All language subtitles for Next.Level.Chef.S01E09.1080p.WEB.h264-BAE

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

It's time
to remove those aprons.

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

Teams are no longer existing.

You will be placed on a level
based off of your performances.

Gordon: For the next challenge,
there were only two dishes

that were good enough
to make it to the top.

Our bottom dishes are all
heading to the basement,

but not before you all face off
in the elimination cook-off.

Richard:
Gordon and nyesha, I'm gonna ask
you to choose the weakest dish.

- Gordon: Drunken noodles.
- I'm gonna go have to go
with the drunken noodles

as my least favorite dish.

Unfortunately, ae, you will
not be the next level chef.

Tonight...

Your job is to grab ingredients
from two different countries

and create
an amazing fusion dish.

I am not ready
for today's challenge.

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.

( spits )

your sandbagging me here.
( bleep ) hell.

Really?
This is ( bleep ).

Welcome back.
Line up, please.

Throughout this competition,
we've challenged you
to think fast, work hard,

get better, and show us
your real love for food.

Now listen, after mentoring you
here for so many weeks,

it's been a thrill
for the three of us

to finally watch you cook
on your own now,

and we couldn't be more proud
of those of you

who have rose up a level
based on your amazing dishes.

It was also a little frustrating
to watch some of you

because we're still seeing
a lot of untapped potential.

Now's the time to step up
and level up.

The next level chef must be able
to master cuisines

from around the world.

Fusion has become a staple
in the culinary world,
let me tell you.

So for today's challenge,

you'll have 40 minutes to create
an amazing fusion dish.

When the platform drops,
you'll find ingredients

representing
14 different countries.

Each country will be represented
by a basket of ingredients

native to that country.

Your job is to grab ingredients
from two baskets

and combine them to create
an amazing fusion dish.

Courtney:
This is a tough one.

You are going to have to be
extremely creative

to make fusion work.

As you know, where you cook
is determined by how you cook.

And based on your dishes
across that previous challenge,

mariah and reuel will cook
in that top level kitchen today.

In the middle,
courtney, angie, and tricia.

And our survivors
of the elimination,

pyet and kenny,
you'll be down in that basement.

This is your opportunity
to take our palates

on a trip around the world.

Mariah, reuel,
take a keycard on the right

and head up to that top level.

Gordon: Two countries.
Good luck.

Is there anything you want me
to look out for you?

I don't know what
reuel's trying to do.

Is there a particular genre?

- No.
- I'm not here to screw you.

We're not working in groups
no more.

There's $250,000 on the line.

I've known people for ten years
I don't trust.

I just met you in this elevator.

If you're looking for anything
in particular, I will definitely
call it out for you.

I'm good.

What country y'all want?

I want texas and mexico.

Angie:
I've made it through
each challenge

and I've never been
to elimination.

As a home cook,
nobody treats me like a threat.

I think I'm gonna go
for this one over here.

And when I win,
I want them to go,

"where the ( bleep )
did she come from?"

honey, we're home.

- All right. We are here.
- Mm-hmm.

This is not where
I'm supposed to be.

Unfortunately,
the last challenge,

I didn't perform,
so here I am.

This is one ugly pot.

Time to get my ass
where I belong, which is
on that top level.

- Can't say I've
missed this place.
- Mm-hmm.

- All right, blais' basement.
- For sure.

Let's go.
How we feeling, chefs?
We feeling good?

We feeling good, chef.
Time to make magic.

- Chef arrington!
- Boom, boom!

- How are you today?
- I'm wonderful. How are you?

- I'm great.
- How are we feeling?

- Good, chef.
- Excellent.

I want to put my type
of cuisine on the plate.

Hoping for a japanese
inspiration today?

- Yes.
- Excellent, excellent.

If reuel doesn't get it first.

I can't say
I'm super experienced

with fusion cuisine,

but I have cooked a lot
of japanese food.

I'm hoping to god, "please,
let me have the japan basket."

that would just make everything
so perfect.

- Right, we good? Mariah?
- Yes, chef.

You saw what it means
to cook in eliminations.

- Yes, chef.
- You gotta stay out of them.

I haven't been
in the elimination round yet,

and I'm not planning
to be there.

So I'm just hoping
something comes my way
that's within my background

so I can be like,
"okay, I have the tools.

Let's elevate this
as best as possible."

all right, everyone,
let's line up on the back rail.

We're gunning for it.
Make sure there's
a clear path to success.

All: Yes, chef.

Two amazing countries,

one next level dish, please.

They'll be a basket there
with a protein. Grab that.

Reuel: I'm at the platform.

I'm looking for
a caribbean island.

The flags kinda
threw me off a bit,
and then I see japan.

I recognize that flag.
Let me grab that.

Mariah: I see thailand
with some beautiful
red spotted prawns,

so I grab that basket.

This is gonna be easier,

because I don't
have to manually grab
each ingredient.

I'm just grabbing a basket.
So I'm like, "okay,
I got this in the bag."

gordon: Then go back
for the second country.

Ten, nine, eight.
Come on, guys!

You'll be in the elimination!

