- 6 weeks ago
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00:01Previously on Next Level Chef.
00:03Go!
00:04Marta, Zach, and Isaiah,
00:05you still have one last chance to save yourselves.
00:08And this rice is just not cooking.
00:10I thought it was sherry wine, but I grabbed sherry vinegar.
00:14I have to restart my risotto.
00:16The risotto that was the least successful
00:18was the shrimp risotto.
00:20Marta.
00:21I'm walking out of here ten times a chef
00:23as I did walking in here.
00:26And tonight...
00:27Richard!
00:28Yes, Gordon!
00:28There's some rice for good luck.
00:30It's raining down there.
00:31This guy's too much, man.
00:33He went right back to risotto.
00:35What's he thinking?
00:36I know, chef. I know.
00:37It feels like it's a dish that looks half-finished.
00:40I want more from this individual.
00:42This was a bad grab.
00:43I puke right now.
01:01All right!
01:03Welcome back!
01:06I am loving the energy.
01:09Yes, chef.
01:10We are down to the fantastic final five.
01:13This is big, because today's challenge will earn some of you a place in the semi-finals.
01:20We're just a few cooks away from $250,000.
01:24It's right there.
01:25I can taste it.
01:26I'm so close.
01:28Isaiah.
01:29When we think about the beginning of this journey, and the nerves and the minimum ingredients,
01:34you're taking off, man.
01:35I only have just under two years of experience cooking, and, you know, I'm in the top five,
01:40and I'm beyond blessed.
01:42Coming from football to the kitchen, I finally feel like I belong here.
01:47I'm top five, man.
01:49Gabby, how are you feeling right now?
01:51I'm just a kid from a small town in the middle of Pennsylvania, and I've made it really
01:56far, and I just, I mean, I tear up every day just being here.
02:00It means so much to me.
02:02This emotion is just coming from this crazy journey that we've been on, and so that's
02:09how bad I want it.
02:10I just want to keep going.
02:14Now, listen carefully.
02:15A next-level chef has to be able to move constantly with the times.
02:18That means keeping up to speed with the latest food trends, because for today's challenge,
02:24you'll be working with an ingredient that has exploded in popularity, kombucha.
02:32Kombucha, it started out as just your everyday sort of fermented probiotic drink, but it's
02:39truly become synonymous with this sort of healthy lifestyle.
02:42I love kombucha.
02:44Kombucha, after a workout, is like the best.
02:47It's just, I've never cooked with it, so this is going to be a first-time experience.
02:51Kombucha, with all of the natural flavor of different fruits and herbs, can work perfectly
02:56with a variety of different ingredients.
02:59Get creative.
03:01You've got amazing sauces.
03:02You could use it as a marinade, even a glaze, a pickle.
03:06You can use it as a flavor to create anything.
03:10Yes, chef.
03:10Today, all of you are going to have 30 minutes to create a next-level dish using that kombucha.
03:17Taste it first before you cook with it.
03:19Understand what you're working with.
03:20Got it?
03:21Yes, chef.
03:22Now, as you know, where you cook is determined by how you cook.
03:27And based on the last challenge, Gabby and Christina, you're starting in the dream kitchen,
03:32that top-level kitchen.
03:33However, Christina, you won that amazing time token.
03:38That gives you an advantage to stay on your own at that platform for 10 seconds.
03:44Or, you can take 10 seconds away from one of your fellow competitors.
03:51Think carefully.
03:54It's me against myself at this point, and I want that 10 seconds at that platform.
03:59Love it.
04:00Naisha, Rich, and I are expecting a perfect dish.
04:02I know.
04:03In 30 minutes.
04:04I know.
04:04There's no excuses.
04:05Yeah.
04:05Okay?
04:06It's like a double-edged sword.
04:08I feel really good that I have that 10 seconds for myself, but really bad knowing that I have to
04:14have the perfect dish.
04:16Jordan, congrats.
04:18You get the whole middle kitchen to yourself today.
04:20That's crazy.
04:21And you and I finally get to cook together.
04:24Let's do it.
04:24I've been waiting.
04:25I've been waiting, chef.
04:26Save.
04:27Jack, Isaiah, I'm down there in the basement with you today.
04:30Both of you have what it takes to cook your way up.
04:32For sure.
04:33Good.
04:34Right.
04:34Christina, Gabby, head to the elevator.
04:37I will be joining you both shortly in that top kitchen.
04:40Christina, use that time to calm your mind.
04:42Yeah, totally.
04:43Focus.
04:43I got this.
04:44Good luck.
04:52Let's do it.
04:53Woo!
04:54Woo!
04:55Here we go.
04:58Let's do this.
05:00All right.
05:00Top pick, girl.
05:01Let's go.
05:02Ha!
05:14It's so quiet in here I can hear my own thoughts.
05:19Normally it's kind of like frantic and panic.
05:21It's weird.
05:22I've never experienced this.
05:24Hello.
05:24Hello.
05:31Yeah.
05:33Let's do this.
05:34Being in the basement, being stuck with the last grab.
05:37Of course there's pressure there, but I'm ready to bring it today.
05:39This means everything to me.
05:41Like, I need to get a spot in that semifinals.
05:44How y'all doing down there?
05:46Getting ready.
05:46Hey, top five, man.
05:47We gotta go top four, though.
05:48Let's get it.
05:49You already know.
05:50Me and Zay, we've been Team Ramsey from the jump.
05:53We're tight.
05:53We're cool.
05:54We're one cook away from the semifinals.
05:57Let's get it.
05:57Let's get it.
05:58Let's get it.
05:59Look out for my boys down there.
06:01Always.
06:02Always.
06:02Always.
06:04Good luck, guys.
06:05Come on.
06:06Let's go.
06:06Let's go.
06:07Let's go.
06:08Grab, grab, grab.
06:10Yes, sir.
06:10It's all right.
06:11How we doing, guys?
06:11Good, Chef.
06:12You're doing good.
06:12All right.
