Previously on Next Level Chef...
It's freakin' Codzilla!
There are monsters on this platform.
The dish that will keep
their team safe was cooked by... Andy.
- Oh! - There you go, beautiful.
- My God, he's fast. - Elise, I'm so sorry.
I am the comeback king.
And tonight...
The platform will not be stopping on your floor.
Jesus, take the wheel!
- The platform is here! - Grab 'em, grab 'em!
It's coming, it's coming!
And up!
And down.
I said it wasn't stopping.
You guys couldn't slow it down, just a little bit?
Go big or go home, baby.
Ugh, I don't know what this is.
I don't know what to do.
I literally have nothing.
Here we go!
Welcome back, everybody.
Woo!
- Yes. - Loving this energy.
- Wassup, baby? - Baby!
Lezz go. Lezz go.
- Feeling good? - Yes, chef!
Last time round, the three of us were so impressed
the way you all broke down those fish.
Let's build on that today, please.
- Yes, chef. - Team Ramsay...
...thanks to Andy,
we are in that top-level kitchen where we belong!
That's right!
C'mon! What does it mean, that pin?
It's just a validation I'm in the right place.
I just have to trust myself and cook good food.
- Love that. - Yeah.
- So proud of all four of you. - Thank you, chef.
Gordon's Girls are staying on top.
Team Arrington!
Thanks to Mr. Emerson,
we're in the middle kitchen today.
- Oi! I'll take it. - It's great.
Emerson's done more cooking than any contestant.
He loves elimination, right?
You said, "If someone's gonna come back, it's me."
Hell, yeah.
Today's a fresh start.
I wanna stay out of elimination.
I don't wanna be back there cooking again.
We're only going up from here.
Okay, Team Blais, we're in the basement
but that's not gonna hold us back.
I love it down there.
Good, 'cause it looks like you're spending
- most of the season down there. - Per usual.
Ah, come on!
Right, let's get down to business, shall we?
For today's challenge, you'll all have 30 minutes
to create a Next Level protein bowl.
You need to build a whole dish: the base, the protein,
incredible eye-catching toppings and, of course, the sauce
- that brings it together. - Ooh!
From the stalls and streets of Bangkok
to the brunch counters in Brooklyn,
they showcase international flavors
and creativity that define casual dining today.
From poke bowls to bibimbaps,
you'll find them everywhere, on every street corner.
Even fine dining menus have them right now.
They look simple, but every layer
has to count and make sense. Balance is crucial.
Yes, chef.
- One more thing you should know. - Uh-oh...
Because we know food bowls are for busy people
that are constantly on the run...
- today... - Here we go.
...the platform's running.
It will not be stopping on your floor.
You have to grab on the go.
What?!
This is so unfair. It's hard enough with 30 seconds
let alone with it going up and down.
- Oh, my God. - Sheesh!
Team Ramsay, head for the elevator, I'll see you shortly.
- Yes, chef! - And good luck.
Keep up that momentum, please!
♪ To the top
♪ We stayin' in the top kitchen today ♪
That's right.
We got it.
- Woo! - We got it in the bag, girl.
Yeah!
Hey-hey!
♪ Beautiful
Let's stay focused. We got this.
And just make sure to grab, grab, grab
'cause that thing is gonna be moving.
Here we go! Lezz go!
I'm feeling very insecure about the platform not stopping.
- Okay, okay! - Same spot.
I really need a station
close to the platform.
- Whoa, no, no! - I'm right here.
- I'm right-- - I'm here.
I'm here. I got here, buddy. I got here, dude.
Oh-ho! Cutthroat kitchen.
Yo, I got this first.
This is my station. I'm not moving.
Sorry. I got here and I'm...
I got here, buddy. Are you really doing this?
I don't care where you were yesterday, dude.
You don't get this station.
Hey, why are we mixing it up?
Like, what is going on?
- Dude, I got here! - Woo! Tension, tension.
This is a Wild West standoff.
I'm sorry, I got here at my station.
Emerson, I got here.
- Isn't this the station here? - I mean...
I mean, I'll...
...I mean, I was at the stove, so.
That was a dweeb move! That was not a team move.
That was a dweeb move.
Here we go, back where we all started.
- Alright, let's go. - Grab your stations.
- Okay, I'll go right here. - Yeah, I'll go right here then.
Perfect.
The boys are back.
Woo!
Let's go. Let's go, boys!
How we doing? We're ready to go? Good.
We're ready to rock? Let's line up over here
so we can have a little pre-game chat, right?
This challenge is in your wheelhouse, right?
I wake up. It's a breakfast protein bowl.
Hit a workout.
It's a protein bowl after that.
After dinner and it's dessert time.
Now it's like a yogurt bowl.
The only caveat is I usually
layer the protein on top of the protein.
