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Tournament Of Champions - Season 7 - Episode 02: Another Icon Is Revealed
Transcript
00:00:01The greatest competition in the culinary universe has begun.
00:00:06Let's go!
00:00:07Now it's TOC time.
00:00:09Last time on TOC 7, the tournament kicked off with the chefs of the A Division
00:00:13facing off in their head-to-head battle.
00:00:15The winner is...
00:00:17Chef Chetila!
00:00:20Claudia Tapina!
00:00:23Jonathan Sawyer!
00:00:24Finally, the first icon took the stage
00:00:27as Chef Ming Tsai battled TOC qualifier winner Chef Artie Sequeira.
00:00:32And Chef Artie Sequeira scored the biggest upset of TOC 7 so far.
00:00:39Artie Sequeira!
00:00:45And tonight, the chefs of the B Division step into the arena
00:00:49to begin their quest for the belt.
00:00:51First up, it's the battle of Top Chef All-Star
00:00:54between Chef Nini Nguyen and Chef Joe Sasto.
00:00:59There it is!
00:01:01Next, culinary dragon slayer Kevin Lee goes head-to-head
00:01:05with CHOP Grand Champion Chef Adam Greenberg.
00:01:08He doesn't need more love. I'm the new guy here.
00:01:10I'm here to win that bag of money.
00:01:13Did Chef Britt Resigno drive to reach the Final Four for a fourth time?
00:01:18Going out in the first round is not an option.
00:01:20It begins with a battle against Michelin-starred Chef Giuseppe Centauri.
00:01:25I love smart cooking!
00:01:27Yeah!
00:01:28And finally, we'll reveal the identity of our second culinary icon
00:01:32as they step into the arena to battle Top Chef All-Star Katsuchi Tanabe.
00:01:37Oh!
00:01:37He's in trouble!
00:01:39Oh!
00:01:39I feel intimidated.
00:01:41I got this!
00:01:42Oh!
00:01:43Who will win the title, the belt, the $150,000?
00:01:47Ladies and gentlemen, this is Tournament of Champions 7!
00:01:58We're kicking the night off with two chefs who never cease to surprise us.
00:02:02We have the number five seed, Chef Joe Sasto, who added to his list of upset victories last year
00:02:08with a performance that guaranteed he'd be returning for another shot at the title.
00:02:13The winner of the final battle tonight between Chef Chetila and Chef Joe Sasto is...
00:02:21Joe Sasto!
00:02:23What?!
00:02:24Taking down some of the greats.
00:02:26Five years, year five, fifth time's the charm to go home with all the glory.
00:02:30We're not even gonna talk about going out in the first round, and NeNe's not gonna be the one to
00:02:34stop me.
00:02:34I feel like this is the year of the stash, but with the bracket, we have to wait to find
00:02:39out who these icons actually are.
00:02:40Who are they going to be?
00:02:42He'll be going up against Chef NeNe Wynn, who won two tough battles last year, raising her seed from number
00:02:48six to a number four seed.
00:02:50It feels good to be a number four seed. I've never been that high.
00:02:54I feel ready.
00:02:55But I have to beat Joe first, and then we pluck him one by one.
00:02:59It only takes five victories to be a TOC champion.
00:03:04If you need to build that momentum somewhere, start right here with you, NeNe.
00:03:08All right, Chef, you ready to battle?
00:03:09Wait, hold on.
00:03:11Okay, now I'm ready.
00:03:12Let's go.
00:03:15Are you ready for the first battle?
00:03:17Then let's light this up!
00:03:21His talents as a chef and as a pasta maker have helped him earn restaurants multiple Michelin stars.
00:03:30He made the final three on Top Chef.
00:03:36His new Italian cookbook, Breaking the Rules, made Bon Appetit an epicurious list of standout cookbooks for fall 2025.
00:03:44Make some noise from Mustache Joe, Chef Joe Sasko!
00:03:55I can't hear you!
00:04:01What?
00:04:03The Mustache is feeling feisty today.
00:04:06This is the fifth time doing this.
00:04:07Now I'm married.
00:04:09So it's official.
00:04:10There's a Mrs. Mustache now.
00:04:12How'd you meet your wife?
00:04:13You know, funny story.
00:04:15TOC3, she was tuning in to watch you and her favorite Chef Antonia.
00:04:19And some mustache guy with tie-dye pants came out and beat her favorite chef.
00:04:25The winner of our battle between Chef Antonia Lofaso and Chef Joe Sasko is...
00:04:33Joe Sasko!
00:04:35And she slid into my DMs and the rest is a love story made in history.
00:04:40Is that how it really happened?
00:04:41You have that energy. Good luck tonight.
00:04:44Thank you, sir.
00:04:45Let's go, guys.
00:04:46Get it out of here!
00:04:48Your opponent.
00:04:50Her combination of Vietnamese flavors, New Orleans pastry shop skill, and technique honed at three Michelin-starred 11 Madison Park.
00:05:02Makes her a force to be reckoned with.
00:05:05She's a Top Chef all-star who reached the final four in season two of 24 and 24.
00:05:15And last year, she defeated Chef Paudette Cepeda.
00:05:19Nini wins!
00:05:20And Carlos Anthony to reach the TOC6 quarter-finals.
00:05:25Give a toast to Martinini!
00:05:29Chef Nini wins!
00:05:39All right!
00:05:46Nini, you're an assassin.
00:05:47We know you are.
00:05:49And this, to me, is the way we kick off TOC7 tonight.
00:05:54Chefs, let's take you to the randomizer.
00:05:56Let's go!
00:05:57Whoo!
00:06:02All right.
00:06:02The randomizer will determine the mandatory details of your dish.
00:06:06The protein, the produce, the equipment, the style, and the wild card.
00:06:10And tonight, in this first round of competition, the wild card is all about re-spin.
00:06:15Equipment or style re-spin.
00:06:17Stay or total re-spin.
00:06:19Or, my favorite is the audience choice.
00:06:26Here we go.
00:06:27Go for the protein!
00:06:35Oh, makes me sick.
00:06:39Catfish, endive, hand-held mixer, and creamy.
00:06:48Stay or total re-spin?
00:06:50Stay.
00:06:51I want a total re-spin.
00:06:53Well, you guys get to talk about it together.
00:06:55Why?
00:06:56Why?
00:06:56Why do you want to stay?
00:06:58There's catfish, which I'm very, very familiar with, and I think that I have an advantage.
00:07:03The one thing I didn't want landed up there.
00:07:05I don't want the hand-held mixer.
00:07:06I think you're gonna have to get a little creative, Chef.
00:07:09I want a total re-spin.
00:07:10Here's the thing.
00:07:11The hand-held mixer, to me, acts as a style more than a piece of equipment.
00:07:15We're not here on Great Holiday Bake Off.
00:07:17Don't be scared.
00:07:18Give in.
00:07:19Oh, my gosh!
00:07:21Well, no, no.
00:07:23To come to an agreement on this, rock, paper, scissors.
00:07:26Okay?
00:07:27All right.
00:07:28One, two, three, shoot.
00:07:30Oh.
00:07:31Joe wins.
00:07:32Total re-spin.
00:07:33Wow.
00:07:33Here we go.
00:07:37Sorry.
00:07:42Captus, chicken, venison, chicken thighs.
00:07:44Bye-bye, catfish.
00:07:47Globe eggplant.
00:07:48Hand-held mixer.
00:07:51Ooh, hand-held mixer.
00:07:57Chicken thighs, globe eggplant, hand-held mixer, and smash.
00:08:04Oh, and you have 30 minutes.
00:08:07Go cook.
00:08:10You think that's better?
00:08:12Nope.
00:08:12Definitely not.
00:08:13Chicken thighs is a gift, in my opinion.
00:08:16More flavor.
00:08:16You get more fat.
00:08:17Globe eggplant.
00:08:18This is the big purple eggplant that you see typically.
00:08:20This is the most common eggplant.
00:08:21A little bitter.
00:08:22Hand-held mixer.
00:08:23Joe's favorite.
00:08:24They do a lot more than Joe's giving it credit for.
00:08:26Here's the key.
00:08:27How could they taste smashed, hand-held mixer, globe eggplant, and chicken thighs?
00:08:32Judges are going to be looking for it.
00:08:35See, see, see.
00:08:35This randomizer is looking at me dirty.
00:08:39Definitely harder than before.
00:08:40I see the eggplant.
00:08:41I see the hand mixer.
00:08:43To me, that screams baba ganoush.
00:08:47Chefs, good to see you.
00:08:48Hey, yo, Justin.
00:08:49How we doing?
00:08:50Perfect.
00:08:50I'm joined once again by my first-class culinary commentators, Michelin-recommended chef, and gourmet guru, the wildcard Justin Warner.
00:08:59And award-winning restaurateur and TOC3 champ herself, Chef Tiffany Faison.
00:09:04Now, Justin and Tiffany will be tracking the chef's every move so they can faithfully describe their dishes to the
00:09:10judges during the blind tasting.
00:09:13When I was working at Quint's in San Francisco, we used to have this Tuscan-style fried chicken.
00:09:19And that's all gonna go well with the baba ganoush, because Italy's in the Mediterranean.
00:09:24We're dancing around the same part of the world.
00:09:28Ay-yi-yi, the smash in the eggplant really threw me off.
00:09:31Globe eggplants taste like almost nothing.
00:09:34They're bitter foam.
00:09:36But, like, smoked eggplant might taste good with Viet flavors.
00:09:40Sup, Chef?
00:09:41Hi, how are you?
00:09:42You feel like chatting with me?
00:09:44I'll be right here with my pen.
00:09:45I'm going to make a pan-seared smashed chicken thigh with, like, a Vietnamese baba ganoush.
00:09:50And I'm going to smash some eggplants and tempura fry them.
00:09:54That's what we want to see.
00:09:55We want to see Tiffany immediately grabbing that eggplant and starting to deal with it right away.
00:09:59The eggplant will ultimately take longer to cook than the chicken thighs.
00:10:0323 minutes.
00:10:07Chicken thighs, you don't normally see smashed.
00:10:10But making sure the judges can see it on the plate is really, really important.
00:10:15Everybody's always like, I can do this. I have this award.
00:10:19And I'm little of me. I want to come in.
00:10:22And then I just, like, snake my way to winning the whole thing.
00:10:27Come on, Joe!
00:10:29Thanks, guys! Let's go!
00:10:31The Rainer Meyers I smashed.
00:10:33The best way I know how to smash a chicken.
00:10:37Interesting smashing technique.
00:10:38Right.
00:10:39Is with a tortilla press.
00:10:43How did you learn this in Oaxaca, Chef?
00:10:45I actually learned this one on Instagram.
00:10:47Oh, nice.
00:10:49What's the plan for those good guys?
00:10:50We're going to fry them.
00:10:51Okay.
00:10:52Smashed and fried.
00:10:53That's one of his favorite followers on Instagram.
00:10:55This guy presses everything in the tortilla press.
