The food geek in my likes watching the contestants try to recreate some fun snacks and then come up with their own imaginative version. I appreciate that they have a mix of chefs and food scientists in the mix, that makes it a bit different from most cooking competition shows. However, the hosts are simply awful. And let's be honest, they usually detract, not add, to shows like this. In this case, they may keep me from getting through an otherwise interesting series. The forced laughter throughout from everyone is also pretty painful. The contestants themselves are a mixed bag... easy to pick out the ones that are full of it. We'll see how many episodes I'll be able to watch.
99 Reviews
Get new hosts & judges
mgitts19775 December 2022
This is such a good show, but it is made worse by the hosts and the judges. Completely cringy at times, and totally uncomfortable moments in the exchanges between the hosts and contestants. The jokes fall flat, the little quips are so awkward, they should be left out. The contestants were so amazing, but there were moments where they seemed over the judges. This is one show that I would love to see the judges walk that walk because they come across overly critical and extremely condescending, it was hard to listen to their critique at times. If Netflix decides to bring this show back... Please, please for the love of God replace the judges and hosts with people with personalities, humor, and grace.
I made an account just so I could leave this review.
tkiefer-390604 December 2022
The show has an interesting premise. The challenges are kinda fun to watch and some of the contestants are enjoyable. The two judges are pretty good too.
But holy mother of god these have to be the worst hosts for a cooking show I have ever seen in my entire life. They are dead every episode and add absolutely nothing to the show. It's painfully bad. You'll see plenty of other reviews with the same comments. I can't go over a 5/10 just for how horrendous the hosts are. How can comedians never come up with a single good joke the whole time? Some of the contestants even lob them softball opportunities and nothing.
But holy mother of god these have to be the worst hosts for a cooking show I have ever seen in my entire life. They are dead every episode and add absolutely nothing to the show. It's painfully bad. You'll see plenty of other reviews with the same comments. I can't go over a 5/10 just for how horrendous the hosts are. How can comedians never come up with a single good joke the whole time? Some of the contestants even lob them softball opportunities and nothing.
Good Show, One Big Problem
loganps3 December 2022
It is a fun idea and pretty good show. The contestants are likable and seem equally matched. The show is pretty much what you think it's going to be and an easy watch.
The pain point of the show are the hosts. There are two "official hosts" and two food experts, but they all share the same responsibilities. There is no anchor for this show and that is what I find very annoying. It feels like they tried to make all the hosts equal and as a result, none of them have a chance to shine.
With that said, I think Netflix usually does a good job with competition reality shows and I would probably watch a second season if they fixed that one issue.
The pain point of the show are the hosts. There are two "official hosts" and two food experts, but they all share the same responsibilities. There is no anchor for this show and that is what I find very annoying. It feels like they tried to make all the hosts equal and as a result, none of them have a chance to shine.
With that said, I think Netflix usually does a good job with competition reality shows and I would probably watch a second season if they fixed that one issue.
Has great potential!
mail-67039-559885 December 2022
This show is awesome, but the chefs need more time to create their sncaks. One or two hours is not enough. The show lacks beautiful snacks. Most of the ones presented to the judges looks either halfbaked or plain sad. As a viewer I would like to see more finished presentations presented. I would also like a setup more similar to masterchef. Not just three chefs per episode, but all of them at the same time making snacks. Other than that I really like the show. Its just sad to see great potential go to waste. Hopefully a season two could change up the game. At the very least give the chefs more time in the kitchen. Pringles and similar snacks were not invented in a day, so how on earth could a single chef make one in two hours? Thats not even enough time to think about a proper strategy and execute it properly. Just look at the youtube series "Gourmet makes". There needs to be room for trial and error when attempting to recreate something so very complicated. To end on a positive note I'll say that I really like the judges. Very likeable all of them.
Megan Stalter . The worst host in history of tv
elferaon20012 December 2022
I was excited about this show . I like cooking shows and I like competition shows . But
Megan Stalter . Was there .
Zero charisma Zero experience Zero talent I really have no idea ! Why she was there Over acting Looking straight to the camera Making extremely weird faces
The show it self is boring and most of chefs ??? Sucks
But I can handle it . Maybe
But the host was just tooooooo much What was the idea of having her there I don't recommend this show for people with high blood pressure .
This show might be the last show u ever see And the reason is
Megan Stalter
I hope this is the last time she get involve in this kind of shows.
