- 50 minutes ago
America's Culinary Cup Season 1 Episode 1
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00:00:02i'm padma lakshmi i've traveled the world exploring amazing food and meeting world-renowned chefs
00:00:08i'm the new york times best-selling author and a james beard award winner and that's why i've
00:00:14created this brand new cooking competition to honor the best chefs in america america's culinary cup
00:00:22is a test of our 10 culinary commandments not just challenges but the very standards that define
00:00:29every great chef master them and you stand among the elite master them here and you win one million
00:00:36dollars brought to you by our official cleanup partners don power wash we've scoured the nation
00:00:43to find the most elite chefs in america you got mail among the 16 chosen to receive an invitation
00:00:50are six michelin-starred chefs i just won a michelin star which is an absolute privilege and honor it's
00:00:57the best thing that's ever happened i received a michelin star in september of 2023 but i like to
00:01:02think that padma chose me because of my great looks my personality two boku store medalists
00:01:08i'm winning this no doubt two james beard award winners some people see me as small but like a
00:01:16little small thai chili it's spicy don't let it deceive you 14 james beard award nominees and multiple
00:01:23elite culinary distinctions food and wine best your chef arizona culinary hall of fame i don't care about
00:01:30your stars i don't care about your awards i'm gonna be a shark in the waters i'm gonna take it
00:01:35all
00:01:37they're leaving behind their restaurants their families to put it all on the line at my restaurant i
00:01:44hire formerly incarcerated my whole career is about providing opportunity me being in this competition
00:01:50is bigger than me competing matters so much to me that i postponed my wedding honestly i'm supposed
00:01:57to be getting married today
00:02:03this is a pursuit of greatness and the winner will have to be smart you know it's common sense you
00:02:09get
00:02:09rid of one of the best in the room cunning this is nothing and a little cutthroat watch your back
00:02:17to win a prize unmatched in culinary history and the honor of taking home america'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 a wood-fired
00:02:51oven after my heart
00:03:08it's so nice to see a familiar face beverly kim she's so talented and i'm definitely nervous about
00:03:15what she's going to put out in this competition hey chris i'm katie does that mean somebody else
00:03:21is coming out hello what's up everyone hey i'm beverly i'm so nice to meet you i'm a food and
00:03:29wine
00:03:30best new chef for 2014 and i've been nominated for i think eight james beard awards for most now
00:03:38how are you doing hi welcome i'm married i have a 19-month-old daughter and i am pregnant
00:03:48kara where are you at i had a kid a year and a half ago oh yeah so i'm pregnant
00:03:54again sort of took
00:03:55a big step back to my restaurants i'm in my second trimester i know i'm gonna be discounted but i
00:04:00know
00:04:00i have the resume and i have the accolades to back it up i just am rusty nervous about the
00:04:06rust
00:04:10wow impressive i'm the first american to place on the podium at the boca store competition having
00:04:15taken silver in 2015 and then coaching the team to goal in 2017 the boca store is recognized as the
00:04:20most prestigious culinary competition in the world 60 countries competing 2500 screaming fans winning
00:04:26silver was one of the most amazing moments in my life still get goosebumps thinking about it
00:04:31hello everyone chef after i did boca store i became the chef partner at press right in the heart of
00:04:38napa
00:04:38valley we got our first michelin star in 2022 hello sol nice to meet you nice to meet you
00:04:48i was the first american to win gold at the poker store people should be intimidated by me just
00:04:53based off of the experience that i have in a competition
00:05:00as soon as i walk in i see phil you know my coach from book store 2017
00:05:07i love this to see him man this is like getting punched in the face as soon as you walk
00:05:13in the door
00:05:15it's gonna be fun the book store is incredibly challenging hey katie hey how are you pleasure
00:05:24immediately you know kind of clocking philip and matt is having kind of perfect culinary technique
00:05:33how y'all doing
00:05:38hey how are you russell nice to meet you i'm looking around the room and there are a lot of
00:05:43faces that
00:05:43i recognize mr corbin yes yes there are all these cutthroat chefs with amazing lineage french
00:05:50laundry okay it is an arena and we are gladiators that are going to do battle
00:06:01good day everyone oh my gosh i had a feeling he was here he's so good
00:06:10what's up hey chris pleasure how's it going welcome welcome how you doing he has so much
00:06:18competition experience he just won two top chefs leave the rest for us how you doing how you doing
00:06:25good um nice to meet you i immediately recognized philip tessier and matt peters philip literally
00:06:34wrote a book on how to win the dacus duel this is going to be harder than i think but
00:06:38i came here to
00:06:39push myself i am so ready
00:06:46i don't have like any of this like fancy equipment i'm like some of this stuff i'm just like uh
00:06:51i have
00:06:52no idea what the this is congratulations oh yeah i haven't seen you since you had the baby yeah i
00:06:58have
00:06:58another one on the way you're crazy where are you coming from new york oh you're from new york yeah
00:07:03what
00:07:03are you guys austin texas okay yeah it's been many years in new york though oh really yeah where
00:07:08at uh per se yeah i love per se it's so good kind of like sizing these other chefs up
00:07:13a little bit
00:07:14i mean i'm here to win a million dollars
00:07:23we have oh my goodness
00:07:33hello chefs now that padma is into the arena it is on she has one of the most refined palates
00:07:40i've ever
00:07:40cooked for i can say confidently better palates and three-star chefs i am so excited to have you
00:07:47all here i love padma she's an incredible role model for my daughter for myself i just admire her so
00:07:56much
00:07:56welcome to the inaugural america's culinary cup
00:08:04america's culinary cup is unlike any competition you have ever seen before where how well you cook
00:08:13matters just as much as how well you play the game oh you're making us nervous at the end of
00:08:20this
00:08:21competition one of you will be walking away with america's culinary cup and one million dollars oh yeah
00:08:30the biggest prize ever to be given away in a culinary competition where else do you have a
00:08:36one in 16 chance to win a million dollars doing the very thing that you do every day like i
00:08:44come from
00:08:44watts bro it's a third world country within los angeles i spent time in prison wait where else do you
00:08:52get
00:08:52that chance let's go we're gonna make you work for it because we're introducing something we are calling
00:09:00the culinary commandments to make it to the end you have to master each of these commandments
00:09:08and you have to master them above and beyond your competitors i'm thinking the culinary commandments
00:09:16it'll be like something that i when i hire somebody you have to be multi-talented you can't just be
00:09:22a
00:09:22good fish cook before we get to the commandments you'll have to survive today because four of you will be
00:09:31eliminated
00:09:36today
