All language subtitles for Next.Level.Chef.S02E01.1080p.WEB.h264-BAE

- What a game.

Welcome to the world's toughest
culinary competition,

"next level chef."

Every great chef had to start
at the bottom

And work their way up.

So I've created a three-level
culinary proving ground

Like you've never seen before.

- Let's go!

- Let's go. Gotta move.

Each week these chefs
will be battling to level up.

- Hurry up.
- And the only way

To move to the top
is to cook your way up.

Can you rise above the rest?

Those cooking on the top level

Will get the first pick
of ingredients.

- I got the lobster.

Oh, yeah.

- If you're down
in the basement

You'll have to make due
with whatever's left.

- This is like things
you'd find at the goodwill

On sale for a dollar.

- Once again,
nyesha arrington...

- You want to stay
in this top-level kitchen?

- Richard blais...
- Make it look beautiful.

- And I are going
head-to-head...

We are not going down
on the floor tonight.

- To find
the next great talent.

This season we've already
handpicked our teams

Of talented home cooks,
social media chefs,

And professionals.

- I'm gonna fight, scratch,
and claw

My way to the top.

- With an amazing
one-year mentorship

And $250,000 on the line,

The journey to the top
starts tonight.

- ♪ gimme something new ♪

- Their first challenge
is to level up a classic dish

In only 45 minutes

With whatever ingredients
they can grab

From the platform.

- It's like fighting
for your last meal.

And by the end of tonight

One chef will leave
the competition for good.

If there was ever a time
for you to cook

The best dish of your lives,

This is it.

This is the evolution
of cooking competitions.

And it starts...

[bleep].

Right now.

[dramatic rock music]

♪ ♪

[suspenseful music]

♪ ♪

- Okay, okay.

- All right,
I'm hearing some activity.

- Oh, my goodness.

I wonder who picked me.

I know that most people
are gonna say

They would love chef gordon
to be their mentor,

But I've been dreaming
about chef arrington.

- Who do we got?

[all screaming]
- let's go!

- Yeah, girl!
[all screaming]

- Yes! God, you're real,
and you're listening.

- Let's go.
- We are gonna go.

All we're gonna do is go.
- Let's go.

- Guys, listen up.

I know we randomly
drew the basement

For our first challenge,
but I promise you

We could still
cook our way to the top.

- Let's go!

- Who do we got?
We're just rushing.

[rock music]

[all screaming]
- let's go!

Let's go!
- Get outta here! No way!

- Oh, my god!

I am so freakin' stoked
to be on team ramsay.

We are gonna absolutely
knock this out of the park.

- Remember I have handpicked
each and every one of you.

- [laughs]

- All of you
will have 45 minutes

To create a next-level dish.

And remember this:
I do not like losing.

- No.
- And nor should you.

- Okay, I can die happy now.

Gordon ramsay picked me.
[laughs]

- We're still waiting
for our chef!

[hydraulics whirring]

[dramatic music]

[all screaming]
- let's go! Let's go!

This is where I wanna be.

I was an athlete my whole life,
and I have pre-game jitters.

- Grab your aprons.

Champions wear blue.

- We're ready. Game on.

Like, time to play.

- We were very lucky
getting the top level

In the random draw today,

It means you get the best
ingredients and best equipment

To work with.

Now it's go time.
- Okay.

- Platform is on the way.

- Here we go.

When the light's green,
it's go.

[electronic chime]
go time!

- Let's go.
- Here we go!

- I ran track in high school.

I'm small, but I'm a fireball.

I literally will...
[imitates smashing sound]

- Yes, we are off.
Okay, what do we got?

- Being on the top floor,

We have
all these amazing ingredients.

Everything you can imagine.

And then I see
this beautiful filet.

I said,
"I'm gonna grab this filet.

I know how to cook this."

- We're gonna
grab a bunch of things.

You should already have
a few things in your hands.

You're on the top level.
Grab the good ingredients.

- Oh! Oh, my gosh.
I'm panicking.

It's like fighting
for your last meal.

- All right, don't be afraid
of jars, cans, flavor.

Ten seconds!

- I grab the ground turkey,
but it wasn't top-tier.

- Five, four, three...

- I'm at the top level.

I'm trying to present
a top-level plate.

It's like, "what the hell are
you gonna make out of this?"

- Two, one!

If you can grab it,
you can get it!

- Standby. Standby.

- Let's go, let's go,
let's go.

- Oh, oh!

- Sheer bloody panic.

- Think about it!
Come on!

- Scallops. I see scallops.

I'm like,
"okay, I love a good scallop."

I'm ready to bust out
a next-level dish.

Just really show them, like,
who I am on a plate.

- Look at those ingredients.
Tuna. Great choice.

- There's people
flying around.

They're looking
for ingredients.

Man, we're just like chickens
with no heads

Running around this kitchen.

- 20 seconds to go. Come on.

Ingredients, starch, herbs.

Five, four, three, two, one!

It's going, guys. It's going!

Let's go!
Well done.

♪ ♪

- After all the anticipation,
here it comes.

- Go!
- Excuse me, chef.

♪ ♪

- Grab your ingredients!
Get as many as you can.

I'm grabbing with zero plan

Just trying to get
to anything that's left.

All I see are things that
I absolutely do not want,

Because it's so sparse.

- Five, four, three, two...

- I grab imitation crab.

There's not a better option.

- One! That's it.
If it's still here, grab it.

[electronic chime]
you got this. Let's go!

- Let's go. Let's go.
Let's go. Let's go. Let's go.

- Geek yogurt.
- Let's go. Let's go. Let's go.

What the heck am I supposed
to do with yogurt?

I'm puerto rican; I don't know
how to cook with yogurt.

- 45 minutes starts now.
Let's go, let's go, let's go.

- 45 minutes to make
your first impression.

All: Yes, chef.

- It's your chance to wow us.

- Just under 45 minutes to go,
guys.

Yes?
All: Yes, chef.

- Let's go.
Want this team to victory.

Right.
Mark, how are you feeling?

- Feel good, chef.
- Good.

Why go for shrimp?

- I'm a seafood guy,

And shrimp is kinda like
my staple.

