All language subtitles for H.K.US.S23E01.WEB-E

Narrator: For the first time
in its 23-season history,

"Hell's Kitchen" has moved
to the East Coast.

- Whoo!

Connecticut!

Narrator: And for this
historic occasion...

[cheering]

The 18 talented chefs are
getting a special escort

from the United States
Coast Guard.

- Yeah! [Bleep].

Narrator: And while they are
enjoying their arrival...

- All right, guys,
let's [bleep] go!

[cheering]

Narrator: The chefs are ready
to do battle,

come hell or high water.

- I am on "Hell's Kitchen,"

which is like, pinch-me surreal.

And I just cannot believe that
this is actually happening,

like, to me.

♪ ♪

- We're embarking
on an adventure.

I never thought I'd be meeting
my new boss via a small boat.

I'm terrified.

I'm from the desert.

We don't have water out there.

Oh. Oh!

- [laughs]

[band playing]

♪ ♪

- Whoo-hoo. Yeah.

♪ ♪

- This is wild! It's real!
- Oh, my gosh!

I'm so pumped. Oh, my God.

I'm in a skirt on a boat.

[laughs] Here to cook.

Hi! Pleasure, thank you.

[cheering]

- I'm seeing all the
Coast Guard, the whole band,

everybody clapping for you.

It makes you feel like
you're a celebrity now.

This is insane. Me?

Come on.

- Let's go, chefs.

Welcome to "Hell's Kitchen."

Join the rest of the team.

Go and get familiar.

♪ ♪

- Ladies and gentlemen,
Chef Gordon Ramsay.

[cheers and applause]

[chanting "chef"]

- This is the most
spectacular moment of my life.

I've been watching him
my entire life.

I'm speechless.

- Chefs, good morning.
- All: Morning, Chef!

- What an entrance that was.

- I know.

- Uh, that zebra outfit...

[laughter]

Where did that come from?

- My closet. Yeah.

Most people don't
wear an outfit like this

on the first day
of a competition.

I want people
to underestimate me.

I want people to be like,
who the [bleep] is this clown?

If people underestimate me,
they will have no idea

what I can bring to the table.

- Very cool indeed.

Now, listen carefully.

For the first time ever,

the "Hell's Kitchen" competition

is on the East Coast.

[cheering]

We are at the home base

of the amazing United States
Coast Guard Academy.

Over 220 of these amazing
cadets are about to graduate.

And when they do,
they all become leaders

of their own teams.

Each of you knows what
that responsibility is like,

whether it's commanding
a large brigade

or running a small kitchen,

you all share
one thing in common.

You've all been the ones
calling the shots.

And that's why you're all here.

Because for the first time
in "Hell's Kitchen" history,

this is "Hell's Kitchen:
Head Chefs Only."

[cheers and applause]

- Wow, all right, this is
gonna be very interesting.

Head chefs only?

Egos only.

I know there's gonna be
a lot of talent.

And I know there's gonna be
a lot of egos.

- This has to be the most
accomplished group ever

in the history
of this competition.

Now, even though
you are the head chefs

in your own kitchens,
in my kitchen,

you'll be guided
by my extraordinary sous chefs.

Men, listen carefully.

This guy is a phenomenon.

He's an incredible restaurateur

and a fabulous mentor,

James Avery for the Blue Team.

[cheers and applause]

- Chef James Avery, this guy
is an absolute [bleep] G,

and I've always wanted
to learn from this guy.

He's got a few restaurants.

Dude, I am stoked.

- So good to have you back.
- Thank you, Chef.

- Ladies, overseeing all of you
in the Red kitchen,

she is a incredible chef,

season 17 winner.

Welcome, Chef Michelle Tribble,
ladies.

[cheers and applause]

- Chef Michelle, she's amazing.

And she is small, but mighty,
just like me.

I'm 5' 2",

and we get a bad rap for being
a small female in the kitchen.

But, listen, we will show
our teeth when we need to.

- Michelle, welcome back.
- Thank you.

- Now, the winner of season 23,
"Hell's Kitchen:

Head Chefs Only"
will become my head chef

at the fabulous Hell's Kitchen
at Foxwoods Resort Casino,

one of the largest casino
resorts in the United States

and home to this season's
competition.

[cheers and applause]

- Being Gordon Ramsay's
head chef

would be
a life changing experience

for my wife and my daughters.

And I think
they'd be real proud of me

if I was able
to accomplish that.

- But there's more,
because that job

includes a total prize worth

a quarter million dollars.

- We're ready. We're ready.
- Good.

- $250,000, I think my
fiancée would appreciate it

for the wedding cost.

You know, she's a bougie one,
that one.

- As both kitchens are filled
with talented head chefs,

my standards this year will
be higher than ever before.

Are you ready for the challenge?

- All: Yes, Chef!
- Good.

All of you will have 40 minutes

to cook an amazing
signature dish.

Focus... put yourself on a plate

because it's
the first introduction,

not just to the competition,
but to me.

Understood? All: Yes, Chef.

[cheers and applause]

♪ ♪

- Get out of here. Let's go.

[dramatic music]

- Communicate, guys!

We do this every day!

- Chef, I'm a force
to be reckoned with.

I left everything to be here.

- Make a mistake, bounce back.

- No one saw that.

No one saw that.

Narrator: This season,
for the first time

in "Hell's Kitchen" history...

- Talented head chefs, right?

Narrator: The competitors
are all head chefs.

- The dish is accomplished.
- Thank you.

I absolutely think
I'm a stronger cook than her.

Narrator: Will the egos collide?

- No, I really want my dish
to go up, guys.

I am the best of the best here.

- I disagree.
- Me, too.

- It's frustrating as [bleep]

having to deal with
somebody like him.

- Stupid, wasting time
making [bleep] dough, man.

- Whit...

