Original subtitles

- Last time on "Next Level Chef"...

- It's go time! - For today's challenge,

amazing appetizers.

- With a beautiful craft cocktail.

- If you mess this up, bro, no excuses.

- The winner of the time token is...

the chicken lollipops.

- Let's go!

- Which dish are you going to eliminate?

- The cucumber, mash, and wagyu beef.

- Vinny. - [bleep]!

[applause] - I love you guys.

[dramatic music]

- And tonight...

- Go!

You'll all be working with an ingredient

that can be found on a menu

of a three Michelin star restaurant

or the plate of a three-year-old.

It's cheese.

I'm not asking you. I'm telling you.

Get your salmon in the pan.

- I am 100% going to elimination.

- It's going in.

- Now.

[knives shinging]

[dramatic rock music]

[elevator dings]

♪ ♪

[timer ringing]

♪ ♪

[dramatic music]

♪ ♪

- Welcome back, guys.

Look at that swagger.

♪ ♪

Listen, over half the competition has gone.

Now, we're going to the next level.

The first step starts right now.

Because for today's challenge,

you'll all be working with an ingredient

that can be found on a menu

of a three Michelin star restaurant

or the plate of a three-year-old at home.

And trust me, I have both.

Cheese. - Cheese.

- Cheese. - Ah.

- I am a huge cheese lover.

I love Gouda. I love Brie.

I love all the cheeses.

I don't discriminate against cheese.

- There's almost 2,000 varieties of cheese,

and they all behave in different ways when cooked.

So don't have a meltdown... [laughter]

If you're faced with a cheese you're unfamiliar with.

- Pairing cheeses with protein sounds easy, right?

But in reality, it takes a lot of skill and finesse.

- Now listen carefully.

You must grab one protein

and at least one variety of cheese.

- Team Arrington, we've got more chefs

left in this competition than any other team.

- OK, OK. All right, all right.

- Clearly, we are the team to beat, right?

- Yes. - Nuri.

- Yes, Chef? - Chef Stretch,

best dish of the day?

And now you have that time token?

- Yes, Chef, right here in my pocket.

It's 250 grand and a year of mentorships

from the three most amazing chefs in the world.

I mean, someone might be getting sabotaged.

Watch out.

- Nuri, now you have to make a big decision.

You can decide to keep the time token,

guaranteeing a ten-second head start

to grab ingredients from the platform,

or you can take ten seconds away

from any other chef.

♪ ♪

- Before you decide,

let's talk about the threats in this competition.

Where are they coming from?

- Chef Tucker and Chef Pilar.

- That's a compliment, actually.

Thank you.

- But it's only one token, Chef.

I can't use it against both.

- Please don't come for me.

- This is not a team sport.

When I think about the strategy of this...

- Mm-hmm. - To me, the bigger impact--

I'm getting goosebumps when I say it--

is taking away time from you, from Nyesha,

from whoever I'm competing against.

- What, five seconds each, or ten seconds from--

- No, ten seconds. Do I have to choose?

- Of course, you have to. What would you do?

- I'm taking ten seconds from Gordon.

[laughter] - Whoo!

- The sabotage is real.

- Nuri, time for the decision.

Are you keeping the time for yourself,

or are you taking it from someone else?

♪ ♪

- I'm keeping the time for myself, Chef.

The extra ten seconds will allow me to have first grab

and really analyze or even use five seconds

to bring my dish to life at the platform

with no other chefs down my back.

- I respect that decision.

What I'm expecting from that decision

is a next level dish beyond belief.

It's a big plus when you've got a time token.

When the competition starts to narrow down

the way it's doing, every little advantage

is game-changing.

Ten seconds is huge,

especially standing in front of that platform.

♪ ♪

- OK, guys.

Omi,

Nuri,

Tucker,

and Shay,

because you cooked the best dishes last time,

you're in that top kitchen.

Head to the elevators.

I'll see you soon.

- Tucker, don't worry about his ten seconds.

- They better worry, Chef.

- [indistinct]

Say cheese. Say cheese.

[elevator dings]

- All right. - Whoo!

- Chris, Michelle, Pilar,

I'll be with you on the middle level.

Let's go.

- Let's go, Pilar. - I got you, Chef.

- Got you too.

- All righty, here we go.

We get Chef Ramsay in the kitchen.

I'm super excited about this.

He's like Gandalf, big white beard

sort of level of wisdom, you know?

The guy's an absolute animal. I love it.

[elevator dings]

- Let's go!

This is a good kitchen right here.

I'm gonna take a risk today.

- All right, Mehreen, Tini, in the basement.

We're gonna get out of there today.

- Yes, Chef. - We have to do better.

Head to the elevator.

I'll see you in the basement in a minute.

- I'm feeling blessed that I'm still here.

I could have gone home last challenge.

But I just want to show the mentors

I can level up.

♪ ♪

- Good luck.

Have fun.

- Thank you.

- Whoo! - Yeah!

- All right, wow, what a greeting.

Wow, it's just the three of us.

- Means the competition's getting real.

- OK, are we good?

It's a big one today,

a really big one. - Yes, Chef.

