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Short filmTranscript
00:00:02I'm Padma Lakshmi. I've traveled the world exploring amazing food and meeting world-renowned
00:00:08chefs. I'm a New York Times best-selling author and a James Beard Award winner. And that's
00:00:13why I've created this brand new cooking competition to honor the best chefs in America. America's
00:00:21Culinary Cup is a test of our 10 culinary commandments. Not just challenges, but the
00:00:27very standards that define every great chef. Master them and you stand among the elite. Master them here
00:00:34and you win. One million dollars. Brought to you by our official cleanup partners, Dawn Powerwash.
00:00:42We've scoured the nation to find the most elite chefs in America.
00:00:46We got mail.
00:00:47Among the 16 chosen to receive an invitation are six Michelin-starred chefs.
00:00:53I just won a Michelin star, which is an absolute privilege and honor.
00:00:56Well, it's the best thing that's ever happened. I received a Michelin star in September of
00:01:012023, but I like the thing that Padma chose me because of my great looks, my personality.
00:01:06Two Boku store medalists. I'm winning this, no doubt. Two James Beard Award winners. Some
00:01:13people see me as small, but like a little small Thai chili. It's spicy. Don't let it deceive
00:01:19you. Fourteen James Beard Award nominees and multiple elite culinary distinctions.
00:01:25Food & Wine Best Your Chef. Arizona Culinary Hall of Fame.
00:01:29I don't care about your stars. I don't care about your awards. I'm going to be a shark in the
00:01:34waters. I'm going to take it all.
00:01:36They're leaving behind their restaurants, their families, to put it all on the line.
00:01:42At my restaurant, I hire formerly incarcerated. My whole career is about providing opportunity.
00:01:49Me being in this competition is bigger than me.
00:01:52Competing matters so much to me that I postponed my wedding. Honestly, I'm supposed to be getting
00:01:57married today. This is a pursuit of greatness, and the winner will have to be smart. You know,
00:02:09it's common sense. You get rid of one of the best in the room. Cunning. This is Nazi. And a
00:02:14little
00:02:15cutthroat. Watch your back. To win a prize unmatched in culinary history and the honor of taking home
00:02:25America's Culinary Cup.
00:02:42All the toys.
00:02:45I won a Michelin star in 2019, but I have my eyes set on America's Culinary Cup.
00:02:51Wood-fired oven. After my heart.
00:02:56Oh, my goodness. I like the marble.
00:03:04Hi. Hi, goodness. Katie. Good to see you, Beverly. It's so nice to see a familiar face.
00:03:11Beverly Kim. She's so talented, and I'm definitely nervous about what she's going to put out in this
00:03:17competition. Hey. Chris. I'm Katie. Does that mean somebody else is coming out? Hello. What's up,
00:03:23everyone? Hey. I'm Beverly. I'm Saul. Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you.
00:03:28I'm a food and wine best new chef for 2014, and I've been nominated for, I think, eight
00:03:36James Beard awards. From the scale. I think. How are you doing? Hi, Cara. Welcome. I'm married. I have a
00:03:4419-month-old daughter, and I am pregnant. Cara, where are you at? I had a kid a year and
00:03:50a half ago.
00:03:51Oh. Yeah, so. I'm pregnant again. Sort of took a big step back to my restaurant. I'm in my second
00:03:57trimester. I know I'm going to be discounted, but I know I have the resume, and I have the accolades
00:04:02to back it up. I just am rusty. I'm nervous about the rust.
00:04:09Wow. Massive. I'm the first American to place on the podium at the Bocastor competition,
00:04:15having taken silver in 2015, and then coaching the team to goal in 2017. The Bocastor is recognized
00:04:20as the most prestigious culinary competition in the world. 60 countries competing, 2,500 screaming
00:04:25fans. Winning silver was one of the most amazing moments of my life. I still get goosebumps thinking
00:04:30about it. Hello, everyone. Chef. After I did Bocastor, I became the chef partner at Press
00:04:37right in the heart of Napa Valley. We got our first Michelin star in 2022. Hello, how are you?
00:04:43Sol, nice to meet you. Nice to meet you.
00:04:47I was the first American to win gold at the Bocastor. People should be intimidated by me
00:04:53just based off of the experience that I have in a competition.
00:05:01As soon as I walk in, I see Phil, you know, my coach from Bocastor 2017.
00:05:08Love this. To see him, man, this is like getting punched in the face as soon as you walk in
00:05:13the
00:05:13door. It's going to be fun. The Bocastor is incredibly challenging.
00:05:22Hey, Katie. Hey, how are you? Pleasure.
00:05:25Immediately, you know, kind of clocking Philip and Matt as having kind of perfect culinary technique.
00:05:33How y'all doing?
00:05:38Hey, how are you? Russell. Nice to meet you.
00:05:41I'm looking around the room and there are a lot of faces that I recognize.
00:05:44Mr. Corbin. Yes.
00:05:45There are all these cutthroat chefs with amazing lineage.
00:05:50French lingerie? Okay.
00:05:52It is an arena and we are gladiators that are going to do battle.
00:06:01Good day, everyone.
00:06:02Oh, my gosh.
00:06:04I had a feeling he was here.
00:06:06He's so good.
00:06:10What's up, man? Chris. Pleasure.
00:06:12What's up? How's it going?
00:06:14Cara. Welcome. I'm sorry to not welcome. How are you doing?
00:06:17He has so much competition experience. He just won two top chefs. Leave the rest for us.
00:06:23How are you doing? How are you doing? What are you doing? What are you doing?
00:06:26What are you doing? What are you doing?
00:06:26What are you doing? What are you doing?
00:06:26What are you doing? Nice to meet you.
00:06:29I immediately recognized Philip Tessier and Matt Peters.
00:06:33Philip literally wrote a book on how to win the Dekouze duel.
00:06:36This is going to be harder than I think, but I came here to push myself.
00:06:40I'm so...
00:06:42ready.
00:06:46I don't have, like, any of this, like, fancy equipment.
00:06:49I'm like, some of this stuff, I'm just like, uh, I have no idea what the f*** this is.
00:06:55Congratulations. I haven't seen you since you had the baby.
00:06:57Yeah, I have another one on the way.
00:06:59You're crazy.
00:07:00Where are you coming from?
00:07:01New York.
00:07:02Oh, you're from New York?
00:07:02Yeah, what about you guys?
00:07:03Austin, Texas.
00:07:04Okay, okay.
00:07:05I've spent many years in New York, though.
00:07:07Oh, really?
00:07:07Yeah.
00:07:08Where at?
00:07:08Per se.
00:07:10Yeah, I love per se. It's so good.
00:07:11Kind of like sizing these other chefs up a little bit.
00:07:14I mean, I'm here to win a million dollars.
00:07:23We have...
00:07:24Oh, my goodness.
00:07:26Whoa!
00:07:27Oh, you can see.
00:07:29Wow.
00:07:33Hello, chefs.
00:07:35Now that Padma is into the arena, it is on.
00:07:38She has one of the most refined palates I've ever cooked for her.
00:07:41I can say confidently, better palates than three-star chefs.
00:07:43I am so excited to have you all here.
00:07:48I love Padma.
00:07:49She's an incredible role model for my daughter, for myself.
00:07:53I just admire her so much.
00:07:56Welcome to the inaugural America's Culinary Cup.
00:08:01Yeah!
00:08:02Woo!
00:08:04America's Culinary Cup is unlike any competition
00:08:09you have ever seen before,
00:08:12where how well you cook matters just as much
00:08:14as how well you play the game.
00:08:17Oh, you're making us nervous.
00:08:19At the end of this competition,
00:08:21one of you will be walking away
00:08:24with America's Culinary Cup
00:08:26and one million dollars.
00:08:29Oh, yeah!
00:08:30The biggest prize ever
00:08:31to be given away in a culinary competition.
00:08:34Where else do you have a 1 in 16 chance
00:08:38to win a million dollars
00:08:39doing the very thing that you do every day?
00:08:43Like, I come from Watts, bro.
00:08:46It's a third-world country within Los Angeles.
00:08:48I spent time in prison.
00:08:51Like, where else do you get that chance?
00:08:53Let's go.
00:08:54We're gonna make you work for it
00:08:55because we're introducing
00:08:57something we are calling
00:08:59the Culinary Commandments.
00:09:03To make it to the end,
00:09:05you have to master each of these commandments
00:09:08and you have to master them
00:09:10above and beyond your competitors.
00:09:14I'm thinking the Culinary Commandments,
00:09:16it'll be, like, something that I,
00:09:18when I hire somebody,
00:09:19you have to be multi-talented.
00:09:21You can't just be a good fish cook.
00:09:24Before we get to the commandments,
00:09:26you'll have to survive today
00:09:28because four of you will be eliminated
00:09:35today.
00:09:39Wow.
00:09:54Chefs, are you ready for your first cook?
00:09:56Yes.
00:09:57Let's go.
