Topjaw and the Unruly Quest for the Perfect Meal

More than ever before, friends and colleagues have been putting me on the spot. What's your favorite restaurant in London? In New York? The best croissant? Your favorite bagel? The most overrated place you've ever eaten? And on and on.

I consider myself a discriminating diner, but I find this demand for blanket declarations quite discomfiting. I blame a lot of it on Topjaw, the hugely popular social media account with a presence on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. Topjaw is produced by Jesse Burgess, the on-screen presence, and Will Warr, who's behind the camera. Burgess pops presumptuous questions to chefs, celebrities and a whole range of foodies — eliciting apparently off-the-cuff, sometimes jovial, sometimes cruel answers — a frankness that's integral to Topjaw's draw. It's all mitigated by Burgess' genial charm and good looks. But at times, when the comments are cutting, Topjaw comes close to being Yelp on video, if even more brusque no matter the chuckles and smiles.