Original subtitles

Gordon: Every great chef started at the bottom

and worked in the toughest kitchens to level up.

So for the first time in 12 years,

I've created a brand new cooking competition.

- Oh, my god. - ♪ rise up

gordon: In a culinary proving ground like you've never seen before.

This is the most challenging culinary gauntlet ever created.

Come on. Next level, I told you.

Because any chef can shine in the best of circumstances.

This is truly a chef's kitchen.

Gordon: Those cooking on the top level will get the first pick of ingredients.

Truffle, baby. Truffle everything.

Gordon: But only a next level chef can make magic in the worst.

If you're down in the basement, you'll have to make do with what's ever left.

What is potted meat? I wouldn't touch this.

Gordon: I'll put my reputation on the line...

- Let's go! - As I go head-to-head with two other stars

in the world of cooking-- chef nyesha arrington...

All right, guys, do not put me in the position to send anyone home today.

Gordon: ...And chef richard blais.

My reputation is on the line as well. I do not want to lose.

Gordon: They are just as hungry as I am

to prove that they can find the next great talent.

Everybody I've mentored in this competition is going into elimination.

This is ( bleep ).

Gordon: The three of us have scoured the country

and handpicked 15 of the\ most promising home cooks,

social media chefs, and talented professionals.

And tonight, it's the draft.

- Come on, guys. - Each of us have one chance to pick five chefs

that we think can take it to the next level.

Would you like to swap teams? Give me an answer.

- Some will rise... - You're on fire.

Gordon: Some will crash and burn.

( bleep )

gordon: But only one can claw their way to the top.

This is...

This is a redemption story.

Gordon: ...The evolution of cooking competitions.

This is not next level cooking.

Oh, my god.

So good to see you all.

- Whoa. - Oh, my gosh.

It's a party.

I don't get starstruck. I'm starstruck three times over.

Welcome to "next level chef."

I promise you all

this will be unlike anything you've ever seen or done before.

So I guess the only question is right now

are you ready to be the next level chef?

- Yes, sir! - Yes, chef!

Now, joining me to take you through this incredible journey

are two extraordinary chefs.

Chef nyesha arrington,

celebrated restaurateur and entrepreneur

whose innovative recipes are featured in publications across the world.

And chef richard blais,

a trendsetting chef with multiple restaurants across the country

and a james beard nominated cookbook.

You 15 have got extremely different backgrounds,

but you have been handpicked out of thousands for the same reason.

We think you've got the skill,

and maybe most importantly, the drive

to take your dreams to the next level.

Yes?

- All: Yes! - All right, yes.

I said you'd be tested as never before

and a big part of that is because of our unique kitchens.

- We don't have one. - What?

We don't have two kitchens. We have three of them.

All stacked on top of each other.

If martha stewart saw those kitchens,

she would ( bleep ) herself.

No way.

Now, listen, on the top level it's a state of the art culinary workspace.

Every modern gadget you could ever dream of

is up there on the top level.

Now in the middle, it's a standard commercial grade kitchen.

Everything you need to make a decent meal. Nothing more, nothing less.

And there's the basement.

It's a kitchen that will definitely test you.

I'd call it bare bones, but that would be nice.

Gordon: Each challenge, the ingredients are first come, first serve,

all delivered by our groundbreaking next level platform.

Those who start cooking on the top level

will get the first pick of ingredients.

If you're in the middle on the second level,

that will become the second choice ingredients.

And if you're down in the basement,

and trust me, we've all been there before...

You'll have to make do with whatever's left on those ingredients.

That all starts tonight.

You'll be cooking one extraordinary next level dish.

And based on what we taste,

nyesha, richard, and I will each choose five of you

to mentor across this incredible competition.

And make no mistake, we're gonna push you,

because each of us are so competitive, and we want to say,

"my team has the next level chef."

any of these three coaches would be incredible,

but chef ramsay, he's hard to impress,

so to be picked by him would be pretty validating.

And in the end, the best chef will win a quarter of a million dollars

and a year of mentorship from the three of us.

- What? - What?

Having access to this wealth of knowledge

would be amazing.

I have a young son, and I wanna leave something behind for him,

but I also want to accomplish my dreams,

and this is a dream of mine.

Now are you ready to get started?

All: Yes, chef.

Let's find out what levels you'll be cooking on.

Let's start with one, two, three, four, five of you

head over to the elevator, pick up a keycard,

and that will determine what floor you're cooking on.

Choose wisely, and good luck.

- Good luck! - Whoo!

- ( overlapping chatter ) - ( bleep )

- level three, level three. - Keep it going. Up, up, up, up.

Please go up! Please go up!

- This is crazy. - Ah! Wait, okay. Okay.

- Okay. - I don't know.