I should have just
been that [bleep] bitch.

- You guys want to [bleep]
- vote me out, vote me out.

- There are dogs
in this competition.

- Anthony can cook.
- He can.

Narrator:
Will friendships be forged?

- You killed it tonight.

- Hey, I got your back.
- All right.

Narrator:
One thing's for sure...

- You're a [bleep] good cook.
- Compose yourself.

Narrator:
These chefs are hell bent...

[yelling]

Narrator: To scrape...

- We got to cut
where we see weakness.

- Hold on.

- Everybody,
shut the [bleep] up.

- You want people to speak

or you want people to shut up?

Make up your [bleep] mind.

Narrator: And claw...

- I've scratched my way
to get here, Chef.

Narrator:
For the life-changing prize...

- Whoo!

Narrator: Of becoming head chef

at Hell's Kitchen
Foxwoods Resort Casino

in Mashantucket, Connecticut.

- Holy cannoli! Look!

Oh, it's so pretty.

- It's so fancy.

It's luxurious, it's beautiful.

And, yeah, this is a
pretty cool place to be.

Narrator: It may be the first
time on the East Coast...

- Let's go, Red Team.

- Looks perfect
and it tastes perfect.

Narrator:
But will things go south?

- What would you think of us
if we sent that?

- Get your [bleep]
- together, bro.

- Holy crap.

- We've lost our
[bleep] standards.

- Oh, he's mad.
- Let's go!

Narrator: Every mistake matters.

- Oh, I forgot the best thing.
- Damn it.

- You forg...
- Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

- Does that look
appetizing to you?

- It was absolute garbage.

- What is happening?

- That would so stress me out.

- Get on their ass, Coach.

- I want to,
Gordon Ramsay-style,

throw this across the kitchen.

♪ ♪

- [bleep].

♪ ♪

I am done!

- I couldn't hold my tears back.

- It's a lot harder
than it looks.

Narrator:
These talented head chefs...

- You're cooking some of
the best dishes

we've ever witnessed
in this competition.

Narrator:
Will be put to the test.

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

- Ladies are getting vicious.

Narrator: In the nastiest

and classiest...

- This is what
the sweet life feels like.

Narrator: Season ever.

- Are you serious?

Narrator:
The bar has never been higher.

- Are you declaring yourself
unfit to continue?

- Get it together, bitch.

Narrator:
Who will rise to the top?

- Yes, Chef.

- You will not be continuing
in the competition.

- On this season
of "Hell's Kitchen:

Head Chefs Only."

- This is everything for me.

I'm here to change
my family's life.

- Get out!

- I'll work harder
than literally anyone

who has ever worked for you,
Chef.

- I can't watch!

Oh, my God.

♪ ♪

[dramatic music]

♪ ♪

narrator:
The chefs will all live

and compete at
Foxwoods Resort Casino.

- Get your apron on.

Make sure
it has your name on it.

- All right, guys, let's go.
- Let's show them.

- This is about to be
a lot of experience

in a crazy kitchen.

- Squeezing through.

We are in the trenches.

This is war.

[upbeat music]

- What are you making
for Chef today?

- A pink sauce, seafood pasta.

- Are you Italian then?
- Nope.

- [laughs]
- OK. OK.

- It's the first dish
I taught myself,

and it's the dish that gets
all the guys to date me.

[laughs]

Just had a spill on the station.

Now I'm single,

but I am batting 1.000

for every time I make this dish.

- Guys, onions, mirepoix,
citrus, all over here.

- Veggie peeler? Oh, sorry.

- My team is full
of really strong females

and really strong personalities.

- Cook your little hearts out,
ladies.

- I'm usually the loudest one
in the room,

and I'm just like, "I don't
even know where to start."

- I have garlic on my station
here, too, if anyone needs it.

- I'll take it. Thank you, Chef.

- What are you making?

- Uh, risotto in 40 minutes.

My signature dish
is seared scallops

over spring-pea risotto.

- Ladies, 12 minutes gone, yes.

- It's definitely a bold move
doing a dish

that Chef Ramsay has
at his own restaurants.

- Ann Marie.
- Yes, Chef?

- Make sure that pan's
absolutely roasting,

Get a really good sear
on there, yeah?

- You got it.

But I want to be true to myself

and show him what I got.

You are not supposed
to have color on you.

- Whoo, let's go, guys.

- What's this?

- A New York steak marinated
in lemongrass and miso.

- In miso?

- I know normally, miso
doesn't go on red meat,

but I love pushing boundaries.

People call me "The Sleeping
Beast" for a reason.

Back home, I competed in
over 10 culinary competitions

and never lost.

As long as I nail
my marination and my grill,

I'm gonna come
out of this on top.

- What is this sauce over here?

- That is a mushroom
and warm water

with a little barbecue sauce
and soy sauce.

My signature dish is
a homemade pappardelle

with my mushroom sauce.

♪ ♪

Umami mushroom there?

- It's grainy.

- Nah, it's not.

- Bro,
this [bleep] is not grainy.

- Yeah, you need more mushroom.

Uri's kind of dismissed me,
and it's like, go for it.

My signature dish
is gonna be better than that.

Sugar, sugar, sugar,
sugar, sugar, sugar.

- And Whit,
what do you have going on?

- So I am doing
pescado encocado.

So it is a coconut
milk-braised swordfish.

I'm doing a plantain gnocchi
with it.

My confidence comes from
just grinding over the years.

You know, me coming up,
I didn't have many people

that looked like me, you know,
being Black, being queer.

So I want to prove
hard work and dedication

really will get you
where you want to be.

Kind of like "I told you so"
to everybody that doubted me.

- We good?
- Yes, Chef.

- Yeah?
- Yes, Chef.

- One stunning portion, yes?
- Yes, Chef.

- Duck today?
- What are you making?

