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00:01Previously on Next Level Chef.
00:03All right.
00:04Hey.
00:04Now that we're on top, can we stay there?
00:06The platform's here.
00:07Angela, platform is here.
00:08Let's go, Angela.
00:09Go.
00:10Good luck, ladies.
00:11I'm going into elimination, and I'm coming out.
00:14End of story.
00:15The dish that I'm going to eliminate is Angela.
00:18I'm going outside.
00:19Now it's on.
00:22And tonight.
00:23For the first time ever, you'll all be cooking in teams.
00:27Ah!
00:27Ooh.
00:28The one weak link in Team Ramsey is Jordan.
00:32Don't around and fall behind.
00:33Get going now, OK?
00:35What I need today is not three individual chefs.
00:39I need one team.
00:40If one of you fails, we all fail.
00:42There's no I in team, but there's a me.
01:01I need one team.
01:01Good morning.
01:02Hello.
01:02Welcome back, guys.
01:04Line up.
01:04Woo!
01:05Let's go, baby.
01:06There's a lot less of us.
01:07This room is big.
01:08It's starting to feel like, you know, the finals are in sight right now.
01:12Yeah.
01:13Come on.
01:13Wow.
01:14Feeling good?
01:14Yes.
01:15Yes, Chef.
01:16Team Ramsey.
01:17Thanks to Gabby.
01:18We are back in our natural environment, which I call home sweet home.
01:22The top level kitchen.
01:23Yes, Chef.
01:24I'm excited to get to the top.
01:26It's a stigma that the top kitchen has been cursed, and I'm ready to break it today.
01:29So I'm ready for the challenge.
01:32Okay, Team Blaze, we're down to two, right?
01:35And we're back in the basement today, right?
01:38Yes, Chef.
01:40Listen, we have our work cut out for us, but you know what they say.
01:43When the going gets tough...
01:45The tough gets going.
01:46We cook our asses off.
01:47That's what the saying is.
01:48That's true.
01:49All right.
01:50Team Arrington, for the third time in a row, we're in that medal level.
01:55It's time to take it to a new level today.
01:56Yeah.
01:57We need that top kitchen.
01:58I love that.
01:58Chef Vaughn, how are you feeling?
01:59I'm ready to cook.
02:01I'm just ready for this team to be over, because I'm just tired of doing great work
02:05and getting the end of the stick.
02:07The person that I'm going to choose to go in to the elimination cook is going to be Chef Mata.
02:14Christina.
02:16Christina.
02:18My favorite saying, there's no I in team, but there's a me.
02:22As long as my dish is good, that's all that matters to me.
02:25All of you, I need you to listen very carefully.
02:27Whether you're working behind the line in an amazing restaurant, or preparing a large catering order,
02:33or even serving a beautiful holiday dinner for the whole extended family at home, we all work better with an
02:40extra pair of hands in the kitchen.
02:41Mmm.
02:42That is what today's challenge is all about.
02:46For the first time ever on Next Level Chef, you'll all be cooking in teams.
02:53What?
02:54Oh, my God.
02:56No.
02:57Ah!
02:58Gabi and Isaiah, both monster chefs.
03:01I think whatever we do together is going to be elite.
03:06Here's the good news.
03:07Each team will have 30 minutes to create a beautiful three-course meal.
03:12Wow.
03:13Oh, wow.
03:14One appetizer, one entree, and one dessert.
03:17Oh, my God.
03:1930 minutes to make a three-course meal.
03:22That is not a lot of time, and we have one less chef than everybody else.
03:26Please pray for us.
03:29Each member of your team is going to be responsible for one of those courses.
03:34These dishes must work together cohesively.
03:37That's the most important thing.
03:39Understood?
03:39Yes, Chef.
03:41Team Blaze, because there's only two of you, you get to drop a course.
03:45Wow.
03:46Okay.
03:47No, you don't.
03:48I'm only joking.
03:49Next Level Chef, baby!
03:51Yes!
03:51Okay, Team Blaze, I'll see you in the basement very soon.
03:56Let's go, Team Blaze.
03:57All right, baby.
04:00Yeah.
04:09Three courses.
04:10Wow.
04:1030 minutes.
04:11I'm thinking simplistic stuff, like dessert.
04:14Let's make a nice olive oil cake, you know what I mean?
04:16The struggle with this challenge is that it has to be cohesive.
04:20So I'm happy to go with Zach's idea.
04:22I am just excited to kind of play sous chef today.
04:24I'm going to work my booty up and we're going to pull this three course meal off.
04:28Yeah, what's your, do you have your recipe for the olive oil cake?
04:31Is that something that I can memorize quickly?
04:33One cup of olive oil.
04:34One, okay.
04:35Two eggs?
04:35Three.
04:36Two cups flour, equal parts, one teaspoon baking powder.
04:39I'm taking charge on the dessert.
04:41Zach is going to work on our appetizer and all tray.
04:44Salt and a little bit of milk.
04:45I've never had olive oil cake, but I'm going to bake it today.
04:48And it's going to be great.
04:53This is it.
04:54This is it.
04:55Theme today is top dish.
04:58All right, come on, come on.
05:00All right, guys.
05:01This is what I'm thinking off the bat.
05:03I think we should aim for like an American gastropub sort of theme.
05:07Yeah, all right.
05:08Now who, but who's doing what?
05:09Let's get that going.
05:10Do you rather do appetizer or dessert?
05:12Um, if you really feel comfortable with dessert.
05:15No, I don't, but I can pull it off.
05:17What are you most comfortable with?
05:18Dessert or?
05:19Dessert's our biggest weakness.
05:20Somebody has to pull it off.
05:21Yes.
05:21If you want to take care of it.
05:23Do you bake at home?
05:23Like do you?
05:24I don't, but I feel comfortable with the custard.
05:26Okay.
05:27Okay.
05:28Feel comfortable with the appetizer.
05:29I know you do.
05:30So dessert, entree, appetizer.
05:32Okay, done.
05:34Buns out, guns out.
05:35Okay.
05:36I wasn't playing today.
05:37This means business.
05:41Team today.
05:42We've been a team.
05:43We've been a team since day one.
05:45Let's go.
