- ♪ Let's go ♪ - Yes!
This has been the toughest--
- Alligator.
- You sure you don't want help?
--most competitive--
- Let's go. - You didn't.
- Watch it! - Move!
- --the most grueling season--
- Medic! - --of "Next Level Chef" yet.
- Whoo. - Get it up, get it up.
- Oh, my god!
- Ah!
- We started with 24 chefs.
- I'm taking Gordon down this year.
This is the beginning of the Blais dynasty.
- I'm so excited!
- Watch out. - [bleep].
- And tonight, the final three--
- Go.
- --will compete for the mentorship.
- Megan, "Cast Iron Queen."
- I've earned a spot in the finale.
- A quarter of a million dollars.
- Austin, "The Iceman."
- I've never wanted to win as bad as I want to win right now.
- And the title of Next Level Chef.
"Tenacious B."
- It would mean everything to me to win.
- The winner of "Next Level Chef" is--
[cheers and applause]
[knives shinging]
[dramatic rock music]
[elevator dings]
♪ ♪
[timer ringing]
♪ ♪
- Welcome back!
- Hello, hello. - Thank you, Chef.
- Hi!
- The final three.
Welcome to the "Next Level Chef" grand finale.
- So thrilled.
- It's incredible.
I'm excited.
These are my last three chances to cook.
It feels like last day of school energy, you know?
- Tonight, one of you will walk away with a check for a quarter
million dollars and an exclusive year-long mentorship
with the three of us.
♪ ♪
Beatrice, you're only 18.
What would happen if you became America's Next Level Chef?
- I have a 5-, 10-, 20-year plan in mind.
I'm gonna invest that money towards something
that will make a difference in the world.
- Megan, supermom, "Cast Iron Queen."
- [laughs]
- Bringing it home for the home chefs, right?
- That's been my goal from day one
is represent the home chefs and the moms out there.
And this has surpassed every possible expectation
that I could have ever set for myself.
- OK, Austin, the laser-focused heavy hitter.
What would it mean to win the title of "Next Level Chef"?
- Chef, I've never wanted anything more in my life.
Just to prove that the last 15 years of me cooking, everything
that I've given up just to be in this point,
it all has to be for something.
And I think that this is what it is.
- I love that.
Now today's final challenge will demand
excellence at every turn.
All of you will have to cook an exquisite three-course meal.
- You're gonna kick off in the basement
with me, where you have to make a stunning appetizer.
- And I'll be with you on the middle level,
where you must prepare a delicious fish course.
- And finally, you'll meet me in that top-level
kitchen, where you'll need to serve
an incredible meat entrée.
- Each of you will have only 90 minutes to produce all three
of your dishes.
And today, how you choose to manage your time
is totally up to you.
Every time you finish a dish, you'll
hit the buzzer in the center of the kitchen
and stop your clock.
- Before we get started, we have a little surprise
for all three of you.
- Oh, my goodness.
- Someone that we would love you to meet.
Please welcome our reigning "Next Level" champion, Gabi.
- Hi!
[applause]
- Hi, guys. - Hello.
- That's so cute.
- Hi. - Hi. Hi.
- It's incredible meeting her.
She is just, like, invigorating and gets
me excited and ready to go.
- Oh, my gosh, guys. Hi.
Hi, hi, hi!
- I see myself where she is.
- You good?
- This mentor, right?
- [laughs]
Getting to meet Gabi,
what a wonderful person to see
reflected back in us as finalists as someone
who has accomplished it.
- Welcome back. - Thank you.
I like being on this side, actually.
- I'll bet. - I got to say.
- You are blowing up everywhere.
Congratulations goes to Gabi.
[all shouting]
Gabi did exceptionally well last year.
The growth in terms of what she's become
and what this competition has done for her.
- I'm Gabi, and this is my Next Course.
- The progression of this incredible woman
has been second to none.
- Chef Ramsay is challenging me to go and seek out
street food in New York City.
OK, easy.
- Gabi's doing some amazing things.
She's got a new series on Bite.
- Handmade whole wheat pasta.
- She's impacting the world.
Gabi is a great representation of a "Next Level
Chef" champion.
- Even though the mushrooms themselves are delicate,
they can take it.
They can take the pressure.
- Gabi is the perfect sponge to soak up the knowledge.
So many years of lived experience between me,
Richard, and Gordon that Gabi is
now taking and making her own.
- Ahh! [laughs]
- How do you truly win it?
- I think to win, don't worry about what anyone else is doing
because it'll tie you up.
Really just focus on making your dishes
as good as they can be.
- Great advice.
- Yeah, spoiler alert, she did enough.
- Before we get started, Richard, Nyesha, and I
would like to talk through each of your game plans.
Austin, head to the top level, please.
Richard will meet you there shortly.
- Thank you. Thank you, chefs.
I've topped so many mountains to get to this point.
Now I can see the peak.
I can see the mentorship.
I can see the money.
This is a $250,000 menu.
This is what I came here to do.
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
- What's happening, Chef?
- Holy [bleep].
- What's happening?
Congratulations.
- Oh, my god.
My mom and dad just standing there.
Oh, my god.
- You're gonna make me cry.
- They really helped me jump-start my career.
I told them, I want to move to Chicago.
I want to go to culinary school.
They supported it 100%.
They said, well, you know what?
You're paying for it by yourself, but we'll--
we'll drive you there.
- So are you ready for today?