00:09:54chefs are you ready for your first cook yes let's go it's simple all you have to do is make
00:10:01your best
00:10:01dish the dish that defines you as a chef this is where things get a little interesting you're going
00:10:09head to head oh my god that's right one-on-one the winner of each of these head-to-head
00:10:16match-ups will
00:10:17stay in the competition and whoever loses that head-to-head will be at risk for elimination
00:10:23day one this cutthroat one-on-one scenario that's a tough way to start the competition but
00:10:29you know game on do you want to know who you're going up against oh yeah yeah at random the
00:10:37name of
00:10:37one chef is gonna appear on that board i stole that from grand central station
00:10:47if your name appears you'll choose which chef you want to compete against oh my god remember chefs
00:10:56four of you will be eliminated tonight so be strategic because the game starts now i get picked
00:11:03who do i pick philip and matt were the book restore medalists i immediately clock up i wouldn't pick
00:11:08that all right let's see who's first
00:11:19melina look around what's your strategy who are you going to be able to beat
00:11:25uh
00:11:28i want to cook against sienna
00:11:32why did you pick diana she mentioned that she's not familiar with this equipment
00:11:36that's some good strategy smart move this bitch you know like i thought you were my friend chefs you
00:11:44can head to your stations note to self keep your mouth shut all right let's see who's next beverly
00:11:52who are you gonna cook against my strategy is to go with someone who offers the information that
00:11:58she hasn't been in the kitchen for two and a half years i would like to cook against kara
00:12:03yes i'm still in my kitchens every day so i think i have a good chance please head to your
00:12:07stations
00:12:11michael i want to go against you rochelle okay
00:12:17chris morgan katie sure who's next
00:12:23russell you're standing net right next to me son i was hoping for you pick me kim versus russell i
00:12:29have
00:12:29no knowledge of who no knowledge none whatsoever she she's probably gonna whoop my ass
00:12:34kim do you know russell i'm from san francisco uh-uh we'd see each other at the farmer's market or
00:12:40i
00:12:40guess i would see him i apologize for not recognizing but no no no it looks like okay so
00:12:45i'm irritated russell picked me but at the same time i'm gonna beat him i'm called a koala that's
00:12:51what my partner calls me he's like oh she looks so sweet and cute and then she'll scratch your face
00:12:55off i'm a koala all right who's next the list is getting smaller and i really don't want to have
00:13:01to go against phil probably my strongest competition so i wouldn't mind going head to head with anyone
00:13:08except buddha philip and matt that's it everyone else i'm like let's go chef let's do it and then
00:13:16there were four everyone seems to be afraid of you nobody's picking me i'm like what's going on here
00:13:25i don't want to go against buddha i don't want to go against matt so i'm not feeling great
00:13:32let's see who's next
00:13:37emily you got a pretty easy pick now although the two pukustor medalists or myself
00:13:42buddha's not gonna be the person i pick i'm gonna pick
00:13:48philip all right philip sounds good thanks god
00:13:54why i've watched buddha and i know matt i love um where he's worked per se which is one of
00:14:00my
00:14:00favorite restaurants and uh i didn't feel like i talked to philip enough so maybe ignorance is bliss
00:14:06she doesn't know anything about him philip have you cooked up per se i was part of the opening team
00:14:12there oh my stomach dropped what they don't know is that i have exactly the same training that they
00:14:20do and like work for all these like big name french chefs well that leaves matt and buddha do you
00:14:27know
00:14:27matt buddha i do so i end up with the goose door winner round one thank you let me introduce
00:14:35you to your
00:14:36judges oh a seafood savant whose los angeles restaurant providence was awarded the peak of
00:14:49culinary excellence three michelin stars he's a chef whose own beard is just as impressive as his james
00:14:59please welcome my dear friend michael cimarusti what's up petna hey this is amazing three michelin
00:15:06stars the creme de la creme like the guy's a beast cook for yourself first execute at your highest level
00:15:14don't forget that every detail matters oh that would be our other judge he is the luke skywalker of
00:15:23molecular gastronomy oh my god michelin star james beard award winner our own mad scientist wiley dufray
00:15:33hello hello hey nice to see you nice to see michael holy i'm a product of wiley i watched his
00:15:41videos
00:15:42when i should be studying oh my god this person is just cooking on a different level oh thank you
00:15:49something oh yeah hello chefs hello chef the chef that's gonna win america's culinary cup
00:15:56is gonna have to take some risk i say go for it don't hold back okay chefs now it's time
00:16:04for the
00:16:05challenge you will each get 75 minutes to make your best dish you'll be cooking on a stagger because we
00:16:15we want to make sure we taste your dish as it's intended melina and diana you're first your time
00:16:22starts now let's go let's go let's see what they pick chefs will be scored on four judging criteria
00:16:34taste creativity presentation and technique each category is worth five points for a total of 20
00:16:41points from each judge with a possible perfect score of 60. fruit fruit fruit best dish to me is like
00:16:48sophie's choice i cook mexican cuisine and like dedicate my life to my heritage like storytelling of
00:16:56my ancestors and just gets passed down from generation to generation now making it into my own you guys are
00:17:04coming home with me personally you want to do the honors it would be my pleasure padma chef
00:17:15i'll bet
00:17:18what are you making i'm making a little surf and turf
00:17:21where i received my michelin star was a spanish steakhouse
00:17:25i love cooking steaks no one is going to out cook me when it comes to red meat
00:17:30i'm going to start processing the lobster tails that's surf and turf it's a lot of work
00:17:34you're still moving beverly and kara your time starts now
00:17:44oh i see a smoking gun back there melina what are you making i'm smoking some garlic to make a
00:17:50vinaigrette for my tomato salad smoking garlic lobster steak man she's working michael and rochelle
00:17:57your time starts now
00:18:03oh rusty i'm feeling very nervous it's very obvious that i have not been cooking for two years
00:18:12for my best dish i'm making hemo pajeon a scallion and seafood pancake oh my god that sounds so good
00:18:20wow four people have to go home today i gotta nail this
00:18:23how about pajeon it is something that every korean household makes it really is something near and
00:18:30dear to my heart let's go katie and chris your time starts now all right let's do it i'm gonna
00:18:37make a mole negro so black mole made for mexican dried chilies one of my superpowers in cooking is my
00:18:43sauce work mole negro is really fun because you can take peppers and then blacken them whoa you smell
00:18:49those chilies also smells good look at that michael she's putting seafood in the paco jet rochelle what
00:18:54are you doing fish mousseline i grab scallops and hamachi and then i'm gonna suvi it that's awesome
00:19:01i want to be in this competition because i want to bring notoriety to arizona
