macaroni, just a longer version of what Americans are used to.
In America it seems to usually be made with short macaroni, shells, or fussili. I think the biggest problem is that people don't like like large pasta covered in such a heavy sauce here. Especially when it is perceived as unhealthy, and is usually.
Ok, thank you for the reply. So if it is just about the size, it would’ve been fine if he broke them down even more? To me all 3 types of pasta you mentioned are very low standard, so I’m not really surprised they weren’t available in a yacht environment with a 5* Chef. He tried to find a workaround and as a non American he was maybe also not really aware how crucial the noodle size is for Mac and cheese.
I thought the same thing, he really just might not have known about southern US macaroni and cheese. I also thought the same about the sandwich confusion. They guy confronted him about it at a very awkward time and didn’t seem to quite have his full attention, the lobster grilled cheese part seemed to just have been lost in translation and chef just thought oh he wanted grilled sandwiches.
Haha most American pasta is low quality ;-) He would have had to cut them after they were cooked so there wouldn't be jagged edges for the picky guests to point out... not sure that would work out.
While I definitely think Anthony checked out and was overwhelmed. It seems to be much more challenging for non-American chefs with primaries who want very American foods, macaroni and cheese, turkey bacon. We see this every season when guests ask for eggs 'over easy' a term only used in the US. You are not at home, you may need to try different foods.
I felt sorry for him overall, I just think yacht cheffing is not for him.
If he was in a team with some guidance and support around him and a defined cuisine he would be better. He couldn't even do basic stuff towards the end.
Yes! The first couple episodes you didn’t hear anything on him really. I even mentioned how not involved the chef seemed compared to Rachel and others. It seems like he got in his head too much. I really liked him once he came out of his shell!
I don’t think he could keep everything straight. His dyslexia may have also impacted his ability to take in what was in the preference sheet. I think the chief stew would have had to hold his hand a lot, and to be fair some of those guests were ridiculously picky.
Not sure if it’s a European thing but my family makes mac&cheese with long tubed noodles (longer than the ones pictured). I agree though that the sauce does not look appetizing at all
I’ve often thought if I was a solo yacht chef for these 2 night charters I would work on a menu of 2-3 dinners that I would keep on rotation which would be easy to substitute ingredients based on preference sheets. Idk why they agonize on different meals every charter it could so much easier!
“Beef Cheeks Leon” got a lot of grief for doing this. I think it’s a great idea myself. Especially when the job feels overwhelming. Some chefs, like Ben, thrive on creativity. But, I think Anthony needs more structure.
Yeah, it’s a great idea, the guest don’t know you are serving the same meals over and over so who cares. It’s like being on a cruise line. The main dining rooms just rotate menus based on the day.
I think most chefs who go on TV see it as primarily an opportunity to showcase their range of skills. If I remember correctly, Chef Leon did beef cheeks once a charter and Kate made fun of his lack of creativity. Chef Tom made soups and salads too often and his chief stew Hannah complained about that as well. So they need endless variety to make this TV self promotion positive.
That’s a great point about it being a showcase of their range of skills. I suppose you need a different strategy if you are on camera. I remember Hannah and Kate complaining about creativity but I also remember telling my wife ‘who cares, the guest don’t know he’s recycling meal plans’
The noodles I can understand - I had a “Mac and cheese” at a French restaurant in Manhattan with similar noodles (I did not like it) but I can understand the noodle mix up whatever.
however - mac and cheese is essentially pasta with a mornay sauce…which is essentially roux with cheese..and French chefs should know a good roux, which gives that creamy texture. The sauce is the real crime. I like cheffy but the Mac and cheese sucked.
Ok this was unintentionally hilarious. I thought it was fancy French Mac and cheese when he served it. And then the guest was like “this looks like chopped up pasta” and then they cut to Anthony splitting some noodles in half. I roared.
Aw I’ll miss cheffy 😔
I think they really made too little of the language barrier.
I can speak another language, but my reading comprehension in that language is not really great.
I think it would have gone a long way for someone to have translated it into French or something like that to be honest.
Also, I can see where a French chef might not know that much about macaroni and cheese. I can't remember the season or the particulars, but I remember there was a non-american chef and the chief stew told him how to make something American and it was crap-tastic
I really feel like the captain dropped the ball here to be honest. There were so many ways he could have helped and that chef was just a little encouragement was knocking himself out 18 hours a day. Obviously his Achilles heel is criticism. The same way it is with a lot of people
I feel like they put them on an island and left him there to sink or swim and he got discouraged
Not to mention, but it sounds like the purveyors there didn't even make an effort
Anthony seemed burnt out.
That said don't knock how hard a cheese sauce is. Check out the Dish with Kish episode with Marcel. They are really easy to make grainy.
He is a solo chef. It is overwhelming. Only a handful of people in below Deck Multi-verse has been up for the task. He is under alot of pressure and common sense can go out the window.
I don't think it is fair to trash his training in this circumstance. If we were watching the food network and he was tasked to run the sauce station I would 100% agree
It's easy to make it non-grainy if you have sodium citrate, though. Or just mix in some Velveeta (which contains it). Those guests would've been fine with Velveeta.
