Gordon: Previously on "next level chef"...
Richard: Your job is to grab ingredients from two different countries
and create an amazing fusion dish.
This is not next level cooking.
( bleep )
the worst dishes today
will all cook in the elimination challenge,
and one of you will be going home.
That dish is so raw.
There's no way we can continue eating that.
That dish belongs to tricia.
There's no way that we could put you forward.
You will not be the next level chef.
Oh, I failed.
Tonight...
Welcome to the semifinals.
Don't celebrate too hard just yet though.
For three of you, your journey ends tonight.
Nyesha: Fight for that spot in your finale.
Angie: This is it. I've gotta take everything I've learned,
and I've gotta get it on that plate.
What do you want? What do you want?
Kenny: It's no holds barred right now.
Let's do this, big boy.
Courtney: It is the finale that is on the line.
Gordon: ...Two, one.
Welcome back, guys.
Congratulations.
Welcome to the semifinals.
( gasps, laughs )
- thank you, chef. - No way! ( laughs )
you're all only one step away from that finale.
Wow.
We're in the semifinals. This is crazy.
Oh, my gosh. I'm so excited.
I've come this far. I'm not gonna stop now.
By the end of today,
only three of you will remain.
Oh.
- Gordon: That's right. - Okay.
For three of you, your journey ends tonight.
Wow.
Reuel: It's coming down to the wire now.
110% game-on at this point in time.
Balls to the wall.
There's a quarter million dollars at stake,
and maybe more importantly,
that one year mentorship
with richard, nyesha, and myself.
- Yes. - Now listen, everyone.
We are fortunate to be in one of the greatest restaurant cities in the world, las vegas.
Practically every next level chef has a restaurant here.
Joel robuchon, guy savoy,
and a scottish lad you might've heard of named gordon.
He's got a place or two in town.
Five actually.
But anyway, who's counting? Now a restaurant in las vegas has to be different.
The people here that come to dine
expect an experience that's more than just a meal.
They want the wow factor.
So today, we want the six of you
to give us exactly that.
We want dishes that absolutely dazzle us.
We're expecting you to give us a performance on a plate.
It's showtime today.
Angie: I mean, this is it.
I've really gotta take everything I've learned from this competition
and I've gotta get it on that plate.
Now to give you an idea of what we mean by showtime,
we've created some dishes of our own
to help inspire you.
Nyesha, why don't you kick this off?
Nyesha: Absolutely.
Today I've prepared for you a salmon.
We have the salmon in two forms.
I've taken off the skin and created a chicharrón.
I've also taken a leek,
and I've used this leek in three different ways.
In the way of a jus
by just essentially braising the leeks,
beautiful leek top dust,
and then you have the braised leeks on the bottom.
This is finished with onion sprouts.
Simple. Voilà.
- It's beautiful. - Gordon: That looks stunning.
- Oh, boy. - This is a dish that I've become known for--
a beautiful filet of beef wellington.
And there's never ever a dull moment when you slice into one of these.
Just take a look at that in there.
- Ooh! - ( whistles )
I've dreamt about chef ramsay's beef wellington
in the most polite ways.
And then finally,
just a red wine sauce running throughout.
- Chef, chef. - There we are.
- It's beautiful. - Thank you.
You know, at one of my restaurants,
we only cooked on one wood burning grill.
So this is a duck dish with turnips,
apples, and black truffle.
We want the guest to sort of have this experience.
The smoker with the apple chips is filling up our glass cloche.
The smell fills the dining room,
and this comes to the table.
- Wow. - Yes.
- Gordon: Beautiful. - It's beautiful.
Mariah: I feel good about today's challenge
because I've had people tell me I'm a little extra.
And so now I get to be extra for a reason.
You'll have 40 minutes to create a dish
that is nothing short of spectacular.
One more thing.
On the back of this challenge,
two of you will secure your spots
directly into the finale.
Ooh.
The rest of you will go head to head
in your final cook-off to fight for that last remaining spot.
Cooking on the top level,
mariah and angie.
In the middle kitchen, pyet, miss courtney.
Sweating it out in the basement, we have the men.
All day, every day, baby.
Mariah and angie, grab the keycard on the left.
Head over to the lift and good luck.
Both: Thank you, chef.
( sighs )
( laughs )
nyesha: Fight for that spot in your finale.
- Both: Yes, chef. - Yes!
Now you two, just very quickly.
I've seen magic from both of you in that basement before.
This is personal for all three of us.
- Oh, for sure. For sure. - 100%.
- Get your ( bleep ) together, okay? - For sure.
Gordon: With kenny and reuel in the basement for this challenge,
the odds are stacked against them.
There could be a possibility that I may have egg on my face
with none of my mentees in the finale.
