All language subtitles for Next.Level.Chef.S01E08.1080p.WEB.h264-BAE

Gordon: Previously
on "next level chef"...

You'll tackle one
of the trickiest proteins
out there-- seafood.

Gordon: At the end of today
the worst three dishes will
head into the elimination.

Only one of you will come back.

The winning dish in your mind?

- The shrimp salad.
- Shrimp salad.

Gordon:
Ae, congratulations, young lady.

Jonathan, zach, you will
not be the next level chef.

Listen carefully.

Everything you know about
this competition

is about to change.

Tonight...

It's time
to remove those aprons.

From now on, you'll be
battling it out all alone.

Ae:
Teams are no longer existing.

Reuel: It's wartime.

I can outcook these chefs.

- Tricia, don't overdo it!
- ( bleep )

pyet: I put so much
of myself into this.

It's more than
a competition for me.

Kenny:
I got my kids to make proud.

I don't wanna do good.
I wanna win.

Your climb to the top
starts today.

Welcome back.

Line up, please.
How we feeling?

- Great.
- I'm good.

Listen carefully.

I told you all last time

that the game
was about to change,

and that starts right now.

It's time to take
the training wheels off.

I want all of you right now

to remove those aprons.

Because you won't
need them anymore.

The team competition is over.

I'm freaking out.
I'm panicking.

"chef, what's happening?"

over there in the back are
your new individual aprons.

Time for you all to stand
on your own.

From now on,
you'll be battling it out alone

with no one to save you
from elimination.

This is serious.
There's no more teams.

It's angie against the world.

But I think
I can outcook these chefs.

Your climb to the top
starts today.

From now on, where you cook

will be determined on
how you cook.

You cook well,
and you'll rise to the top.

Make a mess of things,
and trust me,

I promise you,
you will fall level by level

all the way
down to the basement.

Our bottom dishes compete
in the elimination.

And those bottom dishes
could come from any level.

- Is that clear?
- All: Yes, chef.

Reuel:
I feel in my element now.
It's wartime.

There's no more courtesy
involved.

Please and thank you
will be at the end.

I hope I don't crush you
while I go up to the platform.

Now for today,
you will be placed on a level

that is based off
of your specific performances

in this competition so far.

Richard, gordon, and myself

have studied every
single one of your dishes

and how much you've progressed

right up to
that last seafood challenge.

I cooked a disappointing dish
in the seafood challenge,

so I could be cooking
in the basement again.

While we're deciding
who should cook on what level,

one thing that was very clear,

everyone here needs to prove
that they're good enough

to make that climb to the top.

So today, that top level
kitchen is closed.

Wow.

You have to earn a place
in that top level kitchen.

Interesting.

I have no choice
but to make it to the top.

The top level is closed
at this point.

The goal is to open it.

Richard: The chefs who
delivered the strongest dishes

in the competition thus far
will cook on the middle floor.

On the middle level today
will be pyet,

tricia,

reuel, and lastly...

Courtney.

Thank you.

It was not that long ago

that I was
the last person selected,

and yet I'm here.

I've grown.

All right,
for the rest of you,

kenny, mariah, angie, and ae,

you'll be cooking
in the basement today.

Mariah:
I'm put in the basement.

Um, I don't know,
maybe because

I forgot my dish
when I was in the basement?

I forgot to put it
on the platform.

So I'm like, is this,
like, punishment for that?

I don't know.

To get to the next level,

you gotta prove that
you can master every protein.

So, the star of today's dish

is pork.

Cooking pork can be
a dangerous game.

You've got to coax
a lot of flavor
in a short amount of time.

I'm gonna be in the middle,

richard's gonna be
in the basement,

and gordon's gonna flow
through both kitchens.

We're all mentoring these chefs
as individuals now,

but this is still very much

a competition between
gordon, richard, and myself.

I want to say that I picked
the next level chef.

One last thing,
let's cut five minutes off
this cook time shall we?

- What?
- No.

- Sounds good.
- 40 minutes...

- Okay.
- ( bleep )

gordon:
...For your cook today.

Okay, let's get going.
I am pretty excited myself.

Reuel, tricia, pyet,
and courtney,

please grab the keycard
on the right,

and that'll take you
to the middle kitchen.
We'll see you soon.

- Good luck, you guys.
- Gordon: Good luck.

Good luck, good peoples.

Showtime.

Oh.

Well, I'll take this one.

No one is saying a word.

Y'all know if there's
any meat tenderizers?

This is not
a team thing anymore.

You know, we used
to actually say a prayer

for each other
in the elevator.

There was none of that today.
No one was praying.

They're probably praying
for my downfall.

Right, the rest of you,
if I was in your shoes,

- I'd wanna kick their asses.
- Oh, yeah.

Grab that remaining keycard
and head into the basement.

Richard: Good luck.

Mariah:
I'm here to be critiqued,

and if they think that
I need to start at the bottom

in order to make it
to the top,

then I'm fine with that.

Do your thing.
Do your thing.

It's all right, baby.
Cook, baby.

I believe that all four chefs
of that are on the bottom

have a chip on their shoulder,
because being on the bottom,

that means that the other chefs
have produced better than you.

You know, you have to play
with a chip at this point

because if you don't have
a chip on your shoulder,
you might as well pack up.

- Cook with love, baby.
- We got it.

You can do what you want
in the middle.

I'm gonna go skip
right over you.