- I think it's absolutely hilarious

that I'm getting used to literally cooking

in a kitchen with Gordon Ramsay.

Oh, hey, Gordon. What's up?

[elevator dings]

[applause]

- I'm really excited to be up here

with members from Team Arrington.

Go, team!

This is exciting.

I've seen them cook on every single level,

and we're back here at the top level together again.

Line up, line up.

- Uh, Blais.

Happy in the basement, kid?

- Oh, my gosh, I love the lighting down here, Gordon.

- Yeah, what do you have a pair of slippers down there?

- It's getting heated, right? - Unbelievable.

Let's go, let's go. Michelle.

- Mm-hmm? - Don't you dare

[bleep] that grab.

- I won't. - Yes?

- I'm going in.

- OK, when it goes green, only Nuri is going.

Nuri, you have ten seconds,

and then everyone else will go.

- I'm waiting on the wall, ready to be released

like a dog in his cage.

- Platform is on the move.

Go.

- Nuri goes sprinting ahead.

I see him grabbing a lobster.

It is torture watching him take

whatever he wants and knowing we can't go yet.

- Make sure you're being intentional with your grab.

- Breaking down a whole lobster in 40 minutes?

I mean, that's bold. That's a bold move.

Not everybody can do that.

- Three, two, one.

Go, guys, go! Go!

- When they said cheese is the challenge,

I was like, my ricotta gnocchi slaps.

I run over there, grab the filet mignon,

and I see that there's ricotta.

And of course there's Parmigiano-Reggiano.

So I'm hoping to create a next level dish.

- Come on, team.

Let's do this.

Five, four, three, two, one.

♪ ♪

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

30 seconds, guys.

- Where is the spinach? - Coming over, coming over.

- Excuse me. - Go, go, go, go.

- You ain't gotta push me, that's for sure.

Chris was a little pushing a little bit.

Have some manners.

I'm not saying you have to say "ladies first,"

but it's three of us at the platform.

- One more grab. Come on, one more grab.

One more grab. Well done.

Well done! Well done.

♪ ♪

- Go!

OK, not much left.

Not much left on the protein--

pork, lamb-- two porks and a lamb.

- There's not a lot of cheeses left on the platform.

I'm trying to look for goat cheese.

I don't see goat cheese.

But I see Parmesan.

I know how to work with Parmesan.

And I see fontina, so I grab it.

I'm like, I'm gonna make it work somehow.

- If you can grab it, you got it.

If you can grab it, you can use it.

- Ah. - Good job.

- 40 minutes starts now.

Oh, look at all this equipment in here,

the possibilities.

- The pasta-bilities? - The pasta-bilities!

- Ooh! [laughter]

- Tucker, you got a filet mignon.

So cheese is being incorporated...

- I'm gonna make gnocchi with my ricotta.

- OK. - I'm using the ricotta

and the parm--double cheese.

- Perfect, perfect. What did we grab?

- I'm gonna do a lobster linguine pasta, Chef.

I'm gonna make a béchamel cheese sauce.

- Yum. You had those

ten extra seconds.

You know we're gonna be looking at your dish extra hard.

Do you feel like there's a target on your back?

- Definitely, but I'm not worried, Chef.

I'm feeling comfortable.

I cook lobster pasta at home all the time.

I'm feeling good.

It's time to bring it now, baby.

- Hi, Chef. - Shay, my love.

- How are you? - What'd you grab?

- OK, I grabbed a rib eye and Gorgonzola.

I know steak and blue cheese, delicious.

- Oh, love that, classic pairing.

- Steak and mac and cheese,

that would be my final meal.

Beautiful. Nothing better.

A little kimchi mac and cheese.

- Wow, how progressive of you. - I'm a little worried

about the Gorgonzola and the kimchi.

- Yeah, balance, right? - But I'm gonna

try to tone each one.

- Make sure you keep tasting.

- Yes, Chef.

- Tell me about what we have here.

- I'm making a baked shrimp mac and cheese.

- OK. So is a mac and cheese

a staple dish in your household?

- Yes, it is.

I've never made this dish with shrimp.

So I don't know what this is gonna be like today.

♪ ♪

- Right, Pilar. - Yes, Chef?

- Tell me, what did you grab?

- I grabbed chicken breast with some...

- Chicken breast. - Goat cheese.

I'm gonna stuff it with the spinach and tomato.

- That's a tough one to pull off in 40 minutes.

Roll it or fold it? - Yes, I'm gonna roll it.

- Poach it first? - Poach it first,

and then I'm gonna sear it also...

- OK, love that idea. - To give it some color.

- Love it, love it, love it. - I feel good about this one.

[laughs]

- Right, Chris, what'd you grab?

- I got fingerling potatoes, shallots.

- Love that. - I got Taleggio and fontina.

- Good. And protein, what'd you get?

- Protein--veal, chop loin right there, Chef.

- That's money right there. - Yeah.

- I haven't seen you cook lots before,

but I'm loving this idea, OK?

What's the dream? - The dream is--

I have a private chef business out in Florida.