You excited?
- I'm nervous. - You got it.
You got it.
I'm so happy for you.
- They are very understanding when I miss holidays, when I'm
gone, or I don't speak to them for a week
because I've been in the kitchen 16 hours a day.
But this is me.
This is the full version of your son with a chef jacket
on, ready to cook.
That's who I am.
And I couldn't be more happy to have them as parents.
- You've achieved and you've accomplished so much,
and you set your mind to everything that you've done.
- Yeah, yeah.
Oh.
- Very proud.
- Absolutely, absolutely.
- That's my boy.
[gentle music]
- Let's do it.
Hey!
[laughs]
It feels incredible to see my brother.
That's literally my guy.
And my best friend, Romi, childhood bestie.
- I am so proud of you.
- Both of them have been there for me
since I was really young.
This is so cool, guys.
[laughs] - This is awesome.
I can't believe we're here.
- My brother was always there to talk and lead me.
And he's really been that person who I go to for advice.
- You're gonna do great.
You're gonna kill it.
- The reason why I'm so confident is because of him.
Like, I'm really just trying to copy him.
- The last Ramsay standing.
- Last Ramsay standing, yeah.
- Yeah, pretty crazy.
♪ ♪
- [screams]
- Oh, my god.
- This is so awesome.
My mom and my best friend, they have been
two of my biggest supporters.
My heart is so full right now.
I am so appreciative of all of their support
through everything.
- We are so proud of you.
- To see them here just gives me the extra fuel
I need to see it to the end.
- Look where you're at.
Oh, my god.
- My mom came to the States in the late '60s as a refugee
from Czechoslovakia.
And they worked so hard to make sure that they could
realize this American dream.
- We couldn't be prouder.
- Thank you.
To know that in a generation, I'm cooking for the most
world-renowned chefs.
Every sacrifice they made has been monumentally worth it.
♪ ♪
[dramatic music]
- Come on over, guys.
How was that extra little touch of motivation?
- You know how to bring out the feelings.
- Right in the feels.
- OK, this is it.
Here we are.
The time has finally come.
Everything you've wanted is about to happen.
Line up, guys.
Very best of luck.
- OK, chefs, when it turns green, each of you
will have only 90 minutes to produce all three
of your dishes.
Go.
[tense music]
All right, protein, sauce.
- Scallops is absolutely the top of what I want.
- Damn it, Megan.
Ah!
I want the damn scallops.
The red shrimp are the next-best thing.
I know exactly where I want to go with this,
everything that is Japanese.
I need miso. Miso?
- There's miso over here. - Got it.
Awesome.
- All right, you got the proteins you want.
- I got my chicken thighs.
And because I am obsessed with Japanese food,
I grabbed mirin, my sake, my soy sauce.
- Japanese mayonnaise right here.
Think about what this dish looks like.
If you can grab it, it's yours.
If you can grab it, you can get it.
Let's go, back to your stations.
♪ ♪
Listen up, three amazing dishes starting here in the basement
with a perfect appetizer.
- Oh, yeah, baby.
- What did we grab, Beatrice?
- So I have these beautiful chicken thighs, Chef.
- OK.
- I'm gonna be doing a chicken yakitori.
I have a bunch of incredible Asian ingredients.
So I'm gonna marinate these in that.
- Is this gonna be your theme through all three courses?
- Yes, Chef, my theme is a Tokyo izakaya.
So it's gonna be diner Japanese-Tokyo vibes.
- So I see Beatrice is making another Japanese dish,
but that honestly means zero to me
because at the end of the day, my dish is gonna be better.
- Where is your Japanese inspiration coming from?
- My very first job, besides my mom's pizzeria,
was actually at a Japanese place.
I was a sushi apprentice there.
- How old were you when you were doing this?
- 15.
- When I was 15, I was working fast food.
I wasn't an apprentice sushi chef.
You've already accomplished so much.
- You know it. - Get going on it, OK?
- Yes, Chef. - Austin, you good?
You're gonna make me run with you there.
It's all right. I can do it. I can keep up with you.
What did you grab, and what's your theme, Austin?
- I got some red prawns, miso, yuzu.
I'm going Japanese on this one.
I just spent some time in Japan.
- OK.
- Grabbed my heart, and I couldn't get it back.
So I'm going back to Japan on this one.
- Your theme is?
- My culinary travels on a plate
for the next three courses.
- Got it. OK, well, bon voyage.
Let's go, OK?
What's your theme, Megan?
- Pacific Northwest surf and turf, Chef.
- Ooh, I like that.
- A little bit of an elevated take on wild mushrooms.
I grew up hunting mushrooms with my grandparents.
Paying homage to my roots.
- And how are you gonna cook the scallops?
- I'm going to pan sear them, Chef.
I want them to stand on their own
with their own subtle sweetness.
- So you're gonna go with cast iron for the scallops?
- Cast iron, you know, that's me.
I'm gonna stick with what I know.
- "The Cast Iron Queen" has got the cast iron out.
"The Punk Rock Chef" is cooking over an open flame in a grate.
"The Iceman" over here, cool, calm, and collected.
Three great ideas.
♪ ♪
This is a next "Next Level Chef" finale.
15 minutes down, 75 to go.
Now we got to pick up the pace.
Let's go, Megan.
- Thought I had more scallops than that.
Am I missing scallops here?
Like, what the hell?