- I'm going to the top.
- Cook with love, baby.

All right, let's go, everyone.
Let's go.

Kenny, angie,
nice to finally get a chance

- to be in the kitchen with
you while you're cooking.
- Yes, chef.

Ae and mariah,
well, we've known each other
for a long time now.

They're all individuals,
everyone's cooking
for themselves

because whoever win this
will get mentorship
from us for a year.

But gordon, nyesha, and myself,
we're always gonna compete.

So I still want the winner to
come from original team blais

so that I can say that I found
the next level chef.

- Middle floor.
- Okay, guys, get excited.

At this stage
in the competition,

they're fighting and cooking
as individuals.

This is it.

And more importantly,
that nose to tail protein, pork,

it needs to be elevated,

and we're not just
gonna give $250,000

to somebody that can cook
a piece of bacon.

Here we go.
40 minutes now.

Be smart with this pig.
The platform is moving.

I'ma try not to push you
out of the way, pyet.

- I'm fast.
Don't worry about me, baby.
- I know.

- When big boy starts moving--
- don't worry about it.

- Don't worry about it.
- Okay.

Do not send good cuts
to the basement.

- Off you go, guys!
- Let's go!

Tricia: A really hoping
to get a fatty cut
like ground pork

because it's actually
very commonly used
in chinese cuisine.

Courtney:
Anybody see a potato?

I saw ground pork.
That's the first thing I grab.

It is perfect.

Plus, I didn't want tricia
to get that ground pork either.

Okay. Excuse me.
Excuse me.

Oh, my god,
pyet is in front of me
playing, like, goalie,

making sure
I don't touch anything.

And now
the ground pork is gone,

so I grab pork tenderloin.

It's the leanest freaking cut.

It has, like,
no ( bleep ) fat.

Nyesha: You gotta want this!
Bring it to life!

Platform's still here!
Grab what you need!

Grab what you need!
Let's go, let's go!

Apple? Apple, apple, apple.

- Still here.
Grab what you need.
- Come on, guys.

- Well done. Good.
- Nyesha: Only execute.
Let's go.

All right, basement, go!

All right, there we go.

What do you need for your dish?

I do cook this delicious
pork belly stir fry,

so lo and behold,
I see the pork belly!

Thank buddha!

Richard: 20 seconds left.
Only 20 seconds.

Oh, my gosh.
All these plates are empty.

I see two proteins
on the platform.

They both were super thin,
no fat.

I grab thinly sliced pork loin.

Oh, my gosh.
What am I gonna make with this?

Richard: There we go.
Way to make it happen.

Five, four, three, two, one.

If you can grab it, it's yours!
If you can grab it, it's yours!

We'll figure out what to do
with the extra.

All right, back to your station
and let's figure it out.

- Ae can barely hold on
to that stuff.
- Behind you.

Look at that!
Look at that, ae.

Ae: I look at
all the ingredients.

All the ingredients
are great for a stir fry,

but what does stir fry need?

I should've grabbed
some rice, man.

I have no rice.
That is the problem.

At this point, I don't
even know what I'm gonna do
or how I'm gonna do it.

I just feel very insecure.

I'm freaking the ( bleep ) out.

40 minutes to go.
Let's go, basement.

Start visualizing, y'all.

Let's see.
Let me think, let me think,
let me think about this.

You got sliced pork belly?
What are you thinking here?

- I wanna do
a stir fry pork belly.
- Okay.

But I couldn't find rice,
so I'm gonna create

a type of veggie rice
with the veggies that I have.

- I got a couple.
- All right, if you're gonna
sell us on a stir fry

and a vegetable rice, you gotta
make it look like rice.

Okay. Teams no longer exist,
so only I can save myself,

and I can't mess this up.

- Okay, I want you
to do well, all right?
- Yes.

Okay, keep going.
Keep going over there.

Let's go.
Hustle, hustle, hustle.

Courtney: Come on, court,
you got this.

Gordon:
So you got the pork chop,
the pork cutlet.

That is a beauty.
That's screaming cast iron pan
there, right?

- Yes, yes.
- Basting, basting.
Good girl. Well done.

What the ( bleep )
did you grab, bitch?

Right, what did you grab?

I have pork tenderloin,
carrot scallions, sage.

Beautiful.
So, that loin, it's like
the filet mignon of pork.

What kind of dish
are you gonna do?

I wanna make pork wontons, chef.

- Love that.
- It's my mom's recipe.

- Mum's recipe?
- Yes.

It used to be a family thing
before my grandparents passed

to all make these dumplings
or wontons together.

So it is something
that means a lot to me,

and I really want
to do this well.

I wanna make
some fried wontons

for some crispiness
to put on top.

Okay. I don't want to see three
or four renditions of this.

- Do one stunning dish, okay?
- Yes, chef. Yes, chef.

- Good to see you here,
chef pyet.
- Thank you, chef.

Pyet: This competition
has been a rollercoaster.

One day you'll be on cloud nine

thinking,
"I got this in the bag."

and then the next day
you're like,

"ooh, maybe we need
to humble yourself."

so to know that
I'm in that middle kitchen,

this is definitely making me
feel confident.

- What cook did you get?
- I have a loin, chef.

Gordon:
Wow. Loin. That's a big slab.
What are you gonna do with it?

I'm gonna do it pan fried
with some spices,
some herbs on the outside,

and then I'm going
to put some twine on it,
finish it off in the oven.