06:13Bring me that top four energy down here.
06:15Hell, yeah.
06:16Do it.
06:17Do it, baby.
06:19Good luck, Jordan.
06:20How we feeling?
06:21How we feeling?
06:22Taste everything, my man.
06:23Taste.
06:23Let's do it, Chef.
06:23Congrats.
06:24You made it this far.
06:25I've never cooked with kombucha, so, you know, I'm open ears to any recommendations.
06:29Absolutely.
06:30I'm here for you.
06:32Let's go.
06:33Yes!
06:33Let's go.
06:34We good?
06:35We good?
06:36Yes, Chef.
06:36How are we feeling?
06:37I'm good, Chef.
06:38Have you tasted kombucha before?
06:40I love kombucha.
06:41Okay, great.
06:41Yes.
06:42It can be beautifully produced as a glaze, a beautiful puree of fresh raspberries, blackberries,
06:48blueberries.
06:49It lifts it.
06:49So, good luck.
06:50Line up, ladies, please.
06:53The platform's moving.
06:55Christina, go!
06:56Ten seconds first.
06:57The first thing I see is chicken.
06:59Boring.
07:00I know I don't want that.
07:02Right next to the chicken is the beautiful duck breast.
07:06Wow, duck breast.
07:07Lovely.
07:08And then I see the pomegranate kombucha.
07:10Duck and a pomegranate, classic combination.
07:13Three, two, one, go!
07:15Gabby!
07:15Before I know it, my ten seconds are already up.
07:19You got flank steak, you got John Dory.
07:21I see this beautiful cod.
07:23Cod, great grab.
07:24Cod will be beautiful with a light effervescent bubbly drink.
07:28Mango and passion fruit kombucha over here.
07:30There's so many kombuchas.
07:31Acai, blueberry, mint.
07:34What a brilliant flavor combination.
07:36You're coming home with me today.
07:38Three, two, one, go.
07:41Off we go.
07:42Well done.
07:43Great grab.
07:45Go!
07:46Let's get it.
07:47John Dory, I don't know what that is.
07:48Who?
07:49Who is John Dory?
07:50Flank steak, beautiful marinade.
07:52I just go to what I see next.
07:54Flank steak, I've cooked that before in the audition rounds.
07:57Kombuchas, I think pomegranate would taste beautiful with the steak.
08:00Pomegranate, love that.
08:01I'm just kind of grabbing what I know.
08:04Ten seconds, Jordan.
08:05Let's do it.
08:05But I have no real direction in this, so it's really tough right now trying to figure out what I
08:09need to grab.
08:09Nice marinade, fish sauce, manami.
08:12Back to your station.
08:13Organize yourself.
08:14We're in the blaze, man.
08:16Go time.
08:16Let's go, guys.
08:17I'm running to the platform.
08:18I see chicken breasts.
08:19I don't want that.
08:20I want to stand out.
08:21Well, what's the other protein?
08:22There's only two, right?
08:23What you doing?
08:24I see John Dory.
08:25I instantly grab that.
08:27Okay, you can grab up to two kombuchas.
08:28Grab lemon kombucha, ginger kombucha.
08:31Those flavors work very well together.
08:33Grab your protein.
08:34I don't see much of anything on that platform, but I'm seeing a chicken breast, so I'm like, okay.
08:39You've got a couple seconds remaining.
08:40And I'm just looking for other ingredients, and I cannot find much of anything.
08:45Fried shallots over here.
08:46You can reach your cabin.
08:48All right, Jordan.
08:49Spread your wings and fly, baby.
08:51Your 30 minutes starts right now.
08:53Hmm.
08:56Oh, .
08:57You got this.
08:58Yeah.
08:59Oh, my gosh.
08:59I'm, like, looking at my ingredients, and I'm just trying to figure out how they come together,
09:05right?
09:06When I think about pomegranates, like, Moroccan, Middle Eastern.
09:10Yeah, I don't have much experience with Middle Eastern cuisine.
09:13Fresh.
09:13Sure, sure, sure.
09:14So, what the hell am I doing with this?
09:18Have you ever cooked with kombucha before?
09:20No, this is the first time.
09:21Uh, not really, chef.
09:22Okay.
09:22So, certainly, you've probably cooked with wine or beer.
09:25So, use the kombucha in those ways.
09:27How are we doing, Zach?
09:28Good, chef.
09:29I'm gonna do, um, kombucha three ways.
09:31I'm gonna do a pickle, I'm gonna do a vinaigrette, and then I'm gonna do a sauvignon.
09:35With some John Dory.
09:37Yeah, is that our chicken brush, chef?
09:39International man of mystery, John Dory.
09:42Have you ever worked with John Dory before?
09:44Oh, I have not.
09:45It looks super, super delicate.
09:46Yeah, somewhere between, like, sole and turbo, right?
09:49So, kombucha three ways.
09:51How does it taste?
09:52Good.
09:53I like, I like kombucha.
09:55The challenge, Zach, wasn't how many different ways can you use kombucha?
09:59Yes, chef.
10:00Interzalactic.
10:01Zach, intergalactic over here.
10:03I don't know what planet you cook on, but...
10:06You know, chef, uh, I'm all about being creative and taking risks, you know?
10:10I mean, if you're not taking risks, you're not being creative, right, chef?
10:13I don't know if I usually take a lot of risks in front of millions of people in the moment,
10:16but go for it.
10:17Heard that, chef.
10:17Heard that.
10:18Zach is an algorithm.
10:20There's no other way to say it.
10:21He is just...
10:22But it is super risky any time a contestant does a duo or a trio,
10:28because you give us two extra things to critique, and Zach is like, you know what?
10:32Double or nothing.
10:32You are like a rebel and an adrenaline junkie, but you've been raising sort of my internal temperature a little
10:38bit too much.
10:39Sorry, chef.
10:40Yeah, 100%.
10:41All right, Isaiah, what do we got?
10:44Uh, you have a minimal grab.