I like shrimp, a little garlic,
a little heat.

- Don't overcook it, okay?
- Yes, chef.

- Be smart;
they take seconds to cook.

- Yes, chef.

- Give me a little bit
of history.

How did this start?

- Watching my grandma cook
in the backyard

Barbecuing over an open fire.

And then obviously,

My career going to the
national football league.

- And a nice job
by mark mcmillian.

- My name is mark mcmillian.
I'm a retired nfl player.

And I always told my brother
that one day

I'm gonna play in the nfl.

People were like,
"you're too small.

You're not gonna make it."

But I just kept
grinding away at it,

And eight years later,

I was in the
national football league.

- Mcmillian again.

- Boy,
that is a competitive guy.

- Coming from
a sports background,

I'm very competitive.

Anything I put my mind to,
I want to win.

Spending eight years in
the national football league,

That's all you know.

Now I found my new passion
with cooking.

I'm not a professional chef,
just a home cook,

But now I'm getting
an opportunity

To cook against
some amazing chefs,

And I want people to see
that anything is possible.

So don't count me out.

- I wanna see that background
going to this kitchen.

- Yes, chef.
- Yeah?

- I'm excited.
I always was the underdog.

- Yes.

- Now, I feel like
I'm the underdog again

In this whole competition,
and I wanna win it.

- Come on.
- Yes, chef.

- Let's crush it, you guys.
Let's freaking crush it.

- Yeah, baby.
- Lotta stress, lotta stress.

- Cassie, what did you grab
protein-wise?

- I grabbed ground beef.

I'm going to make
a ground beef dumping,

A jammy tomato,

Which is a fusion of a dish
my mom always made me,

Which is a tomato egg, and then
infuse it into the dumping.

- Biggest influence growing up
was who?

- My mother, and she'd be
really proud of me.

She taught me how to cook.

We never ordered takeout
when I was growing up.

She would come home
after a long day after work,

And he would cook
for my entire family.

And now I'm kind of
the cook of the family.

- I love that.

Make sure that filling inside

Is seasoned beautifully.
- Absolutely, chef.

[dramatic music]

- I want the intensity hot
in here!

- Yes, chef!
- Let's go, let's go!

Omi! I smell some amazing
aromas coming off this station!

I feel the love.

- You feel the ancestors...
- Yes, ma'am!

- Is what you're feeling,
ma'am.

- It is so fascinating to me
that the chicken oysters

Made it all the way down
to the basement.

- I am very excited about that.

- What's your vision?

- Make, like, a pollo guisado,
which is like a stewed chicken.

- Yum.

- It's very traditional
in puerto rico.

- How are we developing flavor?

- I throw in some paprika,

Some garlic powder,
onion powder.

- Amor.
- Some cumin, oregano.

La cantidad que te llegar
de la corazón.

- Vámanos, mi amor.
- Pa ya!

- Allá! Here for it.
- [laughs]

- Nuri.
- Chef.

- Yes, chef.
- Your ingredients look great.

- I've never worked
with black cod,

But I'm thinking

Sear it, baste it
with a lot of butter

So the skin can get nice
and crispy.

- Make sure there are no bones
in the black cod.

- Yes, chef.
- They have very thin bones.

Okay, chef?
- Yes, chef.

- Let's go, chefs.

- Hello, chef.
- Hello, chef.

How are you?
- I'm good.

- Talk to me about your dish,
April.

- We have grits
and imitation crab.

- Amazing.

- It's something I am familiar
with, so I grabbed it.

Now I just have to figure out
what I'm gonna do with it.

- Southern comfort classic
kind of vibe?

- Exactly.

- Going with your wheelhouse
of cooking?

- I figure start out
with where I'm comfortable.

- Make sure those grits
are cooked through, right?

- Yes.

- I do not wanna lose
to the bottom floors!

- Heard!
- Good, guys.

We're good, we're good.

- Please keep it elegant
and classy up here.

You're on the top floor.

Kamahlai, what do we got?
- Some jerk meatballs.

- So ground turkey?
- Yes.

- On the top level?
- Yes.

- Oh, my gosh.

That's not usually
an ingredient you see on

You know, the
fine dining restaurants, right?

- Really, I know.

- But it's a one that
you cook with a lot, right?

- Yes.
- Okay.

- Ground turkey jerk meatballs

Is what I decided
to come up with.

How do you make that
a top-tier dish?

I don't want to let you down.

- No, you're not
gonna let me down.

- I'm letting myself down.
- You can never let me down.

- I just don't want him
to look at me different

And be like,
"oh, I handpicked her"

And I'm disappointing.

That's the last thing I wanna
do is disappoint him.

- Mehreen, you have
so much flavor going on here.

- Always.

I'm gonna sear the ocean trout

And then I'm making, like,
a curry sauce

With a tomato paste,
the anchovies, the spices.

And then I'm making a puri,

Which is just like
a handmade bread.

- You got a lot of work to do.

Okay?
- Yeah.

♪ ♪

Okay, darryl, what are we
thinking over here?

So you're grilling the lamb.
- Yeah.

- What's the rest of the dish?
- Vegetable medley, basically.

- Make sure that
the broccoli's not raw.

- Okay, I will.

- And we're doing this
for the atl.

- Oh, did someone say atl?
- Atl.

- Let's go!
- Yes, chef.

- Keep it going, yes?

Right, preston.
What did you grab?

- Some cauliflower,
some canned meat.

- Canned meat?

That kind of stuff normally
ends up in the basement.

- Yes, chef.

- I have to remind myself
that you're 19 years of age.

- [chuckles] I mean,

I've just been cooking as long
as I can remember, chef.

I've always had this hunger
and passion.

I just want to keep
pushing myself.

Been watching you since
I was seven or eight.

- [bleep].
Am I that old?

[quirky music]

- I mean, you look pretty good
to me, chef.

- Trust me, I am on it.

- [chuckles]

- All right, vinny.
How you feeling?

- Oh, great, chef.

- The tuna.
What are you doing?

- I'm going italian over here.

I think I'm gonna sear it
at the end,

Incorporate the mushrooms
in there.