Gordon: It's gotta get
in the oven as quick as you can.

- Great choice of cut,
by the way. Really good.
- Thank you, chef.

35 minutes to go.
Keep it going, yes?

- Tricia: Yes, chef.
- Let's go.

- How we doing, chef reuel?
- We're doing good.

- Whatcha got?
- Ground shoulder.

So what I'm gonna do
is a play on rasta pasta.

- What is rasta pasta?
- Rasta pasta is an italian
play on flavors.

You got spice,
you have peppers.

- This is more
of a homey new dish.
- Beautiful.

This is something I will make
after a late night of work.

I'm starting to see
the cream rise to the top
in this competition,

and I have to say,
reuel's been there
since day one.

Where are you from originally?

Trinidad and tobago.
You here the accent?

Beautiful. Yes, totally.

Do you cook trinidadian food
traditionally?

I do.

Pan-african food
needs to be explored more.

I'm trinidadian,
and I haven't been doing
the caribbean justice.

My food was good,
but it was lacking my soul,

so I'm going to display
for the caribbean.

- I can't to wait to see
some of that, chef.
- Yes.

Let's go, basement.

All right, kenny,
it's a pleasure.

- I finally get to be
in the kitchen with you.
- Yes, chef.

I've enjoyed your food.
Being that we're both dads,

is this how you're throwing down
for the kids at home?

- Uh, not really.
They like fast food.
- No?

You know what?
I appreciate your honesty,
'cause it's the same way.

Everyone thinks like, "oh,
your kids are eating foie gras
and bone marrow and caviar."

- not even close.
- My kids are eating
chicken tenders, dude.

Every day wake up,
I wanna do what's right
because my kids are watching.

I don't want them to say,
"daddy, you did good,
but you didn't win."

that's not the point.
I don't wanna do good.
I wanna win.

So I definitely
want the $250,000,
but if I do not win,

they're gonna know
I gave it everything I got.

So I don't plan
on letting them down.

- Do you have a concept yet?
- Yes, sir, I'm gonna do

a pan-seared
center cut pork chop.

And I'ma do a slow roast,
and then I'm gonna come back--

- reverse sear?
- Reverse sear it, yes, sir.

- A reverse sear?
- Yes, sir.

Kenny: Doing a reverse sear
just kind of helps me

develop a different
type of flavor.

You slow cook it in the oven
till you get to a certain temp,

pull it out
and give it a hard sear
to give it that crust on it.

- Angie, how are you?
- Yes, sir.

You gotta a pork t-bone.
They don't have a lot of fish
in texas, but how 'bout pork?

Oh, we got pork for days.
I have a body built on pork.

You and me both.
You and me both.

Okay, so you got some
charred peppers working here.

- Yes.
- Is that gonna be a sauce?

- I'm developing that
in my mind.
- Okay.

I'm trying to figure out how
to get that done down here
in the basement.

I really want the poblano
to shine,

and I really think
it's going to.

But I need to be working
my way up.

It's not okay to stay
in the bottom.

All right, mariah,
so what is the plan here?

You got sliced pork over here.

I do. I'm thinking about
layering it up on some skewers.

- Okay.
- And throwing it
on the grill.

- Richard:
I like that very much.
- And then maybe glazing it,

maybe doing, like,
an asian barbeque sauce.

- Have you ever made
this type of dish before?
- No.

Everything I've made
up to this point,
I've never made before.

I go in with the intention
of just doing something fresh
and doing something new.

I know I really like channeling
international flavors,

and having all these
random ingredients
thrown at you all the time,

I think it's
really pushed the boundaries
of my creativity.

This is already the beginning
of the sauce for it?

- Yes.
- Okay, great. So, again--

- we got some honey
in there, gochujang.
- Bring these flavors.

I love how you brought
morocco to the game.

- Okay.
- It looks like we're seeing
some movement over here.

All of you,
what goes well with pork?

- Sauce.
- Sauce.

- Peaches, apples.
- Peaches.

When that platform comes down,

15 seconds to grab
a stone fruit, guys,

- the perfect compliment
with pork.
- ( bleep )

- gordon: Here it comes.
- Nyesha: Intention, focus!

Never in my life heard
anything called "stone fruit,"

so I'm like, "what the hell
is a stone fruit?"

- let's go, let's go, let's go.
- Gordon: Quick, quick, quick!

Oh, it's just fruits.
It's not called stone fruit
in the grocery store.

Nyesha: Let's go, guys.
Grab what you need!

Gordon:
Tricia, wakey-wakey. Let's go.

He's just stoning me to death
with this stone fruit.

I'm making chinese wontons
with chili oil.

What the hell am I gonna do
with a plum?

- Four, three, two, one.
- Let's go, tricia.

- Well done.
- Good job.

Good. Right.

Richard:
Guess what's coming down?

You gotta go grab
at least one fruit
to work into your dish.

There's some mangos and plums.

Mariah:
We have to use stone fruit,
which I'm excited about.

'cause I'm like, yes,
this gives me another element
of freshness to my dish.

Richard:
Gotta grab some fruit.

Five, four, three, two, one.

Make sure you got something.
Make sure you got something.

You grabbed
a plum and some prunes.
Great flavors for pork.

Gordon: Well done.
29 minutes to go, okay?

- Tricia, what'd you get?
- Plum and dried dates.

I grab a plum because--
honestly, I don't know.

