Knife Edge Chasing Michelin Stars Season 1 Episode 1

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Transcript

00:00You

00:12Think about the best restaurant the best meal you've ever had

00:17Food is so good that you can still remember it today

00:22But what's it take to become one of the world's greatest restaurants?

00:30I've interviewed top chefs all over the world

00:35And they all say the pinnacle for every chef the greatest award a restaurant can get is a star a

00:43Michelin star

00:44To win one you have to impress Michelin inspectors who have never let anyone in on their mysterious methods

00:52until now

00:54Working for the mission guide is a bit like working for the CIA

00:57She is taking a lot of photos and it looks like she might be taking notes

01:00It is definitely a VIP on TM6

01:02A star could be the difference between going big

01:05I want three stars

01:07Or going bust

01:08I'm losing about twenty thousand dollars a month

01:10Twenty thousand dollars a month

01:12We follow chefs around the world

01:14Pushing themselves to breaking point

01:16Oh!

01:17Over the course of an entire year

01:19We're gonna beat it out of you to get that second star

01:22From London to Los Angeles

01:24Let's go faster, faster, let's go, let's go

01:26The mountains of Italy to Mexico City

01:28All culminating in glitzy award galas where lives will be transformed

01:37One, Michelin star, two

01:40This is everything

01:42There it is

01:56The world's best skyline

01:58New York

02:00The most competitive restaurant scene on the planet

02:10There are almost 50,000 restaurants here

02:1450,000

02:15And only 71 have a Michelin star

02:19Question is, who will join them when Michelin announce this year's winners in just 12 weeks time

02:31Running a restaurant in New York City is the most thrilling thing in the world

02:35Because it's the most difficult thing in the world

02:38So fucking expensive

02:44Simon Kim is a genuine disruptor

02:46He's already won Michelin stars at two of his restaurants

02:49Now he wants a third with a mad idea

02:51He hopes will shake up the Michelin world forever

02:53Coming off, how are we feeling tonight?

02:55Great!

02:56To get a Michelin star

02:57We want to take something that's very ordinary

02:59And turn that into something that's extraordinary

03:00We want to be the undisputed champion

03:01From Friday Chicken

03:02Let's go!

03:03GoCodak is one of the hardest reservations to get in New York right now

03:05We want to be the undisputed champion of Friday chicken.

03:10Let's go!

03:14Gokodak is one of the hardest reservations

03:16to get in New York right now.

03:18You can hear it already.

03:20This place is pumping.

03:23You guys are going to have a lot of fun tonight.

03:32It's more like a nightclub than a restaurant.

03:35Gokodak combines gourmet fried chicken

03:40with luxury ingredients like caviar, truffles

03:43and the longest champagne list in America.

03:48Our nuggets of gold to start.

03:50Wow.

03:50Paragord truffle, trout roe and Petrosian d'Arenkie caviar.

03:54Thank you very much.

03:55Cheers.

03:57I can smell this truffle one from a mile off.

04:00Do we use chopsticks now or is that ridiculous?

04:03That is ridiculous.

04:04They have got that batter.

04:08Very crisp.

04:11Ooh.

04:13You might think, a Michelin star for fried chicken, really?

04:17But there's a street food vendor in Thailand, the Michelin star.

04:20There's a noodle bar in Singapore.

04:22So there is precedent.

04:23If you're going to try and win a Michelin star for fried chicken,

04:26that's what it should look like.

04:30Looks good shit.

04:35Chef team, let's go.

04:37I need a chicken for two, two, two, three, six.

04:40Downstairs in the basement,

04:41there's a small army of kitchen staff working away.

04:44Fire chicken breast, please.

04:45Yes, chef.

04:46Led by Cockedach's king of chicken,

04:48Brody, please.

04:49SK.

04:50This is normal.

04:53Fried chicken is nostalgic food to everyone, right?

04:57This was a food I will eat when I get good grades as a reward for my parents.

05:01You did a good job.

05:02Here's your treat.

05:03I'm like, thank you.

05:04SK left a Michelin star kitchen to come here,

05:09instructed by Simon to do one thing,

05:12create the world's best fried chicken.

05:16SK locked himself into our test kitchen

05:19and literally fried chicken every day.

05:24We use our chicken daily,

05:27put them into our secret marinade.

05:30Six days, 12 hours a day,

05:33eating fried chicken every single day.

05:37Taste, taste, taste.

05:39Fast forward 14 months,

05:41he developed this most exciting recipe.

05:52I'm a chicken now.

05:54This is not army anymore, this is my wings.

05:56Chef, 46 out.

05:58Thank you, 46 out, hell yeah, let's go.

05:59Let's go.

06:02Orders are coming in thick and fast.

06:05Tonight, SK's kitchen needs to serve up 800 pieces of chicken an hour.

06:09Burn it, please.

06:11And at this level,

06:12every single bite needs to be perfect.

06:15Come on, what the fuck is going on?

06:17Yeah, we had a couple dishes come back that only had a single bite.

06:24Michelin's secret inspectors are looking for consistency in every single dish.

06:29What's going on, Chef?

06:30Because they always work in secret,

06:33for all Simon knows,

06:34they could be in tonight.

06:35And he faced standards are slipping.

06:38The coating was a little, um, chewy.

06:41Chewy, okay.

06:42It almost felt like when you're holding,

06:43moisture got in.

06:45And it was, like,

06:45It was not, like,

06:46It was not crispy,

06:47but then, like,

06:48it was, like, in between, you're saying?

06:49Okay.

06:50We just need to

06:51continuously improve, right?

06:53Yeah.

06:54Stay on course.

