Since the first season in 2006 Best Chef has grown into one of the most iconic reality food shows on television. The show’s rapid fire and elimination challenges have the most seasoned chefs dreading the words “utensils down, hands up.” Creativity and innovation in dishes is not the only reason why Best Chef it’s a masterpiece in reality TV. Fans love to follow their favorite chefs on their Best Chef journey and watch the reactions of the judges and guest judges as they take their first bites.

We searched Reddit to find out which Best Chef the episodes are the most watched. From post-pandemic restaurant wars to celebrity cameos, these episodes are favorites to re-watch on Reddit.

10 Season 8: Dim Sum Lose Some

Padma Lakshmi talks with Chef Susur Lee.
Image via Bravo.

This Best Chef The episode started with a big twist on the Quickfire Challenge. The chefs raced to get around the chief chef judge Tom Colicchio, which roasts sea bass in less than 8 minutes. After the competition with Tom, the chefs head to Chinatown to make dim sum for the guest judge. Best Chef Owner Susur Lee and visitors in a Chinese restaurant.

Reddit loves this episode because it Best Chef went wrong. u/krisval0617 mentioned that the episode was “definitely amazing and a train wreck at the same time”. This team challenge goes horribly wrong as the chefs try unsuccessfully to prepare dim sum for hungry guests. Chaos causes Tom’s rare mid-dinner visit to the kitchen, perhaps the first in Top Chef history.

9 Season 16: Whatever Happened to Your Boat

Top Chef Judges Emeril, Padma, Tom and Gale are talking at the judges' table on the boat.
Image via David Moir/Bravo

Best Chef the judges tell the cooks to pack their knives and go to Cumberland Lake. At the lake, the cooks are divided into blue and green teams. Each team was in a hurry to prepare delicious little snacks for over 100 houseboat party guests. Chef Emeril Lagasse appears as a guest judge along with captains from below deck.

It’s nice to see judges and guests having a good time on the water. u/just_another_classic commented that the episode was fun to watch because “people loved it”. Despite the power surge on the blue team’s boat, the contestants also tried to have fun in the summer heat.

8 Season 8: Jimmy Fallon’s 36th Birth Anniversary

Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon and Top Chef judge Padma Lakshmi at the judges' table.
Image via Bravo

Participants first prepare fondue in the Quickfire challenge. After they’ve finished judging each other’s crappy (or not so) creations, they’ll head to Rockefeller Center to meet. Jimmy Fallon. For Jimmy’s 36th birthday, he wants the chefs to prepare his favorite meals. In true Jimmy Fallon style, they play a game to determine which of his favorite foods they’ll make in the kitchen.

Redditors loved the little moments from this episode, especially the beef tongue song and Carla’s chicken pie dance. u/Grisgol commented, “I think this is my favorite episode of the entire show, simply because Carla has been Carla in any of her seasons.” In the same thread, ct06040 wrote that they will “spend the next week randomly singing a beef tongue song” after rewatching this episode.

7 Season 13: California Restaurant Wars

Top Chef Karen Akunovich talks to the judges at the table
Image via Dale Berman/Bravo

This episode is the second part of the California Restaurant Wars. Lunch in Los Angeles County doesn’t go according to plan. After a tense lunch break, District LA vs. Palate, and this time the chefs are preparing dinner.

For Redditors, this episode stands out because of its twists and turns with lunch and dinner, Phillip’s memorable strawberry salad, and Isaac’s win. “Love the lunch and dinner twist and the disaster that was Jeremy’s lunch, also Phillip’s strawberry salad sounded both incredible and awful lol,” wrote u/milanolich.

6 Season 4: Tail

Padma Lakshmi talks to chefs about their dishes during the Quickfire trial.
Image via Bravo

Chicago is known for more than just its food scene; The Windy City is known for its hidden scene. But before the chefs fire up their grills, they cook beer dishes first in a drunken Quickfire competition. At Solider Field, chefs are tasked with preparing classic meals for Bear fans and former NFL players. Guest Judge Paul Kahan joins the referees who determine who wins in the stomachs of hungry football fans.

