Next Level Chef S03E06, next level chef season 3

Next Level Chef S03E06, next level chef season 3

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– Previously on “Next Level Chef”… [cheering] – Only one dish today will save their entire team from elimination. Izahya. [cheering] Go. Let’s go. – Lauren! – All right, Lauren, this cook-off is your do or die moment. – The dish that I’m eliminating is the chicken thigh. – Ari.

– Home chef kicked butt against a pro chef? – And tonight… – It’s our kitchen, baby. We back. – You’ll have 30 minutes to create a fish dish from a tropical island cuisine. – Woo! – Turn the heat up. – Half of it’s excellent.

Half of it’s this weird, regurgitated baby food. – The competition is really getting to me. [dramatic music] [knives shinging] [dramatic rock music] [elevator dings] ♪ ♪ [timer ringing] ♪ ♪ – Woo! – Let’s go! – Woo! – Hi. – Yeah. – Welcome back.

– All right, Team Ramsay! – Ow! – Here we go! – I am loving the energy. Oh, my goodness me. Good morning. – Good morning, Chef. – How are we feeling? – Amazing. – Good. – Fantastic. – Now, Team Ramsay, thanks to Izahya’s curry in a hurry,

We are back in that top-level kitchen. – Let’s go. – Today, we want you to take us on a trip to paradise… – Ooh. – OK. – Because the best meals I’ve ever eaten are on vacation. – For me, traveling isn’t about collecting souvenirs. It’s about collecting taste memories.

– Think about the incredible seafood, fruits, and vegetables, and spices. – Mm, yes. – It’s a chef’s dream, isn’t it? – Yes. – Yes, Chef. – This challenge couldn’t be more me. I mean, I live on an island, so palm trees, ocean, sand, cocktail. [laughs]

– For today’s challenge, you’ll have 30 minutes to create a next level fish dish… – Let’s go, baby. – Inspired by tropical island cuisine. – Ooh. – OK. – Woo! – Yes. – My family’s from Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic. So I’m like, “It’s two islands. I can’t go wrong, right?”

– All right, Team Blais. Thanks to Lauren, we get to move up to the mid-level kitchen. But no mid performances today, OK? – Yes, Chef. – OK, Team Arrington, do you want to make it out of that basement today? – Oh, yeah, Chef. – We’re gonna get out of that basement.

– There’s only one way to do that, and that’s to work your way out. – Yes, Chef. – Right. Team Ramsay, I’ll meet you in that top-level kitchen shortly. Good luck. Let’s go. – Thank you, Chef. – Team Ramsay in the building! – Let’s get it. – Killing it. – Let’s get it.

We’re out of here. We’re out of here. – I’ll be waiting for everything you miss. – [laughs] [upbeat music] – Now we’re in the top. – Put your heart on that dish. ♪ ♪ – Woo! – Let’s go! – It’s our kitchen. It’s our kitchen, baby. We back! – We’re back.

There is still a lot of equipment in that top kitchen that I don’t even know how to begin using. It’s both exciting and intimidating. – High level, high expectations. – Island vibe, yeah! – Woo! – This is here. – Let’s do it. Yeah. – Woo! – Let’s do it!

– Finally. – It’s beautiful. – I’m so happy about this. – Yeah, this is freaking awesome. – The middle kitchen feels like a vacation, vacation from downstairs, H-E double hockey sticks place. ♪ ♪ – [chuckles] Shortest ride ever. – All right, all right, all right. – We got it.

– We’re not making this our home. – Nope. We’re gonna win our way out. – Yeah, we made it out of here once in the same spot. We’re gonna make it out of here again. – Yeah, again. [suspenseful music] – It’s not the “Blais-ment” anymore. – No. – No, it’s the “Nyesh-ment.”

[laughter] Good luck. – You too, Chef. – Let’s go! – Let’s go, guys. – Yeah! – Let’s go. Let’s go. What does tropical vacation mean to you? – Italy, Spain, Portugal. – Coast, Amalfi Coast. Amazing. – Yes, Chef. – What is a vacation? – Something light, fresh. – Light, fresh, I love it.

– I don’t want to look bloated on the beach. – No! – These abs got to look good. – Exactly. Right? Poolside. – [laughs] – Come on. One, two, three. [together] Team Arrington! – All right, line up, guys. – Good luck. – All right. Yeah! [cheering]

– Here we go! – All right, I love it. I love the spirit. I love the confidence. OK, middle kitchen, we got everything we need. Nothing more, nothing less. – Yep. – Yeah. – But certainly, it’s better than the basement. – Hell yeah. – Oh, yeah. – Yeah! – Let’s go!

Let’s go. – Woo! – Let’s go! – Let’s go, Chef! – Let’s go. – Let’s go, Chef. – Right, how are we feeling? – Great. – We’re feeling great, Chef. – Five strong, baby. Power comes in numbers. Immunity pin is shining. I’m a Florida boy. We do tropical down in Tampa,

So I’m feeling right at home with this beachy theme. – Richard. – Gordon. – Welcome back. You’re out of the basement. – Yeah. – How’s it feel? – Oh, it feels so good. Oh, and we’re coming up there, though. – No chance. God, this kitchen is so beautiful. – Let’s stay here, Chef.