- Champions are built down here. - Yeah.
We ready?
- Yeah! - We ready!
One, two, three... let's go!
- Ah team, I love the energy. - Lezz go, baby. Lezz go.
The only team with five members left.
- Yes, yes. - Five slamma jamma!
Clock it.
- Let's go, ladies. Come on! - Hello, chef!
How nice is this kitchen up here?
As that platform starts moving, we'll get there early.
It's gonna go down, but it's also gonna come back up.
So grab the protein first.
Let's send Richard a little present.
- Yes! - Yes.
- Richard! - Yes?
Oh, my God!
Is it a Wagyu steak?
Is that... Oh, !
No, it was raw egg.
Oh, wow.
Here we go.
The platform is starting to move.
Let's go! Let's go!
Let's go, let's go, let's go.
- Platform comes down. - Pork belly!
It's moving so fast, I don't have time to choose.
Black cod, octopus.
It's just like, "Oh, God! Oh, God!"
- Ladies! - I'm just like, "Ah, octopus!"
- Okay, I guess I have tentacles. - Grab!
Platform is still going, it's still going.
I'm reaching my arms down.
Everything is just slipping through my fingertips...
- Man, that was fast! - ...and I literally have nothing.
Shoot!
Go!
Go, go, go!
I see this pork chop. I want it.
Connor and I go at it. He pulls it out of my hand.
Man, I didn't grab anything
I see a pork chop.
I grab a pork chop. I come down.
It's not a pork chop, it's ribs.
You do not cook ribs in 30 minutes.
- Period. - Grab a protein!
This thing's going quick.
I see these prawns slipping by me.
Argh! The platform is gone.
I don't have a protein.
As soon as you see it! Let's go! Go, go, go!
Let's go! Okay, protein, sauce, base.
I see red prawns in the basement.
I went, "Whoa. Hey, good looking."
It was on after that.
Like, red prawns were a gift.
- Pork belly cod, duck! - Duck, you kidding me?
I'd kill for that, and I didn't have to.
Protein, sauce, base.
I see this black cod, I'm like, "I'ma take that one."
What were these folks thinking upstairs?
There's some rice. Rice!
- Here it comes. - Gimme that steak, gimme that...
Oh my God, there's still proteins coming up.
I can see steak on the left hand side.
- It comes right back up. - Oh shoot. No Emerson, no!
Grab that skirt steak. WOO!
Grab a protein! Grab ingredients!
It's either the nasty protein or it's the salmon collar
and I'm like, "Salmon collar it is."
- Oh, gosh! - Whoa! Woo!
Hey, things are falling, things are falling!
Oh yeah, give me that kale. I need green.
- This is mine! - Let's go, let's go.
I'm watching the platform come up.
There's pork belly here. Quick, pork belly.
There's pork belly on the other side of this platform...
No time! No time to... Gotta go!
...and the platform is gone. It's gone, that quick.
Shoot! Man!
- I said it wasn't stopping. - Oh man, man.
Right ladies, your 30 minutes start now. Okay?
Let's go.
I don't know what this is.
I look down and I realize
all I have is basil, sage and frozen spinach.
I'm literally freaking out right now.
I dunno what to do. Trying not to get in my head
because I feel like if I get in my head
I'm gonna get in my way.
And then I'm just not gonna do good.
Hey, hey.
This is what you were made for, okay?
And it's coming down again, don't forget that.
- Yeah, yeah. - It's coming down again.
I don't know what to do. I literally can't do anything
with... nothing.
It is gonna come up and down again, okay?
Let's stay positive.
What'd you get protein-wise?
- Chef, I got tuna. - Run it in a little bit
of egg white and then crust it and then fry it
and then you can slice it, yeah? I'll be with you, okay?
Not at all what I wanted.
- Gabrielle what're you thinking? - A kofta, I've got beef.
I'm gonna do an Aleppo pepper tahini.
- That'll be my sauce. - Love that.
Be careful with that platform.
Bloody hell. It is gonna come up and down.
That is brutal.
Let's go!
- Woo! - Let's go!
Okay! Oh, my gosh. Here we go.
Danielle, what did we grab?
- Some fresh frozen fish pieces. - Okay.
I might even do a meatball with these guys together
because frozen fish is not our friend.
- Very, very smart. - Yes!
- Very smart. - Thank you, chef.
- Great job. Really nice idea. - Woo!
- Blessings all around, y'all. - Let's get it, Mattie.
- Blessings all around. - Let's get it.
- Let's go! - You got flavor.
Guys, we gotta start cooking.
Alright, don't get distracted by the platform, as well.
Alright, Tim, what do we got going on?
- Chicken oysters. - Yes, sir.
- Really hard to overcook. - Yep.
You wanna get a nice char on these guys, alright?
I want that thing smokin'.
