Most fine dining places and restaurants where the food is good, will have a kitchen that is cleaner than any room in your house. I've worked in kitchens where we will clean the kitchen once after lunch service, then again after dinner. Not just the benches, but the floors and stove tops - all with soap suds, then disinfectant. I would be more than happy to eat off the kitchen bench with such standards.
True a lot of kitchens won't be that clean. More than likely it will be some dodgy Indian/Asian restaurant(not being racist, but they will open a kitchen with no cultural experience, training or knowledge of what is acceptable). Have a look at the walls near the kitchen, and you will often see little cockroaches scampering up the walls.
If you want to get an idea of the kitchens hygiene, have a look at the bathroom. Always a dead give away. But the biggest give away is the taste of the food. You are not going to produce good tasting food in a messy environment. You need to be organised to have a clear head to produce quality food.
As far as tasting from the pots and plates as on the show, If they are using a spoon which is rinsed after use, then this is acceptable. A lot of chefs carry a spoon in their sleeve pocket to do just this. Bacteria cannot survive above 63degrees (or below 5) so anything which falls into the pot will be killed off. (As an aside most chefs use their finger ! )
The biggest concern for hygiene is not using your finger or spoon, it is about being clean yourself. Showering, shaving, hair clean, washing your wands etc. etc. ; wearing clean clothes which have been laundered and delivered on site. They should also be washing all fruit and veg before use.
When I watch .. Do I care... NO. It is a reality program. Though it should be called MasterCook not MasterChef.
Most restaurants are pretty dirty, but you can usually get a good idea as soon as you walk through the door. It is reflected in the decor and their general attitude.
I love to go to fine dining restaurants and experience 'wank' food. It is not just about the foods taste and look, but the whole ambience and feeling of having an experience with people you want to be with - something you can't get at home.
RAKS: The producer I know is o/s as shooting has finished. She left the Sunday before last, and they finished shooting the Thursday before that. So they are about two to three weeks behind airing what was filmed.