I grab mexico because I see
some chili peppers in there,

and I know that would really
compliment the spotted prawns

- from the thai basket.
- Gordon: You've got it, yes?

- Reuel:
I'm running out of time.
- Gordon: Grab one. Grab one.

Before the platform goes,
I grab the basket
in front of me.

Spain. Spain and japan.

That's gonna be tough.

- Here it comes.
- Okay.

Here it comes, ladies.

- Go!
- ( indistinct chatter )

quick, grab two countries.

Oh, my god.

I'm circling the platform.
There's no japan at all.

Nyesha: One protein
and one additional box.

There's France up there.

I don't really want it,
but I don't know the other ones,

- so I take it.
- A protein.
I've gotta get a protein.

I see veal.
I haven't done veal yet.

It's Italy.
I can do Italy in my sleep.

15 seconds left, guys.

I have a strong italian
influence from my dad's side,

and I have
a strong german influence
from my mom's side.

So I see that cabbage,
I see that mustard,

and I'm like,
"oh, yes. Germany it is."

ooh.

Very familiar
with indian cooking,
so I pick that up.

Ten, nine, eight...

I'm trying to figure out, "okay,
what goes well with india?"

and I settle on vietnam.

Three, two...

Second basket, I pick greece.
What is french and greek fusion?

- One!
- Excuse me.

Let's go, basement!

I see the steak
on top of brazil,

and I'm thinking,
"yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

Your girl got a good protein."

kenny: I'm shopping
on the clearance rack,

so I grab china.

Richard:
So you got one protein,
one additional box.

I see the israel box,
and I'm feeling very confident

because I'm very familiar with
both brazil and israel cuisines.

So I'm hoping I can balance
these flavors together.

Richard: Three, two, one.

How we doing?
You got whatever's left.

Kenny: So I get my wok up.

I've yet to see a chinese/
moroccan fusion restaurant.

I'm gonna be honest. I am not
ready for today's challenge.

Okay, basement,
your 40 minutes starts now.

Let's go, p, baby.

40 minutes.
Make it count, baby.

Two amazing countries,
one beautiful dish,

and two talented chefs
down here.

There's a lot of pressure
being the mentor
in the basement now

because you want to help your
cooks get to the next level.

Pyet and kenny,
they're not from team blais,

but they will directly benefit
from some good mentorship.

So I want pyet and kenny
to get out of the basement now.

Now remember, the first part
of the cook is where
you should be focusing, right?

Formulating a path.

Then leave yourself time
on the back end
to self-edit, critique.

- That needs salt.
- Let's get, get, get it.

40 minutes to, a,
create a next level dish,

but more importantly,
combine two countries
into one, yes?

- Yes.
- Yes, chef.

Don't overcomplicate
those dishes.

This challenge
is all about fusion.

Balancing those amazing flavors
can be incredibly difficult,

but I'm looking for
the next level creative idea.
What have you got?

- Oh, I got Spain.
- So you got Spain?

And japan, so you're doing
a spanish influence across
a japanese influence.

You got a tough one there.
And the protein
is that hamachi, right?

- Hamachi.
- Hamachi. Amazing.

And what's the base
of this dish?

- What's the broth, the sauce?
- Um...

I was trying to figure out
what I wanted to do exactly.

Reuel seemed a little sweaty.

He seems like he's questioning
his dish a little bit.

And what's the starch?
How are you gonna build
this dish out?

Um...

- I'm not sure yet.
- Not sure yet.

Reuel:
Throughout this whole journey,

I've been consistent.
Always up.

And now I'm here.

I have never felt so lost.

So how's the dish
coming together in terms of--

- I'm not sure yet.
- Not sure yet.

Bringing two countries
into one plate really does test
the individuals.

Reuel may be one of
the strongest competitors here,

but this challenge could send
him straight down to the bottom
if he can't figure it out.

So the secret here is
not to use all the ingredients.

It's combining the influences
and bringing that spanish
influence across the japanese.

I'm just gonna do what I do.
Cook.

Hamachi needs to be seared.
Soba needs to be cooked.

I need some sort of broth.
I have bok choy.

Let's start cooking
like I'm used to.

Gordon: Don't allow
that fusion to clash.

Right, mariah.
What did you grab?

- Thai?
- Yes.

- And? Mexico.
- Mexico.

So the protein,
what's the protein?

- My protein are red prawns.
- Beautiful.

I'm gonna do a thai style soup
with influence of mexico.

Good.

I'm making a grilled
red spotted prawn
thai coconut curry soup

topped with
crispy tortilla strips,

some corn with poblano pepper
for my mexican influence.

I need to merge these
successfully

because I gotta stay
in this kitchen.

Like,
I gotta avoid elimination,

so I need to my dish
to be on top.

So five minutes gone.
Just under 35 minutes to go.

Nyesha:
How you doing, chef angie?
What are you thinking, chef?

- I mean, I got great stuff.
- You have great ingredients.
Yes, you do.

Angie: Oh, my god.
I'm just in heaven.

My european ass grabbed Italy
and germany.

I saw you went straight
for that. I said,
"I know where she's going."

I'm italian and german,
so I'm like, "me!"

nyesha:
What's the game plan, chef?