But right now, I've just kind of been taking all the skills

that I learned in New York and just applying them

for anyone who's got enough money

to pay me to cook for them.

- Laying down that foundation.

- Yeah. - Yeah.

- Something awesome is going to happen from all this.

A new version of me is going to step out

into the culinary world when I get back home to Florida.

I'll be even more of a force to be reckoned with.

- Here we go.

Right, Michelle, what'd you grab?

Camembert, ooh.

Parmesan, salmon, fennel.

Is that it? No other ingredients?

- That's it. - How can you just grab

three things-- fennel, salmon, and two cheese?

- It was just like, I blinked my eyes

and suddenly I'm looking down at this array

of ingredients that, like, really don't make any sense.

- Why did you go for the minimalistic grab

at this stage of the competition?

There's only nine of you left,

and they're grabbing ferociously now.

You got a tough one there. - I do.

- I wouldn't grab an oily fish, you know, with two cheeses.

Wow.

- The worst is that I swore

to my mentor, like, seconds before,

don't you worry, Chef Ramsay, I got this.

And I got, like, four things,

and they're all fat.

- Michelle, Michelle, Michelle. - Yes.

Oh, boy. - She grabbed salmon,

which is the worst protein to go with cheese.

- I have 1,000% [bleep] up this grab.

♪ ♪

- So Michelle, how do you just grab three things--

fennel, salmon, and two cheese?

- I think I was so focused on those cheeses

that I wasn't thinking about the other elements.

- Michelle, we can't cook unless we've got ingredients.

- Mehreen, what are we making?

- An enchilada with a tikka masala sauce.

- I think that's gonna work

really, really well here with the brisket.

There's paneer-like cheeses... - Yeah.

- In the Mexican cuisine world as well, right?

- Right, right. - So this is a great fusion.

What's your ultimate dream here?

Like, you win this thing, what are you gonna do?

- I want to open up a pop-up in Brooklyn

that incorporates all of my favorite ingredients and dishes

and to eventually have a cookbook for home cooks.

- Have you named your future restaurant yet?

- I think Reenie's. That's my nickname.

- Reenie's? - Everyone knows me by Reenie.

- So this is our first dish for Reenie's...

- Amazing, Chef. - Right here, right now.

It starts right here. - Wow.

That helps a lot. I love that.

- Let's make that restaurant today.

- Let's do it.

- Let's go. Let's go.

All right, Tini, orzo, cauliflower, lamb--

perfect combination.

Truffles will work. What cheese did we grab?

You got fontina and...

- Parmesan.

- I love what you just did. - I just like cheese.

But I also have never tried it before.

- No, but you have to taste it.

You and I started in fast food. - Yeah.

- Can you believe that? - No.

I didn't even know I was gonna graduate high school.

- Oh, my gosh, well, you and me both.

We have a lot of similarities.

I was at a cash register.

- I was making patties.

- We have humble beginnings, right?

- Yeah. - But look where we're at now.

Started from the bottom, now we're here.

- Yes, sir. - You ever heard that lyric?

- Yes. - Okay.

[laughing] - I'm 21.

I'm surprised you know that.

- Oh!

America's here for it.

Let's go, Tini.

- Sweating shallots down?

- Yes, Chef. - Beauty, beauty, beauty.

- Just starting to let the sauce reduce,

and then I'm gonna add the flavors into it.

- Excellent. - Thank you, Chef.

- Guide it.

Drive that car, baby.

Smart working on the cutting board so you can just

clear that away right away. - Oui, Chef.

- So you are a culinary school teacher?

- I am, Chef. - Tell me about that.

- So I used to work in Michelin kitchens.

When the pandemic hit,

we all found ourselves without any jobs.

- Wow. - And I teach classes now.

And it's amazingly fun. My gastronomy gangsters,

I hope, are cheering me on out there.

It's one of my favorite things to do, Chef.

I love teaching them tricks. I love seeing them

when they create a gangster dish of their own.

- So what's the sauce gonna be?

- We're doing a lemon beurre blanc, Chef.

- OK, a lemon beurre blanc. - Gonna be a little fennel

in there, some onion and garlic.

- Ugh!

I see it.

All day, baby. Keep pushing.

[suspenseful music]

Cleaning 'em out?

- Yes. - Nice.

How do you feel to have come this far in this competition?

Did you anticipate this?

- You know, Chef, I came here ready.

My husband right now is not able to work

because he is disabled. - Wow.

- And so I've been holding down the household

by myself. - What a woman.

- My husband and I, we've had some hardships.

He was diagnosed with a degenerative bone disease.

And it's been a struggle, and it's been a journey.

And I'm channeling all of that.

And that's coming with me into this competition.

Being able to win this would mean so much to my family.

- You know you're winning every day that you're here, right?

- Yes. Thank you, Chef.

- Keep going, OK? - Thank you, Chef.

♪ ♪

- OK, guys, it's time

for the mid-round mayhem.

What goes well with cheese?

Cured meats!

Grab what you need to elevate your dish.

Ten seconds, OK?

- Pancetta, perfect!

Yep, good.

- Good job, good job. - We got meats.