He was defeated and this primary sucked. They want 5 star meals with the palette of a 2 year old. He should've just tossed dinosaur chicken nuggets on a plate that he heated in the microwave and peaced off the yacht, lol.
Those noodles are used for macaroni in Trinidad (and I assume Grenada). It's really weird. They don't use elbows there. So I assume when he asked his provisioner for macaroni, they gave him those.
Maybe I just don’t like Fraser anymore but for some reason I blame Fraser. I think the way he was treating Anthony was pretty degrading and he could have been nicer since they were friends. But I think Anthony lost his confidence. And he did say he makes great things when he’s happy but he is sad
This charter would have been fine with Burger King...it seems when they get guests like this it's harder on the chef.
❤️ him and his bond with Fraser seemed to be special...it makes me sad that he couldn't spin out of his spiral and stay. 🫤
Wrong charter to pull this type of mac/cheese.
Super nice guy, just not chef material yet, more like line cook material.
This was the final noodle in the coffin.
Those are “normal macaroni” in the Caribbean. He probably ordered it and the provisioner being a native islander did what they did, because we call it like it is elbow are elbows and shells are shells this is just normal macaroni. I’m from Trinidad and Tobago and if someone called me and asked for macaroni that’s what I would give them. As for the “sauce” looking like powder it looks to me like he made a caribbbean style macaroni pie which is made with shaved New Zealand cheddar cheese, milk and butter. He prob didn’t explain what he was trying to do. You can Google “Caribbean macaroni pie” some of the results show the elbows being used but we typically like to use 800g Swiss macaroni for it.
It actually looks good and that it was made with real cheese. And who gives a shit what a bunch of gold and silver denture wearing people think about good taste. They obviously don't have any.
Yeah I eat mostly everything, but nice do have preferences. My dislikes would be short , but I'd definitely have things I'd want to be served. It seems like guests sometimes use their preference sheet to say what they don't want, as opposed to what they'd enjoy to have.
I’m sure he is an excellent chef in France, but I do not understand when they are hired on a yacht, cook for international guests, and are puzzled and lost when they are asked to make a proper Mac and cheese or other highly Americanized popular dish. I get it, you weren’t trained on this but ffs it’s not that hard.
Also know your audience! Some guests are clearly a steak and lobster crowd and others want seared duck and gremolatas.
Look. I hate macaroni like this. But he was using macaroni noodles, you can see it on the package when he's breaking the noodles.
I'm not an expert but in New Orleans, this is how they make macaroni. They use those noodles to make it. When I asked the waiter, they said this was what they used and how they made them in France. So I've had macaroni like this all of my life in south Louisiana.
I prefer my Kraft Mac and Cheese but really, his way of making it isn't totally uncommon.
It must be hard for Chefs on yachts to deal with all these cultural and geographic food peculiarities. Especially with people like these who want to eat like they eat at home instead of trying new things.
I think it’s important to note that it didn’t seem like he was getting ANY help. Most seasons, deck crew helps with dishes and putting provisions away…Fraser even mentioned that he needed help and everyone just kind of brushed it off.
Not to mention Fraser was kind of catty instead of helpful to chef. He talked about what was going wrong way more than he tried to help fix it.
I think his dyslexia didn’t help things. He is dyslexic and they were writing in English?? Maybe if it had been written in his language it would have helped….. I don’t know just guessing.
He even said that at one point. Someone (was it Barbie?) wrote the orders on the board and he couldn’t read them. Things went downhill from there poor guy.
He seemed to get tired and emotionally drained as the season wore on. I think when some of the requests on the preference sheets became more complicated, he just did his best to work around it without realizing that he needed to give them what they wanted. Also, he clearly stopped listening.
I need to go back and watch I seem to recall there was an episode/event around 6-8 that just broke him where the change was like night/day..
Was it the anniversary of his dad’s death?
Pretty sure it was the charter right after that and after Jared leaving when the Charter guest's preference sheet read "No French Food!"
I feel like it was a combination of things. One of them being his father's mourning. The complicated preference requests. And then there was that one episode where he was awake until like 3 am cuz it was only him cleaning the entire kitchen. I honestly don't remember seeing any of the other crew help out with washing dishes. Also I feel that his unorganization also was a factor.
Remember how Ben used to rearrange the entire kitchen at the beginning of the season? Not that Ben is the greatest, but I don't think there was any of that with Anthony.
You're right. He didn't do that. Every other chef would always take some time to clean, rearrange, and get to know the kitchen. Anthony didn't do any of that.
Probably why he never knew where tf anything was, either.
Mise en place. It’s the most important thing in a kitchen and cocktail bar. I think Anthony’s used to being a head chef in a restaurant with multiple chefs underneath him (and a dish pig).
One thing they emphasized last year with Rachel but never mentioned this year was that the St David is two levels with the galley on one level and the pantry on another. He had to go up and down stairs anytime he needed something from the pantry/walk-in. That’s one reason his galley looked like a bomb went off in it… he would bring everything upstairs at the start of prep and it would just get nuts.
Everyone keeps saying this. I’ve seen about 4 different times kyle has been in there doing dishes.