Quarter of a million dollars is on the line,
and I don't know where my scallops are.
- The protein is where?
- It's hanging out around here somewhere.
Oh, my God.
♪ ♪
[tense music]
- There they went.
- Two scallops on the floor.
One is completely unsalvageable right now.
The other one, I'm gonna wash it off and get it cooking.
♪ ♪
- 26 minutes have gone.
♪ ♪
Oh, my gosh, what is going on?
- Chef, it's smelling good down here.
- Isn't it? Gabi, this is-- - Oh, man.
For the basement.
I'm loving all of these flavors for an appetizer
because you have to build from the basement.
- Yeah.
Now, listen, is the most important thing getting
to the buzzer first to you?
- No.
To me, it's not about the buzzer.
It's more about the time.
How much time do you have left?
- Tell me something good, Chef.
[laughter]
- Keep your head down and keep going.
It's smelling good.
I would say, I wish I could do it with you,
but I'll be honest, I'm happy that it's
you guys and not me this time.
Thank you guys.
- Thanks for the inspiration.
- I'll see you around, guys. - All right.
- Bye, Gabi!
- Thank you, Chef.
All right, well, how cool is that, guys?
- It was incredible. - That's excellent.
- How are we doing over here on the skewers?
- Good, Chef.
They're kind of burning a little bit, but--
- No, no, that's OK.
Listen, with yakitori, you want a little bit of char, OK?
So keep spinning them around.
You can turn the fire down a little bit, too.
♪ ♪
What's up, Austin? You good?
- Yeah, it just tastes good.
- Good problem to have.
- They are, without a doubt, the tastiest shrimp I think
I've made in a long time.
- 27 1/2 minutes.
So that means if this was a normal day in the office,
so to speak, we'd be thinking about plating in 30
seconds, correct?
- Yes, Chef.
- I can feel the intensity.
I don't want you to be multiple minutes behind when
you get to that middle floor.
- I do want to be the first to the buzzer,
put a little pressure on Beatrice and Megan
to let them know that I plan on having that platform
all to myself.
- We're just under 29 minutes.
You got to hit the buzzer to stop the clock.
OK, one second under 29 minutes, Austin.
All right, Megan and Beatrice, you
ought to be thinking about getting over that buzzer
in the next 60 seconds. Can we do it?
- Yes, Chef.
Austin's already done.
I need to get done ASAP.
- Beatrice is in.
46 seconds behind Austin.
- Whoo!
- Make it beautiful, right?
OK, I like it. You gotta go.
Boom let's go.
Let's get to that.
We don't want to be two minutes behind, Megan.
Hit the buzzer and stop the clock.
- Whoo! - Good job, everyone.
Nice work. Well done.
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
- It smells delicious.
- Nyesha and Gordon, what an incredible cook.
- Wow.
- They look so beautiful, don't they?
- They look stunning, Richard.
- A stunning appetizer.
OK, so we'll start right here.
This is Beatrice's ode to a Japanese izakaya.
Chicken thigh yakitori with a cucumber salad.
- Beatrice, it looks beautiful. Really well done.
- Thank you, Chef.
[tense music]
- This is, for me, exactly what I want to start
my journey in the menu.
It's simple, really smoky and pleasant.
A charred, deep-roasted flavor.
- Those burnt bits are just the magical moments, right?
I could have done with a touch more crispiness on there,
but it's cooked beautifully.
Really beautifully.
- Yeah, Beatrice, this is loud and vibrant,
much like yourself.
The only thing it's missing, to me,
is maybe a little bit of fresh citrus
or some sort of other version of acidity,
but it's an absolutely fantastic start.
- Thank you.
- So here we go.
Next up, a butter-poached red shrimp with a yuzu butter
and some crispy leeks.
This was cooked by Austin.
- It's elegant.
It's like a cover of a magazine.
It's everything you want from a perfect appetizer,
especially in a finale of the competition.
- Thank you.
♪ ♪
- Really incredible start to your menu, Austin.
It's light, but it has this rich quality to it.
These ingredients are speaking to each other.
- Young man, the shrimp are cooked beautifully.
There's an added extra layer here from the heads
because it's intense, and that's what you want.
But I don't think this dish screams fried leeks.
You've got richness in the miso, richness in the garnish.
So it just brought everything back down again.
- Got it, Chef.
- I love that you played the Japanese game
respecting the ingredients.
You definitely told your story great here.
Lastly, we have surf and earth from Megan, representing
her Pacific Northwest roots.
It is scallops with wild mushroom truffle sauce.
- I would not have guessed that this comes from a home chef.
Really excited to get into the flavor of this dish.
♪ ♪
- Now, I'm a stickler for scallops, as you well know.
Very hard to get right.
♪ ♪
The scallops are cooked beautifully.
You've got to stop serving the base of these mushrooms.
That's the sort of bit that no one eats.
- Yep.
- But the sauce is sublime.
- The scallops, they sort of read opulent,
but then it has this sort of rustic charm
that hugs the soul of the scallop.
- Megan, you have taken me on a foraging trail.
I think this is so true to you.
It's quite an impressive dish.
- Thank you.
- Honestly, what an incredible start.
Next up, it's a beautiful fish course.
Austin, you used 29 minutes for your appetizer, which leaves
you 61 minutes remaining.
Beatrice, just over 60 minutes.
And, Megan, just under 60 minutes.
We're two rounds away from crowning our "Next Level
Chef" winner.