06:55That's, um,

06:56every day,

06:56just make incremental gains.

06:58Clearly, your nuggets are definitely so much better than, uh,

07:00when we open.

07:01So, let's, let's keep driving this thing.

07:04In this kitchen,

07:05the most challenging part is,

07:07obviously, the volume,

07:08without compromising the quality.

07:10Have you figured out everything?

07:12Not yet.

07:13We're still a work in progress.

07:17There's a real buzz around Cockeduck.

07:19But when it comes to stars,

07:21the only opinion that matters

07:22is the Michelin inspector.

07:25The trouble is,

07:26restaurants never know when they're coming

07:28or who they are.

07:29And to make sure it stays like that,

07:31we've disguised their identity.

07:33So, neither will you.

07:35So, you want to know my name

07:37and what I actually do?

07:38Well, I have lots of names.

07:40It really is a cruel irony

07:42that I have one of the best jobs in the world,

07:44but I can't tell anybody.

07:45Being anonymous is the only fair way

07:47to judge a restaurant.

07:49We're not trying to catch somebody out.

07:51We're just trying to get

07:52the same experience as everybody else.

07:56We use different names.

07:58We change phone numbers.

07:59We change emails.

08:00My wife knows what I do

08:02because I think it would be weird

08:03if I were disappearing week after week.

08:06The chefs out there have no idea who I am.

08:09And long may it continue.

08:10I really love this area of New York.

08:24This is Nelita,

08:26near to East Village,

08:27Lower East Side.

08:28There's so much good stuff around here.

08:30Around the corner,

08:31where I'm going now,

08:32is the Musket Room.

08:34Really well-loved,

08:35well-respected restaurant here in New York.

08:37I've heard great things about it.

08:43It's already got a Michelin star.

08:45The challenge for them

08:46is making sure they can hold on to it.

08:49But more on that later.

08:50I like it here.

08:55A lot of Michelin star fine dining restaurants

08:57will be white tablecloth,

08:59very clean cut.

09:01But here it's much more relaxed.

09:03There's a busy bar.

09:04You can hear the cocktail shakers going off.

09:07Feels like a very accessible

09:08Michelin star restaurant.

09:11Can I stroke your dog?

09:12Yes, this is JJ.

09:14Hey, JJ.

09:15Dog friendly.

09:18So, this is what you need to know

09:20about the Musket Room.

09:22Fire, one brassica, one tuna.

09:24They serve up a seasonal menu.

09:26A mix of Middle Eastern,

09:28Mediterranean, Asian,

09:29and new American influences.

09:32Hands, please.

09:33In an industry where 94%

09:35of Michelin chefs are men,

09:37it's run by an all-women team.

09:39My best friend, Kumari,

09:41she makes great cakes.

09:42In charge is executive chef,

09:45Mary Atiyah.

09:46Kumari is the executive pastry chef,

09:48and the place is owned and run

09:49by twins Jennifer and Nicole.

09:52This was a really early dish

09:54I put on here,

09:55inspired by flavors I grew up with.

10:01Look at that.

10:02This is our Pekin duck breast,

10:04paired with a Morello cherry spread,

10:07Lubna, sumac, and zahtar,

10:09finished with a licorice jus.

10:11Wow.

10:11So pretty.

10:13Thank you very much.

10:14Absolutely.

10:15As soon as they put it down,

10:16I could smell these Middle Eastern spices.

10:19You wouldn't say this is a Middle Eastern dish.

10:22It just has a...

10:23Mmm.

10:28The duck has a beautiful texture.

10:31Yeah, it's good.

10:33All right, fire to caviar, VIP.

10:35My dad's sack round was Lebanese,

10:40and so I was sort of inspired by that.

10:42May I have spoons, please?

10:45To me, there's no greater joy

10:46than watching people eat something I've made

10:49and put my time and love into.

10:51Every time you come,

10:52you get a tweak of something.

10:54Yeah, I've heard a lot about this lunch, though.

10:58Seasonal menus are ever-changing,

11:01so Chef Mary has to reinvent the dishes

11:03over and over again.

11:05Spring, summer, fall, winter,

11:07and always to that impeccably high

11:10Michelin standard.

11:12I'm loving the new tuna dish.

11:15The five-spice, clove, apple dashi.

11:18It's really light and beautiful,

11:20but then you have, like, this punch of flavour

11:22that comes through,

11:23and that's really, like, fall and warming.

11:26Yeah, that's great.

11:30Thank you very much.

11:31Absolutely.

11:32The Musket Room's Michelin star

11:34is like a magnet,

11:36just drawing in diners

11:37from all over New York and the world.

11:39They say with one Michelin star,

11:42you get about 20% more business.

11:45With two Michelin star,

11:46you're going to see about 40% more.

11:48Three Michelin star, double.

11:50100% more business.

11:52So it is really a massive, massive deal.

11:57I've very much appreciated

11:59and loved that the Musket Room has a star

12:01and that I was able to keep the standards up

12:04and keep the star,

12:06and we're very, very proud of that.

12:09Holding on to a star is hard enough,

12:12but the Musket Room are rolling the dice.

12:15They want an empire of restaurants.

12:19See you, Miguel.

12:20Bye.

12:21As well as the Musket Room

12:23and a casual place up the street, Rafts,

12:25in just a couple of months' time,

12:27the team are opening a third restaurant

12:29in an historic 130-year-old building

12:33off Union Square.

12:35We're going to be opening soon,

12:37which is exciting,

12:38but there's a lot of pressure

12:40to uphold our reputation

12:42and everything we've built so far.

12:44Oh, I love the skylight.

