‘Replacing Chef Chico’ Netflix Series Review - Put Your Heart Into It

The new Filipino series Replacing Chef Chico is a great watch for people who are searching for something light to watch this weekend. The show started with introducing us to the main characters i.e., Chico (the head chef), Ella (his sous chef), and Raymond (the consultant) at Haim. This is a multicuisine restaurant which is near its end and needs serious saving.

Chico’s father backs the restaurant, but since it has been performing poorly, there are need for some serious reforms. Raymond has come to fulfill the same role and we see him keeping a check on everyone.

Although Chico had a girlfriend, he liked Ella and the affection was present on her side as well. The lady didn’t cross the line and this was because he already has a woman in his life. As an audience, I desperately wanted to see them bond before Chico’s accident took place.

The number of times Ella introduced herself as his sous chef is innumerable and it got irritating. It was as if the lady had forgotten her name and recognized herself as the working title allotted to her. She didn’t have any right over Chico and considered herself just his “sous chef”.

Through this series, we get to see delicious dishes being prepared and there were moments where I wanted to step in the show and have a bite of them. When the shots of food have been included, they automatically make you hungry and search for delicious and pretty-looking food near you.

What Replacing Chef Chico did differently was include the stories of their customers as well like the 70-year-old couple who was there to announce their separation or Tina and Brittany’s story of stopping to cry over a pitiful man. Every time the lady who welcomed the guests rushed to Ella with gossip, it made me wonder about the positivity Ella brought into Haim. The reason behind this is that every employee was comfortable sharing a space and a secret/gossip or two with her.

Chico was giving Ella false hopes all along, and once that came forward, it was a heartbreak for our girl. With Raymond’s entry, I could spot a flaming chemistry, and you could see them as a couple even before they confessed their feelings.

Ella before Raymond was an underconfident woman who didn’t acknowledge her efforts. It was with his entry into her life she gained some self-worth and took a chance to think about what would suit her best professionally. This is a good eight-episode drama series that takes you places and has a calm pace to let the audience drown in Ella’s world.

The title has been kept as Replacing Chef Chico because, after Chico’s accident, Ella had to take his place and responsibility at Hain. Also, she replaced him as his love interest with all the feelings developing for Chico. Apart from these two things, another thing happened in the last episode for which you’ll have to watch this show with an average of 35-minute episodes.

Final Score – [7/10]
Reviewed by - Riya Singh
Follow @_riyasinghhh_ on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times