Top Chef - Season 18 - Eps 1: First Impressions
“Top Chef” is back with 15 of the country’s best chefs ready to compete in Portland, Oregon. For their first Quickfire Challenge, the cheftestants are immediately thrown into teams and tasked with combining their favorite ingredients together in one cohesive dish for Padma and Portland local Gregory Gourdet. For their Elimination Challenge, the chefs will try not to “quack” under pressure as they’re asked to create a dish featuring one of Portland’s iconic local birds. Their dishes will be served in a blind tasting for the judges and the new dining panel of “Top Chef” all-star winners, finalists and favorites. Season 17 winner Melissa King joins Padma, Tom and Gail at the judges’ table to help decide who will be the first chef to pack their knives and go.
About Top Chef

Title: Top Chef
First Air Date: 2006-03-08
Last Air Date: 2025-06-05
Status: Returning Series
Rating: 6.6/10 (from 60 votes)
Language: EN
Seasons: 23
Total Episodes: 328
Network: Bravo
Genres: Reality
Production Companies: Magical Elves
Synopsis
An American reality competition show in which chefs compete against each other in culinary challenges and are judged by a panel of professional chefs and other notables from the food and wine industry with one or more contestants eliminated in each episode.
Cast

Tom Colicchio
Self - Head Judge

Gail Simmons
Self - Judge

Kristen Kish
Self - Host