05:46Let's go.
05:47All right.
05:47Team Ramsey, three social media chefs.
05:51We always have each other's back.
05:53Who's good at desserts?
05:54I got dessert.
05:56What theme are we thinking?
05:58Like if I go scallops, what are you going to do?
06:00Ready me?
06:00Surfing, turrets?
06:01Just grab the best cut of whatever's up there.
06:03Yeah.
06:04Once the platform comes, we're going to have to communicate.
06:06I'm officially doing the entree and we're going to have to make this thing a cohesive
06:10dinner, hoping that we can break this curse today and produce top level dishes.
06:17Yeah, baby.
06:18Hello.
06:19How are we doing?
06:20We ready?
06:20Feeling good.
06:20All right.
06:21We're feeling good?
06:22Yeah.
06:22Yes.
06:22Okay.
06:22All right.
06:23We have a theme.
06:24What are we thinking?
06:24Keep it sexy, composed, light.
06:26Okay.
06:26Yeah.
06:27So we're just going to really decide on the moment.
06:30Yeah.
06:31Okay.
06:31That doesn't scare me at all.
06:35Let's go!
06:35Let's go!
06:38Congratulations.
06:39Welcome back, girl.
06:40Welcome back.
06:41What are we thinking, team?
06:42We want to go sort of like American gastropub vibe.
06:45And any proteins we're looking forward to on the platform?
06:48Yes.
06:48I would love chicken wings.
06:51Chicken wings?
06:51Love that.
06:52Yeah.
06:52And think about show-stopping presentation.
06:54Yes, chef.
06:54Right?
06:56Right.
06:56Let's go.
06:57Let's go.
06:58Feeling good?
06:59Yes, chef.
07:00Yes, chef.
07:01Right.
07:02Talk to me.
07:03Where do we go with this?
07:04Well, if he goes surf, I do turf.
07:06Right.
07:07Don't play it simple.
07:08Yeah.
07:08Abby, did you want the dessert?
07:09Yeah, chef.
07:10I feel like it's a strength of mine.
07:12Love it.
07:1330 minutes is tight, though.
07:14It's very tight.
07:15Jordan and Isaiah, pastry's not their strong suit.
07:18I'm up for the challenge.
07:20I'm ready to get my hands on some sugar.
07:23The platform's moving, guys.
07:26Go!
07:27Go, go, go.
07:27Go, go, go.
07:28Oh, my goodness me.
07:29Scars.
07:30Oh, beautiful.
07:31Ribeye, ribeye, ribeye.
07:32I got the protein that I wanted, a beautiful ribeye steak.
07:35Scallops, scallops.
07:35I got scallops.
07:36Great.
07:37Keep going.
07:37Keep going.
07:38Keep going.
07:38Normally, I'm just grabbing for myself, and I know what I'm grabbing.
07:41But today, I'm having to depend on my teammates.
07:45What else do you guys need?
07:46What do you need?
07:47Don't fall apart.
07:48Come on, guys.
07:49Grab it.
07:50Grab it.
07:50Whatever you need.
07:53From what I grabbed, I don't have enough to make a next level steak dish, so I just hope
07:59Zay and Gabby grab some stuff for me.
08:01Oh, you got the scallops.
08:02I think this is going to tie into a really beautiful, fine dining surface.
08:07and turf sort of menu.
08:08Good grab, guys.
08:10Go.
08:12Let's go, guys.
08:14Chicken wings up top, baby.
08:15Chicken wings.
08:16Hallelujah.
08:18Beautiful lollipop chicken wings.
08:20Let's go.
08:21Grab beautiful grass row pub ingredients.
08:23It's a little strange to do this team thing at the platform.
08:27So I don't think that we grasp that concept very well.
08:31We have 30 minutes as a team to make this cohesive.
08:34Does anyone see coffee?
08:34We have time.
08:35What?
08:36Coffee's here.
08:36Daddy, get it.
08:37Get the coffee.
08:39And the platform's gone.
08:41All right, what do we got?
08:42What do you want to do with this halibut?
08:44I could make a romesco sauce.
08:46Yeah.
08:46Yeah, just a seared halibut over romesco.
08:48Gastro cup?
08:49Yes.
08:52I'm thinking, like, more farm to table.
08:54Like, farm to table?
08:56Farm to table.
08:56Farm to table.
08:57That's what we're going to shoot for.
08:58American farm to table.
08:59We literally waited until the last second to pick out our theme.
09:03Hey, we got this.
09:04Yeah, we do.
09:06Let's go.
09:07Do we need lemons?
09:08Yes.
09:09Sweet potato, avocados.
09:10Lemon curd.
09:11There's a lot on the platform, but it's all really random.
09:14Lemon, citrus, fruit.
09:17So I'm glad that I've memorized that olive oil cake recipe.
09:20You got octopus up here.
09:22Oh, my God.
09:22And you got rabbit right there.
09:23Those are the proteins.
09:24Rabbit, I'm like, man, I was hoping for a piece of, like, New York strip steak.
09:28Only a couple seconds.
09:29Cherry jam, lemon curd down here.
09:31Do you need mayo?
09:31No, no, no, no, chef.
09:32Okay.
09:33All right.
09:35Whew.
09:36I mean, it was kind of like a salvage grab.
09:38Okay.
09:39These are our berries we're working with.
09:41Whatever was left, we just took it.
09:45All right, guys, your 30 minutes starts now.
09:47All of you, listen to me.
09:49When you need help, say something, okay?
09:51Yes, chef.
09:51Yes, chef.
09:51Let's go, guys.
09:52Yes, chef.
09:53Hey, if you need some tomatoes for anything, just add a splash of color.
09:57Appreciate it.
09:57Let's go, team.
09:58Yes, chef.
09:59Let's work smart.
10:00Let's work clean.
10:03I got rabbit, a little bit of fennel, some stilton blue cheese, two asparagus, and some frozen sweet potato.
10:09That sounds dreadful.
10:11A little bit worried about the rabbit.
10:13It's something that I am not super familiar with.
10:16I might look like I know what I'm doing, but in my mind, I got 10, 20 things going on
10:20at once.
10:21All right, Nicole.