– Platform is moving, guys. – Let’s go. Let’s go. – Three, two, one. Let’s go! Wow, look at those. Oh, my goodness me. Red snapper, prawns, swordfish, tuna. – Sea bream, beautiful. – 15 seconds to go. – Mahi-mahi. – It is insane. Your grab dictates everything.

And it goes by in a blink of an eye. – Guys, come on. 10 seconds, there’s fresh mint there. – Please. – Like, part of me is, like, is it really 30 seconds. Like, it feels like three. – Let’s go. Speed up. Let’s go. – Got a lime.

There’s no fruit. There’s no fruit. – Five, four… – Guys. – Grab, grab, grab! Grab, grab, grab! Well done. – Let’s go. – Well done. – All right. When it’s green, it’s go time. – Ooh, here goes the stampede. – There it is. – I’m seeing lobster.

How the hell did the top kitchen not grab this? I lucked out on this one. – Prawns, mackerel, fish sticks. – Fish fingers, ew. – Yeah, I’m frantic, and I’m doing a panic grab. – Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh.

– When I look up and see a bunch of arms like grabbing, and I’m like, “They’re taking everything.” – All right, sweet chili sauce. – Ugh. Oh, give me the prawns. – Zuzu Juice right here. That’s great. If you can grab it, it’s yours. – [bleep]

– You can grab it, it’s yours. OK. – Whoa, careful, careful, careful, careful, careful. – Ugh! – OK. – All right. – Phew. – Here we go, guys. Go! Go! – The platform is looking scarce. – Not much left down here, guys. – I grabbed the imitation crab sticks.

And I’m a little worried because I don’t know how well they cook. – Beautiful, guys. I know it’s not a lot. Make it work. – [bleep] – Just grab. Lettuce, lotus root, right, nice chip. – 30 minutes starts now, guys. Let’s go. And, boy, we got here.

We want to stay at the top now, yes? – Yes, Chef. – Yes, Chef. – Just a little bit. One dish, baby. That’s all we’re doing, one dish. There’s colors. We’re in Baja. Let’s take them to Mexico. – Right, Wendy, what did you grab? – I’m doing a miso mirin marinade.

– You grabbed the mahi-mahi. I love that. – Mahi-mahi. – And so where are we going with this? – I’m kind of going Hawaiian-Thai, honestly. – OK, Hawaiian-Thai. Great combination there, by the way. – I’m gonna marinate some cubes and sear them individually… – Mm-hmm. That should be great.

– And then do a leek puree with pickled onions. – I love the idea of a leek puree. Well done. Great grab there, by the way. – Five minutes gone. Five minutes, OK? – Go. We’re gonna win this. – All right, Lauren. You almost jumped down on the platform.

– [laughs] I got to do what I got to do to stay in this competition. – OK, I like that. I like the spirit. What did you grab over here? – Got my catfish. Catfish is kind of a garbage fish, to be honest. That should have gone down to the basement.

– This is your magic weapon right here, OK? – OK. – So traditionally, you might see gochujang in, like, a fried rice dish– – OK. – In a Korean fried rice dish. – Gochujang, sushi rice, catfish– this is a very weird combination. I’m not gonna lie. – Get going though on the rice.

– Thank you, Chef. – OK? – Rice is on. – Looks like a giant cockroach. ♪ ♪ – OK, Angela. – I’m making it work. – All right, what are we doing? – Dominican and lobster tthermidor but with prawns. I’m just gonna stick to my roots, a Dominican Creole.

– OK, Dominican lobster thermidor sounds fantastic. – Yeah. – OK. – That’s where I’m going with it. – I love this Dominican angle here, right? It’s some of my favorite food. – I just remember going with my dad, and literally, this man put a scuba diving outfit on

And got the lobster right out of the water and cooked it. – Tell that story with this dish, right? – Dominican Republic is paradise. The food is great, bold sauces and flavors, and then rice. And we eat rice by the pounds.

– We’re lacking a little bit of, like, vegetable over here, though, huh? That’s the thing? – Yeah, I have no vegetable. – All right. – I don’t know what the hell I was thinking, honestly. Sweet chili, garlic paste, ketchup? Like, really? I grabbed more condiments than food. It’s crazy.

I just don’t have no vegetable, but I’m gonna make this work. I’m gonna make this work. ♪ ♪ – Chef Von, you’re in the basement. How did you end up with tuna? – Someone [bleep] up, up top. So you know what I mean? I’ma take advantage of that. – Sure.

– I’m thinking I’m gonna do a jerk tuna. I never worked with pigeon peas, so I’m thinking about doing maybe a play on a creamy spinach risotto. I grabbed what I thought was rice, and I looked, and it’s [bleep] pigeon peas. Pigeon peas, usually, you have to soak them overnight

Or at least a couple hours. And then– and then it takes at least about 45 minutes minimum for them to cook down. – So you’re taking us to Jamaica… – Absolutely. Yes, Chef. – Jerk tuna with rice and peas kind of play? – Yes. – Love that.

– Absolutely, Chef. – Love that. Love that. – I’m gonna figure it the hell out and get the hell out of this basement. – Attention to detail, guys. – Absolutely. – Yes, Chef. – Yes, Chef. – Let’s go. Ms. Christina, talk to me. What you got?

– I have frozen fish fingers that are still frozen. – Wow. How are you elevating this dish, right? – How am I gonna elevate frozen fish sticks for a tropical vibe without fresh herbs or citrus? – I mean, frozen fish fingers, so challenging. I’d never want to work with these.