Because I had plum yesterday
for dinner?

But there was nothing
I could've grabbed that
would've fit in my dish.

Gordon: How are you gonna
incorporate that stone fruit?

Maybe make gastrique with it?

I don't have anything acidic,
so a plum pickle?

Yeah, I mean, be careful there.

Remember what I said
about the simplicity.

- Yes, chef.
- When you start getting
too complicated--

- hey. Look at me.
- Not too complicated.

- Your dna disappears.
- Yes, chef.

One step at a time.
Don't start getting too clever.

- Rein it in now.
- Yes, chef.

I wanna be
in the top kitchen so much,

but now I'm screwing up
something I ate
since I was a kid.

Relax, relax.

I'm so nervous
because immunity's gone.

I need to save myself,
but I don't know if I can.

Let's go.
Come on, tricia.

- You have to breathe.
You have to breathe.
- I'm shaking.

- Nyesha: I want you
to stop shaking.
- Tricia: Sorry.

Okay. You got this, girl.

I'm definitely
a little stressed.

My hands are shaking
a little extra.

Still at a little loss
what to do with the fruit, chef.

- Okay, what do you have?
- Plums and dried dates, chef.

The thing is,
you're gonna want to make sure

that we see that plum
being used and not hidden.

I needed some more flavor
to my wonton filling,

so I'm gonna just pickle them
and add them into my soup.

I'm wondering if I eat it,

maybe they just won't know
it ever existed.

- Don't stand in the way
of yourself, okay?
- Yes. I won't.

You can do it.
You're here for a reason.

- Thank you, chef.
- Okay? Hey, I want a little--

yes! That's what
I'm talking about.

- Confidence.
- Yes, chef.

Talk to me about
your beautiful sauce here.

So I'm literally
just sweating down peaches,

mango, lime,
cherries, and medjool.

23 minutes to go.
Still over halfway, guys, yes?

Nyesha, you got two seconds?

The top loin,
pyet went straight for it,

which I don't know how
she's gonna get that cooked
in 40 minutes.

If she gets that cooked right,
it could steal the show.

Nyesha: Excellent.

You were not lying at all
about tricia's nerves.

- She is anxious in her cooking.
- Yeah.

When she trips over is when
she overcomplicates things.

Yes. Reuel said
he wants to bring more
of those trinny flavors.

- Mm-hmm. Smart.
- I was a little bit surprised

that he took the ground pork,
but he's meant to elevate that.

Good. Halfway, guys.

This is so close now.

We are halfway through,
so it's time for me

to check out how they're doing
in the basement.

20 minutes remain.
Only 20 minutes.

I don't even know
what the ( bleep )
I'm doing with this.

So you got this vegetable rice.

Yeah, put some panko in it too
to thicken it up.

You're going to put breadcrumbs
in the vegetable rice?

As someone
who eats vegetable rice
because I don't do carbs,

I'd hate for someone
to put breadcrumbs in it.

- Guys, we're halfway.
- What's up, chef?

Well done, guys. 18 minutes.

All right, give me an upload.

All right,
lots of great ideas.

Kenny's got, you know,
19 things working.

- No! I told him edit it.
- In a good way. He's editing.

Same thing with angie over here.
She's got a lot going on.

She's got a pork t-bone
porterhouse.

It's a big, thick, monster cut.

- Gordon: Angie,
great choice of cut.
- Yes, chef.

I look up, and oh, my gosh,
I'm cooking with chef ramsay.

How are you gonna elevate this?

I'm trying to pull off
a relleno.

- Okay, in 40 minutes?
- I'm gonna try.

- Wow, really?
- I've done it before.

You're going all out,
aren't you?

Angie: Even though
I cooked in the basement

with him the first time,
I'm so nervous.

I mean, when you
only see him on tv,

you don't realize
he's built like a god.

Need some heat in there, no?

Angie: I get really nervous
when he's in the kitchen

'cause I don't want to cook.

I just wanna stare at him
and grab his biceps really.

That's the money there, okay?
They need to brushed
and basted, okay?

Otherwise they're gonna go dry.

But I don't have time for this.

I've got a competition to win.

- Right, my man,
what did you grab?
- How we doing, chef?

I got a center cut pork chop.

I got some pinot noir,
some bourbon.

Good. 11 minutes to go.

Richard, wow.
Man, there's some
cooking in here.

- Yes.
- Kenny's got the loin.
Almost like a pork chop.

Richard:
He's doing the reverse sear.
I'm not sure about that.

Just put it in the pan,
let it rest.

But it needs to be doused
with butter.

He needs fat in there,
otherwise it's gonna go too dry.

- What's going down?
- Hey.

Nyesha: Poached?
You got a little acid in there?

Vinegar.
Don't judge me now.

Never. It's only my job.

So you woke up
and you choose to be
this way today. I see.

Nyesha:
Guys, we have ten minutes!

That's why
I didn't see the potatoes.
They're over at your station!

In my mind, I have this idea
of these potatoes that
I've made in the past.

It cooks down
and crisps to the point

where you can actually
see through the potato
because of how thin it's cut.

These potatoes
are what's going to bring
this dish to life.

- You check your pork?
- Yes.

- Make sure
you're rotating that.
- Yes, chef.

It's clear to me that pyet
is a strong force.

She has a relentless will
to get better.

Make sure
it's cooked thoroughly.

Ooh! Oh, my god.