- Oh, oh, oh! - Okay.

- ( screaming ) - hey!

- Okay, I can live with this. - All right.

- Not bad. Not bad. - Okay.

This is chill though. This is chill.

The kitchen looks like the middle floor,

and immediately feel very comfortable.

I'm so ready.

I really want to be on chef arrington's team.

She is a powerhouse in the food industry,

and so I'm hoping that there are some ingredients

that will allow me to be able to create

a delicious dish for her.

Yo, I'm not trying to be down there in that never.

- Right here. Right here. - We got this.

- Whoo! - ( overlapping chatter )

oh, my gosh.

- Come on. - Dude, this literally is a basement.

Oh, my god.

I was expecting oscar the grouch

to start popping out of the trash cans.

Like, it was brutal.

Do we have any blenders?

I'm looking around this basement kitchen, and I don't really see anything.

There's no blenders, there's no food processors.

I see one tiny little sieve, a little hand whisk.

I'm supposed to create a next level dish in this dump?

There's no way chef ramsay's going to pick me.

- Oh. - Oh, my god.

That was a long trip.

- Yes! - Oh, my god!

- Oh, my god. Oh, my gosh. - Top level, baby.

- This is nice. - Hello, fancy water.

I'm seeing, like, high end appliances, a range.

Six different areas, six different ranges? Stovetops?

Burners! That's the word I'm looking for. My home chef is showing.

Oh, these knives are so sharp.

Hey, this knife is dull as can be. Did you guys feel it?

It's like a butter knife.

- The bottom is a mindset. - Yeah.

We're physically at the lower level, but mentally we're at the top.

Lunch is ready.

I'm courtney from atlanta, georgia.

I'm 48 and a home chef.

I have a cookie business now

where I ship cookies anywhere in the world.

I've never been to culinary school,

but I'm as passionate as ever about cooking.

I really wanna be on chef blais' team

because I need stern but still compassionate in-your-face advice.

That will definitely catapult me to another level

that I've not been able to achieve thus far.

Nyesha: Gordon, richard, and I are dividing and conquering in the kitchens

to keep an eye on the chefs today.

I think with the proper mentorship,

anyone can win this competition.

This is exactly what I'm here for,

but what these chefs don't realize

is I'm a badass in the kitchen

and I ain't taking ( bleep ) from no one,

including gordon and richard.

Come on. Let's go.

Oh, my god.

Stand by. That platform's coming down.

Get the smirks off your faces. I'm not ( bleep ) around.

You may be cooking with one of us today,

but that doesn't mean you'll be on our team.

You have to impress all of us.

All: Yes, chef.

- Who is it? - All right, chefs, let's go. Are we ready to go?

- All right, chef. - Just get organized.

Of course, it's a draft, and I'm picking people that inspire me.

I want flavors. Flavor win championships.

This is the real deal.

I wanna beat gordon ramsay.

Nyesha arrington, she's one of the best in the biz.

In about two minutes, your life is about to start changing, right?

So I'm looking for people that bring heat,

spice, acidity, sweet, sour,

that bring everything to one plate.

Oh, somebody's in there. Somebody's in there. Somebody's in there.

- Ah! - Yeah!

I hope each and every one of you

are ready to freaking bring it.

- Yes, chef. - Yes, yes.

Check your ovens. Check your gas.

The platform is on its way.

Bring your a-game. Everybody touching the elevator. Let's go.

- All right. - Yes, chef!

- As soon as you see the light turn green. - Okay.

When you get over there to the platform,

- you've only got 30 seconds to grab those ingredients. - Oh, my gosh.

It's your one and only time to grab ingredients, so choose them wisely.

Now, platform is moving.

- Oh, wow. - That is beautiful.

30 seconds. Let's go!

Ah, I can't run very fast!

Nyesha: Grab your ingredients! Grab what you need!

Need a filet.

- Are there radishes over there? - Nyesha: Time's running out.

- Yes. - Heard, chef.

Oh, my god. Oh, my god. I don't remember who I am anymore.

The platform grab is way more aggressive

than I actually thought it would be.

Whoa. Duck breast.

I see a duck breast, grab it.

Nyesha: Six, five, four...

I have my mind set on some kind of potato purée.

Nyesha: One. Time's up.

30 seconds gone. Platform's gone.

- Aw! - Oh, sheesh.

- All right, chefs, when you see it turn green... - Oh, it's cute!

- Aah! - Go! 30 seconds.

Oh, my god.

You need a bunch of ingredients. Grab everything that you can.

Are you kidding me?

Richard: Make some decisions. Grab some items.

- Chorizo. - Oh, my god. I don't know!

I panic, and I'm starting to grab the first things I see

rather than really look and evaluate everything that I have in front of me.