Zero charisma Zero experience Zero talent I really have no idea ! Why she was there Over acting Looking straight to the camera Making extremely weird faces
The show it self is boring and most of chefs ??? Sucks
But I can handle it . Maybe
But the host was just tooooooo much What was the idea of having her there I don't recommend this show for people with high blood pressure .
This show might be the last show u ever see And the reason is
Megan Stalter
I hope this is the last time she get involve in this kind of shows.
Entertaining show
anony-923553 December 2022
The show was entertaining. It is similar to Gourmet Makes, but unique enough to be considered it's own thing. It is a competitive show rather than just a cooking show like Gourmet Makes. The fun here is not only watching the chefs recreate common snack items but they also create their own snack items based on certain criteria. They also compete against one another to find out who is "the best". I like that there are only 8 episodes, which is the perfect amount of episodes for a show like this. The judges Ali and Helen are very knowledgeable and intelligently communicate with each other throughout the show about the food. Ali has a PhD in food biochemisty (he's crazy smart) and Helen has a background in research and development. Megan and Hari, the snack food loving "comedians" host the show and I'm not a fan of either because I do not find them funny and they have no idea what is going on the whole time. Overall though, I liked the chefs who were competing as well as the judges, Ali and Helen.
The hosts are the problem.
elizabethhalbig4 December 2022
Great idea for a show but why are the two unfunny "comedians" there? Neither has any energy or spark and they ruin the show. Two people paid to stand there and stare blankly at the camera. The woman in particular might be the most useless addition to a show I've ever seen. I did enjoy the concept of recreating some of these snacks, even if many of them looked really terrible. I think by Netflix trying to have a representation of every single shape, size, gender and race of human they forgot to make sure their hosts are funny and capable of delivering material that would be pertinent to a cooking competition.
'Gourmet Makes', but a studio gameshow
illisia422 December 2022
First of all, this concept has basically already been done on YouTube, by the channel 'Bon Appetite' with their series 'Gourmet Makes'. That said, this is a competitive gameshow with a variety of different chefs and multiple "rounds", not just the recreation of the snacks, so it's different enough in my opinion to not be a rip-off.
The first "round" is the recreation of the snack, and the second is where they must create something original that is *inspired by* said snack.
There's a tension-building time limit and the contestants have 100% creative reign in a *huge* pantry and kitchen, with various scientific things for them, too.
I think the contestants and judges all have a lot of interesting experience and qualifications under their belts. However, the two *presenters* are very, very awkward to watch, with terrible delivery of badly written one-liners, times when they aren't looking at the camera properly, no chemistry between them whatsoever, etc. I'm not even sure why there are *two* presenters, anyway? One is sufficient. Heck, the judges on their own have enough chemistry together and are good on camera, so they could have just had them presenting, to be honest.
I'd have preferred a larger range of snacks from around the world, not just American ones, but it's nice to have the contestants coming from around the globe.
The studio is beautiful, colourful and fun. The direction is good. The music is barely noticeable and very forgettable. I *hate* the way the show is "cut", sadly, because on multiple occasions people were cut-off abruptly mid-sentence and it's very jarring.
Contains uncensored British swearing.
You can tell that Netflix are trying for another hit cooking gameshow like Nailed It! But I don't think this is it, sorry team. It's not one I will be in a rush to watch every episode, you know? Maybe one on occasion, or I might just skip to the episodes with the snacks that particularly intrigue me.
6-7/10.
The first "round" is the recreation of the snack, and the second is where they must create something original that is *inspired by* said snack.
There's a tension-building time limit and the contestants have 100% creative reign in a *huge* pantry and kitchen, with various scientific things for them, too.
I think the contestants and judges all have a lot of interesting experience and qualifications under their belts. However, the two *presenters* are very, very awkward to watch, with terrible delivery of badly written one-liners, times when they aren't looking at the camera properly, no chemistry between them whatsoever, etc. I'm not even sure why there are *two* presenters, anyway? One is sufficient. Heck, the judges on their own have enough chemistry together and are good on camera, so they could have just had them presenting, to be honest.
I'd have preferred a larger range of snacks from around the world, not just American ones, but it's nice to have the contestants coming from around the globe.
The studio is beautiful, colourful and fun. The direction is good. The music is barely noticeable and very forgettable. I *hate* the way the show is "cut", sadly, because on multiple occasions people were cut-off abruptly mid-sentence and it's very jarring.
Contains uncensored British swearing.
You can tell that Netflix are trying for another hit cooking gameshow like Nailed It! But I don't think this is it, sorry team. It's not one I will be in a rush to watch every episode, you know? Maybe one on occasion, or I might just skip to the episodes with the snacks that particularly intrigue me.
