Tonight on Kitchen Nightmares...
Chef Ramsay heads to Southern California
where a Mexican restaurant is heading south...
The only thing that's missing here...
In a hurry. ...Is the drive-through.
Is that bad?
The owner, Laura,
was a successful caterer for years.
I'm just adding a dining room. How could it be so hard?
But barely a year into the restaurant, business...
Perla. Hates 'em.
Nobody tasted before we did this?
She is failing miserably.
This is not a restaurant.
Her chef is really a cook.
Perla's never gonna step up--ever.
Perla's family to me.
The food is really mediocre.
That's like eating wet cardboard.
Oh, God.
Look at that! This is unbelievable.
My God.
And the restaurant is totally dysfunctional.
Rapido, please.
You are mad.
I don't know what the I'm doing.
Will this owner be able to face the truth?
Are you her boss? I am her boss.
Wrong! You are her friend.
And have the guts to make the toughest decision...
- I don't want to lose this. - ...Of her life?
I promise you it will be okay.
Or will Laura collapse under the pressure?
What a disaster.
It's hard, okay?
I'm frightened to all hell right now.
This is one Kitchen Nightmares...
Your grandmother must be turning over in her grave.
Where Chef Ramsay may have arrived...
Bloody hell.
Too late.
Mama Rita, Mamma Mia.
Nestled in the hills
45 miles north of Los Angeles
is the idyllic town of Newbury Park.
This is where, only a year ago,
a single mom named Laura
was hoping to fulfill her dream
by opening a restaurant called Mama Rita's.
My grandmother
Was always cooking,
and I was always being, you know,
brought in to help her cook.
And I loved it.
When she passed away,
I said, "I'm going to go for it.
"I'm going to open up a place
and I'm gonna name it after my grandmother."
Welcome to Mama Rita's.
When I started the business,
it was purely a takeout, catering business.
We built a really great reputation
in a very short period of time.
And before I knew it, I had customers that said,
"You need a restaurant."
And based on my reputation
and the fact that everybody wanted this,
I went for it.
All right, guys. We're open for business.
Now I'm just adding a dining room,
and I'm serving 200 people.
I've served, you know, 1,000 people in a catering job.
How could it be so hard?
Colorado's really tender.
Yeah. Uh-huh.
I cook for Mama Rita's for six years.
She's my right hand and my savior.
I mean, she's family to me.
Laura is not a good boss
because there's not a lot of rules enforced
and--no one necessarily knowing what they're doing.
The direction I get
from Laura is a little hit-and-miss.
And I don't really think Laura knows
how to run her restaurant.
I need a cocktail now.
Laura, as a restaurant owner,
is inexperienced
'cause she's never had any training in this business.
This is completely brand-spanking-new to her.
So was the catering business.
But that was easier. It was small.
This is huge.
I know, I know.
During the first month,
We were just packed.
The public--they want the best experience,
the best service, the best food.
Sorry about that.
Comp 'em out
and send 'em a free dessert, please.
And I didn't deliver it.
And I'm begging people,
"Please come back and give me another chance."
And some say, "No, I'll never go back there again."
The debt that I have accrued
with this business is astronomical.
I'm on the foreclosure list,
so there's a chance I could lose the house.
If I didn't believe in this,
I wouldn't put my heart, my soul,
every single thing I've got into this.
I believe it can be saved--
if I can fix what's wrong.
Some of the best Mexican restaurants in the world
are not actually from Mexico.
They're here in Southern California.
Now, this restaurant here has been open just 12 months.
Sadly, it's only months away from closing.
There's gotta be something seriously wrong.
It looks beautiful.
Wow.
How are you? I'm good, thank you.
Pleasure to meet you. Likewise.
Now this is Mama...
I am Maggie. I'm the mother of the owner.
I thought you were Mama Rita.
No, I am-- I'm Mama Rita's daughter.
Mama Rita's daughter. Where is Mama Rita?