Good luck, kenny. Good luck, reuel. Come on.
Last time, I got a taste of what elimination feels like.
Now I'm here, back to day one in the basement.
There you go.
Let's go.
We came to play! Let's go, let's go!
So I'm in the basement with gordon's original chefs, kenny and reuel.
I think they're both very strong competitors.
I think in the basement will humble them,
but I think it's also going to light a fire under their ass.
Excited to be with you, gentlemen.
- Right, you two ladies, we feeling good? - Yes.
To come to this far, it's a major accomplishment
from day one when nobody wanted to choose my dish.
One cook away from getting yourselves in the finale.
But I'm still competing,
and I really wanna be one of those dishes that goes right to the top.
- Best of luck. Come on. - Thank you.
- Thank you, chef. - Let's go. You've got this, yes?
- Chef blais. - Okay, how are we doing, mariah and angie?
- Top level. Let's line up on the back door. - Oh, gosh.
Knowing that that three people are about to go home after this,
this grab is two times more important than the previous grabs.
- Okay, platform starts at the top. - Go time.
Angie: I have serious competition below me,
and what I take somebody else can't have.
Don't be shy. Don't be shy on what you need.
Lots of stuff out there.
So I'm not leaving a japanese wagyu filet mignon.
- I'm taking all the good stuff. - Richard: Next level dish.
- This dish can get you to the finale. - Sweet potato, sweet potato.
Five, four, three, two, one.
If you can grab it, you know you can take it.
Last looks. Last looks.
Stand by. Here we go. Three, two, one.
And go, ladies. Off you go. Off you go. Think.
Think smart. Protein, look at it.
- Amazing lobster. - Ooh.
Pyet: I'm not gonna play it safe,
and there's nothing that says showstopper enough than a lobster.
Let's go. Three, two, one.
- Grab, grab, grab, grab, grab. - Do you see radish?
Grab something. Grab. Well done. Well done.
- Good. - Platform's on the move.
Go! Go! Here we go! There we go!
Go, go, go, go, go, go! Make it count.
Halibut.
But once again, this is the basement.
Still a lot on there.
You can make something beautiful.
I don't have nothing to elevate,
so the more I have on this dish,
the better I'm gonna be.
Nyesha: Three, two, one.
Let's go. It's still here.
If you need something, grab it. Herbs. Freshness.
- Oh, missed that. - You're all right.
Okay, your 40 minutes starts now.
- Yes, chef. - Let's make it happen.
Get my focus together. Get myself together.
Potentially the spot in the finale, okay?
So excited!
Make sure that pan's nice and hot,
and don't put the butter in too early.
Nyesha: Chef reuel, talk to me about your dish.
Winter roasted roots with a nice halibut.
Yes. What drives you?
I've been underestimated my whole life.
A lot of people doubted me,
called me crazy for following my dreams.
Cooking is the only thing that stuck.
- It is who I am. - I can totally relate to that.
I'm not everybody, where people just do this for a job.
I breathe this. I have sacrificed, worked for pennies.
Halibut is very unforgiving, right? It gets dry very quickly.
I have to be very careful.
I'm not trying to have any mistakes on my part.
Best believe I am here to win. It's showtime.
30 minutes remain. Only 30 minutes left.
- All right, angie. - Yes, chef?
- You've got that wagyu beef filet. - Yes, chef.
You got, like, a $400 cut of meat.
I'm going to baby that thing,
treat it like the best lover I've ever had.
- Mariah: Oh. Oh, whoa, okay. - All right.
- What else is on the dish?
Angie: Sweet potato and parsnip.
I want there to be some bacon and parm on top.
This is sort of a fine dining challenge, right?
- Yes. - So your food is very comforting.
To me, it doesn't scream luxury.
It will when I'm done with it.
If I cook this steak perfectly, and I will,
just by slicing and putting this beef on the plate,
I have an award-winning dish. It's gonna be beautiful.
You got it. You do you. You got it, angie.
I'm gonna pull this off.
I've got to be in the finale.
I'm the only one who's never had to cook in an elimination challenge.
So let's do this.
- Nyesha: Feeling good, chef? - Kenny: Absolutely, chef.
Great pick there. Asparagus, tomato, corn.
- What's the plan with the veal chop? - I'm getting it on now
- so I can get some time to rest on it. - I love that for you.
I'm making a pan seared veal chop
with a cream corn mascarpone and truffle sauce
and roasted vegetables.
- I want that woody look. - Ooh, nice.
You got a theme for your dish, chef. That's important.
Talk to me about yourself.
I haven't had time to spend with you, my friend.
- Remind me, you have four children? - I have four.
- Two boys, two girls. - Wow.
That's my world.
I do everything in life for my kids.
I gotta win this for them.