12:47Right now, with everything we're managing

12:49and everything we're doing,

12:50it's difficult to really focus on this

12:53while also taking care of the Musket Room.

12:57Launching a new restaurant is an epic task.

13:00They'll need to make sure

13:01they don't hit that off the ball at the Musket Room

13:03and risk their star.

13:1430 blocks north of the Musket Room,

13:16right by the Empire State Building,

13:18there's a new opening tip for a star.

13:21And for a high-end restaurant,

13:23the location is crazy.

13:29Noxu.

13:30There's been so much hype around this place.

13:34I'm very excited to be finally trying it.

13:37It's hidden away 20 feet underground

13:39in a subway station.

13:42It's definitely not the first restaurant

13:43to have this speakeasy vibe.

13:46But I really like it.

13:48It's a bit of fun, a bit of theatre.

13:51I've been sent a code to get in.

13:53It feels very exclusive.

13:57Noxu.

13:58It's in a subway station.

14:03Wouldn't the Michelin platte look really good there?

14:05OK, remember my pin.

14:09Oh, that is fun, isn't it?

14:10Hi, welcome to Noxu.

14:21Thank you very much.

14:22It's quite amazing in here.

14:23The comparison between this place and Kokodak is nuts.

14:31In here, things are controlled and delicate and calm.

14:36And ultimately, they both have the same goal,

14:38to win a Michelin star.

14:42Noxu's tasting menu is nine courses,

14:45made up mostly of seafood

14:46with a French-Korean fusion thing going on.

14:48The only seats are around the kitchen counter,

14:51which means you sit in front of the chefs,

14:53watching them while they cook.

14:56And the executive chef is that guy, De Kim,

14:59who, believe it or not, is just 29 years old.

15:02In chef terms, that's basically a child.

15:05If they win here,

15:06it would make him one of the youngest Michelin star chefs

15:09in America, ever.

15:13How are you doing?

15:14Oh, I'm good.

15:17So, your first bite here

15:18is plum vinegar-aged sardines

15:20with horseradish, groat romaine,

15:22dressed in Caesar emulsion,

15:23sitting on top of a potato crisp.

15:26For this, I do recommend using your hands to eat them,

15:28so you can pick it up, have it in two to three bites.

15:30Thank you very much.

15:32Each flour is being tweezered onto that,

15:35precisely, as a beautiful dish.

15:38I mean, sardines on a cracker

15:47sounds like one other thing,

15:48but that, that first bite

15:51definitely gives you that Michelin edge,

15:55that little weird thing that you can't explain

15:57that just kicks in the back of your head

15:59and is like, that's remarkable.

16:04Mmm, it's good.

16:06He is young.

16:09He's not really looking at anybody else

16:10other than just John.

16:12I think some would say he's a genius.

16:14I don't think he likes to use that term,

16:17but I think a lot of guests

16:18that come in would say that.

16:20When he's in his kitchen,

16:23something comes over him.

16:24It's almost like he has

16:26these, like, supernatural powers.

16:27Still finding my direction right now.

16:31I'm having my best.

16:34A custard with grilled serve clams

16:36with a layer of caviar,

16:37and you have potato on the outside.

16:40It's very pretty.

16:44That's really good.

16:45Thank you very much.

16:47Have a good night.

16:47Loved it.

16:48Well, that was excellent.

16:53But now,

16:54Noxu has to do it all over again.

16:56We gotta run.

16:58Reset the kitchen.

17:00Refresh the restaurant

17:00for a second service

17:02in just 20 minutes.

17:06This is...

17:07The face of the business, Bobby,

17:09came from casual dining

17:11and nightclubs.

17:12The chairs.

17:13Can you clean the chairs?

17:14Yeah, there's a little bit of dust.

17:16He poached Day

17:17and second-in-command Jing

17:19from two of Manhattan's

17:20hottest restaurants.

17:22And so far,

17:23he and his business partner

17:24have poured almost

17:25$2 million into the project.

17:28It was a lot more

17:29than I ever thought

17:30I would put into

17:31a 1,000-square-foot space.

17:34Even with the big investment,

17:36this place is so tough

17:38to work in.

17:39The subway kitchen is cramped.

17:41For safety reasons,

17:42they're not allowed

17:42to cook on gas

17:43and there's no proper ventilation.

17:46It's hay.

17:47We're just forging it.

17:50We want to use

17:50more strong heat, fire.

17:52Obviously,

17:53it provides more flavour.

17:59It causes too much smoke.

18:01When we use it

18:02during service,

18:04actually,

18:04guests are having

18:05a hard time

18:05breathing

18:06and then

18:07they have an eye burning.

18:09Okay, we got to move.

18:10We got to move.

18:12All the grilling

18:12needs to be done

18:13against the clock

18:14before the next round

18:15of guests come in.

18:16The best analogy is

18:18I want him to hit a home run,

18:19but instead of giving him

18:21a baseball bat,

18:21I gave him a chopstick.

18:23Yeah, it's tough.

18:25But, you know,

18:25what can we do?

18:27It's the life

18:28that we choose, you know?

18:29The dungeon life.

18:30It's the noxu life.

18:31All right, chefs.

18:32Second seating.

18:33I think there are guests

18:34here already.

18:38They are hungry

18:39or hangry.

18:41Both.

18:42Yeah, they're...

18:43They're...

18:44Welcome.

18:48To win a star,

18:50noxu need to be on their game.

18:51All right, let's go.

18:52Every service,

18:53every day,

18:54every week.

18:55Welcome to noxu.

18:57Tonight,

18:58they will serve up

18:59270 dishes

19:01to 30 diners.

19:02Perfect.

19:03Not each, obviously.