Mama Rita is, uh, buried in the cemetery over the hill.
Oh. I'm sorry to hear that.
Not a problem. So Mama Rita's your mother.
Yes. And it's your daughter that is...
Laura. Laura.
I will take you to Laura. Excellent.
Thank you, my darling.
This would be my daughter, Laura.
Well, how are you? Fine.
Nice to meet you. Good to see you.
Can I just say this place looks stunning?
Thank you. My goodness, me.
Somebody spent a lot of money here.
And you run the place?
I run the place. I try.
This is very different for me.
Catering is-- was my specialty.
That's what I did before I opened the restaurant.
Ah. I did very well at catering.
Top dish. What would you recommend?
The homemade tamales.
Oh, I love tamales. Well, good to see you.
Good to see you. Time to eat. I'm starving.
Excellent.
This is my table? Thank you.
Perla.
Yes.
When his order comes in, we'll let you know.
And you need to be the one that cooks his food, okay?
How are you, sir? What's going on?
I'm amazing. How are you?
And you are...? Brad.
Brad, good to see you.
How long have you been here?
From the beginning. From the beginning?
Mm-hmm.
I can't believe how plush this place is.
It's like, don't judge a book by its cover,
'cause you walk in here and you see this gorgeous place.
But Mama Rita's doesn't live up to its expectations.
If you can navigate me around
the stuff to stay away from.
Molotes... Taquitos...
Ooh. Empanadas de pollo...
Really? Yeah.
And why would I stay away from that?
Just because...I just think they're really dry.
Mm. I respect your honesty.
Thank you. I'll bear that in mind.
Yout got it.
Holy crap. That is really scary.
Within the five minutes I've been in the restaurant,
I've been told what to stay away from
from the head waiter.
Ay yi yi.
Hot sauce.
Thank you.
Oh, hello. This is Cheryl.
This is, uh, my manager.
And you manage the kitchen and the front of house?
Um, front of the house. Oh.
And caterer. And I do catering as well.
What's wrong with the place?
Lack of customers.
So why have we got a lack in customers?
We need more customers.
We need to figure out how to get more people in here.
Okay.
Thank you. And you're the manager.
Yeah. Oh, my God.
A manager that didn't even know
what's wrong with the restaurant is scary.
Okay. Look forward to catching you up.
Not with the manager. Thank you.
A manager that doesn't know what's wrong.
I don't know what answer he wanted.
I mean, what was wrong with that?
Lack of customers. Really?
That's a great insight, isn't it?
Right. Here we go.
Let's start off with a tamale.
Got it. The chimichanga.
Yeah. Let's go for a burrito.
I think that's enough for now.
All righty. Thank you.
Anybody taste anything?
Perla, everything was good?
Yeah. Uh-huh.
If Chef Ramsay
Doesn't like my grandmother's recipes,
that concerns me.
Anybody taste the tamales?
See what he thinks.
Tamale. Extremely hot.
All right.
Oh, no. God, I hope the tamales were moist.
It's like soaking wet newspaper.
Sheesh.
That is so dry.
Just a second.
My goodness, me.
That's a fresh tamale?
Well, when we make them,
we make them in big batches
and then they're steamed and then they're served.
Because we make such large volumes at a time...
So you're sounding like the catering company now.
Yes. And they go out like that?
It's--they should be wet enough with the sauce inside
that when you re-steam them, they stay moist.
What an embarrassment.
And this is your chef
that ran a catering business.
Correct.
. Okay. Okay.
Hates the tamales.
Really? Perla.
Hates 'em.
Said it's so dry it's inedible.
He said it's embarrassing.
Yeah, really dry.
Are you cooking everything?
Yeah.
Perla, are you cooking the chimis?
Uh-huh.
Your chicken chimichangas.
Ooh!
Chimi, chimi, chimi, chimichanga.
It's dry.
It's shards of dry chicken.
God, now what?
