The Cunning Nookie Will Do Whatever It Takes to Win

Each week a contestant gets cut from Bravo's new show Around the World in 80 Plates, but last night Fenway Park executive chef Steve "Nookie" Postal survived the eighth episode, filmed in Hong Kong, by doing whatever it took to win. By now viewers should know not to be fooled by Nookie's clownish exterior: beneath it lies a flint-hard determination to claw his way to the finish line. At times, Nookie's tactics are downright Machiavellian. On this most recent episode, he plays on his fellow cheftestapants' weaknesses, doing whatever he can to throw them off balance, whether it's promising insincere help or taunting a sweating chef as they plate a dish for a famously vicious local Hong Kong authority nicknamed "The Demon Chef." Another ongoing theme is that everyone, especially Nookie, makes fun of Nookie's physique.

Some things said about Nookie in Hong Kong:

· "Nookie's a big baby, he's just big in size, not big in balls."
· "Thanks to Nookie, we're getting passed by senior citizen Chinese women."
· "His fingers are small sausages."
· "Fat guys wins again!" (said by Nookie)

And win he has, again and again, but the preview clip for next week's episode in Argentina suggests that Nookie's luck may run out over some overdone beef. At this point in the game, only four chefs remain: will Nookie survive South America?

· One minute detail changes the competition [Bravo]
· All coverage of Nookie on Eater [~EBOS~]