Fire in the basement!

Richard:
You got a little fire over here.

- Mariah: Okay.
- You keep going.

- So many fires down here.
- Basement.

Richard:
We're plating very soon, right?

- Yes, chef.
- Yes.

Gordon:
Two minutes to go, guys.

Boy, oh, boy, you should see
the dishes downstairs.

- Nyesha: Start plating!
- Ahh!

Now the finishing magic
comes in, please, courtney?

- Yes.
- Good girl. Take your time.
Take your time.

Hone it in. Bring it home.

- Beautiful.
- Yes. Excellent.

They're just too thin.
They were too thin.

I pulled out my potatoes.

A stupid mistake.

And I can't even pull
the parchment paper

apart off of it
to even put it on the dish.

Pyet, if you keep on
forgetting your dish

and you mess around
with the garnish,

I'm gonna get really,
really frustrated.

Heard, chef.

I don't have much time left.

I have to completely just
get rid of the potatoes.

I have to revert
to the carrot corn

and then the stupid broccoli.

My excitement for this dish
is dying.

75 seconds to go.

- Okay.
- Last edits right here.

- Oh, my god,
that looks delicious.
- Thank you, chef.

Richard: You gotta
just make sure this is tight.

- Kenny: For sure, chef.
- That looks glossy.

You're selling it to me, ae.

Pulling a rabbit
out of the hat again
perhaps over here.

Ae's dish is looking good.
Mariah's dish is looking good.

The two chefs that I drafted,
I hope they can get
to the top level.

40 seconds left.
Platform is on the move.

Get ready to move with it.
Mariah, are you gonna make it?

- Yes, chef!
- 30 seconds.

( bleep ). That's hot.

The platform is here! You gotta
get your plate over there.

- 15 seconds left!
- Let's go, girls.

- Richard: Ae, let's go!
- Kenny: Come on, ae, baby.

- Come on, ae, baby.
- Angie, kenny, let's go.

Seven, six, five,

- four, three, two, one.
- It looks amazing.

- Nothing you can do now.
- Looks amazing.

- Damn, yours looks good, girl.
- Looks amazing.

- It looks amazing.
- Gordon: 25 seconds.

Lovely, now clear the plate.
Now put some more slices
on top of that.

Sandwich it. Well done.
20 seconds to go.

Tricia, don't overdo it!

- Nyesha:
Platform's here, team!
- 15 seconds to go.

- Breathe, breathe, breathe.
- Less is more, girl.

- Clear your plate. Let's go!
- Nice.

- Eight. Please.
- Platform's here.
Let's go, chefs.

- Seven, six, five...
- Push, push, push.

...Four, three, two, one.

And stop. Well done!

When that garnish isn't on--

messing around all that time,
and if I was gonna

crisp those potatoes,
I'd stick them on top.

It looked beautiful,
but don't get caught
on the garnish.

Pyet: I got thrown off
by a small detail,

and now I'm feeling
a little vulnerable.

Like, I'm not feeling
as strong and confident.

How many times in our kitchens
do we have to say,
"let go of it."

- yes. Every single time.
- You're right, chef.

Because it's not the hero.
The hero's the pork.

After that,
it's the stone fruit.

And if you're gonna
crisp up the potato,
you don't sit it underneath.

I put so much of myself
into this,

so it's more than
a competition for me.

Right, we've always told you
that you're only as good

as your last dish
in this competition.

We now need to decide
for the next challenge
whether any of these dishes

warrant a spot
on the top level,

and which dishes will end up
on the middle level,

and sadly,
which unfortunate dishes

will go into the elimination.

Okay, richard,
should we go to the basement?

First up,
this sort of shingled skewer
korean barbeque,

kansas city barbeque inspired,
so kkcbbq.

Mariah:
I so want to go to the top.

I need just
that little bit extra

to get me out of the basement

and to prove that my dish
is worthy to be on top.

So this moment is everything.

So innovative to retain
the moisture in that pork by
layering in that fresh fruit.

- Great idea.
- Pork's cooked delicious.

It's got that crispy texture
on the outside

with that amazing
caramelized barbeque flavor.

I was forced to use something
and created something magical.

I'm feeling on top of the world.

All right, here we go,

a pork t-bone
with a chili relleno.

I personally would've rather
dropped the chili relleno,

focused on the garnish,
the stone fruit, the pork.

I would've liked a little bit
more seasoning on the pork,
but it's cooked beautifully.

The next dish,
pork loin with a reverse sear.

It's slightly dry.

Richard: Unfortunately
the pork's a little bit dry.

Gordon: That reverse sear's
so dangerous.

A reverse sear
is generally for ribeye,

something
that's generous in fat,

and there's hardly any fat
in there.

The hero's the pork,
and unfortunately
that's underwhelming.

Damn.

Well, at this point
in the competition,

mistakes are unacceptable.

All right, next,
pork belly vegetable fried rice

and zucchini, cabbage,
some breadcrumbs.

There's, like, a wet sense,
it just-- yeah, it doesn't work.

If you're gonna sell me
on a rice dish that does not
have rice in it,

it better be
the most impeccable fried rice.

It should have elements of
crunchiness and crispiness,
right?

But this is very soft
throughout.

I tried to make it
compact and cute,

and it backfired on me.

What a shame. Next.

Nyesha, shall we?
Middle floor.

Here we have
a pork tenderloin wonton

with mushrooms and chili oil.