10:46Looking at my ingredients, I'm like, what am I gonna do with this chicken dish?
10:50How am I gonna elevate this?
10:51It's not gonna be easy.
10:53I'm gonna reduce my kombucha down.
10:55I'm gonna make, like, a little glaze for my chicken breast.
10:59If you have any ideas if I should add anything.
11:01You only got two and a half ingredients, really.
11:03This has been a problem with Isaiah the whole way through.
11:05He has not quite learned to grab a lot of ingredients.
11:09So you have a couple of ingredients that actually have to be perfect, okay?
11:11Yeah, chef.
11:12All right.
11:12Ah, I don't even have a starch.
11:15Oh, man, I'm just hoping I don't go to elimination today.
11:18It's not looking good.
11:19Oh, man.
11:20I only have, like, a couple of ingredients.
11:26You have a minimal grab here, Isaiah.
11:28I felt like I grabbed so much things, but I really didn't.
11:31You just gotta really make sure that you're utilizing all of those pieces of zucchini.
11:35Yes, chef.
11:35And this pepper, right?
11:36Yes, chef.
11:36Because you're gonna need more than just the chicken neck.
11:39I'm gonna work with what I have.
11:40Got it.
11:40Hey, no room for excuses today.
11:42Okay, yeah.
11:42So you have a couple of ingredients.
11:43They actually have to be perfect, okay?
11:45Yeah, chef.
11:47Right.
11:47Gavin, what'd you get?
11:48All right, I grabbed this gorgeous cod.
11:50Love that.
11:51Don't overcook that.
11:52Yes, chef.
11:52Again, you can use that skin.
11:54You can get really nice and crispy.
11:55Kombucha, what did you get?
11:56I got an acai and a blueberry mint kombucha.
11:59Nice.
11:59This is definitely in my wheelhouse.
12:00I'm a very zen kind of person.
12:04I lived in Portland, Oregon for a little bit, and that was when I first learned about kombucha.
12:09I know how that flavor works.
12:11Mmm, that would go so good with the carrots.
12:13Right, Christina, what did you grab?
12:15I got the duck, chef.
12:17And I have pomegranate kombucha, some kumquats, orange, some chard.
12:22This handling of pressure is easy for you on the outside.
12:28How does it feel on the inside?
12:29I have a special needs daughter.
12:30I've been taking care of her for 10 years.
12:32I take care of people at work as a nurse, and, like, this is my time, man.
12:36Yes.
12:37Like, I'm here for me now, and I don't want to let myself down.
12:40Yes.
12:40This is your moment.
12:42I want that semifinal so badly.
12:45This is my time now.
12:47I've given so much of my life to others, and now it's time for me.
12:53Having three daughters, I understand just the closeness, right?
12:56We are best friends.
12:58She has made me such a better human being and just pushed me to be so courageous and brave,
13:04and, like, I wouldn't be here if it weren't for her.
13:07Growing up, my mother was a nurse with special needs for 30 years.
13:11I didn't know that.
13:12And my sisters also.
13:13It's a very tough job, but there's no give in that schedule, is there?
13:16No, and I think this is my chance to, like, go for my dreams and finally just do what my
13:22child, me, has always imagined myself doing.
13:25This is amazing.
13:27Yes.
13:27Let's go.
13:28Okay?
13:29Yeah.
13:30Ladies, five minutes gone, 25 minutes to go.
13:35Time for the mid-round drop.
13:37We need some starch.
13:39One bowl of rice each.
13:41Please think about the time you've got.
13:43Can it be cooked within 25 minutes?
13:45There's not a ton of time for this rice.
13:47I just want a quick cooking grain.
13:50Be smart.
13:50Any rice you want.
13:51I see basmati.
13:52That's perfect.
13:54It's aromatic.
13:55It cooks quickly, and I think it'll be the perfect complement to my dish.
14:00Platform is on the move again.
14:02We have some starch here.
14:03Grab a rice.
14:04Grab one rice.
14:05Mid-round drop comes.
14:07I don't know what the hell I'm making.
14:09I see rice, and I'm like, great, now I have more stuff to make me not know what the hell
14:13I'm making.
14:14Bumble rice takes a while.
14:15Short-grain, long-grain.
14:17Come on.
14:17Grab one.
14:18Here we go.
14:20Risotto rice.
14:21Oh, it's risotto.
14:22So be smart.
14:23Okay.
14:26Here we go, guys.
14:27Mid-round drop.
14:28You can grab one starch for your dish.
14:31One bowl of rice.
14:32Oh, man.
14:32I have a starch now.
14:34I see long-grain rice.
14:36I see risotto rice.
14:38I just had risotto.
14:39I'm done with risotto.
14:41I'm grabbing my long-grain rice.
14:43Only one bowl of rice for your dish.
14:45All the rices look the same.
14:47So I grabbed a rice I wasn't super familiar with.
14:49Hey, let's do this.
14:51Remember, you got to get it cooking just like last time with the risotto, right?
14:54We got to get going on that rice.
14:55Yes, Chef.
14:56What kind of rice did you grab?
14:58Long grains.
14:58So I'm going to add my bell pepper.
15:01So you're thinking that more like a fried rice maybe?
15:04Yeah.
15:04Okay.
15:04I think that'll be more authentic to me and it'll be delicious.
15:08I know my way around fried rice.
15:10I make fried rice at home all the time.
15:12Even in my videos, I have a bunch of fried rice recipes.
15:15Traditionally, a fried rice also gets ginger and garlic.
15:19It would be nice if we also had a little bit of soy, but we don't have that.
15:22I'm just concerned we don't have a ton of flavor over here.
15:26We'll work with what we have.
15:29Okay, Zach.
15:30You went right back to the well.
15:31You went right back to risotto.
15:34Oh, my God.
15:36Holy crap.
15:37Oh, my God.
15:38I'm having literally flashbacks right now.
15:40Okay, you are up against it with the rice.
15:42Come on, rice.
15:43Cook, baby, cook.