Alright, let's go. No basic bowls today.
- No basic bowls, boys. - No basic bowls!
I need a starch, okay.
- It's coming, ladies. - It's coming, it's coming!
- It's coming down again. - Let's go.
Get something on there, yes? Pork belly here.
- Thank God to the platform gods. - Well done.
But I don't have any experience cooking pork belly.
- Coming back down! - Platform's on the move!
I need a potato, I need a potato.
- Grab ingredients. - I grabbed some soba noodles.
I grabbed an avocado. I grabbed some pickled radish.
- Grab 'em, grab 'em! - Now we talkin', baby.
- It's coming back, coming back. - It is coming back, guys.
Go to your station and organize yourself.
I'll let you know when it comes back up.
- Platform's on the move. - Starches!
- Most of you need a base. - I need rice.
This bowl, it calls for it. It beckons for rice.
There's a bunch of rice here. Jasmine and sushi rice.
Boom, we got the job done, baby. Let's go!
Jasmine rice, sushi rice. There's rice noodles over here.
Jasmine rice sits better with the duck.
Jasmine rice, jasmine rice. I grab that and I'm like, "Ooh!"
Someone grab the mayonnaise. Pickled cabbage!
There we go. Boom, let's go.
The platform's here, guys!
I'm not seeing noodles. I'm not seeing pasta.
I'm not seeing rice.
- Oh! - Oh, my God.
It's coming, it's coming, it's coming!
Here we go, here we go, here we go... That's it.
It's moving so fast I don't have time to choose, I'm like...
"Oh my God, an onion. Thank you."
Ladies, you gotta keep an eye on that thing!
Five minutes gone, ladies. Right, start thinking
about the build out now. In a nice, delicious way.
I'm not well versed in pork. I don't use it at all.
So I'm just trying to wrap my head around like,
"What can I do? What can I do? What can I do?"
Honestly, I was vegan for eight years.
I know that wasn't your pick, but we'll make it work.
It's a great protein, okay? Let's get that pork in marinade.
- Yes, Chef. - Then we'll start cooking it.
I'm kinda just looking at this thing, it's looking back at me.
I'm looking at it. It's looking back at me.
And I'm like, "Alright, we're gonna do this.
"Let's lock in. This is what I got, let's make it happen."
We'll be absolutely fine. We'll get through this together.
Ladies, it's moving again. It's moving again!
Let's go! I did not come here to work out.
I came to cook.
- If anybody sees a green? - Quick!
And up! And down.
- Starch, starch, starch. - And up, and down.
Parsley.
And up, and forward! It's falling.
Careful!
- Damn! - It's terrible.
- Platform's on the move, guys. - I need that soy sauce!
- I need an herb, man. - Go, guys. Go, go, go!
Grab, grab, grab! Grab ingredients.
There is some maple syrup. Wasabi!
Oh, my gosh.
What in the heck did I even grab?
Let's go, let's go!
Flaming Hot Cheetos, right off the jump.
Tater Tots, I don't know if it's quite Next Level
but hey, who doesn't like a good Tater Tot?
Platform's heading back up, guys.
- It's heading back up. - I need a starch.
I look around, I don't see anything.
In a panic, I grab kale and tofu.
This is not enough.
I need to make this dish...
pretty much out of my ass.
Oh, ladies, ladies, ladies! Anything? Anything?
- What'd you get? - Nothing, chef.
- Damn. - You guys couldn't slow it down
just a little bit, like?
Alright, let's go. Twenty minutes left.
- God damn! - What's the matter?
- It's got a hole in it. - It's busted.
- It's the basement, yeah? - It's the basement!
Christian, so your duck, just make sure the skin is crispy.
Yes, chef. I'm doing a fried poached egg.
Okay, I love it. Again, don't get too fancy on me.
You're going for best dish
if you pull something like that off.
I'm praying this egg is the piece de résistance
- for my protein bowl. - Focus on it, okay?
Bring it home, okay? Think about how it looks.
The blender's seen better days.
This was Gordon Ramsay's first blender.
- I can see that. - It's 138 years old.
Gordon used it when he was 13. You do the math.
He's like Yoda.
Let's go, boys! C'mon!
It's horrible down here,
but you get what you get and you don't get upset.
Get those meatballs rolled, Danielle.
- Yes, ma'am. - Big flavors, y'all.
- Matt, what're you thinking? - Already I got my ribs on
- in the pressure cooker. - Love that.
What's the base of the dish?
My base is gonna be, uh...
...these Brussels sprouts that're gonna be with, uh...
...pickled, uh, cucumbers.
- Okay, pretty minimal grab. - Yes, chef. Yes, chef.
Usually the base of a bowl is a starch.
And I don't have that.
Having no starch could be a big problem.
- Okay, turn this all the way up. - Alright.