I'm thinking I've got
lots of great ingredients

for a really yummy
veal parmesan.

- Nyesha: Yes.
- I'm gonna make
a veal schnitzel

and a creamy parmesan polenta
with a sauerkraut slaw on top.

- Okay.
- I've never had so much stuff!

Nyesha:
I'm extremely proud of angie.

She's blossoming.
Look, I have to say,

I think she's a dark horse
in this competition.

- Oh, that's a fork.
- Tell me your plan.

So you want to clarify
the butter?

Yes. Sear the duck breast.
Create a gastrique
with the champagne.

I grabbed France and greece.

I'm thinking perhaps I'll make
a seared duck breast

with a celeriac and pea purée

and hopefully make some type
of olive pastry
that you could dip.

Yeah, a gastrique
would be beautiful.

- With the duck.
- With the duck breast.

Makes sense.
Sort of french inspiration.

Tricia:
With the béarnaise sauce,

I'll use the feta cheese, the--

- béarnaise?
- Yeah, béarnaise.

So you have gastrique
and a béarnaise?

- Yes.
- You cannot serve a dish
that has fat on fat.

You're not gonna pair two things
that are very fatty.

- Yes, chef.
- You know what I mean?
Why do you need the béarnaise?

- So gastrique then.
- I think that's smart,
chef, personally.

Chef arrington is not super sure
about my béarnaise sauce.

Quite honestly,
I'm not super sure about
my béarnaise sauce as well,

but I cannot think up
for the life of me

any other sauce I know
at this moment.

I'm just kind of hoping
that whatever I put
on the plate works well.

I was definitely
hoping for that japan basket,
I'm not gonna lie.

Richard: All right,
30 minutes remain.

There's 30 minutes left
in the cook.

You definitely gotta have
one or two of your elements

sort of going here.
All right, pyet.

How is this dish brazilian
and israeli?

So I'm gonna do
a pan seared steak.

I'm gonna make a little tahini
and date sauce.

It smells like your food.
It smells like your kitchen,
you know what I mean?

It is. Cooking like
I'm cooking for my family
right now, chef.

Richard:
Who are you cooking for?

Native-american people
around the country.

You know,
there are a lot of people

from where I come from
that would love to have
an opportunity to do this

and to even just cook
for these mentors,

so I have to
remind myself of that

and really bring all of those
emotions and those feelings

to the forefront when
I'm in the kitchen cooking.

All right, kenny,
china and morocco.

- Morocco.
- So what are you thinking?

You got some spices
working right here.

I'm gonna do
a pork fried rice basically.

So it's gonna be a pomegranate
glazed tenderloin.

A pork fried rice?
That's very chinese.

What else was in that basket
from morocco?

I got couscous,
I got preserved lemons which--

- you got couscous?
- Yes, chef.

When you said pork fried rice,

I was thinking
pork fried couscous.

You can't sound more fusion.

Heard.
Gotta execute today, baby.

- Yeah, you gotta execute.
- Yes, chef.

All right, that's moving, bruh.
Mid-way challenge.

Kenny:
Gotta be a twist, right?

What does every country need
across their cuisine?

Fresh herbs!

Reuel:
I don't want anything else.

Keep it up there.
Keep it all the way up there.

I'm still trying
to figure out my dish.

Flat leaf parsley,
fresh mint, oregano.
Be smart. Thai basil.

Come on. And it's gone.
Say goodbye. Hurry up!

- Hurry up!
- Damn it.

Ladies, platform's here!
Fresh herbs.

Grab your fresh herbs.

Nyesha:
So the mid-round drop is herbs.

It sounds easy, but this
being a fusion challenge,

you have to choose herb
based on the region
that you're cooking.

Is this tarragon?

Nyesha: I want that fragrance
in the dishes, ladies!

If you choose the wrong herb,
it's gonna throw your dish
off completely.

- Ah, this is good one.
- All right, everyone,
here comes the drop.

You gotta grab some herbs.
Fresh herbs.

Take what you need
for your dish.
You gotta grab at least one.

I'm so happy because
every single challenge

I somehow forget
to grab an herb.

Three, two, one.
Thank goodness.

I was really happy about that.

The cilantro,
you knew that was coming.

I got some thai basil.

And you got some basil. Okay.

25 minutes left.
Only 25 minutes.

- Mentally, we're editing.
- What's the game plan, chef?

I grabbed india,
and I grabbed vietnam.

So I'm gonna do
a chicken curry, I'm pretty
sure some kind of purée.

This is the second time
we're seeing curry.

But different.
Different type of curry.

- How so?
- Because I have
fresher ingredients...

- Yes.
- ...Versus just the spices.

Nyesha: Excellent.
I'm gonna pull your butter off.

- It's ready to go, okay?
- Oh, yes, chef.

The clarified butter
is also for my béarnaise.

- So you are making
a béarnaise sauce?
- Yes, chef.

I don't know if it's because
I'm not tricia's original mentor

that she's not taking my advice,

but I want to see her
do her best.

Tricia is cooking
from a place of fear,

and it's going to end up
in the death of a dish.