Opulence, elegance, sexy plates.
Yes, ma'am. How we doing, baby?
- Kenny: I'm good, man. - Yeah, you are. You're great.
The finals are in my hands.
Right, so, lobster. How we doing?
- We're doing good, chef. - Good.
I've decided to make a butter poached lobster
with a kumquat agrodolce sauce.
- Nice. Like a sweet and sour? - Mm-hmm.
Good. Work well with a lobster, yeah?
Pyet: Throughout this competition,
I have grown tremendously as a chef,
and for this challenge, I want to step outside of my comfort zone
and showcase that I can do more than just native american food.
If it's cooking too fast, you just take it out.
It's good. I think it's good, chef.
I'm a little nervous about how this is gonna go, but I have faith in myself.
- So, courtney, scallops? - Yes.
Where are we going with this? What are we thinking?
So I'm making a pan seared scallop with a ginger glaze, sautéed radicchio,
and I'm gonna do a creamy mashed potato purée.
I tried this. Extremely bitter.
Yep. So, no, that's the radicchio lettuce. Very bitter.
- These are like squash, right? - So they're a bit of a no-no garnish.
They sort of look better than they taste, those zucchini.
I'm rethinking all of my life choices at the moment.
It is the finale that is on the line.
We're gonna elevate this, chef. We're gonna elevate this.
There really is no room for error.
- You got your potatoes? - Potatoes are over here.
I'm gonna take them out of there and put them in here.
Smart. Good. Don't get them too watery, okay?
- Yep. - Okay, you got 30 more seconds. You gotta reduce down.
Can you get to the next level presentation-wise
so that you're gonna get a spot in the finale?
- Yes. Yes. - Mariah, you're on the top here.
- How are we gonna cook the lamb? Okay. - I'm gonna grill it.
What are you gonna do with the peaches and the tomatoes?
I'm gonna do, like, a salad.
So the peaches are gonna work with lamb,
because lamb's so gamey, it's okay with that sweetness.
I'm super excited to work with lamb.
I wanna be fancy. This is my opportunity to be fancy.
- Yes! - People call me bougie every once and a while,
so, okay, I'll give you bougie, and it's on my plate.
So there's nothing about me that's bougie,
but I can razzle dazzle some things.
Honey and peaches, again, big flavors always over here.
All right, chefs, listen.
Here comes the platform.
We are sending down some exotic plateware.
Each plate comes with a special ingredient.
You gotta grab that plate, grab that ingredient,
and make this dish a showstopper.
I really, really want to get a dark plate
to contrast with that sliced wagyu.
You got only a couple seconds left.
Right there is a beautiful dark plate
with squash blossoms on it.
This is great.
There's a truffle on that plate over there! Oh, my god!
Gordon: We have another little surprise.
Do you know how to make these dishes stand out?
Some exotic plate work, okay?
- Think about the plate. - Ooh.
I locate a plate that has a golden ingredient!
A black truffle.
- You got the truffle? Lovely. Well done. - Yeah.
Ah! Like, this is my plate.
Five, four, three, two--
- what do you want? What do you want? - I got it.
- Aah! - Well done. My...
What are we doing? What are we doing?
I'm bringing you some exotic plateware, okay?
Each of them has an special ingredient on these plates.
- You have to pick a plate. - Heard, chef.
Down from the heavens comes that dish that I want, that wood.
And it's like a tree stump plate,
and it works perfectly for my dish.
And it just happened to have chanterelle mushrooms on it.
Make sure it makes sense for your dish. Good job.
Reuel: I grab the carrot powder, the smoke salt, and the uni.
I know for a fact it's gonna slap.
What'd you grab, ken?
I got the wood board, and I got some micros, chef.
- Nice. - I grabbed some uni.
Yeah, some salt, and a little bit of carrot powder.
- Great. What plate did you grab? - Um, meaning?
- What plate did you grab off the second drop? - Oh.
Talk to me, reuel. What plate did you grab, chef?
I did not grab a plate, chef.
( no audible dialogue )
( bleep )
what did you grab off your platform?
I did not grab a plate, chef.
You had to grab that plate, chef.
( bleep )
you're gonna have your work cut out for you, chef.
Oui.
I'm tired of the curveballs, but you know what?
- I forgot it. - How did you do that?
And now I gotta use what I have,
try to plate that as best as possible.
I'll have to figure it out.
So today it's figure it out alley.
Turn it up a notch. You all right. Come on.
Best plate you ever plated in your life, chef.
You're not going home. We're not going home.
You're not going home. Let's do this, big boy.
Let's do this!
Courtney, what did you get?
I got some microgreens that have a little color to them.
- I have a truffle. - Oh, my goodness me.
- And then-- - look at me.
That is magic. Give me a kiss.
