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Flavortown Food Fight - Season 1 - Episode 07: Bowling Day
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00:03Thank you, thank you, citizens of Flavortown, here in the tastiest town on earth, I've invited
00:09some of the most talented chefs to see who can cook any kind of cuisine in our never-ending
00:15lineup of new restaurants. Anything can happen in Flavortown. And then, woo. Today, the chefs
00:23will have to bowl everyone over with dishes served exclusively in bowls. I'm Asian. We
00:31eat in bowls. We get our hair cut in bowls. What better way to think outside the box than
00:36thinking inside the bowl? And hereby proclaim today as Bowling Day!
00:52Here come the latest visitors of Flavortown, Chef Martell Stone.
00:57Oh, guys, so this is Flavortown. This is like a Whoville for food. This is nice.
01:03I have a great record in competition. I won Bobby's Triple Threat, Chopped, and Guy's Grocery
01:09Games. And I have a restaurant in Washington, D.C. called Dogon. I'm best known for flavors
01:15from the American South, West Africa, and the Caribbean. I'm coming here to win for my family.
01:21They are the best part of my life. So I'm here to grab all the checks, all the coins, and
01:26all the bills. It's Chef Evelyn Garcia. Flavortown is real. It's so cool. I'm a great cook. I
01:33think I know that. I need everybody else to know that. I'm the chef and co-owner of June
01:39we were nominated for Jane's Beard for Best New Restaurant. I'm Mexican Salvadorian. And being a
01:45first-generation child, I saw how hard my family worked. They worked also hard. Like, well, how am
01:51I gonna half-ass anything? I don't know if I can say that. Chefs, how are you? Good. Great. Excited.
01:59Your awesome culinary chops earned you this invitation to the food fight here in Flavortown.
02:04Now, to win, not only will you have to out-cook each other, but you have to out-cook our
02:08reigning
02:09champ, the one and only Chef Jamie Tran. Chef!
02:13Hi.
02:15Oh.
02:17Coming in as a champ, I definitely am the one to beat. I got nominated for a James Beard Award
02:23for Best Chef Southwest. I'm the new mayor, and I declare no taxes and $1 billion for everyone.
02:31I am quirky, funny, crazy, all over the place. I'm like, dee, dee, dee, everywhere. But in
02:38the kitchen, I'm more like, boop, and then it's more like, focus.
02:42Chef made a dish in her championship round that won you how much money?
02:4620 bucks.
02:4820,000. 20,000 bucks.
02:49Wow.
02:50All right. Now, there are two rounds in this food fight. The last chef standing will have
02:54an opportunity to earn a paycheck up to $20,000 and come back to Flavortown to hopefully win
03:01even more money.
03:01Even though I'm the champion, I'm still nervous. It goes from really intense to, like, dee.
03:08It's still intense, and it's still dee. It's still high.
03:11Here in Flavortown, there's also a special decree that must be followed every day. And today,
03:16you have just stumbled upon Bowling Day in Flavortown. Because every dish you prepare
03:24must be served in a bowl.
03:27Bowl. Okay.
03:28Okay.
03:28I'm Asian. I'm busy eating bowls. We eat bambos. We eat bambos. We eat bambodon bowls. We eat
03:33rice in bowls. We eat our vermicelli in bowls. We eat our vermicelli in bowls. We get our hair
03:36cut in bowls.
03:39In Flavortown, these restaurants change all the time. But tonight, we have the kebab cart,
03:44whose small kitchens create flavors as big as the Mediterranean Sea. Everybody loves
03:50that place. Donkey Sauce Deli, the perfect place for grabbing lunch specials with a flavorful
03:56kick prepared in a deli counter kitchen. Then we have Guido's Pizzeria, the neighborhood pizza
04:02joint where you can enjoy handmade pizzas served in handmade bowls.
04:07Pizza and a bowl. This is just not coming together in my head.
04:10Then we have Chez Penny, our fine dining spot. Chez Penny, the French restaurant, so romantic,
04:15it was voted the best place to receive a first quiche.
04:21So, we're going to decide who takes over Flavortown in this first round with a bowl taste test.
04:32Now, on the table are three bowls of soup. When I say go, you're going to taste that soup,
04:37and you're going to list all the ingredients that you can taste. Now, the first person to list the
04:42most correct ingredients is going to win control of Flavortown. I'm going to put 60 seconds on the
04:49clock, and you taste your soup now.
04:51There you go.
04:53There you go.
04:55There's like, what's in there?
04:57I'm classically trained, and Chez Penny has like a whole wall of bowls, so I'm thinking I'll
05:03go for that one.
05:0420 seconds left.
05:05The street carts are the food that I ate growing up back in Philly. Something about those street
05:10carts that are really calling my name.
05:12I would do the donkey sauce deli, because when you think about deli, you think about those comforting
05:18soups and bowls.
05:20Three, two, one.
05:22All right, Chef Evelyn, let's go through this list.
05:25Olive oil, tomato, garlic, onion.
05:27No onion.
05:28Vinegar, pepper, and salt.
05:30Six out of seven.
05:31Chef Martel, what do you got for me, bud?
05:33There we go.
05:33Tomato.
05:34Tomato, vinegar, onion.
05:35No onion.
05:36Red pepper, olive oil, veg stock, and garlic.
05:39Five out of seven, cucumber and salt were being missed.
05:42And champ, bell pepper, tomato, olive oil, and salt, you got four out of seven.
05:49Chef Evelyn, congratulations.
05:51You control Flavor Town.
05:52There we go.
05:54Choosing the restaurant is a strategy.
05:57It's either going to help me out, or I can kind of screw someone else up.