19:05But remember,

19:06any one of those diners

19:08could be an inspector.

19:11In this space,

19:13service has to be

19:14a well-oiled

19:16symphony orchestra.

19:18And even if

19:21one instrument

19:23goes out of tune,

19:25it can affect

19:26the entire performance.

19:31Ah, fucking God.

19:34Just show the guests

19:35this time.

19:36Marcel.

19:36Very good.

19:37How's Emil been so far?

19:38Excellent.

19:39Love the concert.

19:40That's good.

19:41Thank you, thank you.

19:42Ah, fucking God.

19:47I think he puts himself

19:48under a lot of pressure

19:49as well as everybody else

19:50that works for him.

19:51He holds himself

19:52to a very high standard.

19:53Let's go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go.

20:04How are we doing so far?

20:05Is everything still okay over here?

20:06For some reason,

20:07our skins are...

20:08Flushy.

20:09We'll wonder if there was some...

20:10Is this...

20:11Oh, um, okay,

20:12let me just talk to the chef here.

20:14Listen, thank you.

20:14You're welcome.

20:15At this level,

20:18guests will obviously expect a lot,

20:20but dishes being sent back

20:22just shouldn't be happening.

20:27So, seats 33 and 34,

20:29they're saying that

20:30it's tough to eat the skin of the fish.

20:35We have one of the guests

20:36that, like, doesn't like the skin.

20:39Oh, really?

20:40It's fine.

20:40You don't want to do it.

20:44They complain.

20:45So, we're just going to make a meal on this time.

20:48You want me to take skin?

20:48Talk or no?

20:49Let's put it on.

20:50It's fine.

20:51It's just cooking a little...

20:52Chef, they didn't like the skin.

20:53I mean, if they don't like it,

20:54it's just make your game better.

20:56Honestly.

20:57So,

20:58I want him to try the skin.

21:03Amazing.

21:04You're very welcome.

21:07Oh, man.

21:08I mean, somebody send the dish back.

21:16It hurts your feelings.

21:19It's my responsibility

21:20that I didn't do everything properly,

21:23which is very hard.

21:29I'm not that good.

21:31Sometimes, I'll be honest with you,

21:33it's too much.

21:34It really almost strangled me

21:37a lot of times.

21:47You know,

21:47we reassure him

21:49every night

21:50that the guests

21:52all enjoyed

21:54their experience,

21:55that they loved the food.

21:57Hey, you know what?

21:57He doesn't believe it.

22:00They're happy?

22:01Yeah, yeah.

22:02Very happy.

22:03They said it was awesome.

22:04There's something

22:05in his head.

22:07He doubts himself.

22:09But,

22:10you know,

22:11I guess that's what

22:13being a young chef

22:14is all about.

22:17We just need this star.

22:20For Dave,

22:21this is everything.

22:30The Michelin ceremony

22:31is creeping closer.

22:34And over at Cockeduck,

22:36Chef SK

22:36is sweating over consistency,

22:38trying to make sure

22:39his fried chicken

22:40is star-worthy

22:41every single time.

22:43What's going on?

22:44How are you?

22:45Simon has asked him

22:46to make one last push

22:48towards perfection.

22:50Looks very flat.

22:51Yeah.

22:53They don't know

22:54who the inspectors are,

22:55but they do have

22:56the next best thing.

22:58One of their investors,

23:00he holds

23:00seven Michelin stars.

23:03Chef,

23:03how are you?

23:05Thomas Keller,

23:06arguably the greatest

23:08chef in America.

23:09Thank you so much.

23:10See you badly here.

23:12How old are we now?

23:13We opened January,

23:15so we are...

23:16Almost 10 months.

23:16Almost 10 months, yeah.

23:17Now we're doing

23:18about 400 covers.

23:19Wow.

23:20Yes.

23:20Every night?

23:21Every night.

23:22Seven nights a week.

23:23Seven nights a week, yes.

23:25Chefs are downstairs,

23:26super excited to see you.

23:26They have a couple

23:27of food questions.

23:28You know, black truffle,

23:30we call it the black gold.

23:31Yeah.

23:31And we've been seeing

23:32just amazing response.

23:35But now it's

23:35white truffle season.

23:36We want to kind of

23:37incorporate that.

23:38Yeah, okay.

23:38But we're having

23:39a little bit of a hard time.

23:40Could be difficult.

23:41Here's your guy right here.

23:44Right?

23:45Oh, there you go.

23:46Wow.

23:47It's triple truffle.

23:49This is the only way

23:50to present this.

23:51This has to be shaved on top.

23:52Yes, Chef.

23:53Shaving on top

23:53in the kitchen is fine

23:54as long as the aromatics

23:55are still coming.

23:57And you still have that aroma.

23:59Shall we taste it?

24:00Sure.

24:00Yes, please.

24:01From the white to black, please.

24:02Okay.

24:03Thank you, Chef.

24:14The aroma's captivating.

24:16I get it.

24:17I'm feeling it.

24:18The nose, the palate.

24:21Very good.

24:22Very good.

24:23Thank you, Chef.

24:25You know, for me,

24:26getting the quality ingredients

24:27that you need, right,

24:28that's one of the most

24:29important things.

24:30Second most important thing

24:31is execution, right?

24:32We don't know when

24:33the mission inspector comes.

24:34We don't know how often

24:34they come.

24:35We don't know anything about it.

24:36We don't know what

24:36they're looking for.

24:37No one knows.

24:38So my point is,

24:40ingredients and execution,

24:41that is your job.

24:43Yes, Chef.

24:43That's focused

24:43every single day.