00:10:57I know exactly who he is.
00:10:57That guy's great. That guy's great.
00:11:01Chef, what do we got in there?
00:11:02So we got lemon juice, pickle juice, ginger, chicken bouillon.
00:11:07I want to do a wet brine, so I'm going to get a lot of really impactful flavors in here.
00:11:11In the vacuum seal chamber, which compresses that marinade into the chicken.
00:11:16The only issue is because a 10-minute marinade is going to be long enough.
00:11:19Time calls, please.
00:11:2018.
00:11:21We got Meaty Martini in the mix.
00:11:23She's fierce.
00:11:24She's fiery.
00:11:24She's feisty.
00:11:26Fellow top chef all-star.
00:11:27I mean, she is a serious chef and competitor.
00:11:30This is not an easy first round for me or for Meaty.
00:11:34I'm going to smash those and fry that.
00:11:37I think I need a crispy element, so I'm going to smash some eggplants and tempura fry them.
00:11:43I need to get it soft enough to smash it.
00:11:47I'm trying to smash between two sheet trays, and it's just not smashing.
00:11:52Joe, I've watched him cook, and he usually scores really high.
00:11:56And he's beat big people like Antonio Lavasso.
00:12:00So I know that I'm going to have to bring it if I want to beat him.
00:12:04There it is.
00:12:09Chef Dini, Chef Joe, we are at the halfway point.
00:12:1215 minutes to go.
00:12:1315.
00:12:14Self-rising flour.
00:12:16Use self-rising flour for chicken?
00:12:18Yeah, and cornstarch.
00:12:19Hell yeah.
00:12:20Nice little blend.
00:12:21I mean, neither one has even touched that handheld mixture.
00:12:24Yeah.
00:12:25There with that.
00:12:26So I see that hand mixer staring me down, and that's when I decide to use eggs into my dredge.
00:12:34There you go.
00:12:35I normally wouldn't put eggs into my batter because I want a thinner, lighter, crispier coating, but I know if
00:12:41I whip the eggs and aerate them, I'm going to be able to get that airy lightness.
00:12:47Gloves take too long.
00:12:49Gloves take too long.
00:12:49You know, a lot of people might underestimate me because I am a rule breaker.
00:12:53But trust me, I have some of the craziest upsets here under my belt already, so anything can happen here
00:13:00on TOC.
00:13:01Bro, I think the Colonel's going to be pissed.
00:13:06Flour, salt, baking soda, soda water.
00:13:11See a tempura on the horizon?
00:13:13I'm using the handheld mixer to make my tempura batter.
00:13:18Let's fry these bad boys.
00:13:22I want it to be very visible that I made eggplant two ways.
00:13:27That eggplant that's been burned on the grill, that's getting those Vietnamese flavors.
00:13:31Sugar Thai chili lime juice.
00:13:33Fish sauce.
00:13:34So Vietnamese baba ganoush.
00:13:35Yeah, viet baba.
00:13:37Yeah.
00:13:37I think that when you're competing here, you want to create things that will wow judges.
00:13:42So I wanted to make something different that's something that they never had before.
00:13:46I've never seen a globe eggplant hand-mixed before.
00:13:49But I've not seen a lot of things that I've seen in this kitchen.
00:13:53How does it stop?
00:14:01Mashed black garlic is part of my glaze.
00:14:04Fried chicken is inherently rich, so I want to build up a really intense, flavorful glaze.
00:14:12it.
00:14:15Can you help me with that, Chef?
00:14:28You know, the host job is never done.
00:14:31I don't know what to say.
00:14:32Mimi is no stranger to competition, but I'm hungry.
00:14:36Money is one thing, but I'm really here for the glory.
00:14:40The belt.
00:14:41The ring.
00:14:42The banner.
00:14:43Going down in culinary history as the first male chef to win TOC.
00:14:48I like that it's just gently getting mopped on.
00:14:51It's just gonna hang out in the crevices and not sog that guy out.
00:14:53Love it.
00:14:56Stephanie and he's checking her chicken.
00:14:58Those look great.
00:14:59It's getting a really beautiful golden color on the skin.
00:15:03Of course, like every year that I do this, I want to do better.
00:15:07The first year, I went out on the first round.
00:15:10Second year, I went to the third round.
00:15:12This year, I am playing for the money, of course.
00:15:16I am in a place in my life where I want to start a family,
00:15:20and I want to experience motherhood,
00:15:23and I think $150,000 is a great way to start.
00:15:27Yup.
00:15:28So the globe eggplant, I know I want to handle two different ways.
00:15:31I throw one directly over the fire to get it charred.
00:15:34I smash all of the interior.
00:15:37What are we doing with this?
00:15:39We are making a baba ganoush with some tahini and sesame paste,
00:15:43and that gets all whipped up with the hand mixer.
00:15:47I take the other globe eggplant,
00:15:49and I'm thinking I could treat this almost like a plantain.
00:15:53Blanching those real quick.
00:15:55I thought the goal was with the eggplant is to get rid of the moisture.
00:15:58It will char quickly on that grill,
00:15:59so getting as much water content into it as like a suppressant.
00:16:04I got to just finish them in the fryer so they crisp up a bit.
00:16:07And then I could smash it.
00:16:09Copy.
00:16:09And almost like a smashed potato.
00:16:11Eggplant toast on?
00:16:12Yes, exactly.
00:16:13Chefs, three and a half.
00:16:14So I'm plating my viet baba.
00:16:16I add my chicken, and I'm laying my crispy eggplant.
00:16:21I want to make sure as I'm putting the fish sauce caramel broth
00:16:24that I'm not putting too much so that the eggplant will still stay crispy.
00:16:28She's not even sweating.
00:16:3060 seconds.
00:16:32Yes, thank you.
00:16:34So first thing going down on the plate, globe eggplant, baba ganoush.
00:16:38Next is my calm feed eggplant round.
00:16:41Then my big ol' crispy chicken thigh glazed.
00:16:45I know I needed to use the hand mixer again,
00:16:48so with a little bit of time left,
00:16:50I made some whipped creme fraiche.
00:16:52Get it, Joe.
00:16:53Get it, Joe.
00:16:54Go, go, go, go, go, go.
00:16:56Five, four, three, two, one.
00:16:59We're done.
00:17:00Stop it.
00:17:03Well done.
00:17:04That's how you start off the night.
00:17:06That was wild.
00:17:10Time to send you back to your trailers,
00:17:12and let's bring out those world-class judges.
00:17:14Thank you so much.
00:17:15Great job.
00:17:16That's right.
00:17:27I think I did the randomizer really well.
00:17:30I think I made really flavorful food.
00:17:32It is creative, it's delicious, and it's beautiful.
00:17:35That's what wins these competitions.
00:17:39And let's see what the judges think.
00:17:47All right.
00:17:49Now we wait.
00:17:51I'm happy with that cook.
00:17:52If I lose on that,
00:17:53that makes you really cooked a better dish.
00:17:55Ladies and gentlemen,
00:17:56our TOC judges have been waiting patiently
00:17:58in their trailers for their first blind tasting
00:18:00of the night.
00:18:01First, we have internationally revered restaurateur
00:18:04and first female Iron Chef in the UK,
00:18:08Chef Judy Chu.
00:18:11Judy Chu.
00:18:13I like Judy Chu.
00:18:15She talks about food in such a beautiful way.
00:18:17Mmm.
00:18:17Next, we have James Beard award-winning cookbook author
00:18:20and legendary New York chef, one of my favorite chefs,
00:18:24Chef Rocco Di Spirito.
00:18:26Gotta love Rocco.
00:18:28You know, flavor is an OG.
00:18:31Hey, everybody.
00:18:33Then we have this other chef, Michelin-recommended restaurateur,
00:18:37and the winner, the reigning champ of TOC 6, Chef Antonia La Faso.
00:18:45Antonia.
00:18:47Champ, champ, champ, champ, champ, champ.
00:18:51Champ, it's so great to have you.
00:18:53So, the randomizer kicked down.
00:18:56Chicken thighs, globe eggplant.
00:18:58The equipment was a handheld mixer,
00:19:00and the style was smashed.
00:19:02Here to present, TOC champ Tiffany Faison.
00:19:06I'm so nervous.
00:19:07In front of you, we have smash-roasted chicken thigh.
00:19:10One of the eggplants was open flame charred,
00:19:12creating that smoky flavor.
00:19:13And handheld mixer blended, that's right,
00:19:17that's your viet baba, if you will.
00:19:18We then have the eggplant that was smashed and tempura fried.
00:19:22That is sitting on top of the chicken broth.
00:19:25He does such a great job.
00:19:26I want her for the whole season if I win.
00:19:28When I win.
00:19:30They're eating it.
00:19:31They are eating it up.
00:19:32It seems like they've covered everything on the randomizer,
00:19:35the chicken thigh, obviously on the plate, cooked really well.
00:19:38I'd like to have seen the chicken skin a little crispy.
00:19:41Yeah.
00:19:43The eggplant two ways.
00:19:44I love that they're playing the game.
00:19:46And the eggplant baba is my favorite.
00:19:50Not just incredible gameplay, obviously using the handheld mixer,
00:19:54but it gave so much depth to the dish.
00:19:59I think it's a really tasty plate.
00:20:01There's nice acidity.
00:20:02There's herbaceousness.
00:20:03I love that fish sauce.
00:20:04I wish there was more of that broth that's so tasty.
00:20:07I knew it.
00:20:08I would love to have seen a little bit more creativity with the plating.
00:20:11Like maybe the baba's underneath, the thigh is on top of it.
00:20:14A little bit more height, a little bit more architecture.
00:20:16Just give it a little bit of a polish.
00:20:18I know.
00:20:19I should have used a bowl.
00:20:22Thank you very much.
00:20:23All right, judges, your scorecards are in front of you.
00:20:2550 points available in taste, 40 points for the use of the randomizer,
00:20:28and 10 in presentation.
00:20:30Judges love that.
00:20:31But I don't know how she handled the plating in the randomizer.
00:20:34I hope they hate Joe's.
00:20:36And here we are to present the second chef's dish,
00:20:39wild card Justin Warner.
00:20:41God, this is the hardest part of the whole thing.
00:20:43Judges, this is Italian fried chicken.
00:20:45The chicken thigh was smashed in a tortilla press.
00:20:49From there, vacuumed with preserved lemon juice,
00:20:52some pickled juice, and some sesame seed for crunch.
00:20:55In terms of the eggplant, one was charred,
00:20:58and then turned into a baba yinoush
00:21:00that you'll see on the bottom of the plate.
00:21:02Another use of the eggplant, the round that you will see
00:21:04smashed between the plate and the chicken itself.
00:21:07Lastly, you'll notice a bit of creme fraiche there.
00:21:09That was whipped and seasoned with that hand mixer
00:21:11right towards the end of the cook.
00:21:13Justin did great.
00:21:14It's interesting to call it an Italian approach.
00:21:17I don't know if it's Italian, but it's certainly delicious.