- Thank you. - That-- that is beau--
I'm speechless.
- Truffle. - I am on cloud nine.
Last time I didn't use enough. This time I know better.
Truffle, there you go. Man, truffle.
I cannot believe the top floor didn't get that.
You know, I had a moment of doubt,
but now I am actually excited about my dish.
- Love the plate by the way. - Thank you.
Right. What did you get?
- Pyet: The, uh-- yeah. - Caviar.
Lobster, caviar, a glass bowl.
Now really start thinking about what you're doing, okay?
Yes, chef. Yes, chef.
I love the vibe of the dish.
I'm going for this under the sea vibe,
and I'm beyond excited.
Keep it going, okay?
All right, mariah, looks like you got the smoking dome.
- Are you going to smoke this dish under there? - I am.
I wanna do smoke because I do a lot of grilling.
Smoke inspires me because it brings me back to nature.
So my plan is to put the lamb on the grill
and get the smoking gun going
so I can incorporate all that smoke into my dish.
- Richard: Are those finger limes? - Yes, they are.
I've never used finger limes before. I know they're fancy.
Okay. I'll show you.
Yeah, so you get these things that look like caviar.
Oh! Ooh-- oh!
- The little scoop of that on top of something. - Yeah, that's cute.
- I like that. - That could be great, okay? So you got lime caviar.
I love that. This is cute.
I love the plate you grabbed, angie. You grabbed squash blossoms.
- Are you thinking about using them? - Yes, chef.
What is that? What are you gonna do?
I'm making a little bit of farmer's cheese, I hope.
- ( laughs ) - okay. All right. You're going big.
That's one of those things I can edit out if I need to,
but it'll be nice if I can pull it off.
You just need one beautiful blossom stuffed.
- Angie: Yeah. - You're not opening up a cheese shop,
you're just trying to get to the finale.
So I've got the squash blossom, and I'm hoping to really get
that cheese in a blossom and get it fried off.
Damn it. I don't know if it's gonna be any cheese in there or not.
Breathe through it. You know what you gotta do.
Angie: It's causing me a little bit of trouble,
but I really feel like this is gonna elevate my dish,
so I'm trying to get it done.
All right, some of your colleagues are down there in the basement
cooking with a wobbly pan right now.
You're up here on the top level.
No excuses to not see a restaurant quality
michelin star plate tonight.
Richard: The margins are very, very thin.
This is coming down to details. It's literally about a garnish.
It's about a little sprinkle of salt, a drizzle of sauce.
Can they bring it together to make a beautiful plate?
Time's running out, and it's tight.
Over ten minutes to go, guys, okay?
Scallops, they take three minutes to cook.
- Three minutes to cook, okay? - Yes.
So don't go too fast, otherwise they'll be rubber.
That's a beautiful color on there.
Gordon: Courtney's got those stunning scallops,
and pyet has that beautiful lobster.
Two incredible dishes that if done right
could definitely get them into the finale.
Yeah, I'm about to put these scallops in.
Gotcha. You still have seven minutes. That's great.
I feel your focus right now, gentlemen.
Let's go, guys. Push hard.
- Kenny: Let's go. - Like you've never pushed in your life.
- Let's go. - Cook like you want it!
Heard, heard, chef!
Richard: Okay, time is running out, everyone.
- Really? - Last decisions are made now.
Angie: I need a piping bag.
I don't have time to put it in a piping bag.
What's the matter? Are you good?
You got one of these squash blossoms stuffed already?
- No, chef. No. - You don't? Okay.
- Are we not gonna do that? - I don't think I'm gonna get it done.
- Okay. All right. - Damn it, I wish I got that squash blossom on.
In over 90 seconds from now, we can actually start dressing our food.
- Mariah: Yes, chef. - Tilt the pan and let the pan do the work.
- Courtney: Yes, chef. - Three minutes, guys.
Let's go. Elevated, dazzling.
It's your competition. It's yours to win or yours to lose.
- Just let it go. Let it be your last touch. - Heard.
Potentially two minutes away from entering the finale.
Here we go! Last two minutes. Start plating.
You gotta bring it together now.
Good, pyet. Well done, courtney.
Everything needs to have a purpose and a reason, okay?
- Courtney: Yes, chef. - Good.
You need to be creative, right?
- You did not grab a plate off the second drop. - Yes.
I need texture, color, everything in the book.
I have to cut fish a certain way,
elevate the roots till they get high.
At this point in time, it's like do or die, bro.
A couple seconds now. Final touches.
No shaky hands today.
Every plating aspect is deliberate.
Nyesha: The platform's coming, guys! Bring it home.
Richard: Does it look beautiful? Does it look inviting?
- Does it look special? - Platform's here.