06:00Now, we have the kebab cart, donkey sauce deli, Guido's Pizzeria, and then we have Shea
06:06Penny.
06:07What are you thinking?
06:09Um, Chef Jamie, you already have the hang of things.
06:12She's been there already, and she's been to the deli.
06:17I'm honestly thinking Shea Penny.
06:21You're ready to go fine dining out of the gate.
06:23My mom would be thrilled.
06:25My mom's Penny, so that's who we named the restaurant.
06:27How beautiful.
06:28Off to Shea Penny.
06:32Shea Penny, right in the heart of the city lights of Flavortown.
06:36And getting a reservation, you better know the maitre d', and speaking of the maitre d',
06:41here he is.
06:42Here he is.
06:43So spiffy.
06:45Uh, Hunter, tonight's menu.
06:46Today's dish will be a decadent dinner.
06:48Decadent dinner for me means rich, luxurious, creamy texture.
06:53You know, the things you like to do, like you splurge in.
06:56You want to feel fancy.
06:57Featuring cottage cheese.
07:02When I think of cottage cheese, I think of more comfort food.
07:06I don't think of fine dining.
07:0940 minutes to make a decadent dinner featuring cottage cheese and served in a bowl.
07:15The bowls will receive a ranking.
07:17Five stars is the best dish, which is $5,000.
07:20And you'll get to pick the next restaurant that we'll be cooking at in the second round.
07:24Four-star dish, $4,000.
07:26But you only receive your paycheck if you win the competition.
07:29Three-star dish, well, that will be the end of your shift.
07:33You have 40 minutes to make us this decadent dinner.
07:37Your shift starts now.
07:38Good luck, chefs.
07:39Hey.
07:39Let's go.
07:41I am so stoked.
07:42Let's see.
07:43We got some brains.
07:45It's a big space.
07:46We don't know where the products are or where the pots and pans are.
07:49And we have to try to absorb everything around us very quickly.
07:53There we go.
07:55No one has cooked in here before.
07:57Not even Chef Jamie.
07:58So this is a level playing field.
08:00La, la, la, la, la, la.
08:02I'm feeling confident going into the fine dining.
08:04It has more space and a lot more ingredients that I like.
08:08I'm taking the mussel and scallop.
08:10My gosh.
08:11Bring some back, chef.
08:13I wanted those scallops, so I need to pivot.
08:15So I grabbed the duck.
08:17Too bad.
08:18Martel, but I'm here to compete.
08:20I'm like, brrr.
08:22Hi.
08:23Welcome.
08:23Hi.
08:24Hi.
08:24I was kind of getting worried.
08:25I've got this competition starting.
08:27I was at the coffee shop.
08:28Show me the shop.
08:28Who I've been waiting for, ladies and gentlemen.
08:30The judges.
08:31The one and only Chef Aaron May.
08:33And of course, the TOC champ, Antonio Lofaso.
08:37All right, chefs, let's talk about bowling day.
08:40Plating in a bowl doesn't really do anything for me.
08:42I want it to be its best version of itself in that bowl.
08:45I love it.
08:46Sir, could you get the door for me?
08:47I love it.
08:47Of course.
08:50Hi, chef.
08:51Hi.
08:52How are you?
08:53Hi, chef.
08:54Good to see you again, Jamie.
08:55Good to see you, too.
08:56What's the dish?
08:57I'm going to do kind of an inspired bouillabaisse.
09:01Uh-huh.
09:01When I think of a bowl and I think of decadent, high-end, fine dining, I do think bouillabaisse.
09:06Yeah, yeah, yeah.
09:07When I think of decadence, I think of a lot of calories, a lot of richness.
09:12But for me, cottage cheese, it's not something I cook with or cheese in general.
09:19Okay.
09:20I start making my bouillabaisse.
09:22Since I'm serving in a smaller bowl, I wanted it more intense.
09:27I said, oppa!
09:29Coming from a big family, I'm a competitive person.
09:33My restaurant's called The Black Sheep because my mouth gets me in trouble a lot.
09:36That's why I'm the black sheep of my family.
09:37My mouth goes going and my dad's like, duh, I'm going crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy.
09:45He said, ah.
09:46I always like to do a Vietnamese spin on it, so I found fish sauce.
09:51I use fish sauce in everything.
09:53We even put it in an ice cream one time, and it went well.
09:57We have the returning champ, Jamie Tran.
09:59Hi.
09:59She speaks with noises, clicks, and ticks, and talks, and...
10:07English is not my first language.
10:10It's alien.
10:11Beep-bop-boop-boop.
10:13But as a chef, she's no joke.
10:15I was really a workaholic.
10:16I, like, pushed myself for years and years and years.
10:19So, now, I want to see food in a different way through traveling to Vietnam.
10:25Ah, doo-doo-doo.
10:27But I still don't know what I want to do with the cottage cheese.
10:31Chef Evelyn, what's the game plan?
10:34Very rich, decadent, uh, congee risotto vibes.
10:39Nice.
10:39Risotto on TV?
10:41Yeah.
10:41Well, I said congee.
10:43Oh, okay, congee.
10:44Okay.
10:44Okay.
10:45Purposely, purposefully.
10:46Yeah, obviously.
10:48Being a first-generation child, it's a lot of pressure, but it's something that you put on yourself.
10:53I'm definitely that child that was just like, I just need to be the best at everything.
10:59So, now at June, my restaurant's doing so great.
11:03And if I win today, I mean, the money will definitely help out with the restaurant.
11:07I'm sauteing some aromatics.
11:09Ginger, some garlic, some shallot.