The great chef, gordon ramsay,

He's talking to me.

I am starstruck.
It's gordon ramsay.

I've been watching you
my whole life,

But, uh, been watching--

Oh, cut.

- Vinny, what're you doing?

- Uh-oh. The medic needs
to come out here.

- Medic.
- Medic. Hurry up!

Two minutes into the challenge,
we're one finger down.

[dramatic music]

- Vinny is just bleeding.

- Sliced the [bleep] nail off.

- Uh, medic?
Sliced the [bleep] nail off.

Uh, where's the medic?

Yeah, just nicked
the top of the finger off.

- Yeah, yeah.
- Quick, please.

Dude, not the best start.
Let's go.

- Thanks, chef.
I appreciate it.

What's happening is, I lost
one of my favorite shirts.

[chuckles]

- 35 minutes to go, yes?
- 35 minutes.

- Yes, chef.

- Nuri, with all that height
on yourself,

You must have a nickname.
- Yes, chef.

Stretch, chef.
- Chef stretch?

- Chef stretch, chef.

A buddy of mine saw me
reach up.

He's like, "wow, stretch!"

And it's just stuck ever since,
chef.

- Oh, amazing.
- [laughs]

- Chef nuri stretch.
- Yes, chef.

What's up, girl?
[imitates explosion]

- ♪ don't stop ♪

- I'm nuri.
I'm from maryland.

I'm 22 years old,
and I'm a professional chef.

I do in-home private events,
catering,

I've cooked
for a few nfl players.

Dinners, birthday parties.
You name it, I do it.

At the age of, like,
five years old,

I knew I want to be a chef.

I didn't watch cartoons.
I watched cooking shows.

That was my after-school
entertainment.

I am gonna be a dad!
I'm so excited.

And I'm having a baby girl.

I'm gonna be the best dad
in the whole world.

I wanna be a role model
and an inspiration.

I'm trying to win this
competition for my baby girl

To give her an amazing life.

I have what it takes to be
the next level chef.

Chef stretch is coming.

- Bring it home, chef.
- Yes, chef. I got you.

- Work!
Please work.

- Chef pilar, talk to me
about your ingredients.

- I have squid.

My vision is a fritto misto
with a coconut curry sauce.

- Why are you here today?

- I'm here to prove that
with dedication and passion,

You can make it places
like here.

I'm ready.

- I can see it in your eyes,
girl.

- [laughs]
- you look fierce.

You're gonna leave here
with $250,000.

- No other choice,
no other way.

- I believe in you, plar.

- The basement does not compare

To what I'm used to.

I did the oscar awards,
I did emmys.

This is like things
you'd find at the goodwill

On sale for a dollar.
[chuckles]

Oh, my god, I can't get
this [bleep] open.

[loud clattering]

- Bit of a setback there.

- It's all right, chef.
I'll bounce back, baby.

- You know, you got the tuna.

That takes literally
two minutes each side.

- Seconds.

- You're gonna go round there?
Where are we going?

- Round.
- Whoo!

Got this, y'all.

- Yes, we do.

- Oh, boy.
The heat is on.

Amazing ingredients.

What I am worried about
is vinny.

Sliced his finger
within two minutes.

But my goodness,
is he confident.

[dramatic music]

Tucker.
- Chef.

- How are you feeling?

- A little scrambled
by the grab,

But I'm chillin', chef.

I grabbed some scallops
and I grabbed the chickpeas.

What in the absolute [bleep]
is this?

Who puts these together?

- Is that all we got?
No other veg?

You've just got chickpea?
- Correct, chef.

- Wow.
Nothing else?

- I am obviously panicking.
Oh, god.

And chef gordon ramsey's
right here.

- Okay, get creative.
- Yes, chef.

- Okay.
Yeah?

- My name's tucker.

I'm from san francisco,
and I'm a professional chef.

I got out of kitchens
just because of the pandemic,

So I teach classes online.

What up, guys?
I'm chef tucker.

Welcome to the truffle shuffle.

I've picked up all these
little tips and tricks

At all these really
cool restaurants,

And so I love sharing that
with people.

I want everybody
to up their culinary game.

And then they can make
awesome food at their house.

I hope to be an inspiration
to young gay girls

Who want to find their way
in the culinary world,

Because representation
super matters.

Like, until you see someone
else like yourself doing it,

You don't really know
that you can do that too.

I hope that somebody sees me
and is like,

"wow, I can do that."
'cause you totally can.

- We don't have a lot.

We've got to elevate
that thing.

Okay?
- Elevation, chef.

♪ ♪

- [claps]
tini, how are you doing?

You have this star ingredient.
- Yeah.

- Right?
You got the filet.

You know how to cook a steak,

'cause I've seen it
on the tiktok before.

- Oh, you have?
- [chuckles]

- Filet, the mistake people
make with filet

Is they char it too much.

You don't want a crust
on the filet.

- No crust?

- You don't want it
to be, like,

Dried out because it's so lean.
- Heard.

- Listen.
Remember, everyone.

I'm looking for the best dish.
All: Yes, chef.

- This is your first
presentation of yourself!

- This is fun.

♪ ♪

- I do not wanna into
that elimination

Too early in the game.

Cook your way
out of this basement.

All: Yes, chef.

- Mr. Chef.
- Hi, chefs. Hi.

Making a little breakfast
sausage meatball.

- Right now, it seems
a little compartmentalized.

We just don't want it to
be pasta with meatballs on it.

It's gotta be
one dish together.

It has to make sense.

- Thank you.
- You're doing it. You're here.

Right?

Nuri, can't believe
you got black cod.

- I know, chef.

My first time working
with chef arrington,

I don't want to look like
an idiot in front of her.

- The thing about black cod...
- Okay, chef.

- It takes on a glaze
really nicely as well.

- Okay, a glaze.

Chef arrington's
giving me advice.

To glaze or to not glaze?

- It's kinda--
- glaze, take on a glaze.

- It does take on a glaze.
- A glazed black cod.

Heard, chef.
Glazed black cod.

- Generally, you'll see that,
like, miso glaze or soy glaze.

- Yeah.