10:22Yes, sir.
10:23It does smell good already.
10:23We got some zest going in here right now.
10:25Okay.
10:25Gonna get this thing in the oven because it's gotta cook, and we're gonna get some macerated berries.
10:29Might do a little berry sauce.
10:30It's gonna go great with everything Zach's doing.
10:32Looks like we got a pastry shop.
10:34It's gonna smell good.
10:35Some cakes take 30, 40 minutes to bake, and we don't have that time.
10:38I don't even know how hot this oven is.
10:41I can't tell the temperature.
10:42This honestly might be one of the toughest challenges yet.
10:46Right, what did you grab, Jordan?
10:48Chef, we got a ribeye.
10:49Oh, man.
10:49How are you gonna cook it?
10:50Do a hard sear, a nice buttered maize.
10:52And a nice skillet.
10:52A nice cast-iron skillet.
10:53Get it on and get it smoking, please.
10:56Yes, chef.
10:56Sweet potato puree.
10:57Sweet potato puree.
10:58What about the sauce?
10:58What have we got over there?
10:59We got red wine over there.
11:00Get that one now.
11:00Get it with juicing.
11:01Put that in first, your sweet potato.
11:03Yep, yep, yep, yep.
11:04I've been flustered since the platform dropped.
11:06You know, I'm flustered right now.
11:07The more that I think about this, the more that I'm like, why did I give myself the hardest
11:11job?
11:12Rob, what did you grab?
11:13Why's that?
11:13So I have scallops, miso.
11:16I'm gonna go appetizer.
11:17I made so many appetizers on my series, on my page.
11:20What are you gonna do with the miso?
11:22What are you gonna do?
11:22I'm gonna add it inside the white beurre blanc sauce.
11:25No doubt.
11:25So I think that's gonna be delicious, chef.
11:28How are you looking over there, Gabby?
11:29Looking good, guys.
11:31Got your sweet potatoes on.
11:33Yep, chef.
11:34You just need to get your reduction on right now.
11:35Yep, about to get the reduction going right now, chef.
11:37Don't waste time.
11:38Most important things first.
11:39Get your pan on for reduction.
11:40Little pan.
11:41Let's go.
11:42OK, get organized, young man.
11:43Don't around.
11:44You got it, chef.
11:46Jordan, don't around and fall behind.
11:48Get going.
11:48You got it, chef.
11:49Yes, chef.
11:50One plate, one plate, one plate, one plate.
11:52Come on, Jordan.
11:53Let's go.
11:54Oh, my god.
12:02I feel like this is not reducing fast enough.
12:06That thing is not reducing, bro.
12:08Hell, man.
12:10I'm just looking down and I'm like,
12:12God.
12:15I don't know.
12:16I don't know how this is gonna go.
12:18I'm right here, Jordan.
12:22Vaughn, what is the vision of our menu today?
12:25Gastropuffer.
12:25We love that.
12:27What'd you grab?
12:28I grabbed a halibut.
12:29So I'm gonna do a crispy fried halibut.
12:31And I'm gonna do a brown butter nudie with lardons, chef.
12:34And what about this, says Gastropub?
12:36It's American.
12:37It's comfort.
12:39American comfort.
12:39I love it.
12:40Yes, chef.
12:41Guys, five minutes down.
12:4225 minutes to go.
12:45You got what you wanted.
12:46I know.
12:47So what's the game plan?
12:48I'm gonna batter these up.
12:49Deep fried, nice and crispy.
12:51Crispy.
12:51I'm going spicy and hot with the sambal, the honey, a little washerster.
12:54Sounds incredible.
12:55Sounds incredible.
12:57Nothing says gastropub like a chicken wing.
12:59Yeah.
12:59The vision of the menu is coming to life.
13:01Yes.
13:01And so are we going dipping sauce?
13:02Are we glazing these?
13:03I'm gonna glaze them and then make a nice dipping sauce just to complement it.
13:07Almost tame the heat down for the people that don't want too much heat.
13:10We love it.
13:11I gotta think of everybody, chef.
13:13Yes, that's the signs of a good chef.
13:14Lots to consider.
13:16As a father, I make three dishes in one.
13:18I get it.
13:18I make one for me, one for my wife, one for my kids.
13:21And yours, you know the exact macro crown.
13:23Exactly.
13:24Love it.
13:25I need all the protein.
13:28Christina, where are we going?
13:29What'd you grab?
13:30I grabbed a bunch of stuff to be able to make a beautiful crema catalan.
13:34Love it.
13:35And if I have time, I'll do the doughnuts.
13:37I see you grabbed croissant dough.
13:38Are you using that for your doughnut?
13:40If it works, that would be amazing.
13:41I don't do desserts.
13:42It doesn't come naturally to me.
13:44So I'm just trying to focus on what I'm doing.
13:47And everyone else is also.
13:49So our communication is lacking.
13:53Gabby, how are we?
13:55Chef, I have a short crust pastry that I'm rolling out.
13:58I'm going to caramelize some peaches and figs.
14:01That's gonna go in between with the cardamom cream.
14:04I'm going to brulee these figs as well.
14:07Love that.
14:07Love that.
14:11So salty, bro.
14:12What's salty?
14:14It's too salty.
14:15What's too salty?
14:16This right here.
14:16Put it down.
14:17Let's get a little bit of stock in there.
14:18Back at the boil.
14:19Come on.
14:20I've seen you better than this.
14:21I know, Chef.
14:22I've seen you better than this.
14:23I don't know what's going on.
14:25This is just hard.
14:28In the last two days, I've just been in my head so hard.
14:31Just thinking about my brother.
14:33He unfortunately passed away a few years ago.
14:36He's been watching over me and cooking through me every single day in this competition.
14:41You know, loss isn't easy.
14:43And it's tough to climb out of that dark hole.
14:47I've just got to get it together for myself and my team right now.
14:52How you looking over there, Jordan?
14:53You good?
14:53Good.
14:54Not giving up, bro.
14:55We need you right now.
14:56Let's go.
14:56Let's go, guys.
14:57Yes, Chef.
14:59Teamwork, guys.
15:00Okay, teamwork.
15:01This is good enough batter in the pan.