Don't overcomplicate.
You don't need too many
components, okay?

- Yes, chef.
- You're talking gastrique,

you're talking béarnaise,
you're talking--

- it's a lot.
- Make sure it makes sense

and that you're tasting
everything together, okay?

Yes, chef.

Nyesha: Stop.
Leave it there.

Thank you, chef.
Sorry, chef.

Tricia, chef arrington would
like her hair on her arms.

Okay, thank you, courtney.

Tricia:
Not again, tricia.

Fire in the basement!

- Watch out!
- What is wrong with me?

You are really determined
to light these fires
in this kitchen, aren't you?

( bleep ) my life.

Nyesha: I'm done.
I'm frustrated with tricia

because she's not rising
to her full potential.

- Yes, chef?
- Tricia, let's go.
This is ( bleep ).

- Yes, chef.
- Cook better! Focus!

This is not next level cooking,
do you understand?

- Yes, chef.
- It's not a game.

This is not about pretty photos.

Yes, chef.

- What?
- ...Was that?

- Nyesha: Let's go!
- What's burning?

( bleep )

- tricia, this is not
next level cooking.
- Yes, chef.

- What?
- ...Was that?

- I want nothing part of that.
- What's burning?

What the ( bleep )?
What's burning?

- Bounce back.
- Yes, chef.

I know you can do this.
I'm tough on you because
I believe in you, okay?

Yes, chef.

Tricia:
I know I'm better than this.

Chef arrington knows
I'm better than this.

I'm hoping that the mentors
are able to overlook
the fire in the kitchen

and focus on the flavors
on my plate

because I am confident
in my flavors.

- Do you know you can do this?
- Yes, chef.

Game day, baby.
How's your veal cooked, chef?

- It's perfect. Yes.
- Seasoned?

You seasoned the veal
before your breaded it?

- Oh, yes.
- Great.

How else are
we building flavor here?
Do you have some cheese?

Yes, I did put some parm
in there.

Nyesha: Make sure you cook
that cream through.

- Angie: Yeah.
- You don't want it
to taste too raw.

Yes, chef.

15 minutes left.

How you doing over there, kenny?

I'm good, mama.
How about yourself, baby?

- I'm good.
- Ooh, what's this?

- Sweet potato, dates.
- That's the sweet potato date?

And the tahini.
Something's missing.

I'm very worried
about the sauce.

It's not turning out the way
that I want it to.

At this point,
it's the only thing

that's really tying in
the two countries together.

It needs some more sweetness.
More.

You know, well, let's try
and open up that coconut milk

because the tahini
and the coconut, to me,

- that sounds exciting.
- Heard, chef.

You're standing
on a lot of shoulders

and you got a lot
of people looking up to you.

So no pressure.
Let's get out of this basement.

- What is that right there?
- Pomegranate molasses.
I'ma glaze my tenderloin.

- Okay, that's really sweet.
- Yes, chef.

- Okay, just be mindful.
That's really, really sweet.
- Kenny: Heard.

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

because you don't have
the resources,

ingredient-wise or equipment,
as always in the basement,

but now you have
to create something

that combines a couple
of different cultures.
This is a lot.

You got two countries
fused together to make
one amazing dish.

- Yes, chef. For sure.
- Let's get out of the basement.

Gordon:
So just under 12 minutes
to go, guys, yes?

Right, how we feeling now?
We feeling better?

- Kind of, chef.
- Yeah? Good.

- Toasting your almonds?
- Chef.

Good.
And where's your hamachi?

That's it there? Good.

Right, how long is that broth
gonna be cooking for?

- I have in there
for 20 minutes.
- 20 minutes. Good.

Is this is gonna be
a sweet curry,

or are you gonna go
for sweet, spicy, sour--

- sweet, spicy, sour.
- Good.

I'm gonna do, like,
a coconut red curry base.

It's something that I've had
when I went to thailand.

I love international
cuisine, chef.

I spent five years
flying internationally
as a flight attendant.

Traveling is definitely
an advantage for me

in this competition,
especially for fusion.

That's the expectation,
is to know how to merge
these two flavors together.

And if you've never tasted
something from another country,
how would you know?

You don't seem to be fazed
by pressure, do you?

My whole life has been
nothing but pressure, chef.

- Really?
- Yes.

- It doesn't look like that it
in the kitchen, you know that?
- I'm like a duck.

I look calm,
but I'm pedaling like hell
underneath the water.

In this competition so far,

mariah has always
been one to watch.

She's damn good. Yeah,
she's on a different level.

You got two great baskets.
Do it justice, yes?

Yes, chef.

- Ten minutes left, right?
- Yes, chef!

- Thank you, chef.
- Power time.

All right, courtney. Calm.

- Chef courtney?
- Yes, chef?

- What do we have in this pot?
- We have garbanzo beans

and the cauliflower's going
in there as cream in there.

Beautiful.
Did you restart your curry?

I did because I forgot
my coconut milk.

Last time I made it
with heavy whipping cream,

and I want you all to taste it
with coconut milk.

- Chef.
- Thank you.

As somebody
who is self-taught,

to come this far is--
it's a major accomplishment.

Okay.