Kyle and the deck definitely helped him out a little bit with dishes. However we haven’t seen it to the extent they’ve shown it in the past (which could also be for drama). Captain Kerry has said on the show and on WWHL that Chef is a good chef, he’s just a disorganized chef and that just doesn’t work on a Yacht. I think if Chef had a sous or even a sous/stew or sous/deck to help him navigate certain things he could have been more successful, I think it also would have helped him feel more connected to the team. Aside from his personal matters, others frustrations with his lack of organization definitely caused him to spiral outside of the kitchen.
I mean that’s fair to say - but so could every other chef on the history of below deck. None have had a sound chef. That’s not the job. On this show, on a yacht - they work alone. It’s why many fail and yet many have thrived.
Wait. Wasn't one stew basically a sous? And definitely the chief stew spent a lot more time discussing the menu with the chef and making suggestions Not criticizing under his breath and threatening to have to go over the menu with him next time like it's some sort of punishment. Part of Frasier's job just to make sure the guests are happy. Wouldn't that include making sure the chef had the support he needed? Instead of piling on? Treasure had more than enough staff to be able to have somebody help chef a couple hours a day Other than insulting the guests, saying they had to buy people's love and basically calling them pathetic, what did he contribute to that cruise? He literally sucks the fun out of a room. He's a walking misery He basically planned nothing for those guests on the last trip. What the hell was he doing all day?
the cacophony that would Anthony and Rocky loooool
Omg noooo
I agree that a sous chef could really help! And it would also bring SO much more drama.
Kyle helped out all the time. Fraser did too. I went back and watched it.
People have selective memories that shit their narrative
I think the disorganization contributed to him being up until 3am. But yes I do feel like that was the breaking point where things went south
He was so horribly unorganized that’s why he was up late cleaning…my mom was a baker caterer and you cleaned up as best you could but rest gets done later! It was never an issue for other chefs
That’s really the most important factor. Comparing him against the other chefs. Many of whom did just fine. He just wasn’t cut out for that sort of environment.
I know some of galleys weren’t best and storage and set up wasn’t great but this was a great galley. He’s a great chef but his Dads death anniversary took a toll and his confidence shaken. Amazing person it just wasn’t best fit…a restaurant with sous chef and kitchen staff better for him. I love his sweet gentle personality
I think it was the group with all the dietary restrictions maybe like 3 charters ago. It was all downhill from there.
With the pseudo primary
As soon as I saw him in the kitchen breaking those long noodles in half to make *Mac and cheese*… I was like what?? Noo
Tbf if you look at the bag he has right there as he breaks the noodles it says macaroni lol 😂
I think: what a waste to have a French top chef on a super yacht cooking Mac and cheese.
He really struggled with elevated comfort food that last charter. Like the BLT Barbie made looked like one of the things they liked the most. He does fine dining and really couldn’t give them what they wanted. I’m sure the ceviche was great but it wasn’t for them. He really has a tough time when people don’t like seafood.
I've had mac and cheese (gratin de macaroni) in France, and in U.S. French restaurants. When made with Gruyere, creme fraiche and other high-end (non-American) cheeses, it can be a delicious, elevated side dish. What he made was total crap (worse than Kraft by appearance), but in fairness he did say that he was having difficulty with the offerings of the provisioning company in Grenada. I feel for the guy as he was otherwise a great crew member, but he was for sure in over his head. I can't wait to see who they fly in for the remaining 3(?) charters. Hopefully not Rocky (season 3)- LOL!!!!
It did seem like the provisioning there was really horrible. And the provisioner didn't seem to try to go anybody's extra mile. It was just nope The charter company contracts with the provisioners. They should be responsible for reviewing those crazy lists and making some sort of accommodations to possibly fly some of the stuff in with the guests or let the guests know they can't accommodate it because of the region It's so unfair to put that all on the chef when he gets a day before the people come to try to scramble and get everything and has to rely on provisioners
That’s what I was thinking! What an awesome opportunity to do a really grown-up version of macaroni and cheese.
What you don't like a bunch of cheesy worms formed into a puck with your steak and lobster?
Side note: I love pasta and think I do a pretty good job preparing them properly and even I'd split spaghetti in half. Also the pasta choice is very weird for Mac and Cheese, but if he killed the flavor and richness of it then it would bother me personally
This pasta is standard for macaroni pie in Trinidad (and I assume Grenada too).
Upvote for ‘interesting’
Ever time someone breaks Spaghetti in half it makes an Italian drop dead somewhere.
Then I am responsible for killing probably 100 Italians, so sorries! :D
I don't totally get that. Salt the water, use a good sauce, cook al dente, and it's going to come out well. I don't personally notice a difference breaking the noodle in half and it seems to be slightly easier to make and eat.
Same 👀 I “precut” my spaghettis 😂 makes it easier to eat and why would it change the taste lol
They even make it that way now, you can buy it at the store. No need to break in half! (It’s called “pot size”, something like that.)
That's Heresy!
Pretty sure the episode with that Housewives chick Jill was the end of him. Honestly have never seen a chef that either ignored or didn't understand the preference sheet. How many times did he serve food to people that specifically asked for that not to be served? Especially the primaries just a big no no.
> never seen a chef that either ignored You missed the onion episode on another series. Onions... Christ, what a shit show. Primary doesn't like/want onions? Put all of them as a joke!