6-7/10.
What are these hosts?
kentareikoku4 December 2022
The concept of the show is great. Contestants can be likeable and the judges are knowledgeable. However, these 2 hosts are the most random pair of people ever put together and have no personality at all. This Hari guy looks like he's being held at gunpoint to do this show and looks confused and lost in every shot. He almost never speaks and looks extremely uncomfortable even if all he has to do is taste food. The female host has the most forced positivity ever but at least she can fake a smile while Hari almost never smiles. The judges do a better job hosting than these "hosts" who apparently are comedians when they haven't done anything entertaining on this show. The hosts are supposed to be the stars of the show, but these two are just background characters who doesn't add any entertainment value. It should've just been the judges hosting the show just like Masterchef. Netflix should stop hiring random people with no hosting experience to host cooking shows.
Sorry Hari, your co-host really sucks and makes you look bad
harisrinivasan-946975 December 2022
The show concept is interesting. The judges are ok, nothing special. But can't help feel sorry for Hari Kondabolu (uncomfortable and out of place), with an awkward co-host. As a result any witty comment, despite being subdued doesn't land and the show has this strained dynamic. I was surprised to know that Megan Stalter is supposed to be a comedian too! Strange that nobody finds her funny though...with the forced enthusiasm and witless jokes. And what happened to Hari, whose wit and jokes were top of the line.
Apu sucked and since he voiced his criticism of that why such a harsh backlash on Hari!
Apu sucked and since he voiced his criticism of that why such a harsh backlash on Hari!
Cool but..
mike-monaco105 December 2022
Show is a cool idea... contestants are fun.... However... the female judge and the female comedian are both inept of being on screen.. the male comedian... though sometimes has quick funny remarks, could be better. The female 'comedian' should never be on a tv screen again. Due to this , the show was really brought down. I guess they tried copying the nailed it style and though it was decent and watchable... i found moments when i felt like i wanted to turn it off... also ... IT IS CARAMEL... NOT CARMEL. Who taught these ppl how to speak english. These last 50 characters are just to fill up this post.
The hosts are so so bad
aliehyeg4 December 2022
Warning: Spoilers
The show is somewhat watchable. Interesting concept and filmed really nicely. The colours are pleasing and the contestants are pretty good! However- the "hosts" are god awful. They aren't funny, they look like they're just nodding and not even listening to anyone. It's awkward and weird. The two judges are great and should have just kept it at two. Megan's faces and weird mannerisms make me wonder who edited this and thought- yeah this is the best take. I wish I had better things to say but all in all it's a run of the mill cooking show. They're all blending into one. I can't wait for the show where they're making snack food into hyper realistic cakes made by amateurs.
Cool concept, but...
Imashelbob9 December 2022
The concept is unique and cool, it is entertaining and at times educational, and the contestants are interesting and talented.
The two comedians are completely unnecessary in my opinion. They add nothing to the show and the judges are funnier than them.
The experts know what they're talking about, they speak on the same level as the contestants and they contribute to the flow of the show. The hosts are absolutely redundant.
All in all it's an entertaining show and a good watch if you are interested in a brainless binge and are willing to overlook some awkward moments when the hosts are on camera.
The two comedians are completely unnecessary in my opinion. They add nothing to the show and the judges are funnier than them.
The experts know what they're talking about, they speak on the same level as the contestants and they contribute to the flow of the show. The hosts are absolutely redundant.
All in all it's an entertaining show and a good watch if you are interested in a brainless binge and are willing to overlook some awkward moments when the hosts are on camera.
Good show but room for improvement; starting with the hosts.
SelfDestructACowPatT6 December 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I love food shows like this. There's one like it exactly the same in uk but I can't remember the name. Only problem with shows like this, esp in America, they pick the most boring, unfunny, least professional people they can find. Only one I can just about tolerate is the Indian dude. The others annoy me. The Asian lady is rude! Saying the British dudes teeth are yellow in such a blunt way. Get some manners lady because you have zero. Another thing which makes me question is why are the other contestants behind a window like they are in a high security room, that doesn't make sense at all. They should be in the room, getting involved; being spoke to by the judges on their opinions or what not. Good show but room for improvement starting with the hosts. Theirs so many great American hosts and would be perfect for this show.
Cringe
alfie3477 December 2022
I like the concept of the challenges and how they're presented by a vending machine. That was cute and original.