00:21:20The eggplant is obviously here, served in two ways,
00:21:23and the handheld mixer was used to really great effect here
00:21:26to create a very smooth baba yinoush.
00:21:30Smoking, delicious.
00:21:34I think that kind of gameplay of quick pickling,
00:21:37so that it has the illusion of a brine overnight,
00:21:40which is salty and bright, is brilliant.
00:21:41For the breading, I think one of the smartest things
00:21:44that the chef did was add sesame seeds to it.
00:21:46The batter is delicious.
00:21:48It's those little details.
00:21:49That's what it takes to get noticed in TOC.
00:21:52First of all, it's beautiful.
00:21:54Visually stunning.
00:21:55But I would have to say, I was looking for chicken.
00:21:57There's a lot of breading on this.
00:21:59Tortilla pressed, but maybe pressed too much,
00:22:01I would have to say.
00:22:02But it's a very lovely dish.
00:22:04I'd be happy to pay for that.
00:22:07Damn.
00:22:07Well, you will.
00:22:08This year, we do charge you as you go.
00:22:11But we'll just put it on your bill.
00:22:13All right, judges.
00:22:14Thank you very much.
00:22:15Your scorecards are in front of you.
00:22:1650 points of taste.
00:22:1840 in the use of the randomizer tendon plating.
00:22:20All right.
00:22:21The only reason the breading is thick
00:22:23is because I added eggs.
00:22:25And because I needed to use the hand mixer.
00:22:27Thank you, judges.
00:22:28I'm gonna send you back to your trailer.
00:22:29We'll call you for the next round.
00:22:32Oh, the pace was too much breading.
00:22:35My presentation was bad.
00:22:38Yeah.
00:22:38I don't know.
00:22:39Let's bring it back in.
00:22:40Chef Joe Sasto!
00:22:44Chef Dini wins!
00:22:51Dishes were delicious.
00:22:53Here you go with the scores.
00:22:5483 to 79.
00:23:01The winner of the first round battle is...
00:23:10The winner of the first round battle is...
00:23:14The winner of the first round battle is...
00:23:17Joe Sasto!
00:23:20Congratulations!
00:23:26Chef Dini, you're such a great competitor.
00:23:28Such an amazing chef.
00:23:29I'm sorry this is the end of the road.
00:23:31Thank you so much.
00:23:33Congratulations.
00:23:34Great job.
00:23:34He wins!
00:23:40I knew it.
00:23:41I knew it was gonna be a hard battle.
00:23:42But all in all, he smashed a lot of things.
00:23:47Joe Sasto just won first round of TOC 7!
00:23:55Let's take a look at the bracket.
00:23:57So it's either gonna be an icon or Katsuji Tanabe.
00:24:00There's no easy path on this bracket.
00:24:03Congratulations, my friend.
00:24:04Moving on!
00:24:06Joe Sasto!
00:24:07Great job!
00:24:10It was a wild move, pulling out the hand mixer with 90 seconds left.
00:24:1490 seconds!
00:24:14I needed it.
00:24:15You needed it.
00:24:15I needed another use.
00:24:16You did.
00:24:16Are we gonna go past the Elite Eight this year?
00:24:18Every year, I've gone a little bit further.
00:24:20You have.
00:24:20It's gonna be exciting.
00:24:21There you go.
00:24:22So I'm gonna start with you.
00:24:23I'm Tony Lofaso.
00:24:24Battle one.
00:24:25You felt like the tempura pieces were large.
00:24:28Protein should have been sort of the main star.
00:24:30And in this arrangement, I felt like the large piece of eggplant overtook the plate.
00:24:36If you're going to do a tempura, it needs to be kind of smaller and delicate.
00:24:40Are you ready to meet our next two kitchen contenders?
00:24:44Fantastic.
00:24:45First, we have Adam Greenberg, who may be new to TOC, but is a proven culinary competitor,
00:24:53an experienced restaurateur, and he has earned a number six seat.
00:24:57Feel good, man.
00:24:58I have as good of a chance as anybody to win this whole thing.
00:25:01Passion is my secret ingredient.
00:25:03This is everything I've dreamed about.
00:25:04I was a selfish chef without a kid, and just did everything I wanted to do, and then
00:25:09I had a son, and my why in life changed.
00:25:11I just love him so much, and the tournament of champions in this arena performing for him
00:25:16is the greatest thing I could ever do.
00:25:18Now, his opponent is number three seed, Chef Kevin Lee, the Oklahoma restaurateur who's taken down some of the biggest
00:25:26names in culinary competition and never lost a first-round battle.
00:25:33My goal this season is to go all the way.
00:25:37Winning this thing will kind of signify that I'm completely out of that rut that I was in.
00:25:42Before I came here, I had my fried chicken restaurant.
00:25:45It just wasn't doing well.
00:25:46I was losing money every month, and we didn't know what was going to happen.
00:25:50Then TOC 5 happened and gave me the confidence to change my concept and to just be a chef again.
00:25:55And now it got me another restaurant.
00:25:58Like, winning this will really solidify my career.
00:26:01I've never faced Kevin in anything before.
00:26:03If I take down the Dragon Slayer, I'm sending a message to the rest of the competition today.
00:26:07I'm ready.
00:26:08Are you ready to see some pan-to-pan combat?
00:26:14Let's go.
00:26:16Let's do this.
00:26:17And let's light it up!
00:26:20After receiving his culinary degree from Johnson & Wales, he worked as a line cook at the fabled Gramercy Tavern
00:26:28under famed chef Tom Colicchio.
00:26:32From upscale steakhouse to tapas bars to Italian restaurants, he is a chopped grand champion who also beat Bobby Flay.
00:26:42Put your hands together for the big matzo ball!
00:26:47Chef Adam Greenberg!
00:26:53Let's go!
00:26:54Let's go!
00:26:55Come on, baby!
00:26:56Let's go!
00:26:57You ready?
00:26:58You ready?
00:27:01Great to have you.
00:27:03Thank you very much.
00:27:04Well, chef, good luck to you because you're gonna need it.
00:27:08He's a third-generation restaurant owner who's acclaimed Korean-inspired Oklahoma steakhouses,
00:27:14reflect his roots in both Asian and American Heartland.
00:27:23He has topped multiple Best Chef lists in his home state.
00:27:27James Beard awards semifinalist for Best Chef Southwest in 2025.
00:27:32And took down Brooke Williamson to reach the TOC 5 quarter-finals.
00:27:38Give it up for the Dragon Slayer!
00:27:42Chef Kevin Lee!
00:27:58My brother?
00:28:00You've been winning and crushing in open restaurants and getting accolades.
00:28:04What keeps you grounded?
00:28:06Before I did TOC 5, I was probably at the hardest place of my life.
00:28:10And this show got me to where I am today, and I don't want to ever forget that.
00:28:14Well, chef, it's a pleasure to know you.
00:28:16It's an honor to watch you cook.
00:28:18Let's walk this way!
00:28:25Any questions?
00:28:26Spin it!
00:28:27Here we go!
00:28:28Protein!
00:28:29What do you want for protein?
00:28:31I don't know, sir.
00:28:32Whatever the random magic is.
00:28:34Let's go.
00:28:37Venison chops.
00:28:40Asparagus.
00:28:43Blade tenderizer.
00:28:44Citrus-y.
00:28:46Do you want to re-spin the equipment or the style?
00:28:48I don't want to get microwaved, so I would say we just stay tight on the equipment.
00:28:52Let's re-spin the style.
00:28:54Okay.
00:28:54Let's go.
00:28:55Here we go!
00:28:55Let's go!
00:29:03It was meant to be.
00:29:05Venison chops.
00:29:07Asparagus.
00:29:07Blade tenderizer.
00:29:09Citrus-y.
00:29:10The three, two, one.
00:29:11Oh, you want me to do three, two, one?
00:29:13No.
00:29:13I'll do three, two, one, go, and then you...
00:29:19Go!
00:29:21Let's go, chef!
00:29:22Here we go!
00:29:23Venison chops.
00:29:24A little bit of gaminess, but I'm going to tell you, if you haven't tried it recently,
00:29:27it's dynamite.
00:29:27I'm a huge asparagus fan.
00:29:29Blade tenderizer.
00:29:30If you don't own one, go get one after this.
00:29:32You want to get into that really tough part of the meat?
00:29:34Sit there and needle it a few times?
00:29:35Awesome.
00:29:36Citrus-y.
00:29:37Well, we give them just about every citrus that they can imagine.
00:29:39And remember, they don't only want to taste it, they want to see it.
00:29:43Dragon Slayer is an amazing nickname, but it comes with a lot of pressure.
00:29:47You better deliver.
00:29:49I feel like I have the hot streak going.
00:29:53I'm not just going to be happy with that first round win.
00:29:56I came here this season to take that belt home, and this is just a stepping stone.
00:30:03Kevin's coming here and he's created his own Cinderella story.
00:30:06Ironic that we're the matchup against each other, because I'm here to create my own Cinderella
00:30:10story, right?
00:30:10But I think he's got the weight of the world on his shoulders knowing that he's not the
00:30:13underdog anymore.
00:30:14He's got the pressure.
00:30:15He's the favorite right now.
00:30:16Hi, Chef.
00:30:17Hey, what's up?
00:30:19Chef, when you have a plan, fill me in.
00:30:21Gochujang, lemon glaze, venison chop.
00:30:25I'm going to get this thing marinated on first to get that gaminess out.
00:30:29For protein, we got venison chop.
00:30:32Being in Oklahoma, my neighbors love going hunting, so I am very comfortable cooking this
00:30:37protein.
00:30:38Then I'm going to take the blade tenderizer and really pound down the venison chop.
00:30:44Let's go, guys!
00:30:45To really infuse all those flavors that is already on the venison chop.
00:30:50Because it's got salt and seasoning on it, it's getting injected into it.
00:30:55He's so excited.
00:30:56The venison needs some kind of a sweetness, some spice, some acid to really fight that
00:31:02gaminess.
00:31:02I'm really thinking the lemon and gochujang works really well.
00:31:06I'm going to wow the judges by these fun play on Korean cuisine.
00:31:10People are interested in Korean food.
00:31:13For me, my culture was embarrassing growing up in Oklahoma as a kid.
00:31:16When friends came over to my house, they opened the fridge, they smelled kimchi.
00:31:19It was like the worst smell they've ever smelled in their life.
00:31:23But now, Korean food has become so popular.
00:31:26That's going to be a glaze.
00:31:28For the gochujang?
00:31:29Yes.
00:31:29Coffee.
00:31:29Instead of using, like, soy sauce to thin it out, I'm using the citrus, the lemon juice.
00:31:35I really have found myself as a Korean-American chef.
00:31:38Cooking with my flavors is a huge advantage for me.
00:31:42All right.
00:31:45How does it feel to be here?
00:31:47Oh, it feels amazing.
00:31:48I'm so honored to be here.
00:31:49Thrilled to have you.
00:31:50I want to do a citrus-marinated venison chop.