– This is the first time that I am truly worried with my ingredients. – Think about it. You have no time to stand still, my love. – Yeah, oh, I know. – Zero time. – Christina, what’s your plan with the frozen fish fingers? – I’m gonna coat them, cornmeal crusted,

Get a nice crunch, something. – Nice, cornmeal crust. – Yeah, they’re still frozen, so I’m trying to defrost those next to the heat, hopefully. – So where am I when I’m eating this tropically inspired dish? Am I by the pool? Am I on the beach?

– You’re on the beach. I’m a beach girl all day. – Love it. Love it. Mada, how are we using the imitation crab? – I’m gonna cut them up, and then I’m gonna add them in right at the end just to get some nice color on them with the sauce.

– Wouldn’t be my first pick, but you ended up with it. So show these guys what you can do to transform the ingredient. Right, Chef? – Yes, Chef. – Let’s go. Alexandra. – Yes, Chef. – Talk to me about your vision. – I am going to go for a mackerel.

I’m gonna score the skin. I’m gonna season it. – How is this tropical? Where are you taking us, tropical-wise? – [chuckles] Um, I don’t know. – You don’t know. – What island is this gonna be from? I don’t know. We can make one up. Volcano just popped up an island.

And that’s– that right there, that’s where this dish is gonna be served. I haven’t figured that out yet. But I know I’m gonna have good flavors, and I’m gonna take you to some island. – So what do you need to get in there to make it tropical?

– Fish stock, since I’m doing fish. – Yes, Chef. – Thank you, Chef. – Let’s go. Show the rest of these chefs what you got, right? – Yes, Chef. – You looking good? – Yeah, baby. – Don’t forget to have fun. – OK, Zach, this is in your wheelhouse, huh?

– Yeah, yeah, yeah. – OK. – I’m feeling pretty good. I’m gonna do a butter-poached lobster. I’m gonna make a sweet potato and coconut kind of puree with a chorizo with breadcrumbs. – You’ve lived in the Caribbean and currently on Hawaii, right? – Yes, Chef. – So are we leaning more towards Caribbean

Or Hawaii here? – Probably, like, a more modern twist in Hawaii. – I love it. I love it. – Yes. – OK, listen. I got to put my money on Zach. You live on Maui and you’ve lived in the Caribbean, and it’s a fish-related challenge.

I have to beat Gordon today, and I think Zach’s the guy that’s gonna get us to the top level. [suspenseful music] – Guys, with 10 minutes down, we’ve 20 minutes to go. – All right, focus on the protein, Gab. – Right, Gabi, what’d you grab?

– I have this swordfish. – You’ve got a great fish. It’s on every menu in the tropical islands, right? Don’t forget, swordfish should be served pink. – I’ve cooked swordfish before. I fly fish. Grilled some brown trout, some rainbows. – Who taught you to fly fish from an early age?

– That would be my dad. – Yeah. – Yeah. We both just love it. – No, I love that. I mean, I do the same exactly with my daughter. And that’s my go-to happy place where we disappear for 24 hours… – Yes.

– And just literally catch these wild brown trout. – Yes! Chef, if you ever want to fish– – Right. – I am there. We could go on a little trip together, fish, have a beer, grill some swordfish. I would be a great fishing partner, Chef Ramsay.

– Just focus on cooking that swordfish. – I’m gonna focus on my marinade and making this beautiful. – Beautiful. – And I want to fry this… – Yeah. – Make some beautiful yuca chips. – Exactly. – I don’t know. I’m hoping for a mid-round drop to really elevate this flavor.

– Fingers crossed. – Let’s go, guys. Keep working. Keep working. Keep moving. – Don’t be shy, y’all. Let’s get it. Come on. – Team Ramsay, it’s time for the mid-round drop, yes? These dishes need more color. Let’s go. – Oh, yes, baby! – A tropical fair. – Yes, baby! – Let’s go.

– Oh, my God. – 10 seconds. – Coconut. – Coconut milk. – Guys. Oh, my gosh. The mid-round drops are always a real curveball. – Grab. Just grab, grab. Well done. – I grab a papaya and coconut cream. I was hoping to grab a coconut milk

but grabbed the coconut cream. Ooh. Ooh. That was a mistake. – OK, everyone, listen. What goes with island seafood? The platform is here for your mid-round drop. You have to grab a tropical fruit and incorporate it into your dish. – We’ve got some tropical fruits, baby. I see some kumquats.

Those are mine. Pineapple juice, fantastic. This dish is gonna be amazing. – Coconut cream. – Some of you need this. – Anybody seen, like, a plantain? – No. – I don’t know what’s happening right now, but I didn’t even see anything I wanted. Like, I scanned it. I was like–

Pineapple? So then I grabbed a pineapple and freaking coconut. Ooh. – Got it? – This is OK. – All right, back to your station. – Platform’s on the move. Guys, these plates need color. – Yes, Chef. – I see half of a papaya. And I’m like, “I’m snatching this.”

I know that it’s gonna add a good flavor to my food. – Grab, grab, grab. You got mangosteen. Grab ingredients. There you go. Don’t be so dainty, guys. Get in there. Fight your way out of this basement. – 15 minutes to go. – Aye, aye, aye, aye. Pineapple rings.