The contestants struggle with the challenges so they seem very difficult and like they might not be giving them enough time for the challenges like this is nailed it or something.
The judges are alright, they're nice enough and give fair critiques.
But, the hosts are so annoying and cringy. They claim to be comedians but I'm on the fifth episode and I haven't heard a decent joke yet. The woman host is particularly annoying because she over acts every line. The guy is better, but is still not funny. I would rate this show a lot higher if they replaced the hosts.
The contestants struggle with the challenges so they seem very difficult and like they might not be giving them enough time for the challenges like this is nailed it or something.
The judges are alright, they're nice enough and give fair critiques.
But, the hosts are so annoying and cringy. They claim to be comedians but I'm on the fifth episode and I haven't heard a decent joke yet. The woman host is particularly annoying because she over acts every line. The guy is better, but is still not funny. I would rate this show a lot higher if they replaced the hosts.
Hosts are a big "no"
tumbleurbuttff13 September 2023
This show is delightful minus the hosts. I don't want to bash Megan too much but she should just not be a host she is just so weirdly inhuman and fake, her vibes and words are just so out of place for this show. The hosts pretty much ruin the good potential of the show. It would be so much better if there were different hosts. Judges are intense but seem very accurate in the depictions of the snacks they're judging. All of the contestants are very good, not annoying and talented. It's a very original show, I've never seen a cooking show about snacks and recreating them. It's a great learning experience to see how they process all these different ingredients into snacks that everyone grew up loving. If you can not pay attention to the hosts, I'm sure you will enjoy it.
Good show, worse than terrible hosts.
waitresstyles6 December 2022
The show has potential and the competitors are actually very funny and sweet! But oh. My . God. The judges drive me INSAINE. They are so unlikeable and their behaviour drives me absolutely insaine. They have a severe lack of humour and any humour they have is cringe worthy, the poor competitors are so clearly fake laughing at each hosts "jokes". Sure they have their scripts , they just make the whole audience cringe intensely. They don't have the right energy or behaviour for public speaking, public entertaining or anything to do with hosting. As you can tell these hosts were a bad choice. I found myself skipping over each hosts talking often being annoyed by the nasally screaming at the screen. Even the way they are randomly fidgeting during their few standing scenes is so awkward it makes this hard to watch. Almost looks like they chose random people for the roles and went with it. Could go on and on but they are just trying to do their jobs, they were just the wrong choice for this particular job.
"Hosts" not necessary
kmqhvbw26 February 2023
Not to pile on, because I really enjoyed the concept of this show, but the two chef judges should also be the hosts. Why the "comedians".? The judges provide the most commentary and have engaging personalities anyway, so just add another professional and get rid of the comedians.
The only thing the female comedian does is get the snack out of the machine in a cringy overacting way... replace her with a Press Your Luck kind of deal.
The male judge is thoughtful and the female judge has just enough of brutal honesty to make the judging seem pretty authentic.
Has potential and am looking forward to another season with the same judges.
The only thing the female comedian does is get the snack out of the machine in a cringy overacting way... replace her with a Press Your Luck kind of deal.
The male judge is thoughtful and the female judge has just enough of brutal honesty to make the judging seem pretty authentic.
Has potential and am looking forward to another season with the same judges.
The hosts ruin it
htfkyjrcxb8 December 2022
The judges seem to be carrying the show - while the "hosts" add absolutely nothing of value. The premise of the show is great, I love that they have contestants try to recreate a well known snack and then have them do their own thing. The mix of self taught and food science keeps it interesting, I like the two judges and how they explain the science behind the foods, and in fact they seem to do the actual job of the hosts. However the actual "hosts" have got to go - how can two "comedians" be so boring? Neither have good screen presence or personality, the woman says barely anything and is very awkward. Maybe they should have a host with actual personality? And why does there need to be two of them? I hope to see more of these shows, munis the crummy hosts.
Best Hosts on the Planet
berryjonathan1 April 2023
I love how the hosts look straight at the prompter (which must be slightly left of the camera) and say their lines with no inflection whatsoever. Especially the woman, who shines on her own with flabbergasting ad libs like "It's hard to choose between two good friends" and "Wow, that looks hard" Strokes of genius! Never in my life did I ever think I would see such awkwardness and discomfort. The acting is so impeccable that I almost think that this how is her ACTUAL behavior, but that would be impossible as no one would hire people like that to host a competition show.
Oh, and there's some cooking and stuff. That's good too.
Oh, and there's some cooking and stuff. That's good too.