Very best of luck to all three of you.
- Thank you, Chef. - Yes, Chef.
- Thank you. - Thank you, Chef.
- Head to the elevator. Nyesha will join you shortly.
- Good job, chefs. Incredible start.
- That was intense. - Absolutely.
- It's the last time we'll see the basement, guys.
- Bye-bye, basement.
- I can't wait to see what they do on the fish course.
- Won't be missing you, oil cans.
- [laughs]
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
- Ah.
- OK, OK.
- Oh.
- Hello, Chef!
Let's go!
- Really nice start, guys.
Eye on the prize.
Congratulations. - Thank you.
- It's really cool to see all of your personalities
in your dish.
I want an excellent fish dish, right?
Nothing less. - Yes, Chef.
- All right, guys, line up.
♪ ♪
Platform's on the move.
- Let's do it.
- Go, go, go.
Grab your protein, build around it.
- I see black cod.
Boom, that's what I wanted.
Grab that. Perfect.
I'm grabbing miso, bok choy, shiitake.
This is like my dream meal.
- Ooh.
- Sea bass for Megan.
- Damn it.
This is the second cook that Megan has gotten what I need.
- Salmon for Austin.
- I got stuck with salmon, which totally throws
off my entire game plan.
- Think about a sauce, veg, garnish.
Time's ticking.
Let's go.
- I grabbed just a hodgepodge of [bleep] that I don't even
know if I'm gonna use.
- Grab like your life depends on it, guys.
Good job, good job.
[tense music]
- Oh, this is not what I thought it was.
- Fennel, baby fennel. - I thought it was dill.
- All right, Austin, what did you grab?
- So I got some salmon.
- Japanese on the first course.
What's your theme on this course?
- So this one is kind of like a--
I really wanted to go a different route with this.
- OK. - But I--
I--I didn't.
So I'm kind of pivoting.
This is a "what the [bleep]" moment right here.
This is a $250,000 menu.
If I don't get this right, if I don't figure this out,
it's game over.
- Make smart decisions, OK?
- Yeah, absolutely.
- All right, Austin, what are you thinking?
- I would say it's kind of like a Spanish-style.
I'm gonna do a little romesco sauce.
- Incredible.
- I'm gonna get a nice crispy skin.
- Nice. Nice and bright.
Incredible. - Absolutely.
- Let's do this. - Thank you, Chef.
- Cast Iron Megan. - Yes, Chef.
- Where are you taking us?
- I want to do an elevated pan-fried sea bass.
I want the light, crisp note from the green beans.
I've got the chimichurri that's in there.
- What is the theme going into the second course
of your fish course?
- Seattle's always rainy and gray,
but I want to show that we've got fantastic summers.
We've got fantastic produce.
And we can do light and airy just like California.
- Of course. - Or anywhere else.
- So how are you cooking the green beans?
- I just blanched them.
And then I'm going to toss them in that chimichurri
at the very end.
- Keep that positive energy.
- Yes, Chef.
Thank you so much.
- All right, Beatrice, what are you making, my love?
- So, Chef, I'm gonna have a miso black cod.
It's gonna be very, like, Japanese breakfast
but elevated.
And then I'm going to have the sweet potato fondants.
- OK, Beatrice.
- And kind of do like a little Bento vibe,
you know what I'm saying? - Sure.
Be productive with your movements, OK?
You need to be like a ninja.
- Yes, Chef.
- Let's get those sweet potatoes cooking, OK?
They take a long time.
- 100%, Chef.
- Guys, we are 10 minutes into this cook.
Make sure you're bringing it all together, right?
♪ ♪
- Gabi!
- How are you?
- Good to see you, Chef. - So great to see you.
- All right.
- So Beatrice you've met.
- I see your whole menu is looking
very Japanese at this point.
- Yes, this is, like, a very traditional home-style
Japanese food cooking.
Sweet potato fondants.
I have some braised bok choy.
- Ooh.
- It is gonna be good.
- It's looking great. - Thank you, Gabi.
- Where are we at, Austin? - Good.
I got my salmon in the oven.
I just roasted off my macadamia nuts and my peppers
for romesco.
- Love a romesco.
Ooh, with macadamia.
That's fun.
- I got some nice carrots going just for some color and texture
and a little bit of sweetness.
- And I see your little baby fennel here.
That's really cute. - I thought that was dill.
[laughs] - Hey.
- I'm not gonna act like I did that on purpose.
- Great job, Austin. Keep going. - Looking great.
- Thanks, Chef. Thank you.
- How are you doing over here, Megan?
- Hi, Gabi. I'm good.
How are you guys?
- Oh, I'm loving your ingredients over here.
- So you're pretty much ready to plate
if you're dropping the fish, right?
- Yes, just about, Chef.
I really want to make sure that I'm saving
time on this back end here.
- My only note would be maybe a little citrus,
but I think the currants, actually,
would be a nice contrast.
- That's--that's what I'm hoping for.
Yeah, I have a little bit of lime I can just throw on top,
just if I need it at the very end.
- Valuable information.
- All right, I'll see you guys later.
- Bye-bye.
- Keep going.
- Guys, 20 minutes into this cook.
- Heard. - Yes, Chef.
- [grunts] Damn it. - What's wrong?
- I just don't like the way the skin turned out.
The salmon, the way that it looks right now
looks like garbage.
The skin has moved, and it's not
perfectly on top of the fish, which,
for me, is just unacceptable.