11:12This is gonna be a nice base for my congee.
11:15I need this rice to be right.
11:17What type of rice?
11:17Some jasmine rice.
11:19How do we feel about jasmine rice for congee?
11:21Yeah, it should be a short grain rice traditionally.
11:24Super fragrant, not what I typically think for congee.
11:27Like, I know jasmine rice is not the most decadent ingredient.
11:31So, I'm like, speak to me.
11:32Tell me, what should I do with you?
11:35Mmm.
11:3626 minutes.
11:37Let's start cooking things.
11:38How we feeling, chef?
11:39I am going to make slow roasted duck.
11:42I have a Nigerian red stew.
11:44And I'm going to make a duka to finish off.
11:48What's in that?
11:49Hazelnuts, papitas, pine nuts, some ginger, cumin, and truffle salt.
11:53What says decadent more than truffle?
11:56Keep thinking about it back.
11:57Decadent, rich, decadent, rich.
12:01Let's actually build something.
12:03To me, family is the most important thing.
12:06My babies, Mackenzie and Zoe,
12:09they're the most loving people I've ever met.
12:12And my wife is the loudest cheerleader whenever I win and or lose.
12:17But we won't test that.
12:18With the money on the line,
12:20cooking against two amazing chefs
12:22and cooking for two other amazing chefs.
12:25Everything needs to be perfect.
12:28And then I remember, I have my nuts in the oven.
12:30And I smell a faint burning.
12:33No!
12:3520 minutes left.
12:37That's it.
12:39Martel burnt the nuts.
12:41Ugh, silly.
12:42This is not a great way to start.
12:44Without the duka, the dish is completely ruined.
12:4719 minutes.
12:48That's going quick.
12:5318 minutes.
12:5418 minutes to cook.
12:55Let's try this again.
12:57This is the second time Martel's cooking his hazelnuts.
12:59I got burnt the first time.
13:01I got to shake this off.
13:02I got to get this thing going.
13:04One more time.
13:05Time is flying.
13:06Typically, Nigerian red stew takes an hour,
13:09but I'm trying to speed this up.
13:10Okay.
13:11I add just a little bit of rum and I let that reduce down
13:16while I work on my other components.
13:17A little jalapeno and serrano pickle right on top
13:20to finish off this duck.
13:22Uh-uh-uh-uh-uh.
13:23Don't burn them again.
13:25Oh, no.
13:26All right.
13:27These nuts are cooked perfectly.
13:29Amazing.
13:30I just need to break it down a little bit
13:32so that it's a better mouth feel.
13:34I add intensely hot oil into my dukkah mix
13:38because I want it to mimic a chili crunch.
13:40Really smart.
13:41This dukkah is going to be a cohesive point around the dish.
13:43So I add some to my stew, which will offer decadent,
13:48roasty flavors.
13:49Chef Martel, how we feeling, Chef?
13:51Oh, I mean, 40 minutes sound like a good idea
13:54until you get into 40 minutes and you're like,
13:56oh, wow, it's 40 minutes.
13:58I drop my stew into the blender
14:00because this is a fine dining dish.
14:01I need this to be smooth.
14:03Where'd that cottage cheese make it?
14:04Inside of a stew.
14:06I also need to double down and make sure
14:08that I know that I know that I know
14:11that the cottage cheese is on the dish.
14:13So I'm going to use it twice.
14:15What is this right here?
14:16This is an extra cottage cheese,
14:17almost like a white sauce.
14:18Oh, I love this.
14:20It's cottage cheese.
14:21Not just for breakfast anymore.
14:22Anywhere you want to thicken something,
14:24it's a cream cheese replacement.
14:26It's a ricotta replacement.
14:27Exactly.
14:2815 minutes.
14:29Oh, man.
14:30Chef Evelyn won control.
14:31She's got a really interesting restaurant
14:33where she does Asian-Latin fusion.
14:35She's French-trained CIA.
14:38Oh, you're French-trained as well, sir.
14:40I knew this was a setup.
14:43My congee is looking great,
14:44but I want it to be more decadent.
14:47Let's see.
14:47What all do we have here?
14:49And then I see that.
14:51Mushrooms.
14:52Oh, yeah.
14:53Chanterelle mushrooms.
14:54Delicious.
14:55Cottage cheese, of course.
14:57Oh, yes.
14:58Yes, caviar.
14:59So now I'm getting more high-end ingredients.
15:01I was like, what all is in there?
15:03Winning the money in Flavortown would be amazing.
15:06Obviously, super helpful for my restaurant, June.
15:10And also just, like, my team, you know?
15:12I'm sure they'll be super proud.
15:14I'm trying to do, like, a quick, like, escabeche.
15:16So I sauteed my mushrooms in, like, some fancy butter.
15:19And then I'll cry back it to get them nice and pickled.
15:22I love pickled mushrooms.
15:23Yeah, I do, too.
15:24I'm about to poach some lobster.
15:26I mean, you can't go, you know, decadent and over the top
15:29without, like, lobster.
15:31Bit of vermouth.
15:32Make a little poaching liquid.
15:34I want it to be very lightly poached.
15:36I don't want them cutting a lobster tail in a bowl.
15:39So I cut them into nice little chunks.
15:40I'm trying to showcase the judges.
15:42I can compose a dish in this, you know, fancy French restaurant.
15:46Giving decadent.
15:48It's giving luxurious.
15:50It is good.
15:51Don't forget your cottage cheese.
15:53We are not forgetting that.
15:55Cottage cheese, let me tell you.
15:58Cottage cheese has, like, that little, like, clumpy texture.