– Jordan, what’d you grab second time ’round? – We got some starfruit, which is beautiful, some coconut, coconut milk, pineapple. – Love that. – Calm. Nice and calm. – Wendy, what did you grab second time ’round? – Papaya. – Good job. [bleep], Wendy, look at me.

You got leeks in the pan. But look at me. Look at me. The gas isn’t even on. – I was moving so quickly that I didn’t even notice that my fire went out. – You got no gas on. – Oh. – OK? So you’re focusing on the wrong thing at the moment.

– I never thought seeing water not boil would make me so sad. – If you’re gonna do a puree, but we’ve got to cook with gas. – Yes, Chef. – OK, you got to focus now. Right? – Yes, Chef. – Please. OK, let’s go. Bring this back together.

– I’m gonna have to forget about the leek puree. – Wendy, pull it together. – An island-inspired fish dish. You’re telling your own story too. – Right behind. Right behind. Right behind. Right behind. – It really helps connect you to the dish. – Ooh, she’s fishy and coconutty, and she is good.

– All right, Angela, did you grab anything that is gonna benefit you here? – Grabbed a coconut and pineapple. So I’m gonna add a sweet salsa on top of it. – Got it. So you have garlic prawns, and then the garnish is gonna be a pineapple salsa? – Yeah. – Got it.

– That’s the aim I’m gonna go for. – Got it. All right. I’m worried for Angela. We’re on the mid-level. So I don’t expect a basement-level draw from a mid-level platform drop. – Man, I just want some rice. I want some rice with it. – Lauren beat me to the rice.

– I want her to just kind of wake up, douse her head in some cold water. [gasps] Come back up. Angela, you’re here. It’s “Next Level Chef”. If you don’t want to go home, it’s time to get moving. Absolute insanity right now. – It’s not bad.

– You’re– you’re– you’re so poised right now. It’s concerning me that you’re so calm. – Hey, I’m working with what I got. – Really focus on these prawns. Because we have a minimal amount of ingredients… – Yes. – Let’s just make sure we’re focusing on them, OK? – Yes, Chef. – All right.

10 minutes to go. We’re gonna bring it. Let’s get to the top floor, guys. – Woo! – Let’s go, OK? – Yes, Chef! – All right, Nicole. – So I was gonna fry this one. – Yeah, that’s fine. – And do this one in the pan. Is that OK?

– I worked on a tilapia farm at some point, so I know a little bit about the fish. – That’s amazing. – Just make sure you got the coconut all the way around it. And then go ahead and fry one. – ♪ We are gonna do something very crazy ♪

– And you’re gonna serve just the whole tail, right? – No, I’m gonna– I’m gonna do half, Chef, half out of the tail. – Half out of the tail, OK. – I like it. I know where you’re going, Chef. – Just bring the flavor, right? – Heard that, Chef.

– The chorizo is the ingredient here that I think can be magical for you, right? Is this a chorizo crumb on here? – Yes, Chef. – Dude. OK, let’s go. Let’s get to the top. – Thank you, Chef. Chef Blais, he’s a great mentor to me.

He gives exactly the guidance that I need to stay comfortable and stuff. – You know, Gordon and Nyesha are both known for their butter-poached lobster, so make sure it’s delicious, right? – I want to hang out with him at a pub, you know? [laughs] We could become BFFs.

– I know you. You’re a fine dining chef. Your plates are gorgeous and beautiful. – Thank you. – Let’s just bring the flavor, OK? – Yes, Chef. Heard. – Come on, guys. We got this. – Do not overcook that tuna. It takes seconds to cook that. Are you slicing your fish?

– Mm, no. – There’s no wrong answer. – There’s not. – But you just got to be sure. – Yes, Chef. – Right? Control. We’re in control. – Yes. – You’re in control. – I am in control. – You’re in the driver’s seat.

– I’m right on the beach with a nice rum punch in Jamaica right now, absolutely, and a Red Stripe. – Who’s in the driver’s seat? – Me, Chef. – Let’s go. Turn the heat up, guys. – Yeah. – I need you to cook with all of your heart. Get creative.

What do you have in your pan here? – Uh, chilies, garlic, ginger, coconut rum. – I already feel like I’m in the tropics. – I wish I had some citrus. – Let’s not wish. – I know. I know. – Let’s only make a reality. It’s not easy working with fish fingers

And not fresh ingredients, right? This is a Michelin-starred fish finger, right? [pan sizzling] When are you planning to drop your fish? – Right now. – Organize yourself. Take a beat. Take a breath, right? And make sure when you drop that fish that nothing else is going through your mind to impede your vision.

– I have not cooked mackerel before. But I knew by looking at it that this fish was gonna cook quickly. – I got to say, I’m worried about Alexandra. Mackerel is one of the toughest fish to cook with. Alexandra’s never used it. – My chips. – Christina with frozen fish fingers–

I just hope one of these chefs has what it takes to get me out of this basement. [suspenseful music] – Three minutes to go. – Not too crazy. There we go. Boom. – I want to get those nice, crisp crust marks on there. – Yes. Yes, Chef.

– Can I get a taste test on here real quick? – Yeah, so what’s that for in here? – I want to dot that around the plate just to, like, dip the fish in. I’m really confident in this coconut sauce. I think it’s got a great flavor to it.