Jesus, take the wheel! Let's go!
- Connor! - Yes, chef?
- What'd you grab? - I got some black rice cooking.
- Gonna make a little jambalaya. - Awesome.
- I wanna do a kebab. - Ooh, sticking it to your roots.
I wanna do a skewer. Let's get it.
- A bowl skewer. - A bowl with a skewer on top.
- Okay. - I love that presentation.
Great. Kinda Cajun Louisiana.
- Yes. - Amazing.
Big ass flavors today.
- Dee-licious. - Got you today, chef.
- Emerson, what'd you grab? - I grabbed a flat iron steak.
I didn't grab a starch, so I'm making an egg noodle dough.
Heck! Are you making your own egg noodles?!
I am doing my own egg noodle pasta.
- Wow! Amazing, I love it. - I'm making my own!
Culinary god, shine down upon me right now.
- Amen. - Machete, you good?
Couldn't be better.
Tryna make you proud today. Lezz go.
Go big or go home, baby. C'mon.
Right Cole, what's the dish?
Rice with sweet and spicy pork belly.
- Nice. - Pineapple and harissa sauce
- to go on top. - Love that.
You've got an amazing protein here. Beautiful.
Still not 100 percent confident.
Chef Ramsay's telling me it's beautiful,
so we'll call it beautiful because I need it to work
in my favor right now.
- We got this, ladies. - We got this.
Thank y'all for encouraging me.
I'm encouraging y'all.
You got this. Woo!
Andy, we can build out a really nice bowl here.
- Yes, chef. - You've got an amazing protein.
Oh, my gosh. I have no idea how that thing is cooked.
I'm like, "Take a deep breath."
I'm gonna listen to Chef Ramsay no matter what.
- In the oven for two minutes. - Yes, chef.
We'll get that nice and pink in the middle, okay?
Yes, chef. Just so happy we've got
Chef Ramsay on our team.
Let's go, ladies. We got this.
- Time check, please? - We're halfway down, guys.
Fifteen minutes to go.
This is not getting...
I tried running the noodles through the noodle press...
It's not coming out. ...but it is too sticky.
Emerson, let's go, bud.
I'm stressing out.
Stop shaking, you got this.
Oh, my gosh.
You gotta get those noodles done.
Pull it a little bit, pull it a little bit.
Just focus. I'm trying to get
this thing nice and perfect.
Thank you, chef.
I'm making egg noodles from scratch.
That could really be the death of me.
Move on. You can't stop.
Get that beef seared, right?
- Know what I mean? - Yes, chef.
- Ten minutes remain. - Yes, chef.
- Feeling good. - Pull it together.
I have a base. I have my protein.
I have sauce. I have three, four things.
Finish strong, guys.
- Jared. - Chef Blais.
- What're we making here? - Shrimp.
- The base? - Shrimp on top of rice.
We'll have a little corner of crunchy potatoes there.
Tater Tots?! What a gift, Jared.
- Do kids still love Tater Tots? - Kids still love Tater Tots.
- Love it, it's a staple. - Adults still love Tater Tots?
Adults still love Tater Tots. Dusted in Flaming Hot Cheetos.
- Got it. - It's gonna be nice.
Have you ever cooked bowls before?
Yeah, yeah. Usually just throw a bunch of stuff in there.
What about for kids at school? You ever make bowls for them?
One way or another it would turn into one, right?
You got your rice, you got your chicken, you got the veg.
And you got to make it look pretty. Can't be ugly.
Because as soon as it's ugly they're not touching it.
- Salt! Any salt? - You need salt?
Yep, you gotta get salt on the Tots.
Salt on the Tots.
Chef Blais...
can you grab some salt for me?
- Sorry, hey! Garlic, garlic! - Got it.
Run over there, run over there!
Ice Blais, if you got it.
- Ice. - Ice bath, ice bath.
I'm supposed to be the quarterback, Jared.
- Ha ha! - Listen I'll run the play, dude.
I know he's a famous NFL footballer
but what is going on over here?
Let's go, bro.
Let's go, boys. C'mon!
Let's go, Team Blais.
C'mon, boys in blue.
Let's go. We got to lock in, guys.
Let's go. What ?!
Everything's got a hole in it.
Guys, four minutes! Two minutes away from plating.
Back, back, back...
Too hot. Hot! Coming 'round, guys.
Oh, yeah. Take me down South, baby.
Where we at, Machete? Where are your noodles?
Try one. See what you think.
- They're cold. - Really fire!
The eggs are marinating. We're getting going.
Chef, what do you think about me cutting these tofus
- a little smaller? - Make sure you're transforming
that tofu and you toss it in a nice light sauce
or something that you're doing to transform the ingredients.
- Yes, chef. - Let's go, Team Arrington.