Should I take the tip,
should I not take it?

I was a little confused.

- Bring it home, nuri.
- Heard, chef. I got you, chef.

♪ ♪

- You got less than
20 minutes.

- Killin' it, y'all.
Killin' it.

- Get those things cooking.

This is where we're in it,
right here.

- Yes, chef.

- First impressions,
lots of great ideas,

Some challenging execution.

Kamahlai, I mean,
she's got those

Turkey meatballs up there.

I just hope
there's a magic wand somewhere,

Because I want kamahlai
to turn those turkey meatballs

Into filet mignon.

It's time to deliver
and step up to the plate.

Right now, we're about 50/50.

Matt, how are we doing
over here?

- How you doin', chef?

- Okay, so what have we got
going on?

- So I got a beautiful
veal chop.

- Now, listen. I know you're
a big barbecue guy, right?

- Yup.

- So veal chop, that's
right in your wheelhouse.

- Gonna nail it.

My strength in this competition
is the meat.

The veal is going
to be the star.

- So you're gonna go sauce,
chop, ragu on top?

- Yes, sir.

It has to be cooked perfectly.

Beautiful.

- Chris, I'm worried about you.
- Why are you worried, chef?

- You haven't started
your pork, and we're under 15.

- Yes, chef.
I'll start 'em right now.

- All right?

- Let's hustle!
- Let's go, chef.

- Bring it home, yes?
All: Yes, chef.

- You only get one first,
right?

- Only get one first.

- Where's the imitation crab,
April?

- It is in the oven.

- In a cake form?
- Yes.

- Okay.

- It's a grits crabcake?
- Yes.

- Okay.

Winning dishes, guys.

You're about to present food

In front of some of the best
chefs in the world.

- Let's go.
- Let's go.

- Let's go.

Let's put those clams in,
let's have some confidence.

My heart is racing
200 beats per minute.

I know I'm a doctor,
but I need a doctor.

Trust me.

- Alex.
- Yes, chef.

- What's most stressful--
- this is more stressful.

- The er or
is this more stressful?

[laughter]
- trust me.

This is worse than a cardiac
arrest right now, okay?

Cardiac arrest is you do this,
you do this,

You do that, you do that.
- Right now it's all you.

- Right now, somebody needs
to resuscitate me.

[dramatic music]

- Right. Michelle?
- Yes.

- Chicken thigh. Great.
Amazing flavor there, okay?

Take me back to the beginning,
michelle.

How did this journey start?

- I've been in the kitchen
since I was a little girl

Watching my dad cook,

And it's a way that
we bonded together

As a big italian american
family.

- And how good was dad
as a cook?

- He was a really good cook.
He was scrappy.

That's what I loved.

We could have nothing
in the house

And he'd put together
a beautiful dish.

- That's an art
of a great chef.

- It is.

- Nail this thing.
- Yes, chef.

- Mark, where's the sauce?

- I'm gonna make the sauce
with the shrimp.

- Gotcha.
- I'm gonna cook the butter.

- You're leaving so much
to the last minute,

So don't overdo it, okay?
- Yes, sir.

You're on the gridiron
right now, boy.

You're on
the frickin' gridiron.

- I'm with you every step
of the way, yeah?

- Ooh, whoo.
- Careful, careful, careful.

- All of a sudden,
I see this giant fireball.

- Put it down, put it down,
put it down.

- What the [bleep]?
- Put it down. What happened?

- I start a huge fire,
and I'm only making it worse.

[dramatic music]

- Too hot.

- Oh, watch your rag,
watch your rag!

- [bleep].

- Put it down, put it down,
put it down.

[dramatic music]

Too [bleep] hot.

- Oh, watch your rag,
watch your rag!

[pan clatters]
- [bleep]

- Get another pan on quick.

Get another pan on.

Get another pan on quick.

- I felt like
I let myself down,

I let chef ramsay down,

But I still gotta focus
on this dish.

- I said get the pan hot, mark,

But don't burn
the [bleep] kitchen down.

Tucker.
- Chef.

- The scallops,
you need to nail them.

What you do need is a
great sear on those scallops.

They take seconds,
those things.

- There's no cast iron.

- Sorry.
I know.

Um, listen--
- non-stick?

- Top-flight's kitchen's
upstairs.

- Yeah.
- This is the middle ground.

Downstairs is way worse.

Get that piping hot.

- Oui, chef.
- So be smart on that, yes?

Good.

♪ ♪

- 15 minutes, guys.

- Sorry, alex.
- You're good, my man.

I love you, brother.

- April.
Sauce?

- I decided
to utilize my mushrooms.

- Amazing.
Do you believe in yourself?

- I--I do.
- Great.

That's the most important
thing.

I am April.

I am from muscle shoals,
alabama.

I am a home cook.

I found myself a single mom

Needing to provide
for my children.

That turned into me
hustling casseroles

Out of the back of my vehicle
in the school parking lot.

Now I have
a catering business.

Anything that I've ever wanted
I've had to fight for.

That's what I'm bringing
into this competition.

If you don't fight for it,

You're not gonna appreciate it
when you have it.

[uplifting music]

- Ten minutes only!

If your station is a mess,
your plate is gonna be a mess.

- Don't make it look like mine.

- It is a first day fire drill.

- Chef.
- All right, kamahlai.

You've gotta get through this,
okay?

- Oh, my god.
- No, don't worry.

We're gonna do it together,
okay?

- Chef, please?
- Yes.

- Would you recommend
I do this crispy skin up?

Before it--
- I think so, right?

- Chef, can I get you
on the stove for me?

- I have kids.
This is out of control.

Dad, dad, dad!

Good. Deep breath,
deep breath. You're here.

- Chef, uh--
- yes?

Dad, can you help?
Dad, can you turn the stove on?

- Chef, I need you.
God.

- I'm an octopus on fire.

- I'm just all over the place.

- Who are you cooking for?

Besides you and besides--
- my children.

- Your children?
- My children, my mom.

- Well, good. We're gonna
do it for them, okay?

- I am kamahlai. I am from
pittsburgh, pennsylvania,

And I am a home cook.

Well, we would go
to my grandparents' house

For the summer.