- Duck, so I'm doing, like,
a curry chocolate demi-glace.

- OK.
- With a maple leaf duck breast.

I like taking complete
polar opposites,

making them best friends,
throwing them on a plate

because I'm all over the place.

I'm a fart in a skillet.
I'm everywhere.

I'm about to make
a bloody mess here.

- Right, so halfway, guys, yes?

20 minutes to go.

- Yes, Chef.

- Whose rack of lamb is that,
the rack of lamb here?

- This is mine.
- Is it... get it on.

- Get it on. Come on.
- Heard. Heard, heard, heard.

- Yeah, give yourself
some time, right?

- Yes, Chef.

- And it can't rest
when it's raw. Get it on.

- Yeah, right.

Think I had a heart attack.

- 10 minutes to go.
- Heard, Chef.

- 10 minutes.
- Make it count.

- I'm running out of time
for the pasta.

[dramatic music]

[bleep].

- You good?

- I cut myself somehow.

Chef, I'm bleeding.

I need a medic, like now.

- OK. Uh, medic.

- You've got
10 more minutes left.

I have blood in my pasta.

And I'm really worried
that [bleep]

I might be out
the first challenge.

That sucks. [Sighs]

Medic, bleeding.

♪ ♪

narrator: With the
Head Chefs Only competition

now fully underway...

- Medic, bleeding, medic.

Narrator:
Brittany's bloody thumb

may ruin more
than just her pasta.

- I don't have pasta now.
- Yeah, OK.

- Thank you.

It's the last 10 minutes
of the challenge,

and I have to remake my dough.

I'm back, you guys.

What a disappointing feeling.

[sighs]
I can't believe that happened.

Hey, what should I do here?

- Can you do, like,
a pappardelle?

- Just cut them in strips?
- Yeah, just cut it in strips.

- Just get it as thin as I can?
- Yeah.

- Last five. Come on.
- Yes, Chef.

- Five minutes, heard.
- Make it count, guys.

- Last five.
- What is this over here?

- This is hibiscus
pickled pineapple.

- Got it.
- It's just vinegar, water.

I am very confident
in my signature dish.

The Thai coconut red curry

with the crispy skin
red snapper.

I am going to make my food

big, bold, flavorful, and sexy,

just like me.

- Let it rest.
- Have some confidence.

Come on.

We're head chefs, yes?

- I want Chef Ramsay
to love my dish.

I want to wow
the other contestants.

Hello, "Hell's Kitchen."

I'm ready to make my debut.

Smells great.

- What?
- Smells great.

- Ladies, two minutes to go.

Let's go.

- I'm rushing, rushing, rushing.

This is not the pasta
I wanted to put on the plate,

but I'm hyper focused on
presenting it to Chef Ramsay

and starting this [bleep]
journey off on the right note.

- Gents, 90 seconds.
- Let's go. Come on.

- No, that's [bleep].

Time's ticking down.

I can tell they're
not quite ready yet,

but if I can't get this
lamb rack on the plate,

I might as well fly home now.

- 45 seconds to go.

- Let's go, y'all.

- Keep pushing. Keep pushing.

- Wipe those rims.
- Nice, clean plates.

- 20 seconds to go.

Come on, guys.

- I gotta plate it.

- Ten, nine, eight...

- Crushed red pepper.
- I just need crushed red pepper.

- Six, five,

four, three,

two, one,

- and serve!
- Go, go, go, go, go.

- Whoo!
- Whoo!

- Yeah, Red Team.

[dramatic music]

- Now, here's how
this is gonna work.

I will taste your dishes
and then assign each dish

a score between 1 and 5.

The team
with the most points wins.

It's as simple as that.

Let's begin with...

Ann Marie and Uri.

Step forward, please. Let's go.

- Whoo!
- Let's go.

- Knowing that Chef Ramsay
is gonna taste this,

I am kind of freaking out.

- The great thing
about signature dish for me,

it's meeting chefs like you,

right, for the first time.

- I met you in Vegas
about nine years ago,

when you were opening
Gordon Ramsay's Fish and Chips.

- Nine years is a long time ago,
Ann Marie.

[laughter]
Right? What did I say?

- Help me out here.
- You said, "Hurry up.

We need more women chefs
in the kitchen."

- And I said, "Yes, Chef."
- And here you are.

- Yeah.

- Love that.
- Tell me about the dish.

- I made you spring peas
seared scallops over risotto.

- Well, fingers crossed,
you're gonna be at home here

'cause, as you know,
it's two of the biggest staples

on this appetizer,
risotto and scallops.

- Yes, it is. Yes.

Scallops and risotto are, mm,

kind of really big deals to him,

but if I'm anything, I'm bold.

♪ ♪

- Scallops cooked beautifully.

- Thank you, Chef.
- Beautiful sear.

However,
when you serve the risotto,

- you want it to breathe.
- Mm-hmm.

- 'Cause underneath steams,

it starts to get
a little bit mush.

But the season's on point.

I honestly don't remember
meeting you the first time,

but I definitely will
remember you the second time.

- Thank you.
- It's a very strong four.

- Well done.
- Thank you.

- Really well done.
- Whoo, Ann Marie.

- I am ecstatic.

So, you know,
we're going for the five,

but I will take strong four.

- Young man, how did you end up
in the industry?

- I'm from Buenos Aires,
Argentina.

- Wow.
- When I was back there,

I didn't feel like
I really belonged there.

- So I go to America.
- Right.

- I had $50 in my pocket.
- I came here.

I slept in the street, got
my first job in the kitchen,

and I just fell in love with it.

- I'll let you
into a little secret.

The American Dream
was last season.

I think you're about
a year late now.

[laughter]

This is the season
of head chefs.

You are the head chef, right?

- Yes, of two restaurants
right now.