Just kind of like on the plate as, like, a dressing. You know what I mean? – OK, nice. Touch more of salt. Right, it needs salt. Taste, taste, taste. A lot going on there, Jordan. – Yeah. – But start working it out, yes? – Yes, Chef. Yes, Chef.

– Right, Wendy, we got to go, girl. We got to change gear, yes? – Yes, Chef. I’m definitely concerned for my sauce. I know that there needs to be more balance, which is what the leek puree was going to do for me. – The leeks have gone, right? – Yeah.

– Because the– yeah, we’re in trouble there. OK, start thinking about the plating. ♪ ♪ – Start plating, guys. Two minutes left. Bring those visions together now, right? The platform starts down here. You’re gonna have no time for editing. Make it nice. Make it nice. Keep love in your heart.

♪ ♪ – Really think about what this looks like on the plate. Does it look like it tastes delicious? Is there enough? When the judge goes in there with that one bite, are they gonna get all of the flavor here? – 60 seconds to go. Platform is moving, guys. That’s it.

Give it some room to breathe, Gabi. Let it breathe. ♪ ♪ Move, move. Let’s go, guys. – 30 seconds. [clapping] If you got [bleep] ingredients, make magic. Platform is here. Come on, guys. Come on. Platform’s here. It’s not waiting for anyone. Mada, get on the platform. – Let’s go.

– Nice, guys. – Hell yeah. – Woo! – Let’s go. – Hands in. – Platform is here. – All right. ♪ ♪ – Let’s go, guys. Let’s go, Zach! – Get there. Get there, dude. Get there, dude. – Nice. – Woo! Ah! – Yeah! – Woo! – Good job, guys.

– Let’s go, guys. – Come on. Come on. Come on. Come on. – Wendy, you’re on fire there. – Oh. – Wendy, leave it. Leave it. Focus, focus, just focus. – The only fish that I had to plate has caught on fire. I have to get something on that dish.

– You got another fish? – No, these are perfect. – Get it on there. Get it on there now. – I am mortified. – Wendy, how did it get on fire? – Ooh. – Ow! – Yes! – I don’t care about the fufu. Wendy, you got to go.

Got to go, got to go, got to go, got to go! Man, Wendy, what happened? – Fire. The fire was just in the wrong place. – You’re on fire for all the wrong reasons. What happened? [somber music] – I think the competition is, like, really kind of getting to me.

– Bloody hell. [soft dramatic music] – Ooh. [sighs] – Wow. – Already, I’m feeling transported. I haven’t even started to taste them yet. Beautiful. Did we descend upon that tropical island? – Yes, Chef. – Yes, Chef. – Well done. Let’s start on the top floor.

This is a sea bream sat on a salsa, a sort of coconut mint with fried purple potatoes. Please. ♪ ♪ – Fish is absolutely stunning. But it finishes kind of sweet on the back end, which I don’t think it needs. – The fish and the salsa underneath work really, really well,

And then you get over into this weird, regurgitated baby food sauce. Half of it’s excellent. Half of it’s as weird as can be. – Oh, regurgitated baby food. Oh, my God. – This is a barramundi with a dragon fruit salsa, couscous, and some pomegranate seeds. – Fish is cooked absolutely beautifully.

It’s glistening. It’s incredible. – Fish is just exceptional. And the dragon fruit salsa, absolutely hand-in-glove. – Yeah, the dragon fruit salsa, I love just the color of it. It adds a lot of nice freshness to it. Sadly, the rest of the dish is kind of one note. – This is a swordfish.

It was marinated on the side with little salsa. Beautiful. Beautiful. ♪ ♪ – The quadrillage of the grill– this is cooked absolutely perfectly. – It’s got amazing crunch coming off the sort of cassava chip. – Yeah, it’s got finesse. That’s what I love about this dish.

Red snapper and a nice sort of Caribbean flare salsa. – Fish is cooked beautifully. The bright notes coming off the salsa is incredible. – The proportions of the presentation are off, but the flavors work really, really well. – So this is a mahi-mahi. It was marinated in miso paste.

Underneath that is a coconut sauce. Slightly minimalistic. – It tastes a little bit more like– like a smoothie than it does a fish dish, to be honest. – The sauce itself is– it’s really cloying. It’s really sweet. – The dish is way too sweet. I wish the leek puree had made the plate,

A sort of earthiness to get rid of that sweetness. It’s a great shame. – I just knew I could do so much better. It’s like a combination of letting myself and Chef Ramsay down. ♪ ♪ – Shall we move to the middle floor? – We’ll start over here.

This is a butter-poached lobster with a chorizo sabayon. – Wow. Lobster’s cooked absolutely to utter perfection. Well done. – There’s a sweetness coming off of this dish that’s really quite lovely. – The presentation reminds me of this sort of fine dining moment. This chef made a coconut crusted tilapia with an island-inspired succotash

And some pickled ginger salad. – Wow. The hero is the tilapia. It tastes delicious. – I would say the fish is cooked beautifully. – It’s good. – Over here, we have fried catfish with a gojuchang rice, and some pickled kumquats, carrots, and shiso. – Beautiful citrus notes coming off of the kumquat.

