A Trio of Chefs as Funny as They are Talented
American TV cooking contests range from timed competitions to those with limited to ingredients to some where the contestants don’t even know what they’re making. One common thread in many of them is the abrasive and demeaning nature of the head chef or the host. Tru TV’s Fast Foodies is nothing like those shows.
Fast Foodies features three award-winning chefs, Justin Sutherland, Kristen Kish and Jeremy Ford. Each episode is a two-round cook off. The trio welcome in a celebrity guest who brings their favorite fast-food dish with them. In the first round, the chefs must recreate the dish as closely as possible. In the second round, they get to remix the flavors of the recipe and create something unique.
The winner brings home the coveted Chompionship trophy; a behemoth of a trophy with a giant mouth topping it off. There’s no real prize money or compensation. It’s just about the humor of seeing who gets bragging rights.
Kish, Ford and Sutherland are all amazing chefs, but it’s their chemistry that makes the show entertaining. The guest list includes actors like Joel McHale, comedians like Natasha Leggero, and even wrestling legend Chris Jericho. Everyone brings a familiar dish. Stories about late nights on the road are a common side dish.
Occasionally, the chefs are thrown a curveball. When comedian Nikki Glaser guest stars, she brings McDonald’s chicken nuggets. Fun fact: Glaser is a vegetarian, so the chefs have to recreate the world-famous nuggets with no chicken. There’s also a trend in the episodes where the guests decide to bartend for the chefs. That usually goes sideways.
The pandemic and work-from-home trends made me really enjoy cooking. I watched one episode of this show and instantly fell in love with the camaraderie that the chefs show, while learning a ton about food prep and exotic ingredients.
Aspiring chefs or any viewer looking to enjoy some fun in the kitchen can find Fast Foodies streaming on Hulu.