I'm thinking I don't necessarily need

another salty element in this dish.

I already have a really salty Gorgonzola, the salty kimchi.

And my only hope is that they don't compete with each other.

♪ ♪

- Cured meats, let's go, guys!

Get what you need to make your dishes absolutely shine.

Now, Michelle, grab one cured meat, think about it.

- I see Parma ham. I'm taking that.

And then I realized that this is another fat.

We're gonna have some people going

into cardiac arrest over here.

- It's time for a mid-round mayhem.

You have to work one item into your plate.

Take cheese to the next level.

Four seconds. Three, two, one.

What do you got? - Chorizo.

- OK, yes.

- I'm Muslim.

I don't cook pork. I don't eat pork.

So this is gonna be a tough one.

- The chorizo I think works, right?

- Yeah, I think so too. - Because the chorizo,

that's gonna be perfect for this enchilada.

- Chef, would you be able to taste

the chorizo sauce for me, because I don't eat pork.

- Yeah, yeah, of course.

16 minutes remain.

Are you on track?

Is everything that you wanted to do happening?

Keep it together.

- Right, Pilar, gotta get this thing rolled, girl.

- Yes, Chef. - What are you thinking?

- About to roll it right now, Chef.

- I am worried about your time, Pilar.

- I'm worried that Chef Ramsay is worried about my timing.

I need perfect timing on the poach,

and I need perfect timing on the sear.

Should I put another piece

to close that little hole right there?

- How should I know?

You'll maybe have to put that on at the end.

Now get that thing poached.

- Yes, Chef. - Yeah?

You're underway now, yes?

- Thank you, Chef.

- How are you gonna balance the flavor

of the kimchi and the Gorgonzola?

What's in your mind? - I just tried to do

just enough kimchi to give it that tang

without doing too much, because I think too much

would be a little weird. - Sure, OK.

So you had an intention with your grab?

- Of course I did. - Of course he does.

- I always have intention. - Of course he does.

- A lot of tanginess, a lot of funkiness.

We like the funk.

Hot, hot, hot.

- Yeah, you are.

- [laughs] Yes, Chef.

- What did we grab in the mid-round mayhem?

- Prosciutto. - And how are you incorporating

that into your dish? - So that's gonna

bake in the oven so it gets nice and crisp,

along with my mac and cheese,

so it's a two for one. - Wow.

- I make mac and cheese at home every Sunday dinner.

I never make it with shrimp,

never mind adding prosciutto.

Although, adding all these things together

sounds really great in my head.

♪ ♪

- Right, young man, don't take that sauce too rich

because you got the richness of the cream.

- Right, right. - OK, so we're

finishing strong now because you got the makings

of a next level dish here, OK?

- Yes, Chef.

- Ooh. - How are you feeling?

- I'm feeling good about this sauce, Chef.

- OK, good.

Mm-hmm. OK, that's nice.

Delicious. OK, but look at me,

I need more than a frickin' sauce.

- I know. - OK?

♪ ♪

Right, how are you feeling? - Feeling good, Chef.

- OK, good. - Just waiting on this

to be ready. - Beautiful.

Love it. - Thank you, Chef.

- Take your time. - OK.

- If you're uncertain, hey, I'm here to help.

- Yes, Chef, heard. - Ask me, yes?

Seven minutes to go.

♪ ♪

Good, so put that down for two seconds.

Yeah? And just touch that there.

OK? That's undercooked.

- Got it. - Yeah?

Back in.

♪ ♪

Michelle, the salmon's still uncooked.

I haven't come this far with you, girl...

- You're right, Chef. - To fall flat.

Let's go. - Push, Michelle.

- I'm pushing.

Chef Ramsay is on my ass.

If I serve raw salmon to the mentors,

I am 100% going to elimination.

- Look at me. I'm not asking you.

I'm telling you. Get your salmon in the pan now.

- It's going in. - Now.

Now.

- Come on, Michelle.

We've been on this journey since day one.

- Yes, we have. - You're the only one

who hasn't got a protein cooked here.

You gotta go, girl, OK? - It's ready.

- Don't tell me it's ready because it's raw.

How's it tasting?

- It's tasting amazing to me, Chef.

- Happy? - Yeah, I'm happy with this.

- Good. Make it come to life.

- Yes, Chef, I got you. - Make sure it's exactly

what you want. - Yes, Chef.

[suspenseful music]

♪ ♪

- Don't rush this now. That slice is crucial.

Let the knife do the work. Otherwise,

you're gonna burst that open, OK?

- Yes, Chef. - When you walk around

with salmon like that, girl, you're gonna drop it.

Please.

♪ ♪

Beautiful.

- Make 'em beautiful.

It's a proper looking plate

for this restaurant that we're opening up

in Brooklyn in three years.

That's right, I said "we."

I'm an investor all of a sudden.

One minute left. Let's go.

- Precision and excellence.

all: Yes, Chef.

- Plate it like you care.

Come on, guys. Platform's on its way.

♪ ♪

- Platform's gone downstairs.

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

- Platform's here.

Platform's here!

Last looks.

OK, clean it up, yeah?

Wipe the plate.