16:01All I have to do to it really is blend it,
16:03and it gives me that nice, like, creaminess.
16:05Cottage cheese in the blender is one of my favorite things.
16:07I love it.
16:08And then mix that in the rice base.
16:10So the creaminess is all coming from the cottage cheese.
16:15Mm, it gives a, like, nice tang.
16:17Chef Jamie, you got this?
16:19I'm working on the bouillabaisse.
16:21It is a seafood broth.
16:22So I seared that scallop in butter,
16:24so to add that richness to it,
16:26I threw the mussels in and deglazed it with some wine.
16:30Hot, hot.
16:31Okay, Evelyn, hot, hot.
16:32Fire.
16:33Hot fire.
16:34I love it.
16:35Where'd that cottage cheese make it?
16:37I don't know.
16:38I'm, like, brain is farting right now.
16:41If the judges don't taste the cottage cheese,
16:44that can be the defining factor of me being sent home.
16:47Where's the blender?
16:48Blender in the back, Chef.
16:50Yes.
16:50I was like, blender.
16:51I'm Vietnamese, and my mom showed me the love of cooking,
16:55and my dad showed me the discipline of cooking.
16:57My food is based on the fluence of Vietnam,
16:59and for me to go back to see where my roots are,
17:02I just want to experience it.
17:04And getting that 20 G's is going to help me out.
17:07The cottage cheese, I'm going to put it into the bouillabaisse.
17:10It's basically a French soup,
17:12but I'm doing it different, more creamy,
17:14using the cottage cheese.
17:15You feeling decadent and boujee?
17:17I'm always feeling decadent and boujee.
17:18Oh.
17:19Are you?
17:20No, I'm just crazy.
17:21She plays crazy.
17:22I'm loca.
17:23Not crazy.
17:24I'm a little toxica.
17:26Wow.
17:27Not too much.
17:28The champ is so calm right now.
17:30Having a soup, I needed that crunch to it.
17:33Okay, I'm going to grill this.
17:35But I also need to add more decadent to it.
17:37In Vietnamese cuisine, like, we use pate on baguettes a lot.
17:40Pate, pate.
17:42Yeah.
17:42Pate and cottage cheese.
17:44I want it to be smooth, like a soft babysitting.
17:48Like, like that.
17:50A little burp.
17:50Boop, boop.
17:51I got it figured out.
17:52Come on, guys.
17:53Two minutes.
17:54Got to be plated.
17:54Ooh.
17:55I think the plating is probably one of the most important things when it comes to fine dining.
18:01I pulled the duck out of the pan, and here's the moment of truth.
18:06Say a prayer for the duck.
18:08Nice.
18:09Still nice and pink.
18:11Oh, it's perfect.
18:12Breathe.
18:13Breathe.
18:14Don't shake.
18:15I plate the seared scallop first, the mussels, and then the baguette with the cottage cheese,
18:21and then the bouillabaisse.
18:23Ah!
18:23I'm so nervous.
18:24I'm flopping everywhere.
18:25I'm gonna make sure we have the most beautiful balls.
18:28I choose a small bowl with a wider rim.
18:30So it just gives you smaller space.
18:32You know, everything looks a lot more concise and put together.
18:35I start with my congee with lobster necks, a little bit of the chanterelle escabeche,
18:40some fresh chives, some fresh dill, and then I'm finishing off with a little bit of caviar.
18:45Chefs, we need to be in the pass-through window in 40 seconds.
18:49Cutting it pretty close, brother.
18:50To my bowl, I add a drop of my red stew, a couple slices of that duck, the pickled solid.
18:58Finish that off with some of the dukkah and that white sauce.
19:02They're gonna see cottage cheese on this plate.
19:04Chef Martel, get up top.
19:06Can you carry three plates at one time?
19:07I think you can, sir.
19:09Three, two, and we're done, chefs.
19:14Great job.
19:15Yeah.
19:16Wow.
19:20I'm very confident in the flavor because I definitely know I had flavor.
19:24It's definitely a little nerve-wracking to put these bowls in front of the judges.
19:28So it's like a little bit of scare, but also very proud of what I'm putting out.
19:32I have a concern that maybe it's not as beautifully plated as it could be.
19:37Oh, my God.
19:3840 minutes went so quick.
19:40I'm like, ah!
19:45Chef Jamie, you're up.
19:46Good luck, Jamie.
19:47Let's go, Chef.
19:48Wow.
19:48I'm being judged by very talented chefs.
19:51I was like, whoa.
19:53Hi, Chef.
19:54Hi, Jamie.
19:54Hi, Jamie.
19:56Nice to talk to you again if I can't talk.
19:58When I present food, I get tongue-tied.
20:00My brain gets into a knot.
20:01It turns into a pretzel.
20:03I'm Vietnamese, so I love baguette and pâté, so I made a bouillabaisse.
20:07Used a little bit of the French notes I learned.
20:10And I used the cottage cheese to blend the bouillabaisse and make it rich and creamy.
20:17Like...
20:18She loves to talk with her hands.
20:20I took the pâté and combined the cottage cheese on top, and then...
20:25Woo!
20:25So the scalp was in butter, and I...
20:29Finish it off with the muscles in the pan, and then...
20:34She's a hoot.
20:35She's a hoot.
20:35I really hope that the judges can take the cottage cheese.
20:39I don't want to go home on this first round.
20:43The sauce broth that you have here is very rich and decadent.
20:47I'm getting a lot of that hot, hot garlic.
20:49This cottage cheese mixture on this baguette is like a really beautiful way to cut through it.
20:54This is a dish that definitely belongs in a bowl.