15:44Rice is about 90 seconds undercooked.
15:47I'm going to prove myself I can make a risotto now.
15:49Are you making rice for a baby?
15:51Is this risotto for ants?
15:53Make sure we have enough on the plate.
15:55Heard.
15:56Right back to the scene of the cropping, Zach.
15:58Sorry, Chef.
15:59I've got to make sure this is perfect for you.
16:00Okay, got it.
16:02Jasmine, great.
16:03Get that on nice and early.
16:04Right now.
16:05Taste everything, ladies.
16:06Get that kombucha beautifully reducing down.
16:10Yes, Chef.
16:11You have 10 minutes down, 20 minutes left.
16:14Okay.
16:14Hyperdrive now.
16:15Yep, yep, yep, yep.
16:15What direction are we taking this pomegranate reduction?
16:18Um, maybe get a nice glaze on top.
16:21Sure, yeah.
16:22I don't know what it's going to taste like reduced,
16:23so we got a plate of that.
16:24So let's get that on.
16:25My sauce.
16:27We're figuring this thing out as we go.
16:28But now I got risotto rice.
16:31So risotto rice.
16:33When I think about a risotto rice,
16:34am I making a arancini rice ball?
16:37Am I making a proper risotto dish?
16:39Let's do a steak risotto, I suppose.
16:41Okay, okay.
16:41Okay.
16:42Is that a thing?
16:43Well, I want you to make the dish make sense.
16:44Let's go.
16:45Naisha.
16:46Yes, Chef.
16:46How's my boy?
16:48What did he grab?
16:49He's grabbed flank steak.
16:51Flank steak.
16:52Flank steak.
16:52Yep.
16:53He's trying to make the arborio rice work with that.
16:55Arborio rice with flank steak?
16:57What's he thinking?
16:58I know, Chef.
16:59Oh, man.
17:01Arborio rice does not go with flank steak.
17:04Oh.
17:1012 minutes.
17:11Chef, I know you said it was risotto rice.
17:13If I'm gonna do an arancini, can I treat that like regular rice and just get it on a low
17:16simmer?
17:17Unless you make that, you cool it down, roll it in a ball, deep fry it.
17:20Okay.
17:20But the filling's gotta be really cold to do that.
17:23Oh, to fry it?
17:24Yes.
17:24You could chill it down in the freezer if you put on a sheet pan.
17:27Yeah, yeah.
17:27Oh, we're gonna do an arancini.
17:28I think I've got enough time to make some arancini, so I need to get this risotto done in the
17:34freezer yesterday.
17:3610 minutes left.
17:3710, 10, 10, 10, 10.
17:38Okay, okay.
17:38I'm worried about that.
17:39I am, too.
17:40I am, too.
17:41So let's be smart.
17:42Harness, Jordan.
17:43Yes, Chef.
17:46He's got a lot of work ahead of him in a short amount of time to pull this concept together.
17:51Grab the wrong rice pan.
17:53Watch that cod now.
17:55Beautiful.
17:55But it gets too hot.
17:56Okay, always flip it quickly, yeah?
17:58Yes, Chef.
18:00Kombucha, what are you doing with this?
18:01Um, so I have some in here with the kumquats, and then I'm gonna add sugar.
18:05So that's gonna be done like a little marmalade, a gastric?
18:07Yeah.
18:07Yeah, nice.
18:07Just glaze it and a gastric it on the plate.
18:10Gabby, you need to start tasting everything now.
18:12Yes, Chef.
18:12Okay?
18:13And start thinking about how that's gonna come together.
18:15Yes, Chef.
18:16I'm getting a little worried about my rice.
18:17I just want it to absorb properly, and I don't want it to be wet.
18:21And every two or three minutes, get your fork and run through.
18:24What does that do?
18:25That'll fluff it.
18:25Exactly that.
18:26My protein could be great, and that could be great.
18:28But if I don't have good rice, then this dish isn't gonna work.
18:32Lids?
18:33Where are all the lids?
18:34Over here.
18:35Come on, rice.
18:36Do your thing, rice.
18:39Seven and a half minutes to go.
18:41Kombucha risotto, baby.
18:43Kombucha risotto.
18:44You...
18:44Are you making...
18:45Are you cooking the risotto in the kombucha?
18:47Absolutely, Chef.
18:48It's a kombucha challenge.
18:50So I'm gonna kombucha four ways.
18:51This is what makes me who I am.
18:53I'm here for a reason.
18:54And this is it.
18:55You've proven that you can pull it off.
18:57I have to, Chef.
18:57I have to.
18:58I gotta get a spot in the semifinals at least.
19:00Chef, what do you think I should do with my sauce to kind of thicken it up?
19:04We have vinegar and we have sugar.
19:06Just make sure it's not too sweet already.
19:08Yeah, I tasted it.
19:08Got it.
19:11What's that in there, Gabi?
19:12I'm doing sort of a chimichurri.
19:14I'm incorporating some of this acai kombucha.
19:17Love that.
19:18Taste everything, yes?
19:19Yes, Chef.
19:21Richard!
19:22Yes, Gordon!
19:23There's some rice for good luck.
19:25It's raining down there.
19:27Did you realize I have a menti on each floor?
19:29This guy's too much, man.
19:31Good luck.
19:31I don't think he needs it.
19:36Six minutes, bro.
19:37Six minutes.
19:38You're asking a tall order to cool this down very quickly.
19:41Yeah, I am.
19:41And be smart about where you're cooling this.
19:43Freezer, right?
19:44Freezer, absolutely.
19:44Okay.
19:45My risotto needs to be chilled so I can work it into a ball.
19:49I need this thing in the freezer right now.
19:53Go, baby.
19:54Yep.
19:54So get everything else that you need to do ready now.
19:57Everything else needs to be done, absolutely.
19:58Do nothing else.
20:00Okay, how we doing, Jose?
20:02We're doing good, Chef.
20:03Okay.