There are only seven of us,

so this really
needs to be perfect.

At this point,
a small mistake can catapult you
to the basement.

I don't wanna be there.

- You gather yourself, tricia?
- Yes, chef.

Calm your heartbeat.
Breathe through your nose.

Heartbeat is pretty insane.

- This is the time
to level up, chef.
- Yes, chef.

Bring these plates
together, guys!

We're down to three minutes
to go, guys.

- Components ready? Yeah.
- Good.

Some dishes you have to
pull out of your ass.

So I just took my noodles.

They're dripping
from the hamachi.

Tossed it in there
to make sure they're seasoned.

I did a charred shishito

and I put the saffron
and paprika in the broth.

- For the spanish influence?
- Yes.

This is it now.
Finishing touches now. Herbs.

- Taste everything, guys.
Come on.
- Yes, chef.

It's time to plate.
Two minutes left.

Is it seasoned well?
Does it look beautiful?

Oh, ( bleep ) yeah.
Perfect.

Let's get our asses
out of the basement, kenny.

- For sure. No choice.
- Let's do it.

Come on, ladies.
Let's get it.

Nyesha:
Best plates, no excuses!

Flavor, fat, excellence.

Where's my parm? I'm looking
for my parm and my grater.

- Ah!
- Platform arrives, guys.
Let's go!

Platform's on the move, guys.
Platform's on the move.

Platform's coming down.

15 seconds, guys!
We gotta get to the platform!

Come on!
Let's get out of this basement!

Let's get the ( bleep )
out of this hole.

Seven, six, five,

four, three, two...

( bleep )

one. Last looks!
Last looks!

That plating
was ( bleep ) garbage.

Flavors, baby. Flavors.

Get your plates up there!
Bring this home!

Five, four, three, two, one.

Good job. Way to fight!

Gordon: Here we go, guys.
Come on, guys, please.

Five, four, three, two, one.

Oh, my goodness me.

- I figured it out.
- We'll see about that
in the taste.

I'm sorry, chef.

It's not easy, right?

- I can do way better than this.
- You can.

I watched you cook on that top
level the first day that you
entered this competition.

My mind was
all over the place today,

but I have a lot left to prove.

I'm fighting for myself,

my followers, my family.

I really want to show
that I can succeed

as a social media chef.

- Trust yourself.
- Yes, chef.

Gordon: Okay, that was
a very tough challenge.

I just hope all of you
created a fusion dish,

- not a confusion.
- Absolutely.

Based on what we taste today,

the best dishes
are gonna be safe,

and move up to that top kitchen
for the next challenge.

The middle dishes
will also be safe and move
to the second floor.

And the worst dishes today
will all cook in
the elimination challenge,

and one of you
will be going home.

There's a lot at stake here.
$250,000.

- Right, shall we, nyesha?
- Yes, chef.

Richard: Okay,
so this dish right here,

the chef had to use china
and morocco

and did a sweet and sour
pork fried couscous.

Gordon: So visually
it looks rather plain.

It's a shame because
it's undercooked underneath
and cooked nicely on top.

But really sweet.
Really sweet.

Yes, I mean, it's really
wiping out a lot of the flavors

that were intended,
I imagine, for this dish.

Richard: Okay, so this chef
had the tough task

of combining brazil and israel

and did an achiote rubbed
skirt steak

with black beans,
a pineapple salsa,

and a tahini
coconut date sauce.

Yeah, visually,
let's be honest,

the steak's actually cut
the wrong way.

Oh, great. Pyet's going home
because she doesn't know
how to cut a steak.

I'm very worried
at this point.

Nyesha:
Conceptually, great ideas.

I really like the flavor
of the sort of tahini
coconut date sauce.

- Use some salt.
- For me, it actually tasted
better than it looked.

When you expose
protein like that,
it needs seasoning inside,

but the date purée works well.

Right, shall we move
to the middle floor?

Nyesha: Yes.
We have a veal schnitzel.

The inspiration behind this dish

was germany and Italy.

This has a shaved cabbage salad
with a soft polenta.

Please taste good,
please taste good,
please taste good.

This is the kind of dish
that any professional chef
with a german mum

and an italian father would be
proud to put on their plate.

The polentas,
you wanna dive into that thing
and smother it all over.

And the cook on the veal
is exceptional.

That is next level fusion.

It tastes as good
as it looks, right?

When we talk about soul
and love in a dish,

so here we have
a chicken breast.

This chef had ingredients
from india and vietnam.

Curry's beautiful.
Fragrant, not too spicy.

The chicken's
slightly overcooked.

Nyesha:
I would've loved to see
more of the sauce,

because that sauce
was so delicious her

bs, right?
Nyesha:
I would've loved to see
more of the sauce,

both of these countries
share some herbs in common.

I would've loved all the flavors
to come together.

Courtney: The competition
is definitely getting hard,

and I know it seems
like nitpicking,

but when you're talking
about $250,000

and you're talking about
mentorship from three people,

nitpicking is
what's going to separate

the top from the bottom.

Nyesha: This chef cooked
through France and greece.

This is a roasted duck
sort of cut

with a béarnaise sauce.