20:57I really like the flavors, but when I think of decadent and fine dining, I think of technique.
21:02Yes.
21:03Shelling the muscles, dipping the baguette.
21:05I don't know how fine dining I feel about this dish.
21:08There's a lot of work here with my hands, picking up the baguette, making sure the muscles are shelled, etc.
21:13Which I think takes away a bit from that elevated decadent status, but the flavors are certainly delicious.
21:20Thank you, Chef.
21:21Thank you, Jamie.
21:23I think I've got 19 sounds.
21:25I got nervous, it came out, and I...
21:29I'm sorry.
21:31Chef Evelyn, let them have it.
21:33I'm proud about what I put out, but Chef Antonia, I mean, I've seen her in a lot of different
21:37shows,
21:38and I know she's going to be a really hard critic, but I really hope they enjoy it.
21:42Well, Chef.
21:43Hello, guys.
21:44Hello.
21:46Gorgeous.
21:46I wanted to pull from the space, the ingredients are there.
21:49So I wanted to showcase that through congee.
21:51So I used some jasmine rice, I did some chanterelles, I sauteed them in some French butter,
21:56and then utilized the richness and the creaminess of the cottage cheese.
21:59Cottage cheese has like a nice little tart, so I wanted to play off of that.
22:02The lobster is slightly poached, finished in butter with vermouth and fish sauce.
22:12This is quite good.
22:13I know.
22:14This is quite good.
22:16You're talking about high-end decadence, you knew exactly what ingredients to choose,
22:21and you knew exactly how to manipulate them.
22:23One of the things I like most about it is the texture of the rice.
22:27It tastes almost like nothing I've had before.
22:30It's beautiful.
22:31The use of cottage cheese to finish this rice, right, is so wonderful.
22:37But I don't know that this is congee.
22:40Okay.
22:40This isn't congee in the sense that I know it.
22:42It's a little risotto-y.
22:43It's like a pudding.
22:44Like, it's really solid, not liquid, right?
22:47Which brings up the question, is it really a bowl?
22:51Like, would I notice any difference eating this if it was flat?
22:54I don't know that I would.
22:55Does it need to be in a bowl?
22:56We don't know.
22:57Is it delicious, decadent, and high-end?
23:01Like, gold star, gold star, gold star.
23:04Thank you, Chef.
23:05Thank you, of course.
23:05Thank you so much.
23:09I would crush this.
23:10Mmm, delicious.
23:11Chef Martel, you are up last.
23:13Give it to him, buddy.
23:15I am a ball of nerves, but it's time for me to step up.
23:19I got a smooth gangsta lean right now.
23:21Pardon my reach, huh?
23:24So, today I just wanted to do a Nigerian red stew for you.
23:27The duck has been roasted with a little caper in there,
23:29the wet dukkah with a little truffle,
23:31and a little cottage cheese buttermilk, white sauce.
23:34Wonderful. Thank you, Chef.
23:35Thank you, Chef.
23:36Thanks.
23:43I really like this, too.
23:45It's spicy.
23:46But calming.
23:46This is beautiful.
23:47The textures, the fattiness of the duck.
23:50The skin is really nicely rendered.
23:52All of the flavors are really delicious.
23:54This actually needs to be in a bowl.
23:56Yeah, yeah, yeah.
23:56I love the heat that's coming from this puree.
23:58But the cottage cheese is so, like, deeply needed here.
24:01Because there's so much heat.
24:03Doubling down on the tartness of the cottage cheese with the buttermilk.
24:06Yeah.
24:06It was really smart because it certainly reads as high-end and decadent.
24:10Sure, sure.
24:11But for me, I think the plating is a little off when it comes to high-end.
24:14I would have liked to see it a little bit more buttoned up, but the flavors here are so dynamic.
24:21I love this table.
24:22This is great.
24:23I feel proud of what I put out.
24:24But the two chefs put out some really dope dishes.
24:27So, you know, there's some nerve.
24:29Just right here.
24:30Very slight.
24:32Judges, I feel so bad for you having to have champagne.
24:35I know.
24:36I'd love to sit here and chit-chat with you for a while.
24:38What did you think?
24:39I think everyone hit decadent really well.
24:43Agreed.
24:43I thought Chef Jamie's dish was so flavorful.
24:46I got a silkiness about it reminiscent of tomato soup.
24:49And Martell really used the cottage cheese, maybe the best to me.
24:53I agree.
24:53Chef Evelyn's dish blew me away.
24:55But is it really a bowl, right?
24:58Correct.
24:58We need to know who the five-star dish is.
25:01We also need the four-star dish.
25:03And because this is the first round, we need a three-star dish.
25:05And unfortunately, that chef, well, their shift will be over in Flavortown.
25:13Well, chefs, this really came down to nitpicking.
25:16But the judges have to find a reason.
25:19Five stars is the best dish, which is $5,000, and gets to pick the next location.
25:25Ooh.
25:26I need that money so bad.
25:28And that will be?
25:29I'm so nervous.
25:30My brain goes, ooh.
25:32And it goes, doop, doop, doop.
25:33It goes everywhere.
25:35Congratulations, Chef Evelyn.
25:37Hey.
25:37Well done.
25:39You can win.
25:40You can do it all.
25:42You can cook in Flavortown with random ingredients.
25:48Anything's possible.
25:49Chef Martell and Chef Jamie, champ.
25:52Unfortunately, one of you will receive the three-star and your shift will be over.
25:57Now it comes down to me and the champ.
26:00In order to be the champ, you got to beat the champ.
26:03There's a lot going back and forth on your dishes.
26:06The spicy African red sauce, the flavors, through the roof.