15:03You think this looks good?
15:04Yeah.
15:05I think it looks great.
15:05What do you think?
15:05Going in the oven.
15:08We need an appetizer, guys.
15:10Yes, Chef.
15:10We're going to do a citrus aioli, Chef, with fried baby octopus.
15:14Right?
15:15Our theme is?
15:15More farm-to-table, Chef.
15:17That's what we're going to shoot for.
15:18I know you kind of work on a farm, so these farm-to-table dinners, you're kind of like
15:22cooking in the garden.
15:23Yeah, love it.
15:24We're not on a farm, and we barely have a table, Zach.
15:27Yes, Chef.
15:28100% the odds are against us.
15:30Where's my knife?
15:32Yeah.
15:33But that is when we're most creative, and we make something out of nothing.
15:4020 minutes left, guys.
15:41Okay.
15:43We have the worst ingredients that I've seen in a long time.
15:46Rabbit's going in.
15:47Rabbit and octopus, those are our proteins.
15:50The risk with the rabbit is it can be really tough.
15:52You usually have to cook it in an hour.
15:54We have less than 30 minutes.
15:55Baby octopus and rabbit.
15:58It's a surf and surf of nightmares.
16:03You good, Gabby?
16:04Yeah, I'm doing good, guys.
16:05I'm toasting some pistachios.
16:07Isaiah.
16:08All right, so you've got your blister tomatoes, your bacon, your bear plong.
16:11Yes.
16:12Get a plate as the appetizer, and show me where we're going with this, okay?
16:16Yeah, yeah, yeah.
16:1618 minutes to go.
16:18Jordan, pick it up, young man.
16:20Yes, Chef.
16:20Yes, Chef.
16:20It's the only course I'm a little bit nervous about now.
16:23We're almost halfway through this cook.
16:25I feel my eyes just glazing over.
16:27I can just kind of feel the wheels starting to loosen up, and I'm like, oh, I can't let these
16:31things fall off.
16:33Down to 15 minutes.
16:35We are halfway.
16:36Please make sure you talk to each other.
16:39This is a team challenge.
16:41Let's go, let's go, let's go.
16:43The three of you should be working as one.
16:46I got lemon if you need some.
16:48Come on, Vaughn, talk it up.
16:50Let's go.
16:51I want to hear that voice.
16:52You guys good?
16:53Need anything?
16:55Somebody, no, me.
16:57It would be nice to get somebody to talk back to me, you know?
17:00If one of you fails, we all fail.
17:04Not only are my teammates quiet, but I just realized we have three fried elements.
17:10Fried donuts, fried chicken lollipops.
17:12We also have a fried fish.
17:15I thought he was gonna pan-sear it, to be honest with you.
17:17We might be in trouble here.
17:20These chefs have all grabbed ingredients, but they're not sharing, they're not talking to each other.
17:24What I need today is not three individual chefs.
17:28I need one team.
17:36Twelve minutes left, team.
17:37I'm gonna say this one more time.
17:39I need you guys talking to each other.
17:40Yes, Chef.
17:40All right, Chef.
17:42How are we feeling, Tristina?
17:44Do you think that's a good texture?
17:45Yes, I think, yep, I do.
17:46100%.
17:47I am just in my zone.
17:49I know that the three of us are strong individually, so I just have faith that everyone's doing what they're
17:55supposed to be doing.
17:57Hey, Jordan, come here.
17:59So you're cooking asparagus before you cook what?
18:01The steak.
18:02Yeah, and what do we need to do with that steak?
18:03Yeah, we need to get in a pan.
18:04So you know this, now you ignore it, so focus.
18:07Yes, Chef.
18:07There's a little bit more pressure when you're working as a team, because you're only as strong as your weakest
18:12teammate.
18:13How are you guys doing?
18:14You going okay?
18:15Look, we got a reduction going.
18:16These guys are looking good.
18:17My big worry right now is Jordan, the entree.
18:19He's cooking asparagus that literally takes seconds to cook before the actual rib eye.
18:24So we haven't even got anywhere near a resting period yet.
18:27Isaiah's on it.
18:28Gabby's on it.
18:28The one-week link in Team Ramsey is Jordan.
18:34What you got?
18:35What you got?
18:35Maybe a little bit more sweetness, but it's coming together.
18:38What you think?
18:39I think that is freaking delicious.
18:41Yes.
18:41Yes!
18:42Go, baby.
18:43Eight minutes left, guys.
18:45Let's go.
18:45I'm deep-fried the halibut.
18:47I take it out, and I was like, you should have pan-seared that.
18:51I think I'm just overthinking.
18:52I wasn't paying attention.
18:52I don't know.
18:53Just hopefully it comes together.
18:54I wasn't thinking.
18:58All right, listen, the big steaks here are getting that cake done, making sure that the rabbit's not tough, and
19:05then making this octopus dish.
19:07Something that looks like an appetizer, okay?
19:10Yes, Chef.
19:11I'm gonna check this rabbit.
19:12I checked it.
19:13It's still a little under.
19:14It needs more time.
19:15Do you think the cake is gonna be done?
19:17It looks good.
19:17What do you think?
19:18Oh, it's a little loose.
19:19I definitely don't want to plate uncooked cake, and if this doesn't go well, I'm going to elimination.
19:28Yeah, this ain't done, bro.
19:31Is this accurate?
19:32Can you give me a plug right here?
19:34Yeah, so it's just a little bit over.
19:36It's a little over, yeah?
19:37How is it over?
19:39I just stuck the thermometer in there two seconds ago, and it said it was under.
19:42And now, I mean, the finger that knows everything touches it.
19:46Hey, this is a little over.
19:47That's right.
19:48A little over.
19:49And I can't doubt this man's finger.
19:51It touches a fish, a shrimp, a steak, a damn pork chop, and it knows to the degree what it
19:56is.
19:56And I'm just like, oh, my God.
19:59Six minutes to go.
20:00Beautiful.
20:01Can the pan do the work, my man?
20:03Yes, Chef.
20:04Hey, if you give up, your team gives up.
20:06I'm not giving up.
20:06I'm not giving up, Chef.
20:07We need you right now.
20:08Let's go.