I'm just surprised that
the stone fruit was not
more prevalent in this dish.

To me, the broth, I would've
loved to see it punched up
a little bit more

because, you know,
the tenderloin wants
some flavor.

There's not a lot
of flavor in it as is.

I just really wanted to push
making a chinese dish today,

and I'm wondering if
I tried to push the story
a little too hard.

Here we have
a roast pork loin.

I love the flavor
of the chutney and the gravy.

I wish there was more
of both of those things.

Chutney is magnificent.
I love that chutney.

And it lifts that pork with
the acidity and the sweetness.

Next, here we have
a rasta pasta.

This is a gnudi
with a pork ragu.

The flavors of the broth and
everything else comes together.

- It's a delicious dish.
- It's got heart.

There is a lot of skill
going on in there.

Reuel: I am super excited.

This is me on a plate,

so to be able
to translate that is surreal.

Next up,
we have a roast pork loin.

Visually, to be honest,
this has got cruise ship
buffet vibes going on.

It is cooked properly,

it's just sliced too thin.

It just needs body and flavor,
and it's lacking.

I'm not inspired
to enjoy this dish at all.

I drafted pyet for a reason.

She's got raw talent,

but it's my job that make sure

that I spark that inspiration
in her soul.

Pyet needs to produce dishes
that move her up in this
competition, not down.

This is tough. Shall we?

This competition was
never set out to be easy.

The big question is
how many dishes

have earned a spot
in that top level kitchen,

and sadly,
which ones will be heading
into the elimination.

Some of the highlights
of tonight were done
with the cheaper cuts.

The korean
kansas style barbeque.

- Nyesha: Mind blowing.
- The t-bone was cooked
really well.

Nyesha: Absolutely.
Just a little bit of editing,
did they need the chili relleno

- and the mashed potato?
- Gordon: No. No.

That double pork chop
on the bone?

It was pretty good.
Like, totally under promise,
over deliver.

- Rasta pasta?
- I didn't think ground pork
could be that elevated.

The underwhelming performances--

the top loin, not very good.

- So disappointed.
- What is yours?

The one that nyesha
( bleep ) hates.

No rice fried rice,

- that was very, very strange.
- Richard: Yeah.

I thought I redeemed myself,
but now I'm whack again.

There's just no flavor
from that dumpling, was there?

- No.
- It was mealy.

Richard: But the effort
should be applauded.

( bleep )

the reverse sear,
you don't do that

with something
that's got no fat in there.

It's a thin piece of steak.
Roast it beautifully.

- Shame on me.
- I'm sorry, dawg.

Everyone has an off day,
but an off day today
could send you home.

Absolutely.

There's nowhere to hide.

You're not with your team,
you're cooking as an individual,

and you want to give yourself
every tool for success.

I'd want to be in
that top kitchen to make
the most successful dish.

Okay, let's get down
to business.

There were only two dishes
that were good enough

to make it to the top.

Wow.

The first dish was brave,
slightly tenacious,

but it hit all the right notes.

And that dish was the--

the barbeque pork skewers.

- Oh. Are you serious?
- Congratulations, mariah.

- Way to go, girl.
They're delicious.
- Gordon: Well done.

That was crazy.
Thank you, chef.

My confidence level going
into the next challenge

is nice and high.

And there are
probably some people

who wanted me to go home.

But now
I'm in the top kitchen?

Oh, it's game on.

The second and final dish that
cooked their way to the top,

the ground pork gnudi.

Congratulations, reuel.

You elevated ground pork
to the next level.

Congratulations,
mariah, reuel.

You're starting
at the very top.

- Well done.
- Thank you, chef.

Now there were three
not quite the next level,

but good enough to stay
on the second level.

The first dish is

the double pork chop
and the chutney.

Courtney, well done.

- Thank you.
- Second dish.

Chili relleno.
Congratulations, angie.

Yeah!

Now only one more dish

will go into
the middle kitchen next time.

The rest of you will be headed
to elimination.

I'm worried about going into
the elimination challenge.

I'm feeling proud of myself
for what I have been able to do
in this competition,

but I'm not ready to go home.

I wanna win this thing.

The final dish is...

Only one more dish will go into
the middle kitchen next time.

The rest of you will be headed
to elimination.

The third and final dish is

the tenderloin wontons.

- Good job, tricia.
- You know when those nerves go,

you're unstoppable, okay?

- Great job.
- Thank you, chef.

I might be safe,

but I need to stop shooting
to just survive.

I wanna keep striving
to do my very best.

Mama wang ain't raise
no second place bitch.

Now unfortunately,

that means the pork loin,

the reverse seared center cut,

and the pork belly
stir fry no rice

are all heading
to the basement,

but not before you all face off

in the elimination cook-off.

Sadly, one of you
will be leaving
this competition.

Everyone else,
head to the lift.

- I'm sorry.
- Kenny: The whole point
of this competition

is to go up, you know,
and I'm going backwards.

I do believe
I'm the best chef,

but this right here
is that reality check.

Today's performance
wasn't your best.

Now for tonight's
elimination cook-off,

nyesha, richard, and myself

want to give you all
the very best opportunity
to create a next level dish

because the ingredient
you'll be using is bacon.

Richard will be
in the kitchen with you.

From now on
until we reach the finale,

each of us
will take one turn

overseeing
the elimination cook-off

while the other two
will blindly taste the dishes.