The hardest part of this dish
has been done perfectly.

The duck is cooked beautifully.

But a béarnaise with duck in
any world is never gonna work.

Nyesha: It was very challenging
even to get to this point.

I advised exactly
what you're saying, chef.

I feel like ( bleep ).

I know what I did,

and I just have to own it,
I guess.

Top floor.

So this is predominantly thai

with a mexican influence.

There's a broth that was done
in the pressure cooker.

Vermicelli noodles.
The shells were grilled.

This tastes like it was
cooked overnight. It tastes like
it was cooked on the beach.

I don't care
if the beach is in thailand
or if the beach is in mexico,

and I love this sort of,
like, thai broth

with this mexican pozole garnish

with all crunchy cabbage
and tortillas.

It's powerful.
It's oozing confidence.

Nyesha: Absolutely.
It's just smart.

The amount of flavor
that was able to be built
in one bowl in 40 minutes?

Impressive.
That's some next level
( bleep ) right there.

Oh, my god.

Oh, where'd that come from?

But okay! All right.

Gordon:
So this is a hamachi.

The base is
the japanese influence

with a sprinkle
of a spanish flair.

Hamachi, unfortunately,
it hasn't cooked

into the center,
and that's raw.

Smart choice with japan.
Smart out of the gate.

You got to put Spain in there,
you shot yourself in the foot.

So it's more confusion
than fusion.

Noodles way overcooked, but I'm
not feeling good about this.

This dish is extremely clunky
to eat.

It's just difficult
to understand
how to enjoy this dish.

My, my, my,
how the mighty has fallen.
That's the best I can say.

Every dog has its day.
Today just wasn't mine.

All of you, give us a moment
please, because we've got
some tough decisions.

What a tough night.

Well, I'm for sure going
in the elimination challenge.

Oh, my gosh.

Some cracking highlights.

- The germany
versus italian flair?
- Nyesha: Epic.

40 minutes to cook a curry,
that's a tall order.

And bringing
the indian influence
with vietnam?

- Yeah, that sauce was killer.
- Yeah.

The combination of thailand
and the mexican influence...

That's the prime example
of how to meld two regions
of the world together.

The underwhelming performances?

The japanese
with the spanish flair,
that just didn't work.

That, for me,
was this individual's
weakest performance.

I'm assuming that
that was mariah's dish, right?

No. The actual dish
was cooked by reuel.

- I'm sorry, reuel.
- It's all good.

And that duck, I mean...

Richard: The duck,
just a wasted opportunity.

That's tricia. I know
she's your team member as well.

- And reuel.
- Listen, kenny,
he's in the basement.

He's got morocco and china.

He's got a great idea,
but he didn't execute it.

It's all pomegranate molasses.
It's all sweetness.

Yeah, but hold on a minute.
Now you guys are confusing me,

because everybody I've mentored
in this competition
is going into elimination?

Are you kidding me?
You're sandbagging me here.

I mean, come on.
Brazil, israel? Come on.

Are we saying
'cause they're in the basement,
they've got no choice?

- You don't pick
those two cultures.
- Exactly.

No, no. That being said,
the flavors on that dish

were not as bad as reuel's
or kenny's or tricia's duck.

Nyesha: I feel like those were
the least performing dishes

to highlight two regions
of the world.

( bleep ) hell.
( bleep ) me.

Really? This is ( bleep ).

Reuel, kenny, tricia,
bottom three dishes, right?

Nyesha:
No, you're not wrong.

Richard: I mean, listen, listen.
This is not cumulative.

- You're only as good
as your last dish.
- I get it.

It is about your last dish,
but I didn't expect this.
Shall we?

Fusion, we know
was never gonna be easy.

Neither was what we just
went through back there.

We are definitely
not in agreement today.

However we have come
to a consensus.

Two dishes stood out
in today's challenge.

The first...

Was the thai/mexican fusion
with red prawns.

Thank you.

The second dish
that stood out...

...Was the italian/german fusion

of the veal schnitzel
with soft polenta.

- Mariah, congratulations
on staying on the top level.
- Good job.

- Oh, my god.
Thank you so much.
- Congratulations.

And, angie, well done.
You've climbed.

- Thank you, chef.
- You've made it to the top.

Now the question is
can you stay there?

Yes, sir, I can.

I've knocked reuel
out of the top.

I went from basement
to middle to damn at the top.

I'm next level chef.
This is how it's done.

And two dishes deserve to be
in the middle today.

The first, it's the indian/
vietnamese fusion,

- the chicken breast.
- Thank you.

The second dish that made it
to the middle level...

...Was the brazilian/
israeli fusion.

You may be surprised, pyet,
but the flavors on that dish
were excellent.

Thank you, chefs.

So that means that reuel,

tricia, and kenny have
been dropped to the basement,

and all three of you will be
cooking in the elimination.

For the rest of you,
you can head to the lift,

and these three will meet you
in the top kitchen soon.

Reuel:
This is the first time that
I'm going to elimination.

When my back's against the wall,
I get real focused,

so it's 20/20 vision
at this point in time.

- Good job, guys.
- Thank you.

