“This is not the way I would have liked to end”, regrets Matthias Marc

He only had one more half-step to take to engage in the final battle. But this Wednesday, Michel Sarran decided otherwise. After a (too) long memory streak, the brigade leader made the choice, blindly, to select Sarah for the final test, condemning Matthias to be offered third place this season of Top chef. The young cook leaves the competition without regret, but with a touch of frustration. He confides in 20 minutes.

Did you expect to find an orange dot under the results bell?

I expected it badly because in fact I knew it had not been easy in the semi-final and I expected it to be a tie or nothing. I didn’t expect to have the green dot, to be honest.

Ultimately, it’s Michel Sarran who decides you blindly. Is it frustrating to end your adventure this way?

Yes, it can only be frustrating. This is not the way I would have liked to end. He has a choice to make but it has to be a shitty choice. Either way, it’s a bad choice. We would have liked to be decided on a gunshot test or something of fifteen or twenty minutes. At the same time, Sarah finished first time and twice third time so that means that she made a big dish and two dishes less well. And I didn’t do a big flat but I was more consistent because I finished second twice and once third. And in the end, it’s me who goes out. Is it better to be dazzling than constant? Everyone has their own answer, I don’t have it …

What do you think led to your defeat?

I think in the semi-final I played more with the handbrake than usual. I am stronger when I let go of everything and there, I played a little more safety by telling myself that there were going to be technical tests. The macaroni, I did something that I know by heart, I didn’t try to go any further and I got screwed. The lamb, I was not smart in taking this topic because Mohamed is hot on it. I didn’t want to do a motherfucker theme but I should have done a motherfucker theme, maybe it would have passed. I played too small arms.

If you had to do it again, would you do things differently?

I think we shouldn’t have any regrets, I’m already very happy to finish third. At the end I am asked if I am sad and I say that I will not cry because I am third of Top chef, there is worse in life. I just think I lacked lucidity in the semi-final where I should have done a harder test because I could have put them in difficulty, but I found that bastard. I played too good buddy at the end.

You are a candidate who has divided the audience a lot. Do you understand the criticisms?

Yeah, I understand on the one hand and, in real life, I don’t necessarily care about that. When you have character, it’s always more complicated in these shows. The editing at the start with Charline, the little protégé, it worked a bit against me. When I talk to other candidates about Top chef, they tell me that they would not have liked to be in my shoes because it can only go badly. I have not done Koh Lanta or Secret Story, I’m here to cook, not to tell my life story. And then, I really saw the evolution of phew with people. The stories at the beginning with Charline, it was complicated and then, I won more events, the restaurant war, the apology for excess. When you win and do nice stuff, people like you. We also have to take some height in relation to that. I am focused on my work and not on three tweets.

Did you dread having to cook while talking in front of cameras?

It’s clearly not easy, it’s really the hardest part to have to explain everything. This is the most boring part of the contest, but you have to play the game.

You have just opened a second restaurant in Paris. Top chef did she speed things up?

I didn’t need Top chef to open this restaurant but to say that it does not help the attendance, it would be completely wrong to say that. On the other hand, to believe that Top chef will make the two restaurants work in the long term, that’s bullshit. You may have done the show, if the things you send are not good or not at the right price, things are bound to go wrong.