00:31:52It elevates the flavor of the venison, being lean.
00:31:55I'm going to use the tenderizer.
00:31:57This is a bigger-than-life tournament.
00:32:00It's a bigger-than-life arena.
00:32:01I may not have the James Beard Awards or Michelin Stars, but I have a lot of success in this
00:32:05industry.
00:32:0527 years.
00:32:06TOC is where I've wanted to be.
00:32:08I definitely feel like I belong.
00:32:12We've got a plethora of different citruses in our pantry, so I want to try to use as many as
00:32:17I can.
00:32:17Citrus-marinated venison is a good choice.
00:32:19I think the real essence of citrus, like the real flavor of citrus, is in the peel.
00:32:24Zesting a really good zester is such a great way to impart that flavor.
00:32:28What's inspiring me in this dish is just to try to keep it kind of classic American, very steakhouse style.
00:32:33I can wait almost until like 10 minutes left on the clock to start these.
00:32:36That's my game plan right now.
00:32:39Blackberries.
00:32:39Yeah, blackberry demi, basically.
00:32:41Blackberry works well with venison.
00:32:43It's a little bit tart, sweet.
00:32:45We're going to blend that in the blender.
00:32:46There's a little fresh thyme in there as well.
00:32:49You want to add a little fat.
00:32:51Everything's always better with butter.
00:32:53Truly.
00:32:57He doesn't need more love.
00:32:58I'm the new guy here.
00:32:59What the hell?
00:33:00I think I'm the underdog of the whole tournament.
00:33:02I think nobody knows who the hell I am.
00:33:03They're getting a preview of me and, you know, someone's got to slay the dragon.
00:33:07It's got to be me.
00:33:08It's got to be me.
00:33:10There we go.
00:33:11There we go.
00:33:16Chef Adam, Chef Kevin, we are at the halfway point.
00:33:1915 minutes, 15 to go.
00:33:25I'm carefully babysitting this venison chop to make sure that it's cooked perfect.
00:33:30Once I have it on the grill, we're going to get a nice charred sear on both sides of the
00:33:35chop.
00:33:36Then we're going to glaze it with that cotrigin glaze that we made.
00:33:39We're going to finish it in the oven.
00:33:42Produce, we have asparagus.
00:33:44That can be a very boring produce.
00:33:46I have a game plan.
00:33:48I know with citrusy, I can make a nice light cucumber asparagus kimchi.
00:33:52It will be a really fun component to have on this dish.
00:33:57I want to show the judges that can really use this piece of equipment multiple different ways that brings a
00:34:04lot of brightness to a dish.
00:34:05No time to actually ferment a kimchi, but using this tenderizer to penetrate it, I think it's going to mimic
00:34:12the natural cellular breakdown that happens and also allow for a quicker absorption of those ingredients.
00:34:18I love it.
00:34:21The asparagus is finding itself where?
00:34:22I want to do an asparagus salad.
00:34:24I'm going to do a little bit pickled and I'm going to do a little bit raw as well.
00:34:28Love that.
00:34:29Asparagus, a chef I worked for for a million years, we peel the asparagus.
00:34:32What happens is it makes the tenderness of the base to match what is at the top and you eat
00:34:38all the way through the asparagus without as much waste.
00:34:40I want to be able to feature asparagus two different ways, raw and cooked.
00:34:43I'll blanch these that I peel and then I'm just going to cut some that's raw.
00:34:47We're going to combine that with a bunch of citrus segments.
00:34:50So I've got orange, blood orange in there.
00:34:52You know, again, other ways to feature citrus.
00:34:54I thought this would be a great one.
00:34:57This guy is a fierce competitor.
00:34:58He's beaten the best of the best.
00:35:00I'm the sleeper here today, but it really comes down to game play at the end of the day.
00:35:03And that's just who I am.
00:35:04I'm very precise when it comes to that.
00:35:06And I think it's going to help me win.
00:35:07Seven minutes, chef.
00:35:09Seven to go.
00:35:10The next thing I'll need to work on is this asparagus yogurt puree.
00:35:14Add a nice funk of acid from the yogurt.
00:35:17It's going to really enhance eating this fantasy.
00:35:21Being from Oklahoma, I've always had to prove myself that I am a great chef.
00:35:26We don't get the accolades like the chefs were from New York or Chicago.
00:35:30LA or San Francisco.
00:35:32And if I had that TOC belt, it is no longer a question that I am one of the best.
00:35:39I mean business this season.
00:35:41I'm not here to make a TV show.
00:35:43I'm here to win that bag of money.
00:35:48Now you're really making me feel at home.
00:35:49I love you.
00:35:50Thank you so much.
00:35:51Get the venison out of the grill.
00:35:53I feel really good about it.
00:35:54The grill's nice and hot, so it's going to get some char.
00:35:56We want it like rare to medium rare.
00:35:58You have one chance to make a first impression, and I plan on making a great first impression today.
00:36:04Three minutes, chef.
00:36:05Three to go.
00:36:06Three minutes.
00:36:07To plate my venison chop, I have asparagus yogurt sauce with my citrusy cucumber asparagus kimchi on top.
00:36:16Then I'm going to lay the venison chop that's been confetti with my lemon zest.
00:36:21I've made my career by being the Cinderella in this competition.
00:36:25And it's done so much for me, my life, my family.
00:36:29This season, quarterfinals, Final Four is not going to be enough.
00:36:33I want that belt.
00:36:35I'm finally ready to win TOC this season.
00:36:4090 seconds, chef Adam.
00:36:43So I've got all my elements.
00:36:44We're going to put our sauce down first.
00:36:46We're going to put the blanched asparagus down.
00:36:48Then the raw asparagus with a little bit of the citrus supreme.
00:36:52Put our venison chops.
00:36:53So I've got the blackberries that are in the jus.
00:36:55I'm going to put those on the plate right front and center.
00:36:57A little more sauce on top of that.
00:37:0015 seconds.
00:37:01This is a citrus battle, right?
00:37:03It's citrusy, chef.
00:37:04TOC seven.
00:37:05I'm coming for you.
00:37:06I'm going to take this as far as I can go.
00:37:08Three, two, one.
00:37:10Good job.
00:37:10We're done.
00:37:12Rebound.
00:37:13Job well done.
00:37:15Finesse, creativity.
00:37:17It's all up to the blind judging now.
00:37:19Send you back to your trailers.
00:37:20Good luck to the two of you, all right?
00:37:21Thank you, chef.
00:37:22Chef Adam Greenberg.
00:37:23Chef Kevin Lee.
00:37:26Let's go!
00:37:29Oh, it's such a relief.
00:37:34Ladies and gentlemen, let's welcome back our judges.
00:37:37Iron Chef, Judy Chu.
00:37:39Uh-oh.
00:37:40Judy Chu.
00:37:41My Korean sister.
00:37:43Legendary New York restaurant tour, Rocco Dispirito.
00:37:46Rocco, the legend.
00:37:48It's awesome to have him judging.
00:37:49I love this.
00:37:50And reigning TOC champ, Antonio Lofaso.
00:37:55Oh, champ.
00:37:56She's here.
00:37:58Lofaso's here?
00:37:59That used to be my enemy.
00:38:01Now she's judging me.
00:38:02She's phenomenal, so I'm honored to have her tasting my food.
00:38:06Tonight judges the randomizer.
00:38:08Well, so graciously offered venison chops, asparagus, the blade tenderizer, style of citrusy.
00:38:16Chef Justin Warner.
00:38:18Judges.
00:38:18This is a gochujang and lemon glazed venison chop.
00:38:21It is accompanied by a citrusy cucumber and asparagus kimchi.
00:38:26The venison chops were marinated slightly, then tenderized and remarinated.
00:38:30For the asparagus, it was tenderized using the blade tenderizer to further enhance that kimchi effect.
00:38:36Lactic acid in the yogurt beneath it.
00:38:38That yogurt was combined with lemon zest and asparagus in the blender.
00:38:43We have lemon juice in every liquid and lemon zest in every solid.
00:38:48I think they're going to love this dish.
00:38:50It's a great dish.
00:38:52I think very highly of the chef who cooked this venison.
00:38:56This is basically impossible to do.
00:38:59Yes!
00:39:00In a fine dining restaurant setting, much less in a competition setting with limited time.
00:39:05It's tender.
00:39:06It's juicy.
00:39:07It's not overcooked.
00:39:08The use of the tenderizer on the asparagus, pretty amazing, right?
00:39:12I was hoping someone would do something completely illogical and use it on the vegetables instead of the meat.
00:39:18A lovely result.
00:39:19I think all of this lemon is so perfectly welcomed, especially with sort of the savoriness and the umami of
00:39:27this venison chop.
00:39:29Oh, Antonia!
00:39:31They seem to really love this so far. I'm getting nervous.
00:39:34Kimchi, I thought, was so, so smart.
00:39:37It's the use of the yogurt that I think is the most well played here.
00:39:42Ugh!
00:39:43It's bright and sort of acidic on its own.
00:39:46Just lends to the entire dish being citrusy.
00:39:48So not only was it a great choice, but it was, like, incredible game play.
00:39:52This is such a well-constructed dish.
00:39:55I'm super impressed.
00:39:57This venison is perfectly cooked.
00:39:59If I had to criticize anything, maybe use another type of citrus as well as lemon.
00:40:04You had a whole pantry full of citrus.
00:40:07I'll take it.
00:40:08All right, judges, thank you so much.
00:40:09Ugh!
00:40:10Feels great.
00:40:1150 points available in taste, 40 in the use of the randomizer, and 10 in presentation.
00:40:16It's a great confidence booster.
00:40:18Hopefully, I cook better than Chef Adam to move on to the next round.
00:40:23Man, I'm real nervous now.
00:40:25Hopefully, they love my dish just as much and that they're about to get a dish that has equally enough
00:40:29balance, equally enough flavor.
00:40:30The one and only TOC champ herself, Tiffany Faison.
00:40:34Culinary superstars, right in front of you, we have citrus-kissed and grilled venison chops with a citrusy asparagus salad
00:40:41and a blackberry thyme veal jus.
00:40:43Let's talk about the venison.
00:40:44Let's talk about the venison chops.
00:40:45They were blade tenderized and marinated with orange and lemon zest and orange juice, then grilled and finished with lemon
00:40:51zest on top.
00:40:52The asparagus salad underneath your venison chops is both raw and lightly blanched.
00:40:56That met a Meyer lemon juice that was completely juiced with the blade tenderizer.
00:41:01You will also find some reams of navel and blood orange in there and a little bit of extra virgin
00:41:05olive oil.
00:41:07Sounds great.
00:41:08Classic flavors to cook venison.
00:41:10It's a lot of fork and knife.
00:41:11I don't know if they like that or not, but...
00:41:12Another perfect cook on that venison chop.
00:41:15I love the fact that this chef went citrus in sort of the orange way versus the lemon or lime
00:41:22way.