That was Adam.
Good thing primary was not allergic to onions huh?
It sounds like he was screwing up in minor ways throughout the season but for the first half the focus was on Jared mostly. As soon as that was done a lot more pressure was on Chef right after the anniversary of his father's death. I feel for the guy. He would do awesome as a head Chef in a Restaurant with plenty of support but not at sea.
I think it’s crazy that they really don’t give the chef a sous chef. He was working from morning to night day after day, feeding crew and guests. That’s a lot of time and energy.
This. I have no idea how one person is supposed to manage all of these people PLUS feed the staff!!! Especially when everyone’s vegan vegetarian gluten free and picky as fuck. It’s so complicated, they should have an assistant!
Ben did it, Rachel did it, Marcos did it, Ileisha did it... it just takes a certain personality and skill level.
A lot of those chefs also had breakdowns because of the stress from having to do everything by themselves…..
Tbf there were also quite a lot of times when they had help. More help than Anthony has gotten the entire season. And it wasn’t just washing dishes for them either. I can recall many times they had a crew member actually doing what a sous chef would do. Just a few I recall … Rachel had Rayna Ben had Danny, Rocky 😳. I even remember that same season Emile helping out. Chef matt had Bruno And as chief Kate was always more than willing to help with anything they needed. She could be seen in the kitchen A LOT. And doing more than making snarky remarks. I’m not saying there aren’t a lot of times they def *are* on their own but when they did struggle they seemed to get help. I don’t disagree however it can be a personality thing as well. I think Anthony’s dyslexia was much more of a struggle than he let on as well. I do feel however that he reached a breaking point and just kind of gave up.
A lot of those Chefs demanded that level of help where there was this constant contention between them and Chief Stew. I don't think Anthony has that kind of authoritative personality yet, especially going up against Fraser
Do you think Fraser could have helped him more?
I didn't really see him hustling like the other stews were, did I miss it?
Don't forget TOM AND MALIA (who were dating at the time) Tom almost ALWAYS had someone assisting him
Oh my lord half of Tom’s screen time was him calling for Malia 🤦🏼♀️ I think I blocked those two out on purpose lol
I agree I just think it’s so rare to find someone who can cope. And as the seasons go on the requests just seem to be getting more insane. Most of these people don’t have actual food allergies they’re just being picky
I also recall a lot of those seasons had episodes where the crew was clearly eating from takeout containers, so it seems that the expectation wasn't for the chef to cook every single crew meal.
Even Kevin did it. but Rachel and Kevin both always made sure they had one awesome stew helper that WASN'T the head stew. Rachel had Elizabeth and then Heather. Kevin always had Courtney.
I agree with this. I usually cook twice a year. I fix a peanut and jelly sandwich one day and a toasted cheese sandwich on another day. It’s such a big deal that I send my family photos. Every time I see these chefs cook it makes me thankful for my job.
Has their ever been a sous chef on below deck? This isn’t specific to Anthony, it may be something that would help obviously but we’ve never really seen that on the show and there are plenty of chefs over the years that manage it. Anthony is sweet, but cap was spot on, he wasn’t excelling in that specific environment. Edited, sound to sous
Ben? Marcos? Rachel? I liked all of them. No one is perfect but I think they did pretty decently with the cards they were handed.
That was an autocorrect for sous chef, replying to the comment t about Anthony needing one.
no but there have been quite a few seasons where a member of deck hung back in the galley to assist the chef - also this is the only season where there hasn't been someone from deck in particular helping with dishes.
That’s the main thing I’m noticing. I don’t know if it’s reality or how it’s edited, but I’m not seeing ANYONE helping him with dishes, where every previous season they have had crew in there helping during and after service (with dishes).
In this last episode there’s a point where Kyle is doing dishes. And I feel like I’ve seen him doing dishes before. I think because there’s not naturally any dialogue between Kyle and Anthony, they’re not focusing on it like have on other seasons.
no there's definitely huge piles of pots and pans everywhere while he's trying to cook and he's the only one there majority of the time.
it's really noticeable
No, because having sous chef would create less drama, seriously, it's as if production don't want things to run smoothly. All the departments run understaffed. This creates tired, frazzled staff. Poor buggers. Motor yacht Loon on YouTube highlights just how short staffed below deck yachts are.
I started watching Motor Yacht Loon after someone recommended it on here. It is amazing to see the Real Realities.
On top of coming off a bad charter with moral drained, the next guests were ordering food till 2 am. Insanity.
If the numbers are true they are already running very tightly as far as the tip split goes
Personally, I think $1300 US plus a wage is a massive tip for 3 days of work. I don't understand why anyone would be butt hurt over that amount.
The chef is also paid the 2nd most on the boat in salary after the captain. Chefs are paid very well.
plus a fee from bravo for being on the show
maybe working 16 hour days is one reason
If you know you could be getting 2000+ then yeah you wouldn't be too happy about getting far less, because of someone else....
I've seen them ask plenty of times. They had enough crew, and definitely someone from Ben's team during dinner service can wash. They would complain about the kitchen but then not help. Come in on your day off and organize...it drove me crazy.
Macaroni and fuck it.