20:03You're gonna cook this sort of in that fried rice style.
20:06You want that pot really, really hot.
20:08Yes, Chef.
20:08Tell you what you are doing.
20:09Making the most out of my ingredients, Chef.
20:11Yeah, you're making lemonade with a couple lemons over here.
20:13And look at me.
20:14Man, I'm in the top five.
20:15I'm extremely proud of myself.
20:16I feel like I've conquered everything I could conquer except for, you know, winning.
20:21Now I'm going for the number one spot, man.
20:23Did you actually watch the two seasons and start doing challenges based off of what you saw?
20:28Yeah, that's exactly what I did.
20:29And it helped me practice for the competition and look at me.
20:31So like an athlete, you basically looked at the two seasons of Next Level Chef as game-footed.
20:36Yep.
20:36I studied, I practiced, and came here and I've been executing.
20:41What position did you play in football?
20:42I played D-in and D-tackle, so I was in the trenches.
20:45Yes.
20:46So yeah, you were in there.
20:47Yes, Chef.
20:48I was fighting.
20:49That's what I'm looking to keep doing.
20:50Let's go, Isaiah.
20:51You got this.
20:55Gorgeous.
20:56Two minutes to go.
20:57Start plating.
20:58Thank you, Chef.
20:58Last two minutes.
20:59What are we going to do here?
21:01Visualize it?
21:02I want it so bad now.
21:04And just knowing how far I've come, everything is resting on today.
21:09Woo!
21:10All right.
21:11No pressure.
21:12All right.
21:12My rice, my zucchini.
21:14Don't you dare slice that duck right now.
21:15I'm not. I'm not.
21:16No, no, good.
21:17No, no, no.
21:1990 seconds, Jay.
21:20Let's go.
21:2090 seconds.
21:24I feel the risotto and it's still warm.
21:28Like, I don't have time to deep fry an arancini ball.
21:31I'm just going to put it underneath.
21:32Taste it.
21:33If it tastes good, these judges are going to see you and feel you.
21:36Tastes great.
21:36A little too soon, buddy.
21:37Tastes great.
21:37Happy, happy.
21:38Let's go.
21:38It was risotto, then it was arancini.
21:40And now, with seconds left, we're back to risotto.
21:44This is insanity.
21:45Come on, Jordan.
21:46Come on.
21:46I believe in you.
21:4860 seconds left, guys.
21:50Now you got to make sure that it looks great.
21:51There's only five people here.
21:53Yeah.
21:53Don't forget the glaze, right?
21:54That's the big part.
21:55The kombucha, right?
21:58Platform's going down to the basement.
22:00Let's go, dude.
22:01Don't be too precious.
22:01I got you, chef.
22:03The platform is here, guys.
22:0510 seconds.
22:06Isaiah, the platform's here, dude.
22:07Yeah.
22:09Okay.
22:10Wipe that plate.
22:16We got her done.
22:17We got her done.
22:19Platform's here, Jordan.
22:21Don't forget your sauce.
22:22Do not miss that platform.
22:23Don't do this to yourself.
22:24Platform is on the move, Jordan.
22:26Platform's not waiting for you.
22:27Come on.
22:28Let's go.
22:29Let's go.
22:30Let's go.
22:32Not easy.
22:36Excellent.
22:36That's enough carrot.
22:37Don't overdo it.
22:37You don't want your garnish to be bigger than your protein.
22:39Yes, chef.
22:39Okay?
22:4110 seconds, ladies.
22:42We got to go.
22:44Christina, turn and burn.
22:45Christina, turn it.
22:46Turn.
22:47Okay, girl.
22:48Breathe.
22:49Just breathe.
22:49Turn, turn, turn.
22:50Christina, go.
22:51Christina, go.
22:52Christina, go.
22:57Christina, turn and burn.
22:59Christina, turn it.
23:00Turn.
23:01Turn, turn, turn.
23:02Christina, go.
23:03Christina, go.
23:04I got it.
23:05I got it.
23:06I got it.
23:07Man, it moves.
23:08Don't forget.
23:08Well done.
23:10Yay, Griffin.
23:17Kombucha.
23:18Wow.
23:18Look at those.
23:19I can smell them from here.
23:21I could puke right now.
23:24Keeping up with the trends in today's world is super difficult.
23:29Well done to all of you.
23:30Richard, should we start in the basement?
23:31Yeah, let's.
23:33This is a mango and passion fruit kombucha glazed chicken breast with fried rice.
23:41It looks a little bit minimalistic.
23:44I think it's just lacking a little bit of soy or salinity.
23:47The actual glaze is very sweet.
23:49And the kombucha is almost lost in translation.
23:52Ugh.
23:53I put my heart and soul into that dish.
23:55I thought it was perfect.
23:57This sucks, man.
23:58It really does.
24:00Okay.
24:00We have a pan-seared John Dory with kombucha four ways.
24:09We're going from one extreme to the other now.
24:10Talk about embracing the challenge.
24:12That dish is beautiful.
24:13John Dory.
24:15Very hard to cook right.
24:16It's cooked beautifully.
24:17And smart with the creativity four ways.
24:19I love that.
24:20This dish is cerebral and it is a wonderland of textural contrast.
24:25It looks elevated in the plating.
24:27The sauce, it highlights the levity in a kombucha.
24:31The rice is cooked absolutely perfect.
24:34Yes!
24:36You know, just beyond ecstatic.
24:38So relieved.
24:39There's no way in hell that I was going to mess this risotto up.
24:43To the top floor.
24:46This first dish is a grab that had an additional ten seconds from the time token.
24:50A duck pomegranate kombucha.
24:57Duck and pomegranate and kumquats.
25:00That's like kind of a perfect combination of the sweet sour and the gaminess of the duck.
25:05The ten seconds serve the chef well, I think.
25:08I really get those beautiful nuances off of that kombucha that comes naturally.
25:13There's a lovely sort of citrus note that also complements the pomegranate.
25:17Just really thoughtful dish.