While my cousins and sisters
are out playing,

I'm in the house with grandma
while she's cooking.

So I just grew a liking
to cooking.

I love feeding people.

It changes everybody's mood.

Anybody who's hungry,
I'm there to feed them.

I cook for the homeless.

We give away free food.

We pretty much are known
in the community as feeders.

[laughs]

The three words
that best describe my cooking.

Authentic, delicious,
so-so-licious.

[laughs]

- These meatballs
need to be fantastic.

You do these at home, right?
- Yes.

- And your family loves them?
- Yes.

- So then we're gonna
love 'em.

♪ ♪

- Eight minutes left
to pull this together.

- Eight minutes, eight minutes!
Let's go! Let's do this.

- What's the plan
with the black cod?

- I just seasoned it.
Salt, pepper, garlic powder.

- I thought
you were doing a glaze.

- Yeah, but you said not too
sweet, chef.

- I did not say not to;
I did not say not to.

- All right.
Heard, chef.

- You said brown sugar glaze.
- I can make it quickly.

Yes, chef.
Heard.

- I want you to cook your dish.
That's all I want from you.

- Yes, chef.
All right.

I got you, chef.
I gotta believe in myself.

- Nobody else gonna do it
but you.

- Be a mentor.
Yeah, baby.

- There is so much intensity
happening in this kitchen.

There are a lot
of nerves flying.

I want nuri
to elevate his dish, right?

He has all the heart and the
passion and the excellence.

I know it's in there, but
you can tell he's very nervous.

- Let's go. Let's go, bruh.
Let's go, stretch.

[dramatic music]

- Two minutes.
Now it's go time.

Is this the plate
you're serving on?

- Yes.
- No, no, no.

- No? Okay.
- Let's get sturdy.

- Okay.
- Quick, quick, quick!

- I'm busting out in sweat,
my stomach is bubbling,

And I'm like "oh my gosh,

I don't want to be
in elimination."

- Plate right here so you're
not making a mess, okay?

- [sighs]
yes, chef.

[hydraulics whirring]

- Platform's here!
- Ah, [bleep].

- Let's go, guys.

You only have 15 seconds to get
your plate on that platform.

All: Yes, chef.

- Let's go, let's go,
let's go, let's go.

♪ ♪

Five, four, three, two, one.

- Whoo!

- The platform is insanity.

It is so nerve-racking.

- That platform is coming.
Gotta get on. Let's go.

20 seconds to go. Come on.

Let's go.
Mark, we've gotta move.

15 seconds.
- You got it, mark.

- You've gotta get it on.

- Time is going fast.

- Ten, nine...

You gotta get it on,
you gotta get it on.

Seven--mark!

Five, four, three, two, one.

Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up!

Hurry up!
[plate clatters]

[all groan]
- [bleep]!

- [bleep].

♪ ♪

[bleep].

♪ ♪

- Fudge!

I dropped the plate.
You're going home.

♪ ♪

[dramatic music]

- Here comes the platform,
everyone!

Let's get ready! Here it is!
The platform's here!

Darryl,
you gotta get over there.

Last looks, last looks.
Look at this.

- You got it. Yay.
- You got it. You're good.

- Thank you.
- I got you.

[suspenseful music]

♪ ♪

- That was difficult.

There are some
promising-looking dishes here,

Let me tell you.

But this year, we're doing
something different.

The best dish from each
of our teams

Will earn one of these.

♪ ♪

A next level immunity pin.

- What?
- [laughing] what?

- What?
- What?

- My jaw drops
when I see this immunity pin.

- If you are ever nominated
for elimination,

You can turn your pin in and
avoid the cook-off altogether.

And trust me, these are worth
their weight in gold.

Understand?
All: Yes, chef.

- Richard, nyesha, shall we
start with the top floor?

- Let's do it.

We'll start over here.

We have some turkey meatballs
glazed in jerk spices

With a little bit of pea puree
and a parsley salad.

- I'm a big meatball fan.

This dish has got
great potential,

But it just didn't
come together.

A bit of a disaster.

- It's just not necessarily
a top-level presentation.

Next up here,
we have a beef filet

With roasted mushrooms
and a chimichurri sauce.

- It may be two minutes over,

It's sort of mid-rare
to medium,

But it tastes good.
It tastes really good.

- Next, we have
a pan-roasted pork tenderloin

With a pepper
and sweet potato romesco.

- I love
the sweet potato puree.

Unfortunately,
the pork is under-seasoned.

- Such a shame.

- A spiced lamb chop with
a seasonal vegetable medley.

- Medley.

- You've heard of the term.
- It's been a while.

- "medley" sounds older
than martha stewart.

[laughter]

- It could've
been a keto-style dish

With just vegetables,
you know.

I've lost a lot of weight
with keto.

- Lamb's cooked beautifully.

But then it's let down
with these raw vegetables.

It's not the most appetizing
of sounds.

- All right. Next, we have
a crispy skin ocean trout

Swimming in a curry sauce.

- It's a curry.

There has to be enough curry
for it to be a curry.

- Absolutely delicious.

- Whoever put that together
understands spice.

The flavors
are frickin' delicious.

- Look at the flaky texture
of this bread.

This is like a croissant.

- Great job.

- Next, a new york steakhouse
veal chop

With a bacon and pepper ragu.

- It makes sense.
It's cohesive. It's delicious.

- Whoever cooked this certainly
knows how to nail meat.

It's delicious.
It's very chef-y.

Right.
Let's go down a level.

- Please.

- This dish worried me.
Grabbed three ingredients.

Canned chickpeas, scallops,
capers, and that was it.

Brown butter, hummus.

- To be able to transform the
ingredient is amazing, right?

That's a true feat right there.

- One of the first cookbooks
I ever bought

Was a gordon ramsay cookbook

With some scallops
and some capers.

It's almost as beautiful.

I mean, really,
really well done here.

- Dish is exceptional.
Definitely next level.

Here we have
ground beef dumplings.

A little tomato ragu.

- There's so much complexity

Coming off of
this tomato condiment.

It's lovely.

- Dumplings are joy.
- Mm.

