The Top 6 traded the MasterChef kitchen for a limo ride to Cluny Bistro & Boulangerie in Toronto. The regulars expect real French cooking, and tonight they’re getting it from six home cooks instead of a trained brigade. It’s the “Restaurant Takeover” episode, and the judges are handing over the keys — and the pressure.
‘MasterChef: Global Gauntlet’: Judges Joe Bastianich, Tiffany Derry, and Gordon Ramsay in “Restaurant Takeover”Geoff George/Fox
The challenge
Gordon Ramsay, Tiffany Derry, and Joe Bastianich built the teams themselves. Each team gets two cooks who’ve been undefeated in field challenges all season, plus one who’s still chasing a first win. Blue Team is Heidi, Jake, and Julia, with Jake as captain. Red Team is Basia, Dave, and Peter, with Basia leading. The teams picked their own captains, and there’s real incentive to win it — the winning captain locks up the biggest advantage of the season next week.
Julia, Heidi, and Jake in “Restaurant Takeover”Geoff George/Fox
Peter, Basia, and Dave in “Restaurant Takeover”Geoff George/Fox
Gordon’s staying in the kitchen to expedite every dish as it goes out, while Tiffany and Joe work the dining room to see how it lands with actual customers. After service, all three decide who wins, who loses, and who’s going home.
The menu is set. First appetizer: sautéed prawns with curried parsnip puree and smoked bacon lardon salad. Second appetizer: pan-seared branzino with sautéed scallops, mussels, and bouillabaisse. First entree: pan-seared salmon with soubise creamed onion puree, sautéed escarole, and sauce vierge. Second entree: steak frites with bordelaise sauce, watercress salad, and parmesan fries. Gordon runs the cooks through a tutorial on all four dishes before the doors open.
Dinner Service
Blue Team started smoothly, but not clean. Heidi admitted she was in over her head, since her only kitchen experience is on a private yacht. Julia sent up two raw salmon once entrees started, and Gordon put her in “time out,” which the 23-year-old called “embarrassing.” Jake still ran the pass like a captain should.
Red Team was a mess from the jump. Basia, who’s never worked in a restaurant, started dressing salads that wouldn’t go out for ages, and Gordon threw the bowl back at her and told her to get it together. “I’m already looking like a fool,” she said. Peter and Dave rushed undercooked prawns and scallops out to the pass, only for Gordon to send them right back, while Dave kept miscounting orders and over-seasoning.
Gordon eventually pulled the whole team out of the kitchen for a pep talk that doubled as a tongue-lashing. Entrees didn’t help. Peter overcooked a steak, then Dave sent up raw salmon. “I wouldn’t serve that to my grandma’s cat,” Gordon said.
Blue closed out service while Red was still buried. Gordon had to jump in and cook their salmon himself.
Winners
The Blue Team won the challenge, sending Heidi, Jake, and Julia into the Top 5. As the winning team captain, Jake will have the season’s final advantage in next week’s challenge.
Elimination
The raw salmon caught up with Dave, who was sent home and left Basia and Peter to join the Blue Team in the Top 5.
“At this level there is no room for mistakes,” Dave said. “I struggled in the kitchen tonight, but I’m really proud of what I’ve been able to do during my time on MasterChef.”
Next time
The Top 5 take on a daunting classic with a twist. “Keeping up with Gordon” normally has cooks racing to follow along with a lightning-speed tutorial, but this time they’ll have to keep pace with Tiffany, too. With a spot in the finale on the line, one small slip could cost them everything.
Dining and Cooking