- You got this.
- You got it, girl.

Kenny:
I'm in an elimination
challenge again,

two challenges back-to-back.

I'm pissed off,
I'm disappointed,
but it's all at myself.

But there's no excuses.

- Team ramsay.
- Team ramsay, huh?

Tricia: I'm embarrassed
with what I put on the plate.

I'm not surprised that
I'm going to elimination.

It is the first time.

But I have to admit,
I'm a little scared

'cause I am going against
two professional chefs.

To say that I'm disappointed
is an understatement.

Now tonight you'll have
one last chance

to earn your way
back into the competition.

Chef nyesha arrington will be
in that kitchen with you

across those 30 minutes.

And trust me, you're gonna need
her more than you'll need me

because tonight's
elimination cook-off

is based on the extraordinary
background of chef arrington.

Tonight you'll be cooking
a fusion dish

of korean and good old
american southern cuisine.

This elimination cook-off
is very close to my heart.

This celebrates my heritage
of korean from my mom's side

and the southern roots
of my dad's side.

This is what
has shaped my palate,
so it's very close to home.

All of you,
head into the lift,
and good luck.

Chef nyesha
will meet you upstairs.

Kenny:
Chef tricia, chef reuel,
and myself, like,

we've been together pretty much
this whole journey.

- I love you guys.
- Right back at you.

We've all made
each other better.

So it's unfortunate we gotta go
head-to-head at this point.

- This is intense.
- Mm-hmm.

I'm gonna stay
in this competition by putting
my best foot forward.

I'm gonna channel everything
that I know,

make sure I play
with flavors properly,
and come out to kill it.

This cook means a lot to me.
It's personal.

I want to see today
dishes that are korean forward

with that sort of southern hug,
that soul from the back end.

Yes, chef.

Line up at the elevator, please.

- Let's cheer them on, team.
- Let's go, tricia.

Trish, good luck.
Kenny, good luck.

- Platform's coming, guys.
- Ooh, beautiful.

- Go! 30 minutes.
- Oh, my god.

Nyesha:
Fight for what you deserve.

Oh, thank god.

Finally something good is
happening from this platform.

There's gochujang,
there's soy sauce! Oh, my god.

I haven't had this
since the beginning
of the competition.

- Trish?
- Yeah?

- Wanna borrow some of that
gochujang from you.
- Absolutely.

Tricia, what are you
thinking, babe?

- I got this.
- I believe in you.

- What's your plan, chef?
- I'ma do a korean barbeque
on my strip.

Nyesha: What flavors are you
adding on your new york strip?

It's more of a gochujang
barbeque sauce with steak.

Excellent.
What's your southern influence?

My potato purée,
and I got my okra.

I gonna pan sear,
and then I'ma do a spiced pear.

Smart using a pear.

I made a mistake
in the main challenge.

I didn't taste
everything together.

My dish was too sweet.

As someone who's fighting
for $250,000,

there's no excuses.

I'm down?

"get your ass up." simple.

- Borrowing some gochujang?
- Got it.

Nyesha: What's your plan,
chef reuel?

I'm going to do
kimchi fried rice.

Nice. It sounds delicious.

It's gonna go with a little bit
of the andouille.

- Okay.
- The kimchi fried rice I get

usually has this
ground pork sausage in there
that you can barely see.

And today,
this is a take on it.

For all them times
I've been ordering that

and having it be delivered,
I said,

"praise jesus!
Today's the day."

what are your aromatics
in your kimchi fried rice, chef?

- Ginger, garlic.
- Excellent. Great start.

Nice.

Those are nice cuts, reuel.

What's your plan, chef?

I'm going to make a dak-galbi.

I'm making dak-galbi,

which is a spicy
marinated chicken.

It's so delicious.

What's your plan
with the chicken?

Into small pieces, chef,
for the dak-galbi.

- Nyesha: Bounce back, okay?
- Yes, chef.

Nyesha:
Just over 20 minutes left!

You're seasoning this
along the way, right?

- Kenny: Heard, chef.
- Nyesha: Very important.
Season it in layers, right?

- Don't wait till
the end to season.
- Absolutely, chef.

I don't know what she's making,
but I'm intrigued.

- I'm very intrigued.
- Nyesha: Let's go, guys!

Tricia: Oh, my god.

Nyesha:
Tricia, get it together.

Flames.
Tricia's station is flames.

- Come on, tricia, focus.
- Oh, ( bleep ).

Tricia, why are you
doing this to me?

Tricia, why are you
doing this to me?

Intentional fire, I swear.

Maybe I took on
a more difficult challenge
than I should have,

but the components
seem to be coming together.

I'm feeling good about my dish.

Nyesha: You need to sear this
on the fat side as well, okay?

- Yes, chef.
- What do you have
in this pot here?

Leeks.
I'm gonna put my potatoes
in there as well.

Nyesha: How are you
building flavor in this?

I was gonna let it
cook down some, chef.

- More like a stew-like.
Yes, chef.
- Yes. Okay.

Calculate the next ten minutes
of your life, guys!

For one of you,
it's the last ten minutes!

Make it count.

- You're cooking
this again, right?
- Yes, chef.