24:45Because once we think

24:46it's perfect,

24:47we realize,

24:48wow, we could do it

24:48even better.

24:49So we're going to continue,

24:50right,

24:51that search for perfection.

24:52Eight weeks to go

25:00until the Michelin ceremony.

25:03The inspectors are out there.

25:05But down in Alita,

25:06the musket room

25:07are about to take their menu

25:08and totally start over.

25:11Seventeen brand new dishes

25:12for their full menu,

25:14every one of which

25:14needs to be

25:15Michelin star worthy.

25:17To date,

25:18Chef Mary is out

25:19with one of the owners,

25:20Jennifer,

25:20before she presents

25:21her new ideas

25:22to the team

25:23for the very first time.

25:27How many of my knees

25:28on right now?

25:28What am I going to get

25:29to taste today?

25:30I want to try to get

25:31all the stuff

25:31for the Brass Cooks.

25:32I have a pretty clear

25:33vision on that.

25:34I might have to make

25:35like draft dishes

25:36just to get the flavors.

25:37That's fine,

25:37as long as I can taste

25:38like the base flavor.

25:39Oh, fresh ginger.

25:42Every year is a fresh slate

25:43for Michelin.

25:44There's no guarantee

25:45because you had a star

25:47one year

25:47that you're going

25:48to maintain it

25:49or lose it

25:50the next year.

25:52You can't get comfortable.

25:53You can't rest

25:54on what you did last year.

25:55Musket Room.

25:56Musket Room.

25:57Good memory.

25:59Musket Room,

26:00there's a ton of menus.

26:02The vegan,

26:02omnivore,

26:04the tasting menus,

26:05the a la carte.

26:06As soon as you develop

26:07dishes for one season,

26:08you're already thinking

26:09about the next.

26:10Are you going to have

26:11more variations

26:12like Romanesco?

26:13Added into that

26:15is the new restaurant

26:16at Cafe Zafri.

26:18I've been doing

26:18a lot of development

26:19and conceptualizing

26:20the entirety of that menu.

26:22It's a lot.

26:23A lot of pressure.

26:26Good to see you.

26:27All right,

26:28see you soon.

26:29Oh, my God.

26:30She doesn't even know

26:31how you keep smacking people

26:32in the face with this.

26:34Hilarious.

26:36So,

26:36I had an idea

26:38for a brasica dish.

26:39Nice, nice.

26:40So, I was just thinking

26:41like variations of brasica,

26:42like take some cauliflower,

26:44Romanesco,

26:45little like pickled

26:46purple cauliflower

26:47for color,

26:48and then just some broccoli,

26:51pine nuts,

26:52grapes from the market.

26:56What do I want to do

26:58with these?

27:02I think I'm going to

27:03blanch and chuck these ones,

27:04pickle these,

27:05and then we'll do

27:06a quick roast or fry

27:07on that.

27:07Yeah, cool.

27:09This is sort of my process

27:10where I just like

27:11taste all the ingredients,

27:12and play around

27:13with different ways

27:14of cooking them,

27:15and then sort of stare

27:16at the plate

27:17and put it all down.

27:23There's a lot of competition

27:24in New York.

27:25There's a lot of pressure

27:26to stay relevant,

27:27to stay at the top.

27:29You want a nice area

27:30just on one side

27:30on these guys?

27:31Yeah.

27:32I have a vision.

27:35We'll see if it comes together.

27:38We always want to keep

27:39people excited to come in.

27:40I think the pressure

27:41to keep ourselves

27:42in the mix

27:42and keep people

27:43wanting to come back

27:43is a lot.

27:47All right.

27:48Not bad.

27:50Probably a couple months

27:51since I've truly been

27:52shut off from work.

27:54And I'm trying to learn.

27:55I'm trying to learn

27:56how to give myself

27:57that space,

27:58but the more we do,

28:00the more we grow,

28:00the more projects we have.

28:02It just feels like

28:03there's so many things

28:03that need my attention.

28:05So, yeah,

28:05I think I'm due

28:06for a day off,

28:07eventually.

28:10All right.

28:10I think I have draft one

28:11of brassica.

28:14Nice.

28:15I think it looks pretty.

28:16I don't know.

28:17Hopefully all the flavours

28:17come together.

28:18I think they should.

28:20Chef Mary's happy.

28:22Hello.

28:23But to go on the actual menu,

28:24it needs the approval

28:25of all the owners.

28:26That's gorgeous.

28:27Oh, my gosh.

28:28Gorgeous.

28:30Are we calling this a salad?

28:31Variations of brassicas.

28:35Oh, got it.

28:38It's a really subtle pickle

28:40on the purple.

28:43Can I have a spoon, please?

28:44I just added more

28:44a little more vinaigrette.

28:47I'm getting like

28:47a pineapple note here.

28:48It's great.

28:49That's a great...

28:50I'm excited for these dishes.

28:53I think this is a great start.

28:55One down, 16 to go.

28:57Each one requiring

28:59the same obsession,

29:00the same attention to detail.

29:01So, timeline-wise,

29:03obviously,

29:04a lot of attention

29:05on you guys.

29:06Big opening

29:07and Michelin season,

29:09all this kind of thing.

29:10I want to make sure

29:10everything that's going out

29:12this fall

29:12is as refined

29:15as it could be.

29:18Mary gets the pressure

29:19because 10 years ago,

29:21she went through

29:22every top chef's

29:23worst nightmare.

29:25I worked at a Michelin star

29:26restaurant in the West Village.

29:28I was starting to take lead

29:30in the kitchen

29:31and that year,

29:33lost Michelin star.

29:35I felt a responsibility for it.

29:39I felt like I let people down.