I've cooked salmon a thousand times in my life,
and I've never messed it up like I have this.
I'm pissed.
- Beatrice, watch the heat on that pan.
Don't forget about that potato, OK?
- Damn.
Like, I kind of forgot about them.
These are overdone, Chef.
Oh, [bleep].
I can't serve this to the judges.
- Stay focused.
Stay focused, Beatrice.
You can slice off the end.
- OK, you know what?
I'm just gonna take off the burnt side
and throw them back in the pan.
And it's gonna be OK.
- Make sure that you balance out the sweetness, OK?
You don't want that too caramelized.
- Yes, Chef.
- All right, guys, 22 minutes into this cook.
Keep pushing.
Austin, how are we doing?
- Chef, I'm getting there.
- Megan, how are we doing?
- I'm good, Chef.
- One question to ask you guys.
Who wants a quarter of a million dollars today?
- Right here, right here. - Me, Chef!
- I said it first, huh?
- Suck it, Austin.
- $250,000 and a one-year mentorship is at stake today.
Beatrice winning is not an option.
- Yeah, that's what I love.
- Megan is also an incredible chef.
She beat two amazing chefs in the semifinal cook.
I would be stupid to count her out.
- Megan's walking, guys.
Megan, hit the buzzer.
Good job, good job.
- Last cook, I was the last one to the buzzer.
This cook, I'm first to the buzzer.
This gives me a huge advantage going into the last round.
- Megan, that leaves you just over 36 minutes, OK?
- Thank you, Chef.
- Make sure you're tasting all the elements
together and that's a "Next Level Chef" dish.
- 100%, Chef.
It is time to plate.
I need to stop worrying about anything
else and just plate this dish.
- Beatrice heading to the buzzer.
Hit that buzzer.
♪ ♪
Beatrice, that leaves you with 33 minutes left to cook, OK?
Austin, it looks really pretty.
Let's go, Austin.
Hit that buzzer.
♪ ♪
Austin, that leaves you just over 33 minutes, OK?
- Heard.
I was first to press the button during the appetizer cook,
last to press this one, kind of puts me in the middle.
And even though we shouldn't be playing this sort of time
management in our head, you can't help but do
it whenever you're behind.
[dramatic music]
- How was that? - Incredible.
So exciting.
- Wow.
Look at these.
Beautiful. Wow.
- So impressive. - They look great.
- We'll start here.
This is a pan-roasted sea bass.
The green beans have been wrapped
in this spiced chimichurri.
This dish is cooked by Megan.
- Visually, I can see a magazine
with this on the cover.
I love this sort of festive holiday vibe
that I'm seeing here.
[tense music]
♪ ♪
- The fish is cooked beautifully.
- Thank you.
- Skin crispy, seasoned beautifully.
I could have done with a touch more cooking on the green beans
because they're too crunchy, but the fish is nailed.
- Thank you, Chef.
- You kept a vision from the first course
to the second course going with that land and sea.
Very apparent here.
Lots of vibrancy and freshness.
I agree on the green beans.
Maybe just cutting those green beans down a bit
could go a long way.
Next up, we have a glazed black cod.
This is served with braised bok choy
and a sweet potato fondant.
This dish is cooked by Beatrice.
- Visually stunning.
I love the glaze on that black cod.
♪ ♪
Black cod, let's be honest, it's very hard to get right.
- I'm a little nervous.
There's so much, like, promise and future on the line today.
And if you don't have that cooked perfectly,
it's game over.
- Yeah, wow.
I mean, I've seen many renditions
of this dish, many bad renditions of this dish.
This is not one of them.
It looks like there's too many things on the plate,
but it works so well.
- Cod's cooked beautifully. It's sweet.
It's sour.
It's creamy.
The one issue I have is the sweet potato.
Unfortunately, it's undercooked.
It's too hard.
- Lastly, crispy skin salmon with glazed carrots
and a macadamia nut romesco.
This dish is cooked by Austin.
- Visually beautiful.
Yeah, it's eye-catching.
Captivating.
- Yeah, it's got this beautiful sort of Spanish sunset vibe
to it.
All sort of plays off of orange and red.
Visually, it's pretty stunning.
[tense music]
♪ ♪
- The salmon is cooked beautifully.
Textbook control.
The sauce is beautiful.
I am gonna take it to task.
It's the grand finale.
Salmon could be a bit crispier.
- I really actually appreciate the mild citrus
notes in this dish.
I think it pairs really nicely with the salmon.
- I love the salmon cook.
It's sort of got this confit texture, which is great.
The carrots are a little too crunchy for me.
- OK.
- Wow.
All of you, seriously, three outstanding fish courses.
- Thank you, Chef. - Thank you, Chef.
- Thank you.
- Now each of you only have one dish left.
And that's an incredible meat entrée.
Final course, guys. - Yes, Chef.
- Here's the good news.
The platform will remain so you can grab ingredients
throughout the final cook.
Megan, you'll be at the platform
first with just over 36 minutes.
First choice.
You name it, you got it.
Austin, young man, you've got 33 1/2 minutes.
And Beatrice?
- Yes, Chef.
- You've got just under 33 1/2 minutes.
The very best of luck to all three of you.
- Thank you, Chef. - Thank you, Chef.
- Head to the elevator. I'll see you there shortly.
Come on. Good luck.
Final round. - Good luck, guys.