Corn.

Richard: Three, two, one...

- Garlic. - Garlic.

Ae: If you are in that situation,

that 30 seconds is five seconds, honey buns.

All right.

- Stand by. - Oh, my god.

And let's go! Go, go, go! Come on!

Grab, grab, grab.

Chicken tenders.

So I see cauliflower, grab that cauliflower.

I see some corn. I know I can work with corn.

I see a bell pepper. All right, let's grab a bell pepper.

I don't see any proteins on there.

Gordon: Let's go.

One protein each.

Three, two...

- Oh, just potted meat. - ...One.

Let's go! Go, go, go!

Come on! Let's go!

Grab!

Roice: The platform goes up, and that's when I realize

the proteins were at the top. I just didn't see them.

Chef, I forgot a protein.

Dude.

Then you have to make the best ( bleep ) vegetarian dish you've ever made.

There's no way he's going to pick me to be on his team.

No one's going to pick me.

- Chef. - Yeah?

- I forgot a protein. - Dude.

How could you not grab protein?

Oh, my god.

My worst nightmare is coming true right now.

I forgot the protein in front of my childhood idol.

You have to make the best ( bleep ) vegetarian dish you've ever made.

- Done deal, chef. - Don't ever make that mistake again.

45 minutes. Off you go. Let's go!

This is the first challenge to determine who we want on our teams,

and then I need to see some finesse, I need to see some cleverness.

I need to have that next level chef in my team.

- This is crazy. - Let's do this.

45 minutes, one dish. This is first impressions.

You want to be on team gordon, team nyesha, team blais?

- Now's a good-- - ( all cheering )

richard: Ah, there we go!

Let's go. Let's go.

You better be impressive.

You've had first pick at ingredients.

Oh, my god. My hands are shaking.

Next level dishes here.

Gordon: Down here is the opportunity to impress

with or without protein.

The first time in the basement for these five,

a little bit panicked grabbing those ingredients.

Do I see potential? Absolutely.

Maybe in one or two them. But more importantly,

I've got to keep them away from both my fellow judges.

How are you looking? Looking good?

I can't believe myself though.

Forgot my starch and my veg.

How are we doing, chef?

I'm wonderful. And yourself?

- I can't complain. - What's your name, sir?

- I'm kenny. - Walk me through your dish.

Uh, seeing that I failed to get what I needed,

we're gonna do a duck breast, and I'm gonna do a, uh...

Uh, it'll come to me here any second.

The problem I'm having is I missed some things that were part of my dish.

All we can do is keep going.

You got that side, chef kenny?

I do, chef. We're gonna make this right.

I always have been a fan of chef arrington.

What's your side?

Duck with gastrique?

Yes, ma'am.

She will be a great asset to me,

and I can be a great asset to her team.

Hopefully she picks me.

- I wanna see the best duck you got. - Heard that, chef.

Chefs, seven minutes are gone already, okay?

Ooh, that time goes quick!

Ah!

All right, all right, all right, all right.

- What's your name? - Pyet.

What type of dish are you making?

I'm gonna do a corn purée. I have chorizo here.

- Okay. - I have cabbage. Gonna do a little slaw.

- Big flavors. Big flavors over here. - Yeah.

Going into the team pick,

I have to find people that are showing some inspiration,

people that I can work with, because eventually

they're gonna have to compete on all three levels.

There's no frills in the middle kitchen,

so everyone's gonna have to get very creative with flavor.

If piet can take chorizo and sort of elevate it,

she might be someone I want on team blais.

Now is southwestern cuisine, is that sort of your bread and butter?

Well, I'm a native american, and a lot of what I eat is here.

Chorizo usually isn't a center of the plate protein.

- It isn't. We've gotta make it a star somehow. - Okay.

- 35 minutes to go. - How's everybody doing?

So far, not too bad.

Right, tell me. Where you from?

Brooklyn, new york. Originally from trinidad in tobago.

Got you. And the influence in cooking came from where?

Great grandmother, grandmother, and my dad especially.

Reuel: My name is reuel,

I'm from brooklyn, new york.

I'm 34 years old, and I'm a banquet chef.

My love for food comes from the relationship with my dad.

My dad passed about ten years ago.

He was a cab driver,

but at heart he was definitely a chef.

So when I have a tough day, I just say to myself,

"you're doing what he loves, and you love it too."

all the other mentors are great,

but I really want to be on chef ramsay's team.

I want cooks to know that I'm here for blood.

I want my presence to be felt.

I'm here to earn this.

How are you gonna transform that potted meat into something exquisite?

Stuff that with celery root, and then wrap it with the kale.

Potted meat. Never worked with that before.

But I'm grabbing stuff that people don't want

because I want to stand out.