29:42Nobody really knows why

29:44or how that happens,

29:45but, you know,

29:46we missed the mark

29:48that year, I guess.

29:49restaurants earn stars,

29:58but they can also

29:59have their stars

30:01taken away.

30:02No decision

30:03is taken lightly,

30:05but

30:05nothing would

30:07disappoint me more

30:08than if

30:09somebody goes

30:09to a star restaurant

30:10and has a bad meal.

30:12If we have a restaurant

30:13where the level

30:14has dropped,

30:15this place

30:16is no longer

30:17worth a star.

30:18It's as simple as that.

30:24Just over two years

30:25after losing their star,

30:27Chef Mary's old restaurant

30:28shut down for good.

30:30To make sure

30:31that doesn't happen again,

30:33she'll need total focus

30:34between now

30:34and the Michelin ceremony.

30:42Back in midtown Manhattan,

30:4620 feet under the sidewalk

30:47at Doxie,

30:48Bobby and Chef Day

30:49are going all out

30:51to win their first star.

30:53But New York City

30:54is one of the world's

30:56most expensive places

30:57to run a restaurant,

30:58and Bobby

30:59is still

31:00hemorrhaging cash.

31:02Thinking of how much money

31:03my business partner

31:04and I put into this project,

31:06it gets me nauseous.

31:08This is $100.

31:10I have to be super careful

31:11with this.

31:12Even something like this,

31:15this is custom-made in Korea.

31:18I think this is about

31:19like $250.

31:21I see the invoices,

31:23I'm like,

31:24how is one fish,

31:26whatever so many

31:27hundreds of dollars,

31:28is it making profit?

31:35No.

31:37I'm losing about

31:39$20,000 a month,

31:40and, you know,

31:43for a tiny restaurant,

31:45that's a lot of money.

31:49Bobby needs the place

31:50to be full

31:51just to break even,

31:52but bookings are down.

31:54Noxu has recently

31:55been visited

31:56by Pete Wells,

31:57the famous

31:58New York Times

31:59restaurant critic,

32:00and his article

32:02was savage.

32:05The best-tasting menu culture

32:07meets the worst.

32:09I can't remember the last

32:13New York restaurant

32:14that frustrated me

32:15as much as Noxu.

32:17It would be easier

32:19to dismiss Noxu

32:20if it weren't for the

32:21cooking of its chef,

32:22Dae Kim.

32:23This is the first kitchen

32:27he has run,

32:28and he's full of talent,

32:30a star in the making,

32:31but his ideas

32:32need to be shaped

32:33and formed.

32:35I never doubted

32:36Mr. Kim's skill,

32:38but what is he trying to say?

32:40I'm not quite sure.

32:43Everyone's entitled

32:44to their own opinion.

32:45It just so happened

32:47that the most influential

32:48food critic in America

32:50felt that way.

32:54Yeah, I couldn't sleep

32:55for a while.

33:04Do you think the criticism

33:05that we've gotten

33:06helped with pushing

33:07the vision forward?

33:09Maybe a little bit.

33:11Do you think so?

33:12I mean, I definitely think

33:13it's affected things.

33:14I mean, I think

33:15the New York Times

33:15article definitely

33:16put things in gear,

33:18and I do think that

33:19you wanting to prove

33:20everybody wrong

33:21has been more of

33:22a driving force

33:23than anything,

33:23whether you want

33:24to admit it or not.

33:25That article,

33:26I hear a lot, actually.

33:29It's the way

33:30he described

33:30the whole thing.

33:31It definitely bothers me.

33:33I'm not going to lie.

33:36It makes me think,

33:36you know?

33:38Maybe people might

33:39think that our vision

33:40is not clear.

33:41with just over a month

33:57to go until the ceremony,

33:59Day is in at the crack

34:00of dawn.

34:01I'm here to prove

34:02to people

34:02that what I'm doing

34:04is fucking right.

34:06He's determined

34:09to show off

34:09his personality,

34:11silence the critics,

34:12and wow the inspectors

34:13with a brand new dish.

34:15Chef, how are you?

34:16So we cure the blackfish

34:21in kombu

34:21that builds layers

34:23of umami.

34:24It's going to completely

34:25change the texture

34:26and the flavor.

34:27Yeah.

34:28His plan is to prep

34:29the filleted fish

34:29in a type of seaweed,

34:31packing it with umami,

34:32the savory flavor.

34:34But the real innovation

34:35comes in the pairing.

34:36We got some beautiful

34:37radish next there.

34:38We're going to carve it

34:39and then put the fish

34:41inside there.

34:42What's the point

34:43of carving the radish?

34:45Two things.

34:46Visually.

34:47Second, texture.

34:49We did a lot

34:50of knife cuts here.

34:51It's almost like

34:52collapsing textures.

34:54When you bite radish,

34:56it's like

34:56but this

34:59we're putting

35:05the blackfish tartare

35:06mixed with

35:07this is our tartare mix.

35:09And then lastly,

35:10just to cover it up,

35:11we're going to put

35:12a little caviar

35:12on the set.

35:13It's just a little bit

35:15not crazy enough.

35:18And that's the final dish.

35:20That's nice.

35:24Not bad.

35:26You know, it's very nice.

35:27It's going to show

35:28who you are.

35:28Saturday in New York.

35:40Over one million dishes

35:41will be served

35:42in the city tonight.

35:43But with three weeks

35:44to go until the

35:45Michelin ceremony,

35:46it's the last chance

35:47to impress the inspectors.

35:49Now,

35:50for New York's best restaurants,

35:52every service counts.

35:54Two Razor on five.

36:01May I just get your attention,

36:03everybody,

36:03for a moment?