25:19Duck is cooked beautifully.
25:20It's a very smart grab and a great example of what an advantage those time tokens can be.
25:26Ah!
25:27My God, I'm so proud of myself.
25:29Whatever you set your mind to, like, you can do whatever you want.
25:35This is a pan-roasted cart.
25:44I mean, this is one of those dishes that, seeing such a beautiful story, it's touching my soul.
25:52Fish is cooked perfect.
25:54There's a beautiful brightness coming from this herb condiment here.
25:57And the rice has a nice, pleasant toothsomeness to it. Spot on.
26:02I never would have thought to use the kombucha as the replacement for vinegar in a chimichurri.
26:08As beautiful as it is, it's as smart as it is beautiful.
26:12This is what I practiced for. This is what I envisioned. This means everything to me. And it's just so
26:19satisfying. It just feels so good.
26:25Should we move to the middle floor?
26:30Chef Ramsay is just gonna stick his shoe so far up my ass. This is not a top-five dish.
26:36Stress.
26:37Here we have a flank steak. This was prepared with arboreal rice.
26:46Where was the kombucha?
26:49So the pomegranate kombucha was used in a sort of pan reduction sauce.
26:54Um, tough on this one.
26:55It feels like it's a dish that looks half-finished.
27:00And with an entire floor dedicated to yourself.
27:04Strange grab, that. Especially with flank steak.
27:08For me, this, the obvious thing here is that it's missing kombucha, which was the theme of the challenge.
27:15I want more from this individual.
27:17This was a bad grab.
27:21All five of you, well done. At this stage of the competition, there is so much up for grabs.
27:25We now need to decide who has earned their spot in the semifinal. Shall we?
27:33Oh, my God.
27:37I'm tasting dishes that I've only experienced in the finale.
27:42The competition has gone up a notch. Absolutely.
27:45The duck. I mean, what a smart grab. It wasn't a waste of those ten seconds.
27:48That's how you play the game in Next Level Chef.
27:51Absolutely. And it was complemented by the rice. A really cohesive dish.
27:55At least you had first pick on protein and you got to see everything.
27:58Good job.
27:59The cod. Oh, my goodness.
28:01I mean, I can see that on, like, any coastal California menu anywhere.
28:05Like, that dish for me was just, like, almost spiritual.
28:08The John Dory. Four ways. I mean, what flair. Tremendous flair.
28:12Flair. Bravery. But it worked in this case.
28:14It worked great.
28:15And the John Dory is exceptional for me.
28:16So, I'm sorry. I stuck with the challenge, man.
28:19The challenge was kombucha. I did kombucha.
28:21The flank steak. It was a sort of a dish that was badly conceived.
28:24Why? With so much choice on that second floor, the second grab, why go for that rice?
28:30That was so basic, that dish. That's the problem that happened.
28:33Yeah. Should have worn my lucky underwear tonight.
28:35Yeah.
28:37The chicken fried rice.
28:38When you only grab three ingredients, there's only so many things that you can do.
28:41Okay.
28:41This chef was foiled by their grab. They didn't grab anything.
28:43Right.
28:44It seems to be a trend of his, that minimal grab.
28:46I've had that come up quite a bit.
28:48I hate kombucha now.
28:50Best dishes. Come on.
28:51For me, to be honest, it's the John Dory dish.
28:53Mm-hmm.
28:54Because you have to take into account what the challenge was.
28:56Sure.
28:57Four ways kombucha.
28:58It wasn't how many times can you cook with kombucha.
29:01But, well, it's also not how good can you cook cod.
29:04That cod. I mean, kombucha glazed carrots, the notes of coriander. Incredible.
29:10That duck dish was beautiful.
29:12The duck dish was good. The duck dish was solid.
29:15Good. Oh, my goodness.
29:15The duck dish was not good.
29:16But did it, like, ring and sing of kombucha at the kombucha challenge?
29:20Absolutely.
29:20It was nice.
29:21Nice.
29:23Oh, my God.
29:24We don't know what to expect.
29:25The tool is apparent.
29:27We really don't know what to expect.
29:31Oh, my goodness me.
29:34Spirited discussion back there.
29:35But one dish absolutely earned their spot in the semifinals.
29:41Cooking on that top floor next time round
29:44Gabby, congratulations.
29:45And with the final time token of the season goes to
29:58Cooking on that top floor next time round, Gabby.
30:04Congratulations.
30:05Well done.
30:07Oh, my goodness me.
30:08Semi-final, girl.
30:09Well done.
30:10Thank you, guys.
30:11Amazing.
30:12Congratulations.
30:12I can't believe that I'm in the semifinal.
30:16This is for the 12-year-old girl who just grew up in a tiny town
30:21and didn't know she was capable of all this.
30:25Exceptional.
30:26Cohesive.
30:27Proper understanding.
30:28Magical.
30:28Floral.
30:29Everything you want from a real creative dish.
30:33Two more dishes have earned themselves a spot in the semifinals.
30:40Cooking out of the middle kitchen on the next challenge.
30:48Zach and Christina.
30:51Congratulations.
30:52Both of you.
30:54I am in the semifinals.
30:58Like, what?
30:59Christina, duck was cooked beautifully.
31:01And they used a kombucha across that.
31:03You delivered it.
31:04Well done.
31:05Zach, your dish was cooked with poise.
31:07We asked for a couple of ways you go the whole hog and give us four ways.
31:11Exceptional.
31:12Redemption with a risotto.
31:13A delight.
31:14Thank you, chef.
31:15Semi-finals, baby!
31:17Yeah!
31:18Okay, that leaves Jordan and Isaiah.
31:22Both of you will be heading to the elimination.
31:25And only one of you will be advancing to the semifinal.
31:30I love Zay.
31:31Like, that's my boy.
31:32I have such a bond with him.
31:34But the fact that me or him are gonna have to knock one or the other out, that's heavy.
31:39That's tough.
31:41You both cooked with kombucha today.