Five seconds left.

[timer beeping]

I'm feeling good. I'm feeling good.

Let's go.

- Good job.

- OK, home straight, yes?

Pilar, we gotta go.

Let's go, guys. Come on, Michelle.

Ten seconds, guys. We gotta go.

We gotta go. Chris.

- Going. - We gotta go.

We gotta go. - Behind you, Michelle.

- Let's go!

Three, two, one.

Well done! Well done!

Well done!

- Whoo! - Yes.

Good job. Come here.

- Platform's here!

Go, guys, go!

Go! Come on, guys.

every dish on the platform.

Look at that ballet service.

Wow! - We know how to plate, mate.

♪ ♪

all: "Next Level Chef"!

♪ ♪

- Going into judging today,

I know that I have the most bizarre

array of ingredients on this dish.

But I would, like, cut my arm off

not to go to the elimination challenge.

- All of you, well done.

The brief was incorporating cheese across a protein.

Sounds easy. It's one of the most

difficult things to do.

Why?

The amount of fat a cheese holds,

the season, the texture.

Some cheeses don't work in sauces.

So do you season with the cheese,

or do you add salt and the cheese?

That's a very fine line.

Shall we taste? - Please.

- Nyesha, please. - Yes, please.

OK, starting with the dishes from the top floor.

- Mm-hmm. - First up,

we have a lobster pasta...

- Wow. - With a frico,

or crispy cheese, with roasted tomatoes.

- I'm so sorry, but where's the lobster?

♪ ♪

Under here.

- Mmm. - Tough on this one.

Those cheeses don't really resonate with lobster.

I'm struggling to find lobster

because it's absolutely swimming

in an abundance of pasta.

So that is underwhelming for me.

- Yeah, for me it reads a little bit family style.

And although the dish of course is meant to be creamy,

I'm looking for something to break up

all those deep, salty, creamy flavors.

- Not good. Not good.

Not good. Not good.

Damn, man!

Aah!

- Next up we have a filet of beef.

This is served with a gnocchi.

- I mean, gnocchi is one of those things.

It's easy to make bad. It's hard to make good.

And in this amount of time, that gnocchi is stellar.

- Beautiful. Really beautiful.

Visually, next level.

- To cook a beautiful filet in this short amount of time,

it shows incredible technique.

Great job.

- Let's go. Girl power again.

- Next up we have a sharp cheddar mac and cheese

with a shrimp and crispy prosciutto.

♪ ♪

- Yeah, it's hard. Shrimp are delicious.

I love the saltiness of the charcuterie.

It's just not gelling.

It's just not coming together as a mac and cheese does.

It has to become overcooked to become flavorsome,

and there's no cooking in here.

It's like it's been put together in the last

two minutes and stuck in the oven.

I'm sorry. - For me, mac and cheese has

got to be ooey and gooey,

or ooey, gooey, stretchy, and chewy.

And I'm not getting that.

- I had an off day.

There's so much pressure.

- Lastly, we have a rib eye.

This has a Gorgonzola and mushroom sauce

with a Gorgonzola and kimchi mac and cheese.

♪ ♪

- This looks like it's sort of badly presented.

It's such a shame. The protein's a little bit off.

The sauce is strong.

Oh, my God. What a shame.

- It's never good when Gordon says, "What a shame."

- I'm missing the kimchi.

I was really looking forward to that and unfortunately,

the Gorgonzola is really overpowering.

- I am preparing myself for an elimination challenge.

[sighs]

Hoping it doesn't come to that.

- Shall we move to the middle floor?

So this was a tight grab.

Salmon, the most difficult protein to get with cheese.

And it's done with a little clochette of Camembert.

Bad ingredients, but you picked them.

♪ ♪

- Oh, my God, is it raw?

Is it raw?

♪ ♪

[suspenseful music]

- Beautiful.

♪ ♪

- Tough call getting that working

because it's sort of overkill

with the fat and the oily fish.

But the flavors are there. Good job.

- I would have stayed away from salmon.

You look at it, and you're like, this is gonna be odd.

But it works.

- This is a beautiful showcasing

of how to balance those flavors and textures.

It's really exciting to eat and really pretty to look at.

- I am so relieved the salmon is cooked,

and it's cooked beautifully,

and they like the flavors.

[whooping]

♪ ♪

- This one is a chicken ballotine,

goat cheese and Parmesan in the middle.

- The tenacity to make a ballotine, I mean,

that shows incredible technique and confidence.

- This just screams prowess,

someone that's moving with such intent.

It's exceptional.

- "Exceptional,"

especially after the past two cooks,

makes me feel exceptional.

- This is a pan-seared, oven-roasted veal chop

sat with a little gratin.

- Veal is cooked beautifully, still juicy, great color.

- Maybe a little bit better on the sauce work, right,

so that it just doesn't run all over the place

to kind of bring it to the next level,

but a classic dish.

- Shall we head to the basement?

- Yeah. We'll start

with the rack of lamb with a fontina,

black truffle, and Parmesan orzo.

♪ ♪

- Lamb for me needs another minute.

The orzo is congealed and grainy, which is a shame.