20:08Let's go, guys.
20:09We got this.
20:10Hey, hey.
20:11Breathe.
20:12Okay?
20:12Breathe.
20:13I've got 17 pots and pans, the oven, the blender, the puree, Chef Ramsay.
20:18I'm just like, oh, my God, dude.
20:21Remove me from this kitchen, please.
20:27What do you have in your nudie dough?
20:29Ricotta cheese and micro basil.
20:31Micro basil.
20:31Nice.
20:32Just cutting these in half and leaving them whole.
20:34What would you do in your restaurant?
20:35Make it taste good.
20:36Okay.
20:37So that's what I'm gonna do.
20:38Does that mean cutting it in half for you or does that mean presenting it whole?
20:41To me, that would be half or whole.
20:44Believe in yourself.
20:45I definitely do that.
20:48Guys, we have three and a half minutes left.
20:50We got this, boys.
20:51Let's go.
20:52I got the big boys on my team.
20:53Let's go.
20:56Nicole and Zach, it's go time, right?
20:58Almost two minutes.
20:59Heard.
20:59Shoot.
21:00It's not cooked.
21:00None of it's cooked?
21:01It's not cooked.
21:02You know what?
21:03You could do kind of a rustic tear, yeah?
21:05Take out sections that is cooked.
21:07Zach, you're gonna have to plate those other two dishes, okay?
21:09Yeah, Chef.
21:09Okay.
21:10Anything that's cooked, the bottom pieces, anything that's brown and lovely right there.
21:13More bread pudding.
21:13It's not exactly what we wanted, but we gotta make it happen.
21:16Okay, it's time to plate.
21:17Let's go.
21:18Go, go, go.
21:19Platform's on the way.
21:20Yes, Chef.
21:20Platform's on the way.
21:21Here, you gotta plate it.
21:22You gotta plate it.
21:23Okay, you got everything on there?
21:24Yes, Chef.
21:24The herbs.
21:25Yep.
21:25Got a nice little pile going on there.
21:27The platform's on the way.
21:28Yep, platform's here, Nicole.
21:29We gotta go right now, guys.
21:30Right now, you got two plates, Zach.
21:32Platform's here.
21:32Yep, got it, Chef.
21:35Five seconds.
21:36I can't take it for you.
21:38I can't take it for you.
21:39Last looks.
21:40Last looks.
21:41Lemon juice.
21:43Okay.
21:44Dang it.
21:45Woo!
21:46Woo!
21:47Platform's on this way.
21:49Create that vision, bring it to life.
21:51Let's go, let's go, let's go.
21:52I'm gonna take the far one, Vaughn.
21:53You got the close one.
21:54Yes.
21:55I'm going far.
21:56I'm already here.
21:56All right, I'm going.
21:57Come on, Maya.
21:58Yep.
22:00Good job, guys.
22:01Look at that.
22:02Yes!
22:03Let's go!
22:03Ballet service.
22:04Woo!
22:06Crush, yep.
22:07Let's go!
22:09Let's go, baby.
22:11Go, go, go, go, go, go.
22:15Last look, guys.
22:16Last look.
22:17Come on, Jordan.
22:18Are you good, Jordan?
22:18What do you need?
22:19What do you need?
22:20What do you need?
22:21Last one's here.
22:21We gotta get on.
22:22Gotta get on, guys.
22:23Gotta get on.
22:24Get it on there.
22:25Let's go.
22:28Clean the plate.
22:29Come on.
22:29Clean the plate.
22:29Come on.
22:30Clean the plate.
22:30Come on.
22:32Clean the plate.
22:33Let's go, bro.
22:33Thank you for not giving up, bro.
22:34Just give up.
22:36That's what we're talking about.
22:38Let's go.
22:38I don't want to ever weigh my team down.
22:40Like, it's always a horrible feeling.
22:42I'm proud of you.
22:43I hate feeling like an anchor, you know?
22:45But that's where we're at right now.
22:47Oh, that was so tough.
22:54Vada.
22:55Yes?
22:55Tell me what your dish is.
22:56Sweet and spicy crispy lollipops
22:58with a special ioli dipping sauce.
23:00Love it.
23:00Vaughn.
23:01I got a crispy fried halibut over at Recorder Noody.
23:03We said crispy twice now, so talk to each other.
23:06You seared it, right?
23:07No, it's a deep fried.
23:09Just like, why did you do that?
23:10I feel like we stuck to the theme of American gastro dishes.
23:14I just didn't stick to my theme of having great dishes.
23:18Hopefully, they can maybe save me a little bit today.
23:21You want me to say crispy lollipops, crispy halibut?
23:35Okay.
23:36Oh, la, la.
23:37That was beautiful.
23:38Oh, dear.
23:40Yeah.
23:40For the very first time, we asked all of you to work in teams, compose a beautiful three-course menu
23:47cohesively with a theme.
23:49Shall we start in the middle floor?
23:52Yes, please.
23:52I got my eye on those wings.
23:54So the theme is gastropub, comfort American fare.
23:58I'm slightly nervous about three courses back-to-back, all deep-fried.
24:02Seems like there was a lack of communication.
24:04I agree with you.
24:06By the time I turned around and the fish was in the fryer, that leaves us not a lot of
24:10options.
24:12First up, we have the sweet and spicy chicken lollipops.
24:16This sauce, it's sort of like an aioli, almost like a fry sauce.
24:21It definitely meets the theme.
24:23Sweet and spicy.
24:24Nice.
24:24They are absolutely delicious.
24:26The dredging, spot on, crispy.
24:27Mine is cooked to utter perfection.
24:30They're really good, sticky, delicious, dirty wings.
24:34We move to the entree course.
24:36Deep-fried halibut over charred broccolini and nudie.
24:42The actual halibut is dry.
24:44I'd never deep-fry halibut.
24:46It needs to be basted, braised.
24:48It needs vibrancy.
24:49The nudie is dense and the fish is overcooked.
24:53Next up, this is a play on a cronut.
24:55This has a trio of sauces, being a raspberry coulis, a beautiful brulee of custard, as well as a chocolate
25:02ganache.
25:03It's almost too good to be true.
25:05They are delicious.