All three of you, good luck.
Head over to the lift.

See you soon.

I was just ( bleep ) here.

I beat out two people.

And then to be in
the elimination again?

It's crazy.

- Cool.
- I'm definitely coming
to kick some ass.

I'm up against two
extremely talented people,

so I have to do everything I can
to stay in this competition.

I got my kids to make proud.

Nothing against
chef pyet and chef ae,

but you're not gonna take
food off my table.

Sorry.

Richard: Okay, everyone,
how are we doing?

Everyone's cooking
for themselves,

but I still want ae,
og team blais,

to win this and pull through.

But I'm impartial as a judge,

and whoever
does make it through,

they have
a big uphill climb ahead

because they'll be
in the basement next time.

30 minutes to cook.
You know the theme. It's bacon.

Here we go. Go time.

Pyet:
I'm hoping to find scallops.

I wanna do
a bacon-wrapped scallop.

I would say that I am
a bit of a scallop queen.

So I have perfected
cooking with scallops.

Richard: Of course,
your dish needs bacon.

And just be mindful,
those scallops are pretty big,

but you don't want to overcook
them in the bacon, okay?

Correct, chef.

Richard:
Kenny with a quick call
right there. I like it.

He's got some cheese,
got some parm, it looks like,

some bacon, some peas.

Hmm, the ingredients sound
pretty familiar, kenny.

You tell me what it is.

- Sweet pea gnocchi.
- Sweet pea gnocchi?

- Oh! That wasn't
what I was thinking.
- Okay. All right.

I was thinking
maybe a carbonara.

Richard: I was thinking
carbonara as well.

It's more on
the cavatelli side.

Oh, you cook how my body likes!

Not a lot of time
to make cavatelli, right?

To bake cavatelli from scratch
is, like, a bold, bold move,

especially in 30 minutes.

I know I would not
be able to do it.

Richard:
What are we thinking over here?

My version of drunken noodles,

but I'm gonna use spaghetti

and get some of
this bacon grease,

make bacon chili oil
out of it.

Okay, are you incorporate
the bacon in another way?

Yes, I'm gonna do
the bacon as a protein.
The bacon is the focus.

- Okay, get going.
Only 30 minutes.
- I'm actually feeling good.

I don't want to focus
on any other protein but bacon.

Other eliminations,
they have said,
"this overpowered this.

You shouldn't have added this."
I was like, "it's gonna be
bacon, bacon, bacon."

- they got a lot of good stuff.
- Classic.

- Ooh.
- There you go, kenny.
Good job, kenny.

When it was teams,
it was a lot louder over here
in the gallery.

- Right, right, right.
- Now that it's everyone
for themselves--

I think everybody's locked in
on their dish.

- Well, I love that.
- Um... ( laughs )

I ain't gonna say ( bleep ).

I'm like,
"every chef for themselves."

ten minutes are down
already, okay?

Have you done this before?

- Yeah, I have, chef.
- Okay, got it.

I'm gonna steer the end
that's folded first

so it kinda create,
like, a crest on it.

Richard: Make it tight and
beautiful. You've got a lot of
elements going on over here.

Yes, chef.
I am hoping and praying

that my scallops
don't overcook

because there's
nothing worse than serving
an overcooked scallop.

I'm also hoping
that my bacon stays crispy

and it doesn't burn.

Kenny, all right,
so you're working peas
into the dough.

I love of that.
You are ambitious
as always, kenny.

That sounds delicious.

It does,
but with your time restraints,
I don't know.

At this point, a good dish
from a great dish,

it's really about precision.

The margins are getting
very, very thin,

and the details,
we're just looking
at every single one.

- Good call, good call.
- Yeah, okay. All right!

Yeah, something smells
like it's burning.

Something smells
like it's burning.
Not sure what it is.

I'm a little bit worried
about her scallops.
Are they gonna be okay?

That's a lot of heat
on scallops.

If this is what makes me
go home, I'll be pissed.

- Angie: We good?
- I don't know.

Angie: Pyet,
are your scallops okay?

Stupid. A stupid mistake.

Mariah: Something smells
like it's burning.

Angie: Pyet,
are your scallops okay?

There are one or two
that didn't come out perfect,

but at this point,
I have to keep moving forward.

And guess what, I've got more.

- You cooked an extra one?
- Yep.

I love it.
Final five minutes.

You gotta be thinking about
what this looks like on a plate.

Gordon and nyesha,
they wanna see three
next level dishes, okay?

Is it good, kenny?

( whistles )

I think it's good.

I have not made cavatelli
from scratch,

but it's game time
at this point.

I cut it small enough

so I don't have to
cook it as long

and get some of that
fluffiness in there.

This is gonna come down
to how well

those scallops are cooked
and how delicious that sauce is.

- I love it. I love it.
- Great.

- If you love it,
they're gonna love it.
- Oh, ae.

Damn, I'd eat that
all day long, ae.

All right, here we go.
How are the drunken noodles?

- It's cool.
- Okay, you got a little
texture over here?

Yes, pine nuts. I have
roasted pine nuts on there.

I like it. I like it.
Get ready to plate soon.

All right, remember visuals.

First impressions
are so important.

Two minutes left to go.
It's go-time!

Oh, my goodness,
that's gorgeous.

- Make it sexy!
- Ae, that looks good.

- Make sure you get all your
bacon on there, right?
- Yep.

All right, brother,
you good now.