00:19:07i know that nobody thinks of flagstaff when they think of great restaurants i want to prove them wrong
00:19:14i love making a plate just look like it's artistry back home i have two kids and a fiance i
00:19:23was so
00:19:23excited to get married today i can't lose i put off my wedding for this
00:19:30likely see that she's got the moose that's awesome on the hill up this is cool because
00:19:34she just made fish mousse in like seven minutes that's great
00:19:40so kim and russell your time starts now let's have some fun not my first trip to the rodeo i've
00:19:49been professionally cooking over 40 years i've probably forgotten more than most of these guys
00:19:54learned nope don't need that simplicity is probably my best choice keep it simple stupid
00:20:03so can we still be friends after this absolutely all right so and keith your time starts now okay
00:20:15emily and philip your time starts now
00:20:19my goal with the first cook was not to do anything too ambitious not too complicated to like run around
00:20:24this pantry with only 75 minutes our challenge is a dish that represents yourself for me that's
00:20:30california ingredients it's raw fish doing a little citrus cured hamachi bringing a little flavor
00:20:35california with us um this is a duck a la yuzu so to take on a duck a la orange
00:20:46but in a japanese way
00:20:48my style is adding a little japanese ingredients in everything that i do japanese french-ish i used to
00:20:54work for daniel balud he's the most famous chef in traditional french food and i worked for two
00:20:59michelin-starred restaurant called la gabbroche being like a woman in the kitchen working with
00:21:06all these like french italian chefs i've been through literally everything i mean even still now in the
00:21:13restaurant that i am at like people think i'm not the chef they think that the guy beside me is
00:21:18the
00:21:18chef but i think that's going to give me the edge because i'm always underestimated it is kind of my
00:21:24secret weapon i'm done with that buddha and matt your time starts now
00:21:34diana and melina one minute time flew by i bit off more than i can chew my station's a mess
00:21:43i still need to finish my salsa verde i'm worried about melina being able to do all the components of
00:21:50her
00:21:50dish oh i'm anxious oh no god
00:22:03oh i'm anxious come on come on come on do it do it four three two one hands up
00:22:16she doesn't look happy how'd it go i didn't get everything on my plate no no i am so disappointed
00:22:27this is by far not my best dish melina tell us what you made i made a little surf and
00:22:33surf not
00:22:34everything i prepared made it on the plate so i'm super disappointed what didn't make out i did the
00:22:39smoked tomatoes and i did a salsa verde for the steak as well the steak has really good flavor
00:22:44and is very tender i really like the mashed potatoes but the lobster unfortunately did not work
00:22:50out there are parts of it that feel a little gelatinous not good let's move on to diana tell
00:22:58us what you made pollo con pipian pipian is a seeded sauce the white sauce is spicy judging by the
00:23:05color
00:23:05i thought it was going to be tame my throat right now is like burning but in a good way
00:23:09i love the flavors of this dish yeah thank you both please go back to your station thank you thank
00:23:14you it is time to score gentlemen
00:23:24what you making little quail roulades with uh a mole what about yourself uh purple potato mole shut the up
00:23:38so i think those are going to turn out my previous career is in science i have a master's degree
00:23:45in
00:23:45biomedical engineering i almost started a phd in neuroscience let's get that cold and so i've kind
00:23:50of blended together science into cooking i have a restaurant in ashville north carolina we specialize in
00:23:59spanish tapas we opened the restaurant in 2011 we've been through recently a pandemic and a hurricane
00:24:05and it's been just like financially really difficult for the past five years and so
00:24:13as a parent and also a business owner for me a million dollars is stability for the future and
00:24:22stability is hard to come by i flip my duck press it's burned i don't want to put that on
00:24:33the plate
00:24:33four people will be going home at the end of the day and it's everything has to be well executed
00:24:38so i'm just gonna throw another one in the pan and hope for the best beverly and cara three two
00:24:43one
00:24:44hands up times up tell us what we have seafood hamel pajeon with uh onion and chili soy dipping sauce
00:24:55it looks traditional but there's some modern techniques behind it beverly i like your batter a lot
00:25:01yes i do think that all your ingredients are a little bit coarse it's making the pancake
00:25:07eat a little bit heavier than than it actually is okay thank you come on up cara
00:25:14it's kind of a smash up of two dishes that i do which is like a singapore chili crab slash
00:25:19pie curry you developed a lot of flavor in this broth it's delicious yes maybe just a bit more
00:25:24acid on the seafood itself would have really like elevated the dish to a different level thank you
00:25:29both thank you it's time to score what did you make for us michael i made a mole negro i
00:25:39cooked it
00:25:39in dashi and a little bit of puree of the rice this is something that i put on the menu
00:25:43at my restaurant
00:25:44two years ago and i found a lot of success the depth of the flavor you developed in that mole
00:25:48very flavorful dish for me your rice was a little tight i would have liked to have seen it a
00:25:52little
00:25:52bit looser a little bit more unctuous what did you make michelle sous vide hamachi with a scallop
00:26:00mousseline served with turnip i like the presentation we watched you work you work very neat this dish
00:26:06reflects that thank you honestly i feel that the fish was a little under seasoned
00:26:11i have bloodline a little bit which is not great but i appreciate the work thank you both thank you
00:26:18thank you thank you guys raw eggs baby
00:26:26chris and katie one minute heard
00:26:31wait i think i'm done five four three two one chris and katie time's up hands up please
00:26:42chris is looking mad i didn't finish the plate so oh chris i'm sorry
00:26:51what did you make chris so it's raz al hanoud seasoned duck breast beet borani cabbage with a
00:26:59miso harissa glaze what happened to the duck i got a little too much color on one of them picked
00:27:04a new
00:27:05one up and tried to rush it and it just wasn't ready and i just didn't want to serve you
00:27:08an incredibly
00:27:09raw duck which may have been better than serving none at all on two plates or just serving a smaller
00:27:13portions dividing my portion like i did obviously i didn't i didn't have duck on my plate but the
00:27:19razo hanoud is delicious really delicious i mean it would have been a spectacular vegetarian dish
00:27:25instead of trying to worry about us you could have taken it off of padma's nobody would have been the
00:27:30wiser katie tell us about your dish ajo blanco it's a chilled almond and garlic soup i know this dish
00:27:38well it's a beautiful rendition of a white caspacha thank you what i love about this is like you stepped
00:27:43aside and let the ingredients do the work all right thank you both thank you absolutely that roasted
00:27:49cabbage was fantastic you didn't need the duck i completely agree i mean perhaps it's because last
00:27:56night when michael and i went out to dinner we had you went out to dinner without me intentionally