Let's go, Team Arrington! Let's go, let's go, let's go!
Okay, ladies.
We're down to the last two minutes.
- So we can start plating. - Alright, chef.
Oh, oh! Turn off, turn off, turn off.
I completely forget about my tuna.
Gotta keep an eye on that thing.
Take a look.
Oh, no.
- Chef, do I slice it now? - We gotta go.
My heart is pounding. I slice it thinly. I'm like...
"Oh, God."
Overcooked tuna is not gonna play.
Platform's just gone down, ladies!
One beautiful plate, ladies.
Alright, platform is here.
Okay, let's go. Sauce is protein's garnish.
Pull it together, Darian. The platform is here.
The platform is here!
Jared, let's go, dude. Tim, put the last looks.
Last looks. If you got something else,
then you missed it. Put it on there.
- No, no. - Let's go, Timmy!
Nope, got you. Thank you. Wipe it.
Platform's on the move. Platform's here, guys.
I got this back one. I'll get this one over here.
Call it out. Connor, let's go!
Let's go. You got a spot. Save Connor a spot.
- C'mon, Connor. - Right here, bro.
Let's go, let's go!
Good job. Really good job.
For the top.
- Platform's here. - Go.
Go to your left side, ladies.
- Go to your left, to your left. - We gotta go.
Now. We gotta to go. Gotta go, now!
- Doesn't matter. - Right here, right here...
- Go, go! Well done. - My bad, sorry.
That was brutal, y'all.
Look at these. Oh, my goodness me.
Uh, incredible.
It starts with an incredible base.
Starch, protein, eye-catching toppings.
And then it's tied together with a beautiful sauce.
- Right, shall we start? - Yeah, let's go.
Let's start... on the middle floor, please.
These guys really showed out today.
Okay, we are starting with Pork Rib
served over roasted Brussels sprouts.
Ribs are nice and tender.
But it is missing a starch. It is missing a body.
To me, this doesn't look like a bowl.
It's almost like a meat and three.
This, to me, is not a bowl.
Okay next up, Frozen Fish Meatballs
served over roasted cauliflower.
These little sort of fish meatballs are delicious.
I wish it was presented a little bit more like a bowl
so you could see all the elements of it.
Next, we have a Barbecue Pork Skewer.
It's a take on a jambalaya.
This bowl is rich and delicious.
It is wholesome.
It's a bowl for the winter. I love it.
It's giving "California meets Louisiana" soul.
For me, there's so much going on in this dish.
I mean, go throw some chocolate chips and sprinkles in it.
No!
Okay next up, we have an Asian Salmon Bowl.
This is served over buckwheat noodles.
Wow, smart. What a great idea.
What I love about this is that it's got
a lot of contrast of textures.
The soft avocado and the fleshy salmon
and then the runny yolk. It's a proper bowl.
It's like around the bowl in 50 tastes and textures.
- It's beautiful. - C'mon with it, baby.
Take me on the Next Level dish to the top.
Okay lastly, we have a Flank Steak
served over handmade noodles with an aji amarillo sauce.
Handmade? I love that.
I mean, to make your own egg noodles under pressure?
Valiant effort.
The actual flank steak is cooked beautifully.
Pasta's actually delicious.
Mic drop.
However...
Oh !
- What's this? - Seared tofu.
One issue that doesn't fit here is the texture of that tofu.
You have to be so careful.
It needs either frying, coating, crisping.
It needs marinating. But tofu's hard, man.
It's like eating your grandma's sponge.
- Up to the top? - Yes, please.
Here we go. First off, this is Beef Kofta Rice Bowl
with tahini dressing.
I love the flavor that is achieved in a beef kofta
and the texture of the rice is cooked perfectly.
This is a really smart cook. I love the intelligence
across this bowl, and the pickling of that sushi rice,
which we know is very hard to get right:
Marvelous. Really good.
Next up, it's a Sesame Seed-Crusted Tuna
over orzo salad.
When I think about a bowl, this visually reads that.
Vibrant, beautiful colors.
However, the tuna is... really overcooked.
I love the fact that it's got all these flavors.
It's a proper bowl. The glaring mistake here
is that overcooked tuna.
I've really messed up.
Really, I don't want to use my Immunity Pin.
This is a Grilled Octopus on top of a chorizo spaghetti.
It's a tasty dish, and the octopus is cooked really, really well.
But to me, it does not look, feel, or eat like a bowl.
It's a pasta dish.
I disagree. It's not a pasta bowl.
It is a protein bowl. I love this dish.
It's very good.
Next up, Sweet and Sour Caramelized Marinated Pork Belly
over rice and harissa sauce.
This individual actually started the cook with no protein
and grabbed a protein second time round.
Can I order that for lunch?
I really, really love all the bold flavors in here.
It's vibrant. It looks visually appealing.