Hosts are annoying, but interesting concept
hall-paige-a31 January 2023
They have something in terms of the concept, it's a cool/fun idea. You learn a little bit about food creation and it makes you think a little more deeply about the snacks we encounter on a day to day basis. Only thing is I just dislike pretty much everyone involved except the woman judge. The hosts are unnecessary and highly annoying, and the male judge is only slightly better. The only one I take seriously is the female judge. Even most of the contestants are pretty annoying, just have to get past that. That said, I hope it gets renewed, it is an interesting concept, just a little clumsily executed.
What is this supposed to be? Boring show with sleepwalking hosts
krisztianv2 December 2022
I have no idea what the role of the hosts was, and why were there two of them. Two of them doing basically nothing. The whole show seems very low budget when it comes to the studio setting. The hosts were dressed terribly. The whole show made me feel like I was watching a low budget last minute high school garage recital... You don't even have the sense that something was even happening, just showing bits and pieces of what they contestant chefs (who seem WAY AMATEURS) were doing then a quick tasting and that was it. BOOOORING.
The male host looked like he had no clue how and WHY he got there, he looked lost and did not add anything to the show, also he seemed so uncomfortable in the clothes he was dressed up (a simple jacket but he looked as if he only wore a tshirt in his life). Just the same way the whole show just made me feel really uncomfortable...
Honestly, I have no clue what the purpose of the whole thing was cuz it's for sure NOT entertainment...
The male host looked like he had no clue how and WHY he got there, he looked lost and did not add anything to the show, also he seemed so uncomfortable in the clothes he was dressed up (a simple jacket but he looked as if he only wore a tshirt in his life). Just the same way the whole show just made me feel really uncomfortable...
Honestly, I have no clue what the purpose of the whole thing was cuz it's for sure NOT entertainment...
Get rid of the two "comedians" :(
bluewingedkitty20 December 2022
I enjoyed Snack vs Chef, I really liked seeing the contestants ideas come to life and watching them cook and getting to know them all, but the two "comedians" that are the hosts are terrible. I think the show overall would be much better if they got rid of them and just had the two judges be the hosts as well, I think the two of them had much more chemistry overall with one another and the contestants. I thought some of the feedback came across a little harsh but they were both much more likable. The hosts seemed like spare parts tbh, especially at the judging tables. I'm not sure if they ever actually gave any feedback of their own and it was cut from the final edit? Regardless, I think the show would really benefit from getting rid of the two hosts. 😬
There some issues, but entertaining show overall
ymousnona1234 December 2022
This show doesn't pretend to be something it's not. It is literally a show where contestants recreate snacks, and then they get a chance to show something that's entirely their own.
Personally, I prefer to see more of the contestants and judges than the over-the-top hosts. However, this show proves that too much or too little of anything is never good. The hosts are pretty much useless. They have maybe 5-6 lines per episode, and they just ask the contestant to tell them about their snack. The jokes are atrocious, and sometimes it elicits forced laughter. Most of the time it is just awkward and cringe. If there is a second season, I hope that they choose better hosts that are more interactive or at least anchor the show.
I really like Ali Bouzari. He's clearly smart but he's humble, sweet, and actually funnier than the "comedians" that are hosting the show. I think he's a great judge. I don't mind Helen either. I think the two of them work well together.
Overall, it's a binge-able show where the contestants are not clout chasers or overly pretentious. I felt like I saw some real people and as humans naturally do, there were some hits and misses. The budget for the show doesn't seem to be a lot, but I saw some innovative snacks. This show is exactly what it aims to recreate - a snack. Maybe next season, it'll be a meal.
Personally, I prefer to see more of the contestants and judges than the over-the-top hosts. However, this show proves that too much or too little of anything is never good. The hosts are pretty much useless. They have maybe 5-6 lines per episode, and they just ask the contestant to tell them about their snack. The jokes are atrocious, and sometimes it elicits forced laughter. Most of the time it is just awkward and cringe. If there is a second season, I hope that they choose better hosts that are more interactive or at least anchor the show.
I really like Ali Bouzari. He's clearly smart but he's humble, sweet, and actually funnier than the "comedians" that are hosting the show. I think he's a great judge. I don't mind Helen either. I think the two of them work well together.
Overall, it's a binge-able show where the contestants are not clout chasers or overly pretentious. I felt like I saw some real people and as humans naturally do, there were some hits and misses. The budget for the show doesn't seem to be a lot, but I saw some innovative snacks. This show is exactly what it aims to recreate - a snack. Maybe next season, it'll be a meal.
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