00:28:01um we had we had cabbage on its own and it was spectacular yeah making a uh my version of
00:28:12a greek
00:28:12salad yes i'm making greek salad but it's not like any other greek salad you've ever had before
00:28:16it shows everything that i am playful whimsical i'm really hoping that the judges understand what
00:28:24i'm trying to portray i don't care what matt's making but i have to be a better scorer than him
00:28:31okay three two one russell and can the time's up oh my god i committed the cardinal sin of leaving
00:28:41an ingredient off i didn't put the potato on i can't have potato mole without a freaking potato
00:28:49look at the amateur yeah russell what did you make uni black barley mole done with japanese koji roasted
00:28:57mushroom charred onion did this come out the way you wanted it to were you happy with the outcome
00:29:02here i wanted to put the potato on there that i cooked um the dish confuses me i agree with
00:29:10michael
00:29:11which doesn't always happen but had you not told me this was a mole any kind of mole
00:29:17i would have never known sure kim what did you make for us i made a asian inspired mole with
00:29:24quail
00:29:24with a sesame twill kim i think your dish is really creative i like the flavor of the mole i
00:29:30think this
00:29:30might be the the nicest presentation we've seen so far but the quail a little bit dry perhaps
00:29:38tell us what you made keith panseer scallop with suya spice over top prima corn succotash fresh corn
00:29:45polenta the corn puree was great succotash there was a richness to it and i like the acidity that you
00:29:51brought in from the tomatoes very delicious keith this is a delicious plate of food thank you so
00:29:57i made a chufarsi mandu chufarsi is a classic french cabbage roll i made with a stuffing a little
00:30:04foie gras a very beautiful dish thank you but then i cut into it your cabbage is undercooked and then
00:30:11the farce to me was over salted thank you both this is a little fermented nardello kosho i look over
00:30:20at philip's dish and it is banging i am absolutely freaking out it's beautiful tell us what you made
00:30:27so on your left you have a citrus cured hamachi loin and then on the right hand side is the
00:30:32belly that's
00:30:32been cured also and then charred stunning dish all of the different sauces were fantastic it's beautiful
00:30:39it's elegant it's well executed i think just a few grains of salt but it's a high art plate yeah
00:30:46thank
00:30:46you what did you make emily duck breast with umeboshi date puree and on the side there is a homemade
00:30:57cherry kosho the duck was delicious the cherry kosho sauce for me came up off as a little bit salty
00:31:04okay
00:31:04i disagree with wiley okay yes this kosho is salty but it's a condiment it's supposed to be yep yep
00:31:14i liked it well done emily thank you both thank you nice job good job i'm sweaty
00:31:27hey buddha what do you got going on um just making some olives are you getting fancy olives yeah
00:31:33buddha's a flashy chef i can see he's playing off the the heart strings of wiley oh look at that
00:31:41that's fun but i'm not nervous i'm feeling confident in my dish matt and buddha three
00:31:48two one time's up hands up please
00:31:56matt what did you make for us a shrimp infused potato bellini on the bottom
00:32:00over top is a roasted langoustine tail and a tad a bit of caviar i love those potatoey pillows
00:32:08underneath so comforting and so elegant delicious elegant well done then
00:32:17oh very pretty what did you make buddha i made for you a greek salad a greek salad yeah tomato
00:32:24is
00:32:24marinated in a little bit of balsamic vinegar with goat's curd olive with some compressed cucumbers
00:32:29current tomatoes it's very easy to hide it against really luxurious ingredients but i think it takes a
00:32:34real chef to like really make a vegetable shine i think you undersold this dish when you called it a
00:32:40salad there's a you know tremendous amount of technique it's super playful a lot of fun a lot
00:32:46of flavors thank you well done how you encased that cheese that was a real surprise it looked exactly
00:32:53like a black olive until i bit into it and then all this cheese was oozing out in my mouth
00:32:59thank you
00:33:01all right chefs please gather around the scores are in i really hope i get past this first round
00:33:11four of us are going home on the first day this competition is mad
00:33:27these were some amazing head-to-head matchups but when this night ends four of you will be going home
00:33:35so let's see how you did our first matchup melina and diana
00:33:50wow diana's 40 against melina's 26. congratulations diana thank you yeah great job you're safe please
00:34:00head to the private dining room i'm super disappointed i really messed up the execution i just did too much
00:34:09and i think that was my downfall i'm just going to savor this moment because i'm the winner and uh
00:34:16she's a loser our next matchup beverly and kara
00:34:28oh kara 44 and beverly 38. congratulations kara you are safe you can head to the dining room i have
00:34:38no idea what's going to happen next i am up for elimination this round and it's stressing me out
00:34:44congrats i'm relieved i guess despite being rusty i'm still making really delicious food the next matchup
00:34:50is michael versus rochelle are you nervous very you want to see the scores absolutely
00:35:01i hate waiting it feels like an eternity
00:35:10wow that's close two points good job michael 38 rochelle 36. yes michael you can go to the private
00:35:22dining room be my guest good job guys good job thanks thanks i feel pretty shocked i'm super
00:35:33disappointed all right next up is chris who challenged katie
00:35:45that's the highest score so far katie's a force i mean she's a real competitor hey
00:35:53people in that room are going to be serious threats russell and kim
00:36:04kim 43 points against russell's 25. oh damn congratulations you can head to the private
00:36:12dining room thank you like i said i'm a koala out of a 60 to only get 25 just sucks
00:36:21i missed an easy kill
00:36:24and next we have soul versus keith i think i whooped his ass oh all right
00:36:32why do you think you whipped his ass because i i cooked with so i took the soul right from
00:36:37him
00:36:37oh keith you're pretty confident let's see if the scoreboard agrees with you
00:36:43oh keith second highest score 50 points to the second highest score you didn't just whip his
00:36:54ass you whipped everyone's ass well deserved keith thank you thank you thank you that's
00:36:59katashka sucked my ass i think i should have won
00:37:05i'm getting my groove baby next up emily you challenged philip let's see what the big board says
00:37:20philip 47 emily 49. oh so close wow emily thank you sir oh wow this is a hot mess like
00:37:31i'm like
00:37:32i felt like i'd clearly be here wow by two points i feel so relieved that i beat philip
00:37:42i am on a high who needs drugs
00:37:48and our final matchup matt versus buddha
00:37:58oh wow buddha by the skin of your nose with one point 52 to 51. buddha now has the highest
00:38:10score
00:38:11yeah wow i just won against the bakustal god medalists with a greek salad that's cool good luck
00:38:19okay was i expecting it to be a challenge at the beginning yes am i surprised to lose to buddha
00:38:24absolutely i'm back hey congrats buddha i had enough of this guy
00:38:35chefs don't worry you're not gonna go home just yet
00:38:43it can't be great
00:38:51wow and they're gone very ominous all of a sudden the windows go white