It's beautifully plated.

There's a lot of soul
in this dish.

And the acidity
from the tomatoes?

- Wow.

- Yeah,
that's on another level.

♪ ♪

This is a chicken thigh that's
been cooked skin side down.

The topping
is a pickled fennel.

♪ ♪

- It's simple,
but it has depth of flavor.

- Chicken on the bone
in 45 minutes,

And this one's
cooked correctly.

And it is as golden
as nyesha's aura.

[wind chimes jingling]

- Here we've got a crusted
loin of tuna.

[suspenseful music]

- This is a type of dish
that makes sense.

It's cohesive, right?
It's beautiful.

- Here we have canned beef
with a cauliflower puree.

♪ ♪

- The puree is so velvety.
Presentation is elegant.

It's lacking
a little bit of flavor.

- This individual spent his
first career timing

To absolute utter perfection.

Tonight
his timing was way off.

The dish fell off the platform,
toppled over,

So visually, it looks terrible.

It's a lemon pepper shrimp.

- You drop a plate,
you gotta be at risk.

You gotta expect to be
on the bottom two.

- To me,
the shrimp are undercooked.

- Shall we move
to the basement?

- First up, we have a black cod

With zucchini and carrots.

Beautifully plated.

♪ ♪

- I've got no idea
who cooked that dish,

But it tastes like
it's cooked by a pro.

Black cod is incredible.

- It's so elegant.
- Cooked perfectly.

Next up, we have the
chicken oyster with an arepa.

♪ ♪

- Flavor-wise the oyster
is delicious.

I like it.
- Great choice of ingredients.

I want that on the top floor.
So tasty.

- ♪ [singing in spanish] ♪

♪ ♪

- We have here a prosciutto

And clams over rice.

- Over rice.
- Yes.

- Okay.

- Strange combination,

But the actual flavor
is spot-on.

- Next up,
we have a squid with zucchini

And a coconut curry sauce.

♪ ♪

- Yeah, this dish is flat.

And it does taste like
it's come from the basement.

- Next up, rigatoni
with a breakfast sausage.

♪ ♪

- Great choice
of using this sausage.

It's got all that salt and
all that flavor in it, but--

- The execution has really
let this one down.

Doesn't look like a great use
of 45 minutes there.

- Next up, we have a play
on a crab cake.

It is an imitation crab
with grits.

Never heard of a grit cake.

- Yeah, so that tastes strange.

I'm not too sure
what went on here.

- I don't get any crab.

- All I'm getting is parmesan
in my mouth and dough.

- Disappointing.

- I'm in shock.

That is not something
that I expected.

This is
what I'm passionate about.

I have no idea
if I've done enough.

I am a nervous wreck.

- Wow.

Some very good dishes here
tonight, let me tell you.

There is a lot of pressure
on the three of us

To choose the best dishes.

Please, nyesha, richard?

[suspenseful music]

- To be there with that kind
of anxiety and suspense,

I'm literally 15 feet away
watching them discuss our fate.

- Tonight
it's not about winning.

It's about knowing
what we've got.

And trust me, you two
are in for a rough ride.

- Gordon, I can tell

That you're feeling
your team's dishes,

But I do think
I have the winner.

- You boys don't know
what you're talking about.

- All the proteins,
top-level proteins,

All of them cooked perfectly
on the top floor.

- [scoffs]

- Some of your food felt like

It came
from below the basement.

- [chuckles]

- Strengths in yours?

- That black cod.
- That was beautiful.

- Very beautifully plated.
- That dish is elegant.

- It's very elegant.
He cooks with a lot of passion.

- The flavor was spot-on.

- And then when
I look at those scallops,

Each one of them were nailed
to perfection.

- [sighs]

- And that beautiful,
brown butter hummus?

- Oh, my gosh.

- Brown butter hummus!
- So inventive.

- I have a cohesive restaurant
dish in that veal chop

With the bacon
and the pepper ragu.

That's ready for a menu.

- That pepper ragu was killer.

- Two or three of them
buckled under the pressure.

Those shrimps had the makings
of something magical.

- Presentation was off.
- He fell short tonight.

- The meatballs
are a little bit dense.

- It definitely seemed like
nerves, though.

Right?
- Mm-hmm.

- Like, the idea is there.

- Is there such a thing
as a grit cake?

- Absolutely not.
- No?

- Mind-blowing.

- Are we in agreement?
- Think so.

- Shall we?

[suspenseful music]

♪ ♪

Nyesha, who will you be
giving your immunity pin to?

- [inhales deeply]

It's not easy
cooking in the basement.

I saw a couple chefs today
that really cooked with heart.

♪ ♪

[sighs] today the person who
cooked the best dish on my team

And earned that immunity pin
is...

Nuri.
- [sighs]

[cheers and applause]
- nice job!

- Let's go, chef.
- Awesome!

- I'm on cloud nine right now.

This just gave me
a sense of validation

To know that I'm here
for a reason,

And I'm ready
to make next level dishes.

- I know I was hard on you
today.

That's because I want
to push you to excellence.

Let's go.
- Thank you, chef.

- All right!
[cheers and applause]

- Yeah.

- This has been a really tough
decision for me.

But he person who cooked
the best dish on my team

And winning the immunity pin
is...

Tucker.
[cheers and applause]

[upbeat rock music]

- Thank you, chef.
- Amazing.

- Ah!
[laughs]

I've come out swinging.
That feels good. [chuckles]

- Trust me,
keep cooking like that,

You're gonna be unstoppable.

Great job.

- It's just very validating

Proving to other people that
I deserve to be in this world,

So I'm just gonna try
to shine my brightest here.

[suspenseful music]

- All right.

Honestly, one dish stood out
for me today.

That dish that had earned the
team blais immunity pin is...

Matt.
- [exhales deeply]

- Way to go, matt!
[cheers and applause]

- Yeah, buddy.
- Attaboy, matt.

- I just never thought
I'd be here in this position.

I never thought that

I'd be a top dish
the first day.

- Don't fall a level.
Keep rising.

- You got it.
- Good job, man.

- Thank you chef.
Thank you, chefs.