Here's the thing--
honestly,
chimichanga...
Chimi chuck it in the bin.
What a shame.
Perla.
He hates the chimis. He didn't like 'em.
Not to him, apparently.
I'm frustrated at my kitchen.
It's a bit of a punch to the gut
about my food.
Steak burrito.
Look at that.
That is gross.
Has to be the biggest ad for any diaper
anywhere in California.
Oh, no.
Oh, God.
My God.
That's like eating wet cardboard.
Have a taste of that. Please.
Bloody hell.
The steak was gamey.
It was kind of like a car wash.
Moist and mushy.
Oh, my God.
That is disgusting.
Let me taste the steak.
He says the steak tastes like.
Did you grill him fresh steak for his burrito?
Yeah. You didn't pull it from here, right?
Didn't we taste everything before we put it out?
Yes.
Ugh.
It's really salty.
Nobody tasted before we did this?
Damn it.
When you have somebody come in
that rips apart all of your food
that--that I was proud of,
it hurts a little bit.
Grandma, I'm so sorry.
I hate to slag you off,
however, I just want something fresh.
After a lunch of disgusting dishes,
Chef Ramsay has quickly realized
why this beautiful restaurant
is in an ugly situation.
Come round, please.
Thank you.
So...this is...
Perla. Perla.
Sadly, the food was dry.
It's like eating processed food.
Is the food today the same that you serve
when you have a catering event?
Yeah.
You'd be serving that crap?
Why don't you do it properly?
Because everybody loved my catering.
It's completely two different monsters.
It's not gonna work.
Coming out of a catering business,
trying to run a restaurant that cost how much?
1.5.
$1.5 million?
Yes.
Oh, my God.
And I'm $350,000 in the hole right now
on top of that.
So you're in for just under $2 million.
God bless your grandmother,
but she must be turning over in her grave.
Coming up...
Can Chef Ramsay turn this caterer...
I'm shocked.
Into a restaurateur?
This is not a restaurant.
I'm scared...right now.
Or will Laura's bad habits...
Oh, my God. Look at that!
Continue to get in the way?
You...are...mad.
And later...
This is the fight of my life.
Laura is in for a gut-wrenching decision.
Are you her boss or are you her friend?
I am her boss. Wrong!
Choosing between keeping her friendship...
I'm scared, and it's hard, okay?
And keeping her restaurant.
I have to figure out a way to save it.
After a miserable lunch...
That is disgusting.
An alarming post-mortem...
You're in for just under $2 million?
Chef Ramsay decides he wants a better understanding
of how this team of people work together
in a dinner service.
Hello. Hello.
Tonight, I'm nervous that Chef Ramsay may not think
that the restaurant is running efficiently.
I really hope that the staff hold it together,
and that they shine.
What can I get you two?
Ceviche, please. Ceviche Mama Rita.
You got it.
And for you, sir?
I'll take the chicken. All right.
I'll put that in for you guys.
Thank you.
I would say that the ticket times
are not even five minutes for entrees.
I cook really fast.
Hey, food!
They're normally coming out this fast?
Oh, yeah. Yeah?
Here we go. Arroz con mariscos.
Chili relleno. There we go.
Chicken tacos.
I'm not done with my soup.
Send out fajitas.
It's quicker than a drive-thru, isn't it?
Pretty much.
Whew.
Here you go.
With food flying out of the kitchen
At an incredible pace... Three minutes?
The kitchen staff now has time to socialize.
Have you cleared the board? All the tickets gone?
Yes. Wow.
So just standing here
for the next couple of minutes,
I can't believe how fast the food comes out.
It's like a conveyor belt. Is that bad?
It depends on quality. Okay.
While the customers may appreciate the fast service...
Here comes my shrimp!
They are not appreciating the food.
Dry?
No, I know, obviously.
Stop, stop, stop.
The only thing that's missing here
is a drive-thru.
I'm pissed.