- Run through the finish line, OK?
- Got it.
- Finish strong.
Here's the crazy thing, all the fish were cooked perfectly.
They each have a vegetable that's slightly undercooked.
And that's where we're at right now.
It's all gonna come down to upstairs.
- The last elevator ride.
- Last one.
[tense music]
- I feel so pumped and ready to cook.
I love the top kitchen.
It is definitely my playground.
I can't wait to do some magic up there.
- Oh, the old top level.
- I'm just gonna stay concentrated, focused.
This is gonna be my time to shine,
and I'm going to fully shine.
- OK. - Hello, Chef!
- Let's go, guys.
- Let's go. - Come over, come over.
Right, line up, please.
Line up.
Right, let's have a quick chat.
♪ ♪
Final cook, OK?
One cook away from becoming our "Next Level Chef."
- Yes!
Yes!
- You've each cooked two incredible courses.
And right now, any one of you can win this competition.
Megan, you're gonna go first.
You have just under three minutes on your own there, Meg.
Megan, on your mark, get set, go, Meg.
Go!
- The first thing I see is a beautiful rack of lamb.
Look at that.
- How beautiful. - Done.
Thank you.
- Austin, 2:30 away, yes?
- Yes, chef.
- Grab what you want.
- I'm grabbing mini rainbow beets, asparagus, and lemon.
- Anything you want.
- Save some for us, huh?
Full two minutes, Megan's at the platform,
grabbing everything green.
Like, damn. - How you feeling, buddy?
- You know it, Chef.
You know it.
- This is grocery shopping.
To basically go grocery shopping
instead of fighting and throwing
elbows for ingredients.
- Austin, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Let's go, Austin.
OK, grab your protein, young man.
- I cannot believe that Megan passed up a ribeye
to go for freaking lamb.
- 16 seconds, Beatrice.
- Yes, heard.
- If Beatrice sees a truffle, she's going for it.
So I want to try and throw her off her game a little bit.
Give me that truffle, baby.
- 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Let's go.
Off you go.
Pork chop.
Love that.
Really good.
- I'm grabbing cabbage, onions, red miso.
I got literally everything I want.
OK, OK, OK, OK.
Let's go, let's go, let's go.
- Final round.
Make it count.
- Heard. - Yes, Chef.
- 31 minutes to go.
Right, Meg, what did you grab?
- I grabbed that rack of lamb, chef.
- So you're gonna roast the rack.
- I want to put panko crust on there.
I want to throw some herbs in there.
- And then get that in the oven.
- Yes, Chef.
I don't have time to waste.
I need to get the rack of lamb in the oven
as soon as humanly possible.
If it's undercooked, it's absolutely ruined.
And that's not how I'm gonna make Next Level Chef.
- That's a big weight off your shoulders.
- Yes, Chef.
- Start thinking about the plating as well, yes?
- Heard, Chef.
- Please, final dish.
- Good to see you up here again, Chef.
- Someone who knows her plating.
- All right.
- You remember these nerve-wracking moments,
this final cook.
- Oh, this was when it really felt real.
- Should we check in?
- Yes, let's do it, Chef.
- 26 minutes to go, guys.
- Yes, Chef!
- Beatrice? - Yes, Chef.
- More motivation for you.
- Hello, Gabi! - Hello, Beatrice.
I love your energy.
- Thank you.
- So, Beatrice, you have this Japanese theme going on.
- 100%.
- How do we round off this menu?
- So I'm gonna do a pork chop sando with this milk
bread I have here.
I'm gonna make a nice barbecue sauce, Chef.
- Love it. - Love it.
- You know, it might look simple in, like, execution,
but it's really not.
- You're taking a risk.
Yeah, big risk, big reward, right?
- Yes, Chef.
A fried sandwich for the last cook.
Risky? Yes.
Kind of impressive?
Maybe.
- Good luck, young lady.
- Yes, Chef.
- Austin?
- Hey, how we doing? - How you doing, Austin?
- Good.
So over here, I got a nice little beautiful ribeye.
I'm making a Périgueux truffle sauce.
And I'm also just gonna make it rain with truffles on top.
I mean, nothing speaks elegance other than truffles on a plate.
- You love to travel.
So, you know, is that what this menu is speaking to?
- I mean, I've never been to France before,
but I studied in French culinary school in Chicago.
So this is kind of a homage to living in Chicago.
- Right, young man, listen, just under 17 minutes to go,
OK? - Yes, Chef.
- Yeah? Use that truffle wisely, right?
- Yes. All right. - I have so much truffle here.
♪ ♪
- How are you doing, Megan? - I'm doing good, Gabi.
- Great. - How are you?
- How is this dish tying in with your other dishes today?
- Like, kind of the Northwest seasons.
Now I really want to go winter with the lamb.
- Oh. - Things I find in my garden.
I grow garlic in my garden and beets.
- Speaking my language, Megan.
Garden, veggies. - Love that.
Lamb is a little bit gamey.
How are we gonna tone that down?
- The sweetness from the roasted beets.
- Love that. - A balsamic glaze.
- Good. Good luck, girl.
Yeah? - Thank you so much.
- Keep going. - Thank you.
- Good luck, chefs. Leave it all on the table.
- Thank you so much. - This is it.
- An absolute pleasure having you here.
- Thank you, Chef.
- Thank you for the inspiration.
- Yes. - See you later.
- Thank you, Chef. See you later.
