Selena Gomez has left her kitchen to join some of the best restaurants in the world, but fans are not convinced by its authenticity.
After four seasons of her pandemic-born HBO Max show Selena + Chef, shot entirely in her own kitchen, the Only Murders in the Building actress joined chefs in their own environment.
The show saw the singer and actress head to LA restaurants with her best friend and co-star, Raquelle Stevens.
Selena doesn’t just get a masterclass from the world’s leading chefs; she also tries to make a signature dish good enough to make it onto the restaurant’s menu.
Like on Selena + Chef, each chef gets to pick a charity that will receive a donation.
Selena + Restaurant Expands On Selena + Chef But Loses Some Of Its Charm
Fans have criticized Selena + Restaurant for being too self-aware. Audiences felt that Selena’s cooking show lost some of its charm because it was too worried about pleasing fans and doing a bit. The show saw Selena leaving the kitchen and visiting restaurants around the Los Angeles area.
A Reddit thread points out all the issues fans have with Selena + Restaurant, especially as they liked Selena + Chef.
“It’s too scripted now where I’m not a fan as I was with Selena + Chef. What started as a good thing has now become overproduced. Why not have them just come to her home vs visiting these restaurants.”
Another user complained that the restaurant format works less than the cooking for home element of Selena’s show. “It was just her doing it in her home, even when she made blatant mistakes or was a little annoying (like constantly talking about boys and dating🙄), there was still something endearing about it I think. You could get past it because it was fun, she was learning,” but now the user laments that seasons later, Selena should have evolved as a chef and instead “borders on disrespect.”
The same user noticed how scripted the spin off feels which is “disrespectful to the chefs and what they do, this shouldn’t be a reality show, it should be a show respecting/honoring the incredible work these chefs do and the amazing talent they have.”
Is Selena + Restaurant Scripted?
Fans have complained that Selena+ Restaurant is “too scripted. It’s not natural anymore.” The audience also believes Selena is faking being clueless for the show.
One of the examples used by people who feel the reality show is too scripted is that Raquel used to sneak around looking at her phone, and it was funny when she was called out. In Selena + Chef, such interactions appear scripted and has become an annoying bit.
Selena Gomez filmed 40 episodes of Selena + Chef before starting her spinoff Selena + Restaurant.
How Selena Gomez Started Selena + Chef
The concept of Selena + Chef was inspired by Selena’s own struggles with cooking for herself while in quarantine. She and the producers announced their commitment to the HBO MAX show being “unrehearsed, unfiltered and truly unscripted.” The show was praised for being an honest portrayal of a woman struggling with lupus and learning to cook.
“Having some of the best chefs open up their kitchens to me was a humbling and fun experience,” said the ‘Lose You To Love Me’ singer in a 2020 statement, according to Us Weekly. “I definitely discovered I have a lot more to learn. I’m also really happy that we were able to highlight and raise money for some incredible charitable organizations.”
Selena thinks that her cooking was a disaster in the first seasons but admits her skills have come a long way thanks to her cooking TV show. Selena now rates her culinary abilities a “5 out of 10.”
“I wish I had more time to cook, but with work it’s not always easy.”
The Spring Breakers actress said. “I love when I get the chance to cook for my friends and family.”
“I have revisited many of the dishes I’ve made on the show,” she continued, adding that her biggest takeaway from making the reality show has been how a home cook can experiment with their dishes: “You don’t have to necessarily follow a recipe exactly.”
Selena Gomez was excited to move out from cooking virtually from home with the best chefs in the world, and step into their world. “You’ll have to see if being in person helped my skills at all.”
“Selena’s culinary journey has riveted viewers from day one as she has elevated her kitchen skills on her Emmy-nominated series. Now, out of the comfort of her home kitchen, but with her best friend for support, Selena’s graduation to the big leagues offers a natural progression of her culinary education as this superstar shows what she can do in a restaurant environment.”
What Chefs Have Said About Selena Gomez
Selena Gomez has worked with some of the leading chefs in the US. Top Chef star Eric Adjepong starred in Selena Gomez’s HBO series Selena + Chef making a Holiday Lunch.
The first time Adjepong met Gomez was when he arrived at her home to shoot Selena + Chef, he describes the moment “it was like that scene in Taken where you don’t know exactly where you’re going,” Adjepong says. “I remember coming into the house and just being greeted by her grandfather, her grandmother, her best friends were there as well. And it was just a really, really sweet moment. I felt at home immediately.”
“I think the one thing about Selena that surprised me is she’s an introvert. She keeps her solitude so well, and I love that. I actually admire that about her.”
Her experience on the show with Kitchen Nightmares star Gordon Ramsey was a little different. The hot-headed Scottish chef instructed Selena to use “the furthest pan”, and became frustrated when she didn’t quite follow his instructions. Despite him becoming angry at her using the wrong pan for steak, Selena kept her cool and even began to laugh at the situation.
Nick DiGiovanni virtually cooked with the superstar and called the experience “really, really fun.”
“You might think that it would be very difficult doing something like that over Zoom or over a video call, but I found it to be really fun. It felt like Selena and I were there in the kitchen together, so it actually was great.”