- So describe the dish.

- Chef, I made you
a handmade pappardelle

packed with umami cream,
ricotta cheese,

shiitake mushrooms topped
with lime zest and scallions.

- I love the fact that you
made that pasta in 40 minutes

- and rested and rolled it.
- Absolutely.

- Pasta's cooked beautifully.

Again, let the food breathe

'cause it's just a little bit
stuck together.

♪ ♪

But the flavor's there.

It's a very strong four.
Congratulations, both you.

- Thank you, Chef.
- Good start.

- Thank you.
- Good job. Thank you.

- Good job.
- Keep this up, Uri.

You may just get
that American dream.

- Yeah, my flight got delayed,
but thank you, Chef.

Getting a four
for my signature dish is...

[whooshes] My mind is blown.

- Right, next up,
Magali and Anthony.

Let's go.

- You got this.

- Coming. I'm coming.
- Thank you.

Right, young man,
how are you feeling?

- I'm feeling great, Chef.
- Good.

How did this whole journey
start, Anthony?

- It started with my grandma.

My grandma saved me
from group homes,

and instead of
having me in sports,

she had me in the kitchen.

- She was a chef at a hospital.
- Wow.

- So literally every day
after school,

I was in the restaurant,
either prepping,

throwing away trash,
dishwashing.

Had a scholarship opportunity,

but lost it
due to Alzheimer's and dementia.

- But that was grandma,
sadly, diagnosed.

- Yeah, to support Grandma.

I would feed her, change her,
medications.

I would cook for her.

I decided to skip restaurants

and go straight
into senior living,

and been there for ten years.

- How's grandma now?

- Uh, Grandma unfortunately
passed on the 14th.

- I'm sorry.
- Thank you, Chef.

So now everything is for her,

and an homage to my grandma.

- Right.
- I have respect for Anthony

because my great grandma
just passed away,

and she knew that
this was my dream.

- She would be very proud,
let's get that absolutely clear.

Tell me about the dish.

- So it's a miso,
lemongrass, marinated steak

with a corn puree.

- Traditionally,
you don't really

associate miso with steak.

However, miso actually
tenderized it even more.

- It's quite groundbreaking.
- Thank you.

- Congratulations
to our first five.

Well done.

- Wow.
- Thank you, Chef.

[cheers and applause]

Chef Ramsay gave me a five
of my sig dish.

My grandma would
have been so proud.

I know she's looking down on me
very proud right now.

- Right, Magali,

give me an insight to
the beginning of this journey.

- My parents are immigrants
from Mexico.

I grew up fishing with my dad.

That was our quality time
together,

and then we would go home
and grill the catch of the day.

And that was our love language.

- But normally that strength
is coming from mom's side

in the kitchen.

- Mom was not a good cook.

[laughter]

- Is she really that bad?

- She gave me fearlessness
and courage.

My dad gave me
compassion and love.

- Gotcha, love that.

Tell me about the dish.

- So I have made
a poached shrimp cavatelli

with a radicchio, fennel,
and asparagus salad

on top for acidity.

♪ ♪

- The cavatelli is a sort of
rustic, cheap Italian flair,

but you've elevated it.

- The seasoning is on point.
- Thank you, Chef.

- And the shrimp
just poached and butter

like that at the end,
it's really delicious.

Congratulations, another five.

- Thank you, Chef.
- [applause]

- Nice job.
- Good job.

- Chef Ramsay
just gave me a five.

I literally feel like
I'm melting right now.

- Kyle and Brittany, let's go.

♪ ♪

Kyle, take me back
to the beginning.

Where did it start?

- It started when
I was in school.

I didn't have a lot of friends.

The young gay kid, you know,
they all bullied me.

So I started cooking
and sharing my baked goods

with the classmates.

And then I suddenly grew
to make friends

- and turned it into a career.
- Love that.

And you started baking...
how old?

- I started at six,

and then I started cooking
at 16 years old.

- So in my eyes,
that was just a few years ago

because you have one of the
biggest baby faces

I've ever seen
in this competition.

- Don't change that.
- I know. Thank you.

- How old are you?
- 29, Chef.

- Stop it.
- Yes.

- I need to see ID.

- [laughs]
- Tell us about the dish.

- This is a Thai red curry
with coconut broth,

pickled hibiscus pineapple,
red snapper.

♪ ♪

- Yeah, the fish is cooked
beautifully.

- Thank you, Chef.

- Just serve one slice
of that fish.

- Doesn't need two.
- Heard, Chef.

- But the broth is exceptional.

Skin's super crispy.

- It's a very strong four.
- Thank you, Chef.

- Brittany?
- Yes, Chef.

- You live where?
- I live in Alaska.

- Alaska.

- The last four months,
I've lived on a peninsula,

opening up what was supposed
to be a fine dining restaurant.

But I ended up
coming here instead.

- Let's taste.

OK, the dish, what is it?

- It's a pasta de la mare.
- Right.

- I actually have been making
this dish for 22 years.

It's the dish that I make
for everyone on a first date.

[laughter]

If I really like you,
I make you this dish,

and I've had five
good relationships.

[laughter]

- Wow, so if you're
making this for 22 years,

my expectations are raised.

- I'm afraid that I just
shot myself in the foot

by saying that I've been
making this dish for 22 years.

- As this must be
very special, right?

- Well, um...

This is a lot of pressure
right now.

- Tough one, this one.

[suspenseful music]

Uh, hm.

♪ ♪

[dramatic music]

Narrator: It's the signature
dish challenge

and the Blue Team is ahead
for the moment.

- Tough one, this one.

Narrator: But Chef Ramsay
has yet to give a score

to executive chef Brittany's
seafood pasta.

- We need to tighten up
the presentation.

- Yes, Chef.
- But, you know,

- I can teach that.
- Yes, Chef.