00:41:23The fact that this chef actually took the asparagus and peeled out those outer layers to make them a lot
00:41:29more tender,
00:41:29I just wish they took it a step further and cut them down a little bit and maybe give them
00:41:33a little saute.
00:41:34I think that we just needed a little bit more finesse.
00:41:37That was a good one.
00:41:38I think it was fair.
00:41:39Another really nice execution of a venison chop, but the blackberry is not quite coalescing as well as I had
00:41:47hoped it would.
00:41:48Citrus seed coming through very well.
00:41:51This one has it in the sauce, which is helping, of course, the venison does need citrus.
00:41:54What I feel is missing on this plate, because everything is so lean and citrusy, is you need that fat
00:42:00to kind of bring those high singing notes.
00:42:03You know, citrus, acid, everything.
00:42:05Like veal and butter?
00:42:06A good dish, but not so balanced and a little bit rushed.
00:42:11Thank you, judges. Scorecards in front of you.
00:42:13Number one, the venison was cooked right, you know, cooked really well, so that I appreciate.
00:42:17But you can't go back and, you know, put my best foot forward and, you know, we'll go see what
00:42:21happens.
00:42:22I feel pretty good. I feel confident that I won this round.
00:42:25But I'm not here to win just one round. I'm here to win it all this season.
00:42:29I've got the scores from the judges. Let's go ahead and bring them back out.
00:42:33Kevin Lee!
00:42:36Adam Greenberg!
00:42:44And here we go. A score of 90 to 80.
00:42:49The winner of the second battle in the first round between Chef Kevin Lee and Chef Adam Greenberg is...
00:42:58Congratulations, Kevin Lee!
00:43:04Well done, Chef.
00:43:05Chef Adam.
00:43:06The learning curve in TOC is tough.
00:43:08Awesome to have you, my friend.
00:43:09Thank you very much.
00:43:09Thanks very much.
00:43:11Give it up for the Big Monster Ball!
00:43:13Thank you guys so much.
00:43:18Ten point difference is a wide, wide margin.
00:43:21So hopefully next year I get to come back and, you know, make up that difference.
00:43:25A 90?
00:43:30Chef, let's take a look.
00:43:32Next up will either be our friend Britt Rossigno or the newcomer Giuseppe Tentori.
00:43:38There's no easy road in this tournament. I'm just going to cook my food.
00:43:42Keep it up.
00:43:43Thank you guys.
00:43:43The Dragon Slayer!
00:43:45Kevin Lee!
00:43:46Thank you guys!
00:43:51Thank you, Chef.
00:43:52Nice job, brother.
00:43:53I'm focused.
00:43:54I'm not going to get excited for this first round win.
00:43:57I have bigger things to achieve and we're going to try to get four more wins.
00:44:0190?
00:44:02Highest score of TOC right now and the dude doesn't lose, doesn't stop.
00:44:06Amazing.
00:44:07All right, ladies and gentlemen.
00:44:08Are you ready to meet the next TOC contenders?
00:44:13You know it.
00:44:15We have the number 7 qualifying winner, Chef Giuseppe Tentori, who outscored Michelle Ragussis in the TOC 7 qualifiers to
00:44:24earn his spot in the bracket.
00:44:26The qualifier was very stressful. I'm glad I made it past that. But now I'm interested to win, to go
00:44:33all the way to the end.
00:44:34And the number 2 seed chef, oh boy, Britt Brasigno, the TOC 4 Cinderella story, who has gone on to
00:44:42prove her initial success by making it into the Final Four, get this, three years in a row.
00:44:50Will this be her year?
00:44:52I have hit the Final Four every year I've been in this competition. It's really hard to get so close
00:44:58and taste it. Going out in the first round is not an option.
00:45:01I'm here to kick her out, to be honest.
00:45:03I will be in the finale and I will take home the belt.
00:45:08Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready for another clash of the culinary titans?
00:45:13Let's wipe this up!
00:45:17This chef left a fine dining Osteria in Milan at the age of 19 to accept a restaurant job in
00:45:23Chicago. He's never looked back.
00:45:30was named Best New Chef by Food & Wine and earned a Michelin star four years in a row.
00:45:38Put your hands together for a G.T.
00:45:42Chef Giuseppe Tantore!
00:45:54Chef, congratulations making it through the qualifiers. Now it's your time to shine.
00:45:58Awesome chef.
00:46:00But it will be a tough time to shine when this hurricane comes to town.
00:46:07She's the executive chef and co-owner of Fiamma, a wood-fired Italian restaurant in Sun Valley, Idaho, which recently
00:46:14received a four-diamond rating.
00:46:19In her first appearance in this arena, she defeated T.O.C. champ Tiffany Faison, and she has gone on
00:46:25to reach the T.O.C. Final Four in T.O.C. 4, T.O.C. 5, and T.O
00:46:31.C. 6.
00:46:33They call her Butter Daddy.
00:46:39Make some noise for Chef Britt Resigno!
00:46:50Did you ever think that the trajectory was going to go where we're at now?
00:46:55Not this fast, no.
00:46:56I have watched Chef grow so incredibly. Married, opened your restaurant, changed your fighting name.
00:47:05Used to be the Angry Italian. She came up to me and she says, I got a new name. Things
00:47:10have kind of changed a little bit.
00:47:11How about Butter Daddy? I said, Butter Daddy's the best, that's the best fight name I've ever heard.
00:47:16Chefs, right this way.
00:47:18Let's do it.
00:47:23Okay, so without further ado, let's go! Protein!
00:47:32It's like the slow spin of death.
00:47:35Yeah, there's a torture here.
00:47:37Pork shoulder!
00:47:38Ice!
00:47:39Cremini, celery, and dives!
00:47:42Air Fryer, Boozy.
00:47:45Move one up.
00:47:48What do you think?
00:47:49Air Fryer?
00:47:50Usually we do not use Air Fryer in a commercial kitchen.
00:47:53And, you know, nothing against that. I have one at home. It's great.
00:47:56I like Air Fryer.
00:47:58I don't.
00:47:59I hate it.
00:47:59What do you want to move?
00:48:02Um, I'd rather go creamy.
00:48:04I don't want to move Boozy, but I kind of just want to get in his head a little bit.
00:48:08I like the Boozy.
00:48:09You don't have to agree. We can go rock, paper, scissors. I don't care.
00:48:11Rock, paper, scissor.
00:48:12Here we go.
00:48:14Rock, paper, scissor, shoot.
00:48:16Yeah.
00:48:17All right.
00:48:18Oh, Giuseppe one.
00:48:19Chef, which one are we moving?
00:48:21Air Fryer.
00:48:22Air Fryer is going up to cast iron griddle.
00:48:28Pork shoulder, endive, cast iron griddle, Boozy, 30 minutes. It starts now.
00:48:34All right, the pork shoulder, this is one of my favorite cuts of meat.
00:48:38The bone's got a ton of flavor. There's a ton of fat on it.
00:48:40End diet.
00:48:41Part of the chicory family, a little bitter.
00:48:43Is this going to be raw? Is this going to be cooked?
00:48:44Cast iron griddle.
00:48:45It's kind of like an indoor barbecue.
00:48:47And then Boozy.
00:48:47There's a fine line between using Booze and food and having it be too alcohol heavy and forward.
00:48:53It's not an easy randomizer.
00:48:56The most difficult thing on this randomizer is definitely the pork shoulder.
00:49:01It's a tough cut of meat.
00:49:02There's a lot of sinew.
00:49:03You got to know how to butcher it.
00:49:05I got a plan for you.
00:49:06I'm going to go schnitzel.
00:49:07Okay.
00:49:08Mine right away goes to pork schnitzel with a chassier sauce, demi-glace, and of course, cognac.
00:49:20Chef, when you have a plan, I have a pen.
00:49:22So the plan, I think I'm going to braise the endive and wine.
00:49:27Give it a little Boozy flavor.
00:49:28I think I'm going to cut it in steaks.
00:49:31Okay.
00:49:32And try to grill them.
00:49:34All right.
00:49:34So I can use the randomizer.
00:49:37I love pork shoulders.
00:49:38If you're going to use this, you're going to have to go in and cut the co-pile.
00:49:41You're going to have to butcher this down and find that tender piece of meat.
00:49:45And there it is.
00:49:46I accomplished a lot of different things in my career, but this is very different.
00:49:49It's a huge learning curve.
00:49:51Right?
00:49:52You know, she's a super talented chef, so you have to be quick.
00:49:55So I'm going to put a little garlic, onion powder, and fennel seeds in there.
00:49:59Fennel?
00:49:59Fennel pollen or fennel?
00:50:00Fennel pollen.
00:50:03Boozy.
00:50:04Cognac.
00:50:04Smart, smart, smart.
00:50:07The use of the pork shoulder on the cast iron grill pan is really smart.
00:50:11The judges will be able to see that that's very specifically grilled on that cast iron griddle.
00:50:16Good gameplay.
00:50:18Those qualifier chefs are always dangerous coming in because they already have a round under
00:50:23their belt, and they feel more comfortable in the kitchen.
00:50:29First thing I'm going to get started on is my pork.
00:50:32I know I want to get this butchered out.
00:50:34All right.
00:50:35I'm going to do a very traditional standard breading procedure.
00:50:39Flour, egg, bread crumb.
00:50:41So something really cool that I learned from a fellow competitor.
00:50:45Yeah?
00:50:46Once you get all nice and breaded, put it on the board and tenderize it one more time
00:50:50to make sure that those bread crumbs really stick in there.
00:50:53I love that.
00:50:53Thank you, Maylin.
00:51:00I mean, come on.
00:51:02Chef Britt.
00:51:03Chef Giuseppe.
00:51:0420 minutes.
00:51:0420 left to plate.
00:51:08You can use the booze in so many different things, especially when I saw them dive.
00:51:13I think white wine is really nice for the on-dive.
00:51:16So you see the flames coming up, so the alcohol is burning off.
00:51:20So that's how you know we're on the road to booze.
00:51:28Woo!
00:51:29I have two little kids that are 11 and 13.
00:51:31If I win all those money, I'm just going to be on my college farm for my kids.
00:51:35How about that?
00:51:39Sick!
00:51:40Kiefer chef here is turning up the volume on everything.
00:51:42A little bit more salt, more acid, more umami.
00:51:44This bread has been in this kitchen and she knows how to do this.
00:51:48My boozy sauce is actually a very traditional sauce in French cookery.
00:51:53It's called chassier.
00:51:54Literally translates to hunter sauce.
00:51:56And it has all the things that you'll find in the woods.
00:51:59So mushrooms, herbs, onions.
00:52:02And then you finish it with mustard.
00:52:05And then let's booze it on up and throw that cognac in there.
00:52:15Butter daddy.
00:52:16Butter daddy.
00:52:19I might cook traditional Italian food, but I was trained classic French.
00:52:26Oh, yeah, that's boozy all right.
00:52:2815 minutes, chefs.
00:52:2915 to go.
