I absolutely loved how the judges made the contestants rate each other's dishes on Yes, Chef!

Yes, Chef!, NBC's latest culinary competition series released a new episode on May 26, 2025. It saw judges Martha Stewart and Chef José Andrés challenge each chef to prepare a family-style dish that would then be tasted and rated by their fellow competitors. Each contestant would act as a food critic and give gold stars to their favorite preparations.

The three chefs with the most stars would get the opportunity to nominate who would participate in the elimination cook-off at the end of the episode.

The challenge was off-beat, unusual from the tasks in other competition shows, but efficient. I believe it was a significant way to assess whether the contestants could respect and handle criticism from their peers as well as they did with the feedback from the judges.

It would also show if they could remain fair in the judgment of the dishes without letting personal biases influence them.

Moreover, it was an innovative way of navigating the competition among the participants. Since they tasted each other's preparations, they would have first-hand knowledge about their competitor's skills instead of relying on the judges' reviews.

If nothing at all, it added to the intensity of the contest by making it dramatic, as I am certain the judging must have ruffled a few feathers.

I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge on Yes, Chef! because I liked how it enhanced the competitive tension and came up with a unique way of judging if the participants were tolerant of the criticism from their co-stars.

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Yes, Chef! pits chef against chef, creating a cutthroat environment

At the start of the Yes, Chef! episode, judges Martha Stewart and José Andrés explained that they wanted to see how calm a chef could be under pressure, especially when faced with criticism not from customers, but from each other.

While explaining the challenge, José said:

"Sometimes it’s good to look at ourselves in the mirror, and then we become the best versions of ourselves. Cooking for other people is one thing. Cooking for other chefs is a whole other level. Chefs are the toughest critics. We don’t let anything slide."

It precisely sums up the objective of the task, which was to compel the chefs to self-reflect and take an expert's advice without any resentment.

The reason why I liked it was that it gave the participants an idea of where they stood in the contest from their co-stars' perspectives and what they needed to work on to improve, as José mentioned, criticism helped chefs grow.

The Yes, Chef! stars were each given 90 minutes to prepare a family-style meal for the group, vying to secure gold stars.

I found the challenge unique because it intensified the contest and heightened the stakes, considering the chefs would present their food to their fellow competitors for the first time.

The chefs would have no excuse to use to save face if their dishes failed to impress. It was a solo challenge, where all they had to depend on was their culinary skills. Consequently, many participants felt overwhelmed, but some cracked under the pressure.

It was the contestants' reputation that was on the line. So, the chefs pushed their limits to flaunt their abilities, however, the challenge exposed their incapacities and brought them to the forefront since the dishes were being judged by fellow chefs, who knew a thing or two about food.

The self-proclaimed "egomaniac" Chef Chris Morales almost burned his lamb chops. When he presented his dish, a roasted lamb with celery root & butternut squash puree, to the group, they immediately pointed out the bitter char on the meat.

Chef Ronny said the char was "too much," and so did Chef Lee. Consequently, Chris received zero gold stars.

Similarly, the pressure got to Chef Peter Richardson, who lost his composure during the cook when he could not find semolina for his homemade pasta. He then finished his meal with pre-made pasta, which his co-stars noticed.

They mentioned it was "dry" and that the kohlrabi asparagus on the side was overcooked. As a result, Peter received zero stars.

Yes, Chef! judge Martha Stewart (Image via Getty)

At the same time, Chef Jake Lawler from Yes, Chef! presented a pan-seared duck breast with celery root puree and cauliflower salad, which was highly appreciated.

"Perfect duck and I don't even like duck like that," Chef Zain said.

Chef Jake received four stars. Meanwhile, Chef Emily's preparation of a pan-seared salmon with farro salad, labneh, and chermoula vinaigrette earned her two stars from her co-stars.

Thus, the challenge became a true test of the contestants' skills, where those with delectable preparations were rewarded and those without were not.

I believe culinary competition shows should incorporate challenges like these more often, not just to see how well the participants handled criticism, but also to see how far they would go to maintain their reputation.

I enjoyed the in-house judging challenge on Yes, Chef! because from a viewer's perspective, it intensified the rivalry and let the participants' flaws rise to the surface.

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Yes, Chef! episodes are available to stream on Peacock.