[cheers and applause]

- Let's go, jersey!

[upbeat music]

- Now, of those three
unique dishes,

Only one stood out
above the others,

And that winning dish
will save their team

From the dreaded elimination.

That dish was cooked by...

[suspenseful music]

♪ ♪

Tucker.
Congratulations.

[cheers and applause]

[upbeat music]

♪ ♪

- All the way to the top!

- I feel really proud
of myself.

Like, I did the damn thing.

- Whoo!
- Let's go, tuck.

- Wow. Thank you.

- Bruh,
she just saved your tail.

You owe everything
to chef tucker.

Very close call.

- Team ramsay, congratulations.

And the good news is,

The next time you cook
in this competition,

You're starting
at the very top,

The next level.

[cheers and applause]
- let's go.

We got this, guys.

- Relax,
because you've earned it.

This season, we are doing
something different.

The team who wins safety gets
to hang out in the lounge

And watch the elimination
cookoff.

Well done. Get out of here.
- Thank you, chef!

- Thank you, chef!
- Thank you!

- Whew.

- [laughs]

[upbeat music]

- [sighs]
- I'm so proud of you.

- Thank you.
[chuckles]

- Everybody nailed it.
- You did great, guys.

- You did really good.

- Good work, good work,
good work.

- [laughs]

- Now, unfortunately,

That also means,
nyesha and richard,

You must now both choose
one individual

From your teams to face off
in that elimination.

♪ ♪

- Honestly,

I didn't really want to be
in this position this early.

The person that I'm gonna
have to put

Into the elimination is...

- The person that

I'm gonna have to put
into the elimination...

[suspenseful music]

Is April.

- It's all right. You got it.

- You've got it.
You've got it.

- I'm just trying
to hold my head up high.

I don't wanna be the first one
to leave the competition.

- April's going up against--
richard, please.

- I'm gonna go with the dish
that for me

Was the least successful today.

♪ ♪

And that dish was cooked by...

♪ ♪

Kamahlai.

- You got this.

- April, kamahlai,
the good news is,

You've both got one more
amazing opportunity

To redeem yourselves.

We're giving you both something

That every chef in the world
should know how to nail:

A perfect steak.

You'll have 30 minutes,
so do not hold anything back,

Because the winner
of tonight's elimination

Will be based solely on taste.

Richard and nyesha will join us
after the cook to taste

Not knowing
who cooked what dish.

Understood?

- Yes, chef.
- Yes, chef.

- Head to that
top flight kitchen

And I'll see you in a moment.

[suspenseful music]

♪ ♪

[dramatic music]

Kamahlai, April,

You will both be
going head-to-head

In a steak cookoff challenge.

If there was ever a time

For you to cook the best dish
of your lives, this is it.

- Yes, chef.
- Yes, chef.

- Now, the chef
that cooks the best dish

Not only progresses
in the competition

But keeps their team
in the middle level

For the next challenge.

The chef who's eliminated
tonight,

Their team will not only
be down a member,

But they'll be sent down
to the basement.

Make sure
it's a next level dish

Understood?

- Yes, chef.
- Yes, chef.

- 30 minutes to cook
a perfect new york strip.

Both of you, over to the doors.

The platform is on its way,
yes?

[cheers and applause]

- My head is in race mode.

I have to give it my all.

I don't want to leave
out of here

Without fighting
for my place,

My spot, what I deserve.

It's game time.

- Platform is coming, guys.

- It being the first time
in the top-level kitchen

Being in an elimination
challenge,

Is overwhelming,
but I want to win.

- And let's go, guys.
[cheers and applause]

- Let's go.
- Take your time, April.

- There you go.
- Get everything.

- Yup, yup, yup!
- Yeah, there you go!

- Red wine.

- I got tunnel vision.

I was just looking
at the ingredients.

What am I gonna do
with all of this?

Oh, [bleep].

- Relax, girlfriend.

- April, don't forget
your steak, girl.

That's yours there.
- Yes.

- New york strip. Well done.
- I knew it would be here.

- Okay, one minute gone.
Let's go, ladies.

The platform's
not going anywhere, okay?

- Take a deep breath, kamahlai.
- You're in good shape.

- I am a fighter.
I don't give up.

My mom used to say nothing
beats a failure but a try,

So I'm here, and we'll give it
all my got.

- Take your time
seasoning the steak.

Kinda get that fat side too,
babe.

- Yeah.
- Yeah, yeah.

- Kamahlai's
in a great position to win it.

She cooked at the top kitchen
already.

April hasn't cooked
on the top yet,

So there's an advantage
right off the bat.

- April, give me insight
to the dish.

Where are we going?
- [sighs]

I am going to sear my--
- you okay?

- My mind went blank.

- Oh, she looks rattled.

- Yeah.
- Oh, no.

- Kamahlai, are you good?
- Yes, chef.

- Wine will work well
with that.

- Yeah, no, it will.
That'll be fine too.

- Tomato?
- Yeah.

- Now have a quick look
in your pockets.

What have you to in there?
- [chuckles]

- There you go, there you go.

- [sighing]
oh, gosh.

- You're not going home, right?
- No.

- No? There we go.
Cook with those ingredients.

Let's go.

- I'm used to cooking at home
for my children, my family,

And I can cook a quick meal in
30 minutes, but a gourmet meal?

I'm like, "oh, my gosh."

- Smells great.
- Kamahlai!

- Come on, baby.
- Let's go!

- [groans]

- No, it didn't sizzle right.

- Needs to be hotter.
- Wait, it's not hot enough.

- Take it back out, babe.

- Take it out, take it out,
take it out.

- Take it back out.

- Great caramelization,
but let it rest, okay?

- Crazy environment
for somebody

To come in and cook in.

I am a bit taken aback.

- Are we good?
- Yes. Yes, chef.

- Good.
You're on, steak is searing.

Get another pan on there
and get your red wine in there

And you start that side.
- Yes.

- That's looking lovely,
though.

- You got it, April.

- So your color there,
beautiful color, okay?

- Focus on that sauce
and your sides.

That steak's money.
The steak's gonna be money.

- There you go,
there you go, there you go.

- What do you need,
what do you need?