31:44A modern East Asian ingredient.
31:46So for the elimination cook-off, you'll be cooking with one of the region's most traditional and versatile utensils.
31:54A wok.
31:55Ah, yes, man.
31:56I just cooked in a wok, so I'm gonna go and swing it.
31:59I'm gonna go and fight it.
32:00I'm ready.
32:01And I'm just gonna give it my all.
32:02It's going to be the only pan that you can use in your elimination cook-off today.
32:07Show us your best wok dish.
32:10Yes, chef.
32:12Okay, all of you, please head to the elevator.
32:14The very best of luck.
32:15Jordan, focus.
32:16Get control of your timing.
32:17Isaiah, you just cooked with a wok.
32:19Remember the things we talked about.
32:20Yes, chef.
32:21Let's go, guys.
32:23Don't take this personally, both of you.
32:25But I have definitely got one individual in the finale.
32:28Do you want to ask, how did I do it?
32:29How did it happen?
32:30Good mentoring.
32:31Thank you, naive.
32:37Hey, kill it today, guys.
32:39Hey.
32:39Just gonna put good for the matter.
32:40Yeah, you should be proud of yourselves.
32:43Whoo!
32:44Me and Jordan, three eliminations.
32:47Man, we bonded through trauma.
32:49Battle of the brothers.
32:50Yeah, I know.
32:52But everything's at stake for me.
32:53I'm chasing a dream here, so I'm not going down without a fight.
32:57I promise you that.
33:00Whoo!
33:01Go!
33:03Let's do this.
33:04Time to get it.
33:04Get it, girl.
33:05We want to see what you can do with the wok.
33:07Yeah.
33:07Earn your spot in the semifinals, okay?
33:10Yes, sir.
33:11All right.
33:11You guys got this.
33:12You guys got this.
33:12You guys got this.
33:14Yeah, baby!
33:15Let's get it, bro.
33:16Good food.
33:16Platform's moving.
33:20Go!
33:21Hey!
33:21Let's go, guys!
33:23I see the New York strip steak, and I know I want that steak.
33:26Grab that protein.
33:27Take it.
33:27That's all you, dog.
33:28I see lime.
33:29I see noodles.
33:30I see oyster sauce.
33:32It's a wok challenge.
33:33I'm looking to tap into my inner Thai man and just knock it out.
33:38Think about the sauce.
33:40I see pork tenderloin, sriracha, mirin, fish sauce.
33:44I've got an idea in mind.
33:46It's near and dear to my heart.
33:47Let's go.
33:48What are we thinking?
33:49Kind of a Thai?
33:49I'm going to go Pad Thai with this.
33:51Beautiful.
33:52Thai food is one of my favorite cuisines.
33:55The flavors, the textures, the balance.
33:58I'm looking to replicate that today.
34:00Keep going.
34:00Thank you, son.
34:01Let's go, let's go.
34:02First meat grinder used to the season.
34:04Yeah!
34:05Woo!
34:06Jordan, what you walking with?
34:07We've got pork tenderloin.
34:09We're going to do a nice crispy ground pork and vegetable chow mein with a delicious sriracha
34:15lime sauce.
34:16Okay.
34:16My sauce has a lot of flavor in it, so it's going to kind of speak for itself.
34:19There's a lot of elements going on right here.
34:21I've got to focus and bring that in because if you can't do that, you're going home.
34:26Guys, five minutes down, right?
34:28Five minutes down.
34:29Spotting the semifinal, gentlemen.
34:31Yes, chef.
34:31High stakes.
34:33What you got there, Zay?
34:34Some peanuts.
34:35Nice.
34:35Oh, nice.
34:36There you go.
34:37I see the vision.
34:39Yeah.
34:40Isaiah, tasting as you go, right?
34:42Yes, chef.
34:42Got some fish sauce.
34:43You make going for a Pad Thai vibe?
34:45Oh, man.
34:46I'm looking down at all my ingredients and I forgot to grab the fish sauce.
34:49Looks like Jordan has that over at his section and now I kind of have to pivot.
34:54I grabbed some chow sing wine.
34:55I'm just hoping that the flavors are there.
34:57Build that flavor, man.
34:58Make sure it's not too oily, okay?
35:00Okay.
35:01I want to be in that semifinals.
35:03I'm just telling myself in my head, like, you got this.
35:05Come on.
35:06Keep fighting.
35:06Don't stop.
35:07Keep going.
35:07Feeling good, Zay?
35:08How you doing over there, man?
35:09I'm doing good.
35:10Doing good.
35:1115 minutes, guys.
35:1215 minutes.
35:13Let's go, guys.
35:14Keep up the good pace.
35:15Where's that pork going?
35:17Is it staying in the pan?
35:18Do I have a leg?
35:19Yeah, we want this nice and crispy.
35:20Beautiful.
35:20Let that go for a second, get some beautiful edges on there.
35:23Filt color, but don't overcook the pork, right?
35:25Yes, Chef.
35:26Pork tenderloin is a very lean meat, so I want to get it crispy, but I also have to balance
35:31not drying it out.
35:33I'm going to have to get this thing precise.
35:35Make sure those are beautiful.
35:36Nice and pulled apart.
35:37You don't want clumpy noodles.
35:38Yes, Chef.
35:38Okay.
35:39Ten minutes to earn your spot in the semifinals.
35:41Let's go, guys.
35:42Jordan, what are we doing with the tomato?
35:44Tomato is going to get chopped up.
35:45I like a little pop of acid in there.
35:47Sure, so what's the next step?
35:48Working on a sauce right now, Chef.
35:50A lot of flavor.
35:51Most of the flavor from the dish is going to come from this sauce.
35:54It's missing something.
35:55I can't put my finger on it.
35:56My sauce does not look like it normally looks.
35:59Let me think real quick.
36:00Hold on.
36:01Chicken stock, sriracha, rice vinegar.
36:04What am I missing in my sauce?
36:06I got my stock.
36:07I got everything in there that I can remember.