- Well done. Thank you. - All right.
- 14 minutes to go. both: Yes, Chef.
- [bleep]
- You OK?
- Yeah, just a burn.
I'm actually hurting pretty darn good.
- How's that hand, darling?
- It's all good. - Oh, no, show me.
Show me your hand, please.
Oh, my god.
- Everything is at stake in this cook, and I'm cooking
it practically one-handed.
- Do you need a medic?
Talk to me, Megan.
- [exhales]
[tense music]
- My hand really hurts.
This is the most monumentally inconvenient thing
that could happen right now.
But I can't stop cooking.
There's no time for me to be down for the count.
- Six minutes to go.
- Lamb should come out?
- Not yet, not yet.
- Stressing me out.
- Hold your nerve right to the very last minute.
- Yes, Chef.
- Austin, it's a caramelized onion puree, right?
- Yeah, I hit it with brandy as well.
- That's way too thin. - Yeah, yeah.
So that's--it's on the stove right now.
At this point, it just looks like a cream.
It's not a puree.
- Damn, what happened there?
Did you just add too much cream?
- Yeah, absolutely.
- You can always add, but you can't take away.
- This puree has to be perfect.
Otherwise, this dish could set off my whole menu.
- Is it worth caramelizing them down and then adding them to--
if you're not happy with that getting too thin?
I'm just worried. - Understood.
Understood.
If Chef Ramsay's telling you, do it, don't ask questions.
So I have to sweat off some more onions as fast as I can.
I am totally up against this entire cook at this point.
Bring forward some really nice flavors.
- Two minutes, guys. - Yes, Chef.
- Start plating.
Dishes sound amazing.
Look at me.
You need to plate now.
Down to the wire.
60 seconds to go, yes?
Come on, you three.
Take it home, yes?
- This is literally the slice of my life.
What I need to see is perfectly pink, rare lamb.
- Let me see. Through.
Show me. Beautiful.
Absolutely beautiful.
30 seconds.
Make it count. Come on.
Meg, finish with salt, darling.
- Finish with salt, Chef.
- On the plate. Good.
Well done.
Come on, guys.
Final push.
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5,
4, 3, 2, 1, and stop!
- Whoo!
- Thank you.
- Well done.
Megan.
- Thank you.
- Well done. Well done.
You good?
- [laughs]
[tense music]
All right, Richard and Nyesha, welcome back.
That was one of the most exciting finale final cooks.
What a performance.
We've got some incredible dishes for you to taste.
- Wow.
- Let's start off with this beautifully herb-crusted rack
of lamb served with roasted beets,
sautéed down with a beautiful reduction cooked by Megan.
- Visually, I don't think I've seen a rack of lamb cooked this
well on "Next Level Chef."
Even the other parts of the plate, it's just classic.
♪ ♪
The lamb is cooked perfectly, and the sweetness of the beets
is really, really appropriate.
It's an incredible dish and maybe your best
one of the whole competition.
- Thank you.
- Lamb is cooked absolutely beautifully.
The sort of roundness from the jus,
it's just really impeccable.
- It's a dangerous move, sweet beets with an expensive lamb,
but it actually works.
The sauce could've been a touch less
reduced, but really well done.
- Thank you so much.
Thank you.
- Our second dish was cooked by Beatrice.
This is a modern take on a katsu sando.
Breaded, beautifully cooked pork chop,
barbecue sauce with a cabbage slaw.
- It reads street food with confidence, which I love.
♪ ♪
- Evidence a sandwich can hold its own with a more
fine-dining presentation.
This is a textural wonderland.
You have soft.
You have crunchy and a flavor wonderland.
You have salty.
You have sweet.
Good job.
- I prefer the bread just to be a little bit more rolled out,
so sort of the ratio works, but the pork is cooked deliciously.
- Thank you.
- Really well done.
Finally, this is a ribeye cooked by Austin.
Caramelized onion puree finished
with cream and a sauce Périgueux
classic French cuisine.
- I can see the luxury with all of the truffles on this plate.
It might be a little less refined than some of the plates
that I've seen from you, but you
can tell that it's gonna be delicious with all
of that sauce.
♪ ♪
- Very classic flavors together.
Really smart.
I definitely see you on this plate.
The perfume of the aroma and the truffles is--
it's just captivating.
Sauce Périgueux, just incredible.
Really smart use of making a statement in a finale dish.
- The truffle brings a lot of flavor to this sauce.
The puree is a little nondescript, to be honest,
but again, the truffle brings so much luxury to this dish.
- You cook with such intelligence.
The flavor profile is there.
The sauce Périgueux is exceptional.
- Yes, Chef.
- Right now, Richard, Nyesha, and myself need a moment
to really understand the balance of all three
dishes together and then announce our "Next Level
Chef" winner.
This is gonna be a very tough decision.
Please head to the lounge.
- Thank you, chefs.
- Thank you.
♪ ♪
- It's never easy, is it?
- It's never easy.
♪ ♪
Shall we start with Beatrice?
She had the clearest vision, which I didn't expect.
That Japanese essence was there across every course.
- Played it like she's been cooking in Japanese restaurants
for 20 years.
She hasn't even been alive for 20 years.
- No, exactly that.
- I think her first course was the most
successful out of the menu.
Second course, for me, was the most lacking.
Sweet potato was thoroughly undercooked.
- Yeah.
Megan?