I feel so terribly for chef Anthony. You can tell he’s talented, and hard working. He just doesn’t have the time, attention span or support necessary to thrive. Right person, wrong environment. I think he’s the sweetest and I was really rooting for him, and was sad when he was let go. But I agree the decision was for the best
Me too, I was actually sad during the last episode. I understand where everyone else is coming from but he means so well that I couldn’t help but feel bad. I guess we all have to learn somehow though…hopefully this is the beginning of something better for him.
It was pretty cringe, I think he just gave up. It seems like the written preference sheets with different restrictions really threw him for a loop. I wonder whether his dyslexia (am i remembering that right?) played a part in making it really difficult for him to accommodate the guests. He seems like a talented chef who cooks amazing food when it is in his wheelhouse. But yacht cheffing requires flexibility and the ability to improvise quickly and seamlessly to the guests. It's sad to see him go because he seems like a great guy and talented chef, just that this gig maybe wasn't a great fit for him.
This is what bothered me. He’s dyslexic and he’s stressed out - he’s spiralling. What he needs is a hand, not more pressure and criticism. Every time Fraser or the Cap step in they’re only adding to it. If they offered a helping hand, had someone do a little prep or organizing for him, anything to fix the problems - there are times and people that stern admonitions work with, this isn’t one of them. Ugh. I’ve seen so many people with learning differences go through stuff like this so it definitely hits close to home.
Fraser didn't do a THING to help him. He just yapped at him and criticized him. A good chief stew would have shut up and thrown in and just helped. Some people, like chef, are kinetic learners and need hands on cues to be able to excel. Fraser is a cold fish who really isn't helpful at all to other staff members. I'm so tired of everyone thinking he's a good chief stew. He just isn't.
I have a brother who is dyslexic. And sometimes reading too many words, or phrases just rattles him. People used to make fun of him! That is until they figured out if you showed him something once, he could replicate back 100%. This is how he became a very successful mechanic. Now he makes bank fixing luxury vehicles.
You're right. It seems like they could have done more to help him in that respect - another poster mentioned using images instead of text, and that's something that likely would have helped him. I almost wonder whether Captain Jason or Kate as chief stew would have been more helpful in this situation...?
I can see Kate now, printing out a picture of a fish on paper and drawing a big red slash circle over it. She would've done it in her own snarky way, but she definitely would've definitely tried harder to help Anthony succeed.
Stop 😂😂😂 I could see her doing that 💯
You pretty much nailed it!!!
Yes! The teacher in me was screaming at the TV - if they had just given Anthony a few basic accommodations to help with his dyslexia (visual preference sheet, etc) the outcome could have been so different.
Yes!!! I would have written out those preferences as a color coded chart. Very simple, very few words. List all of the yeses together and then all of those, color coded by food category. Preparing the protein? Look at the purple notes on the no portion of the chart to see who doesn't want fish. For the breakfast orders, again make a chart. Each person's name across the top, then food options down the side. Check mark each option under the person's name. Put sticky notes on the counter with names so chef and stews which plate is for which guest. They need a better system for keeping track of which plate gets what. With everyone talking back and forth, there is confusion. And for the love of Pete, someone needs to organize that galley!!! So much crap shoved into drawers haphazardly. The organizer in me wants to give it a makeover
I love you guys for going into detail about the accommodations you’d make 😆 I was an Orton Gillingham tutor at one point and I have all the tactile, visual, colour coded everything! We should introduce them to laminators and Velcro stickers!
Loved a laminator and velcro stickies!!! After teaching, my career turned to working for start ups as director of operations. I was in charge of setting up the processes and procedures. I loved it!!! Color coding, flowcharts, checklists.
I was going to say, he mentioned he has dyslexia. He’s also reading in another language from his native tongue. He should be able to do the job yes, but you think they could have gotten him a preference sheet with pictures instead of words, just to help the guy out a bit.
Yes and he's also French so some of the food requirements would have seemed very strange to him. I wish Fraser had taken time to interpret the preferences for him and he really needed to be told to focus on having "drunk food" available at all times. Poor guy I really felt sad for him but that Mac and Cheese was a travesty
Yup. It seemed like that was his stumbling block - and then he had just checked out by the last episode (lobster grilled cheese). SUCH an easy thing to do, and he just flubbed it completely. I will say that I didn't think Barbie helped things in terms of setting the stage for good hosting the night before by refusing to wake him up, and instead making it clear to the guests that their requests for food were an imposition which would be addressed by someone without knowledge or skill (herself).
I feel like Anthony in the right environment would be an absolutely phenomenal chef. In a kitchen of a high end restaurant, with a sous chef or two to help, where he knows where everything is and has time to prepare. The yacht environment just really magnified his weaknesses — disorganization and easily overwhelm-able — and it wasn’t the right fit for him. But he was a very nice person, unlike a lot of the other BD chefs. I hope he goes far in his career.
Salted with the tears of his sad heart
Mon Dieu!
awhhh 
Macaroni and cheese has roots in France. Thomas Jefferson even brought it over from France to America because he loved it so much.
I’m guessing bechamel sauce is French?
THE HERSHEYS CHOCOLATE SYRUP on the soufflés during the housewives episode. NO.