00:09:58It's simple.
00:09:58All you have to do
00:10:00is make your best dish.
00:10:02The dish that defines you as a chef.
00:10:06This is where things get a little interesting.
00:10:08You're going head-to-head.
00:10:10Oh, my God.
00:10:11That's right.
00:10:12One-on-ones.
00:10:14The winner of each of these
00:10:15head-to-head match-ups
00:10:16will stay in the competition
00:10:18and whoever loses that head-to-head
00:10:20will be at risk for elimination.
00:10:24Day one.
00:10:24This cutthroat one-on-one scenario,
00:10:27that's a tough way
00:10:28to start the competition,
00:10:29but, you know,
00:10:30game on.
00:10:32Do you want to know
00:10:33who you're going up against?
00:10:34Oh, yeah.
00:10:35Yeah.
00:10:36At random,
00:10:37the name of one chef
00:10:38is going to appear
00:10:39on that board.
00:10:42I stole that
00:10:43from Grand Central Station.
00:10:45Yeah.
00:10:47If your name appears,
00:10:49you'll choose
00:10:50which chef
00:10:51you want to compete against.
00:10:53Oh, my God.
00:10:54Oh, God.
00:10:55Remember, chefs,
00:10:56four of you
00:10:56will be eliminated tonight.
00:10:58So be strategic
00:10:59because the game
00:11:01starts now.
00:11:02I get picked.
00:11:03Who do I pick?
00:11:04Phillip and Matt
00:11:05were the Book Restore medalists.
00:11:07I immediately clock them.
00:11:08I wouldn't pick them.
00:11:09All right, let's see
00:11:10who's first.
00:11:17Melina,
00:11:19look around.
00:11:20What's your strategy?
00:11:22Who are you
00:11:23going to be able to beat?
00:11:25Uh,
00:11:28I want to cook
00:11:29against Deanna.
00:11:32Why did you pick Deanna?
00:11:33She mentioned that
00:11:34she's not familiar
00:11:35with this equipment.
00:11:36That's some good strategy.
00:11:39Smart move.
00:11:39This bitch.
00:11:41You know, like,
00:11:41I thought you were my friend.
00:11:43Chefs, you can head
00:11:44to your stations.
00:11:45Note to self,
00:11:46keep your mouth shut.
00:11:48All right,
00:11:49let's see who's next.
00:11:51Beverly,
00:11:52who are you going
00:11:53to cook against?
00:11:54My strategy is to go
00:11:56with someone
00:11:56who offers the information
00:11:57that she hasn't been
00:11:59in the kitchen
00:11:59for two and a half years.
00:12:00I would like to cook
00:12:01against Kara.
00:12:02Kara.
00:12:03Yes.
00:12:03I'm still in my kitchens
00:12:05every day,
00:12:05so I think I have
00:12:06a good chance.
00:12:07Please head to your stations.
00:12:11Michael.
00:12:12I want to go
00:12:12against you, Rochelle.
00:12:13Okay.
00:12:17Chris Morgan.
00:12:19Katie.
00:12:20Sure.
00:12:21Who's next?
00:12:22Russell.
00:12:23You're standing
00:12:24right next to me, Sam.
00:12:25I was hoping for
00:12:26you to pick me.
00:12:27Kim versus Russell.
00:12:29I have no knowledge
00:12:30of who she is.
00:12:30No knowledge.
00:12:31None whatsoever.
00:12:32She's probably
00:12:33going to whoop my ass.
00:12:35Kim, do you know Russell?
00:12:36I'm from San Francisco.
00:12:38Uh-uh.
00:12:39We'd see each other
00:12:39at the farmer's market,
00:12:40or I guess I would see him.
00:12:42I apologize
00:12:42for not recognizing you,
00:12:43but no, no, no.
00:12:44It looks like, okay, so.
00:12:46I'm irritated Russell picked me,
00:12:47but at the same time,
00:12:48I'm going to beat him.
00:12:49I'm called a koala.
00:12:51That's what my partner calls me.
00:12:52He's like,
00:12:53oh, she looks so sweet and cute,
00:12:54and then she'll
00:12:54scratch your face off.
00:12:56I'm a koala.
00:12:57All right, who's next?
00:12:58The list is getting smaller,
00:13:00and I really don't want
00:13:01to have to go against Phil.
00:13:02Probably my strongest competition.
00:13:05So.
00:13:06I wouldn't mind going
00:13:07head-to-head with anyone
00:13:08except Buddha,
00:13:10Philip, and Matt.
00:13:11That's it.
00:13:12Everyone else,
00:13:12I'm like, let's go.
00:13:14Chef, keep.
00:13:15Let's do it.
00:13:16And then there were four.
00:13:20Everyone seems to be
00:13:21afraid of you.
00:13:22Nobody's picking me.
00:13:24I'm like, what's going on here?
00:13:25I don't want to go against Buddha.
00:13:27I don't want to go against Matt,
00:13:28so I'm not feeling great.
00:13:32Let's see who's next.
00:13:36Emily.
00:13:38You got a pretty easy pick.
00:13:39Now, are they the
00:13:40two Pukustor medalists
00:13:41or myself?
00:13:42Buddha's not.
00:13:43I'm going to be the person I pick.
00:13:45I'm going to pick.
00:13:48Philip.
00:13:49All right.
00:13:49Philip.
00:13:50Sounds good.
00:13:51Thanks God.
00:13:53Why?
00:13:54I've watched Buddha
00:13:55and I know Matt.
00:13:57I love where he's worked.
00:13:59Per se, which is one
00:14:00of my favorite restaurants,
00:14:02and I didn't feel like
00:14:03I talked to Philip enough,
00:14:04so maybe ignorance is bliss.
00:14:06She doesn't know anything
00:14:07about him?
00:14:09Philip, have you cooked
00:14:10up Per se?
00:14:11I was part of the opening
00:14:12team there.
00:14:12Oh, f***.
00:14:15My stomach dropped.
00:14:16What they don't know
00:14:17is that I have
00:14:18exactly the same training
00:14:19that they do
00:14:20and work for all these
00:14:21big-name French chefs.
00:14:22Well, that leaves
00:14:25Matt and Buddha.
00:14:26Do you know Matt, Buddha?
00:14:28I do.
00:14:29So I end up with
00:14:31Pukustor winner round one.
00:14:34Let me introduce you
00:14:36to your judges.
00:14:37Oh.
00:14:38Oh.
00:14:41A seafood savant
00:14:43whose Los Angeles
00:14:45restaurant, Providence,
00:14:47was awarded
00:14:47the peak of culinary
00:14:50excellence
00:14:50three Michelin stars.
00:14:53He's a chef
00:14:54whose own beard
00:14:55is just as impressive
00:14:56as his James beard.
00:14:59Please welcome
00:15:00my dear friend
00:15:01Michael Cimarusti.
00:15:03What's up, Petna?
00:15:04Hey.
00:15:05This is amazing.
00:15:06Three Michelin stars
00:15:07the creme de la creme.
00:15:09Like, the guy's a beast.
00:15:10Cook for yourself first.
00:15:12Execute
00:15:13at your highest level.
00:15:15Don't forget
00:15:15that every detail matters.
00:15:18Uh-oh.
00:15:19That would be
00:15:20our other judge.
00:15:21He is the Luke Skywalker
00:15:23of molecular gastronomy.
00:15:25Oh, my God.
00:15:26What?
00:15:27Michelin star
00:15:28James Beard Award winner,
00:15:30our own mad scientist,
00:15:32Wiley Dufresne.
00:15:33Hello, hello.
00:15:34Hey, babe.
00:15:35Nice to see you.
00:15:36Nice to see you.
00:15:38Holy
00:15:39I'm a product of Wiley.
00:15:40I watched his videos
00:15:41when I shouldn't be studying.
00:15:43Oh, my God.
00:15:44This person
00:15:45is just cooking
00:15:46on a different level.
00:15:47Oh, thank you.
00:15:48Brought you something?
00:15:49Oh, yeah.
00:15:51Hello, chefs.
00:15:52Hello, chef.
00:15:53The chef
00:15:54that's going to win
00:15:54America's Culinary Cup
00:15:56is going to have
00:15:57to take some risk.
00:15:58I say go for it.
00:15:59Don't hold back.
00:16:00Okay, chefs.
00:16:02Now it's time
00:16:04for the challenge.
00:16:05You will each
00:16:07get 75 minutes
00:16:08to make
00:16:10your best dish.
00:16:12You'll be cooking
00:16:13on a stagger
00:16:14because we want
00:16:15to make sure
00:16:15we taste your dish
00:16:17as it's intended.
00:16:19Melina and Deanna,
00:16:21you're first.
00:16:22Your time
00:16:22starts
00:16:23now.
00:16:24Let's go.
00:16:25Let's go.
00:16:26Let's hit it.
00:16:28See what they pick.
00:16:30Chefs will be scored
00:16:31on four judging criteria.
