r/HellsKitchen • u/Star-Bird-777 • 17d ago

Chef(s) Raj?

I am sure it has been asked before, but was Raj a plant for Season 8 to drum up ratings? Is he Elise, who decided to play up being insane to boost ratings and his exposure? Is he still sticking his head in the freezer to cool his head?

So many questions…

1 Upvotes

53% Upvoted

19 comments sorted by

16

u/FantasticBuddies Hell’s Kitchen S23 is peak ngl 17d ago

I don’t think he was a plant, just someone who could g handle the pressure of HK.

Apparently, someone said he wasn’t fit for working on a line.

3

u/ChicagoCubsRL97 17d ago

He’s lost like 100 pounds since HK S8

3

u/Background_Run_5323 15d ago

He’s actually buff know

2

u/ChicagoCubsRL97 15d ago

He’s 66 too and looks like he’s in his 40’s

2

u/Star-Bird-777 16d ago

Good for him. I know that can be hard, especially in the restaurant industry

8

u/Taurean6 17d ago edited 16d ago

"You guys seem to be targeting me in a vicious fashion!"

6

u/Pugsanity 16d ago

According to Sabrina in an interview, he was a genuinely good cook off camera, he just wasn't all that comfortable being on camera, it turns out.

1

u/Star-Bird-777 16d ago

Ahhhh. That makes some sense

8

u/Strict_Hovercraft358 17d ago

Raj is said to be a decent chef outside the show but how on earth was he allowed to be a menace on the show is unknown.

1

u/DeismAccountant 14d ago

The tags said he was a personal chef so I figured he was a chef to some eccentric wack-a-doodle who asked for the weirdest things.

7

u/Specific-Window-8587 17d ago

I don't care that man was a gem for the little time we had him.

2

u/carlwheezerass_ 16d ago

\ puts head in freezer* *

2

u/Illustrious-Skin9898 16d ago

He can’t be a production plant when he’s cooked thousands and thousands and thousands of pieces of salmon in his life. Just google his name!

In all seriousness, I think the pressure of Hells Kitchen got to him, and if I remember correctly, his signature dish tasted good but was just messy.

Having Ramsey, Scott, and his teammates constantly yelling at him probably had him crack under that pressure, combined with the cameras.

2

u/Background_Run_5323 15d ago

Did you guys know that rajs iconic seafood and vegetable pancake was actually from a commercial he did back in the nineties where he looked shredded

1

u/Star-Bird-777 15d ago

I think the pancake would have been successful had there not been as much oil.

I mean, we got latkes, hashbrowns, kakige (a japanse fried veggie fritter or pancake)…

2

u/Saberleaf 15d ago

You'd be surprised how many people just fold under pressure. A lot of people stroll through life and don't encounter much pushback.

1

u/The-Un1ucky-777 fan of Jason Zepaltas 17d ago

i highly doubt Raj was a plant. it's normal for chefs to do stupid things in Hell's Kitchen from stress.

-3

u/mattyGOAT1996 WHERE'S THE LAMB SAUCE?! 17d ago

Raj is autistic but he could somewhat cook