00:52:34So, coming up, we reveal the identity of our top-seeded food world icon as they take
00:52:40on their first TOC 7 opponent, Chef Katsuchi Tanabe.
00:52:44Yeah!
00:52:45Come on!
00:52:47Yeah!
00:52:56Come on!
00:52:58The pork is grilling, but now I need to find a way to balance a bit of from the knife.
00:53:03And it needs some kind of creamy, fatty, so to make some pine nuts puree because they're
00:53:07very rich.
00:53:08Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.
00:53:14I love smart cooking.
00:53:16Chef Britt, Chef Giuseppe, you have 10 minutes left.
00:53:20Time to go.
00:53:22Mom is gonna cook it down like soupy.
00:53:24Got it.
00:53:25Really get that sweetness.
00:53:26Next, I wanna get working on my endive.
00:53:29I know I wanna make a soupy's, but I'm gonna add sliced endive.
00:53:34You know, the more moisture you cook out of the endive, the more bitter components.
00:53:37Stay.
00:53:39Oh, my God.
00:53:41Oh, it's so good.
00:53:43TOC feels like the calmest I've ever been.
00:53:46I've trained all year for this.
00:53:48I'm here to win the whole thing this year.
00:53:51We're in!
00:53:51Yeah!
00:53:56I'm trying to, like, serve some raw endive, too, so I can use the randomizer a little bit
00:54:02more.
00:54:02So I wanna use the leaves to make sure it's, like, light and gentle.
00:54:06You know, I came in thinking, wow, Britt's gonna be hard as a record.
00:54:10Uh, but now I'm watching Chef Giuseppe cook, and I'm terrified.
00:54:15Chefs, this is your final five minutes.
00:54:20Feels right.
00:54:22I pull my schnitzel off the griddle.
00:54:24They're beautiful.
00:54:26But I look over, and I see all this beautiful fat that's still on the griddle.
00:54:30So I'm gonna take a handful of sugar, I'm gonna throw it on the griddle, and I'm gonna
00:54:34put cut halves of endive right on top of that.
00:54:38Sugar.
00:54:39Sugar.
00:54:42That sugar's gonna caramelize, and it's just gonna be such a delightful treat.
00:54:46Competition and being in the kitchen are two things that are just inherently in my blood.
00:54:51I played sports my whole life, and my family owned a restaurant right next door to my house,
00:54:56and my dad's a chef.
00:54:57Come on.
00:54:58Three minutes.
00:55:00Now it's time to plate.
00:55:01I'm gonna put a little bit of sous-vise down, and then I'm gonna add my beautiful braised,
00:55:08caramelized endive.
00:55:10And then I'm gonna put my sauce down with all those beautiful mushrooms, the mustard,
00:55:15all of that.
00:55:16My pork schnitzel's beautiful.
00:55:18The only thing I'm concerned about is I didn't break a sweat.
00:55:2260 seconds.
00:55:24So the first step on the dish, I'm gonna pour the pineapple puree.
00:55:29And dye a few pieces.
00:55:34Piece of pork.
00:55:38Then dye salad.
00:55:40I put the jus in the little ramekin.
00:55:44I love cooking.
00:55:45I love creating something new.
00:55:47And this show, that's what it's all about.
00:55:50And that's what I'm here for.
00:55:51Five, four, three, two, one.
00:55:55We're done!
00:56:00We just got to see two of the best, folks.
00:56:02Congratulations.
00:56:04Congratulations.
00:56:05Back to your trailers.
00:56:06We'll call you.
00:56:07We have a decision.
00:56:13Oh, yeah.
00:56:15I feel so good.
00:56:16I think it went pretty well.
00:56:17Let's see what happened.
00:56:22What a cook.
00:56:23What a cook.
00:56:24What a cook.
00:56:27All right.
00:56:28You did it.
00:56:29Ladies and gentlemen, let's welcome back our impressive panel of judges, the one and only
00:56:32Judy Ju.
00:56:34Oh, she's a tough one.
00:56:36Very classically trained.
00:56:38Legendary chef, Rocco Dispirito.
00:56:40Oh, we got some Italian there.
00:56:42Rocco, I love my main man.
00:56:45T.O.C. champ, Antonio Lofaso.
00:56:48Wow.
00:56:48I love that Antonio's getting to judge.
00:56:51This is an awesome panel.
00:56:53Judges, congratulations.
00:56:54This is a wonderful round.
00:56:56The randomizer kick down pork shoulder endive.
00:57:00The cast iron griddle and boozy.
00:57:02Here to present the first dish, Tiffany Faison.
00:57:05She got it.
00:57:06She's great.
00:57:07Chefs, in front of you, may I present brandy marinated and cast iron grilled pork shoulder
00:57:13with braised and marinated endive.
00:57:15Toasted and brandy pureed pignoli with brandy thyme and veal jus.
00:57:20Rocco, put the jus in there.
00:57:21Let's not dip her.
00:57:22Yes.
00:57:23For the boozy components, the braised endive was braised and white wine.
00:57:26The pignoli puree was obviously treated to the cognac.
00:57:29Man, they haven't stopped eating.
00:57:31They must really love his dish.
00:57:33Now I'm nervous.
00:57:34We are literally being seduced by this pork here.
00:57:38It is so incredibly tasty.
00:57:40There's a level of sophistication going on this plate
00:57:43that you could tell that this chef knows what the hell they're doing.
00:57:47She's talking on me.
00:57:50I love the endive.
00:57:52They took away that bitterness and the grilling of it.
00:57:55I keep going back for more.
00:57:56Yes.
00:57:58You know what we have here, chefs, is an embarrassment of riches.
00:58:01The thing about pork shoulders, not all of it is tender.
00:58:03So you got to know the part that's the sweet spot.
00:58:05And they certainly did that here.
00:58:07It's cooked on a sort of medium rare level.
00:58:09It's gorgeous.
00:58:10It's amazing.
00:58:11Oh, I'm so nervous.
00:58:13This is spectacular cooking.
00:58:15Specifically that pine nut puree, which is so rich and creamy and fatty up against the booze.
00:58:21Got it.
00:58:21Because I think cognac has so many dimensions to it.
00:58:25For me, the pork, I wish it was maybe a little bit thinner.
00:58:28Other than that, exceptional.
00:58:32Judges, thank you very much.
00:58:33On your scorecards, 50 points available in the taste, 40 points in the use of the randomizer, and 10 points
00:58:39in plating.
00:58:41I feel pretty good, to be honest.
00:58:43I'm kind of surprised.
00:58:44I feel really nervous.
00:58:46This is a...
00:58:47Yeah.
00:58:48I mean, he's a great chef.
00:58:49There's no doubt about it.
00:58:50Let's go ahead and bring out the second dish in Justin Warner.
00:58:53Ay, ay, ay.
00:58:54Judges, this is pork shoulder chassier.
00:58:56The pork shoulder was breaded and then pan-fried on the cast iron griddle.
00:59:01In terms of the endive, as a soubise cooked with cream and cognac, we also have some caramelized with sugar
00:59:08on the cast iron griddle.
00:59:09Finally, in terms of boozy elements, the cognac was in the jus, and it was in the cream in the
00:59:14endive soubise.
00:59:19You can tell from the smile on my face, this is another great dish.
00:59:24Yes.
00:59:25Breading the pork is a great treatment for this cut of pork.
00:59:28It's perfectly juicy, delicious.
00:59:31I'm shaking right now.
00:59:33There are so many amazing things on this plate.
00:59:38Whew!
00:59:38This endive soubise is exceptional.
00:59:42I think the use of the mustard is actually really helping the cognac.
00:59:47I wish the larger roasted endive was quartered or third,
00:59:51because the center of it I still think needs to cook a little bit more.
00:59:54The inside feels just a little raw.
00:59:59This is the stunner of a dish.
01:00:02I love these little caramelized bits throughout.
01:00:04You get a little bit of char on the breading of the pork.
01:00:07You get some char on the endive.
01:00:08You get some char on the mitake mushrooms.
01:00:10And the booze is there.
01:00:11You say boozy, it better be boozy.
01:00:13It shouldn't be subtle.
01:00:14There's a richness and a quality to it that you just keep going back for more.
01:00:18This is spectacular cooking.
01:00:21Thank you very much, judges.
01:00:2250 points in taste.
01:00:2340 points.
01:00:24Use of the randomizer.
01:00:2610 points in plating.
01:00:29I think it'll be tight.
01:00:30It makes me happy.
01:00:31But they didn't really have much bad things to say about Giuseppe.
01:00:34And that scares me.
01:00:36Get ready for you.
01:00:37Let's do this.
01:00:39Let's go.
01:00:40Let's get them.
01:00:41Wow, this was close.
01:00:43Let's bring our chefs back up.
01:00:45Chef Giuseppe!
01:00:46Chef Britt!
01:00:55Outstanding food.
01:00:56The highest scoring battle we've had in TOC7.
01:01:03One chef scored a 88.
01:01:08The other chef scored a current TOC standing record of 92 in TOC7.
01:01:15Wow.
01:01:18Ladies and gentlemen, the winner is...
01:01:21Ladies and gentlemen, the winner is...
01:01:33Chef Bringer, she goes!
01:01:35Wow!
01:01:36Got it.
01:01:37Got it.
01:01:38Got it.
01:01:41You gave me a run for my money.
01:01:46Chef, that 88 on any given day in TOC is a win.
01:01:54I appreciate that, guys.
01:01:55I'm sorry this is goodbye for TOC7, but I'll tell you what.
01:01:58Everybody's gonna know your name.
01:01:59I'll be back.
01:02:00Chef Giuseppe Tentori.
01:02:03Well done.
01:02:04Congrats.
01:02:11I have no regrets on my dish, to be honest.
01:02:13I think there was a final draw with the judges.
01:02:16They love the great dish battle.
01:02:18That's all it is.
01:02:19I felt good.
01:02:20I felt more in the zone than I ever have.
01:02:23Congratulations.
01:02:24Let's take a look at where you're going, Chef.
01:02:26Kevin Lee earlier took out Adam Greenberg.
01:02:30We both want it.
01:02:31I mean, it's going to be a great battle.
01:02:33Moving on!
01:02:34First round win!
01:02:35Chef Brick!
01:02:36There you go, ladies and gentlemen!
01:02:44Nice job out there.
01:02:45Thanks, man.
01:02:45Thank you, too.
01:02:46This is, what, your fourth time here?
01:02:48Fourth time.
01:02:48Every single year you've made it to the Final Four.
01:02:50I mean, we're doing it again, right?
01:02:52No, we're going further.
01:02:53Coming up, the finale of the evening.
01:02:56Are you guys ready for this?
01:03:02So we have a qualifier winner going up against our mystery culinary icon.
01:03:06It's the number eight seed, Chef Katsuji Tanabe.
01:03:09So I beat Chris Hall on the qualifiers.
01:03:12Now I'm going against someone I don't know.
01:03:14I'm super nervous, and I'm super excited as well.
01:03:17I think if I take down the icon, you know, I'm going to be very happy.