- What I can't teach
is a DNA of flavor.

And the flavor is
absolutely delicious.

It's a very strong four.

Congratulations, both of you.
Well done.

- Good job.
- What a relief.

Don't let my outfit fool you,
boys and girls.

Brittany's here to stay.

She got a four out of five, yes.

- Next up, Amber and Corbin.

Let's go, please.

- Let's go, girl.
- Come on, Amber.

- He is expecting fours
and fives from everyone,

so I got to nail this.

I need this to taste good.

- You two, let's make this
absolutely clear.

It's not the height of the chef,

it's the quality of the dish.
Holy [bleep].

We got a bit of yin and yang
going on here, right.

Amber, give me an insight
to the beginning.

- The beginning,
I was a musician,

but I didn't want the gig life.

So I went to culinary school.

This career has taken me
to amazing places,

and I just want to share that
through my food.

- Gotcha. Pass me the dish.

- Here I have a black
peppercorn-crusted

elk tenderloin with brown
butter sweet potato puree

and romanesco.

I lived in the mountains
for about six years.

I cooked a lot of game meat.

And elk just reminds me of home.

I lived in
the Eastern Sierra Mountains,

and I have experience
cooking elk,

and venison, and other things
from the mountains.

We can't eat the bears.

We can't feed the bears,

but we can wave to the bears.

- Elk is cooked beautifully.

- Thank you.
- Really beautifully.

However, romanesco needs a lift,

a little bit more acidity,
a gastrique.

Sad news because
it brings everything down.

And presentation looks
a little bit dated, OK?

Um, yeah,
I'm gonna give it a three.

- Thank you, Chef.

Surely someone else
will get a three.

I'm not gonna be the only three.

♪ ♪

- Corbin, take me back
to the beginning.

- My inspiration definitely
comes from my mother.

She came here at a very
young age from Venezuela,

and, unfortunately,
she was left to raise my brother

- and myself entirely on her own.
- Wow.

- We lived in a shelter
for a short period

and lived off of food stamps.

But one of the things that she
taught me from a very young age

was how to cook and, you know,
taking simple ingredients

and just putting a lot of care
and love into them.

- So she inspires you
here today.

- That's great.
- Absolutely.

- Tell me what you made, please.

- I did a pan-seared
New York strip

with a polenta,
sautéed broccolini,

and garnished with
a chimichurri.

- Steak is cooked beautifully.
- Thank you, Chef. Thank you.

- The seasoning on this
is incredible.

- Thank you, Chef.
- It's robust.

- It's big. It's you, right.
- Yes.

- It's tasty.

Tighten up that chimichurri.

- Yes, Chef.

- It's a very strong four.

- Well done.
- Thank you, Chef.

Narrator: With Corbin
continuing the streak

of high scores
for the Blue Team,

- they now have a small lead.
- Whew.

Narrator: Next up for the Red
Team is Meghan from Hawaii,

who is hoping her Oahu garlic
prawns are tasty enough

to turn the tide
for the Red Team.

- The flavors are exceptional.

The fact that you kept them
intact as well

without getting fancified
with them.

Aloha because you have arrived.

- Congratulations.
- Thank you, Chef.

- Hands down, it's a five.

- Congratulations. Hands down.
- Thank you.

Throughout my career,
I've worked toe to toe

with people that just doubted

and didn't think
I was good enough.

So to be up here
representing Hawaii

with a five-star rating,

it just feels so great.

Narrator: Trying to keep it
close for the Blue Team,

Egypt from Chicago presents
his Peking duck tostada.

- Love the duck.

- Just shred it, cut it down.
- Yes, Chef.

- Needs a bit more fat
on there, as well.

It's a very strong four.
Congratulations, both you.

- Well done.
- Thank you, Chef.

[applause]

- We're tied.
- And we are tied, 21 all.

Narrator: Next up for the Red
Team is Amanda from Florida,

and from the Blue Team
is Michael from Ohio.

- This journey with food,
how did it start?

- Well, it started at six.

I was expected to help cook
while my parents were at work.

- They were working two jobs.
- Six years of age?

- Six years old.
- Home alone?

- I couldn't even hold a carrot.

I had to hold it
against my stomach,

and I would have an orange spot
on my belly when I was done.

- [laughter]
- Tell me what the dish is.

- I've got a pan-seared
duck breast

over turmeric-lemon risotto
with some sautéed Swiss chard

and a guava miso gastrique.

Seared it skin-side down
in a cold pan

'cause I watched
some of your videos.

- Duck's cooked beautifully,
really beautifully.

I thought the guavas were going
to be a little bit too sweet,

but it really does help cut
the richness of the duck.

It's a very strong,
exceptional five.

Well done. [Applause]

- Thank you, Chef.

Yes. Please, yes.
Let's keep that coming.

- Uh, Michael,
how did you get here?

- I, uh, was, you know,
not the best kid.

Didn't get good grades,
got in fights, got suspended,

got kicked out of class
all the time.

- Let's be honest, Amanda.

Does Michael look like
a troublemaker?

- Yes.
- No, he doesn't.

No, he does not. So...

- It's the smile, Chef.

You can tell behind the smile.

- I got a bit nervous earlier.

That lamb was not on.

- It's 20 minutes to go.
- Yes, Chef.

- Whose rack of lamb is that?
- The rack of lamb...

- The rack of lamb here,
this is mine.

- Get it on. Come on.
- Heard, heard, heard.

- Yeah, give yourself
some time, right?

That rack of lamb needs to rest
for as long as it cooked

to get that even temperature
running through it.

What are you making and why?

- A roasted lamb rack here
with a carrot muhammara,

and herbed raita,

and lemon-roasted sunchokes.

If my lamb is raw, I'm gonna be
absolutely devastated.

- Lamb, I think one of
the toughest to get right.

