Which will you order?

When a group of people are given the option to choose between 2 mouth watering dishes, with the chance of some going hungry if they pick the wrong dish, it makes for great entertainment. And that's one of the core themes of "The Dotch Cooking Show". I made it a point to not miss this cooking show when I was in Japan. It is a very well made show. (The clones that had appeared in Taiwan and Singapore are not even half as good.)

The show had undergone a few changes, but the basic framework is still the same: 2 competing kitchens - the yellow kitchen and the red kitchen, each with its own dish of the week, presenter, chef, and special assistant (whom did not exist in the earlier shows). Plus 9 celebrity guests, of whom 1 - Kusanagi from SMAP - is a permanent face on the show. Each kitchen prepares its own dish, and the 9 guests will have a final vote to decide which dish will be served. The catch - those who voted for the dish that lost, would not get to eat anything and have to watch the winners eat.

It usually starts innocuously. The presenters and the 9 guests would have a brief chat, after which the guests have to pick either kitchens to patronize. The 2 chefs then begin the battle by showing off the ingredients and their skill at turning them into delectable dishes. The camera pans from one side to the other, giving each presenter the chance to persuade the guests to vote for their dish. Halfway into the show, the special assistants would come in to bring the "Special Ingredient" for their respective dishes, along with a footage on what kind of effort went into the creation of those ingredients. Then the guests would be given a chance to sample the special ingredient and to reassess their choices.

This portion of the show has changed. Where it used to be that all guests had the chance to sample the ingredient, it was changed so that only one random guest gets to taste it. It also seems that now there is no tasting segment at all.

Each kitchen would then bring out their cheering teams in the form of footages from famous restaurants serving their dishes. The Japanese are mavericks when it comes to make food look good on TV, and this show is a cut above the rest when it comes to presentation of food preparation. I would have gone down to those restaurants in a flash, have I had the money ><. Meanwhile, the chefs are putting the finishing touches to their dishes. Once the dishes are complete, both presenters step up and ask: "さて、今夜のご注文は、どっち？", at which the guests would press a button to show their preference, and seal the fate of those who would go hungry for the night. (Including the presenter of the losing kitchen.)

I like the variety of comments and jokes that permeates this show, compared to the generic "Oishii" that dominates other programs. The people that are torn with indecision as they are being seduced by two equally enticing dishes. The superb lighting and camera work that amplifies the allure of the food. The mini documentaries on their special ingredients. Although I don't know if I would ever want to be in that show. Losing would be quite painful, and my estimation on which side would win has a dismal accuracy of 33% :P