25:07I mean, seriously.
25:08Really good.
25:09Once again, it's on theme, and the sauces really each serve a specific purpose.
25:13I like this a lot.
25:14Control.
25:16I gave it my all, and I put out an amazing dish for my team.
25:20But I'm not super confident in Vaughn's dish, and this might affect our chance to win.
25:27So the theme of the top kitchen today was all about fine dining.
25:31The one in the center doesn't quite look like a restaurant dish, to be honest.
25:36Shall we?
25:38Dig in, please.
25:39Pansy and scallops in a cast iron pan, the miso beurre blanc.
25:42Miso beurre blanc sounds incredible.
25:46A fun, approachable, but fine dining dish.
25:50The scallops couldn't be cooked more perfectly.
25:53Delicious.
25:54Man, I'm thrilled.
25:55I'm beyond, beyond happy.
25:58Okay, to the entree.
26:00First of all, we were time poor.
26:02Ribeye, sweet potato puree, red wine reduction, asparagus, and charred broccolini.
26:10Besides the visual, the sweet potato is too sweet, and the steak isn't seasoned enough.
26:15The steak is unevenly cooked.
26:18Half of it is well done, and half of it seems to be rested.
26:21The vegetables are over-seasoned, and the steak is under-seasoned.
26:24Yeah, I'm a little bit lost for words.
26:26Upset for this individual.
26:27I'm underwhelmed.
26:28They know that.
26:30Our team knows that, and you've just tasted it.
26:33I had a bad day today.
26:34You know, I'm not proud of that.
26:36I just received a gift-wrapped, autographed, first-class ticket to elimination for that performance.
26:43Oh.
26:44Dessert.
26:45But, um, it's a pate sucre stack dusted with a cardamom powder and the caramelized fruits
26:50with a fresh coulis.
26:51I almost don't want to cut into this because it's so pretty.
26:54Wow.
26:55Yes.
26:57I feel every nuance of this dish cared for from the pate sucre.
27:02Tender.
27:02Beautiful.
27:03Pairs so nicely with the fruit that's not overcooked.
27:06This still has a bit of bite to it.
27:08I had to go in for three bites.
27:09I can't stop eating it.
27:10I want more.
27:11That cardamom?
27:12The pistachios.
27:13Oh, my God.
27:15Richard, um, shall we move to the basement, please?
27:17Yeah.
27:17The theme today is your local farm-to-table.
27:20And what farm across the U.S. do you get octopus in?
27:23It's a coastal farm.
27:25Oh, coastal farm.
27:25Okay, great.
27:26Just asking.
27:27Excellent.
27:28But just visually, the portions are beautifully done.
27:31Shall we dig in?
27:32Yeah.
27:32So, start with the octopus here.
27:34So, this is buttermilk, garlic, dill, and lemon.
27:41This is a beautiful showcasing on how dairy and seafood works well together.
27:46The sauce is really bright and brings a nice levity to the crispy seafood.
27:50Great job.
27:51What an amazing start to our farm-to-table themed menu.
27:54There's something really refreshing about that sauce at the bottom.
27:57To the entree portion.
27:59And this is a roasted rabbit with butternut squash, cherries, blue cheese, and hazelnut.
28:07It's a very bold move at this stage of the competition to start cooking rabbit.
28:11It's so unforgiving.
28:12There's no fat there.
28:13Cherries, rabbit, beautiful pairing.
28:15The rabbit is cooked beautifully.
28:17Most of the elements work on this plate.
28:19All right, heading to dessert.
28:21This is a brown butter and olive oil crumble with a blueberry compote and some lemon curd and mint.
28:28And we say crumble.
28:29It literally is crumble.
28:30Did something happen here?
28:31The oven's down there.
28:32The timing.
28:33We had a larger cake.
28:34Right.
28:35So, we had to just sort of turn it into a crumble at the end just so we could get,
28:38you know,
28:38a tasty product on the plate.
28:39For me, the lemon curd, it's a bit sharp.
28:43And how are we elevating this and saying, this is next level chef on a plate?
28:48Please, give us a moment.
28:51Shall we?
28:55Every group had one bad one.
28:57Right.
28:58But they had two really good ones over there.
29:01Yeah.
29:02Top floor.
29:03There were two dishes that were really strong, but the entree left a lot to be desired.
29:07Yeah.
29:08You went from a fine dining restaurant to a mediocre home meal with that dish.
29:11I hate that I put that in front of them, dude.
29:13It sucks.
29:14Middle floor.
29:15The wings.
29:16Top notch stuff.
29:17Yeah, listen, I'll be honest, Aisha.
29:18Two of the dishes from your floor.
29:20Bullseye.
29:21Halibut.
29:22Dry.
29:23Were they talking to each other?
29:24No, I think that they took the easy road.
29:26Dropped the fish in the fryer.
29:27I mean, panicked.
29:29Uh-oh.
29:29Seth Arrington looks a little distraught over there.
29:32The donuts at the end.
29:33So good.
29:33Beautiful.
29:34And the trio of sauces.
29:35Really, really worked.
29:36Yeah.
29:37I will say, in the basement, there's only two people.
29:39Sure.
29:39Three dishes, so the communication was fast and furious.
29:42Seriously impressed, honestly.
29:43I wanted more of that olive oil cake, and unfortunately, I got most of what was sort of dry, the
29:47crust.
29:48I just wanted, like, a whipped cream or something.
29:49There you go.
29:49It was missing an element to bring it together.
29:52I might be going to elimination retreat.
29:54All tasting good, though.
29:56All tasting good.
29:56Really good.
29:57I think if the issue is I'd like more of it, that's always a good problem.
29:59Line up.
29:59Let's go.
30:00Oh.
30:01All right, guys.
30:01Come on.
30:03Okay.
30:04At this time, we're trying to look for the most cohesive menu.
30:08And Richard, Naisha, and myself really do believe that one menu stood out.
30:15The winning menu today is the farm-to-table menu from the basement.
30:23Yes!
30:24Oh, my gosh.
30:25Woo!
30:26Yes!
30:28I went from thinking I'm going to elimination to we are top of the day.
30:33I mean, that is quite a spectrum.