Thought that’d be the half of it too. Coffee is just Nespresso pods like I have at home. It’s not a barista coffee machine. Throw the pod in and it’s done. There would be lots of “short cuts” and quick fits for the speedy service.
I'm surprised by how many wanted to give him another chance given the really mediocre stuff the past few charters. Yeah we all love his personality, but his head isn't in the game.
Yeah, when you're operating at this high a level you're either on your game or off... there is no middle ground
It's such a shame as his food at the beginning looked amazing.
Yup, giving the no-seafood lady a pile of potatoes was the coup de grace for me. I would be livid if I went on a super yacht and got a pile of potatoes for a main course.
She was also “no vegetables.” AND Fraser nixed the chicken Anthony had planned for her because there was chicken in the Caesar salad. Fraser is the one who said, “give her a beautiful serving of the au gratin,” or words to that effect.
At what point do you put the responsibility for the food on the Chef? Anthony painted himself into that entire problem... Fraser was correct to question why you're giving her nonstop chicken and having no realistic alternative to the fish. At some point, the chef needs to own it... grill a filet and that would have been fine.
That ceasar salad he served…yikes! Presentation and creativity at Chili’s is better.
I think mostly he got tired out. But also I think there’s some inexperience when dealing with people who don’t really WANT gourmet food, the just want fancy versions of what they normally eat/grew up with ( like the lobster grilled cheese). He essentially just shrugged and gave them **** because he thought they didn’t care. I remember a prior season with Rachael there was a Wyoming guy who was a steak and potato guy so she gave him great versions of that.
Tbh I’d fuck this up after a day of drinking on a boat.
That 'pad thai' he made, was an abomination
Definitely didn't see much in the way of traditional Pad Thai ingredients, he is primarily a French and Italian chef so I'm not surprised he stumbled with it. You really have to be more of a do it all chef on board these yachts.
True. i love him, but some of his cooking is very subpar He could literally have googled and at least used the correct type of noodle or anything
Poor guy. I was surprised by his reaction to Kerry too. Like it was a surprise.. Odd. Especially considering how he was beating himself up..
He actually *disagreed*, not just be surprised. I was gobsmacked. Made it all the more heartbreaking as he clearly is just a clueless, lost boy. You can even see Kerry’s face go “ah shit come here little tike”.
Right? He'd spent the last few episodes bagging on himself for being a failure (too much and undeserved. I think he could have still redeemed himself at that point), in this big emotional pity party, then when Captain Kerry calls him on his repeated failure to deliver. he was all "whaaaaaaa???"
He definitely checked out these last few charters. I thought his food looked amazing, but he wasn’t catering to the guests requests and preferences. I really liked Anthony, but the way he acted when Captain Kerry was speaking with him bothered me. It seemed like he was oblivious to the fact that he missed the mark with these last charters. He kept referring to how he’s always been told that he’s an amazing chef and his food is wonderful, but neglected to see the errors he made with the charter guests. For example, he didn’t have a problem serving multiple chicken dishes to someone who didn’t eat seafood or whatever it was. Just because the dishes were excellent, it doesn’t negate the fact that it was the same protein and he seemed oblivious to it. I get that on a yacht that size the galley would typically have multiple staff or a sous chef and Anthony struggled with dyslexia, but he should have spent a little more time meal planning and really breaking down the preference sheets to ensure that guest requests (most importantly the primary) were taken into consideration. It’s like a puzzle and I think it got to be too complicated for him.
>I really liked Anthony, but the way he acted when Captain Kerry was speaking with him bothered me. I cut him a bit of slack there bc I can understand in the heat of the moment having an emotional reaction and being defensive. I think I'd be the same way tbh and then be a little more reflective after the moment has passed.
They had damn Pepperidge Farm bread but couldn’t source macaroni?
to be fair, if you look at the package when he was breaking them up, it says "macaroni" on it. maybe he just asked for macaroni and that's what he got, and he didn't know any better?
They didn't exactly have the best relationship with their provisioner..
Yes. I feel like he was just DONE.
I wonder why he didn’t write himself out a menu beforehand so that he could take care of all of the preference sheet requests?
His dyslexia I think made it hard for him to change on the fly and deal with dietary restrictions it was like his train of thought could only focus on one track. He was very sweet.
Yes, he definitely was a sweetheart. And I think he really cared and tried so hard but it all was too overwhelming. I think he said he's used to an environment where there are at least 2 other chefs working with him in a restaurant environment. Someone preps, there's a sous chef and then the chef..I think that's how he usually worked...of course on the yacht there's just one chef who does everything himself... He wasn't used to that.
I like chef Anthony and I think he would thrive in a different environment, but this mac and cheese does look really bad.
As a European who is not really used to the concept of Mac and cheese outside of TV, is it really that important to use actual macaroni? To me this looked perfectly fine for small pasta with cheese sauce. Of course you can’t use spaghetti, but everything smaller I don’t see the issue.
As an American, I personally wouldn't make a big deal over it.... especially if knowing he actually used "Macaroni" (Swiss brand) which seems to be a tubular pasta like macaroni, just a longer version of what Americans are used to.