So this is gonna be a hail mary.

- Is it the next level? - As best as I can, chef.

- First name? - Gary.

Gary, you good?

I've never cooked any of this.

Is that all you got, just peppers and veal?

- And cheese. - And cheese.

- Yeah. - No greens?

No.

- Love it. - No starch?

- I don't know. - Are you okay? You look petrified.

I am.

This is great. Great first impression. Love it.

- Background? - Barbeque.

- So you know how to perfect meat? - Yeah.

You've got a super thin veal cutlet right now to get you to the next level.

- Can you do it? - Yeah.

Let's go. Come on.

You can be taught to become a great chef.

Don't dry out those tenders.

The one thing I want the most

from any chef on my team is hunger.

Come on, gary. You can do this.

I don't think nyesha or richard are picking on those lines.

Cheese, cheese, cheese.

- Oh, come on, chimichurri. - You can do it!

Dude, arborio rice-- does it cook like sticky rice?

A little bit.

Okay, okay, okay. What are we doing? What are we doing?

Are you talking to yourself, ae?

I'm still deciding. I'm deciding what to put--

I talk to myself too, so I get it. I get it.

If I should do the shell in or out, would you give me advice on that one?

Well, normally at some point, I will give you advice,

- but not right now... - Oh, okay.

...Because this is where you are gonna show us

what you're all about.

Today we're gonna be making la papaya salad, okay?

Aka tam maak hoong.

My name is ae, I live in san diego,

and I am lao and proud.

So let's get it popping!

I'm a social media chef with over 350,000 followers.

I'm here to represent umami,

pungency, all that stanky stank food.

So I am hoping to impress chef blais

with my big flavors.

There you have it, guys. Papaya salad.

Hey, they're gonna kick you off the island for that one.

- Chef, how are you? - Doing good, chef.

What dish are you making over here?

So I'm probably gonna do a whole roasted trout

with some sort of zucchini purée.

Zucchini purée I've never heard of before.

Is that something you do a lot?

No, I didn't really grab too well,

- so I'm gonna do the best with what I got. - Okay. Got it.

I am a line cook at a super ritzy country club.

Hey, we need water over here.

In the kitchen, that's one of the only places in the world

I feel, like, naturally confident in myself.

I put in a lot of hard work, so I just know what I'm capable of,

and I'm confident I can make a delicious and excellent dish to impress chef blais.

Oh, yeah.

Just over 30 minutes!

Watch those fingers.

Talk to me about your dish.

So I'm going to make a seared scallop

with a lime curd.

I want you to speak with your chest.

Chef, I also decided to add some toasted sesame

- into the miso cream sauce. - Good job.

In the top level kitchen, these chefs have everything they can possible dream of.

What I'm looking for is a chef that can listen and learn.

Make it reality, yes?

- Heard. - All: Yes, chef.

Devonnie: Oh. Medic. I cut myself.

Do I wanna have a cut right now in the middle of a cook?

- Absolutely not. - Medic!

I'm embarrassed because chef arrington is right there,

and I really wanna be on chef arrington's team.

It's definitely panic mode.

Oh. It's not great.

Devonnie: I cut myself. I need a medic.

Medic, over here.

- You all right, dee? - I wasn't paying attention.

This is not a place to play.

- If you want to win this... - I gotta bring it.

...You have to bring your focus and attention, yes?

- I gotta bring it. Yes, chef. - You can do it.

Watching these chefs cook, it's apparent that some chefs

need a little bit more work.

- Can you continue? Okay. - Yes, for sure.

But at this point in the competition,

there are no teams,

and I'm not sure I want someone on my team

who does not work well under pressure.

You are just over 20 minutes, guys.

- Heard, chef. - Bring it home.

Come on, this second floor's not bad.

No, it's not! It's not!

It's nicer than a lot of restaurants I worked in.

Richard: You ready for the next level

even if that next level's down below?

Yes, chef.

Gordon: Make these dishes elevated.

Let's not let any piece of equipment stand in our way.

- Yes, chef. - Yes, chef.

- It's too dull, man. - You got this.

- Right, first name? - Courtney.

Now tell me about the dish. Where are we going with this? You got the chicken tenders.

I'm literally going to pan sear this on both sides.

And then I'll get my sauce going, and I'll put them back in the sauce

- so they can-- yeah. - Sounds good.

14 minutes to go. Now, first name is?

- My name is angie, chef. - Angie, where are you from?

- I'm from lubbock, texas. I grabbed the lamb loin. - What did you grab?

- I'm surprised that's down here. - Yeah. Okay.

- I'm surprised that didn't get stolen on the top floor. - Yeah, I agree.

I would really like to impress chef ramsay,

but at the same time, I'm not classically trained.