- I mean, to me, this is a smart dish.

I like the lamb cooked this way.

But we're looking for something that can

break up the saltiness and the creaminess,

some sort of a pickle to sort of wake this dish up

a little bit more on your palate.

OK, lastly, we have a brisket, paneer...

- Wow. - And chorizo enchilada plate.

♪ ♪

- The brisket is delicious.

It's just the presentation.

- For me, this sauce feels like

it was only seasoned at the end.

And every opportunity is an opportunity

for flavor through the process.

- Right now, we need to separate

the good from the average.

All of you, please, give us a moment.

- That's tough.

- It's okay. - Yeah.

- I wasn't blown away with the lobster.

It just felt clumsy.

- That lobster dish was the one that had

an extra ten seconds to conceptualize

and grab ingredients,

and that's what we received.

- That shrimp mac and cheese, nothing was gelling.

- That's the thing. - It tasted like a side,

but it was also plated like a side.

- Can we talk about the sauce in that rib eye?

That was weird, the color. - Yeah.

- I didn't get, like, the good funk that I wanted

from the Gorgonzola. - No, the Gorgonzola--

- But at the same time, it was too much of it.

Let's talk about the enchiladas.

It needs to have a little bit more elegance.

- It was definitely congealed.

I appreciate the sauce, but it felt compartmentalized.

- Highlight the cheese. The cheese wasn't the star.

- Sure. - Honestly, we have to talk

about the best dish of the night.

- Whoever made the gnocchi--

- Did you see how velvety that cheese sauce was?

- Yeah. - Mind-blowing.

Can we talk about the ballotine

with the goat cheese and the spinach

and the cheesy grits?

- For me, I feel like that's the way

to elevate a chicken breast, right?

- Yes. - Is it the gnocchi

or is it that ballotine?

This is a tough one.

- I'm gonna have to say the ballotine.

For me, that is the makings of a next level chef.

- I totally, totally disagree with you.

I mean, the gnocchi themselves was just an absolute stunner.

- But is it really that difficult

to make steak and potatoes next level?

- Deliberation in amongst the judges is getting feisty.

It's fine margins now.

And that just shows you,

this competition is getting dialed in.

Are we in agreeance?

- We're not in agreeance,

but I think we are where we are.

- We're set?

♪ ♪

This has been a tough ordeal.

We do have two outstanding dishes tonight

that were definitely next level.

The first was the filet mignon with the gnocchi.

Tucker, well done, young lady. - Thank you, Chef.

[applause] - Tucker.

- The second dish was...

the chicken ballotine.

[applause]

Pilar.

Now we have a time token to give away.

Unfortunately, only one of you will receive it.

This split went to a 2-1 vote.

This time token goes to...

♪ ♪

Pilar.

- Good job, P. [applause]

- Well done, girl.

- Top dish of the day!

I feel like I'm back to where I belong,

at the top of the pack.

- OK, now for the hard part.

Tonight, there were three dishes

that were not next level cheese-inspired dishes

and will be going into the elimination cook-off.

The first was...

♪ ♪

[sighs]

The spaghetti and lobster.

Nuri, I don't know what to say, young man.

I thought you were grabbing a second token tonight.

You gotta get it together.

- I'm putting out a dish that's not visually beautiful.

It doesn't all the way make sense.

That's not going to cut it.

- With ten seconds up your sleeve tonight,

honestly, we were all expecting fireworks.

What a shame.

♪ ♪

- [crying]

I'm not feeling good.

[dramatic music]

- The second dish headed to elimination tonight is...

♪ ♪

The rib eye with that super strong Gorgonzola sauce.

It was so pungent and so strong.

It did not make sense.

- I have been in elimination before.

Let the best dish win.

- [sighs]

The last dish that will be headed

to elimination tonight is...

♪ ♪

The mac and cheese with shrimp.

Omi, this dish just didn't gel.

You need to raise your game.

- Now I have to strap on my boots

and get ready for these next 30 minutes.

- Pilar, Tucker,

both of you will be cooking on the top level

in the next challenge.

You can head back to the lounge.

- Thank you, Chefs. - Thank you.

- Enjoy. - Great job.

Well done, ladies.

- For years, I've been practicing

putting my all into what I do and what I love.

And I'm so glad that it's showing up

on the plate here for these mentors.

- Michelle, Chris, Mehreen, and Tini,

you've made your way to the middle level.

Well done. - Please head to the elevator.

- Yes, Chef.

- Thank you, Chefs. - Thank you.

- I live to see another day.

- I look out here,

and all I can see is Team Arrington.

I go from flying high

with four of my amazing mentees standing tall and proud

to having to send one of three home.

I 100% take that personally.

Tonight, you will have 30 minutes

to create a dish featuring nuts.

all: Yes, chef.

- For one of you, it's the last 30 minutes here.

Please leave it all upstairs.

Understood? all: Yes, Chef.

- Where I come from, we don't get opportunities

like this at all, ever in life.

This will be my first time in elimination.

So I'm gonna keep pushing.

I'm gonna keep fighting.

Because I'm not ready to go home.