01:03:20His opponent, well, is a top-seeded food world icon.
01:03:25Are you ready to see our icon take on a TOC newcomer?
01:03:29And let's light this up!
01:03:36Born in Mexico City, his cooking blends his Mexican and Japanese heritage.
01:03:43He's opened nine restaurant concepts across the country.
01:03:47He has competed on Top Chef Boston, Top Chef Mexico, and Top Chef All-Stars.
01:03:56Now he took down Chef Chris Oh in the qualifiers to earn his spot in the TOC 7 bracket.
01:04:03Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together.
01:04:07Chef Katsuji Tanabe!
01:04:21Welcome to TOC.
01:04:22Thank you, Chef.
01:04:23Great to have you.
01:04:25My friend, you have one tough opponent.
01:04:28You ready to find out who it is?
01:04:34After earning her law degree, she decided she'd rather succeed in the kitchen than the courtroom.
01:04:40She apprenticed at the Ritz Carlton Paris and worked at restaurants in Europe and Asia before opening in Miami.
01:04:50In 2017, she made culinary history when she became the first Latina to open a restaurant on the Vegas Strip.
01:05:01She has introduced millions of Americans to exciting flavors and varieties of Latin cuisine.
01:05:06Put your hands together, ladies and gentlemen, for a Latin legend.
01:05:15Lorena Garcia!
01:05:20Come on!
01:05:22Come on!
01:05:26Come on!
01:05:28Awesome!
01:05:34I grew up watching her, Telemundo, speaking in Spanish.
01:05:39She is definitely a master of cooking.
01:05:41Oh, he's in trouble.
01:05:43I will tell you what, this is about as perfect as the ending could be for tonight.
01:05:48You've been an ambassador to millions and millions of people of understanding aspects of Latin cuisine.
01:05:54Bringing up my Latin community and the love that I have for my culture.
01:05:57It gets me emotional.
01:05:59Well, tonight we are going to get a chance to perhaps see some of that come out in some iteration.
01:06:06After we do one thing.
01:06:09To the randomizer.
01:06:10Right this way, Chefs!
01:06:12Tons of respect for Chef.
01:06:13He has competed a lot, much more than I have.
01:06:16But I doubt that anybody has the passion and the intention that I bring to the kitchen.
01:06:20Let's get after it.
01:06:21Here we go!
01:06:21Going for protein!
01:06:27Ground beef, turkey.
01:06:29Ground beef!
01:06:31Yes!
01:06:34Zucchini, air fryer, creamy, and...
01:06:40Only thing to change up is the turkey breast.
01:06:41What's that?
01:06:43This is what it's all about.
01:06:45So you're going to re-spin the whole thing now?
01:06:46One more time.
01:06:47Protein.
01:06:55Okay, okay.
01:06:57Turkey breast, zucchini, air fryer, creamy.
01:07:05The only thing to change up is the turkey breast.
01:07:07Cooking the turkey breast in the air fryer?
01:07:09You have to.
01:07:10You have to.
01:07:11You kind of have to.
01:07:12Turkey breast, zucchini, air fryer, creamy.
01:07:14Looks pretty good to me.
01:07:17What time you got?
01:07:19Uh, I got...
01:07:20Time to go.
01:07:26Oh, I did it again.
01:07:28That signature move.
01:07:30Out of control.
01:07:35Turkey breast, I think everybody knows this.
01:07:37This is not coming on the full turkey, but I don't think we use turkey enough.
01:07:40Zucchini, everybody knows how to work with it.
01:07:42It's how to get creative with it.
01:07:43Air fryer, basically what it is, is a convection oven.
01:07:47Gets intensely hot and swirls the heat around.
01:07:50Creamy, oh my gosh.
01:07:52Consistency, the creamy taste, the creamy texture, the silkiness.
01:07:56So it's not just seeing it, you got to be able to taste it.
01:08:00I decided to compete in Tournament of Champions because I am a competitor
01:08:03because I wanted to measure myself against these incredible chefs that are in this competition.
01:08:08But I believe firmly that as an icon, I have so much to learn still.
01:08:13I want to be in the position to put myself into the test and see if I have the pipes
01:08:17to do so.
01:08:19Lorena Garcia, she's a beast.
01:08:22I feel intimidated.
01:08:24She's iconic for a reason.
01:08:26But the other icon lost.
01:08:28So I'm going to fight hard.
01:08:29I'm going to bring flavors.
01:08:30I'm going to use the randomizer.
01:08:32I think that's the only thing that could help me tonight.
01:08:34Hi, chef.
01:08:35Hello.
01:08:36How are you, darling?
01:08:37We've been judged by you, but we haven't gotten to watch you cook yet.
01:08:40This is so exciting.
01:08:42So this is what I'm going to do.
01:08:45I'm going to fry this baby.
01:08:46But then on the air fryer, I'm going to add zucchini.
01:08:51And then I'm planning to the creamy sides.
01:08:54I'm going to do a huancaina sauce.
01:08:56It's one of the creamiest sauces that I have in my repertoire.
01:08:59Aji amarillo, queso fresco, garlic, onions.
01:09:03I'm trying to take the tenderloin, the softest part of this whole thing.
01:09:07It's smart.
01:09:08The risk of turkey breast, it dries out so fast and it doesn't have any flavor, right?
01:09:14That's what I'm doing is I'm marinating it a little bit with the buttermilk and the togarashi
01:09:19and the cumin and the oregano and doing it that way and seasoning it well at that point.
01:09:24Chef, do you use an air fryer a lot?
01:09:26I don't usually.
01:09:28With my masa harina, I'm going to be able to find that crust and fry it at a lower temperature
01:09:32so it doesn't burn.
01:09:35She is moving.
01:09:37Yeah.
01:09:37Okay.
01:09:38And now, turkey breast, creamy, air fryer.
01:09:42I'm thinking to making a milanesa.
01:09:45A turkey milanesa with a zucchini hot sauce and then queso fresco creamy salsa as well.
01:09:53So first, I'm going to start with my salsa.
01:09:55Zucchini.
01:09:56Jalapanos.
01:09:59Making some salsa, Chef?
01:10:00There you go.
01:10:01I'm making a zucchini salsa.
01:10:03So my plan is to cook as much as I can in the air fryer.
01:10:07If you don't play that randomizer, you're going to be out.
01:10:12Then they're going to go into the blender.
01:10:17Chef, what you making?
01:10:18A surprise, baby!
01:10:19A surprise!
01:10:20Well, now I can't hear you.
01:10:22Now I can't really hear you.
01:10:23So that was the zucchini, garlic, jalapeno.
01:10:25Great.
01:10:26Pretty great.
01:10:27Six minutes and they were charred.
01:10:28I also like that instead of using a lot of wet works here, we're creating an emulsion.
01:10:32That emulsion, I think, is going to lend the textural appearance of creamy.
01:10:36Second thing, it's my turkey.
01:10:38Thin slice it, pound it, bread them.
01:10:42Ole!
01:10:43Ole!
01:10:43Ole!
01:10:44Ole!
01:10:45Ole!
01:10:45I can tell that he has competed a year before.
01:10:49Throw them in right away into the air fryer.
01:10:52It's really hard to get that turkey breast really nice and juicy and perfectly cooked in the air fryer.
01:10:57Because you don't know how long it's going to take.
01:10:58Yeah.
01:10:58You have 15 minutes, 15 to be plated.
01:11:00Come on!
01:11:01Come on!
01:11:01Come on!
01:11:02Come on!
01:11:04I am known by my sauces.
01:11:06That's for sure.
01:11:07So to make the buoncaina sauce, the first thing that I'm going to do is saute some garlic,
01:11:12some onions, and some ají amarillo.
01:11:14And that's going to be the base of my sauce.
01:11:17Bye!
01:11:18Bye!
01:11:19I love you, buddy!
01:11:20Being a judge in this competition for a few years now, and I know what it takes.
01:11:24Even being a judge, once you closed that door and now you're a competitor, everything changes
01:11:29and everything goes, you know, outside the window.
01:11:32If I was going to sign to a competition, believe me, this was going to be the one.
01:11:37But how cool.
01:11:37You've been judging that long and seen this many competitions, and then willing to step in as a world food
01:11:44icon?
01:11:44Big deal.
01:11:46It goes straight to the blender with evaporated milk, then the cheeses.
01:11:50Cream cheese.
01:11:52Yes, baby.
01:11:52You know, like, creamy.
01:11:55Smart, Chef.
01:11:57Boiled eggs in there, Chef?
01:11:58Yes.
01:11:58Wow.
01:12:04Yes!
01:12:07You know what I'm going with this?
01:12:09The fryer?
01:12:09Yeah.
01:12:10So I'm trying to utilize the turkey in so many different aspects.
01:12:14It's kind of the turkey, I'm frying it to make chicharrones, and then throwing it back into the air fryer.
01:12:20It's a risk to make chicharrones, by the way, because it takes a long time.
01:12:25If it's not crispy, you're going to get cold out.
01:12:27Turkey skin.
01:12:30The only thing we know, it's a Latino, it's going to win, right?
01:12:34Buddy, are you watching your back? Because I'm coming with fury.
01:12:37Oh, I know.
01:12:39Knowing Lorena, she's not coming here to just play it safe or just be nice to me.
01:12:45If I could beat Lorena Garcia, it's a huge step.
01:12:47My mom is Mexican, and my wife is Mexican too, so she throws chanclas.
01:12:52I was like, okay, do not argue with no Latinas.
01:12:55For those of you not familiar, a chancla is a flip-flop.
01:12:58It's generally used as a projectile or as a method of punishment.
01:13:02I want a second creamy component because my salt is spicy.
01:13:06I need to find a way to bring it down.
01:13:08Chef, are you cooking out of the fridge?
01:13:10Come with me.
01:13:11Queso fresco, mayonnaise, little sour cream, lime juice.
01:13:15Okay.
01:13:15You know, like, that's spicy as if.
01:13:17So now we need to bring something that it's not spicy as if.
01:13:22Little culinary duct tape.
01:13:24Yes, sir, you got it.
01:13:25Eight minutes, eight to go.
01:13:27I know that I don't feel comfortable using the air fryer,
01:13:30so I'm going to go to the zucchini that I know that it can take its time.
01:13:33But she hasn't touched the air fryers yet.
01:13:35I would do all my cooking in there.
01:13:36Yeah.
01:13:37So here is going to be medallions of zucchini.
01:13:40That would allow me to leave it in the air fryer.
01:13:43It's going to roast it beautifully.
01:13:44I'll go on top, Chef.
01:13:45Holy boy, a little bit of salt.
01:13:47Keeping it simple.
01:13:47Yep.
01:13:48Do you think the zucchini that she's frying in there
01:13:50is going to be enough gameplay using the air fryer?
01:13:53No.
01:13:53No.
01:13:54She's done one thing in there, huh?
01:13:55Yeah.
01:13:56These are going in the regular fryer?