I am a home chef.

I'm like, I hope he doesn't know I'm the fraud.

- So, lamb loin. - I'm making a kale salad to put the steak on.

- Is it wilted kale salad or is it gonna be actually raw? - It's massaged.

- Oh, boy. - So you got pork steak.

Looked almost like a shoulder cut, didn't it?

- It did. - Yeah.

And then you got fennel apples. That's a...

A fennel and apple salad with a citrus-y vinaigrette.

- Where are you from? - I'm from alabama.

They're not putting fennel in slaw in alabama usually.

Not usually, no.

I'm jonathan. I'm from columbiana, alabama.

I'm a science camp coordinator and a home cook.

On a lot of Friday nights,

my driveway becomes kind of a little restaurant.

It's about building community

and food being a thing that brings you together.

I have a lot to prove in this competition.

I'm a home cook going in with professionals,

and I've gotta prove that, you know,

we've got a lot to offer just being home cooks.

But I understand flavor and I know how to cook.

I'm gonna apply all of those things and hopefully stick to my southern roots.

And I think that could be what wins me this competition.

Have you ever cooked with this type of pork steak?

- Yes, sir. - Okay.

- A lot of fat, a lot of flavor in there. - A lot of flavor. Yes, sir.

- All right, keep going. - Thank you so much.

12 1/2 minutes left, chefs,

and the whole time you're thinking about how can I be the next level chef?

Oh! Hot pan.

- How's the rice over there? It's a tough rice to cook. - It is.

I thought it would be very cute to do an herb-y shrimp bowl

because I had gotten dill and parsley as well.

But then of course, life happens, right?

I overcooked the rice, and I'm like, "what do I do?"

yeah, I'm gonna do a curry sauce.

And I create a shrimp curry bowl.

And I'm trying to be sneaky, you know?

Like, let's just make the curry sauce a little thick

and do it over the rice and try to hide the rice a little bit.

I'm so ( bleep ).

Do you wanna just cook it right off the grill

and then go right to the plate with it or...

I'm gonna let it rest for a few minutes,

and then maybe slice it against the grain

since it's kind of a tough cut of meat.

All right. You know what's up.

- It's real life now, chefs. - Whew!

On the middle floor, there's no room for mediocrity.

Being a leader, being a restaurateur,

it's about finding great people,

and I do that better than anyone.

And I'll be honest, I've got my eyes on a few chefs.

- How are you feeling, sir? - I'm feeling good, man.

I changed recipe, like, ten times, and I'm on the money.

Do you always cook your fish at this temperature?

I just wanna flash a little bit.

And we have an amazing array of tools here.

One might be a fish spatula.

Yep, nope. You're right. You're right.

Sometimes, yeah. I might be, huh?

You love those tongs, my friend.

Love them.

- The fish doesn't love them though. - I know.

Nyesha: I spent two years working a three-star michelin restaurant,

and as a 20-year veteran in cooking,

I'm not looking for someone who does not have the ability to adapt and learn.

Sergio's cooking with ego.

Honestly, I'm not sure I want someone like that on my team.

Two minutes, guys! Start plating!

Whoo! This is not like cooking at home.

Bring it home.

Richard: Have you tasted everything?

Is it good enough to get gordon, nyesha,

or myself to choose you for our teams?

Gordon: 60 seconds to go.

Whoo! That looks good, gary.

Gordon: Focus, guys.

Here comes the platform.

Oh, ( bleep ). I'm not ready to go, but at this point

this is my one time to impress the mentors.

Gordon: Remember, our food goes on the bottom tier.

- Stop breaking! - Gordon: Come on.

Five, four, three, two, one.

- Good job, guys. - Man!

Chefs, you have 15 seconds to get your plate on the platform now.

Whoo! It's there!

Richard: You gotta put it on a charger. You gotta put it on the charger.

I'm not impressed.

Richard: Five, four, three, two, one.

Whoo! Yes!

Nyesha: It's here. Platform's here, guys.

Sergio, 15 seconds.

Plates on the platform, let's go!

Focus! Let's go, sergio!

Time's ticking away. Five, four, three, two.

Let's go! That platform's not waiting for you!

Get on that, serg. Get on it. Come on, serg!

( overlapping chatter )

- oh, no! - Oh, no!

Serg.

Richard: Now that you've cooked your next level dish,

it's time for us to taste them so we can decide who we want on our team.

For me, I think it's about transforming ingredients,

when you take something very basic and reinvent it and make it amazing.

To me, I'm looking for that magic moment,

that one bite that combines technique with creativity

and just ultimate flavors.

Looking across these dishes, there's some real clear standouts.

- Shall we taste? - Nyesha: Absolutely.

