Recipe to Riches Recap and Taste Test: episode 2, Jammin’ Jamaican Lobster Bisque

The marketing showdown between Melissa and Winslow might have been a close call if the set-up hadn’t been pretty unfairly skewed. Big shocker: people attending a Caribbean festival—the “neutral” marketing test-venue—were more interested in eating a thematically appropriate Caribbean soup than tucking into a festive turkey dinner. Even Melissa sensed that something wasn’t quite right about the scenario. (“Winslow’s a lucky guy—Caribbean fest, Caribbean food.”) We’re calling for a rematch—perhaps at the Santa Claus Parade?

Expectations were low heading in, as one might expect for a frozen, fishy soup. The bisque’s out-of-the-box impression didn’t do very much to raise them: one taste-tester thought the soup looked sort of lonely, “like a dish made for single people,” while others noted its murky, swampish appearance. Things got more positive once the panel dipped their spoons. Although some found the broth a bit thin and the lobster meat a bit rubbery (the phrase “frozen dinner” came up a few times), most agreed that it actually tasted pretty jammin’—like “liquefied lobster roti,” according to one convert. At the end it came down to the price point: most agreed they’d pay around three bucks for a follow-up bowl. (Its actual sale price is pretty close: $3.99).