- I'm just looking at color.
- Okay.

Make sure it makes sense,
make sure it makes sense.

- That's what--nothing
makes sense that I see so far.

If I don't succeed,

It would be more than myself
that I let down

And more than my family
that I let down.

I have a whole community
that is invested in me.

- April, April!

You are 15 minutes away
from leaving this competition.

Think about it!
- Yes, chef.

[dramatic music]

- Come on, girl!
- Think next level! Next level!

- Take a breath, relax.
You're looking good.

[cheers and applause]

- I couldn't imagine
being in elimination.

Kamahlai and April being in the
pressure cooker on day one!

- Okay, ladies!
Last two minutes!

Start dressing!
Let's go, let's go!

- Come on! Come on, girl!
You got this!

- Sauce first.
- Sauce first on the plate.

Do not glaze the steak with it.

- Ah!
[chuckles]

I just hope this is never me.

- That's it.
- Lay 'em all down the middle.

There you go.
Perfect, girl.

- Drizzle it around?

- Yeah, drizzle it around
the plate. There you go.

- This is nuts!

- Lay that steak.
That's the star of the show.

Right on top, girl.

- Beautiful!
- There you go, girl.

- Yes!
- There you go.

- Drizzle that sauce on top.

- Kamahlai,
start with sides, sides.

- Sides, sides, sides, sides.
- [sighs]

- Start stacking
the broccolini.

- The broccolini.
- Let's go!

- You've got this, kamahlai!
You've got this, girl!

- Clean that plate, love.

Make it look nice
and beautiful.

That steak's
gonna be delicious.

- Last 30 seconds! Come on!

- They both have me concerned.

- They do.
- At different points.

- Me too.
- Yeah.

[dramatic music]

- That's it, girl!

- How we looking?
Clean that plate up.

- Ten, nine...
All: Eight, seven...

Six, five, four, three,
two, one!

- Stop.
[cheers and applause]

[suspenseful music]

♪ ♪

- Nyesha, richard,
that was intense.

Two incredible new york strips.

Let's start here.

This one here was done
with asparagus,

Sautéed potatoes,
a red wine reduction.

- Classic pairing.
Plate looks well-balanced.

- You know, the sauce
looks a little oily to me.

We'll see how it tastes.

- Wow.
- Cooked beautifully.

- Nice.
- Perfect.

[suspenseful music]

- I am just trying
to remember to breathe.

If I'm the one that passes out
on the floor,

That's gonna be a dead giveaway
whose dish it was.

- When I go to a steakhouse
and I'm looking for a steak,

This is it.

Great sear, great color.

You can tell it's been rested,
which is very important.

If anything, a little finishing
salt could really elevate this.

- The steak is cooked
to a proper temperature,

The fat was rendered,

And I love that there's like
was a proper side here.

The asparagus, the mushrooms,

The potatoes
all works together.

And I love the drippings.

It doesn't look very good,
but it tastes delicious.

- There you go.
- Nailed it.

- [inhales deeply]
this one here.

Was done with a smashed potato,
broccolini,

And a worcestershire
sauce reduction.

- Visually, looks very simple
and appetizing.

- I love the pepper confetti.

There is a freshness to it,
which I love.

I'm intrigued.

[suspenseful music]

♪ ♪

- Nice little pan dripping jus,

But the steak,
it's a little bit chewy.

♪ ♪

- Well, I love the sauce.

I love the contrast
that the sauce provides.

Cooking's a little more
medium-well than medium,

But I like
what's going on here.

- Richard, nyesha,

Two phenomenal
new york strip dishes.

Sadly, for one individual,
it's the end of the road.

Nyesha, which dish would
you eliminate tonight?

Is it the new york strip
with the asparagus

Or is it the new york strip
with the broccolini?

♪ ♪

- Honestly,
it's difficult, right?

These are very close.

You have two dishes,
and on one hand,

You don't want to send
your team member home,

But you have to choose the
dish that tastes better.

The dish I'm gonna
eliminate tonight,

It's gonna be the steak
and broccolini.

- Thank you.

Chef richard, which dish
are you gonna eliminate?

- I think for me,
it's gonna come down to

Which do I wanna eat again,
right?

For me, the dish that I'm gonna
eliminate is going to be...

- Please let it be April.
[chuckles]

Please let it be April.
Please don't let it be me.

- The new york strip...

With the broccolini.

- [sighs]

[somber music]

- That dish was cooked
by kamahlai.

- Wow.

♪ ♪

- I don't look at it
as me being defeated.

I feel like it was an awesome,
amazing opportunity.

You don't
get a chance like this

To work with three
amazing chefs,

So that right there

Is hands down
a million-dollar experience.

- Kamahlai.
- Yes. [chuckles]

- When I come to your hometown,
I'm gonna look you up,

Because your food is delicious.

- Thank you so much.
Thank you guys.

- Good job.
- All right.

- Keep cooking.
- Yes, chef.

[applause]

♪ ♪

- April.
- Yes, chef.

- Congratulations, young lady.

Great job.
- Thank you, chef.

- You've all just witnessed

How stressful
it can be in here tonight,

So stay out
of that elimination.

- Understood?

All: Yes, chef.

- And I promise you
it's gonna get harder.

Get some sleep.
You're gonna need it.

Good night.
All: Good night, chef.

[dramatic music]

- This season
on "next level chef"...

- This isn't day one anymore.

- You want to stay
in this top level kitchen?

Cook like it.

- I have never done anything
like this before.

I don't know
if this is gonna work.

- We're coming up there!
- Okay, see you never!

- Bold or stupid?
We'll find out.

- [bleep].

- What I see here
is the future of cooking.

- Someone's going home
on the other [bleep] team.

[loud clattering]

- Put the plate
on the platform now!

- [screams]

- How did this happen again?

- There is no room
for mistakes.

- I'm having whole
anxiety attack right now.

- Keep the [bleep] pan down!

Do not screw this up.
All: Yes, chef.

- Our next level chef is...

[dramatic music]

[cheers and applause]

- You wanna change
apron colors?

- No, I don't think
gordon ramsay would be

Very happy about that!