00:38:56chefs you can breathe easy you'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 and you will be picking
00:39:08the match up oh it's a really big responsibility nothing
00:39:16i mean having this much power is fantastic i love life let's play the game
00:39:24okay here's what's gonna happen next all eight of you will have to cook again in another head-to-head
00:39:30battle
00:39:33win and you earn your spot in america's culinary cup lose
00:39:40and you're going home i was super excited going up in that elevator earlier today but now i'm just
00:39:47a ball of nervous energy i do not want to go home on the first day for this round you'll
00:39:52each have to
00:39:52make your best version of a classic dish fried chicken clam chowder shrimp and grits or beef stroganoff
00:40:02and this time you're not choosing your competitor or your dish they are
00:40:13how do we want to pair them can we just look at people's experiences like you know beverly like
00:40:19what style of food is she cooking currently and what's the furthest from that i have to be strategic
00:40:24pair the people up based on who would be the toughest competition for each other and who's going to be
00:40:31the
00:40:31weakest at the particular dish i would pay big money to watch the because you still coach the
00:40:36because you still compared it out on the one-on-one so my question is do we separate them two
00:40:42and put
00:40:43them up against someone depending on what their cook is and probably got a chance to knock them both
00:40:48out we have the opportunity to take out a biku still medalist and it'd be stupid enough to do it
00:40:55me and buddha cook beside them we know how good they are the two people that everyone here is most
00:40:59worried about are there and we're in here yeah the con about working together is that people aren't on the
00:41:05same page oh i don't like it at all how you guys doing out there i've been better we're good
00:41:12hanging
00:41:12in there philip you're looking very worried it's just wheels turning the first thought that went
00:41:17through my head was you know it's going to be matt and i we're going to be up against each
00:41:20other
00:41:20because you know common sense you get rid of one of the best in the room i know what chris
00:41:25cooks i
00:41:26think rochelle and chris should go against each other because you think he can beat her yeah
00:41:31what i think that people underestimated her i mean her food looks beautiful she could be this like
00:41:37little assassin underneath i'm really rooting for chris and i want him in the game what that's supposed
00:41:42no way we want to make the hardest match you just don't know what's coming up in this competition
00:41:49it's important to like have allies there is a million dollars online so like we need to make strategic
00:41:55decisions all we do know is only one of each is coming back so so we all agree we all
00:42:05agree yeah let's do it
00:42:11oh god it looks like they're ready let's go see how much they like us
00:42:33there they come they walked into the room and nobody wanted to look me in the eye i can tell
00:42:38you right now i'm pretty sure buddha was leading the charge in that room and that guy is mr strategy
00:42:42and this is like candyland for him it's gonna be matt and i we're gonna be up against each other
00:42:45zero
00:42:46question all right let's see the pairings the chefs going head to head making fried chicken are
00:42:56uh melina versus rochelle honestly i'm relieved i'm feeling pretty good i could definitely be her
00:43:04our second head to head clam chowder russell versus chris let's go all right next is beat striganoff
00:43:16philip and matt it's all that coming yeah pretty sure buddha led that conversation yes i did
00:43:24Y, of course,
00:43:26por shrimp and grits,
00:43:27that leaves Beverly and Sol.
00:43:29Never made shrimp and grits in my life.
00:43:31Never.
00:43:32Interesting.
00:43:36Chefs, you can head to your stations.
00:43:38You have one hour
00:43:40to 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,
00:43:51your 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
00:44:09that goes home.
00:44:11I have to bring it.
00:44:12Fried chicken is the last thing
00:44:15that I want to make.
00:44:16There's a very small window of error.
00:44:18But if I can get everything done,
00:44:21I 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 got to debon it.
00:44:31Bone leaves room for error.
00:44:33It takes longer.
00:44:34You know, anything cooked on the bone
00:44:35and it's going to 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, go, go, Rochelle.
00:44:48Chris.
00:44:50Go, baby.
00:44:52Brutal.
00:44:53I like clam chowder a lot,
00:44:55but I don't make clam chowder.
00:44:56I make the best damn clam chowder.
00:45:00Oh, and it's, oh, so good.
00:45:03Moving with intent.
00:45:04Picked up the pace.
00:45:06Oh!
00:45:08Hell yeah, Kev.
00:45:09We love fire.
00:45:10I want to riff on a classic
00:45:12red clam chowder.
00:45:14Very famous celebrity chef
00:45:16taught me this sort of base
00:45:17and we'll add some clams.
00:45:20It'll be soft, sweet,
00:45:22have a nice edge to it
00:45:23without being too crazy.
00:45:25I'm making a Jamaican clam curry
00:45:28all with a potato base.
00:45:29My aunt on my mom's side
00:45:31is Jamaican.
00:45:33She would bring stuff back from Jamaica,
00:45:35you know, scotch bonnets
00:45:36and various different ingredients
00:45:37that we couldn't get here.
00:45:38Those memories stick with you.
00:45:40I'm aware that Padma likes heat,
00:45:42so I'm definitely not
00:45:43shying away from it.
00:45:44You should be sweating
00:45:45if you're eating
00:45:45a Jamaican-style curry.
00:45:48All right.
00:45:51Woo!
00:45:52Pull!
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,
00:45:59but I'm relieved that
00:46:01we have a chance
00:46:02to cook a second time
00:46:04to poo ourselves.
00:46:06Even though I have
00:46:08a lot of accolades
00:46:09under my belt.
00:46:09I feel like quite the underdog
00:46:11since birth.
00:46:12Being told that
00:46:13I should have been a boy
00:46:15automatically told me
00:46:16that, like, maybe I'm not
00:46:17ever going to 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
00:46:23and my businesses.
00:46:25I really don't want
00:46:26to 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
00:46:31making shrimp and grits,
00:46:32so why not do it
00:46:33on national TV, baby?
00:46:35I know that grits
00:46:36pairs really well
00:46:38with butter,
00:46:40parmesan, pecorino,
00:46:41so I'm thinking
00:46:42I'm going to make
00:46:43shrimp and grits
00:46:44in the style of carbonara.
00:46:46It's creative,
00:46:48it's something
00:46:48outside the box.
00:46:49I have a thing.
00:46:51I always say,
00:46:51oh, that's a Sol Han dish.
00:46:55This is annoying.
00:46:56I'm here,
00:46:56and I should be over there.
00:46:58If I'm being honest,
00:46:59I didn't push super hard
00:47:00because I was just like,
00:47:01let me just play it safe,
00:47:02survive day one.
00:47:03And unfortunately,
00:47:04that decision landed me
00:47:05straight next to Matt Peters,
00:47:06and we've worked together.
00:47:08I coached him winning gold,
00:47:09one of my best friends,
00:47:11and, you know,
00:47:11here we are.
00:47:15Go, man!
00:47:16Go, Phillip!
00:47:16Go, Steve Stroganoff!
00:47:17You got this!
00:47:19I've been waiting
00:47:20for this matchup
00:47:21because it's the Bakus dual coach
00:47:23and the gold medalists
00:47:24going against each other.
00:47:25You'll pay for this?
00:47:26I'd pay, yeah,
00:47:27pay-per-view for this.