30:36That teamwork has earned you safety.
30:39Yes!
30:40From elimination today, Nicole and Zach head to the lounge.
30:44Get ready for the next challenge.
30:45Thank you so much.
30:46All done.
30:49Okay.
30:49So, unfortunately, we know what that means for the rest of you.
30:53Gordon and Naisha, I'm going to ask each of you to choose one chef from your team to head into
30:58the elimination.
30:59Gordon, I'm going to start with you.
31:01Well, I'm going to do something I've never done before.
31:04I'm not going to choose.
31:13I'm not going to choose.
31:17Because that individual knows who they are.
31:19Step forward.
31:23Absolutely, chef.
31:24Yeah.
31:25I'm going to own it.
31:25Yeah, let's go.
31:29Okay.
31:30Naisha, who's going into the elimination to face Jordan.
31:33One dish was not up to par on the cohesiveness.
31:37I think you know that, Vaughn.
31:38But you are a phenomenal chef.
31:40I know that.
31:41And I want you to take Jordan down.
31:43Yes, chef.
31:44It happened.
31:45Everybody has an off day.
31:46I got this.
31:48I got this and could redeem myself.
31:51Okay, Jordan, Vaughn.
31:53For this elimination, we're going casual with a comfort classic.
31:58Chicken and waffles.
32:01What started as an unusual brunch combination has become a cult classic.
32:07Both of you are going to have 25 minutes to give your take on an elevated version of chicken and
32:13waffles.
32:14Yes, chef.
32:15Head to the top floor.
32:17I'll meet you up there in a little bit.
32:18Good luck, gentlemen.
32:20Let's go, Jordan.
32:21Let's go, Vaughn.
32:22Man.
32:24Calm, too, bro.
32:25Whenever you feel like you're going off the rails.
32:26I'll call you.
32:27I'll call on you.
32:29He's a pro.
32:29He's probably got 15 or 20 years on me as far as experience.
32:33He literally owns a breakfast joint that I'm pretty sure has chicken and waffles on the venue.
32:38Be confident.
32:39Let's go.
32:40Chicken and waffles, we do run as a special.
32:42It's one of our top-selling dishes, actually, at a restaurant.
32:44It's Chef Vaughn and Mom.
32:45We make it with love, and it's delicious.
32:49Let's go.
32:49All right.
32:50Game time.
32:51I would not want to be in that elimination with Vaughn.
32:55No.
32:57Okay, how are we doing, everyone?
32:58We doing good?
32:59Yes.
33:00All right.
33:00Listen, one of the toughest things to do as a competitor is just, like, shake it off, right?
33:04And I'm looking forward to witnessing an epic battle tonight, okay?
33:07Absolutely.
33:08Let's go.
33:08Let's put it on.
33:09All right, let's line it up.
33:10Let's go, bro.
33:12Here it comes, guys.
33:13When it's green, it's go time.
33:14When it's green, it's go.
33:15Here we go.
33:16David versus Goliath.
33:17That's it, you know?
33:19Go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go!
33:22It's like trying to run around a box truck.
33:25I'm like, get out of the way, dude.
33:26Drumsticks, thighs.
33:28Oh, got it.
33:30Got it.
33:31Chicken breast, if anyone wanted to do that.
33:33Breasts dry out really fast, so I'm like, let me do some thighs.
33:37You can always go back to the platform.
33:40Okay, so a bone-in thigh over here and drumsticks over there for drumsticks.
33:44I don't know if I would have wanted drumsticks.
33:46I probably would have wanted that airline chicken breast.
33:49Is there bacon up there?
33:50All right, so we got the bone-in thigh marinating.
33:52What is it marinating is?
33:53It's marinating and a little bit of pickle juice, a little bit of butter, buttermilk,
33:58and a little bit of hot sauce.
33:59Pickle juice and buttermilk?
34:00You're like, money.
34:01And what type of waffle are we making?
34:02A simple buttermilk waffle.
34:03Okay, got it.
34:04I'm not worried about him at all, honestly.
34:07Let's go, Jordan.
34:08Let's go.
34:08Let's go.
34:09Jordan needs to keep his cool.
34:11It's a David versus Goliath story, but hey, David definitely beat Goliath, so come on.
34:16You got this.
34:17Stay strong and just get the job done.
34:20All right, Jordan, so you're deep into the measurements over here.
34:23Getting our waffle batter going.
34:24We're gonna do a waffle with macerated berries and some chipotle whiskey maple syrup.
34:30Damn, Jordan, you're fighting for your life right now.
34:32Five minutes gone.
34:36Are we doing the tricks of the trade over here, Chef Vaughn?
34:39Just frying the bacon.
34:41Interesting.
34:43Elevated chicken and waffles.
34:45How am I differentiating myself?
34:47Am I doing something unique to the chicken or the waffle?
34:49What are you doing with that?
34:50Going into the butter?
34:52No, whiskey, maple syrup.
34:54Okay, let's go.
34:55All right.
34:5510 minutes down, 15 minutes remaining.
34:58Put that one and this one because it's gonna cool your oil down.
35:02You guys are legend.
35:03Drop them.
35:04Let's go.
35:05All right.
35:06Let's go.
35:07Game time, baby.
35:09You going blueberry?
35:10Yep.
35:11You going all sweet, going to add some heat to it.
35:14Sweet.
35:15All sweet, y'all.
35:17You guys intentionally using very similar flavors?
35:22They'd say the best form of flattery is imitation.
35:26What do you need?
35:26Whiskey.
35:27Some bourbon?
35:28Oh, he got it.
35:29He got us.
35:30It looks like some champagne.
35:31Go buy the champagne.
35:32I got that.
35:33Woo!
35:34Let's go!
35:35Pop it!
35:37Let's go!
35:39Ah!
35:41I'm a chef.
35:42That's what we do.
35:43A little bit for the sauce and some for me.
35:45You haven't won yet, chef.
35:47You haven't won yet.
35:52Halfway mark.
35:53Twelve and a half.
35:54Good job, Gordy.
35:55Let's go!
35:58Don't go overboard because it's tiny.
36:00Yep.
36:02Stop.
36:02That's good.
36:02That's good.
36:03Good, good, good, good.