00:16:34Taste, creativity,
00:16:35presentation,
00:16:36and technique.
00:16:37Each category
00:16:38is worth five points
00:16:40for a total
00:16:40of 20 points
00:16:41from each judge
00:16:43with a possible
00:16:43perfect score
00:16:44of 60.
00:16:46Fruit, fruit, fruit.
00:16:47Best dish to me
00:16:48is like Sophie's Choice.
00:16:49I cook Mexican cuisine
00:16:50and like dedicate
00:16:51my life
00:16:53to my heritage
00:16:54like storytelling
00:16:55of my ancestors
00:16:57and just gets passed
00:16:59down from generation
00:17:00to generation
00:17:01and I'm making
00:17:02it into my own.
00:17:03You guys are coming
00:17:04home with me.
00:17:05Hershey,
00:17:06you already
00:17:06I reckon you.
00:17:08Wiley,
00:17:09you want to do
00:17:09the honors?
00:17:10It would be my pleasure,
00:17:11Padma.
00:17:12Chef?
00:17:15I'll bet.
00:17:18What are you making?
00:17:19I'm making a little
00:17:20surf and turf.
00:17:20Ew.
00:17:21Where I received
00:17:22my Michelin star
00:17:23was a Spanish
00:17:24steakhouse.
00:17:25I love cooking steaks.
00:17:27No one is going
00:17:28to outcook me
00:17:29when it comes
00:17:29to red meat.
00:17:30I'm going to start
00:17:31processing the lobster tails.
00:17:33Surf and turf.
00:17:33It's a lot of work.
00:17:35We're still moving.
00:17:37Beverly and Cara,
00:17:38your time starts now.
00:17:44Oh, I see a smoking gun
00:17:46back there.
00:17:47Melina,
00:17:47what are you making?
00:17:48I'm smoking some garlic
00:17:50to make a vinaigrette
00:17:50for my tomato salad.
00:17:52Smoking garlic,
00:17:53lobster steak.
00:17:54Man,
00:17:54she's working.
00:17:56Michael and Rochelle,
00:17:57your time starts now.
00:18:03Oh,
00:18:04rusty.
00:18:05I'm feeling very nervous.
00:18:08It's very obvious
00:18:08that I have not been
00:18:09cooking for two years.
00:18:12For my best dish,
00:18:13I'm making
00:18:14hemo pajeon,
00:18:15a scallion
00:18:16and seafood pancake.
00:18:18Oh, my God.
00:18:19That sounds so good.
00:18:21Four people have
00:18:21to go home today.
00:18:22I got to nail this.
00:18:24Hemo pajeon,
00:18:25it is something
00:18:25that every Korean
00:18:27household makes.
00:18:28It really is
00:18:29something near and dear
00:18:30to my heart.
00:18:31Let's go.
00:18:32Katie and Chris,
00:18:33your time starts now.
00:18:34All right.
00:18:35Let's do it.
00:18:37I'm going to make
00:18:37a mole negro,
00:18:38so a black mole
00:18:38made from Mexican
00:18:40dried chilies.
00:18:41One of my superpowers
00:18:42in cooking
00:18:42is my sauce work.
00:18:44Mole negro is really fun
00:18:45because you can take
00:18:46peppers and then
00:18:46blacken them.
00:18:48Whoa, you smell
00:18:49those chilies
00:18:49all of a sudden?
00:18:50Smells good.
00:18:51Look at that, Michael.
00:18:52She's putting seafood
00:18:53in the Paco Jet.
00:18:54Rochelle, what are you doing?
00:18:55Fish mousseline.
00:18:56I grab scallops
00:18:58and hamachi,
00:18:58and then I'm going
00:18:59to sous vide.
00:19:00That's awesome.
00:19:02I want to be
00:19:02in this competition
00:19:03because I want
00:19:04to bring notoriety
00:19:05to Arizona.
00:19:06I know that nobody
00:19:07thinks of Flagstaff
00:19:09when they think
00:19:10of great restaurants.
00:19:11I want to prove
00:19:12them wrong.
00:19:15I love making a plate
00:19:16just look like
00:19:17it's artistry.
00:19:19Back home,
00:19:20I have two kids
00:19:21and a fiancé.
00:19:22I was so excited
00:19:24to get married today.
00:19:25I can't lose.
00:19:26I put off
00:19:27my wedding for this.
00:19:30Michael, you see that?
00:19:31She's got the mousse.
00:19:32That's awesome.
00:19:33On the other side.
00:19:33Because it's cool
00:19:34because she just made
00:19:34fish mousse
00:19:35in like seven minutes.
00:19:36That's great.
00:19:40Kim and Russell,
00:19:41your time starts now.
00:19:44Woo!
00:19:44Let's have some fun.
00:19:46Not my first trip
00:19:47to the rodeo.
00:19:48I've been professionally
00:19:49cooking over 40 years.
00:19:51I've probably forgotten
00:19:52more than most
00:19:53of these guys.
00:19:54I've learned.
00:19:55Nope.
00:19:55Don't need that.
00:19:56Simplicity
00:19:57is probably my best choice.
00:19:59Keep it simple, stupid.
00:20:03Michelle, can we still
00:20:04be friends after this?
00:20:05Absolutely.
00:20:06All right.
00:20:07So, and Keith,
00:20:08your time starts now.
00:20:11Okay.
00:20:15Emily and Phillip,
00:20:16your time starts now.
00:20:19My goal with the first cook
00:20:21was not to do anything
00:20:21too ambitious,
00:20:22not too complicated,
00:20:23to like run around
00:20:24this pantry
00:20:25with only 75 minutes.
00:20:27Our challenge is
00:20:28a dish that represents yourself.
00:20:29For me,
00:20:30that's California ingredients.
00:20:31It's raw fish.
00:20:32Doing a little
00:20:32citrus cured hamachi.
00:20:34Bringing a little
00:20:35flavor in California
00:20:36with us.
00:20:39This is a duck
00:20:41a la yuzu.
00:20:43So you could take
00:20:43on a duck
00:20:45a la orange,
00:20:46but in a Japanese way.
00:20:48My style
00:20:49is adding a little
00:20:50Japanese ingredients
00:20:50in everything that I do.
00:20:52Japanese French-ish.
00:20:53I used to work
00:20:54for Daniel Balloud.
00:20:55He's the most famous
00:20:56chef in traditional
00:20:57French food.
00:20:58And I worked
00:20:59for a two-Michelin-star
00:20:59restaurant called
00:21:00Le Gavroche.
00:21:03Being like a woman
00:21:04in the kitchen,
00:21:05working with all these
00:21:06like French-Italian chefs,
00:21:08I've been through
00:21:08literally everything.
00:21:11I mean,
00:21:12even still now
00:21:13in the restaurant
00:21:13that I am at,
00:21:15like people think
00:21:15I'm not the chef.
00:21:16They think that
00:21:16the guy beside me
00:21:17is the chef,
00:21:18but I think that's
00:21:19going to give me
00:21:20the edge.
00:21:21Because I'm always
00:21:22underestimated,
00:21:23it is kind of
00:21:24my secret weapon.
00:21:25I'm done with that.
00:21:27Buddha and Matt,
00:21:29your time starts now.
00:21:34Gianna and Melina,
00:21:35one minute.
00:21:36Time flew by.
00:21:38I bit off more
00:21:40than I can chew.
00:21:41My station's a mess.
00:21:43I still need to finish
00:21:44my salsa verde.
00:21:45I'm worried about Melina
00:21:48being able to do
00:21:48all the components
00:21:49of her dish.
00:21:50Oh, I'm anxious.
00:21:52Oh, no.
00:21:54God.
00:22:03Oh, I'm anxious.
00:22:05Come on, come on, come on.
00:22:06Five, four, three, two, one.
00:22:10One.
00:22:11Hands up.
00:22:16She doesn't look happy.
00:22:19How'd it go?
00:22:20I didn't get everything
00:22:21on my plate.
00:22:21No?
00:22:22No.
00:22:24I am so disappointed.
00:22:27This is by far
00:22:28not my best dish.
00:22:30Melina, tell us
00:22:31what you made.
00:22:32I made a little
00:22:33surf and turf.
00:22:34Not everything I prepared
00:22:35made it on the plate,
00:22:36so I'm super disappointed.
00:22:38What did you make
00:22:38on the plate?
00:22:39I did the smoked tomatoes
00:22:40and I did a salsa verde
00:22:41for the steak as well.
00:22:42The steak has
00:22:43really good flavor
00:22:44and is very tender.
00:22:45I really like
00:22:46the mashed potatoes.
00:22:48but the lobster,
00:22:49unfortunately,
00:22:49did not work out.
00:22:51There are parts of it
00:22:52that feel
00:22:54a little gelatinous.
00:22:56Not good.
00:22:57Let's move on to Diana.
00:22:58Tell us what you made.
00:23:00Pollo con pipian.