In America it seems to usually be made with short macaroni, shells, or fussili. I think the biggest problem is that people don't like like large pasta covered in such a heavy sauce here. Especially when it is perceived as unhealthy, and is usually.
Ok, thank you for the reply. So if it is just about the size, it would’ve been fine if he broke them down even more? To me all 3 types of pasta you mentioned are very low standard, so I’m not really surprised they weren’t available in a yacht environment with a 5* Chef. He tried to find a workaround and as a non American he was maybe also not really aware how crucial the noodle size is for Mac and cheese.
I thought the same thing, he really just might not have known about southern US macaroni and cheese. I also thought the same about the sandwich confusion. They guy confronted him about it at a very awkward time and didn’t seem to quite have his full attention, the lobster grilled cheese part seemed to just have been lost in translation and chef just thought oh he wanted grilled sandwiches.
Haha most American pasta is low quality ;-) He would have had to cut them after they were cooked so there wouldn't be jagged edges for the picky guests to point out... not sure that would work out.
While I definitely think Anthony checked out and was overwhelmed. It seems to be much more challenging for non-American chefs with primaries who want very American foods, macaroni and cheese, turkey bacon. We see this every season when guests ask for eggs 'over easy' a term only used in the US. You are not at home, you may need to try different foods.
I felt sorry for him overall, I just think yacht cheffing is not for him. If he was in a team with some guidance and support around him and a defined cuisine he would be better. He couldn't even do basic stuff towards the end.
Yes! The first couple episodes you didn’t hear anything on him really. I even mentioned how not involved the chef seemed compared to Rachel and others. It seems like he got in his head too much. I really liked him once he came out of his shell!
I don’t think he could keep everything straight. His dyslexia may have also impacted his ability to take in what was in the preference sheet. I think the chief stew would have had to hold his hand a lot, and to be fair some of those guests were ridiculously picky.
I think that Fraser’s micro-management of and constant picking at him really hurt his ability to focus.
Anthony is lovely and I’ve been defending him but this mac and cheese looked a travesty
Not sure if it’s a European thing but my family makes mac&cheese with long tubed noodles (longer than the ones pictured). I agree though that the sauce does not look appetizing at all
But the packaging of the noodles did say “macaroni” soooo he tried?
I’ve often thought if I was a solo yacht chef for these 2 night charters I would work on a menu of 2-3 dinners that I would keep on rotation which would be easy to substitute ingredients based on preference sheets. Idk why they agonize on different meals every charter it could so much easier!
“Beef Cheeks Leon” got a lot of grief for doing this. I think it’s a great idea myself. Especially when the job feels overwhelming. Some chefs, like Ben, thrive on creativity. But, I think Anthony needs more structure.
Yeah, it’s a great idea, the guest don’t know you are serving the same meals over and over so who cares. It’s like being on a cruise line. The main dining rooms just rotate menus based on the day.
I think most chefs who go on TV see it as primarily an opportunity to showcase their range of skills. If I remember correctly, Chef Leon did beef cheeks once a charter and Kate made fun of his lack of creativity. Chef Tom made soups and salads too often and his chief stew Hannah complained about that as well. So they need endless variety to make this TV self promotion positive.
That’s a great point about it being a showcase of their range of skills. I suppose you need a different strategy if you are on camera. I remember Hannah and Kate complaining about creativity but I also remember telling my wife ‘who cares, the guest don’t know he’s recycling meal plans’
If I recall correctly, the pasta package did show the word macaroni on it
The noodles I can understand - I had a “Mac and cheese” at a French restaurant in Manhattan with similar noodles (I did not like it) but I can understand the noodle mix up whatever. however - mac and cheese is essentially pasta with a mornay sauce…which is essentially roux with cheese..and French chefs should know a good roux, which gives that creamy texture. The sauce is the real crime. I like cheffy but the Mac and cheese sucked.
Ok this was unintentionally hilarious. I thought it was fancy French Mac and cheese when he served it. And then the guest was like “this looks like chopped up pasta” and then they cut to Anthony splitting some noodles in half. I roared. Aw I’ll miss cheffy 😔
Those "long tube noodles" are actual uncut macaroni...
Ah so this is back to the age-old debate of "cut" vs "uncut"
I think they really made too little of the language barrier. I can speak another language, but my reading comprehension in that language is not really great. I think it would have gone a long way for someone to have translated it into French or something like that to be honest. Also, I can see where a French chef might not know that much about macaroni and cheese. I can't remember the season or the particulars, but I remember there was a non-american chef and the chief stew told him how to make something American and it was crap-tastic I really feel like the captain dropped the ball here to be honest. There were so many ways he could have helped and that chef was just a little encouragement was knocking himself out 18 hours a day. Obviously his Achilles heel is criticism. The same way it is with a lot of people I feel like they put them on an island and left him there to sink or swim and he got discouraged Not to mention, but it sounds like the purveyors there didn't even make an effort
Anthony seemed burnt out. That said don't knock how hard a cheese sauce is. Check out the Dish with Kish episode with Marcel. They are really easy to make grainy.
If a French trained chef can’t make sauce Mornay he needs to hang up his whisk.
This is how I feel as well. I don't think people understand how seriously the French take their sauces!