36:05You might need to put it under the oven as well.
36:09Why is it so thin?
36:11Chicken is done.
36:12Come on, baby.
36:13Let's go.
36:16Just cut it open and check real quick.
36:19Is it looking good?
36:20Done.
36:21Done.
36:22Vaughn, how are we feeling about your chicken?
36:23It's getting pretty golden brown.
36:24I run over to the fryer.
36:26Chicken looks good, but I'm like, no, it's way too early.
36:28So I put it back in.
36:30How much time do I have, chef?
36:31Four minutes left or two minutes from plating.
36:35You think it'll cook in two minutes?
36:37Mom, get your chicken out of the fryer, maybe.
36:44Three and a half minutes.
36:45Plate everything else and put that last.
36:48Cook it to the very last second.
36:50Beautiful.
36:50Oh, my gosh.
36:51Let's go, Gordy.
36:53Two minutes left.
36:54You can start plating.
36:56Get the sauce on there.
37:00Here we go.
37:03One-thirty left.
37:05Vaughn, let's go!
37:06Wow, I can't believe he's waiting at the last minute, man.
37:10Make sure you got all the elements on the plate.
37:12Chicken, waffle, sauce, garnish.
37:14That's gotta be cooked.
37:15Put them on here.
37:16Yeah.
37:17That looks good.
37:19Be careful with that.
37:20Sixty seconds left.
37:21There you go.
37:22Yes, yes, yes.
37:24Garnish, sugar.
37:27I'm stressed.
37:29Fifteen seconds.
37:31Let's go!
37:34Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.
37:43Hands up.
37:46Let's go!
37:52Gordyn, Naisha, both of these chefs did themselves proud.
37:55And I know this is an individual battle, but there's lots of great team vibes and spirit up here for
37:59sure.
37:59Beautiful.
38:00Two classic takes on chicken and waffles, one using the chicken thigh and one using chicken drumsticks.
38:06And we will start off with the drumsticks.
38:09Chicken drums.
38:10It's just a bold move, especially across the elimination.
38:14This sauce is whiskey and chili and maple.
38:24Chicken's delicious, whoever cooked that.
38:26Waffle could have been a little touch longer in the oven.
38:29It's good. It's a really good effort.
38:30This is that quintessential flavor.
38:33I have the waffle and I get some texture, crispiness coming from the chicken.
38:37For me, this blackberry sauce around the outside is overpowering that beautiful, delicate maple syrup.
38:42I think it's really smart to add the chili.
38:45It adds another layer and depth of flavor.
38:47All right, next up we have our crispy chicken thigh on a baked studded waffle with a champagne and berry
38:55sauce.
38:55When I hear champagne and blackberry sauce, I'm just wondering if it's missing that sort of traditional flavor with the
39:01maple syrup.
39:08There is part of this chicken that's a little bit overcooked.
39:11I think this thing needs some heat, a hot sauce, but it's beautifully seasoned.
39:15That's the big plus here.
39:16The chicken, it's almost, you know, like the flour has this burned flavor to it.
39:21However, I am enjoying this waffle more than this waffle.
39:24I think the champagne sauce is a little bit formidable on the champagne flavor.
39:30But we did ask for elevated, so really smart play.
39:33I see elements of brilliance in both of these chicken and waffles.
39:39So, Gordon, which dish are you sending home tonight?
39:43It's a tough one.
39:44Purely on taste, the waffle dish that I'm sending home was made with the thigh.
39:55Okay, Naisha, same question.
40:00Tough.
40:03The chicken and waffle dish that I will be sending home is going to be the chicken and waffle with
40:13the thigh.
40:17That dish was cooked by Vaughn.
40:19Yeah.
40:22It's okay.
40:23It's not, though.
40:29Oh, my God.
40:32Thank you, God.
40:35That was from my brother.
40:36My brother's working through my, I said,
40:39Jay, work through my hands.
40:44Then he did.
40:47Before my brother died, he had a mural of David and Goliath tattooed on his arm.
40:53And, um, I got the scripture tatted on my wrist of David and Goliath.
41:01Oh, my God.
41:05That's crazy.
41:08Young man, you're a standout.
41:10One thing that's evident is that you were born to cook.
41:13Yes, sir.
41:14And that pro experience got your team, on multiple occasions, out of the weeds.
41:18And so, this is not the last time we're going to be hearing with Vaughn.
41:22Oh, no.
41:23No chance.
41:24All right, Vaughn.
41:24Say goodbye to your teammates.
41:26Absolutely.
41:27See you, guys.
41:28My man, good job, buddy.
41:34Take care of all.
41:35Take care.
41:36See you later, bro.
41:36Have a while.
41:37Thank you, thank you.
41:38Good luck.
41:41Super proud of myself.
41:42It's been an awesome experience.
41:43Zero regrets.
41:44My mom, she would be super proud of me right now.
41:47Cooking, that's in my blood and it's in my DNA.
41:49It's what I do, it's what I know best.
41:51So, ready to get back to the restaurant and keep killing it.
41:54This is not the last America's going to see of this guy right here.
42:00You've seen firsthand what's just happened to a very talented pro chef.
42:05Yeah.
42:06You cannot afford any mistakes.
42:08Because next time, if you want to succeed, you'll have to think inside the box.
42:18Good night.
42:19Good night.
42:20Good job.
42:20Good night, sir.
42:22Good night.
42:22Good night.
42:23Good night.
42:24Good night.
42:26You can't go yet.
42:28Not yet, baby.
42:29Not yet.
42:29Good job.
42:30No!
42:32No!
42:32Give me some, bro.
42:33Give me some.
42:35Enjoy it.
42:40Next time on Next Level Chef.
42:42From here on in, you are all cooking as individuals.
42:48Now's the time to push.
42:50Normally, I have a sense of composure.
42:54Today, that's not happening.
42:57Watch out, watch out, watch out.
42:58I don't have much to go back to.
42:59Is this the way I'm going to go out?
43:02We've decided there's one more chef joining that elimination.
43:06Who's the third person?
43:12Go now and see you next time.
43:122
43:123
43:125
43:136
43:136
43:147
43:144
43:148
43:146
43:148
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