- Richard: Let's go - let's start with the top floor.

Let's try the duck first.

Kenny: Like, my stomach is at my feet.

My first dish, my first shot at $250,000,

I'm serving chef ramsay duck and gastrique.

There's hardly anything on there.

- No veg? - No veg.

- No starch. - Nyesha: No starch.

( sighs ) this is not a good look.

Gordon: Why's it so sweet?

Nyesha: Great question, chef.

That's very strange.

Every mouthful I take across these dishes

I'm planning my strategy.

I gotta be very coy

and not give too much away to nyesha and richard.

Some of the most important comments I'm keeping up here.

Let's go for the sea bass.

Skin not seared.

Yeah. So, inside is cooked beautifully.

- It's gorgeous. - Yeah, but the skin is so soft.

- Veg is cooked well. - I can spot brilliance a mile away,

but I can taste it instantly,

and that sea bass was cooked beautifully.

That's what I need on my team.

How did they cook this thing? Oh, dear.

- Overcooked. Damn. - Nyesha: Wow.

- Salmon. - What cook in their right mind

would cook a skin nice and crispy and then dunk it in a purée?

It's almost like you're trying to hide it.

- Yeah. - It looks a little dark too.

Nyesha: Very under-seasoned.

- Wow. - Okay, scallops.

Gordon: That is minimalistic, right?

Nyesha: Very minimalistic.

I am definitely hoping I'm selected by chef ramsay.

He is one of my biggest inspirations for becoming a chef.

- Great sear. - The scallop is cooked really, really nice.

Yeah. I didn't watch any of you cook on the top floor,

but I've definitely spotted some great potential for my team.

- Right. Should we move to the middle floor? - Sure.

Gordon: What is this? A chorizo?

A chorizo. This is, like, a corn purée.

Almost like a fresh corn grits.

Chorizo, not exactly a high end cut. Tough to work with.

The fact that it was that dry means it was really overcooked too.

Mm. These guys are bagging on that chorizo dish,

but the spice with the sweetness, it danced in my mouth,

and I think this is a sleeper dish right here.

- Trout? Tough one. - Bold. Whole fish cooking. I respect it.

What's the purée?

Richard: Zucchini brown butter purée.

- Nyesha: Oh, beautiful. - Mmm.

- There's some heat in there as well. - Nyesha: Oh, wow.

This is interesting.

All right, so we got a skirt steak with some farrow

and some brussels and a spinach chimichurri.

Steak is stunning.

That is exactly what that steak's supposed to taste like.

You can tell it was cooked at the perfect time.

- Right, what's this? - So we got a pork steak right here.

Uh-huh. It's cooked beautifully. Man, the rub's good.

The rub's good. The steak is cooked well.

- It's a tricky cut. - Very well-balanced.

Gordon: In these dishes I'm looking for flair, restraint,

but more importantly, every mouthful, I wanna taste passion.

Now, whoever cooked that pork steak

has that flair I'm looking for.

Hopefully richard or nyesha doesn't snatch them up.

It's shrimp, right?

We have a shrimp and rice bowl using arborio rice

and turmeric-based curry.

That's not arborio rice. That's overcooked rice.

Who the hell am I to think I could hide my rice from chef ramsay, huh?

- We could've done more with the rice. - Seems like an afterthought.

Second floor kitchen, guys, I'm sorry.

I'm kinda hoping that no one realizes

that there's a delicious curry there.

They're definitely things that I'm not talking a lot about that I love.

Basement. Right, let's start off with potted meat.

So this is done with layers of celery root confit

wrapped in large kale leaves.

Richard: I mean, replace the potted meat with some venison,

- I've seen this in one of your books, chef. - This is crazy.

- Cheesy grits. - Bloody hell.

Making a stand-out dish from the basement is really what this competition's about.

I know we're all thinking we want whoever made that dish on our team.

Chicken tenders.

Richard: A little too much on the rosemary,

but I'm happy with the cook on the chicken tenders.

I just don't know if you put a rosemary cream sauce with pickled cucumbers. Sorry.

Right, so this individual forgot to pick up a protein.

So he turned it into a vegetarian

cauliflower steak purée and little florets.

You know we've got no blenders down there,

- so that's hand puréed. - Wow.

Cauliflower's having a moment, and I'm having a moment with that dish.

This cauliflower dish, to me it was the most beautiful visual dish.

I need whoever cooked this on my team.

I just have to make sure gordon and nyesha don't pick them before I do.

Now this protein I didn't expect to see in the basement,

the loin of lamb.

How did the top and second floor miss that one?

How does it go down to the basement? A gift!

Okay, I'm dying to see how that lamb's cooked.

Look at that. That's beautiful.

- Oh, my gosh. Gorgeous. - Nyesha: Seasoned nicely.