26:10Chef, the Vietnamese bouillabaisse.
26:13Jar it, bottle it, put it on a shelf.
26:15I'll buy it tomorrow.
26:16If I make it past this, Chef, I need to calm my nerves and focus.
26:22The chef with the three-star dish is, unfortunately, unfortunately, the chef whose shift will be over in Flavortown is
26:35Chef Jamie.
26:39You have been a great champ for us.
26:41Thank you, Chef.
26:42It was a fantastic win for you for $20,000.
26:45And I got my money to go to Vietnam, so doop, doop.
26:48Well, you really are a breath of fresh air and it was nice to have you.
26:52Thank you very much.
26:53I'm going to get my huggies in here.
26:54It's okay.
26:54I think I did well today.
26:55It was a tough competition and I am happy with all the results.
27:00Well, not losing.
27:01I wanted more money, but...
27:05Chef Martel, you have $4,000 for your four-star dish going towards your paycheck.
27:10This is a very crushing defeat because I wanted to be on top of this entire competition.
27:15It's time for me to step up.
27:16Chef Evelyn, you have $5,000 going towards your paycheck.
27:20Ha, ha, ha.
27:21Watch out.
27:23I'm definitely about winning every challenge, every shift.
27:26It's just like winning.
27:29But remember, the only way you're going to get that money on your paycheck is if you win the next
27:33round.
27:34And now this brings us down to the lowdown at the showdown.
27:38Chef Evelyn gets to pick the next location.
27:40We want to go to Donkey Sauce Deli, Guido's Pizzeria, or do we want to hit the food carts for
27:47the kebabs?
27:48I'm trying to be very strategic about choosing the restaurant.
27:51The carts will have less equipment, but I've worked in tiny New York restaurants.
27:57All the ingredients are right in front of me.
27:58We just save all the running around.
28:00Remember, on top of all of it, it's got to be in a bowl.
28:05Bowl options in all these restaurants was limited.
28:07Like, I just, I don't know.
28:09So, Chef, what's it going to be?
28:11I'm going to go carts.
28:14Going to the carts.
28:15I couldn't be happier.
28:16Let's take it back down to the streets and really cook some food that means something.
28:20From the high to the low.
28:22Kebab in a bowl.
28:23It's a kebabable.
28:25Kebabs are on sticks.
28:27Yeah.
28:28You can still serve it in a bowl.
28:30With a little head weave in there on top of it.
28:32That's a little Flavortown sass.
28:34All right.
28:35I want to show what I can do.
28:38Let's take it to the carts.
28:39Follow me.
28:42So here is our kebab cart manager.
28:45The one and only Hunter Fieri.
28:46Mmm.
28:48Chefs, welcome to the kebab carts here.
28:51Now, each of these carts today are featuring something amazing, a kebab duo.
28:55Oh, okay.
28:56Two different kebabs, but functionally, how does it work in a bowl?
29:00And it happens to be bowl day and it happens to be kebabs, which are two things I absolutely
29:05do not see going hand in hand.
29:07Anything can happen in Flavortown.
29:08Mmm.
29:09Now, if you want to make some extra money in your paycheck, we have three upsell opportunities
29:13for you.
29:14Today we have jarred grape leaves.
29:16That'll get you an extra $2,000.
29:18All right.
29:19Jarred grape leaves have like a super briny flavor.
29:22The texture tends to be a little bit like the chewier side.
29:26Turnips, that'll get you an extra $3,000.
29:28Okay.
29:29Turnips aren't usually an ingredient that I have on my menu or in my house or in my shopping
29:36cart.
29:36And last but not least, baklava.
29:39That'll get you an extra $5,000.
29:40Grape leaves, baklava, and turnips.
29:45What?
29:46Total of $10,000 in bonus money if they use all three upsells.
29:52But remember, you got to win to collect the paycheck.
29:54These three ingredients are tricky.
29:56Guys making you work for that money.
29:5830 minutes on the clock.
30:00Chefs, your time starts now.
30:03Good luck.
30:04Bowls to the wall.
30:06Wow.
30:06Really?
30:07I picked the cart because I was really excited for the pantry.
30:10I knew there was going to be proteins I love working with as well as just the spices.
30:15The cart itself, super small.
30:17You literally, you don't even turning.
30:18You're just grabbing all your things.
30:20Very tight.
30:21Oh, we have labneh.
30:21Nice.
30:22What do I have in here?
30:24Add a little bit of everything.
30:26So going to the food carts, coming from the fine dining restaurant where I had everything
30:31I could think of.
30:32Here, the equipment is limited, but there's a bit of nostalgia here.
30:38Growing up, one of my favorite food carts sat right outside of where my grandmother worked.
30:43So I feel like I'm back in Philly.
30:45I love a kebab, by the way, right?
30:47There's like a ratio of meat to vegetables, how hard they're charred.
30:51But I think that it is much harder than it looks.
30:53Chef Evelyn, give me a little rundown here.
30:54Oh, yes.
30:55So I'm doing a lamb kebab and a salmon kebab.
31:00Great.
31:00And a little bit of a labneh.
31:03And then a salad with red onions and turnips, zaatar.
31:06My lamb kebab is incorporating the grape leaves in there with some warm spices.
31:10How do you plan on putting this in a bowl?
31:12I want definitely the flatter bowl.
31:15Kind of like a boat.
31:16I think it's going to lend itself to have my skewers on there.
31:19It's sounding like a good dish.
31:21It is sounding like a fantastic dish.
31:23Nicely done.
31:25Are they just the leaf?
31:27Okay.
31:27Okay.