00:47:28I know what Phillip's
00:47:30capable of.
00:47:31He's disciplined.
00:47:32He's very structured,
00:47:33but also we come from
00:47:35the same kind of cloth.
00:47:36It's a battle of the ages, guys.
00:47:39I worked at Adore
00:47:40by Alain Ducasse,
00:47:42two-star restaurant.
00:47:43I've worked for Thomas Keller
00:47:44for almost eight years.
00:47:46Per se,
00:47:46a three-star restaurant,
00:47:47as well as
00:47:48the French Laundry,
00:47:49the number one restaurant
00:47:50in America.
00:47:51And now I own my own restaurant
00:47:52called Prelude
00:47:53in Austin, Texas.
00:47:55It's kind of a fine dining,
00:47:57hip, fun cocktail lounge,
00:47:58if you will.
00:47:59I have big dreams
00:48:00for Prelude.
00:48:01When I got into
00:48:02the Baku store,
00:48:02I thought it was going
00:48:03to open up doors,
00:48:04but it didn't happen.
00:48:05We don't really have
00:48:06a full-scale kitchen.
00:48:07We kind of do the best
00:48:08with what we have.
00:48:10I'm here not only
00:48:12for my restaurant,
00:48:13I'm here for my wife
00:48:14and my two kids.
00:48:15Where'd you go?
00:48:19Winning the million dollars
00:48:20is going to help me
00:48:23actually get the life
00:48:25that I want to give them.
00:48:27I just need to beat Phil
00:48:28to get there.
00:48:29Let the best chef win.
00:48:31Right now,
00:48:31I'm making a pasta dough.
00:48:32Probably the fastest one
00:48:33I've ever made in my life.
00:48:35For me,
00:48:35it's about bringing
00:48:36as much technique and flavor
00:48:37as I can to win.
00:48:38Hopefully,
00:48:39it comes out good.
00:48:40Back home rooting for me
00:48:41as my family.
00:48:41My wife,
00:48:42who's been on my side now
00:48:43for 26 years altogether.
00:48:44And, you know,
00:48:45my three kids.
00:48:46So if you were to bet
00:48:47against me or the world,
00:48:49what would you bet?
00:48:49The world.
00:48:50What?
00:48:51Wow!
00:48:53I think my daughter
00:48:54sarcastically maybe
00:48:55supports me.
00:48:58Hey, Coach.
00:49:00Have any last-minute advice
00:49:01for a student?
00:49:02Chef,
00:49:02there's no students here today.
00:49:04It's been decades
00:49:05since I've had a stroganoff.
00:49:08Knowing the caliber
00:49:09of those two chefs,
00:49:10you're never going to have
00:49:10another stroganoff again
00:49:12that reaches, like,
00:49:13these heights.
00:49:13Yeah, exactly.
00:49:15Like, you'll be spoiled
00:49:16for stroganoff after this.
00:49:20Rochelle has some pickles
00:49:21going right now.
00:49:24They look pretty good.
00:49:25Yeah?
00:49:25They're good?
00:49:28This makes it a little bit
00:49:29of creme fraiche,
00:49:30a little bit of escalate.
00:49:32Come on!
00:49:32Let's go!
00:49:32Let's go!
00:49:33Let's go!
00:49:33You guys got this!
00:49:34Got this!
00:49:35Let's go!
00:49:35Let's go!
00:49:38Time's up.
00:49:39Feeling very nervous
00:49:40and very anxious.
00:49:41There's definitely
00:49:43a possibility
00:49:43of me going home.
00:49:45Compared to Melina's,
00:49:46I feel like mine's
00:49:47very refined.
00:49:50But my heart
00:49:52is wanting
00:49:52to just jump
00:49:53out of my chest.
00:49:54Thank you.
00:49:55Thank you.
00:49:56Thank you.
00:49:56This looks great.
00:49:58What did you make, Melina?
00:50:00I made a fried chicken
00:50:01with a tamarind
00:50:03and saffron honey
00:50:04with whipped buttermilk.
00:50:06Tamarind and saffron honey?
00:50:07Yes.
00:50:09Your fried chicken's
00:50:10excellent.
00:50:11It's juicy,
00:50:12but it's thoroughly cooked.
00:50:15I liked the buttermilk foam.
00:50:17I think your breading
00:50:18is great.
00:50:19Thank you.
00:50:19My issue with this
00:50:21is the saffron
00:50:22is very strong
00:50:23and very distracting.
00:50:24Understood.
00:50:26Rochelle,
00:50:27tell us about
00:50:28your fried chicken.
00:50:29So I made
00:50:29a fried chicken thigh
00:50:31cooked in buttermilk
00:50:32with pickles.
00:50:35I mean,
00:50:35the chicken's cooked
00:50:36beautifully.
00:50:36Like, it's really juicy.
00:50:37It's very moist.
00:50:38There's, like,
00:50:39orange kind of sauce
00:50:40over the top.
00:50:41What is that?
00:50:41So I did a mustard aioli
00:50:43with clabber and chilies.
00:50:44I wish I had more of it.
00:50:46I mean,
00:50:47I would have loved
00:50:47to have had more
00:50:48of that sauce,
00:50:48maybe even a ramekin of it
00:50:49to sort of dip in.
00:50:51It'd feel a little bit
00:50:52more schnitzel-leaning,
00:50:53so it didn't feel
00:50:55quite as fried chicken-y,
00:50:56but it was delicious.
00:50:57Thank you, chef.
00:50:59You know,
00:51:00it's tough
00:51:00because both of you
00:51:02gave us juicy,
00:51:04tender chicken.
00:51:06You both fried it well.
00:51:07It's a big decision
00:51:08because only one of you
00:51:10can stay.
00:51:12Wiley,
00:51:13who made the better dish?
00:51:19Melina.
00:51:20Thank you, chef.
00:51:22Tonight,
00:51:23to my mind,
00:51:24Rochelle,
00:51:25you made the better dish.
00:51:26Thank you, chef.
00:51:28So I guess it lies with me.
00:51:31Time has literally stopped.
00:51:34I put off my wedding
00:51:35to do this,
00:51:36and if I go home now,
00:51:38what was it for?
00:51:52Both of you gave us
00:51:53delicious food,
00:51:55but...
00:51:57Rochelle...
00:52:02You've served your final dish.
00:52:05You can exit the kitchen.
00:52:08Thank you, Rochelle.
00:52:09Thank you, chefs.
00:52:10Thank you.
00:52:14There's a lot of emotions.
00:52:17Doesn't feel good
00:52:18to be knocked out.
00:52:19You know,
00:52:20the chefs are so talented.