I love the simplicity of this dish:
a vegetable, a beautiful starch.
Every element in this bowl works beautifully.
And the caramelization on the pork?
Marvelous. Really good.
Oh... my goodness. What the helly?
Like, who would have thought?!
I really feel like this is my "rise from the ashes" moment.
Let's head on down to the basement.
Some basement magic.
First up here, we have a Gochujang-Glazed Red Prawn
with rice and Cheeto-crusted Tater Tots.
I got to go for the Tot first.
Believe it or not, this is probably the best shrimp
that I've had in the competition so far.
Great balance. And it's fun to eat.
Honestly, I'm not a big Tater Tot fan.
But I love these, they are so good.
Especially with that sauce. Really good.
If you're lucky enough to get Tater Tots
I think that that's truly creative.
It's a basement ingredient for sure.
And I think it adds a nice crispy texture to it.
Alright, moving on.
We have a Glazed Chicken Oyster
over yellow rice with a kimchi mayo.
Oysters? There's only two oysters per chicken
so this is an exclusive bowl.
It's lovely. It's vibrant. It's rich. Well done.
Next up, we have a Pan-Roasted Black Cod
over couscous with a ginger miso dressing
and some pickled chilies.
For me, this is the ideal bowl that I want.
There's amazing textures to enjoy.
Just when you've got so much couscous in there,
it just needs lifting.
Alright, last up we have a Seared Duck Breast
over rice with a poached fried egg.
Fried poached egg, sounds delicious.
It has a lot of finesse.
This is definitely an elevated, fine dining approach to a bowl.
Yeah, bowls can be fine dining.
This is definitely what this is.
You're sitting in an izakaya, having a nice lunch.
cooked beautifully.
Whoever cooked that duck is a pro. Top marks.
And then we come into the genius idea of the poached fried egg.
Smart. Love it. It's good, man. It's very good.
To have them recognize that I put my heart
in the egg - I didn't just put a sunny side up egg in.
I made a ooey-gooey fried poached egg and they saw it.
Wow. We've got some talking to do.
Have a chat amongst yourselves
because this is gonna be very, very difficult.
Oh, boy. Um, Dish of the night.
Shall we start in the basement? The duck: exceptional.
- The duck was cooked perfectly. - Really nice. Beautiful.
One of the most technical bowls we've seen.
The one that surprised me the most
was the red prawn Tater Tot.
This chef cooks for a lot of kids
and I love that idea.
Having six kids, Oscar especially,
if there's no tater he won't eat anything else.
I love the balance of that. He played to his strengths.
He nailed it.
Can we talk about the top floor? The pork belly?
The pork belly was pretty spectacular.
- Yeah. It really was. - Oh, my God.
She was in tears after that first grab.
- I had zero items in my hand. - I know.
Not a protein, not a fish, nothing.
- Middle floor. - I love the salmon bowl.
- Beautiful. - That was Machete.
I mean, for him to cook with such finesse?
He did, from right out of the gate.
- A burly 300 pound... - Sure, from Texas.
...chef with half his hair cut.
He did well. Weakest performing dish?
- Shame the tuna was overcooked. - Oh! Tuna was way over.
The unwanted tofu? I mean...
- It's just bland. - Marinate it!
A 100 percent, marinate it. Absolutely.
- You have to add flavor to it. - That was Emerson's dish.
Again?! Oh, my goodness.
The Brussels sprout base that didn't have a starch?
There was plenty of opportunity to grab whatever you missed.
All these bowls do need a starch.
C'mon, Sheddie. Pull us through, man.
- It's so hard. - Oh, gosh.
Shall we?
Oh, my goodness me.
Okay, so here we go.
We asked for Next Level protein bowls
and most of you delivered on that.
However, only one dish can keep their team safe from elimination
and move them to the top level for the next challenge.
We need a miracle, God.
The best protein bowl today was...
- ...Cole. - Oh, my God!
Yes!
Nice job, Cole.
Thank you, chef.
Yes! I did it!
I meant when I said, "I want that for lunch."
- Really, really well done. - Great job.
Damn, girl.
You really are who you think you are.
You just gotta keep believing it.
Wow. Team Ramsay, you are staying on top!
Yes!
Woo! Thank you, Cole.
- Cole, well done. - Thank you, chef.
- More of that, please. - You surprised yourself.
You kicked ass.
Listen up.
Richard and Nyesha...
you both now have to choose one your chefs
to face elimination. It's a tough call.
Nyesha, I know you had some great highs...
a couple of lows.
I'm gonna start with you.
Which chef are you putting into the elimination, please?
This is...
so, so, so hard for me.
I could put in my best chef here.
Or I could put in a chef that I know will benefit
from this elimination cook.
This is...
so, so, so hard for me.