31:28Okay, cool.
31:29Oh, and they're very briny.
31:30I love capers and olives, so I think it's definitely giving a hint of that.
31:34So I think if I chiffonade it in there, it'll give you a nice little brininess.
31:39Kofte is my favorite.
31:41So I'm trying to do my version of a kofte, which is like a ground meat skewer.
31:46Trying to get it nice and even so they cook nicely.
31:49I think I have the game plan for the turnips and the grape leaf, but I know the baklava is
31:54going to be tricky, and I know that's why they're giving us $5,000 for it.
31:58It's a dessert that we have to incorporate into a savory dish.
32:02Baklava on a kebab duo.
32:04Wow.
32:05Yeah.
32:06What can I use a baklava?
32:08I don't know what I'm going to do with all these upsell items, but with an extra $10,000 on
32:15the line, I'll do some things.
32:17Chef Martel.
32:18Hello, sir.
32:19What's going on here in Flavortown?
32:21Good, good, good.
32:22Building flavors.
32:23So I'm making a spiced salmon kebab.
32:25And what is the other skewer?
32:26The other skewer is going to be a lamb kebab, and that's going to be with a little nice hearty
32:30stew.
32:31Okay.
32:32I'm doing a take on Ethiopian meserwat.
32:35Ethiopian stew of lentils, mabere spice, tomatoes, onions.
32:39I'm going to add in just a little bit of dried apricot, just the sweetness and balance in there, and
32:44then I'll just spice it out.
32:45All right, chefs, 20 minutes left.
32:47Growing up, my grandmother made some of the best stew ever.
32:51I have no idea what was in the stew, but those memories were, like, foundational, right?
32:57So in my mind, I'm basically cooking a dish that I would feed to my grandmother.
33:03Okay.
33:04I need to start on these kebabs.
33:05Lots of spice.
33:07This kebab needs to be packed with flavor.
33:09So far, I'm pretty confident in where I'm going with this, but I haven't used one of the upsell items.
33:16And I'm getting this money.
33:19Thirteen minutes.
33:20This time flies over here.
33:22Good evening, chef.
33:23Hello.
33:24You've got some big chunks of salmon.
33:26Yes.
33:27I see the pomegranate molasses.
33:29Nothing says kebab to be like pomegranate molasses.
33:31I mean, I feel like it matches.
33:33And the baklava, so I'm still sticking that one through.
33:36All right, good luck, Tisha.
33:41Oh, here's her baklava.
33:44Okay.
33:44Okay.
33:45June, my restaurant, is definitely my baby.
33:47It is a work of just love.
33:50I think it's a very passion-forward project.
33:54I think just winning flavor tabs just make it that much better.
33:57Chef Evelyn, are you doing the baklava?
33:59I'm still thinking through, but I think I want to use it as, like, a crunchy little garnish elements that
34:03can go over the salmon.
34:04And add a sweetness to it, a nuttiness to it.
34:07I think that is a fantastic use of that.
34:10I'm going to get too crazy now.
34:11Just a little crunchy.
34:12Way to go.
34:13Let's see if I can do the turnip.
34:15It is raw turnip, but I do want it for my salad.
34:19We're going to rinse them a little bit so they're not too sharp.
34:21To be, like, bitter, how turnip tends to be.
34:25Let's see.
34:27So the last thing that's going to be part of my dish is a labnas.
34:31That'll be, like, the base of my bowl.
34:34Chefs, you have five minutes left.
34:35You can do this.
34:36Five minutes.
34:37I am up against it right now.
34:39Am I tripping?
34:39Yes, I am.
34:40Nope, nope, nope, no stock.
34:42But every time I cook, my grandmother in one way, shape, or form always pushes me to win and pushes
34:49me to do great.
34:50I never got a chance to cook for her professionally, but I feel her right now.
34:55And I have an idea.
34:56I'm going to skewer the salmon in the grape leaf and then fry the skewer.
35:03Chef Martell, any use of the baklava?
35:05I'm thinking on it.
35:06I'm thinking about doing a crouton for the baklava on top of the stew to offer just a little bit
35:11more texture.
35:11But I also don't want to just drop it on there.
35:13Yeah, you don't want to just throw it in as a garnish if you can incorporate it any other way.
35:18Baklava was such a twist.
35:20Oh, let's see.
35:21Now I'm thinking a little sliver of baklava in the center.
35:26Well, the nuttiness in the salmon, you know, with the baklava.
35:29I don't know why it doesn't go together.
35:32That's a great idea.
35:33All right, let's see if this works.
35:35Okay.
35:36Tampour batter.
35:37Chef, is the Monsieur Watt there just to fulfill the bowl part of the challenge, or is this traditionally paired
35:43with these kebabs?
35:44Traditionally paired with kebabs.
35:47All right, good luck, Chef.
35:49Let's see how this works.
35:5160 seconds.
35:52Let's rock and roll.
35:53I hope everyone's plating.
35:54One minute up.
35:56I have to build the plates, finish all my components, and I need to get it up to the pass
36:00in 60 seconds.
36:01I feel like Nick Cage out here.
36:03So I'm going to go full street cart with my metal bowls.
36:06Pull the salmon, Martell.
36:08Pull the salmon, Martell.
36:09I have my tampour skewer covered by my lamb skewer.
36:13I do like that it's like lamb against lamb, and then it's salmon against salmon.
36:18The base of mine will be yogurt and herb salad, and then have my two skewers on top.
36:23I have a lamb one, and I have a salmon one.
36:26Need to have plates in the window in 15 seconds.
36:29My crispy bit.
36:31I top my salmon with the crispy baklava.