00:52:22It really brings out
00:52:24a lot of,
00:52:26like,
00:52:27ambition in you
00:52:27when you really think about,
00:52:29like,
00:52:29your food differently
00:52:30and you want to be,
00:52:31like,
00:52:32great.
00:52:34Woo!
00:52:35Hey!
00:52:37Hey!
00:52:37Yeah!
00:52:38All right!
00:52:42The judging was very close,
00:52:44but I came out on top,
00:52:46and I'm happy to be here.
00:52:49Is that 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.
00:52:56Two minutes.
00:52:56I'm pre-plating
00:52:57a lot of these ingredients,
00:52:58and at this point,
00:52:59after what happened
00:53:00to me last challenge,
00:53:01I don't want to go home
00:53:02because I didn't get
00:53:03everything on the plate.
00:53:04Shaking like a leaf.
00:53:05I don't know if it's
00:53:06the way too much coffee I had
00:53:07or just the nerves,
00:53:08probably 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.
00:53:19You feel good?
00:53:21Yeah.
00:53:21Hey, guys.
00:53:22How you doing?
00:53:23Thank you.
00:53:25I am my worst critic,
00:53:27but today,
00:53:28I cooked a banger, man.
00:53:30I cooked an absolute banger.
00:53:32I made a red clam chowder.
00:53:35The soup base
00:53:35is actually
00:53:36the tomato fennel base.
00:53:38I used clams in the steam,
00:53:39and then I used
00:53:40leftover clam juice
00:53:40from the steaming as well.
00:53:42Russell, is this
00:53:42a chunk of lobster?
00:53:44There's a little chunk
00:53:44of lobster in there as well.
00:53:46I love your red chowder.
00:53:48Elegant, pristine, colorful.
00:53:51But if I didn't know
00:53:52this was supposed
00:53:53to be clam chowder,
00:53:54I wouldn't have
00:53:55sussed that out for myself.
00:53:59There's a lot going on.
00:54:01Removing a couple of items
00:54:02would have helped you.
00:54:04Chris, what did you make for us?
00:54:06Uh, so you have
00:54:06a Jamaican clam curry.
00:54:10Are you okay?
00:54:12I'm great.
00:54:13This is the spiciest thing
00:54:14I have eaten in a long time.
00:54:17Yeah, there's a lot going on here,
00:54:19but this dish
00:54:19put a big smile on my face.
00:54:21I just think that you put
00:54:22too much of each item
00:54:23in the bowl.
00:54:24Yes, Chef.
00:54:24Thank you.
00:54:26Both of you gave us
00:54:27such out-there chowders
00:54:29that I've never had before.
00:54:31So which dish is better?
00:54:33Michael?
00:54:34For me, today,
00:54:36Chris's chowder
00:54:37takes the day.
00:54:38Thank you, Chef.
00:54:39Yeah.
00:54:40Wiley, 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
00:54:53for a few minutes
00:54:54until some other curveball
00:54:56comes our way.
00:54:58Russell,
00:54:58you've served your final dish,
00:55:00but for what it's worth,
00:55:02the feeling is unanimous.
00:55:06Thanks, guys.
00:55:07God bless.
00:55:07See you soon.
00:55:09They didn't get it.
00:55:11Yeah, I could have
00:55:12upped the volume on the clam,
00:55:13but 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.
00:55:26Let's stop.
00:55:27I'm not going home.
00:55:28Now I can just sit
00:55:29and watch the remaining four
00:55:31duke 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.
00:55:45Good job.
00:55:47Hi, Sol.
00:55:48Hi.
00:55:53Sol, what did you make?
00:55:55Shrimp and grits
00:55:56in the style of carbonara,
00:55:58a little pancetta,
00:55:59pecorino,
00:56:00parmesan cheese,
00:56:01and it's made like
00:56:02an egg yolk jam.
00:56:03I love your thought process.
00:56:05The idea of reimagining
00:56:06it as carbonara.
00:56:07To my mind,
00:56:08it's under-seasoned.
00:56:10I think that it could have
00:56:11used quite a bit more salt.
00:56:13It also seized up a little,
00:56:15and that's not good for grits.
00:56:17Beverly, what did you make?
00:56:18I made shrimp and grits,
00:56:20and then a little bit
00:56:22of crispy garlic,
00:56:23and, like, fresh cilantro.
00:56:25Your grits were so different
00:56:28from Sol's grits.
00:56:30They were creamy.
00:56:32I think you developed
00:56:33a ton of flavor here.
00:56:34The broth is delicious.
00:56:35I loved the sauce
00:56:37that you conjured up.
00:56:38It was fantastic.
00:56:39But my shrimp are pretty under.
00:56:42I would like to have seen them
00:56:43cook just a hair or more.
00:56:47Both really, really
00:56:49interesting dishes.
00:56:50Only one of you
00:56:52can remain in the competition.
00:56:53Wiley,
00:56:54who had the better dish?
00:56:59Beverly.
00:57:03Michael?
00:57:05Beverly.
00:57:08Yes!
00:57:11Congratulations, Beverly.
00:57:15So, unfortunately,
00:57:17you served your final dish.
00:57:18Thank you.
00:57:19That's a ball buster.
00:57:22I did not think
00:57:23I was going to get
00:57:24knocked out right away.
00:57:26I'm still going to be
00:57:28coming up with amazing food,
00:57:30opening up new restaurants,
00:57:31and still have my name out there.
00:57:33But, you know,
00:57:34I'm going to be full
00:57:35from this humble pie
00:57:36for a while.
00:57:44Yeah, man!
00:57:45It really shows, like,
00:57:46anything is possible.
00:57:48Anything is possible.
00:57:49You don't have to, like,
00:57:50worry if you're not
00:57:52big enough,
00:57:54small enough.
00:57:55It felt, like, so good.
00:57:56Woo!
00:58:03Watching Matt and Phillip
00:58:04is amazing.
00:58:06It is master of a student
00:58:08coming together.
00:58:09So sorry that I find it cool
00:58:11that you're going head-to-head.
00:58:12With the noodles?
00:58:13It's a sheet of noodle, right?
00:58:14It's, like, one sheet.
00:58:16Build to have a medium-rare meat
00:58:18inside a pasta.
00:58:19A little inside.
00:58:20Look at their stations.
00:58:21They're so clean.
00:58:22Yeah, I know.
00:58:24The medical stations.
00:58:25It's like they haven't even started.
00:58:26That is definitely not
00:58:27what mine looks like.
00:58:34Good job, guys!
00:58:39It is a very strange moment.
00:58:41I mean, Matt and I
00:58:42have never gone against each other.
00:58:43We've always been a team,
00:58:44but, you know,
00:58:46here we are.
00:58:47Hello.
00:58:48Hello!
00:58:50Wow.
00:58:52Two different takes
00:58:52on this one.
00:58:54Wow.