00:23:01Pipian is a seeded sauce.
00:23:02The white sauce is spicy.
00:23:04Judging by the color,
00:23:05I thought it was
00:23:05going to be tame.
00:23:06My throat right now
00:23:07is, like, burning,
00:23:08but in a good way.
00:23:10I love the flavors
00:23:10of this dish.
00:23:11Yeah.
00:23:11Thank you both.
00:23:12Please go back
00:23:13to your station.
00:23:15It is time to score,
00:23:16gentlemen.
00:23:21Woo!
00:23:23What you making?
00:23:25Little quail roulades
00:23:26with a mole.
00:23:28What about yourself?
00:23:29A purple potato mole.
00:23:31Shut the up.
00:23:38God, thank those
00:23:40are going to turn out.
00:23:41My previous career
00:23:42is in science.
00:23:43I have a master's degree
00:23:45in biomedical engineering.
00:23:45I almost started
00:23:46a PhD in neuroscience.
00:23:47Let's get that cold.
00:23:49And so I've kind of
00:23:50blended together
00:23:51science into cooking.
00:23:54I have a restaurant
00:23:56in Asheville, North Carolina.
00:23:57We specialize
00:23:58in Spanish tapas.
00:23:59We opened the restaurant
00:24:01in 2011
00:24:02and we've been
00:24:02through recently
00:24:03a pandemic
00:24:04and a hurricane.
00:24:05And it's been
00:24:06just like financially
00:24:09really difficult
00:24:10for the past five years.
00:24:12And so as a parent
00:24:14and also a business owner,
00:24:17for me,
00:24:18a million dollars
00:24:19is stability
00:24:21for the future.
00:24:22And stability
00:24:23is hard to come by.
00:24:29I flip my duck breast.
00:24:31It's burned.
00:24:32I don't want to put
00:24:33that on the plate.
00:24:34Four people will be going
00:24:34home at the end of the day
00:24:35and it's everything.
00:24:36It has to be well executed.
00:24:38So I'm just going to throw
00:24:38another one in the pan
00:24:39and hope for the best.
00:24:41Beverly and Kara.
00:24:43Three, two, one.
00:24:45Hands up.
00:24:45Time's up.
00:24:46Oh, yay, yay.
00:24:50Tell us what we have.
00:24:51Seafood haemal pajeon
00:24:52with onion and chili
00:24:54soy dipping sauce.
00:24:55It looks traditional,
00:24:57but there's some modern
00:24:58techniques behind it.
00:24:59Mm-hmm.
00:25:00Beverly, I like
00:25:00your batter a lot.
00:25:02Yes.
00:25:02I do think that
00:25:02all your ingredients
00:25:04are a little bit coarse.
00:25:06It's making the pancake
00:25:07eat a little bit heavier
00:25:08than it actually is.
00:25:09Okay, thank you.
00:25:11Come on up, Kara.
00:25:14It's kind of a smash up
00:25:15of two dishes that I do,
00:25:17which is like a Singapore
00:25:17chili crab slash pie curry.
00:25:20You developed a lot
00:25:21of flavor in this broth.
00:25:22It's delicious.
00:25:23Yeah, it's maybe
00:25:23just a bit more acid
00:25:25on the seafood itself
00:25:26would have really, like,
00:25:27elevated the dish
00:25:28to a different level.
00:25:29Thank you both.
00:25:30It's time to score.
00:25:36What did you make
00:25:36for us, Michael?
00:25:37I made a mole negro.
00:25:39I cooked it in dashi
00:25:40and a little bit of
00:25:40puree of the rice.
00:25:42This is something
00:25:42that I put on the menu
00:25:43at my restaurant
00:25:44two years ago
00:25:45and I found a lot of success.
00:25:46The depth of the flavor
00:25:47that you developed
00:25:47in that mole,
00:25:48very flavorful dish.
00:25:49For me, your rice
00:25:50was a little tight.
00:25:51I would have liked
00:25:52to have seen it
00:25:52a little bit looser,
00:25:53a little bit more unctuous.
00:25:55Yes, Chef.
00:25:57What did you make, Michelle?
00:25:58Suvite hamachi
00:25:59with a scallop mousseline
00:26:01served with turnip.
00:26:02I liked the presentation.
00:26:04We watched you work.
00:26:05You worked very neat.
00:26:06This dish reflects that.
00:26:08Honestly, I feel
00:26:09that the dish
00:26:10was a little under-seasoned.
00:26:11I have bloodline
00:26:13a little bit,
00:26:14which is not great.
00:26:15But I appreciate the work.
00:26:17Thank you both.
00:26:19Thank you, guys.
00:26:21Mmm, raw eggs, baby.
00:26:26Chris and Katie,
00:26:27one minute.
00:26:28Heard?
00:26:31Great.
00:26:32I think I'm done.
00:26:34Five,
00:26:35four,
00:26:36three,
00:26:37two,
00:26:38one.
00:26:39Chris and Katie,
00:26:40time's up.
00:26:40Hands up, please.
00:26:42Chris is looking mad.
00:26:44I didn't finish the plate,
00:26:45so.
00:26:46Oh,
00:26:47Chris,
00:26:47I'm sorry.
00:26:51What did you make, Chris?
00:26:53So it's
00:26:53raw Zalhanoud
00:26:54seasoned duck breast,
00:26:55beet borani,
00:26:56cabbage,
00:26:57with a
00:26:58miso
00:26:59harissa glaze.
00:27:00What happened to the duck?
00:27:02I got a little too much color
00:27:03on one of them,
00:27:04picked a new one up
00:27:05and tried to rush it
00:27:06and it just wasn't ready
00:27:07and I just didn't want
00:27:08to serve you
00:27:08an incredibly raw duck,
00:27:09which may have been better
00:27:10than serving none at all
00:27:11on two plates.
00:27:12Or just serving
00:27:13a smaller portion,
00:27:14dividing my portion
00:27:15like I did.
00:27:16Obviously,
00:27:17I didn't have duck
00:27:18on my plate,
00:27:18but the raw Zalhanoud
00:27:20is delicious.
00:27:21Really delicious.
00:27:22I mean,
00:27:22it would have been
00:27:23a spectacular vegetarian dish.
00:27:25Instead of trying
00:27:26to worry about us,
00:27:27you could have
00:27:27taken it off of Padma's.
00:27:29Nobody would have
00:27:30been the wiser.
00:27:32Katie,
00:27:33tell us about your dish.
00:27:34Ajo Blanco.
00:27:35It's a chilled
00:27:36almond and garlic soup.
00:27:37I know this dish well.
00:27:38It's a beautiful rendition
00:27:40of a white gazpacho.
00:27:41What I love about this
00:27:42is that you stepped aside
00:27:43and let the ingredients
00:27:44do the work.
00:27:46All right,
00:27:46thank you both.
00:27:48Absolutely.
00:27:48That roasted cabbage
00:27:50was fantastic.
00:27:52You didn't need the duck.
00:27:53I completely agree.
00:27:54I mean,
00:27:55perhaps it's because
00:27:55last night
00:27:56when Michael and I
00:27:57went out to dinner,
00:27:58we had...
00:27:58You went out to dinner
00:27:59without me?
00:28:00Intentionally.
00:28:02We had...
00:28:03We had cabbage
00:28:05on its own
00:28:06and it was spectacular.
00:28:07Yeah.
00:28:10Making a...
00:28:11My version of a Greek salad.
00:28:13Yes, I'm making Greek salad,
00:28:14but it's not like
00:28:15any other Greek salad
00:28:16you've ever had before.
00:28:17It shows everything
00:28:17that I am.
00:28:19Playful,
00:28:20whimsical.
00:28:21I'm really hoping
00:28:22that the judges
00:28:22understand what
00:28:24I'm trying to portray.
00:28:25I don't care what Matt's making,
00:28:26but I have to be
00:28:28a better scorer than him.
00:28:33Three, two, one.
00:28:35Russell and Kim,
00:28:35time's up.
00:28:38Oh, my God.
00:28:39I committed the cardinal sin
00:28:40of leaving an ingredient off.
00:28:43I didn't put the potato on.
00:28:44I can't have potato mole
00:28:47without a frigging potato.
00:28:48Look at the amateur.
00:28:51Yeah.
00:28:52Russell, what did you make?
00:28:54Uni black barley mole.
00:28:55Done with Japanese koji,
00:28:57roasted mushroom,
00:28:58charred onion.
00:28:59Did this come out
00:29:00the way you wanted it to?
00:29:01Were you happy
00:29:01with the outcome here?
00:29:02I wanted to put the potato
00:29:03on there that I cooked.
00:29:05Um,
00:29:07the dish confuses me.
00:29:09I agree with Michael,
00:29:11which doesn't always happen,
00:29:12but had you not told me
00:29:15this was a mole,
00:29:16any kind of mole,
00:29:17I would have never known.
00:29:18Sure.
00:29:20Kim, what did you make for us?