36:34Three, one, time to serve the judges.
36:38It's kebab time.
36:41Key's like 20 grand, baby.
36:43Everything's on the plate, yeah.
36:45I hope my grandmother would be proud of what I put out.
36:48Give me the keys.
36:49I'm moving in.
36:49I get to choose my house.
36:51That one looks nice over there.
36:58Chef Martell, you're up.
36:59Serving them on a picnic table feels very comfortable.
37:02Here we go.
37:03It's much like my family reunion, and I get to watch all my aunts and uncles eat the food
37:07while they tell me every single thing they would have did differently.
37:09In true street cart fashion, serving to you in a little tin.
37:13So for you, I have two skewers.
37:15One is a spiced lamb skewer, finished off with a little lemon and vinegar.
37:19Inside of the salmon skewer is pickled turnip, a little baklava as well that I added some spice
37:26to, and tempura fried it.
37:27The lentils are mason watt lentils, and I folded in a little apricot.
37:37Delicious.
37:38Really delicious.
37:39The challenge of a bowl certainly is a bowl.
37:42Everything sort of goes together.
37:44It doesn't feel forced.
37:46The lamb is cooked perfectly, and I love the salmon wrapped in the grape leaf.
37:52I thought that was really, really smart.
37:54I do think my salmon was a little overcooked.
37:56But the way the baklava in the salmon, the tempura mimics the puff pastry,
38:01and I get this little echo that's like so smart and so well thought out.
38:05Really nice, though.
38:06Perfect.
38:07Perfect.
38:08Thank you, chef.
38:08I mean, this is really delicious.
38:11Really good.
38:12All right.
38:12Chef Ev, you're up next.
38:14I'm nervous to see what they're going to say, but I really hope they enjoy it.
38:17It's a little mixture of emotions, butterflies.
38:20Hello, chef.
38:21Let's go.
38:22Let our duo kebab.
38:24We have our costas, one of my favorite kebabs.
38:27Ground lamb.
38:28I did warm spices in there, and I incorporated the grape leaf in there.
38:31I like the brininess of it.
38:32We have our salmon skewer that's tossed a little bit of pomegranate, some salt, and then I crisped
38:38a baklava, and then I put that all over the salmon.
38:40On the bottom, we have yogurt, and then I grated the turnip, made it into like that herby salad.
38:45So yeah, so it's meant to be eaten all together.
38:48Yeah.
38:55Chef, I think you did a beautiful job of presenting a kebab duo.
38:58The turnip and the baklava, those two upsells, you did a really nice job.
39:02That red onion and turnip salad, the shredded turnip, so smart.
39:06The lamb and the salmon are like textbook perfectly cooked.
39:10Like perfectly cooked.
39:12The mayor says it's bowling day.
39:14Yes.
39:14And you gave me two kebabs and coleslaw basically, right?
39:16Uh, coleslaw.
39:18And it's delicious.
39:19Wow.
39:19But is it bowling day worthy?
39:22That's my real question here.
39:24Thank you, chef.
39:24Of course.
39:25Thank you, guys.
39:25I know the dish itself is super flavorful, and I'm very proud of it.
39:31And it would be amazing to be able to win and bring that home, you know?
39:34And just be like, hey, we did it.
39:36Where are we at?
39:38I think it's really tough.
39:39It is a kebab challenge.
39:40It's also a bowling day challenge.
39:42So it needs to be a dish.
39:43It was a kebab challenge.
39:44One of his kebabs was overcooked.
39:47Where is this anger coming from right now?
39:48I'm not angry.
39:49I'm gonna leave you two.
39:50Could you just come up with an answer for me?
39:52Who is the five-star dish?
39:54Thank you very much.
39:56Well, chefs, you topped yourselves with your bowl duo.
40:00I gotta tell you, dishes you knocked out were, I think, fantastic.
40:04Unfortunately, only one of you receives that paycheck for your efforts.
40:08Chef, you had $5,000 coming into this second round.
40:11If you were to win, you would get another $5,000.
40:14And you used all three ingredients, would give you another $10,000.
40:18You have a chance to win $20,000.
40:21As an immigrant, first-generation kid, it's just like, that is the reason why our parents wanted to come here,
40:27for us to have all these opportunities.
40:29So it's important for me to, like, keep going and be able to come back as a champ.
40:35Chef Martel, you had $4,000 for your four-star dish.
40:38If you were to win this, you would also have $5,000.
40:41And you had $7,000 worth of bonus money, which would give you a total paycheck of $16,000.
40:47If I were to win, I get to celebrate with the family.
40:51And I'm bringing home a little bit of bread, too, man.
40:55Bringing home some guap.
40:56Only one chef can receive the five-star award.
41:00The winner of Flavortown Food Fight Bowling Day is...
41:11Congratulations, Chef Martel.
41:13Well done.
41:15Well done, Chef.
41:16Come here.
41:17Good job.
41:18Good job.
41:18Good job.
41:19Good job.
41:19Good job.
41:19Good job.
41:20Chef Evelyn has the skills to back it up, and her flavors pack a punch.
41:25Chef Evelyn, thank you very much.
41:27I'm definitely bummed, but bring me back.
41:30It was so much fun.
41:32Chef Martel, $16,000 winner.
41:38And the new champ of Flavortown.
41:40$16,000?
41:42That's a pretty penny.
41:44You get to come back next time as the reigning champ of Flavortown Food Fight.
41:51This is all for my grandmother.
41:53She was the person who instilled confidence, and she instilled love, and she showed me how to be joyful.
42:01Am I about to cry?
42:03Catch you next time.
42:04Adios.
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