“Say wat?” (Photo courtesy of Bravo)

Another week, another Top Chef. We’re still waiting for the “wow” moment from this season’s chefs. But at least this week we manage to avoid anyone talking about strategy and game-playing like they’re getting ready to go into a tribal council on Survivor. Never eager to let us off the hook though, the producers feel the need to recap last week’s pea puree debacle for us at the top of the episode. Just what we need… to hear those two words another eight times or so.

But perhaps the most exciting part of this week’s episode came early. So far the only real nods to D.C.’s culture have involved blue crabs (a gift to the chefs if anything) and our status as the center of American politics. This week we finally get a Quickfire challenge centered on perhaps one of the most unique and vibrant food cultures in the District: the cheftestants have to create a dish inspired by the food of Ethiopia and be judged by famous Ethiopian-born, Swedish chef and winner of Top Chef Masters, Marcus Samuelsson.