00:29:21I made a Asian-inspired mole
00:29:23with quail
00:29:24with a sesame twill.
00:29:26Kim, I think your dish
00:29:27is really creative.
00:29:28I like the flavor of the mole.
00:29:30I think this might be
00:29:31the nicest presentation
00:29:32we've seen so far,
00:29:33but the quail,
00:29:35a little bit dry, perhaps.
00:29:38Tell us what you made, Keith.
00:29:40Panseer scallop
00:29:41with suya spice over top.
00:29:42Creme of corn succotash,
00:29:44fresh corn polenta.
00:29:46The corn puree was great.
00:29:48Succotash.
00:29:48There was a richness to it,
00:29:50and I like the acidity
00:29:51that you brought in
00:29:51from the tomatoes.
00:29:52Very delicious.
00:29:53Keith, this is a delicious
00:29:55plate of food.
00:29:56So?
00:29:57I made a choufarsi mandou.
00:29:59Choufarsi is a classic
00:30:01French cabbage roll
00:30:02I made with a stuffing,
00:30:04a little foie gras.
00:30:05It's a very beautiful dish.
00:30:07But then I cut into it,
00:30:09your cabbage is undercooked,
00:30:11and then the farce to me
00:30:12was over-salted.
00:30:14Thank you both.
00:30:16This is a little
00:30:18fermented nardello kosho.
00:30:19I look over at Phillip's dish,
00:30:21and it is banging.
00:30:22I am absolutely freaking out.
00:30:25It's beautiful.
00:30:26Tell us what you made.
00:30:27So on your left,
00:30:28you have a citrus-cured hamachi loin,
00:30:30and then on the right-hand side
00:30:32is the belly that's been cured also,
00:30:34and then charred.
00:30:34Stunning dish.
00:30:35All of the different sauces
00:30:36were fantastic.
00:30:38It's beautiful.
00:30:39It's elegant.
00:30:39It's well-executed.
00:30:41I think just a few grains of salt,
00:30:44but it's a high art plate.
00:30:46Yeah, thank you.
00:30:49What did you make, Emily?
00:30:51Duck breast with umeboshi date puree,
00:30:54and on the side,
00:30:55there is a homemade cherry kosho.
00:30:58The duck was delicious.
00:31:00The cherry kosho sauce,
00:31:01for me, came off as a little bit salty.
00:31:04Okay.
00:31:04I disagree with Wiley.
00:31:06Okay.
00:31:08Yes, this kosho is salty,
00:31:10but it's a condiment.
00:31:12It's supposed to be.
00:31:13Yep, yep.
00:31:14I liked it.
00:31:16Well done, Emily.
00:31:18Thank you both.
00:31:20Nice job.
00:31:20Good job.
00:31:21I'm sweaty.
00:31:22Good job.
00:31:27Hey, Buddha, what do you got going on?
00:31:29I'm just making some olives.
00:31:31Are you getting fancy olives?
00:31:32Yeah.
00:31:33Buddha's a flashy chef.
00:31:34I can see he's playing off
00:31:36the heartstrings of Wiley.
00:31:38Oh, look at that.
00:31:41That's fun.
00:31:41But I'm not nervous.
00:31:44I'm feeling confident in my dish.
00:31:46Matt and Buddha,
00:31:48three,
00:31:48two,
00:31:49one.
00:31:50Time's up.
00:31:51Hands up, please.
00:31:54Hands up.
00:31:56Matt, what did you make for us?
00:31:58It's a shrimp-infused potato bellini
00:31:59on the bottom.
00:32:00Over top is a roasted langoustine tail
00:32:02and a tad bit of caviar.
00:32:05I love those potato-y pillows underneath.
00:32:09So comforting and so elegant.
00:32:12Delicious, elegant.
00:32:14Well done, then.
00:32:16Ooh, very pretty.
00:32:19What did you make, Buddha?
00:32:20I made for you a Greek salad.
00:32:21A Greek salad?
00:32:23Tomatoes marinated
00:32:24in a little bit of balsamic vinegar
00:32:26with goat's curd olive
00:32:28with some compressed cucumbers,
00:32:29currant tomatoes.
00:32:30It's very easy to hide
00:32:31against really luxurious ingredients,
00:32:33but I think it takes a real chef
00:32:35to, like,
00:32:35really make a vegetable shine.
00:32:38I think you undersold this dish
00:32:39when you called it a salad.
00:32:41There's a, you know,
00:32:42tremendous amount of technique.
00:32:43It's super playful,
00:32:45a lot of fun,
00:32:46a lot of flavors.
00:32:47Well done.
00:32:48How you encased that cheese,
00:32:50that was a real surprise.
00:32:52It looked exactly like a black olive
00:32:54until I bit into it,
00:32:55and then all this cheese
00:32:57was oozing out in my mouth.
00:33:02All right, chefs,
00:33:03please gather around.
00:33:05The scores are in.
00:33:08I really hope I can get past
00:33:10this first round.
00:33:11Four of us are going home
00:33:13on the first day.
00:33:14This competition is mad.
00:33:27These were some amazing
00:33:29head-to-head match-ups,
00:33:30but when this night ends,
00:33:32four of you will be going home.
00:33:35So let's see how you did.
00:33:38Our first match-up,
00:33:40Melina and Gianna.
00:33:50Wow.
00:33:52Dianna's 40
00:33:52against Melina's 26.
00:33:55Congratulations, Dianna.
00:33:57Yeah, great job.
00:33:59You're safe.
00:33:59Please head to the private dining room.
00:34:03I'm super disappointed.
00:34:05I really messed up the execution.
00:34:07I just did too much,
00:34:09and I think that was my downfall.
00:34:11I'm just going to savor this moment
00:34:14because I'm the winner,
00:34:16and she's the loser.
00:34:17Our next match-up,
00:34:19Beverly and Cara.
00:34:27Oh.
00:34:29Cara, 44,
00:34:30and Beverly, 38.
00:34:32Congratulations, Cara.
00:34:34You are safe.
00:34:35You can head to the dining room.
00:34:37I have no idea
00:34:38what's going to happen next.
00:34:39I am up for elimination this round,
00:34:41and it's stressing me out.
00:34:43Congrats.
00:34:45I'm relieved.
00:34:46I guess despite being rusty,
00:34:47I'm still making really delicious food.
00:34:49The next match-up
00:34:50is Michael versus Rochelle.
00:34:53Are you nervous?
00:34:54Very.
00:34:55You want to see the scores?
00:34:57Absolutely.
00:35:01I hate waiting.
00:35:03It feels like an eternity.
00:35:10Wow.
00:35:11Really close.
00:35:12That's close.
00:35:14Two points.
00:35:15Good job.
00:35:17Michael, 38.
00:35:18Rochelle, 36.
00:35:20Yes, Michael,
00:35:21you can go to the private dining room.
00:35:23Be my guest.
00:35:27Good job, guys.
00:35:28Good job.
00:35:29Thanks.
00:35:30I feel pretty shocked.
00:35:32I'm super disappointed.
00:35:34All right, next up is Chris,
00:35:36who challenged Katie.
00:35:41Ooh.
00:35:42Katie, 51.
00:35:44Wow.
00:35:44Chris, 27.
00:35:45That's the highest score so far.
00:35:48Katie's a force.
00:35:50I mean, she's a real competitor.
00:35:51Hey!
00:35:53People in that room,
00:35:55they're going to be serious threats.
00:35:57Russell and Kim.
00:36:04Kim, 43 points against Russell's 25.
00:36:08Ooh.
00:36:09Damn.
00:36:10Congratulations.
00:36:11You can head to the private dining room.
00:36:14Like I said, I'm a koala.
00:36:17Out of a 60,
00:36:19to only a 25,
00:36:20just sucks.
00:36:21I missed an easy kill.
00:36:24Next, we have Sol versus Keith.
00:36:27I think I whooped his ass.
00:36:29Oh, all right.
00:36:31That's right.
00:36:32Why do you think you whipped his ass?
00:36:34Because I cooked with Sol.
00:36:36So I took the Sol right from him.
00:36:37Oh.
00:36:39Oh.
00:36:39What'd you say?
00:36:40Keith, you're pretty confident.
00:36:41Let's see if the scoreboard agrees with you.
00:36:47Ooh.
00:36:49Keith.
00:36:50Second highest score.
00:36:5150 points for the second highest score.
00:36:53You didn't just whip his ass.
00:36:55You whipped everyone's ass.
00:36:56Well deserved, Keith.
00:36:58That suck-a-tash could suck my ass.
00:37:01I think I should have won.
00:37:06I'm getting my groove, baby.
00:37:08Next up, Emily.
00:37:10You challenged Phillip.
00:37:12Let's see what the big board says.
00:37:21Phillip, 47.
00:37:22Emily, 49.
00:37:24Oh, so close.
00:37:26Emily.
00:37:27Thank you, sir.
00:37:28Oh.