Platform's here. Let's go, bro!
Go! Right now!
- Six, five, four... - Okay, baby.
...Three. Let's go, guys. Go, go, go, go, go!
Reuel: I missed that plate,
but I put every piece of me on that plate.
I am so proud of myself.
I'm happy with that. I am. I'm happy with it.
- Yeah, boy! Let's go! - I'm happy with that.
Here we go. Ten, nine, eight,
seven, six, five,
four, three, two, one.
It's going. It's going. Hands off!
Well done. Oh, my goodness me.
- Okay, angie, you're far away! - Angie: Yes, sir.
- 15 seconds! The platform is here! - Heard!
- Less than 15 seconds! - It's here!
You gotta get over there, angie.
Ten, nine, eight,
seven, six,
five, four, three,
two, one.
It's gone.
- Good job. - Angie: Thank you.
Thank you, chef.
Angie: Jesus, take the wheel.
This judging is gonna determine
the two people who go straight to the finale,
and I'm really hoping I can be one of those two people.
We asked you to produce a show-stopping plate.
Finale-worthy! They're fantastic.
- Nyesha: Gorgeous. - Richard: Show-stopping dishes. It looks amazing.
I just hope right now that these taste as good as they look
because two of you will secure your spots directly into the finale.
The rest of you will go head to head in your final cook-off
to fight for that last remaining spot.
Shall we start off on the middle floor?
So it's a butter poached lobster laced with caviar,
the kumquat gastrique,
and then there's a ribbon of a zucchini salad.
Caviar and lobster? Luxury.
Now, butter poaching lobster,
you know there's a fine mark on that, right?
You've got the most dangerous protein to cook in the semifinals.
If it's cooked well, brilliant.
If it's under/over, you're in trouble.
It's the hardest thing to cook.
Oh, dear.
Now, butter poaching lobster,
you know there's a fine mark on that, right?
You've got the most dangerous protein to cook in the semifinals.
If it's cooked well, brilliant.
It it's under/over, you're in trouble.
Oh, my gosh. There's so much riding on the line right now.
It's the hardest thing to cook.
This lobster, if it's not perfect,
I'm gonna be broken hearted.
Oh, dear.
And it's cooked to utter perfection.
Lobster's nailed. Absolutely beautiful.
No doubt. I think for me, that could've used a little bit finishing salt.
Richard: The lobster, I love that it's presented whole.
The swiss chard is kinda giving me these seaweed vibes.
It's telling a story, this dish.
These are pan seared scallops, truffled mashed potato,
and on the side, it's a radicchio lettuce.
Plate choice came with an amazing truffle.
Radicchio sounded like an odd choice,
but I love how the bitterness works with the sweet scallops.
Yes, the bitterness is lovely.
Just a nice little pop of acid
would have just really kind of taken this over the top.
What I love about this is that when someone's got the confidence
in the semifinal to cook a scallop.
That's a bold move, man.
Scallop's cooked beautifully.
Good job.
We've got a social media chef and a home cook here,
and their creativity absolutely blew me away.
It oozed sophistication.
- Top floor. - We'll start over here.
- Wow. - It looks beautiful.
Richard: Smoked spiced lamb with potato purée,
tomatoes, and peaches.
Gordon: When you see a dish like this passing
through the dining room, it's an eye-catcher.
- Nyesha: Wow. - I think it looks beautiful.
My palate is pleasantly excited with the notes of tanginess
that I'm getting from the brightness of the peaches.
Gordon: The smokiness is intriguing. So what would I change?
Grill those peaches a bit more. But it's a good dish.
Over here, wagyu beef filet mignon
with mashed potatoes, bacon.
The extra ingredient here was a squash blossom
that did not get used in the final plating.
- Really? - Mm-hmm.
Wagyu, I mean, so good you could eat it raw.
- Mm-hmm. - Nyesha: This is very bold.
The seasoning on this wagyu filet is spot on. Really beautiful.
Wagyu cooked beautifully. Melts in your mouth.
Is it showtime? Here's the nitpicking semifinal moment for me.
If you've got squash blossoms,
which are in season for a tiny window,
I would serve that to elevate.
Damn it. I should've done everything I could
to get that squash blossom on there.
That may have been the showstopper element that I needed.
From the bottom floor,
halibut, carrots, potatoes, parsnips,
bringing some opulence from that second grab
through an uni beurre blanc.
Presentation plate was left on the platform unfortunately.
- So no pick up on the-- - not on the plate, chef.
Gordon: Halibut's a real tough fish to get right.
That is slightly overcooked,
but the sea urchin's beautiful, creamy, sweet.
Knife work, beautifully done.
It is lacking the pièce de résistance,
the plate itself though, for sure.
Next here we have an inspiration from the forest floor.