– Catfish is cooked lovely. I think the only weird bit here is the rice. It’s like a collision of two islands. – This is a chili garlic grilled prawn with a pineapple salsa. The prawn themselves are seasoned really, really well. I love the spice. It’s just lacking, like,

The next one or two ingredients. – There’s a ton of chili, right, on my palate, and it’s searching to go somewhere. Some beautiful fresh herbs could really liven this dish up. – Mm. It’s almost like the grab was the dysfunctional part of this dish because it’s short on ingredients.

– I would like a vacation, a long one, away from the grab. – Shall we move to the basement with you, Nyesha, please? – Cannot wait. – Please. Wow. – So first up, this chef is taking us to Jamaica by way of a jerk spiced tuna,

Sort of legume salad, a play on a rice and peas with a beautiful tropical salsa over top. – Wow. It’s the type of thing that I would put on one of my menus, to be honest. I love the spice blend on the tuna. The legumes are a bit salty.

– The bravado, sticking jerk seasoning on a tuna… smart cooking. – So I’m hearing Chef Ramsay say smart. And I’m like, “Yeah, duh, it’s me. “You should have picked me, but you didn’t. So Team Arrington all the way.” – Next up, we are going to Southeast Asia. This chef has imitation crab.

– Ooh, imitation crab, my favorite– – [laughs] – Said no one ever. – It’s another kudos to getting yourself out of that basement because it’s very clever. – Next up, we have a mackerel. This is served with rice and fried okra. The sauce is made of yuzu and scotch bonnet.

– Sadly, the mackerel is overcooked here. Rice is a little bit bland. It needs something lively. – This reminds me of when you’re on vacation. You get room service, and you got to call downstairs and ask for a refund. – Next up, we have frozen fish fingers. – Wow. – Oh, God.

Like, please just don’t spit them out. – This is served with a papaya salsa and a purple sweet potato chip, sort of taking you to the poolside. – Wow. – Kudos for the creativity. – This looks like it’s on a menu poolside. The salsa is super tasty.

– Yeah, I think, a great job to sort of transform an ingredient that’s generally underwhelming. – What a tasting. All of you, please excuse us. Thank you. [tense music] – Should we start with my floor, the top floor? – Yes, please. – Let’s do it. – Sea bream.

– The fish was cooked beautifully, but the texture of the sauce– – And then the sweetness– you couldn’t eat that whole dish, could you? – No. – Mahi-mahi, what a downfall. I mean, that was– – Yeah. Oh, my gosh. – Coconut sauce– – What happened up there?

– I mean, I think this individual panicked. They’d forgotten the leeks. It was not pleasant. – I never want to taste that dish again. – How’d you feel, Wendy? ♪ ♪ – Middle floor. The lobster was incredible. – It was just cooked perfectly.

– Yeah, that, for me, is the one treat whilst you’re on vacation. – I was just like, “Where are we going?” Right? I picture the beach, the tiki torches, but what was the essence? What island were we on? – Well, I mean, I think to me it’s– it’s Hawaiian.

– The prawns. So you– you’ve got one– one hero, one zero. – I mean, yeah, the prawns just needed something else. – I couldn’t even identify what they were. They were so covered in sort of gunk. Basement, my eyes were drawn to that jerk seasoning tuna. That was beautiful.

– Jerk tuna with a play on rice and peas, that is vision, and this person executed it. – What happened with the mackerel? – The chef with the mackerel didn’t have a good vision from the beginning. – It was really oily and plain. – A shame. – Yeah. ♪ ♪

– My outstanding dish was the tuna. – I have to agree with you. It took me to Jamaica. – Don’t you think the legumes were a bit salty on the tuna? There wasn’t anything on the lobster plate that was not delicious. – You know, you got a point. You’re turning me.

It was a stunning– a stunning lobster. – But this person is cooking for the one percenters of the world, right? This dish– – It’s a true– – We’re all one percenters on vacation. – Damn. – Like, we don’t want– – That dish was too sweet. – Don’t we want them making beautiful dishes?

The lobster was too sweet now? – Oh, my God. – This guy made this jerk tuna in the basement. – Did the basement have anything to do with how overseasoned the legumes were? – Chef, seasoned. Seasoned. – Overseasoned. The legumes were salty to me. – No, but–

– It wasn’t quite balanced enough. – With the spinach, it was delicious. – You can’t make that lobster at home. That’s the one where you’re coming home, and you’re like, “I don’t even know how to do this.” That’s the one you’re gonna put on social media. Chorizo sabayon.

– I’m fighting for this tuna. – Well, fight for it– – Incredible. – Because it’s a delicious dish. – It is a delicious dish. – But the legumes were salty. – Guys, we have to come to a decision. We’re tied 1-1, one lobster, one tuna. – They’re both good dishes.

One is top-level, and one is just below it. – [sighs] ♪ ♪ – Here they come. – Oh, man. – Let’s go. Come on. – OK, guys. Today, we’ve got some outstanding dishes. Only one will earn the safety for your entire team and kick-start your next cook in that topflight kitchen,

And that dish is… ♪ ♪ The tuna. – Let’s go! – Yeah! – Let’s go! – That’s our guy. – Hell yeah! – My second time winning, so I’m very happy about that. I just need the rest of the team to just step up a little bit.

Maybe I can take a snooze or take a little break one of these days. – Absolutely. – Let’s go! – Well done, Von. – Every day you get reminded. It sucks. [laughter] – Guys, thanks to Von, you are safe. – Yes. – Nice. Let’s go. – Please head back to the lounge.

