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The Best Episodes of The Mind of a Chef

Every episode of The Mind of a Chef ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of The Mind of a Chef!

The Best Episodes of The Mind of a Chef

Go inside the minds of some of the world's top chefs. Narrated by Executive Producer Anthony Bourdain, The Mind of a Chef is that rare...

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  1. 10.0/10(1 votes)

    #1 - René

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    S1:E6

    Chang hangs out with one of his best friends- who happens to be the world’s top chef- Rene Redzepi.

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  2. 10.0/10(1 votes)

    #2 - Simple

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    S1:E7

    Dishes in this episode are deceivingly simple; Chang travels to Japan for some Yakitori and high-end sushi, and his pal Daniel Patterson makes beets.

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  3. 10.0/10(1 votes)

    #3 - Gluttony

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    S1:E8

    It’s gluttonous goodness in this episode; over the top indulgence with Joe Beef chefs Federic Morin and David McMillian’s fois gras sandwich, a whiskey tasting Mayhem with Chef Sean Brock at Buffalo Trace in Kentucky and the classic dish Hot Brown served up three ways.

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  4. 10.0/10(1 votes)

    #4 - Chef

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    S1:E9

    Chang makes eggs with his chef pals; Wylie Dufresne, Daniel Patterson, Rene Redzepi, and makes his Ko egg.

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  5. 10.0/10(1 votes)

    #5 - Fresh

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    S1:E12

    This episode explores the idea of fresh in the kitchen; instant broth, pea agnollini, fresh and aged steak with Chef Tien and Ike Jime with Dave Arnold and Chef Murata in Kyoto.

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  6. 10.0/10(1 votes)

    #6 - Sweet Spot

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    S1:E14

    Chang’s protégé Christina Tosi makes corn cookies three ways and her three layered Arnold Palmer Cake, Chef Burns makes ice cream and Chang goes strawberry picking.

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  8. 10.0/10(1 votes)

    #7 - Smoke

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    S1:E15

    Chang profiles regional BBQ in North Carolina, Texas, and Kansas City plus the other-worldly smoky bacon from Allen Benton in Tennessee.

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  9. 10.0/10(1 votes)

    #8 - Buddies

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    S1:E16

    Chang cooks and goofs around with his friends; Peter Meehan in Japan, Laurant Gras, Set Bains, and Rene Redzepi in Copenhagen.

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  10. 10.0/10(1 votes)

    #9 - Argentina

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    S3:E3

    Travel with Ed to the foothills of the Andes to explore the most elemental part of cooking: fire.

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  11. 10.0/10(1 votes)

    #10 - Louisville

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    S3:E4

    Taste the food and culture of Louisville, Kentucky, the place Ed now calls home.

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  12. 10.0/10(1 votes)

    #11 - Bourbon

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    S3:E8

    Ed tends bar and serves up a tentacled dish for actress and bourbon-lover Aisha Tyler.

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  13. 10.0/10(1 votes)

    #12 - Spring

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    S3:E10

    After a long winter, the arrival of spring awakens the delicate flavors of young herbs. The sun remains perched in the sky until midnight, the temperature climbs, and life returns to the once snow-covered landscape. This episode takes advantage of this brief window of time to explore the ingredients of spring in Sweden.

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  14. 10.0/10(1 votes)

    #13 - Locality

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    S3:E14

    Explore how seasons affect a restaurant’s menu when the food is sourced in a 100-mile radius.

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  15. 10.0/10(1 votes)

    #14 - Documentation

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    S3:E15

    Chef Magnus Nilsson's efforts to document and preserve Nordic traditions are detailed including a visit to the Faroe Islands.

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  16. 10.0/10(1 votes)

    #15 - Fire

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    S4:E9

    Things can change in an instant, as David discovered in July of 2014, when he got a fateful call that his restaurant Manresa had burned nearly to the ground.

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  17. 10.0/10(1 votes)

    #16 - Legacy

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    S4:E10

    Food is evolution, and wise chefs never forget from whence they came. A solid foundation allows them to test new boundaries and push things to new limits.

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  18. 9.0/10(1 votes)

    #17 - Ocean

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    S4:E11

    Nothing is more calming or inspiring than the sea, and living in Santa Cruz, David is never far from one of his many muses.

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  19. 9.0/10(1 votes)

    #18 - Restrictions

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    S4:E14

    Diners these days can be pickier than ever, and they seem to have no problem telling a chef how to do his or her job. Allergies, self-diagnosed sensitivities and customer “dislikes” have become the bane of several chefs’ existence.

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  20. 9.0/10(1 votes)

    #19 - 25 Bites

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    S4:E16

    A perfect tasting menu relies on balance, and on not fatiguing a customer’s palate. Based on that theory, no meal should be more than 25 bites.

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  21. 8.5/10(4 votes)

    #20 - Noodle

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    S1:E1

    Korean-American Author and Chef David Chang visits a noodle factory in Japan, eats the best bowl of ramen in his life, and cooks two incredible dishes with the instant ramen variety. Food Scientist Harold McGee explains how alkaline salts make ramen noodles unique.

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  22. 8.5/10(2 votes)

    #21 - Memory

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    S1:E3

    David Chang revisits his favorite dishes from childhood and reflects upon summer eating, his time in Japan and golf.

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  23. 8.5/10(2 votes)

    #22 - Spain

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    S1:E4

    This episode is all about Spain’s influence on Chang’s career. He visits with some of his idols- Juan Mari Arzak and Andoni Aduriz, makes fideos, salt cod omelet and a sponge cake from chef Albert Adria.

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  24. 8.5/10(2 votes)

    #23 - Japan

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    S1:E10

    Chang travels to Tokyo and Kyoto where he visits a street market and Kikunoi, a Michelin three-star restaurant.

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  25. 8.0/10(2 votes)

    #24 - Rotten

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    S1:E5

    There is something rotten in David Chang’s kitchen and that’s a good thing. Rotten is delicious; katsuibushi in Japan, XO sauce, rotten bananas with Chef Christina Tosi, and Kimchi.

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  26. 8.0/10(2 votes)

    #25 - New York

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    S1:E11

    This episode is all New York with the Torrsi boys, oysters, carrot dashi, and farming. Plus Chang visits native New Yorker Ivan Ramen in Tokyo where he is making ramen that is taking the city by storm.

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Best Episodes Summary

"René" is the best rated episode of "The Mind of a Chef". It scored 10/10 based on 1 votes. Directed by N/A and written by N/A, it aired on 11/16/2012. This episode scored 0.0 points higher than the second highest rated, "Simple".