A veal chop, corn,
turnips, rustic purée on the bottom,
and chanterelle mushrooms on the second drop.
This dish is proud.
It's, like, literally standing up, showing off.
Corn and chanterelles, classic combination.
It's got the wow factor.
The bone is presented beautifully.
This veal, delicious. What would I change?
You expose protein like that, season it!
And this chanterelle here is undercooked.
I am so nitpicking now,
it's the difference between a pair of ant's testicles.
But I wanna get back in there, 'cause it's good.
- Very gorgeous dish. - All of you, well done.
Give us a moment, please.
Nyesha: Wow, they were all really fantastic dishes.
Every single chef cooking in this competition,
the amount of mentorship they've had between the three of us...
Let's go, baby.
...Has added up to greatness,
and you can see it in the plates that these chefs are cooking.
Let's start off with the ones that were missing those greater points.
There's definitely one from my floor that's obvious, right?
The halibut was lacking depth of flavor.
Richard: And I don't understand. How is your focus not there to grab the dish?
I mean, it shows you how unnerving this competition is.
If you get the amazing wagyu beef, I'd expect something to be
a little bit more show-stopping than that, right?
- Nyesha: Absolutely. - Richard: Yeah.
The additional ingredient, the squash blossom,
why wouldn't you use that on a day like today?
The scallop dish, delicious, amazing flavor.
There was this brilliance in that dish
with the radicchio, but not one of my favorites.
I think the truffle could've been used better as well.
To me, there are three dishes today final-worthy,
but only two spots.
Lobster, caviar, plating like that--
nyesha: And the vessel choice, oh, just stunning.
I thought it literally was,
like, everything under the sea you'd want.
- The lamb. - Nyesha: The smoke came in
so beautifully on the background.
The smokiness. Grill those peaches, though.
- Yes. - The veal was a beautifully executed dish.
Nyesha: Wow. Taking that forest floor inspiration.
I just wish they had cooked the mushrooms properly.
- Mmm. - Man.
I just hope it's enough, you know?
Let's go.
Here we go, guys.
We have come to a decision.
This is the most difficult decision
we've had to make in the competition so far.
There were three dishes today that really stood out.
Unfortunately, only two of them
can earn their way into the finale right now.
The first dish headed
into the next level finale is...
The lobster.
- Pyet, congratulations. - Let's go.
Yeah, girl!
This win means everything.
Like, part of me wants to bawl and cry,
and a part of me is like, "keep your composure, but still be very proud of yourself."
this is probably one of the happiest moments of my life.
It is the happiest moment of my life.
This next decision I think has been one of the most difficult.
It came down to two dishes.
The second dish that has earned its way into the finale...
Is...
The smoked lamb dish.
- Oh, my god. - Mariah, congratulations.
Congratulations, girl.
- Mariah: Oh, my god. - Gordon: Well done.
Thank you, chef.
- I'm so proud of you. - Thank you.
It's been such a long road.
For them to see greatness in me,
it's an amazing feeling.
What I take from this is hard work pays off.
Mariah, I couldn't be more proud of you. You pushed yourself.
You become better and better every time you're in that kitchen.
Carry that momentum into the finals.
Thank you.
Kenny, young man,
that close.
But you've got no reason on that performance to ever doubt yourself.
This one came down to details. Boy, you were close.
Hard pill to swallow.
I gave everything I had.
But you know, I gotta pick my damn head up.
We gonna fight.
Gordon: You all still have an amazing chance
to make it into that finale
creating dishes made with gold and silver.
What I'm expecting from you four
is a quarter of a million dollar dish.
Now, since richard and nyesha oversaw the last two eliminations,
I'll be with you tonight.
They'll join join us afterwards to decide who will join pyet
and mariah in the finale.
Everyone, please head to the lift.
I'll meet you in the top kitchen minutes from now.
- Good luck. - Here we go.
- Congratulations. - Oh, thank you.
Thank you, guys. Appreciate it.
I am gonna give it everything.
They better pray hard that I mess up
because I'm praying even harder not to.
Angie: I am gonna be cooking against some great chefs.
I don't think they fear me, and they should.
They really, really should.
This is it,
your last chance for that final spot.
Courtney: I'm all in.
I'm gonna dig deep and do what I need to do to win.
There's $250,000 on the line.
Line up against the door, please.
Kenny: It's no holds barred right now.
I don't care who you are, I don't care how old you are,
I don't care how big you are.
You are going down.
Gordon: 30 minutes.
Five, four, three, two, one.
And go. Go, go, go.
Good luck, guys. 30 minutes.
Protein on. Get it back on your table. Start working it out.
Reuel: Everybody's going for that red meat.
For you to stand out, what's gonna be refreshing on the palate?