36:05I believe we have

36:06a solo diner tonight,

36:07which everybody knows

36:08to pay extra attention to.

36:10It could always be

36:11somebody of note,

36:12somebody that's scouting us,

36:13somebody that's inspecting us.

36:15A solo diner

36:16will make any

36:17wannabe Michelin restaurant

36:18nervous.

36:19They will never,

36:21ever know

36:21when an inspector

36:22is coming.

36:23But a solo booking,

36:24that's a big red flag.

36:29When I dine alone,

36:30I do feel as if

36:32the level of service

36:33is quite,

36:34um,

36:35is better.

36:36I think there's

36:37a heightened sense

36:38of,

36:39okay,

36:40who is this?

36:41Sometimes,

36:42we walk in

36:43and not make

36:44a reservation.

36:45We'll go and sit

36:46at the bar

36:46or trying to

36:48not draw attention

36:49to ourselves.

36:51I have certainly

36:52eaten in restaurants

36:54and they're fawning

36:55all over somebody else

36:57who's sitting on their own

36:58and they don't suspect me.

37:03All right,

37:04let's go.

37:05Let's get ready.

37:07It's truffle season

37:08and our chefs

37:09were able to source

37:09some white Tuscan truffles.

37:11All right,

37:11order in.

37:12First ticket.

37:13Two tastings.

37:15Two duck.

37:15Brassica.

37:17VIP.

37:18Yes.

37:19Tonight,

37:20Chef Mary's new

37:21brassica dish

37:21will be served up

37:22for the first time.

37:23Are these seared

37:24from today

37:25or yesterday?

37:26And it must hit

37:27the Michelin mark.

37:28Like,

37:29they're all just too small

37:30and then too cooked.

37:31So you want,

37:32like,

37:32a pan-fry vibe?

37:33Yeah.

37:35Searing the cauliflower,

37:36it has to be just

37:36the right,

37:37perfect cook.

37:38Any component in it

37:39is not up to

37:39the finest quality.

37:41It will,

37:41you know,

37:42fall flat.

37:45Service.

37:50Service is in full swing,

37:52but Mary is juggling

37:53more than one restaurant.

37:54Yeah.

37:55Are you still in refs?

37:56She's needed

37:57elsewhere.

37:59Okay.

38:00All right.

38:00Thanks.

38:01I need to go check on refs.

38:03Good job.

38:04See you in a minute.

38:05Leaving the team

38:06to take control.

38:07But as soon as

38:15she's out the door,

38:16Solo Diner,

38:17make sure they have

38:18a spot for them.

38:19The Solo Diner arrives.

38:21Welcome.

38:22So glad you're here tonight.

38:25Order in.

38:25One prefix.

38:26Buy her one canapé.

38:27PPX.

38:28Solo Diner.

38:29Guys,

38:30let's really lock in

38:30on this table.

38:33Is there another

38:34solo walk-in

38:35at the bar?

38:35Or one.

38:36They were looking

38:36at my name.

38:37Okay.

38:37Followed minutes later

38:38by a walk-in,

38:40another Solo Diner.

38:41The Musket Room

38:42now has two Solo Diners

38:43in the house,

38:44and either one of them

38:45could be an inspector.

38:56Over at Noxu...

38:57Jeffs, how are you?

38:59Tonight was supposed

39:00to be the launch

39:00of Day's New Dish.

39:02Going down

39:03like a side of the ship.

39:06Do I say

39:07satay sauce

39:08or just satay?

39:09Satay, satay.

39:12But he's having

39:13a nightmare.

39:16Kohlrabi's felt wrong.

39:17Oh, kohlrabi.

39:18Kohlrabi.

39:21Radish were not

39:22the greatest.

39:23Kohlrabi was better,

39:24so we're going to

39:24do kohlrabi.

39:26But let's see how it goes.

39:27I don't know.

39:29Oh, man.

39:30Man, man, man.

39:32Switching out a radish

39:33for a kohlrabi

39:34might sound minor,

39:35but in this game,

39:36the smallest change

39:37can completely

39:38unbalance a dish.

39:39Kohlrabi's different.

39:41It's too big.

39:42Hard to eat

39:43from a guest's point of view.

39:45Well, let's see how it goes.

39:48Oh, are you?

39:49Welcome here.

39:50May I take your pose for you?

39:51Sweet.

39:51So, as we begin your prefect,

39:54first one is a Hawaiian shrimp toilet.

39:57To add to the pressure,

39:59there's a couple seats

40:00at the bar,

40:01and Bobby thinks

40:02they might be from Michelin.

40:04First-time diner.

40:06Perfect.

40:08I have notes on my cell phone,

40:10looking up information

40:11on the guests,

40:13figuring out, you know,

40:14first-timers.

40:15They flew in

40:17just for this meal.

40:19If Bobby's hunch

40:21about these two diners

40:22is right,

40:23a Michelin inspection

40:24could be underway

40:26right now.

40:29All right,

40:30your next course here,

40:31you have Pacific dourfish

40:32with a beef tallow sauce.

40:34Beef tallow.

40:34Tallow, yeah.

40:35So, tallow is the fat,

40:36like, outside the pancreas.

40:38Oh, yeah.

40:39Enjoy.

40:41That suspicious diners.

40:43So, right now?

40:44I think so.

40:45I don't know.

40:46I don't know.

40:49Some of them

40:50are just asking

40:50a lot of questions.

40:53I don't know.

40:54Shit.

40:56A suspicious guest?

40:58We're just gonna make sure

40:59theirs look really nice.

41:00Wait, wait, wait,

41:00a little bit else.