00:37:30Wow, this is a hot mess.
00:37:31I felt like I'd clearly be here.
00:37:34Wow, by two points.
00:37:37I feel so relieved that I beat Phillip.
00:37:42I am on a high.
00:37:45Who needs drugs?
00:37:48And our final matchup, Matt versus Buddha.
00:38:01Buddha, by the skin of your nose with one point, 52 to 51.
00:38:09Buddha now has the highest score.
00:38:11Yeah, wow.
00:38:12I just won against the Bakustel gold medalist with a Greek salad.
00:38:16That's cool.
00:38:17Good luck.
00:38:19See, was I expecting it to be a challenge at the beginning?
00:38:22Yes.
00:38:22Am I surprised to lose to Buddha?
00:38:24Absolutely.
00:38:26I'm back.
00:38:27Hey.
00:38:28Congrats, Buddha.
00:38:30Had enough of this guy.
00:38:34Chefs, don't worry.
00:38:36You're not going to go home.
00:38:38Just yet.
00:38:43It can't be great.
00:38:51Wow.
00:38:51And they're gone.
00:38:52Very ominous.
00:38:54All of a sudden, the windows go white.
00:38:56Chefs, you can breathe easy.
00:38:58You're safe and moving forward in the competition.
00:39:01But for those eight out there, they'll have one more head-to-head cook-off.
00:39:07And you will be picking the match-ups.
00:39:10Oh.
00:39:11It's a really big responsibility.
00:39:16I mean, having this much power is fantastic.
00:39:18I love life.
00:39:20Let's play the game.
00:39:24Okay, here's what's going to happen next.
00:39:27All eight of you will have to cook again in another head-to-head battle.
00:39:33Win, and you earn your spot in America's Culinary Cup.
00:39:37Lose.
00:39:40And you're going home.
00:39:42I was super excited going up in that elevator earlier today.
00:39:45But now I'm just a ball of nervous energy.
00:39:48I do not want to go home on the first day.
00:39:50For this round, you'll each have to make your best version of a classic dish.
00:39:56Fried chicken, clam chowder, shrimp and grits, or beef stroganoff.
00:40:01And this time, you're not choosing your competitor or your dish.
00:40:08They are.
00:40:13How do we want to pair them?
00:40:15Can we just look at people's experiences?
00:40:17Like, you know, Beverly, like, what style of food is she cooking currently?
00:40:21And what's the furthest from that?
00:40:23I have to be strategic.
00:40:24Pair the people up based on who would be the toughest competition for each other
00:40:30and who's going to be the weakest at the particular dish.
00:40:33I would pay big money to watch the Bacoustor coach versus the Bacoustor competitor.
00:40:37Let's do it.
00:40:38On the one-on-one.
00:40:39So my question is, do we separate them two and put them up against someone,
00:40:45depending on what their cook is, and probably got a chance to knock them both out?
00:40:49We have the opportunity to take out a Bacoustor medalist and it'd be stupid enough to do it.
00:40:55Me and Buddha cook beside them, we know how good they are.
00:40:57The two people that everyone here is most worried about are there and we're in here.
00:41:02Yeah.
00:41:02The kind of bad working together is that people aren't on the same page.
00:41:06Oh, I don't like it at all.
00:41:08How are you guys doing out there?
00:41:10I've been better.
00:41:11We're good.
00:41:12Hanging in there.
00:41:13Philip, you're looking very weird.
00:41:15Just wheels turning.
00:41:16The first thought that went through my head was, you know, it's going to be Matt and I.
00:41:19We're going to be up against each other because, you know, it's common sense.
00:41:21You get rid of one of the best in the room.
00:41:24I know what Chris cooks.
00:41:26I think Rochelle and Chris should go against each other.
00:41:29Because you think he can beat her?
00:41:30Yeah.
00:41:32I think that people underestimated her.
00:41:34I mean, her food looks beautiful.
00:41:35She could be this, like, little assassin underneath.
00:41:38I'm really rooting for Chris and I want him in the game.
00:41:41What?
00:41:42That's supposed to be.
00:41:42No way.
00:41:43What?
00:41:44No way.
00:41:45We want to make the hardest match.
00:41:47You just don't know what's coming up in this competition.
00:41:49It's important to, like, have allies.
00:41:52There is a million dollars online.
00:41:53So, like, we need to make strategic decisions.
00:42:01All we do know is only one of each is coming back.
00:42:04So, do we all agree?
00:42:05We all agree.
00:42:05Yeah.
00:42:06Let's do it.
00:42:11Oh, God.
00:42:11It looks like they're ready.
00:42:14Let's go.
00:42:15See how much they like us.
00:42:33Here they come.
00:42:35They walked into the room and nobody wanted to look me in the eye.
00:42:37I can tell you right now, I'm pretty sure Buddha was leading the charge in that room.
00:42:40And that guy is Mr. Strategy.
00:42:42And this is like Candyland for him.
00:42:44It's going to be Matt and I.
00:42:44We're going to be up against each other.
00:42:46Zero question.
00:42:47All right.
00:42:47Let's see the pairings.
00:42:48The chefs going head-to-head making fried chicken are...
00:42:58Melina versus Rochelle.
00:43:00Honestly, I'm relieved.
00:43:01I'm feeling pretty good.
00:43:02I could definitely be her.
00:43:04Our second head-to-head, clam chowder.
00:43:09Russell versus Chris.
00:43:11Let's go.
00:43:12All right, next is Beats Chogunov.
00:43:16Phillip and Matt.
00:43:19Saw that coming.
00:43:20Yeah.
00:43:21Pretty sure Buddha led that conversation.
00:43:22Yes, I did.
00:43:24And of course, for shrimp and grits, that leaves Beverly and Seoul.
00:43:29Never made shrimp and grits in my life.
00:43:31Never.
00:43:32Never.
00:43:32Interesting.
00:43:35Chefs, you can head to your stations.
00:43:38You have one hour to make your dishes.
00:43:42There's $1 million at stake.
00:43:44Four of you will be going home tonight.
00:43:47Use your time wisely.
00:43:49Melina and Rochelle, your time starts now.
00:43:53Good luck.
00:43:54Come on!
00:43:58I did not want fried chicken.
00:44:00That was the last thing I wanted.
00:44:02I like to keep my figure.
00:44:06But I refuse to be one of the first four that goes home.
00:44:11I have to bring it.
00:44:13Fried chicken is the last thing that I want to make.
00:44:16There's a very small window of error.
00:44:18But if I can get everything done, I know that I can win this.
00:44:23You doing okay, Rochelle?
00:44:25Doing good.
00:44:25Thanks, Michael.
00:44:26Kicking ass?
00:44:27That's a good thing.
00:44:28She's deboning it, so that's cool.
00:44:30Yeah, yeah.
00:44:30You gotta debon it.
00:44:31Bone leaves room for error.
00:44:33It takes longer.
00:44:34You know, anything cooked on the bone is gonna taste a little better
00:44:37and hold its juiciness a little bit better.
00:44:46Let's go, let's go.
00:44:47Go, Rochelle.
00:44:49Go, baby.
00:44:52Brutal.
00:44:53I like clam chowder a lot, but I don't make clam chowder.
00:44:56I make the best damn clam chowder.
00:45:01And it's so good.
00:45:02Moving with intent.
00:45:04Picked up the pace.
00:45:06Oh.
00:45:07Oh.
00:45:08Hell yeah, Kev.
00:45:08We love fire.
00:45:10I want to riff on a classic red clam chowder.
00:45:14Very famous celebrity chef.
00:45:16Taught me this sort of base.
00:45:18And we'll add some clams.
00:45:20It'll be soft, sweet, have a nice edge to it without being too crazy.
00:45:25I'm making a Jamaican clam curry, all with a potato base.
00:45:29My aunt, on my mom's side, is Jamaican.
00:45:33She would bring stuff back from Jamaica, you know, scotch bonnets
00:45:36and various different ingredients that we couldn't get here.
00:45:39Those memories stick with me.
00:45:40I'm aware that Padma likes heat, so I'm definitely not shying away from it.
00:45:44You should be sweating if you're eating a Jamaican style curry.
00:45:48All right.
00:45:51Woo!
00:45:52Push!
00:45:52All right!
00:45:53Let's go, let's go, let's go!
00:45:54Go, babe!
00:45:55Come on!
00:45:57Let's be honest.
00:45:58I don't want to do this, but I'm relieved that we have a chance to cook a second time,
00:46:04to poo ourselves.
00:46:06Even though I have a lot of accolades under my belt.
00:46:09I feel like quite the underdog since birth.
00:46:12Being told that I should have been a boy automatically told me that, like, maybe I'm not ever going
00:46:17to achieve greatness.
00:46:19I have a lot to fight for.
00:46:20A million dollars can do a lot.
00:46:22To help my family and my businesses, I really don't want to go home in the first week.
00:46:28Beverly, how are you doing over there?
00:46:29I'm doing good!