I'm gonna knock on wood.

- I'm really hoping
when Chef cuts into it

that it comes out perfect.

[suspenseful music]

♪ ♪

narrator: With both teams
performing exceptionally well

in the signature dish
challenge...

- Lamb, I think one of
the toughest to get right,

I'm gonna knock on wood.

Narrator: Ohio native Michael
is hoping his lamb

does not disappoint.

[suspenseful music]

- Yeah, lamb's beautiful.

Really beautiful.

♪ ♪

Seasoning is spot on,
puree delicious.

It's a very strong four.

Congratulations, both of you.
Well done.

[applause]

- Getting a four out of Gordon,
I would have loved a five.

But when push comes to shove,
you got one minute left,

food's got to go on the plate.

Narrator: With only
two rounds remaining,

head chef Whit
from North Carolina

is hoping to widen
the Red Team lead against

father of two, Joe,
from New Jersey.

- The competitive side of you,
I can see it in the kitchen,

but on a scale of one to ten,
what is it?

- 15.
- 15.

- [laughter]
- Yeah.

- Love the confidence.

Where does that come from?

- It's definitely
from my mom's side.

Her being a single mom,

having to, you know,
raise two daughters

on her own, it showed me
that I can do anything,

you know,
if I put my mind to it.

- Great values.

Tell me what you've cooked
and why.

- It's my take
on pescado encocado.

It is a coconut milk poached
fish with a plantain gnocchi,

and a aji verde hot sauce,
and some charred corn.

I cook this dish because
this is the number one seller

at my restaurant in Atlanta.

- There's a lot
going on in here.

- Flavor bombs,
that's what I call it.

- Yeah, it's strong.

Getting any kind of gnocchi
is hard to do,

but to do a plantain gnocchi
and to get it

as fluffy and light
as that is incredible.

I'd love to give you six,
but sadly, I can't.

- It's a five.
- Thank you, Chef.

- Congratulations.

Well done.

- This is only the beginning
for me in this competition.

I'm here to blow Chef Ramsay's
mind with my creativity.

Everybody be on the lookout
'cause I'm coming through.

- Joe, how did we get here?

- My father moved to the US
from Sicily when he was 18.

He and my mother owned
a bakery together.

You know, growing up
and watching him,

you know, I wanted to be
just like my father.

You know,
I was mesmerized by him.

So I remember going to work
with my father about 2:00 AM.

- Parents happy to see
you go down that path

and follow in their footsteps?

- At first, my father didn't
want me to be in this business.

- What? Hold on.

He got you up at [bleep]
2 o'clock in the morning.

- No, I wanted to go with him.

- Oh, OK, love that.

And how does he feel about
what you're doing now?

- He's super proud and...
- Fantastic.

- Yeah, I mean, it was the
best decision I ever made.

- Tell me the dish.

- So this is
a chicken scarpariello.

- Mm-hmm.
- This is a dish that I put

on the menu
about six months ago,

and it just became a dish
that I can't take off the menu.

- Mmm, chicken's cooked
beautifully.

That garnish beautifully done.

I love that sort of
earthiness the sage gives off.

It's a very strong four.
Well done, both you.

- Thank you, Chef.
- Thank you.

Narrator: The Red Team
has opened up their lead

a tiny bit, but recently,

engaged executive chef Brandon
is hoping his...

- Roasted chicken breasts.

I made some cheesy dumplings,

kind of in the style
of a Parisian gnocchi.

Narrator: Will be enough to
give the Blue Team the lead.

- This is the first dish
I cooked my now fiancée.

- Gnocchi, beautiful.

Having the confidence
just to slice that chicken

and be cooked perfectly
like that is a joy.

The dish reads well,
but it tastes even better.

It is a undeniably solid five.

- Congratulations, well done.
- Thank you, Chef.

- "An undeniable five."

This is a dream come true.

Narrator: Next up is Lulu,

a former
professional soccer player

from Mexico, hoping that her...

- Blue corn masa tortillas

with a charred salsa roja

made with hard fried eggs
on there

with some crema
and some pickled red onions.

Narrator: Is enough
to win over Chef Ramsay.

- The tortillas do need
a touch more cooking

'cause they're just a little
too soggy underneath,

but it's a very,
very delicious four.

- Well done.
- Thank you, Chef.

- Good job.

It's all gonna come down
to this final pairing.

- You got this.
- What a night.

- You got it. You got it.

- Hannah, Shant, step forward.
- Let's go.

- Come on, Hannah.

Narrator: With the Red Team up

by the smallest of all margins,

Executive chef Shant
is hoping his...

- Lamb is crusted with za'atar.

Underneath is a Armenian
yogurt sauce with potatoes.

Narrator: Will score big
for the Blue Team.

- It's a homage to my mother.

- And where were you born?

- I was born in Syria.
- Syria.

- I'm from Armenian descent.

- Nice.

Lamb's cooked beautifully.

- Nice.

- This chop is not a flop.

You could tidy up
the presentation,

but those flavors...
it's exceptional.

- It is a resounding four.

- Thank you, Chef.
- Congratulations, well done.

[applause]

Narrator: With the Blue Team
up by three,

Hannah, a country club chef
from Florida, presents her...

- Maple leaf duck breast,

has a curry chocolate demi-glace

and a little pea shoot.

- A curried chocolate...

- Curry chocolate.
- Duck breast.

And this inspiration
came from where?

- I'm a very artistic person.

So I try to put
polar opposites together

and force them
to become best friends.

- Uh, it's ambitious.
- I just hope it works.

- Chocolate on duck?

The Blue Team got this
in the bag.

- I get the mole and the nod
to Oaxaca with the richness.

It's a very bold move,
adding chocolate.

- I'm confident in my dish.

It excites and confuses
your palate at the same time.