41:02Johnny, Johnny, Johnny.

41:03A little bit more

41:04in here, just a little bit.

41:07Okay, for your next course here,

41:08this is Albacore tuna,

41:09along with huscherrys

41:10as well as Jimmy Nardello pepper.

41:11It's also finished

41:12with a pistachio foam.

41:14Please enjoy.

41:15The potential inspectors

41:17are already on their second dish.

41:18And day is still

41:21carving kohlrabi.

41:25At Kokodak,

41:26the Saturday night party

41:28is in full flow.

41:32But downstairs in the kitchen...

41:34Can I get a 223, please?

41:36The team are battling

41:37to cope with the rush.

41:38I need a chicken

41:39for 222, 36.

41:41Runner, please.

41:43Runner, please.

41:44Runner, please.

41:46Runner, please.

41:48There's no work-life balance

41:51right now.

41:52And, you know,

41:54my family

41:55better sign up for this.

41:59One day, I hope that

42:09they can understand

42:10why I'm doing this.

42:11Order in.

42:22One prefix,

42:23fire one canapé,

42:25one Wagyu.

42:27PPX,

42:27solo diner.

42:28Back at the musket room,

42:30Chef Mary's team

42:31have been managing

42:31service without her

42:32with two

42:34suspicious

42:34solo diners in.

42:36Chef Mary

42:37is accountable

42:38for a lot of stuff

42:39and so we just

42:39try to make her life

42:40easier by

42:41holding the fort down

42:42here the best we can.

42:44Both the potential

42:45inspectors have ordered

42:45the tasting menu,

42:47but one of them

42:48has sent back

42:48the Wagyu beef.

42:50It's a nightmare scenario.

42:52Very sorry about

42:54the Wagyu.

42:55As Chef Mary arrives back,

42:57the kitchen

42:58is in crisis.

42:59All right,

43:00how we doing?

43:02Just to clarify

43:02on our solo diners,

43:03we do have two.

43:04One's currently

43:05at bar six.

43:06Okay.

43:06One's at bar one

43:07that may order.

43:08I see the ticket

43:08just came in.

43:09All right,

43:10let's get some hands,

43:11please.

43:11Something we did

43:12want to talk to you

43:13about,

43:14we just had

43:15somebody complain

43:16about temperature

43:17of the Wagyu.

43:20You want to throw it

43:21in the oven?

43:22So it's like

43:23caramelizing.

43:24Yeah, yeah, yeah.

43:26We have a few

43:28VIPs in-house,

43:29including the

43:31solo diners.

43:32All right,

43:34fire a VIP

43:36solo diner,

43:37pork jowl.

43:38Yeah.

43:39Let's get those

43:40plated,

43:40just make sure

43:41they're hot.

43:44Having a Michelin star,

43:46like,

43:46there are expectations.

43:48Did Table 7

43:48get their first course?

43:51It just has to be

43:52a buttoned-up

43:53type service

43:54across the board.

43:55Can you check for me?

43:56I swear I just...

43:57We're running

43:58effectively four restaurants

44:00in New York City.

44:01Yeah, come back.

44:02Come back.

44:03Guys, back up back.

44:04It's the Wagyu.

44:04I need the Wagyu.

44:05The pressure feels

44:06a lot heavier this year.

44:08Two Wagyu

44:09into four jowl,

44:11one squat.

44:11Padded, Wagyu,

44:12table 10,

44:13padded position one.

44:14Order in.

44:15Yes.

44:17It's a lot.

44:18At Noxu,

44:25Chef Day is trying

44:26to reimagine

44:27his new dish

44:28from scratch

44:28in the middle

44:29of service,

44:30as the team

44:31are dealing

44:32with suspicious

44:32guests

44:33of their own.

44:35Do they have

44:35any reaction

44:36when you eat?

44:37No,

44:38stole cold

44:38poker face.

44:41Shit.

44:41They were very

44:44undeserving.

44:45Oh, man.

44:47Next up,

44:49course number

44:49three,

44:50the kohlrabi.

44:51Man.

44:52Day's last-minute

44:53makeshift dish,

44:54the one he's pinned

44:55all his Michelin hopes

44:56on,

44:57is about to be served

44:58to the potential

44:59inspector.

45:01For your next bite,

45:02this is kohlrabi.

45:03Let's enjoy.

45:04This dish,

45:12I created it.

45:14It doesn't look

45:14the same as

45:15how I think

45:16in my head.

45:18I feel like

45:19there's another eye

45:20watching me right now.

45:22Maybe I'll

45:23not show the inspector.

45:25I do get angry.

45:27Angry to myself.

45:33Where the hell is it?

45:34It's fucking annoying.

45:39When someone

45:40is missing

45:41from service,

45:43it becomes

45:43almost like

45:44we're handicapped.

45:45He's been pushing

45:46hard.

45:47Very, very hard.

45:49If this is

45:50radish,

45:50we're better,

45:51but kohlrabi,

45:52I never did it

45:54that way.

45:55People like him,

45:57perfection

45:57isn't even enough.

46:00For Day,

46:00this star

46:01is everything.

46:04What happened?

46:21Stop.

46:22Day.

46:22What happened?

46:23What happened?

46:26I've done it.

46:27Yeah,

46:27chill.

46:29Day.

46:30Where are you?

46:30Day.

46:32Fuck me.

46:33Next time,

46:39Michelin reveal

46:40who's one stars.

46:41Hello, hello.

46:43Oh, God,

46:44this is tense.

46:45On the most exciting,

46:47nerve-wracking night of the year.

46:48One,

46:49Michelin star,

46:50two.

46:50And we move on.

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