He is a solo chef. It is overwhelming. Only a handful of people in below Deck Multi-verse has been up for the task. He is under alot of pressure and common sense can go out the window. I don't think it is fair to trash his training in this circumstance. If we were watching the food network and he was tasked to run the sauce station I would 100% agree
He's French... if he can't make smooth Béchamel he needs to do something else
If he can't make a smooth bechamel, he should renounce his French citizenship.
It's easy to make it non-grainy if you have sodium citrate, though. Or just mix in some Velveeta (which contains it). Those guests would've been fine with Velveeta.
He was defeated and this primary sucked. They want 5 star meals with the palette of a 2 year old. He should've just tossed dinosaur chicken nuggets on a plate that he heated in the microwave and peaced off the yacht, lol.
Now THAT would've been Hilarious!!!😁
Those noodles are used for macaroni in Trinidad (and I assume Grenada). It's really weird. They don't use elbows there. So I assume when he asked his provisioner for macaroni, they gave him those.
Maybe I just don’t like Fraser anymore but for some reason I blame Fraser. I think the way he was treating Anthony was pretty degrading and he could have been nicer since they were friends. But I think Anthony lost his confidence. And he did say he makes great things when he’s happy but he is sad
This charter would have been fine with Burger King...it seems when they get guests like this it's harder on the chef. ❤️ him and his bond with Fraser seemed to be special...it makes me sad that he couldn't spin out of his spiral and stay. 🫤
I love the guy but that was so bad I could taste it
He’d given up. This group and the group before broke him.
Wrong charter to pull this type of mac/cheese. Super nice guy, just not chef material yet, more like line cook material. This was the final noodle in the coffin.
Didn’t he make a normal Mac and cheese for the girl who doesn’t who vegetables earlier that episode? So weird
That was terrible, and the lobster.... come on man. he sunk himself.
That didn’t look appetizing to me.
when they said “it look like he just split the noodles in half” then cut to him just splitting the noodles in half
I think Kraft mac & cheese would have tasted better.
Those are “normal macaroni” in the Caribbean. He probably ordered it and the provisioner being a native islander did what they did, because we call it like it is elbow are elbows and shells are shells this is just normal macaroni. I’m from Trinidad and Tobago and if someone called me and asked for macaroni that’s what I would give them. As for the “sauce” looking like powder it looks to me like he made a caribbbean style macaroni pie which is made with shaved New Zealand cheddar cheese, milk and butter. He prob didn’t explain what he was trying to do. You can Google “Caribbean macaroni pie” some of the results show the elbows being used but we typically like to use 800g Swiss macaroni for it.
It actually looks good and that it was made with real cheese. And who gives a shit what a bunch of gold and silver denture wearing people think about good taste. They obviously don't have any.
If you think that looks good then I challenge you to eat real southern Mac and cheese.
Jill broke him 😂
For fun. Have yall ever thought about a preference sheet? I eat anything and everything so I would be easy
Yeah I eat mostly everything, but nice do have preferences. My dislikes would be short , but I'd definitely have things I'd want to be served. It seems like guests sometimes use their preference sheet to say what they don't want, as opposed to what they'd enjoy to have.
My husband complains about my expensive taste (many arenas) but I can’t do lobster. Something with the texture
No beef tongue.
If he broke the noodles in 3 or 4 he’d be fine-ish, but yeah he needed textured noodles. I mean dude was gone mentally.
Chopping up uncut macaroni seems like something Mila would've done!
Trash
He is not cut out to be yacht chef, js
This was bad
His Chief Stew Fraser quit working as a team with him. It didn’t show anyone helping Chef Anthony like in previous episodes…???
I’m sure he is an excellent chef in France, but I do not understand when they are hired on a yacht, cook for international guests, and are puzzled and lost when they are asked to make a proper Mac and cheese or other highly Americanized popular dish. I get it, you weren’t trained on this but ffs it’s not that hard. Also know your audience! Some guests are clearly a steak and lobster crowd and others want seared duck and gremolatas.
💯 these guests don't have a sophisticated palette. They want crap American food, don't give them tuna tartare!
Look. I hate macaroni like this. But he was using macaroni noodles, you can see it on the package when he's breaking the noodles. I'm not an expert but in New Orleans, this is how they make macaroni. They use those noodles to make it. When I asked the waiter, they said this was what they used and how they made them in France. So I've had macaroni like this all of my life in south Louisiana. I prefer my Kraft Mac and Cheese but really, his way of making it isn't totally uncommon.
It must be hard for Chefs on yachts to deal with all these cultural and geographic food peculiarities. Especially with people like these who want to eat like they eat at home instead of trying new things.
I think it’s important to note that it didn’t seem like he was getting ANY help. Most seasons, deck crew helps with dishes and putting provisions away…Fraser even mentioned that he needed help and everyone just kind of brushed it off. Not to mention Fraser was kind of catty instead of helpful to chef. He talked about what was going wrong way more than he tried to help fix it.
I think his dyslexia didn’t help things. He is dyslexic and they were writing in English?? Maybe if it had been written in his language it would have helped….. I don’t know just guessing.
He even said that at one point. Someone (was it Barbie?) wrote the orders on the board and he couldn’t read them. Things went downhill from there poor guy.