I could put in a chef that I know...
will benefit...
from this elimination cook.
But he's been in twice before.
Oh, my God!
Emerson...
...I'm gonna send you back in.
You come alive when your back is against the wall.
Emerson makes the best dishes
when he's in the elimination kitchen, I want to see
- if he can do it again. - But coming back.
And you're gonna keep coming back.
Yeah.
Listen, I feel whoever I send in is gonna come back.
And we said it from the beginning
be ready when your name is called.
Christian.
- Wow. - You're going in.
- I am. - Go, big dog.
You're the first round draft pick.
It worked last season.
You know, the idea is to bring someone back.
Christian's gonna have to prove it eventually.
So why not now?
Go bring this home for Team Blais.
- Go, baby. - Yes, chef.
- You got this. - Don't let me down.
Don't plan on it.
What a turn. Christian, Emerson.
Yes, chef.
We are ditching the bowls
and moving to refined plates
with a flattened protein as the star.
There hasn't been a protein I haven't nailed yet.
It's gonna be GBD: golden, brown and delicious.
Right. All of you head to the elevator
and cheer your fellow chefs on.
- Let's go, Emerson! - Let's go, Christian!
Christian! Just cook your food.
- Danielle, help him out. - You just do you.
Yes, chef.
Knock him out, Emerson!
Just like that.
I knew I had to be in the elimination round one time.
I'm glad it's because I'm great at what I do.
Nyesha's got too many people on her team.
Gonna humble that team up a little bit.
So Emerson, ♪ bye, bye, bye
You got this, bro. He ain't done this like you, man.
I've taken out chefs from the other teams already.
Christian's no different. Let's make it three.
Keep it simple, my brother.
Let's go.
Time to focus.
My heart goes out to Emerson dude, like.
He's really a survivor, man. Like he's so strong.
Twenty-five minutes for a lovely breaded-cutlet entree.
Stand by, guys.
Three, two, one... let's go!
Let's go, let's go...
I'm running in front of Emerson,
and I got some pretty broad shoulders,
so I'm looking at both the proteins
and making sure I have time to think
before I let him grab anything.
Pork, chicken. Good.
I'm grabbing that chicken.
I'm sticking to what I can do quick
- in 25 minutes. - Spaghetti, good.
- I'm grabbing the pork... - Diced tomatoes there.
...carrots, potatoes and rice.
It's exactly what I need to make this perfect dish.
- Onion there, as well. - Get some cheese.
- Mozzarella's here. - To your right!
Thank the platform gods, 'cause what chicken parmesan dish
does not have melted mozzarella and a helping of pecorino.
I have everything I need.
Your 25 minutes starts now, guys. Let's go!
- What did you grab? - I grabbed pork.
- Making the rice now. - What're you thinking?
So I'm doing a Japanese chicken katsu.
Tell me about the katsu sauce. How will you elevate that?
I'm gonna make a roux for the sauce.
- Good. - And I'm gonna put a little bit
- of dairy to cream it up. - Good.
And I'm gonna go start making that right now.
Off you go. Don't stop, don't stop.
- Don't stop. - Let's go, Emerson.
Right young man, what'd you grab? Chicken?
- Chicken, yes. - Good. Tell me about the dish.
- What're you doing? - A breaded, pounded chicken.
- I'll make a basil pesto pasta. - Love that.
And a tomato sauce. A classic, elegant chicken parm.
Love that, love that, love that.
Ooh, okay. Alright, alright.
Come on, Emerson, you got this.
Put one on top, too. Yep, there you go.
- Beat it out. - Ooh, yeah.
Beautiful.
- That is beautiful. - Yeah.
Guys, five minutes gone.
Emerson, Christian, breadcrumbs.
- What're you thinking? - Panko, please.
- Panko crust, chef. - Panko! Let's go.
Nice and gentle.
Were you surprised Nyesha put him back in there?
He's our sniper, man. He takes people out.
His advantage is he's been up here twice already, right?
He's locked it.
If anything, he should be locked in.
There ya go! Heck yeah, baby. Good man.
Oh! That's beautiful.
- Woo! - Woo! Here we go, E.
- You're feeling it, bro. - Bring it home baby, c'mon!
Halfway, guys! Be careful of that roux, okay?
- Yes, chef. - Yeah? I was gonna say--
- I'm working on that right now. - You don't want it too floury.
No, not too floury.
Make sure it is definitely not lumpy.
Start cooking your pasta, Christian.
Remember the pasta, okay?
I'm focused on the main dish, chicken parm.
Sauce is good.
Cream is good.
What's that cream going with?
It's pasta that's not in yet!
Nine and a half minutes to go, yes?
Pasta in there now, please.
Pasta in now? There you go.
I do not want to serve raw pasta in an elimination round.
- Damn! - Just want to get as much gas
up there as possible. It's boiling.