Something light. Fish.
I look at that salmon like "pretty woman."
we're gonna make her look elegant as hell.
- Mariah, what did you get? - I got a ribeye.
Gordon: A ribeye? Beautiful, beautiful.
Where are we going with the ribeye? What are you thinking?
I'm just thinking a pan seared ribeye.
I have one more opportunity to become a finalist.
So ribeye mash, how are you gonna elevate that? Where's the gold going?
Um, the gold? I have not figured out where the gold is going just yet,
- but I'll get it together. - Gotcha.
I now need to be laser focused on this steak,
and make sure that it is spectacular.
- Why'd you go for the salmon? - Uh, I'ma elevate it.
You're gonna elevate it? And then how are you gonna incorporate that gold?
That gold, I'm gonna dust that salmon on top of it.
I'm coming in to get that last final spot.
Everybody else has a heavy, rich protein.
So this fish is gonna be it.
We're 19 minutes remaining. Right, kenny, what did you grab?
I got duck breast, chef. I'm gonna do a duck breast.
I'm gonna do a sherry reduction. I'm gonna roast my veg.
Super dangerous. A lot of jeopardy in the duck.
- What is it with you taking so much risk? - 250,000 damn dollars.
I'm wanna go to my staple. I'm wanna go to my duck.
That was the first dish I cooked in "next level chef."
I wanna run it back and I wanna get it right.
Right, so you got the filet mignon, right?
Yes, chef. I've got a filet mignon.
I've got beautiful trumpets, I've scored them.
I'm gonna put a beautiful grill on those.
One spot left, okay, so focus and taste everything, yeah?
- Yes, chef. - Well done.
This is gonna be the most perfect,
beautiful, show-stopping plate
anyone has ever seen ever.
15 minutes gone, and there's 15 minutes remaining.
Now for one of you, you're 15 minutes away
from the final spot in the finale.
Keep it going. They're looking fantastic.
He has so much going on over here.
I'm anxious to see how it's gonna turn out.
My nerves are all over the place.
I mean, you have $250,000 riding on this bitch.
You think that ( bleep ) feel comfortable? No way.
Figure it out. Figure it out, big boy.
- Does anybody see ginger? - Ginger, uh...
Yes, it's-- you're near it, courtney. Come around towards me.
Oh, I'm sorry. Garlic, garlic, garlic. Not ginger. Garlic.
I have garlic. Here's some more garlic.
- Courtney: You have a little garlic? - Here you go.
- I think courtney's confused. - She is. Yeah.
You good. You got this. You good.
Just breathe, courtney, like you tell us. Breathe.
- Ooh, your towel! - Pyet: Your towel's on fire.
Keep it going. They're looking fantastic.
7 1/2 minutes to go.
Amazing stuff.
The duck, the ribeye, the filet, the salmon.
- Who's got it? - Right now, seems like kenny is under control.
Seems like angie has her station under control.
Gordon: More importantly, who don't you want in that finale?
- I don't want reuel. No. - You don't want reuel? Why?
Just 'cause he's a tough competitor for me, to be honest.
- Yeah. - Yeah.
You don't want reuel. You don't want...
I'm gonna say angie. I think she has secrets.
Gordon: Love that. Here we go!
We've got two minutes to go! Start plating, please!
- Let's go, baby! - Okay, where is the gold? Where is the gold?
Oh, my goodness. She should've had the gold at the beginning.
This is the gold and silver challenge.
It's gotta be on there.
Talk about a recipe for disaster.
Yeah, that's where I am.
Where is the gold? Where is the gold?
We've got two minutes to go! Start plating, please!
Okay, where is the gold? Where is the gold?
I've completely forgotten about the gold.
The gold is on there. All the gold is on there.
Thank you, chef.
I do the one thing that I knew not to do,
grab it with my hands.
Come on!
I have gold stuck to my fingers, and I need to plate my dish.
I'm doing my damnedest to get this gold onto my dish.
- Start getting things on the plates. - Gordon: 75 seconds to go.
Reuel: This is a gold challenge.
I don't want nobody to say, "you know what?
You're a bit shy on the gold."
you want bling? I'ma give it to you.
Gordon: 60 seconds!
Now for all of you, 60 seconds from picking up
that final spot in the finale.
You have something green? Put it on there.
Gordon: Here we go. Ten...
All: Nine, eight, seven,
six, five, four,
three, two, one.
And stop. Hands in the air! Well done!
Oh, my god.
Nyesha, richard, please.
What an extraordinary cook.
Like no other. There's four proteins.
There's a duck, there's a filet mignon, a ribeye, and a salmon.
The duck, please, topped with gold.
Amazing contrast between sauce and the use of gold leaf.
Extremely imaginative. Duck is cooked beautifully.
