I dined at Hell’s Kitchen, Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant based on the show of the same name.As a longtime fan of the TV show, I loved how closely the restaurant resembled the show’s set.I also thought the prices were surprisingly reasonable considering the high quality of the food.

As a kid, I couldn’t get enough of reality competition shows. I never missed an episode of “American Idol” or “So You Think You Can Dance” and loved the feel-good nature of the shows.

But when I got my first glimpse of a very different type of reality show — one where celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay shouted at contestants for overcooking scallops — I was hooked.

“Hell’s Kitchen,” which first premiered in the US on Fox in 2005 and is now in its 23rd season, follows chefs competing in various challenges in hopes of becoming a head chef at a restaurant.

It’s since been nominated for five Emmys, and its star, Ramsay, even opened a chain of restaurants based on the show.

The restaurant has seven locations in places like Las Vegas, Miami, Washington, DC, and Lake Tahoe, though my husband and I had dinner at the one in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Here are five things that surprised me most about the experience.