Perfect.
I want you to taste this, and you tell me.
- Does that taste bland? - It tastes bland.
So, no curry in there. Use more curry in there, okay?
- Off you go, bud. Let's go. - Thank you.
Think about your depth of flavor.
- Three and a half. - Three and a half minutes?
Yep, three and a half. It's gonna be tight.
It's gonna be down to the wire with that pasta.
Literally waiting until the last second
and it's not cooked.
I just feel my heart racing.
Try and take some out here so it cooks quicker.
- You've got no choice. - Oh, my God.
Well, he took half of it out because it wasn't ready.
We got a couple minutes left.
- Taste. - No.
It's still not done, yeah?
! Wait.
Okay, you gotta take a leap of faith now.
Take that right to the wire, young man.
- We have no choice. - Yes, chef.
Final two minutes is now. Let's go, start plating.
You say when and I'll drain out the pasta.
- You tell me when. - Right now, chef. Right now.
Ninety seconds, guys. Ninety seconds.
- Chef, cut? - You do whatever.
Trust your gut!
- Here you go. - Ah, he better get this.
Now lay that out nicely.
- Beautiful. - Beautiful!
Five, four, three, two, one... and stop, everybody!
Well done.
- Good job, guys! - Well done.
- Thank you, chef. - Well done.
Take that money!
Nyesha, Richard, welcome back.
Wow, what an extraordinary cook.
Let's start here on the left.
This is a beautiful Airline Chicken Parm
served with a wonderful tomato sauce and a spaghetti.
My heart is racing. I'm sweatin'.
That pasta needs to be cooked.
I love the texture on the chicken parm.
It's a restaurant-worthy chicken parm.
It's not really the right sauce, I wish it wasn't a creamy sauce
to sort of counteract the cheesy parm.
But overall, a tasty dish.
The chicken parm is nailed.
But the pasta's just ever so slightly underdone.
Next up is a Pork Katsu with a Japanese curry
and fragrant rice seasoned with panko breadcrumbs.
This is comfort food cooking displayed really beautifully.
What I'm searching for is a little bit more texture
and coloration on the actual katsu itself.
The cooking on it is a bit uneven,
but overall really beautiful presentation.
perfectly cooked.
I'm surprised how much flavor is in the curry
considering the amount of time.
But the texture of the curry, for me, is a little too thick.
I mean, two great renditions of breaded cutlet dishes.
That's as close as it can get.
Now for the tough part.
Richard...
which dish will you be eliminating tonight?
The dish that I'm going to be eliminating tonight is...
...the pork.
Nyesha, please.
Tough choice.
Both great dishes...
but I am eliminating the pork dish.
Oh! That dish was cooked by...
Emerson. I'm so sorry.
- Oh! - So sad.
He really fought his way through the whole time.
- I'm so proud of him. - He cares so much.
We love you, Emerson.
You have stood the test of time in these elimination cooks
and you have come back stronger,
without a doubt, every single time.
I'm proud of myself. I learned a lot.
It's a great ride.
Sometimes the ride has to end, right?
Do not stop cooking and putting that soulfulness
into your food.
Thank you, chef.
Wow!
Oh, my God!
Oh, that's gonna make us cry. Oh!
I lost one of my best friends...
a couple years ago.
And today I sent a prayer... asking him...
...to look out for me
- throughout this competition. - Wow.
I feel like this butterfly landing on me right now...
...is him looking over me. I can't believe it.
I feel like that butterfly landing on me...
...that has to mean something.
And I know he would've been proud of me.
Young man, there's a lot of love around you.
We can all see it. Keep your head up high.
Go forth and conquer.
We'll keep tabs on you, okay?
Everybody, give it up for Emerson, everybody.
Come on, let's go.
Oh, man...
I'll see you on the other side, chef.
- I love you guys. - Take care, bud.
- Well done, Emerson. - Thank you.
- Well done, Emerson. - Well done!
Alright Christian, congratulations.
Chicken parm: dee-licious. Man!
Oh boy, that butterfly
has come to join you now on your shoulder.
Aw, they love Filipinos, these butterflies.
Next time we see you, you're gonna be serving up
a star-studded affair. Good night.
Wow.
- Good job, Christian! - Hey, you picked the right guy.
Good job. Let's go, Trailblazers.
Next time
- on Next Level Chef... - Whoa!
For the first time ever, you'll all be cooking
- an incredible dinner service. - What?!
We have asked some very special friends of ours
to come in and judge.
Seven Michelin Stars between them.
- Don't up! - What didn't you grab?
We want it ALL!
We are on fire in here!
- Woo! - Look at that!
I've never seen anything like this.
- Machete, get in here! - I dunno if we're gonna make it.
Stop putting the asparagus in the same place.
It's not preschool.