00:58:58Matt, what did you make for us?
00:59:00Beef stroganoff.
00:59:01I knew we were going to have
00:59:02a nice, fancy
00:59:03boat cruise store plate
00:59:04next to it,
00:59:05so I was like,
00:59:05you know what?
00:59:06I'm going to go
00:59:06more the way I grew up with it.
00:59:08Made the fresh pasta there
00:59:10and did a roasted mushroom.
00:59:11Made that with the sauce
00:59:13and then took that base,
00:59:14the filling for the pasta there.
00:59:16And then I took
00:59:17the most tender cut
00:59:18of the ribeye,
00:59:19almost in its simplest form.
00:59:23Matt, I loved
00:59:25your mushroom sauce.
00:59:26Thank you.
00:59:27It was creamy
00:59:28and unctuous.
00:59:30It took me way back,
00:59:31way, way back.
00:59:34I'm going to put
00:59:35one of these agnolotti
00:59:36in my pocket for later.
00:59:37I mean, it's simple
00:59:39in its presentation,
00:59:40but there's a lot
00:59:40of complexity.
00:59:41Richness in the sauce,
00:59:42flavor in the sauce,
00:59:44hard to find fault with it.
00:59:45I probably need
00:59:46four or five hours
00:59:47to make this,
00:59:47so well done.
00:59:50What did you make?
00:59:51So this is the
00:59:52beef stroganoff dish.
00:59:54Took the beef
00:59:55and put the sauce inside,
00:59:57wrapped it in the pasta
00:59:57with a little bit
00:59:58of black truffle.
00:59:59And then there was
00:59:59a little cream mushroom soup
01:00:00on the side.
01:00:01Cheers.
01:00:02Yeah, cheers.
01:00:03Cheers.
01:00:08That's intense.
01:00:10I loved how beautiful
01:00:11this looked.
01:00:12It looked like
01:00:13the highest-end restaurant
01:00:14I could hope
01:00:15to get a reservation in.
01:00:17The beef was obviously
01:00:18delicious and very tender,
01:00:20just enough acid
01:00:21to make it really palatable.
01:00:22Would hate to have been
01:00:23the one that had to face you
01:00:24in that kitchen today.
01:00:26It's actually kind of
01:00:27unbelievable how many things
01:00:29you put on the plate.
01:00:31Thank you.
01:00:32This one is really difficult.
01:00:35These dishes are just
01:00:36both amazing.
01:00:38Like, it's down to
01:00:39just splitting hairs.
01:00:42Which dish is better?
01:00:47Matt.
01:00:50Philip.
01:00:52Thank you.
01:00:54I didn't want to make
01:00:56the deciding vote.
01:00:59I don't like being
01:01:01in this position at all.
01:01:18I don't like being
01:01:20in this position at all.
01:01:26Philip.
01:01:28You served your final dish.
01:01:32Thank you so much.
01:01:33I'm so sorry
01:01:34to see you go so soon.
01:01:36It's disappointing.
01:01:37You know, I mean,
01:01:38I think to do all the effort
01:01:39to come here
01:01:39and to face off
01:01:41on the first day.
01:01:42Great job.
01:01:43Thank you.
01:01:43Great job.
01:01:43Beautiful work, Seth.
01:01:44Thank you.
01:01:44You know, it's going to
01:01:45come down to splitting hairs.
01:01:48I think it's unfortunate
01:01:49that, you know,
01:01:50one of the best competitors
01:01:51goes home on day one,
01:01:52but so it is.
01:01:56Matt, congratulations.
01:01:57That was a really hard one.
01:02:00I know it's bittersweet.
01:02:01I can imagine.
01:02:03It's sad to see him go,
01:02:04but at the same time,
01:02:05I'm relieved and happy
01:02:06that I actually did beat him.
01:02:08I mean,
01:02:08there's a million dollars
01:02:09on the line.
01:02:11You can join the others
01:02:12in the kitchen.
01:02:13Thank you.
01:02:14Thank you.
01:02:15I think you're going to
01:02:16scare a couple people
01:02:16when you open that door.
01:02:18Thank you.
01:02:19Thank you.
01:02:20Thank you.
01:02:21Thank you.
01:02:23Scary.
01:02:24I'm sorry.
01:02:25My surprise,
01:02:26Matt came out.
01:02:27I mean,
01:02:28either or,
01:02:29I'm chuffed
01:02:30about one of them leaving.
01:02:39Congratulations, chefs.
01:02:41In a competition
01:02:42stacked with undeniable talent,
01:02:44the 12 of you
01:02:45showed you have
01:02:46what it takes
01:02:47for now.
01:02:49But make no mistake,
01:02:51this is only the beginning.
01:02:52From here on out,
01:02:54it just gets harder.
01:02:55Next week,
01:02:56we begin
01:02:57with 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
01:03:08of a quarter
01:03:08of the competition
01:03:09and one sleep.
01:03:10And we haven't even
01:03:11started the commandments yet.
01:03:12Game on.
01:03:14This season
01:03:15on America's Culinary Cup.
01:03:17I'm feeling
01:03:18a little evil.
01:03:21Today's Culinary Commandment.
01:03:24Mastery of vegetables.
01:03:25Meat.
01:03:26Desserts.
01:03:27Culinary science
01:03:28and technology.
01:03:30Sauce.
01:03:33Going through
01:03:33these commandments
01:03:34has opened up
01:03:35a fire in me.
01:03:37Really unlocks
01:03:38your creativity.
01:03:38I'm going to cook
01:03:39my ass off.
01:03:40Cast your votes.
01:03:41It's like Chef Survivor.
01:03:43It's so much strategy.
01:03:44Is your head
01:03:44exploding, Buddha?
01:03:45This is cool.
01:03:46To win this competition,
01:03:48you can't just make
01:03:48like the best dish
01:03:49that you've ever made.
01:03:50You have to be
01:03:50really, really smart.
01:03:52Let's pick out
01:03:52one funky ingredient.
01:03:54Be nice.
01:03:55That's not how
01:03:55I play this game.
01:03:56We have to go from
01:03:57teammate to enemies
01:03:59very quickly.
01:04:00I think it needs
01:04:01to 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
01:04:11every day.
01:04:12Be 10 out of 10
01:04:13no notes.
01:04:15I certainly envy
01:04:16the way you think
01:04:17about food.
01:04:19You're going to make
01:04:19me cry, Wally.
01:04:20It's about your willpower
01:04:22and your fierceness.
01:04:25It's incredible
01:04:26to kind of see
01:04:28this sort of
01:04:28transformation.
01:04:29You're in the
01:04:30big leagues now.
01:04:31Let's hope I don't
01:04:31mess this up, America.
01:04:41Delicious.
01:04:41Delicious.
01:04:43I'm a little bit
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