“No.”
 
That’s what the winners of TONY’s score-a-meal with Top Chef’s Lisa Fernandes contest tell me when I ask if they had rooted for the maligned Mai House toque. “I was rooting for Dale,” confesses Adrienne Rodriguez before our amuse-bouche—curried caramel corn—hits the table. But that’s the last protest I hear from her, or from the rest of the guests, who were picked from among 727 entrants in our Cheap Eats issue contest to enjoy Lisa’s tasting menu gratis, and judge for themselves if the celebu-toque is as hateful as some would have them believe. The stunt, it seems, had the desired effect: Said one full-and-happy guest, plied as he was with five courses and wine to match: “I actually thought she was really sweet.”

 
It’s not until the first course arrives (and a few Saigon Slings have been hastily administered) that the group eases into a comfortable dynamic. Everyone attacks the trio of crisp, pork-and-ginger-stuffed pot stickers with chopsticks—except for Jenn Backe, who requests a fork. “I can fold an origami crane before I can eat with chopsticks,” she explains.
 
Conversation turns to the food world’s scandal du jour—the JE Englebert/Ilan Hall fracass. “What’s that [Ilan] said? ‘Jewish food raped by bacon‘? That’s almost offensive,” offers Tom Bagley, as Lisa arrives to present course number three—two plump scallops with passion fruit and a green papaya salad in chili oil. Having suddenly reconciled with traif, Tom has a rave. “I would never think to marry the chili flavor with the passion fruit, but it made the dish.” “I was impressed with the way they were cooked,” adds Matt Settle, the Colicchio to Tom’s Padma, of the golden sear.

 
Next up is a fish course—chunks of fried snapper with house-made potato chips over a chili-garlic sauce. “It’s my version of fish-and-chips,” Lisa explains at the table. “I try to combine salty, sour and spicy flavors in one dish as much as I can.” And it’s a winner all around—though I did spy Jenn offering her fish to a grateful Tom (she held on to the chips). “Chili can be overwhelming but this is really well-balanced,” said Adam Schweig.

 
While we wait for our final savory course we dissect the respective merits and shortcomings of Whole Foods versus Trader Joe’s. Lisa then presents our entrée: Long Island duck breast served with a green-apple salad and topped with a caramel tempered with fish sauce and coconut milk, a nuance first identified by Adrienne. “This is so tender,” gushes Adam. “Usually I find duck a bit too chewy, but this is perfect.”

The third and final salad and the fourth dish sporting a caramel component (“Padma loved my caramels,” explains Lisa) is dessert—the same confection she whipped up for TONY’s Cheap Eats issue. It’s a banana-peanut spring roll, sliced in two and served with mild whipped cream, a sprinkle of salt and a tangle of green-apple strands with caramel. “Hands or chopsticks?” muses Adam, setting off a fingerfood debate. The doting dessert reviews start pouring in. “Should we be bitchier?” jokes Jenn. “Would that play better? Let’s be Gail!”
 
Lisa surprises the guests with a taste of a new dessert recently added to the Mai House menu—a chocolate-chicory tart inspired by Vietnamese coffee—and everyone battles for a spoonful. Lisa sticks around to field some questions. “What are your favorite restaurants?” asks Matt (“It’s a tie between Sripraphai and Tailor”). Adrienne asks if Lisa keeps in touch with anyone from the show (“Steph is coming by after service tomorrow. Dale and I are cool. It’s much more dramatic on TV.”) Tom asks what Lisa’s favorite style of cooking is, but Jenn answers for her. “It’s Asian. Um, did you not see the show?”
 
After recipes are exchanged, group photos taken and applause justly applied, Lisa takes her leave. It’s Matt who finds Lisa “really sweet.” “Yeah,” adds Adrienne, “She’s redeemed herself.”
 
Poof! Lisa, you’re a gorgon no more.