00:46:30This is my first time making shrimp and grits, so why not do it on national TV, baby?
00:46:34I know that grits pairs really well with butter, parmesan, pecorino.
00:46:41So I'm thinking I'm going to make shrimp and grits in the style of carbonara.
00:46:46It's creative.
00:46:47It's something outside the box.
00:46:49I have a thing.
00:46:50I always say, oh, that's a Sol Han dish.
00:46:55This is annoying.
00:46:56I'm here, and I should be over there.
00:46:58If I'm being honest, I didn't push super hard, because I was just like, let me just play it
00:47:02safe and survive day one.
00:47:03Unfortunately, that decision landed me straight next to Matt Peters, and we've worked together.
00:47:08I coached him winning gold.
00:47:09One of my best friends, and, you know, here we are.
00:47:15Go, man!
00:47:16Go, Phillip!
00:47:16Go, Steve Stroganoff!
00:47:17We got this.
00:47:19I've been waiting for this matchup, because it's the Baku's dual coach and the gold medalists
00:47:24going against each other.
00:47:25You'll pay for this?
00:47:26I'd pay, yeah, pay-per-view for this.
00:47:28I know what Phillip's capable of.
00:47:31He's disciplined.
00:47:32He's very structured.
00:47:33But also, we come from the same kind of cloth.
00:47:36It's a battle of the ages, guys.
00:47:39I worked at Adore by Alondo Kass, two-star restaurant.
00:47:43I've worked for Thomas Keller for almost eight years.
00:47:45Per Se, a three-star restaurant, as well as the French Laundry, the number one restaurant
00:47:50in America.
00:47:51And now I own my own restaurant called Prelude in Austin, Texas.
00:47:54It's kind of a fine dining, hip, fun cocktail lounge, if you will.
00:47:59I had big dreams for Prelude.
00:48:01When I got into the Baku's store, I thought it was going to open up doors.
00:48:04But it didn't happen.
00:48:05We don't really have a full-scale kitchen.
00:48:07We kind of do the best with what we have.
00:48:10I'm here not only for my restaurant, I'm here for my wife and my two kids.
00:48:15Where'd you go?
00:48:19Winning the million dollars is going to help me actually get the life that I want to give them.
00:48:27I just need to beat Phil to get there, let the best chef win.
00:48:31Right now we're making a pasta dough, probably the fastest one I've ever made in my life.
00:48:35For me, it's about bringing as much technique and flavor as I can to win.
00:48:38Hopefully it comes out good.
00:48:40Back home rooting for me as my family, my wife, who's been on my side now for 26 years altogether,
00:48:45and, you know, my three kids.
00:48:46So if you were to bet against me or the world, what would you bet?
00:48:49The world?
00:48:50What?
00:48:51Wow!
00:48:53I think my daughter sarcastically maybe supports me.
00:48:58Hey, Coach.
00:49:00Have any last-minute advice for a student?
00:49:02Chef, there's no students here today.
00:49:04It's been decades since I've had a stroganoff.
00:49:08Knowing the caliber of those two chefs, you're never going to have another stroganoff again that reaches, like, these heights.
00:49:13Yeah, exactly.
00:49:15You'll be, like, you'll be spoiled for stroganoff after this.
00:49:20Rochelle has some pickles going right now.
00:49:24They look pretty good.
00:49:25Yeah?
00:49:25They're good?
00:49:28This mixed with a little bit of creme fraiche, a little bit of escalate.
00:49:32Come on!
00:49:32Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!
00:49:33Let's go!
00:49:34Got this!
00:49:35Go! Come on, let's go!
00:49:38Time's up.
00:49:39Feeling very nervous and very anxious, there's definitely a possibility of me going home.
00:49:45Compared to Melina's, I feel like mine's very refined.
00:49:50But my heart is wanting to just jump out of my chest.
00:49:56This looks great.
00:49:58What did you make, Melina?
00:49:59I made a fried chicken with a tamarind and saffron honey with whipped buttermilk.
00:50:05Tamarind and saffron honey?
00:50:07Yes.
00:50:09Your fried chicken's excellent.
00:50:11It's juicy, but it's thoroughly cooked.
00:50:15I liked the buttermilk foam.
00:50:17I think your breading is great.
00:50:20My issue with this is the saffron is very strong and very distracting.
00:50:24Understood.
00:50:26Rochelle, tell us about your fried chicken.
00:50:29So I made a fried chicken thigh cooked in buttermilk with pickles.
00:50:35I mean, the chicken's cooked beautifully.
00:50:36Like, it's really juicy.
00:50:37It's very moist.
00:50:38There's, like, orange kind of sauce over the top.
00:50:41What is that?
00:50:41So I did a mustard aioli with clabber and chilies.
00:50:44I wish I had more of it.
00:50:46I mean, I would have loved to have had more of that sauce, maybe even a ramekin of it to
00:50:50sort of dip in.
00:50:51It did feel a little bit more schnitzel-leaning, so it didn't feel quite as fried chicken-y.
00:50:56But it was delicious.
00:50:57Thank you, chef.
00:50:59You know, it's tough because both of you gave us juicy, tender chicken.
00:51:06You both fried it well.
00:51:07It's a big decision because only one of you can stay.
00:51:12Wiley, who made the better dish?
00:51:19Melina.
00:51:20Thank you, chef.
00:51:23Tonight, to my mind, Rochelle, you made the better dish.
00:51:26Thank you, chef.
00:51:28So I guess it lies with me.
00:51:31Time has literally stopped.
00:51:33I put off my wedding to do this, and if I go home now, what was it for?
00:51:40I put off my wedding to do this, and if I go home now, what was it for?
00:51:52Both of you gave us delicious food, but Rochelle, you've served your final dish.
00:52:05You can exit the kitchen.
00:52:08Thank you, Rochelle.
00:52:09Thank you, chefs.
00:52:14There's a lot of emotions.
00:52:17Doesn't feel good to be knocked out.
00:52:19You know, the chefs are so talented.
00:52:22It really brings out a lot of, like, ambition in you when you really think about, like, your food differently,
00:52:30and you want to be, like, great.
00:52:34Hey!
00:52:36Yeah!
00:52:38All right!
00:52:39Who's got this?
00:52:42The judging was very close, but I came out on top, and I'm happy to be here.
00:52:49That lobster.
00:52:50Oh, yeah.
00:52:52Hers looks great, too.
00:52:53Yeah.
00:52:53Two minutes.
00:52:54Two minutes left.
00:52:55She got this.
00:52:56I'm pre-plating a lot of these ingredients, and at this point, after what happened to me last challenge,
00:53:01I don't want to go home because I didn't get everything on the plate.
00:53:04Shaking like a leaf.
00:53:05I don't know if it's the way too much coffee I had or just the nerves, probably both.
00:53:09One last truth.
00:53:11No more seasoning.
00:53:13I think I'm good.
00:53:15Woo!
00:53:16What's up, boys?
00:53:17All right.
00:53:18Good job.
00:53:19Oh.
00:53:20You feel good?
00:53:21Yeah.
00:53:21Hey, guys.
00:53:22How you doing?
00:53:25I am my worst critic, but today, I cooked a banger, man.
00:53:30I cooked an absolute banger.
00:53:32I made a red clam chowder.
00:53:35The soup base is actually a tomato fennel base.
00:53:38I used clams in the steam, and then I used leftover clam juice from the steaming as well.
00:53:42Russell, is this a chunk of lobster?
00:53:44There's a little chunk of lobster in there as well.
00:53:46I love your red chowder.
00:53:48Elegant, pristine, colorful.
00:53:50But if I didn't know this was supposed to be clam chowder, I wouldn't have sussed that
00:53:56out for myself.
00:53:59There's a lot going on.
00:54:01Removing a couple of items would have helped you.
00:54:04Chris, what did you make for us?
00:54:05So you have a Jamaican clam curry.
00:54:10Are you okay?
00:54:12I'm great.
00:54:13This is the spiciest thing I have eaten in a long time.
00:54:16Yeah, there's a lot going on here, but this dish put a big smile on my face.
00:54:21I just think that you put too much of each item in the bowl.
00:54:23Yes, Chef.
00:54:26Both of you gave us such out there chowders that I've never had before.
00:54:31So which dish is better?
00:54:33Michael?
00:54:34For me today, Chris's chowder takes the day.
00:54:38Thank you, Chef.
00:54:39Yeah.
00:54:39Wiley, which dish is better?
00:54:43Today for me...
00:54:48Chris, you had the better dish.
00:54:50Thank you, Chef.
00:54:52I can breathe easy for a few minutes until some other curveball comes our way.
00:54:57Russell, you've served your final dish.
00:55:00But for what it's worth, the feeling is unanimous.
00:55:06Thanks, guys.
00:55:07Thank you, God bless you.
00:55:07See you soon.
00:55:09They didn't get it.
00:55:11Yeah, I could have upped the volume on the clam, but I wanted it to be balanced.