I'm ready to be a next level chef.

- Head to the elevators,

and I'll meet you up there shortly.

- Good luck, all three of you. - Good luck, Chefs.

all: Thank you, Chef. - Let's go.

♪ ♪

- Let's go, guys.

- This is my first time being in elimination.

A quarter of a million dollars is at stake here.

I've been playing really nice up until now.

Being in this elimination, I'm not gonna be as nice.

[cheers and applause]

I'm not going out without a fight.

♪ ♪

- How we feeling? - Good, Chef.

- Great, Chef. - Good.

It's quiet in here.

- It's getting intense.

- How's it feel to have the rest of your team

in the elimination right now?

- This is so weird.

- Nuri, I know this is your first time

in this elimination.

Omi, same thing.

You've seen how it works.

Don't let the nerves get to you.

- Yes, Chef. - Yes, Chef.

- Shay's been in elimination though.

- He has. - And he brought it.

- He did. He did.

- I've done this before. I can do it again.

- OK, 30 minutes to create a nut-inspired dish.

Hands on the elevator, please.

- Let's go, guys.

- My husband and I, we are conquerors.

We fight. We don't give up easy.

And that's coming with me into this cook-off.

- Platform's here!

Let's show these other chefs why we belong

in this competition.

Go. - All right, let's go!

Let's go!

- I sprint to the platform.

I want to grab first pick.

I grab halibut.

- Let's go, Shay. You got this.

- Stretch gets the halibut. And I'm looking.

There's a pork chop and a chicken breast.

I really want the pork chop.

Omi grabs the pork chop.

Here I am with this chicken breast.

[scoffs]

- Nuri, what'd we grab?

- I'm gonna do a almond-crusted halibut

and then a parsnip puree.

- Excellent.

You need more liquid in there, Chef.

- Heard, Chef.

Get this warm pan back.

- Put it down.

You have to cook or not cook.

It's not doing anything in the air.

- Heard, Chef. - Put more cream in

so you leave yourself some options.

It doesn't mean you have to use all of it.

You know what I mean? - Yes, Chef.

- Look at me.

I need you to focus, OK? - All right.

- Don't cook nervous.

What's going on?

- Nothing, I'm good Chef. - You got this.

I know you are.

Nuri, let's go. - I got you, Chef.

The judges' feedback from earlier today

is definitely playing in my mind.

It's giving me even more pressure and stress.

I just gotta make sure I don't psych myself out.

- Omi, tell me about your dish.

- Chef, I want to make a peanut-encrusted pork chop

and a butternut squash puree.

- OK, the butternut squash is gonna take

the longest to cook, so how are you planning to cook that?

- I'm gonna boil it first.

- OK, so let's get that peeled. Let's get it cooking.

- Butternut squash-- oh, damn, in 30 minutes?

That's a lot.

Ooh, girl, you better start prepping that right now.

- Highlight the nut.

- Multitask, Shay. - Yep.

- There you go. - Thanks, buddy.

- What's the plan here? - I'm making a pesto

with a little Parmesan cream sauce for pasta.

- How are you planning to stick the nuts to the protein?

- Flour, egg, breadcrumbs, and nuts.

- Egg's gonna be important, right?

- Yes, Chef. - OK.

Even toast, nice even toast. - I'm very--

yeah, I'm known for burning nuts.

- Don't do that. - So I don't want to do that.

- Just don't do that, OK?

- Let's go, Omi!

- And don't forget, you're only making one plate,

so you don't need a ton, you know what I mean?

♪ ♪

15 minutes gone, guys.

- Come on, guys. - Shay, you all right, bud?

- I'm good, thanks.

- Make sure that chicken's cooked, right?

You don't want the crust to burn

before the protein's cooked, right?

- Heard, Chef, yes. - Be careful.

When are you planning to drop your pork chop, my love?

- As soon as I encrust it right now.

- Omi, my love, you need to move faster.

I'm so concerned for you.

- This needs to cook faster.

So we need to either cover it or add more liquid.

- Yes, Chef. - Don't repeat your steps.

Do it once and be done with it, OK?

Don't overthink it.

- Everything just freezes.

- Come on.

- I'm not ready to go home.

My boys are rooting for me hard--

hard.

I'm a fighter.

I've always been a fighter.

♪ ♪

- Guys, 20 minutes down!

Ten minutes left, ten minutes!

Wow, great flavor here.

This is beautiful.

This is taking me on a journey, right?

- Yes, Chef. - You know what you're doing.

- Yes, Chef. - You know what you're doing.

- Yes, Chef. - Let it flow.

[suspenseful music]

- Damn it. This crust is not

working for me.

My heart sinks.

The crust is falling off.

both: Ooh.

♪ ♪

- I gotta figure out what I'm gonna do with that.

- Adjust. Don't get hung up on it.

Good job.

- I'm literally painting this egg wash on the chicken

and patting the crust back on.

I have never done anything like this before.

I don't know if this is gonna work.

That's terrible. What am I doing?

- Are you sure you're gonna be able to save this, chef?

- I'm trying my best. - Make sure it's even.