- That, ma'am, is delicious. - This is impressive coming from the basement.

You have these mentors tasting your food and smiling.

I could've it all ended there and I would be so happy.

Gordon: One of the most minimalistic dishes.

This individual grabbed three ingredients.

- Nyesha: Wow. - But that looks good.

- Beautiful. - Shall we get in?

So delicate. There's a cheese sauce and a schnitzel.

Guys, the three ingredients is elevated, right?

I mean, that shows you what you can do with three ingredients.

- Totally. - Yeah.

Oh, my god. I'm on cloud nine

because they actually liked this dish

that has almost nothing on it!

Gordon: Right, let's be honest.

I think we can all agree there's some hits

and there's some misses, but I know I've tasted enough

to start choosing my team to be mentored.

Yeah. Chef, I think we may want some of the same people here.

Okay, nyesha, first pick. Off you go.

Gordon, since this is your brainchild,

I believe you should get first pick.

- Really? - I do. It's fair.

Gordon: I'd love that.

On the back of that tasting,

there is a dish that hands down is somewhat surprising.

They were dealt a dysfunctional card.

My first pick on team ramsay is...

My first pick on team ramsay is that processed meat.

Reuel, come here.

- Congratulations. - Appreciate it.

- Welcome to team ramsay. - Thank you.

Get ready to work.

Like, I wanna scream right now, honestly speaking.

I want to pick up a phone and call my dad.

And I just want to be like, "yo, dad, I got picked first."

pops, you would be proud 'cause he was a good cook too.

- How are you feeling? - ( bleep ) ecstatic. Emotional.

Young man, let me tell you, that for me is next level.

- Congratulations. - Thank you, chef.

Good job, big boy. Good job.

Okay, nyesha, these are the teams we're gonna be stuck with all season,

so this is the most important choice we'll make to the very end.

- Here we go. - Kenny: Chef arrington,

she was on the top floor mentoring me.

I want her to continue to mentor me.

The way she moves, her drive,

nothing stops chef arrington.

- I want that. - Be careful here, whatever you choose.

- Because? - Because I don't want you to pick who I'm trying to get.

So this team pick is extremely high stakes, right?

I want the next level chef on my team.

The trout zucchini brown butter purée.

Step forward. Who cooked this dish?

- What's your name, sir? - Zach. Nice to meet you.

- Zach, nyesha. Pleasure. - The pleasure's mine.

Welcome to team nyesha.

- Thank you. Appreciate it. - Good job.

Good job.

Don't let me down, zach!

Never, chef.

- Great job. - Appreciate it.

- Richard, first pick. - All right.

My first pick right here, the sauce was outstanding.

The technique was precise.

Richard blais, he has restaurants in san diego,

and I'm a san diego girl. So I'm, like, loyalty.

I wanna be on chef blais' team for sure.

Richard: That dish also just happened to be cooked on my floor.

The skirt steak. Welcome to team blais, mariah.

( bleep )

- thank you so much, chef. - Great job.

- You're gonna bring it, right? - Yes, sir.

That chimichurri, if you're doing that sort of sauce work

all season long, look out.

I was looking at that one.

- This is tough. - Very.

But there was one protein tonight that was seared beautifully.

Step forward whoever cooked those scallops.

- Oh! - Good job, girl.

- First name? - Tricia.

How many times have you cooked scallops?

This is my second time, chef.

- You've only cooked scallops twice? - Yes, chef.

What do you do for a living?

I stream on twitch my cooking, chef.

What the ( bleep ) is twitch?

A livestream platform, chef.

Young lady, they are seared top and bottom to absolute utter perfection.

- Thank you, chef. - I just wanna say welcome to team ramsay.

Thank you, chef.

I still can't believe chef ramsay picked me.

I'm so--just so happy.

- I'm at a loss for words. - You did good. You did good.

Pick anyone you want, gordon. I'm still gonna beat you.

All right, chefs, my turn.

Second choice,

I'm going to go with this chorizo dish.

Wow.

- What's your name, chef? - Pyet. Pyet.

- Pyet, pleasure. - Thank you. Thank you, chef.

Welcome to team nyesha. Bring it.

- I will. I got you, girl. - Got you too.

- ( muted chatter ) - wow, this is tough.

Because there's a couple of plates out here that I want on my team,

and I would hate to pass someone

and not get them later in the game.

The dish I want for team blais is...

...The pork steak.

The pork steak.

- Oh, wow! - Yeah!

- Welcome to the team, jonathan. - Thank you, chef.

- I appreciate it. Thank you. - Welcome to the team.

- No. - There is no way ( bleep ) way

I'm letting blais or nyesha get one over me.

Jonathan, do you wanna take this?