He's telling me that all my food is.
So it's very frustrating
when I don't know how to do it another way.
'Cause this is all that I know.
That is unbelievable.
This has to be the fastest-serving restaurant
in America tonight,
but it's not really a restaurant.
It's a fast food factory.
What a joke.
On the heels of a ridiculously fast dinner service...
Bye-bye.
Chef Ramsay suspects that shortcuts
are being taken in the kitchen.
Wow...fast, huh?
So it's time for a little investigation.
What are those?
Oh, they're tamales. Yeah.
They're--they're frozen.
Ah.
So these are your chimichangas.
Are they frozen as well?
Wow. When was all this made?
Oh, my God.
Can you get me Laura, please?
Yes, yes? I'm here, I'm here, I'm here!
What? Come round, come round.
Don't run, not in a kitchen.
Here's the thing.
You're serving chicken that was cooked
nearly two months ago--
defrosting it, and then reheating it.
And you're wondering why it's dry?
Were you aware of this or...
This is what we did for catering.
Unbelievable.
That may be why the place is struggling.
Where are the freezers?
Freezer's there.
Oh, my God.
More tortillas.
I hope everything's right in there,
the shelving and all the food.
Ugh. My God.
You're joking, aren't you?
Look at all this stuff here.
Bloody hell. This is unbelievable.
Look at that!
This is what we did for catering.
You must have hundreds of portions
of stock here.
He just kept grabbing and grabbing
And stacking my arms with it.
All this pre-cooked, pre-rolled,
frozen, then defrosted,
is just absolutely appalling.
This is not a restaurant.
You...are...mad.
I'm gonna wash my hands.
They're stinky.
I have a man back there ripping everything apart,
telling me I don't know what the I'm doing.
When somebody takes something that you have
and butchers it,
it hurts.
A shocking discovery at dinner service...
Look at that!
You must have hundreds of portions of stock.
Confirms to Chef Ramsay that problems at this restaurant
are bigger than he anticipated.
What a day.
Lunch was disappointing.
Dinner was shocking.
It started off with defrost and serve,
followed by defrost and serve,
followed by... defrost and serve.
You're running a factory.
Boom, boom.
It's mass produced.
Treating food like a processing plant.
Perla, is that quality, what you cook?
No.
Did you honestly think that serving
defrosted food, slopped out,
was gonna make you a success.
I did well at catering with it.
You have driven away more customers
than you could ever imagine.
Could I have a word with Laura?
Thank you. Sit down.
I, um...
I'm worried.
I don't get
your level of commitment to make this place work.
I-I never pretended to know how to run a restaurant.
You're smart.
But you're not being smart.
Apparently not.
This food is sinking you
faster than you know it.
I don't want to lose this.
I want to figure out
A way to fix it and make it great.
But you really have to start taking responsibility
for what you're doing.
The difference in running a catering outlet
to running a wonderful restaurant
is night and day.
And the quicker you get that through your head
will be the start of the change.
Okay.
I'm really sorry.
I am too.
I had gone for something
that I maybe shouldn't have gone for.
And now I'm here...
And I have to figure out a way to save it
and fix it.
I'm scared. Very scared.
Good God.
Thinking about what happened last night,
Laura, she's not stupid.
She's more scared, almost petrified.
So in order for me to help her
to get over that fear of change,
I'm gonna take the first step for her.
And there's only one way of doing this.
Good-bye, frozen.
Look at that!
God, look at the state of that.
A year old..
There's enough chimichangas here to last me a lifetime.
Good-bye, catering...
Hello, restaurant.
Chef Ramsay has found over $12,000 worth
Of frozen food in the freezer.
Perla, Laura, good morning. How are you both?
Fine, thank you.
Now it's time to confront the owner
And the chef with his findings.
Today's about change. Yes.
Go and have a quick look round the kitchen.
You'll see some adjustments.
So far, it all looks the same.
I was shocked. Everything was gone.