Nyesha: You wanna bring
the temperature down
of your rice

so it doesn't continue
to cook, right?

- Yes, chef.
- Make sure that rice
is perfect.

I want tricia to win.
You don't want to put it
back in the oven?

- Okay.
- We're cooking that chicken
thoroughly, right?

- The dark meat takes time
to cook and break down, okay?
- Thoroughly cooked, chef.

- Let's go, tricia.
- Thank you.

- Bring that vision
to life, chef.
- Yes, chef.

Nyesha: Five minutes left, guys!
Five minutes!

Kenny, you need to season
your food, okay?

- Heard, heard, heard.
- Season your food.

It's either win or go home.
I've been here before.

Here I am still standing.

Somebody has to go home,
and it's not gonna be kenny.

Two minutes!

Start plating,
best dish of your life.

Pyet: You got this, tricia.
Let's go, kenny.

Let's go, chef.
You tasted it, right?

- Oui.
- Oui.

Every single element
on that plate matters.

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

- Stop cooking! Good job.
- Good job, you guys.

Nyesha: You showed up.
Let's go!

Okay.

We're down to the top seven now,

and so it's hard
not to take it personally

that every chef I've mentored
is up for elimination today.

I hate the fact
that I'm going to have to send
one of them home today.

- Chef.
- How was that?

Intense. We have
three dishes here, chefs.

First, we have a gochujang
glazed new york strip

on top of okra
with a leek and potato purée,

and finish is a pear
korean spice gastrique.

There's a nice cook on the--
did you say new york strip?

- Yes, chef.
- Yes, rested well.

Leek and potato purée,
I kinda want it to be grits.

Gordon: I love the heat
from the glaze.

The dish is very sweet.

Kenny: I'm baffled again.

The only sweet component
I had was the pears,

but even that
still had the kick

because it had
the gochujang in it.

So I felt like
my dish was actually
a bit on the spicy side.

I actually really love
the chili and the pear.

You got the spice
from the gochujang...

- Traditional korean.
- ...And the fermented chili.

A little bit
of that korean pear flavor.

I don't know. At this stage,
I want a touch more.

Our next dish here, we have
a sort of play on a dirty rice.

This is a gochujang glazed
crispy squid

on the bottom,
you have andouille sausage

studded throughout
that kimchi fried rice.

I'm not getting much sausage.
Was that in there, you said?

- Hmm.
- First of all, I love
this chef's direction

with taking
new orleans and korea.

Visually, it's great.

I would've liked
a little more spice.

Um, it tastes delicious.

It's dirty.

And what do I change?
A bit more heat.

More egg.

And then finally...

Yes, and our last dish, we have
a sort of bar inspired dish.

This is
a smoked rolled korean egg.

What you have
in that cast iron cocotte

is a dipping sauce which is made
of cream cheese, some cheddar,

it's got chicken.

Visually, yeah,
it's intriguing.

It's almost like
two dishes into one.

It's bold,
but it looks attractive.

I'm looking
at these three dishes.

I do not know
which dish is going home.

I'm actually kinda surprised.

All of these dishes
have some merit to them,

so it's anyone's game.

- It's meant to be dipped into.
- So you dip?

Yes. There was leg meat used
in this dipping sauce as well.

Egg is delicious.

The one issue I have here...

...Is the raw chicken thigh.

( bleep )

did you eat the--

( spits )

( spits, coughs )

I ( bleep ) am really mad
at myself right now.

That is so raw, there's no way
we can continue eating that.

That dish belongs
to who, please?

That dish belongs to tricia.

Yes, chef.

- Oh, young lady.
- Yes, chef.

There's no way
in good conscience that
we could put you forward.

I understand, chef.
Thank you.

Young lady, I'm lost for words.

I've grown to like you a lot

and you've done
some amazing things.

And you plate like angel.

Thank you, chef.

Please say goodbye
to your colleagues

and enter the elevator,
thank you.

- We'll see you again.
- ( indistinct chatter )

it sucks to be eliminated
by a raw dish,

but to be in this competition
was such an honor

and to have worked
alongside chef ramsay,

having him teach me,
has been incredible.

Bye, chefs.
Thank you for everything.

- Take care. Head up.
- Bye, tricia.

- Thank you, tricia.
- Thank you. Bye.

Oh, I failed.

( bleep )

all of you,
time is running out.

Everything you do matters.

I thank god
for humbling me today.

I got a taste of what
elimination feels like.

That's not happening
ever again.

Good night.

Good night. Thank you.

- Thank you, chefs.
- Thank you.

( gordon sighs )
raw chicken.

Damn, trish.

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

Welcome to the semi-finals.

Don't celebrate too hard
just yet though.

For three of you,
your journey ends tonight.

Nyesha: Fight for that spot
in your finale.

This is it. I've gotta take
everything I've learned
from this competition,

and I've gotta get it
on that plate.

Kenny:
This is personal for me.

I'm rethinking all of
my life choices at this moment.

What did you want?
What did you want?

Kenny:
It's a no-holds-barred
right now.

- Aah!
- Let's do this, big boy.

Courtney: It is the finale
that is on the line.