Come on! Careful, jonathan.

Yes or no? Would you like to swap?

Yes or no?

Richard: This is a breach of etiquette.

Gordon is gordon ramsay.

He has, you know, how many hundreds

of millions of followers.

I want to work with gordon ramsay!

But that's not fair.

- Uh-- - oh, my god.

Give me an answer.

Would you like to swap? Yes or no?

Uh--

- don't, don't. - Give me an answer.

Jonathan, yes.

He picked me first.

He said I picked him first, gordon.

- He picked me first. He believes in me. - He's a man of integrity.

Jonathan: That's a tough decision. I mean, it's gordon ramsay.

I firmly believe you've gotta stick with the people who believed in you first.

You can just leave people for something shiny that comes along.

This next pick is gonna shock you all.

Step forward the person who forgot to pick up a protein.

- Oh, no. - Oh, come on now.

Good stuff, man.

Roice, this dish is absolutely stunning.

Welcome to team ramsay.

- Thank you, chef. - Come on, roice.

- Whoo! - Thank you.

Everyone's name's getting called, you know, one by one.

I'm just wondering why I haven't been picked.

This is starting to upset me.

Okay, I'm going to go with the lamb.

- Ooh. - Wow.

- Thank you so much. - Name?

- I'm angie. Yeah. - Angie, pleasure.

- Welcome to team nyesha. - Thank you.

Okay, I'm going with the chicken fried schnitzel on team blais.

- Yes, gary. - The schnitzel.

Good job, gary.

- Come grab your apron. - Thank you.

Tuck the beard under it.

- Who cooked the striped bass? - Oh, girl.

- First name? - Devonnie.

Welcome to team ramsay.

Amber, step forward please.

Aw.

- Welcome to team nyesha. Good job. - Thank you.

And texas is not gonna let me back

- if I cook a steak like that again. - Let's go, chef.

You stole one from me. That was my next pick right there.

I am going with the shrimp curry.

- Yes! - Good job.

- Welcome to the team. - Thank you!

Last pick.

Is it strategy in terms of who do I dump

on richard and nyesha's team,

or do I pick someone that needs help?

The person who cooked this duck, step forward.

You guys in trouble.

- Kenny! - Kenny!

- Can you do better than this? - Absolutely.

- Prove it to me, kenny. - Yes, sir.

- Welcome to team ramsay. - Appreciate it.

Gordon: Yes, kenny messed up that platform grab,

but that duck was cooked beautifully.

Every person I've chosen for my team, I can see something special,

and it's my job now to bring it all together.

Nyesha, last pick.

- Who do you want, chef? - You know what dish I want.

I want the chicken tenders.

Super tough.

It's a very tough choice.

The competitive side of me

wants to definitely take courtney away from richard.

But the mentor side of me

wants to take sergio the whole way.

I know he needs it.

I watched this gentleman cook

and almost had a little bit of an arrogance.

As this is a mentorship competition,

I'm gonna see this through.

- Sergio, step forward. - Wow.

- Good job, sergio. - I wanna know if you're ready

to humble yourself and receive information.

- 100%. - Can you tell me--

a little over my head. 100%, I'm open to learn.

Listen, when I'm speaking, I need you to listen to me.

- Okay? 'cause I'm not speaking in vain. - Yes, chef.

- Swallow your pride. Let's go. - Ready to learn. Thank you.

Awkward!

I'm going with the chicken tenders.

- What's your name? - Courtney.

- Courtney, do you follow sports at all? - I do follow sports.

Tom brady was drafted, like, 199th.

He's one of the greatest athletes of all time.

Welcome to team blais. We're gonna do this.

- Thank you. - Congratulations.

- Gordon: Wow. - Come on.

To be selected last, you have to claw your way back up.

I'm going to cook my ass off

every single day from here on out.

Your dreams right now are within your reach.

You just need to level up and grab them.

Who is the next level chef?

- All: Me! - Let's go!

Right, all of you, get some rest.

I promise you you're gonna need it. Good night.

You guys are done for. Trust me.

I don't know what you're talking about.

I picked a killer team.

These two, they're not gonna know what hit them

when we get to the next challenge.

Honestly, like, it kinda worked out like a master plan for me.

- I got the squad. Aww, come on. Here we go. - I've got my winner.

Next time, on "next level chef"...

You each have an amazing mentor,

but tonight, one of you will be leaving the competition.

- Was that a protein? - A gift from the heavens!

- Oh, I love that sizzle! - ( bleep )

- I just burnt the sauce. - Anything can happen, and it's happening.

You'll be sent into a head-to-head battle

- to determine who's going home. - What is happening?

Everything you put on that plate is worth a quarter million dollars. Come on!

Time to bring the heat.