My freezer was empty.
My walk-in refrigerator was empty.
I had no idea what was happening.
Oh, my God.
To show the enormity of the amount of frozen food...
Ohh...
Gordon has not only removed it from the freezer,
but has left it on display in the restaurant.
I was completely floored.
I had just this sinking feeling in my stomach.
Look at this.
What's going on there?
Ugh. They've gone green.
Look, he's got his Mexican sombrero on.
Right!
Chimichangas, five dozen, ten dozen,
twelve dozen.
Ouch.
And this isn't
a catering business.
I didn't know
it was this bad last night.
Here's what concerns me more than anything.
These are from last year.
August...And July.
Last year?
What the is going on?
I'm shocked.
I can see why.
Have a good look. I'm gonna wash my hands.
Stinks.
I guess I should be on Perla more
to make sure that the structure is there
and that things are being handled
the way that they should.
But then again, I own the restaurant,
so everything comes back to be my responsibility.
This has made me feel quite ignorant.
Next...
This is my last chance.
I have put it all on the line for this.
Laura makes an attempt
to turn around Mama Rita's.
Perla,
you gotta cook the steak.
It is raw.
Oh, it's a disaster.
Rapido,please.
But she may have to do it...
Give me an apron.
All alone.
We got to be able to do it.
And later...
No one's ever gonna take advantage
- of me again. - a confrontation...
Are you her boss? I am her boss.
Wrong. You're her friend.
That puts Laura and Perla's
estranged friendship...
It's hard, okay?
On the line.
Love you.
I promise you it'll be okay.
You don't want to miss
What's coming up on Kitchen Nightmares.
Please don't cry.
Today, Chef Ramsay is hitting the streets,
trying to gather former customers
of this young restaurant.
He's hoping that they'll hammer home to Laura
what this community expects from Mama Rita's.
Nice.
What is this?
Who are all these people?
Chef Ramsay knows that often
the best way to get his point across
is through the voices of others.
Ladies and gentlemen, first of all, good afternoon.
I was pretty shocked to see all these people showed up.
I really didn't know what to expect.
Thank you so much for coming.
It means a lot for you guys
to make an effort to be here.
These are ex-customers
that were here at the beginning
to support this restaurant.
It's important
that we understand
what went wrong
when we had the chance to open this restaurant.
Please, find out what happened.
I'd like to start.
Okay.
Over the time, we felt
we weren't getting the service that we wanted.
And the creativity of the food was really lacking.
On two different trips,
I got sick
within like a two-month period.
And then I came here two months later,
I got sick again.
And I kind of stayed away.
Ouch.
I guess I underestimated the palate
of the common person.
Some of the items we freeze,
and as we've been going through,
we're thinking that that's probably what it is,
and we're not gonna freeze anymore.
So hopefully that will take care of that issue.
And that's what we're changing.
Thank you for being so honest.
I can vouch for Laura.
Frozen has gone.
Yes?
I can't wait to see you again.
But next time it's going to be inside the restaurant
rather than outside.
Thank you so much.
Right, we got work to do.
That's an eye-opener.
Today, speaking to all those people,
I realized people know good food.
I respect that,
and that's what I want to give them.
To make the transition
from cooking frozen to fresh,
Chef Ramsay has just the challenge in mind
to inspire Laura and her Chef Perla.
Chicken, shrimp,
I've got steak here.
30 minutes.
We have a bit of a cook-off now.
Choose between the shrimp or the chicken.
And cook something
really delicious.
One minute gone.
Let's go.
It felt good working with fresh ingredients.
It was fun to just grab something
and just throw it all together
and come up with something good.
Let me think, let me think.
What's the matter?
I'm thinking. You're thinking?
I'm really nervous
because I no have idea
for what I cook.
15 minutes left.
Ay-yi-yi.
Perla, get moving.
I was nervous about what she was making.
No pressure, Perla.
The creativity seems not to be present.