- It's three to tie
and four to win.

The chocolate...

gives this dish for me...

[suspenseful music]

♪ ♪

- It's three to tie
and four to win.

The chocolate...

gives this dish for me...

♪ ♪

A five.

Congratulations.
[cheers and applause]

- Yeah!
- Let's go!

- I got a five,

and I'm super proud of it.

- Well done.

- Getting the first loss
really does suck.

You can do great
as an individual,

but at the end of the day,
this is still a team effort.

And as a team,
we just got whopped.

- Ladies, this reward
will be very special.

You'll be dining at
a very important restaurant,

the Prize restaurant...

- [cheering]
- Yes, Chef!

- Right here in Hell's Kitchen
at Foxwoods Resort Casino.

- Yes.

- In fact, I'm so excited,

I'm actually gonna join you.

[cheers and applause]

- I have never been happier
in my life.

This is absolutely...
well, I just got engaged,

so I shouldn't say that.
That sounds real rude.

But this is, like,
one of the best feelings

I've ever had in my life.

- Right, ladies,
I'll see you shortly.

Get dressed. Let's go.

[excited chatter] Head out.

Now, Blue Team, whilst
the Red Team are experiencing

something to remember,

you will have an experience
that you'll wish to forget

because tonight
is delivery night

- here in Hell's Kitchen.
- Oh, hell.

- Opening the doors
for the first time ever

on the East Coast,
we have a lot of deliveries.

And when those trucks arrive,
you need to unload,

stock the kitchens.

First of all, just turn behind,

just have a look at the mess
of those kitchens.

It looks like a tornado
has gone off in those.

So I'd like them to get back
to the way you found them.

All: Yes, Chef. Yes, Chef.

- We won the first challenge!
- Yeah!

- Red Team,
we're doing the damn thing.

Definitely impressed
with Brittany

and how she bounced back

from getting cut
and putting that pasta out

in little to no time.

- You were not clean
with that pasta station, girl.

- I was not.
- Ooh, flour everywhere.

- I told you.
- Have fun.

- Hey, that's what happens

when you make pasta
in three minutes.

- Looking forward to
the women kicking ass.

[light music]

- This is gonna be
someone's restaurant.

- Amazing.

- Wow.
- This is awesome.

- This is totally doable.

Watching service happen,

I'm imagining myself there

running that pass,
running that line.

That could be mine.

- Cheers.
- [laughs]

Cheers.

I couldn't ask for
a better reward

after a wonderful, challenging
day winning with my Red Team.

Whoo! Go Red, baby!

[laughter]

- But guess what?
- If you hadn't done your pasta,

we wouldn't be here. All: Yes.

- We wouldn't have won.
- Ah!

♪ ♪

[dishes clanking]

- Hanging out with hairy,
sweaty dudes

or having dinner and drinks
with Gordon Ramsay.

Yeah, yeah, this one.

- [laughs]

[upbeat music]

- [cheering]
- You haven't...

You... you haven't started
without me, have you?

- Yeah, we have.
- Oh, no.

- I'm having dinner
with Chef Ramsay...

like, me.

Like who would have thought?

- I am all yours.

- Uh, champagne, please.

[laughs]

- What was your first break?

- My first break...

- God.
- Yeah, there you go.

- I thought I was gonna become
a soccer player,

and then I had this
horrific accident

where I smashed my cartilage

and tore my cruciate ligament
on my left knee.

I was kicked out of the team,

went back to live
with my big sister.

And then I went to college.

Couldn't afford
to go there full time.

So I went part time,
got a job in a local hotel.

A young chef
called Marco Pierre White,

he just opened his restaurants,
phoned him.

Told him,
"You're the kind of person

I want to work for."

And that's how it happened.

- Hearing that from him
right there,

just seeing the sparkle
in his eye,

and me just taking
everything in.

Oh, my gosh,
this is a dream come true.

- How did you get
that first break?

- I had the opportunity
to present a tasting menu.

I was the chef on duty
as a junior sous chef.

- Right.
- And presented it

to my now boss,
and he reached out to me,

and now I work for him
at two different places.

- The, you know,
CEOs and the GM came to me,

and they're just like,
"Yeah, we're thinking about

getting an intern."

And I said, "No, you're not."

I said, "You're gonna pick me."

- Love that. First big break?

- I work for Johan Svensson.

I was the first female sous chef
in BLT Steak Waikiki.

- Amazing.
- Chef Gordon Ramsay,

he's a [bleep] legend.

I've never met a chef

that had Michelin stars.

So just to have him
in your presence,

like, it's unparalleled.

- You know, I've been blessed
to have a lot of opportunities

that led me here,
but if I'm fully honest,

my first big break is here.

You know, like, the whole
women helping women thing?

I feel like I never really
experienced that before.

And, um,

today was the first time
I really got to experience,

and that was really lovely.

And it's a really cool feeling
to feel supported

and uplifted by other women.

- To girl power.

- All: To girl power.
- Yes.

[horn honking]

- All right, so that is
the delivery horn.

All right, so let's move, guys.

So let's get the delivery board.

Somebody's got to be
in charge of that

or however you want
to figure it out.

- I got it. I grabbed the list

and I'm like,
I'm taking inventory.

- We're looking for a leader
amongst leaders.

- This is your moment to show
leadership and stand out.

- All right, you gonna hop
in the truck?

- Holy...

[sputters]

- Oh, my God.

There is so many boxes
in this truck.

You have bags of flour,
50 pounds.

- This is crazy, bro.

- Bags of sugar,
another 50 pounds.

- [grunts]

- Guys, it's a ton of wine.

Maybe you... like, everybody
could grab one case.

- [exhales]

[panting]

♪ ♪

- Baking powder.
- Baking powder, how many?

- Uri doesn't want to
carry stuff.