36:09My ginger, my garlic.
36:10What am I missing in here?
36:16This is so stressful.
36:18Ah, that's what I forgot.
36:19I knew I forgot something.
36:21Brown sugar.
36:21You can't have sour without the sweet, so I need that sugar, baby.
36:25Come on.
36:26Five minutes left, guys.
36:27Five minutes.
36:28Come on, say, focus on those flavors.
36:30It looks a little oily.
36:31Yeah.
36:32Just make sure you're tasting it.
36:33You want to kind of create that nice glaze on the noodle,
36:35so it's not super oily, you know what I mean?
36:37Yes, Chef.
36:38I can't fold right now, so I run to the fridge really quickly.
36:41Add a little bit of stock in there, and it gets rid of some of that oil texture to it.
36:45Make smart choices.
36:47One minute.
36:48Should be plating, guys.
36:49Jose, let's go, Jordan.
36:50Beautiful mint on your station.
36:51Any finishing touches.
36:53Yeah.
36:53It's got to be nuanced.
36:54Tastes delicious.
36:55Let's go, guys.
36:56Nice job.
36:57Count them down, guys.
36:58Five, four, three, two, one.
37:03Well done, both of you.
37:04Nice job, guys.
37:05Great job, guys.
37:06Man.
37:07Good job.
37:08Great job.
37:11Whoo.
37:12It smells good.
37:14Gordon, I know these are both your mentees.
37:16Yeah.
37:16And I hope that they both made you proud tonight.
37:19It's a testament to their strength, the fact that they're this far.
37:22And so this is a tough decision.
37:25Okay, let's start with the steak pad thai.
37:31I like how proportioned it is.
37:33I like how there's veg and there's some scrambled egg and some crunchy peanuts.
37:37What I'm really looking for is a little bit of those flavors that you really want with Thai food.
37:42Maybe fish sauce, a little bit of chili, a little bit more oomph to it.
37:46Yeah, this is the kind of thing that I eat on a sort of daily basis back in Thailand.
37:50It's got the right amount of seasoning in there.
37:52I just need some tartness.
37:54It is on the verge of being slightly greasy, and I don't know if that's the noodles or the beef.
38:00Next up, we have a udon noodle.
38:03This has been prepared with a ground pork loin.
38:12The noodles are delicious.
38:13I love the acidity and the soundness of those noodles, especially the heat.
38:17It just does not need the tomatoes.
38:20What I love about this dish is the spicy, sweet notes I'm getting from it.
38:26You know, I'm not a big fan of the pork loin.
38:28It eats really, really dry.
38:30Yeah.
38:31Two very good dishes.
38:34Unfortunately, we have to eliminate one.
38:40Richard, which dish are you going to eliminate?
38:45One's lacking a little bit of that sort of savory, guacay flavor that you get.
38:50One's lacking a little bit of acidity, but they're both really, really neck and neck for me.
38:56The dish I'm going to eliminate is the pad thai.
39:07Gordon, which dish will you be sending home tonight?
39:10Really tough one for me.
39:11I've been across every step of this journey by your side.
39:15I'm going to go on flavor, and which one would I want to order again?
39:21The dish I'm sending home is the pad thai with the beef.
39:32That dish was cooked by Isaiah.
39:37Damn.
39:40Man.
39:42I fought to the very end, and I put my all out there.
39:47I put it all out there, man.
39:48I still have to remind myself, you've only been cooking for two years.
39:52And I think the growth, and the confidence, and the commitment you've shown to this industry, and this competition, has
40:02been extraordinary.
40:04You found food on the back of the upset with the injury in football.
40:09Exactly the same as I did.
40:11And that's why you and I are going to stay very close.
40:14Thank you, Chef.
40:15Got it, my man?
40:16Thank you, Chef.
40:17Here's what I'd love to do.
40:18I've got restaurants in Miami, and I'd love for you to come and spend a couple of weeks with me
40:24in those restaurants.
40:29And I know that's not a mentorship, but what it will do is open another door to get you into
40:38where you'd like to go.
40:39Thank you, Chef.
40:41From the bottom of my heart, I thank you, Chef, for everything.
40:45You mentoring me, you just pushing me, you guiding me, and just believing in me.
40:52This has been an experience of a lifetime.
40:56I've worked so hard to get here, and just in a matter of two years, you know, I've had my
41:01ups in this competition.
41:02I've had my downs, but I've responded every single time.
41:06And my whole goal here was to inspire, you know?
41:10I want to inspire people like me that's chasing that dream to just keep going, keep going.
41:15See, I'm so proud of myself.
41:17So proud of myself.
41:19Come here, man.
41:22Come here, man.
41:24I can't wait to see you, Miami.
41:26This is going to stop me.
41:28If anything, it motivated me.
41:29It lighted a fire under me.
41:31I want to learn more.
41:32There's so much more to do, man.
41:34So I'm excited for what the future holds.
41:43Oh, my goodness me.
41:52Congratulations to you all.
41:55You are our Next Level Chef semifinalists.
41:59Come on.
42:02Amazing.
42:04Well done.
42:07There are four of you and only three spots up for grabs in that grand finale.
42:14So the thing that you should be asking yourself right now is, will it be me?
42:20Good night.
42:21Thank you, chefs.
42:25Well done.
42:26Thank you, chef.
42:28Oh, man.
42:30You good girl?
42:32I mean, he's so sweet.
42:34Yeah.
42:35Yeah.
42:40Next time on Next Level Chef.
42:42You're just one cook away from the grand finale.
42:47Crunch time right now.
42:48Let's go!
42:49Not now.
42:50Don't drop the ball now.
42:51Come on.
42:51I want to be there so bad.
42:54The fish.
42:55I'm not going down without a fight.
42:57That's earned their way.
42:59At this point, it's really anybody's match.
43:02Into the grand finale.
43:03Oh, my heart's pounding.
43:05It is.
43:06It means so much to me.
43:08Well done.
43:13You're right.
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