With their fates hanging in the balance and Ramsay promising a first-ever decision in “Hell’s Kitchen” history, the celebrity chef revealed to Valentin Royo and Connecticut’s Sandra LeClerc that rather than sending them home for their poor performance in the signature challenge, he would be giving them and the rest of their competitors the “Hell’s Kitchen” menu books early.
“Instant relief, I really thought I was going home tonight. This is the type of prank that I just don’t like,” LeClerc said.
For the episode’s challenge, a box dropped from the ceiling of the dining room to reveal the two coveted punishment passes — one for a member of each team. Punishment passes may be used to exclude any chef from that challenge’s punishment.
In order to secure a pass, each team would go through three rounds of individual challenges to cook the signature appetizers from the menu and compete against their team members. The first round was scallops, the second round was carbonara and the last round was the risotto. Only six chefs from each team would move forward during the first round, three for the second round and the winner of the punishment pass crowned after the third round.
Round one — Mya Gonsalves, Nadia Phillips, Georgiana Pahon, Jeyda Brooks, Joy Shi, Sandra LeClerc
Round two — Mya Gonsalves, Nadia Phillips, Georgiana Pahon
Round three — Mya Gonsalves (winner)
Round one — Gabriel Cerease, Jonathan “Jonny G” Gudino, Valentin Royo, Michael Catuosco, Miles Anderson, Miguel Soliz
Round two — Michael Catuosco, Miles Anderson, Jonathan “Jonny G” Gudino
Round three — Michael Catuosco (winner)
The first dinner service of the season featured celebrity diners Olivia Longott (R&B singer, “December”) and Tommy Guarino (content creator, “Boston Deli Boys”).
Dinner service began with hiccups in both kitchens with Brooks appearing lost in the kitchen while bringing up sides to entrees during the appetizers and Catuosco struggling with rolling out dough for flatbreads. Brooks caught Ramsay’s attention again when she was seen struggling with separating the yolk of a quail egg.
The blue team bounced back quickly and earned high praises from Ramsay for the rest of dinner service, particularly the meat station. The struggles only continued in the red kitchen with chef Serenity “Reni” Lee bringing up cold salmon twice to Ramsay after already running late to the table. The last cold salmon from Lee drew the ire of Ramsay, forcing him to pull aside the red team and kick them out of the kitchen before dinner service concluded.
“Where’s the drive? Where’s the will to succeed,” Ramsay asked the team before asking them to select two chefs to nominate for elimination. “Like separating an egg from its (expletive) yolk,” Ramsay concluded.
Calling it the “tale of two kitchens,” Ramsay called for the two chefs that the red team were offering up for elimination: Brooks and Lee.
Ultimately Lee was selected for elimination for her fish station performance.
Episode three airs next Thursday on Fox and will stream on Hulu starting Oct. 9.
Dining and Cooking