- Yes, Chef. - Believe in yourself.

- I do.

- I know you do. I've seen it.

- Where'd you learn that?

[laughter]

Five minutes left, guys!

You have this beautiful butternut squash here, right?

- Yes. - Pan roasted,

got that beautiful beurre noisette,

brown butter, right? - Mmm.

- Use the elements that you have, Chef.

- Yes, Chef.

- Halibut is out? - Yes, Chef, resting.

- I don't know why you used the smallest

bowl in the kitchen, Chef.

Set yourself up for success. - Yes, Chef.

- I know I'm pushing you a lot, but I know you can do it.

You just gotta clear the path in your mind.

- Heard, Chef. - Let's go.

Come on, Shay.

Let's get this protein down, yes?

- Yes, Chef.

- Come on. Come on.

♪ ♪

45 seconds!

Shay, where's your plate?

- Right here.

- Beautiful, Omi. - Watch your squash.

Nice. Nice, nice.

You have sauce on there?

Ten, nine...

all: Eight, seven, six,

five, four, three, two, one.

- Whoo! - Hands up, hands up.

Hands up, hands up. - Good job, guys!

♪ ♪

- OK.

Nyesha, how was that?

- Intense. - Yeah.

- They cooked their hearts out.

- Well done. Three good-looking dishes.

- Let's start with the fish please.

So here we have an almond-crusted halibut

with green bean almondine and a parsnip puree.

- The fish is cooked beautifully.

Let's get that clear.

And it's a tough one to cook fish and get a crust on there

as well at the same time, so that shows a great level

of skill, whoever executed that.

Parsnip puree, slightly strange

with something as delicate as halibut.

- I love the fact that the almonds aren't burnt.

It's so easy to go from raw to burnt.

Love the citrus note.

Even though it's got the parsnips,

it sort of brightens it up.

- Next we have a pistachio- crusted chicken breast,

a creamy pesto sauce,

and a salad of arugula and heirloom tomato.

- How is that chicken cooked? Is she beautiful, juicy?

- I love the presentation. It's simple.

And it's sort of letting the ingredients speak volumes.

The chicken is slightly dry.

It's about two minutes over.

- Yeah, to me the crust is sort of falling off of the chicken.

And I'm not getting that sauce sort of sticking to that.

But I love the fact that you have this complete dish.

You have the acidity of the salad.

It looks good.

- OK, our last dish is a peanut-crusted pork chop.

This has a pomegranate apple compote

with roasted butternut squash.

- It's cooked beautifully.

Wow.

- Peanuts, apples work really, really well here.

And I love that we have the butternut squash

in two varieties.

You have a lot of texture.

- I like this dish, I just don't like

the puree on top of it.

- Uh-oh.

- [gasps]

- A chop like that deserves

more love at the end.

So love the peanuts,

not a big fan of the puree.

- OK, Richard, please, I'm going to start with you.

Which dish would you eliminate this evening?

- To me, it's going to come down to the use of nuts

and whether that played into the dish in the correct way.

That was the challenge.

The dish that I'm eliminating is...

♪ ♪

The pistachio chicken.

♪ ♪

- Gordon, please, same question.

Which dish will you eliminate tonight?

- Tough one, Nyesha,

especially when they're all mentees from your team.

First off, that's the most outstanding dish tonight,

the halibut, hands down.

So that person is not going home.

Pork or chicken, Nyesha,

is very, very, very hard to separate.

No one deserves to go home here.

The dish I'm going to eliminate is...

♪ ♪

Is the chicken encrusted with pistachio.

- That dish was cooked by Shay.

- Oh, jeez.

Damn.

- Shay, I'm sorry.

- It's OK, Chef.

- You've cooked so brilliantly.

- Thank you so much for being the most amazing mentor.

This experience was the most whirlwind of my life.

I love each and every one of these people.

I'm gonna be cheering you all on.

Obviously, it would have been cool to win $250,000.

Keep your head in the game... - I got you.

- For your daughter.

I'm sad to be leaving this competition

and all these people, but it has been such a ride.

Chefs, thank you so much.

- Take care, Shay. - My pleasure.

- Good job. - Take care.

[applause]

- I'm going home with my head held high.

I won so much in experiences here.

And I just feel lucky to have had this opportunity.

[cheers and applause]

- Shay, Shay, Shay!

- Wow.

We've just sent home a very good chef.

Nuri, Omi, great job, really good job.

The next time we see you,

you're in for a wake-up.

Goodnight.

- Goodnight, Chef. - Thank you, Chef.

- [sighs]

Omi, puree underneath.

[laughter]

- Puree underneath, puree underneath.

- Next time on "Next Level Chef"...

For your next challenge, you'll all have 40 minutes

to create a next level fried entree.

- Ah. - Ooh.

- Pilar, big decision,

do you take ten seconds away

from one of your competitors?

- My decision is to use it

against one of my competitors today, Chef.

♪ ♪

- What's going on in the basement?

- We're getting out of here is what's happening!

- Do not screw this up.

- Let's go. Three, two, one!

♪ ♪

- On the back of that performance,

this whole competition is blown wide open.