– You’ve earned it. – Hell, yeah. – Way to cook your way out of the basement, guys. – That’s what I’m talking about! – He reminds me every day. I love that. – Let’s go! – Let’s go! – [screams] Let’s go! – Gordon, Richard, each of you will have to choose one chef

To go into that elimination. Richard, I’m gonna start with you. – I’m sending the chef in who I think will be best served by the additional time in that top-level kitchen. Angela. Show me what you can do today. Because, again, your food is tasty, just need a couple more ingredients. – OK, Gordon.

Who will you be sending in to face Angela in the elimination? – Tough one for me, this one. We’re the only team with five. I’d like to keep it that way. So I need to put someone in this elimination that can take Angela down… [dramatic music]

Someone that can go in and come back out. And that chef is… [suspenseful music] – I need to put someone in this elimination that can take Angela down. [suspenseful music] ♪ ♪ Jordan. ♪ ♪ But on your chest, you do have an immunity pin.

So do you go into the elimination to stand for Team Ramsay, or do you keep yourself safe? ♪ ♪ – [sighs] ♪ ♪ I got to look out for myself at the end of the day, and if that means I have to use an immunity pin

and send somebody else in, unfortunately, that’s just what it is. It sucks. You know, I earned this pin, Chef, and I’m gonna go ahead and use that today. ♪ ♪ – Wow. ♪ ♪ – Whoa. – Please pass me your pin. ♪ ♪

– Good job. – Chef, sorry about the sauce. – Now, Chris, you’ve already been into an elimination. ♪ ♪ Maybe it’s time that Wendy proves her worth here. – I can do it, Chef. – I feel like this is what I’ve been preparing for

Since I, like, picked up a spatula, you know? So it’s like, I just need to remember how much I’ve overcome to be here. – Wow. [sighs] Angela, Wendy, for this elimination, I want you to leave paradise, OK? I want you to head inland for a hearty pork dish

That will make us crave that country life. Got it? – Yes, Chef. – Yes, Chef. – Please head to the elevator, and I will meet you upstairs. – OK, Wendy, head up, OK? Guys, pick her up, OK? Lift her up. – OK, Angela, you got this, OK?

– A little bit more of a full plate. – Lift her up. – You got this. – That didn’t work out the way you wanted it to, huh? – Mr. Blais getting feisty. I love that. – All right. – Woo! – Let’s go, Blais Team! – Let’s go, Angela.

– I’m gonna eat her alive. She’s soft. I don’t feel threatened at all. – Angela is a very strong chef, but I am ready for this. I am gonna go in there and cook my heart out. ♪ ♪ – Let’s go. – Yeah!

– Hey, you’ve got this. – Woo! – How are you doing? – All right, Chef. – I feel like you really don’t know what’s gonna happen. – Wendy’s looking kind of confident. – Whatever. I’m just glad it’s not me. – Yeah. – You’re gonna have 25 minutes.

Cook with intention and cook with speed. Both of you are great chefs. You’re gonna make this the best dish that you’ve cooked in this competition. Queen energy. – Yes, Chef. – You feel me? – Yes. – I want you guys to both please line up at the elevator.

The platform will be coming down shortly. – Woo! [cheering] – Come on, girl. Wendy, you got this. – Come on, girl. – You got this, girl. – Come on, Wendy. – One perfect pork dish. Let’s go, ladies. – I got to come in swinging. Wherever the punches land,

That’s where they’re gonna land. – Go. [all shouting indistinctly] – Oh! – Oh, my God. – Oh, my– – Oh! – Ah. – Oh! – This is crazy. It’s really “The Hunger Games” right here. I’ve only seen that in the NFL when they get back up like that. – Come on, Wendy.

– I want Wendy to win now. – Yeah, I want Wendy to win. – Did she just push her? – That was [bleep] up. – Come on, Wendy, yeah! – Wendy, go! – Attagirl! – I definitely got pushed, but there’s no time to be annoyed. [people shouting indistinctly]

– Pork loin. I heard Wendy fall. I don’t have time to figure out how we’re not gonna bump into each other. I’m using my body any way that I can. Whatever. I immediately grabbed the pork loin. If there was one, I was gonna get it.

– What’d you grab, Wendy? – I got a pork chop. I’m gonna do a more Asian-inspired dish that I’m familiar with. – How are you finishing this pork chop? – A light chili glaze with sesame. – It takes a long time to cook, right? – Yes, Chef. – That pork chop takes forever.

– Yeah, but she’s got to rest it, bro. It’s a big chop. That time is ticking. She just needs to get it in the oven five minutes ago. – Angela, what’d you grab? – I’m gonna do some rustic potatoes. I’m gonna sear my pork loin, finish in the oven.

– Is this a dish that you’re comfortable making? – It’s something I learned from school. – Awesome. What sort of sauce are you making? – I’ll do red wine, throw some butter, some shallots, some thyme. Keep it nice, thick, and rich. – You have that sort of game day face all day long.

I need to see intensity from you, OK? – Mm-hmm. – Right? – Yes, Chef. – I feel like if you show expression, people are gonna be like, “Oh, she’s weak.” I don’t want that. When you get too emotional, that’s gonna get the best of you,

and that’s where you’ll go home. – Let’s go, Angela. 15 minutes left, guys, 15 minutes. You’ve checked on your pork, right? Make sure you stay in control, OK? – Ah, [bleep]. [dramatic music] – A little bit of cream, pinch of cream, some butter, some garlic, I think.