01:13:58The regular fryer, Mama.
01:13:59I am concerned that not frying the turkey in the air fryer
01:14:02could take me some points.
01:14:04But again, as a judge that I've been here before,
01:14:06I'd rather see something cooked perfectly in the fryer
01:14:10and not 10 things that have been cooked in the air fryer
01:14:12but not successful.
01:14:14All right.
01:14:15That looks like country fried turkey, Russ.
01:14:17That looks delicious.
01:14:18Okay.
01:14:19Let's do this.
01:14:20She's making what looks like a fresh slaw
01:14:23or garnish with red onion,
01:14:24the fastest cut mint and scallion
01:14:26I've ever seen in all my life.
01:14:27Come on, Lola.
01:14:27Come on, come on, come on.
01:14:31I'm constantly checking this turkey.
01:14:33It's not cooking as colorful as I wanted.
01:14:36I believe the bottom is removable, Chef.
01:14:38No way.
01:14:39Now I hate their fries more.
01:14:41I couldn't put more fat if I knew there was a grease catcher.
01:14:45I got this.
01:14:46I got this.
01:14:47I got this.
01:14:50You know what?
01:14:52I plan for the zucchinis right there.
01:14:54Oh, these are beautiful.
01:14:56Three minutes, three to go.
01:14:58Come on, Lorena.
01:14:58Come on, come on, come on, come on.
01:14:59A nice dish from Chef Lorena Garcia.
01:15:01It's going to be bright.
01:15:03It's going to be colorful.
01:15:04It's going to hit you from every angle.
01:15:07I realize that I don't have as much turkey
01:15:09as I would have wanted to,
01:15:11but I am a big representative of flavors.
01:15:15And Latin cuisine is known for the heat,
01:15:18for the brightness, for the citrus, for the creaminess.
01:15:21I mean, you have everything, all the notes in one dish.
01:15:24I mean, I want to win so much.
01:15:28It is my focus.
01:15:29It is my priority.
01:15:31And that's what I'm going for.
01:15:32Two minutes to go, Chef.
01:15:34Two minutes.
01:15:35Vamanos, amigos.
01:15:37Let's plate.
01:15:37Spicy green salsa.
01:15:39White, creamy sauce.
01:15:43Small piece of my turkey milanesa.
01:15:46If I could take Lorena down,
01:15:49I would just feel like she was a mentor,
01:15:51and now I'm better than the mentor.
01:15:53Five, four, three, two, one.
01:15:58We're done.
01:16:03Quite the ending battle.
01:16:04Hello.
01:16:09That was a fantastic round, not an easy randomizer.
01:16:12Thank you so much, Chef Lorena Garcia.
01:16:14Well done.
01:16:15Well done.
01:16:16Final round is wrapped up.
01:16:18Time to bring the judges back in.
01:16:23What an icon.
01:16:25What an icon.
01:16:27Like...
01:16:27Oh, my God.
01:16:27I won it so badly.
01:16:28It's not even funny.
01:16:30Oh, my God.
01:16:32Woof.
01:16:33Tough round.
01:16:34Tough round.
01:16:35I'm so nervous.
01:16:37Oh, my goodness.
01:16:38I'm so nervous.
01:16:39I was raised watching her on TV and cooking,
01:16:41and I was just a kid.
01:16:42I'm hoping for the best that I pass to the second round.
01:16:46It's going to be tough, but I can do it.
01:16:48Ladies and gentlemen, let's welcome back our esteemed panel of judges.
01:16:51The one and only Chef Judy Chu.
01:16:53Judy.
01:16:53Oh, my God.
01:16:54She's the real deal.
01:16:55Rocco de Spirido.
01:16:56If I knew it was Rocco, I would probably put less fat.
01:16:59And Antonio Lofaso.
01:17:01I know in Antonio, I think she likes flavor.
01:17:04Tonight, the randomizer for your final round for protein,
01:17:07the turkey breast in produce zucchini.
01:17:09Equipment was the air fryer.
01:17:11The style was creamy.
01:17:13Justin Warner's here to present the first dish, Chef.
01:17:15Judges, this is turkey schnitzel with the spicy zucchini salsa
01:17:19and a creamy queso fresco crema.
01:17:22Turkey breast skin was chopped and becomes the chicharron found around the plate.
01:17:26Cutlets were cooked entirely in the air fryer.
01:17:29For the zucchini, it found its way into the salsa, but not before charring in the air fryer.
01:17:34For creamy components, you have that zucchini salsa, but then, assuredly, the queso fresco crema.
01:17:42Air fryer, to me, spells, you know, you lose this round.
01:17:45But not in this case.
01:17:47The inside of the turkey breast is juicy and tender.
01:17:50I thought what was very smart is how the creamy was achieved.
01:17:53So it was almost like a pico made with zucchini, then pureed.
01:17:57But I think maybe a little more effort could have gone into the presentation.
01:18:01I love that the creamy zucchini elements of the randomizer
01:18:07is where, conceptually, this dish gets all its sort of panache, if you will.
01:18:13That salsa verde, I think it's so smart that there's charred zucchini there.
01:18:18It's all game play. It's an air fryer.
01:18:20Sort of the confidence of using the zucchini raw and pickled.
01:18:23I think that's brilliant.
01:18:24I like that zucchini salsa.
01:18:27It is kick your butt spicy, though.
01:18:29And I am a Korean girl, and I love spice, and this is like, wow.
01:18:34That's awesome.
01:18:35A chef's telling you that you have too much flavor.
01:18:37That's good.
01:18:37I'm thinking, all right, where's the negative? Bring the negative.
01:18:40The turkey, I feel that there could have been a little bit more attention on the seasoning,
01:18:43a little bit more attention on the breading.
01:18:45There could have been just a little bit more finesse that went into that.
01:18:48Great, judges. Thank you so much.
01:18:5050 points in taste, 40 in the use of the randomizer, and 10 points in presentation.
01:18:55But, yeah, I think I should have definitely added more seasoning, marinated.
01:19:01But that's what you're thinking after the competition.
01:19:05All right, judges, here for the second dish, Chef Tiffany Faison.
01:19:09Chefs, in front of you we have masa harina fried turkey breast with a creamy one kahina sauce,
01:19:14air fryer roasted zucchini, a citrusy kimchi mayo, and a sauce of criolla.
01:19:19Let's talk turkey.
01:19:21The top of the breast was removed, retaining the skin on it.
01:19:23That was then put into a masa harina and potato starch breading.
01:19:27The zucchini was simply seasoned and put in the air fryer, roasted.
01:19:31We then have the citrusy kimchi aioli that was constructed with kupi, Japanese mayo if you will,
01:19:37kimchi, and a good amount of honey and citrus on the side.
01:19:43I have to go home and buy an air fryer.
01:19:45That is some of the best zucchini I've had in a long time.
01:19:48Oh, my God.
01:19:48It's charred on the outside, it's still creamy and moist on the inside.
01:19:52It's really, really delicious.
01:19:53I wanted at some point to say that there's one or too many elements on the plate,
01:19:57but there just isn't because they all really work well together.
01:20:00Really happy with all these very ambitious, exciting flavors.
01:20:05Chef Antonio.
01:20:06Can I tell you the really brilliant part of this dish?
01:20:10The style is creamy.
01:20:12The inside of the zucchini reaches creamy to a whole other level.
01:20:17This sauce has been constructed so well because they're basically two cream-based sauces, if you will.
01:20:24But it's more of like a turkey finger, right, which I'm totally into because it has all those edges that
01:20:29I want.
01:20:30Yes, for gameplay, do I wish that it was in the air fryer so I could give a couple of
01:20:34more points for the turkey finger?
01:20:35All in all, very, very, very delicious dish.
01:20:39Really, really nice plating, I would have to say.
01:20:42This is like eating a rainbow.
01:20:43There was red, orange, yellow, green, purple.
01:20:46I mean, this is beautifully presented.
01:20:48I love the plays on creamy.
01:20:50The chef really embraced the creaminess thing.
01:20:52He has the air fryer to have the creaminess.
01:20:55I wish there was another turkey nugget on the side.
01:20:58It's a little bit small for it to be the star of the play.
01:21:02I should have put more turkey, Lorena!
01:21:05Judges, thank you very much.
01:21:06Scorecards in front of you.
01:21:0750 points available in taste.
01:21:0940 points in the use of the randomizer.
01:21:1110 points in the presentation.
01:21:14I don't know, I want to cry.
01:21:16I want to smile.
01:21:17I want to have a drink.
01:21:19Actually, I did have a drink.
01:21:20I had to make sure she had a tequila shot.
01:21:22Well, we'll see.
01:21:2450-50, I think.
01:21:26Scores are in.
01:21:28All right, let's do this.
01:21:32The finale was fantastic.
01:21:34Let's welcome back our chefs.
01:21:36Chef Katsugi.
01:21:39Chef Lorena.
01:21:46Well, that was very entertaining on all levels.
01:21:50And a close score, chefs.
01:21:5385 to 88.
01:21:56Ladies and gentlemen, the winner of tonight's battle between Chef Lorena Garcia and Chef Katsugi Tanabe is...
01:22:06I don't even want to see.
01:22:10Lorena Garcia!
01:22:13Thank you for your work.
01:22:16Thank you for your work.
01:22:17Thank you for your work.
01:22:22Chef Katsugi, I will say this.
01:22:24Your spice of life, your energy is addictive.
01:22:28It's not the last time we will see you.
01:22:30Dude, you are one of a kind.
01:22:32Ladies and gentlemen.
01:22:35Thank you very much.
01:22:37Katsugi!
01:22:41Obviously, I want to win.
01:22:42I'm a really bad loser.
01:22:44But it still was pretty freaking good to be part of this experience.
01:22:49Congratulations.
01:22:51Lorena Garcia moving on at DOC 7.
01:22:56Take a look, Chef.
01:22:57You'll be meeting up against the one and only Mustache Joe Sasto.
01:23:01Okay.
01:23:02So there's a long road ahead of you.
01:23:04Let's do this.
01:23:05Let's do this, baby!
01:23:06Ladies and gentlemen.
01:23:08Lorena Garcia, first win at DOC 7.
01:23:11Congratulations.
01:23:15Yes!
01:23:17I did it!
01:23:18Yes!
01:23:19When you put yourself in uncomfortable situations, when you're on our East, that's when you grow.
01:23:24And I'm feeling growing right now!
01:23:27Four more chefs have earned their spot in the second round bracket.
01:23:31But there are still 16 more chefs that are waiting to battle, including two more mystery culinary icons.
01:23:36You're going to have to wait to see who it is.
01:23:38Join us next time with talented chefs of the C Division.
01:23:41Let's go!
01:23:42Begin their quest for the $150,000 victory.
01:23:46DOC 7, baby!
01:23:48Nothing fuels you more than beating somebody great.
01:23:52On Tournament of Champion 7.
01:23:54This is fantastic, this.
01:23:56Yes!
01:23:57See you next week.
01:23:58Adios!
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