- That's it. Perfect.
- I don't think there's
too much bacon.

- Is there too much bacon?
- It's a bacon challenge.

- Richard: 20 seconds left.
- Oh, yes!

Courtney:
Beautiful, pyet. Beautiful.

A lot of confidence over here.

Dude, that looks good.
Gorgeous.

Eight, seven, six, five,

four, three, two, one.

Hands up for high-fives only.

Great job!
Everything looks amazing.

Richard:
Good job, everyone. Good job.

Whoo!

- Nyesha, gordon, welcome.
- Thank you.

Richard: Successful dishes.

Three outstanding cooks,
I'll tell you what.

Nothing was left
on the cutting board.

All three chefs threw down.

Let's start with
the bacon drunken noodles.

Ae:
What I'm confident about
myself is the flavors.

Okay, flavors I got down.

These taste buds,
they dance every day.

There's a beautiful balance
of sweetness,

but the textural elements
are a little bit clunky, right,
with that bacon.

There's a nice heat
coming through there,
those noodles.

I just think all
of the ingredients on there

and I think about
this minimalistic dish,

is it screaming out
next level?

All right,
let's move on to the bacon
with cavatelli and peas.

My only worry is if my dough
had enough time to rest.

That's my only concern
at this point.

So I'm hoping
that the judges see that
I stepped outside the box.

Just to be clear,
was this homemade?

- Yes, homemade cavatelli.
- Nyesha: Wow.

Gordon, I think it's virtually
impossible to hand make
cavatelli in 30 minutes,

so whoever
put this together is bold.

I think the cavatelli could be
a little bit more relaxed,

and that's in the process
of letting it rest.

It needs to be a touch softer,
but it is good.

Nyesha: Visually,
it looks well balanced
on the sauce to pasta ratio,

but I'm trying to find where
maybe some areas of opportunity

could use
a little bit of spice.

All right, finally we have
the bacon wrapped scallops.

- Nyesha: Wow.
- Gordon: Wow. So there it is.
It's glistening.

Salsa needs something
sort of moist in there
'cause it's very textural.

The bacon is
a little touch crispy.

But whoever cooked
those scallops is cooking
with finesse and precision.

To have the balls
to wrap them in bacon,

that's a fine art right there.

For me, I would love visually
to see more herbs in the salsa,

but an amazing flavor coming off
of the purée.

All right, gordon, nyesha,

which dish was the best dish
of the challenge?

Hands down, the scallops
wrapped in bacon.

Nyesha, which dish
was your favorite?

It's very clear to me these
chefs are cooking with love,

and there's one dish
that's sticking out to me,
and I hope it's pyet's.

My favorite dish is

the bacon wrapped scallop.

Well, that dish
was cooked by pyet.

- Gordon: Wow.
- Congratulations.
You're safe.

Thank you. Ooh, ooh!
Pyet's still here.

Very happy that I will
be staying in this competition
to fight another day.

I have to go down
to the basement,

but if I have to climb
my way up, then so be it.

Gordon and nyesha,
I'm gonna ask you to choose

the weakest dish of the night,

the dish of the person
who's gonna be heading home.

The least favorite dish
for me...

Is the drunken noodles.

The deciding factor between
the drunken noodles

and the cavatelli was
there needs to be more effort.

If I give you a plethora
of incredible ingredients,
then let it shine.

Simply based on the idea
of elevating ingredients,

I'm gonna have to as well
go with the drunken noodle
as my least favorite dish.

Unfortunately,
that dish was made by ae.

I'm so proud of what you did,
not just tonight,

not just in
the last elimination,

but during
this whole competition.

Your spirit is genuine
and amazing.

- Your food is delicious.
- Thank you.

I joined this competition
to share my lao culture

and food to the world,
and even our attitude.

Trust me, a lot of lao girls
are feisty, for sure.

Ae, unfortunately,
you will not be
the next level chef.

- Say goodbye to your friends.
- Bye, sweetie.

- I'm so proud of you.
- I'll see you soon.

Chef blais, I adore you.

I'll see you in san diego
for sure.

And I go to your restaurants
all the time,

so hopefully one day
you come say hi to me.

- Bye.
- Bye, guys.

- Gordon: Bye, ae.
- Bye.

Ae: Thank you.

( groans )

now, a warning for everyone.

I hope that you
will all continue to rise up

because your next challenge

is gonna be twice as hard.

- Oh, gosh.
- Good night.

- All: Good night.
- Thank you.

- Good night, chefs.
- Pyet can sneak up on you.

I really wish she went home,
but I'm gonna keep
my eye on her.

Kenny, pyet, well done.

- Yes, chef.
- Thank you, chef.

The goal is to be
on the top floor,

not competing
in an elimination challenge,

and I don't plan on
going back.

- Day one, baby.
- From the bottom to the top.

- Let's go.
- What's twice as hard?

Gordon: Next time
on "next level chef"...

Richard:
Your job is to grab ingredients
from two different countries

and create
an amazing fusion dish.

I am not ready
for today's challenge.

Mariah: Reuel seems like
he's questioning his dish.

I have never felt so lost.

I'm not confident in putting
together a cohesive dish.

- This is not
next level cooking.
- Yes, chef.

Richard:
I think this is the toughest
challenge we've had so far.

Please taste good.
Please taste good.

( coughs )

you're sandbagging me here.

( bleep )

really? This is ( bleep ).