– Yeah, I have garlic. Garlic already melted in with my potatoes. – It’s a weird looking mash. It looks like potato salad. ♪ ♪ – We’re done. – She’s done? – He’s tight. – Rest that baby. – Wendy, where’s your pork chop? – It’s in the oven, Chef.

– It needs time to rest, right? – Yes, Chef. – Eight minutes. Make sure your pork chop is cooked, OK? – It’s still– it’s raw. It’s raw. – Oh! [suspenseful music] – I really want to slice it. – Oh, no. Don’t slice it. – Is she gonna cut it?

– You better not. – No, no, no, no, no! – No! No! – Wendy! – No! No! – Why! – Wendy! – What are you doing? – No! – I really want to slice it. – [bleep]! – No! – No! – Wendy! – No! – It’s still– it’s raw. It’s raw.

– Wendy cuts the pork chop off the beautiful bone. It’s gonna be dry. You shouldn’t have done that. – Come on, Wendy. – Come on, Wendy. – Let’s go. – Angela, how is your red wine sauce? Stop adding butter to it. – I didn’t add no more butter. – What is she doing?

– More butter? – That’s a lot of butter in there. It wants to break. You see that shine on it? – Yeah. – Those speckles. Four minutes left. – Make sure that flavor is good. Check that pork in there, Wendy. – Yep. – Do you like the flavor?

– I like the way it tastes. – Yeah! – Start plating. Bring these dishes together. Let’s go, Wendy. – Yes, Chef. – Take your time. – 1 minute 30 seconds. – Yes! That looks beautiful, Wendy. – Yes, yes, nice! – Yeah! – Attagirl! – Love it. – You got it.

– The sauce broke, y’all. Here we go. – Don’t forget your salsa. – Let’s go. Let’s go. Woo! [together] Five, four, three, two, one! [cheering] – My sauce was perfect. When I first poured out, it was thick. It was perfect, and I threw butter in it. I [bleep] it up. ♪ ♪

– OK. Nyesha, how was that? – Wow. Both of these ladies cooked with absolute heart and soul up here. – Mm-hmm. – We are gonna start with the pork loin. This has a rustic potato and a red wine pan jus. ♪ ♪ – Now, first off, the pork is cooked beautifully.

Nice combination of the mash, the potatoes, but the sauce is broken. And the mash needs just a hint more seasoning. – Yeah, I mean, I love the idea of the rustic mash, but it is a little too uneven for me. But, all in all, classics are classics for a reason. That all works.

– Our next dish is made with a pork chop. This is served on top of a cauliflower puree with a pepper salsa. ♪ ♪ – The flavors in this one are good. The only thing I’ve got a problem with this is that the pork is tough. – I love the earthiness.

It’s a rustic-looking dish. I love the spices that are on the pork. The pork is overcooked, though. – But the flavors work. – Richard, I’m gonna start with you. Which dish will you be eliminating– the dish made with pork loin or the pork chop?

– To me the dish that I’ll be eliminating is… [suspenseful music] ♪ ♪ It’s the pork chop. ♪ ♪ – Gordon, I’m gonna ask you the same question. – The dish I’m going to eliminate tonight is gonna be… ♪ ♪ The pork chop.

– That dish was cooked by Wendy. [somber music] – Ah, [bleep]. Wendy, you’re leaving this competition as a very good chef. – Thank you, Chef. – OK? – I went from, you know, providing behavioral therapy to standing in front of you three. You know, it’s quite the pivot. Thank you so much.

– Yeah. – Thank you. Oh. Thank you for everything. Cooking in this competition pushed me to my limits, and I’m just so proud of myself for making it all the way here. Bye. – Bye, Wendy. – Any regrets from this elimination cook-off? – I should have pushed Angela.

I’m kidding. I’m just kidding. – Angela, well done, cracking job. Pork, delicious, young lady. – Thank you, Chef. – And, Angela, you put together a proper restaurant-style dish. Good job. – Yes, Chef. Thank you. – Absolutely. – Don’t underestimate me. It’s gonna be a different Angela now

Because I’m not going back to elimination. – Jordan, based on that cook, do you think you could have competed? – Of course, Chef. Yeah. I feel bad, man. – I appreciate the fact that you feel bad. That confirms you’re human. However, you earned it for a reason. – Yes, Chef. – Well done.

Get some rest. Next time, you’re gonna have to earn your street cred. – Mm. – Think about that. Good night. – Thank you. – Thank you, Chef. – Thank you, Chef. – Good night. – Thank you, Chef. – Nicely done. Good job. – Nice job, girl. – Day one. – Stone cold killer.

– Next time on “Next Level Chef”… – What in the world is going on? This has never happened in the history of “Next Level Chef”. – Today, that platform will not be stopping. – What? – What? – [laughs] – Grab, grab, grab, grab. – Oh, [bleep]. That’s moving fast.

– All right, one ingredient. – No protein? – No, Chef. – Oh, my God. – This is madness, utter madness. – Oh, [bleep]. I just have air in my hands. I’m, like, maybe I’m just gonna boil [bleep] air. ♪ ♪