Would've like to see just a touch more salt.
A gold mine of flavors here,
and that sauce that works so well with duck.
It's delicious.
Chef arrington says she needed a touch more salt.
I can accept that. But what about everything else?
I hope this is the winner.
Next we have the filet mignon
that's topped with a duck egg,
and there's a stroke of the gold.
Richard: I love this sort of play on, like, the golden egg.
That yolk sort of becomes the sauce.
This one's leaning a little bit undercooked.
The chef that made this clearly understands what to pair with steak.
I would've loved to see a little starch component, crispy potatoes.
I start to get a little bit nervous
because I didn't grab a starch.
But my flavors are glorious,
and I'm telling you, I have the prettiest dish there.
Gordon: Next, it's a ribeye topped with 24 karat.
This dish is giving me down home feels.
This dish is hugging my soul from the inside.
It's seasoned beautifully.
The gold sort of feels like a bit of an afterthought.
I just wish there was just a touch more
attention to detail, but still a very tasty dish.
It's a heart of gold in this dish. It looks comforting.
And this surprising sweet char on the carrot...
Courtney: I am nervous.
The stakes are definitely higher than they've ever been,
and everybody else is stepping their game up.
- But I came here to win. - This is crispy salmon cooked skin side down.
What I see in this dish is a soul of a chef.
Whoever made this stepped outside of a standard steak and potatoes,
steak and eggs, and really reimagined what can be served.
It kinda looks like it's a present or it's a gift.
A little pinch more of salt, but very bold in its flavors.
Tears are beating at my eyelids.
And I'm like, "nope. You can't show anything."
I'm feeling like my dad is with me.
I'm literally doing this competition in honor of him,
so I need to win.
Okay, richard and nyesha, I need to know,
which protein deserves to go into the finale?
If it goes to a tie, then I have to break that tie.
My decision is based off of brilliancy that I see,
the technique in the cook.
This is the hardest cooking competition
that I've ever had to judge because every mentor
wants to see their mentee do great.
I am so thankful that this is a blind tasting,
and I have no absolutely no clue who cooked what dish.
And for me, that dish is the salmon.
Gordon: The salmon.
Richard blais, the protein
that deserves the final spot
in the finale is what, please?
All four of these dishes are delicious,
but this is about gold leaf.
That's a tough ingredient to use.
Who did it the best?
To me, it's...
It's the salmon.
- Reuel. - Wow.
- Congratulations. - Let's go!
Congratulations, young man.
- Come on. Come on. - Get up. Stand up...
Come here. Congratulations.
Well done, okay? Come on.
Well done.
It feels like finally being acknowledged.
I put everything in everything that I do,
and I feel good.
Kenny, the progression and the trajectory of your climb
in this competition is second to none.
It's like a rocket that's taken off and no one's stopping you.
You're the real deal. Understand that.
It's been a ride. It's been a journey.
I gave it everything I had, but this ain't the end of kenny.
Angie, it's been amazing mentoring you.
Your calm under pressure is very inspiring.
You absolutely have what it takes to go wherever you want in life.
Yes, chef.
I'm really upset I don't get to cook again.
I really love cooking there.
But I got an experience of a fricking lifetime
and I have no regrets.
Courtney, just as your mentor from the beginning,
last pick in the draft, and the amount that you've grown,
your self-awareness, your skill, your heart,
you should be very proud of your work.
- I can't wait to see what you accomplish. - Thank you.
It's just-- it's beyond surreal.
I make vision boards all the time.
This wasn't on it,
which tells me that I'm not dreaming big enough.
Congratulations, sweetie. I love you so much.
When you hit new york, baby...
I'm so proud of you. I love you.
I wanted to take you down, but I'm proud of you.
- Bye, guys. - Bye.
- Love you, guys. - Thank you.
- Thank you, chef arrington. - Thank you so much.
Listen, all three of you, congratulations.
There's one test remaining, and that's all that stands
between you and a quarter of a million dollars,
a mentorship from richard blais, nyesha arrington, and myself.
I guarantee it will be the memorable cook of your lives.
- Well done and good night. - Wow.
Get some rest.
- Can I open this? - Reuel: Is that champagne?
Chef. That was good. That was good.
- Both: Salud! - Final!
Gordon: Next time on "next level chef"...
- The finalists. - Oh, my god! There's people all up there!
One of you is about to become the first ever next level chef.
- No way! - Let's go!
- Whoo! - This is crazy!
The stress! This is a one in a lifetime opportunity.
Gordon: Quarter of million dollars right there in that lamb.
I want this. I feel it in my soul.
Mariah: Oh, god. Come on. This is, like, my dream.
I am gonna be the next level chef.
Gordon: Congratulations goes to...
Please pick me.