Reddit is a big fan of this episode because it captures the spirit of Chi-town. u/JudithButlr commented that it was “a fun season, a good challenge to match the terrain, and an honest but quirky elimination.”

5 Season 10: Cooks at Sea

The chefs participating in Top Chef Seattle hold their knives.
Image via Bravo

Best Chef Judges and chief testers board a cruise ship bound for Alaska. Based on iceberg lettuce as an appetizer, Quickfire’s challenge is more than some chefs can handle. In the knockout competition, chefs get creative and bring their own spins to traditional surf and turf.

The concept of chefs at sea is a treat for both spectators and dinner parties. u/RoostasTowel (who was also in this episode) loves it Best Chef energy on a cruise ship. They described the episode as “generally very funny and I was lucky to be seated and it gave me more opportunities to watch and get a little bit involved.”

4 Best Chef of Texas: Episode 11

Charlize Theron, Padma Lakshmi, Tom Colicchio and Emeril Lagasse at the judges' table
Image via Bravo

This episode started with a challenging Quickfire. Each chef selected three ingredients from a conveyor belt under watch pressure. Once this ordeal was over, the actress Charlize Theron asked the chefs to prepare dishes inspired by her role as the Evil Queen from Snow White.

Once again, Reddit loves to visit celebrities, and Reddit users were delighted to see Charlize on Best Chef. u/PolarBearClaire19 exclaimed, “She’s adorable and the food is really fun!”

3 Season 8: Night at the Museum and Sesame Street

Top Chef judges Padma and Gayle with Top Chef members Fabio and Steven
Image via Bravo

Elmo and his friends from sesame street visit Best Chef kitchen for a cookie-themed knockout challenge. The chefs are working hard to impress Cookie Monster. After making the cookies, they head to the American Museum of Natural History to compete in an elimination competition to make a late-night snack for the kids. But after a midnight snack, it’s not over yet, as the chefs are divided into two teams: Team R-Tex and Team Brontosaurus. Each team worked hard to create a meat or vegetarian breakfast buffet based on the diet of dinosaurs.

This episode’s Quickfire test is a Reddit favorite. u/narlymaroo wrote: “Whenever I’ve had a lousy day, I’ve rewatched the quick fire Sesame Street cookies from Season 8. It makes me laugh every time!”

2 Season 8: Ellis Island

Top Chef judges and guests dine at a table on Ellis Island.
Image via Bravo

Chefs board a ferry bound for Ellis Island and are faced with a big challenge: making a dish out of food from the ferry’s counter. It’s a race to turn junk food and hot dogs into something edible to the ferry dock. Once ashore, participants are encouraged to prepare a recipe based on where their ancestors come from. Each participant is reunited with a family member and they look through the family tree. Inspired by their family stories, chefs venture into the kitchen and unleash their creativity.

The family-themed episode resonated with people on the forum. Many commented that this was one of the best episodes Best Chef. “It’s so funny that you mentioned it…”, you/saturn said, “But I’ve always fondly remembered the Ellis Island episode, and being at the All Stars Center, New York, I just rewatched that episode last night.”

1 Season 18: Restaurant Wars

Chefs Chris Viod, Dawn Burrell, Sarah Howman and Gabe Erales discuss plans for their restaurant Penny.
Image via David Moir/Bravo

Restaurant Wars in Portland is not quite like the past, and that’s what makes this game worth re-watching. As usual, the chefs were divided into two different teams and worked together to create the concept of the restaurant. Shota, Maria, Brion and Maria conceived Kokoson, a restaurant that specializes in fusion of different cuisines from all over the world. Sarah, Chris, Gabe and Dawn are focusing on the Penny seafood restaurant. Due to coronavirus restrictions, the only guests were the judges along with a few famous people. Best Chef All the stars who had front row seats to watch the chefs cook in the open kitchen.

While there are many popular restaurant wars, this unconventional restaurant war has caught the attention of Reddit. “Coconut excited me. The unity of the chefs and the sincere enthusiasm of the judges was something special.”u/teddy_vedder said. “I wish I could eat this hot pot.”