Kudos as her mentor because this girl
has been cooking like an absolute pro.
The theme of Megan's food was about the--the seasons
of the Northwest.
And the scallops were exceptional.
It's just a shame there was so much
garnish with that sea bass and those undercooked green beans.
- Yeah, it's almost like she got
through the sea bass quick to get to have
more time for the meat.
- Yeah, but I this lamb is the best entrée
out of all three tonight.
- 100%.
- Austin and the theme was about his travels.
He oozes sophistication.
You think of that red prawn dish
at the beginning, then the salmon.
- Austin's first two dishes were unbelievable.
He's very technical.
His least technical dish was this final dish where he
got tripped up a little bit.
both: Yeah.
- But his shrimp was so beautiful.
- The plating--stunning.
- It's a tough one.
- It really is.
Our chefs keep getting better and better.
The competition keeps getting harder and harder.
Two people from Team Blais are in the finals.
This is coming down to the finest of details.
♪ ♪
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
[cheers and applause]
- This has been a hell of a ride.
This whole experience has already been life-changing.
[cheers and applause]
- Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!
[cheers and applause]
- It feels incredible seeing my brother, my best friend,
all these amazing people.
It's also very overwhelming.
- Oh, boy.
What a night.
- These next couple of minutes are just gonna decide
the future of one of us three.
And I really, really, really want that to be me.
- All of you, take a moment and soak this in.
What an extraordinary performance.
[cheers and applause]
This has been the most impressive
finale we've ever had.
You should all be incredibly proud.
Beatrice, you came into this competition as a young,
tenacious 18-year-old.
And you have risen brilliantly.
Well done. - Thank you, Chef.
- Really well done.
- Thank you.
- Austin, listen, you came into this competition
a technically skilled chef.
But what I love about your journey
is all of the heart and soul that you've
been pouring into it.
- Thank you, Chef.
- Megan, you should be so proud of yourself.
I know you're making a lot of home
cooks very proud and very excited
to see your journey ahead.
- Thank you so much.
Thank you.
- OK, you three, we've come to a decision.
One of you is on the brink of being crowned our "Next Level
Chef," winning that extraordinary
year-long mentorship with Nyesha Arrington,
Richard Blais, and myself.
And that comes with a check for a quarter of a million dollars.
[cheers and applause]
The winner of "Next Level Chef" is--
♪ ♪
- I want to win.
I've never wanted to win anything as bad
as I want to win right now.
I placed my knowledge on these plates.
I threw down with the best of them.
I cooked my ass off here.
- It would mean everything to me to win.
I want to change the world, and this is gonna get me there.
- I'm doing this for me and my family.
With a quarter of a million dollars,
I can absolutely realize my dream.
I am absolutely ready to be the "Next Level Chef."
- Congratulations goes to--
♪ ♪
Austin!
- Oh, my god!
[cheers and applause]
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
- I am so proud of you.
- Good job.
Really good job!
[laughs]
- Come on. Well done.
- Thank you. Thank you.
- Well done. - Thank you.
- Come on.
Well done. Breathe.
Breathe, breathe, breathe. Your mentor.
Come on. - You did it, brother.
- Oh, my god.
Thank you so much.
- I'm so proud of you. - Thank you so much.
- I'm so proud of you. - How do you feel?
- Yeah, yeah.
I can't believe it. - It's so, so real now.
- Thank you so much.
- You're welcome, Austin.
- Man! [indistinct].
- You made me so proud.
- Thank you. Thank you so much.
- You did so good.
- I couldn't be prouder to be on Team Blais.
- Ladies and gentlemen, please give
it up for our amazing runners-up, Megan and Beatrice.
[cheers and applause]
- I'm absolutely proud of myself,
how far I've come, the self-doubt
that I've let go of.
Just because I didn't win the title doesn't mean I lost.
Good job, babe.
Good job.
- I just feel really happy and proud of myself.
I 100% have let the world know who I am
and what I represent through this competition.
- How you feeling?
- I've put so much blood, sweat,
and tears into my chef career, and this is just all worth it.
Just to be able to cook with the most amazing chefs,
be mentored by the most amazing chefs.
This is a lifetime memory I'll never forget.
Oh, my god.
I'm the Next Level Chef.
Oh, my god!
- So proud of you.
- Thank you.
- Ladies and gentlemen, please give it up
for our amazing winner, Austin.
[cheers and applause]
I'm so happy for Austin.
This guy cooked with such control, finesse.
The only one issue I've got with Austin is his mentor.
Richard Blais is now the crowned champion.
Cheers.
Well done.
It's a bit like the Olympics.
I can handle it once every four years.
- You did it, man. - Amazing.
- You did it, brother. - Amazing.
- We won.
We did it.
We finally won.
- Oh, my gosh.
- I'm so proud of Austin.
Such an incredible chef.
He's got a heart of gold.
And, Gordon, I now have a winner on "Next Level Chef"
as well.
- Dinner is now on Austin.
[laughter]
- The competition is leveling up.
I may have won the first season,
and Gordon has taken the last two.
So Richard's been at home, putting
up his wall of schematics.
And if that's what it takes, that's what it takes.
Whoo!
Obviously, I always want to win,
but I think it would be fair if I let them win sometimes.
- Give it up for Austin, everybody.
Come on!
[cheers and applause]
- Whoo!
- You did it, brother. - Amazing.
- You did it, brother.
- Amazing!
♪ ♪