Taking the list,
not doing the heavy lifting.

- OK, one 25-pound bag. Perfect.

- Jasmine, I have one 25 pound.

- Ugh. Oh, my God.

- What's that, bread crumbs?
- Yeah.

- Uri, he's not moving boxes

like everybody else.

- Nice workout.

Who needs a gym membership, huh?

- I'm kind of blown away
that Uri's not unloading boxes,

like, come on, man.

- Oh, mayonnaise, yes, six jars.

- Everybody on the Blue Team
is pulling their weight, but

my colleague.

I wonder if we should just
[bleep] take everything inside

and then open it inside.

This is gonna be forever...
we're gonna be here forever.

- I took the leadership.

Let me do it.

Cabernet, you have 20.

And then you have 20 Chardonnay.

Right now is my moment, bro.

[dramatic music]

- Just gonna take
[bleep] all of it.

- Whew.

♪ ♪

- Ooh, child,
dear mother RuPaul.

Uri, you lazy [bleep] bitch.

All you wanted to do
was to the inventory.

Somebody do a magic trick
and make [bleep] disappear.

Whew.

- Here there was, like,
two more cases,

and we're good to go.

- Uri [bleep] sucks.

♪ ♪

[dramatic music]

- Hey, good job, everyone.

- Long day.
- Let's not do this tomorrow.

Narrator: Just as
the Blue Team completes

their brutal delivery day
punishment...

- Guys, we cannot lose.

Narrator: The Red Team returns
from their dinner date

- with Chef Ramsay.
- Blue Team!

Narrator: And Chef Michelle
and Chef James

have come to the dorms
with tonight's homework.

- Recipe books just came.

- Thank you!
- So that you can get prepared

for dinner service, OK.

- Thank you, Chefs.
- Thank you, Chefs.

- All right, ladies, let's go.

- Wanna study together?

- Yeah.
- Let's go outside.

Narrator:
While Anthony and Egypt

are cramming to learn the menu,

others are cramming in a meal.

- There is mayo by the door.

- Dude's got a mayonnaise tattoo
on his arm.

- You?

[laughing] You do.

- I can't really
give you [bleep].

I actually do love mayonnaise.

I'm not gonna lie.

- We should freeze some,
make mayo martinis.

- Mmm.
- Mayo-tinis?

- Yeah.

- You want mayo on your Cheetos?

- [fakes gagging]
- You sure?

- Ew. That's disgusting.

- You never know.

Like chocolate
and a duck breast.

[laughter]

- It's just too loud in there.
- Same, same.

- Everyone right now
is acting like

this is a [bleep] vacation.

It's pissing me off.

- Yeah.

- No, I don't want to lose
that challenge,

and I want to finish
dinner service.

- True, true.
- I'm here for my mom

to be able to say
one of her sons made it

and to be proud and just know

her life
and everything she went through,

and being a single mom
wasn't for naught.

- Yeah.

[light music]

♪ ♪

- I was a person
that was working

- six days every single week.
- Mm-hmm.

- I was a person that was doing
doubles every single day.

I want my picture on that wall.

- Yeah.
- Win or not...

- Mm-hmm.
- I'm gonna get to that level.

- Yo!
- Chef.

- Uh, there's something
going on outside.

Chef needs us out there.

So let's get moving.

- We ready.

- Let's go. Let's go.

- Why in the world
are we going outside today?

- Got to go, run, run.

- You know, I thought
this was "Hell's Kitchen."

I thought we're supposed to
be cooking in the kitchen.

- All right, running, ladies.

- There's a million things
racing through my head,

maybe cooking outside.

I have no idea
what's going on right now.

[reporters clamoring]

[cameras clicking]

- Oh, here we go.

[upbeat music]

- Oh, [bleep]!

I feel like one
of the Kardashians.

- Guys, look at the cameras.

Look at the cameras, let's go.

- Bring on the cameras.

Bring on the paparazzi.

Honestly,
I'm like a natural catfish.

I look better on camera
than I do in person.

- Uh, ladies and gentlemen
of the press,

The "Hell's Kitchen" chefs,
season 23.

- I'm just there posing,
you know,

making sure my hair is fine.

I'm like,
[bleep] I feel like a star.

- Now, Chefs, as this
is a very special season

for head chefs only,

we are taking things
up a huge notch.

- Whoo!
- Whoo.

- Challenges,
the dinner services,

bloody all of it,

I promise you now,

the intensity is on
a whole new level.

- Thank you, James.
- Oh, shoot.

- Right.

- Holy [bleep].

This dude's got a flamethrower.

- I'm scared.
- Are we ready?

- Oh, gosh.
- Oh.

- Why did we give Chef Ramsay
a flamethrower?

Who thought that was
a good idea?

- Let's go.
- What?

What are we doing?

- Oh, God.

[sizzling]

♪ ♪

narrator: Next time...

- Whoo!

- I love to light [bleep]
- on fire.

- Let's go.
- Fire!

Narrator: When the heat is
turned up in both kitchens...

- Fire, baby.

My inner pyro is feeling
pretty good.

Ooh, nice, sexy.

Narrator: Will one chef
take their obsession

with fire too far?

- Be careful.
- Don't burn us down. Let's go.

Narrator: In the first
East Coast dinner service

in "Hell's Kitchen" history.

- We're gonna catch
something on fire,

but it's not gonna be you.

Narrator: Will both kitchens
completely flame out?

- It's burnt. It's burnt.
- Oh.

- Can you see
how overcooked that is?

- [bleep].
- Yes, Chef.

- Would you eat it?
- All: No, Chef!

- But you expect them to eat it.

- Oh, he's mad over there.
- [bleep].

Narrator: Next time
on an explosive episode...

- Come on!

Welcome to the East Coast,
my ass.

Narrator: Of "Hell's Kitchen."