00:55:15I was proud of me.
00:55:16Like, they are wrong.
00:55:18They are so, so wrong.
00:55:22Woo!
00:55:24Come on, man.
00:55:26Look at me.
00:55:27I'm not going home.
00:55:28Now I can just sit and watch the remaining four duke it out.
00:55:34So, shrimp and grits.
00:55:37Shrimp and grits.
00:55:39Go, push.
00:55:40Push.
00:55:41Oh, big push.
00:55:43Good job.
00:55:44Good job.
00:55:47Hi, Sol.
00:55:48Hi.
00:55:53Sol, what did you make?
00:55:55Shrimp and grits in the style of carbonara, a little pancetta, pecorino, parmesan cheese,
00:56:00and just made, like, an egg yolk jam.
00:56:03I love your thought process.
00:56:05The idea of reimagining his carbonara.
00:56:07To my mind, it's under-seasoned.
00:56:10I think that it could have used quite a bit more salt.
00:56:13It also seized up a little, and that's not good for grits.
00:56:17Beverly, what did you make?
00:56:18I made shrimp and grits, and then a little bit of crispy garlic, and, like, fresh cilantro.
00:56:25Your grits were so different from Sol's grits.
00:56:30They were creamy.
00:56:32I think you developed a ton of flavor here.
00:56:34The broth is delicious.
00:56:35I love the sauce that you conjured up.
00:56:38It was fantastic.
00:56:39But my shrimp are pretty under.
00:56:41I would like to have seen them cook just a hair or more.
00:56:48Both really, really interesting dishes.
00:56:51Only one of you can remain in the competition.
00:56:53Wiley, who had the better dish?
00:56:59Beverly.
00:57:03Michael?
00:57:05Beverly.
00:57:08Yes!
00:57:11Congratulations, Beverly.
00:57:15So, unfortunately, you've served your final dish.
00:57:19That's a ball buster.
00:57:22I did not think I was going to get knocked out right away.
00:57:26I'm still going to be coming up with amazing food, opening up new restaurants, and still have my name out
00:57:33there.
00:57:33But, you know, I'm going to be full from this humble pie for a while.
00:57:45It really shows, like, anything is possible.
00:57:48Anything is possible.
00:57:49You don't have to, like, worry if you're not big enough, small enough.
00:57:55It felt, like, so good.
00:58:03Watching Matt and Phillip is amazing.
00:58:05It is master of a student coming together.
00:58:09So sorry that I find it cool that you're going head to head.
00:58:12It wasn't noodles.
00:58:13It's a sheet of noodle, right?
00:58:14It's, like, one sheet.
00:58:16I feel to have a medium-rand meat inside a pasta.
00:58:19It's a little inside.
00:58:20Look at their stations.
00:58:21They're so clean.
00:58:22Yeah, I know.
00:58:23The maculat stations.
00:58:24Oh, my God.
00:58:25It's like they haven't even started.
00:58:26That is definitely not what mine looks like.
00:58:34Bye.
00:58:35Woo!
00:58:37Woo!
00:58:37Good job, guys!
00:58:39It is a very strange moment.
00:58:41I mean, Matt and I have never gone against each other.
00:58:44We've always been a team.
00:58:45But, you know, here we are.
00:58:47Hello.
00:58:48Hello!
00:58:50Wow.
00:58:51Two different takes on this one.
00:58:54Wow.
00:58:58Matt, what did you make for us?
00:59:00Uh, beef shrogonaut.
00:59:01I knew we were going to have a nice, fancy Boku store plate next to it.
00:59:05So I was like, you know what?
00:59:06I'm going to go more the way I grew up with it.
00:59:08I made the fresh pasta there and did a roasted mushroom.
00:59:11Made that with the sauce and then took that base, the filling for the pasta there.
00:59:16And then I took the most tender cut of the ribeye.
00:59:19Almost in its simplest form.
00:59:23Matt, I loved your mushroom sauce.
00:59:27It was creamy and unctuous.
00:59:30It took me way back.
00:59:31Way, way back.
00:59:34I'm going to put one of these agnoloti in my pocket for later.
00:59:38I mean, it's simple in its presentation, but there's a lot of complexity.
00:59:41Richness in the sauce, flavor in the sauce.
00:59:44Hard to find fault with it.
00:59:45I probably need four or five hours to make this, so well done.
00:59:50What did you make?
00:59:51So this is the beef store-in-house dish.
00:59:54Took the beef and put the sauce inside, wrapped it in the pasta with a little bit of black truffle.
00:59:59And then there was a little cream mushroom soup on the side.
01:00:01Cheers.
01:00:02Yeah, cheers.
01:00:03Cheers.
01:00:08That's intense.
01:00:10I loved how beautiful this looked.
01:00:12It looked like the highest-end restaurant I could hope to get a reservation in.
01:00:17The beef was obviously delicious and very tender.
01:00:20Just enough acid to make it really palatable.
01:00:22Would hate to have been the one that had to face you in that kitchen today.
01:00:26It's actually kind of unbelievable how many things you put on the plate.
01:00:32This one is really difficult.
01:00:35These dishes are just both amazing.
01:00:38Like, it's down to just splitting hairs.
01:00:42Which dish is better?
01:00:47Matt.
01:00:50Phillip.
01:00:54I didn't want to make the deciding vote.
01:00:59I don't like being in this position at all.
01:01:18I don't like being in this position at all.
01:01:26Phillip.
01:01:28You serve your final dish.
01:01:32Thank you so much.
01:01:33I'm so sorry to see you go so soon.
01:01:36It's disappointing.
01:01:37You know, I mean, I think to do all the effort to come here and to face off on the
01:01:41first day.
01:01:42Great job.
01:01:43Great job.
01:01:43Beautiful work, Seth.
01:01:44You know, it's going to come down to splitting hairs.
01:01:48I think it's unfortunate that, you know, one of the best competitors goes home on day one, but so it
01:01:53is.
01:01:56Matt, congratulations.
01:01:57That was a really hard one.
01:01:59I know it's beentersweet.
01:02:01I can imagine.
01:02:03It's sad to see him go, but at the same time, I'm relieved and happy that I actually did beat
01:02:07him.
01:02:07I mean, there's a million dollars on the line.
01:02:11You can join the others in the kitchen.
01:02:15I think you're going to scare a couple of people when you open that door.
01:02:23Scary.
01:02:23To my surprise, Matt came out.
01:02:27I mean, either or I'm chuffed about one of them leaving.
01:02:39Congratulations, chefs.
01:02:41In a competition stacked with undeniable talent, the 12 of you showed you have what it takes.
01:02:48For now.
01:02:49But make no mistake, this is only the beginning.
01:02:52From here on out, it just gets harder.
01:02:55Next week, we begin with the culinary commandments.
01:02:59So get some sleep, chefs.
01:03:01You're going to need it.
01:03:06What a day.
01:03:07We just got rid of a quarter of the competition and won the sweep.
01:03:10And we haven't even started the commandments yet.
01:03:12Game on.
01:03:14This season on America's Culinary Cup.
01:03:17I'm feeling a little evil.
01:03:21Today's culinary commandment.
01:03:24Mastery of vegetables.
01:03:25Meat.
01:03:26Desserts.
01:03:27Culinary science and technology.
01:03:30Sauce.
01:03:33Going through these commandments has opened up a fire in me.
01:03:37Really unlocks your creativity.
01:03:38I'm going to cook my ass off.
01:03:40Cast your votes.
01:03:41It's like Chef Survivor.
01:03:42It's so much strategy.
01:03:44Is your head exploding, Buddha?
01:03:45Movement's cool.
01:03:46To win this competition, you can't just make like the best dish that you've ever made.
01:03:50You have to be really, really smart.
01:03:51Let's pick out one funky ingredient.
01:03:54Be nice.
01:03:55That's not how I play this game.
01:03:56We have to go from teammate to enemies very quickly.
01:04:00I think it needs to be a little bit sweeter.
01:04:01I don't.
01:04:02I firmly disagree.
01:04:03It's the drama.
01:04:04I like the drama.
01:04:06Whoa.
01:04:10I want to throw up every day.
01:04:12It'd be 10 out of 10, no notes.
01:04:15I certainly envy the way you think about food.
01:04:19You're going to make me cry, Wally.
01:04:21It's about your willpower and your fierceness.
01:04:26It's incredible to kind of see this sort of transformation.
01:04:29You're in the big leagues now.
01:04:31Let's hope I don't mess this up, America.
01:04:43Let's hope I don't mess this up, America.
01:05:02Let's hope I don't mess this up, America.
01:05:02Let's hope I don't mess this up, America.
01:05:03Let's hope I don't mess this up, America.
01:05:04Let's hope I don't mess this up, America.
01:05:05Let's hope I don't mess this up, America.
01:05:05Let's hope I don't mess this up, America.
01:05:06Let's hope I don't mess this up, America.
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