Five minutes, be ready to plate, yeah?
Yep.
Ready? Let's go.
All right, let's go.
Chef Ramsay not only wants the staff
to taste the difference between frozen and fresh...
Not a single item on the plate defrosted anywhere.
He's also looking for the staff to choose
Which of the three dishes goes on tonight's menu.
Okay, what is it?
They are blackened shrimp tacos.
That looks good.
Darling, what is it?
Garlic breast. Garlic breasts.
With? Garlic and salt.
Garlic and salt put on the chicken breast?
She just said garlic salt, and that's it.
It wasn't very creative.
And, um, that scares me.
Okay, I got a flat-iron steak, briefly marinated,
mango salsa served on a little bit
of pickled vegetables,
finished with avocado butter.
Yum.
Okay, let's go. Take a taste.
Oh, it's so good.
It was amazing to taste
Chef Ramsay's dish.
And you could tell it was gonna taste good
just by looking at it.
Robert, what do you think of the shrimp?
It's really good.
How's the chicken?
Perla's dish had no flavor.
It's a little bland.
It needs something to spice it up.
Okay, good, which dish goes on the menu?
The mango salsa.
The shrimp is really good.
So both the shrimp and the flat-iron steak
are specials tonight.
I'm disappointed in Perla.
Given her opportunity to try to shine.
Unfortunately, I think it fell a bit short.
For tonight's dinner service,
Chef Ramsay has insisted on using only fresh ingredients.
So for the first time,
Mama Rita's, led by Laura and Chef Perla,
will operate like a restaurant
and not a catering service.
Hello.
Good to see you guys.
Thank you. You enjoy now.
Just letting you know our specials are
Skirt steak with mango salsa
and blackened shrimp tacos.
The steak special? Okay.
We're cooking everything fresh now,
so enjoy your meal.
Chef, you have anywhere special
you want me just doing my thing?
Uh, yeah. As normal.
Running as normal.
How's the specials going?
Specials are going good.
You're gonna have some of those steaks
coming up now.
I've been pushing it, so it's coming.
I'm scared about tonight.
Cooking everything fresh like this,
it's gonna be-- it's gonna be like something
she's never done, and Perla's got to get
into a whole new mindset.
Perla's team has quickly produced
the first set of specials.
This is 24, yeah?
Gracias.
All right, I got
your chef specials.
And it appears as though
the kitchen has adapted well.
But have they really?
You guys good?
Was everything okay?
I'll take it back.
Cut into yours.
Too rare?
What's the matter?
It's rare.
Guys.
You got to cook the steak.
Look it.
It is raw. Look at that.
This isn't medium rare, anyway.
That is rare.
Perla, I want you overseeing
the entrees,
making sure the steaks are cooked properly.
And you shouldn't be doing this little stuff.
You are the chef.
Finally, a voice.
Give me an apron.
I have people back there
that don't know what they're doing.
So, obviously, I need
to be more hands-on in the kitchen.
Specials are going, you guys.
Leave those items out so we can use them
and get to them easier.
I need these washed immediately.
Very--muy caliente.
Maria, you're making me those churros?
Yeah.
Have the refires gone out?
My redo?
Where's my-- did the other one go out yet?
Why'd you--why'd we take one without the other?
That's incredible.
On the back of all this negativity,
I finally think the penny's dropped with Laura.
All of a sudden, she's found her voice,
and she's treating this service like it's her last.
Did you get one of 'em yet?
One..
There you go.
Thank you.
Okay.
Here's another steak up.
I need you guys to keep up on this.
I shouldn't be back here doing this for you.
Right, Laura,
Let them do it now.
Let them do it now, yeah?
Laura has shown that she is willing
to step in to do whatever it takes
to help her restaurant.
But now Chef Ramsay is looking
for Perla to do what she is paid to do:
Run the kitchen.
Perla, I need you to step up to the mark now, please.
Take control.
You want me to decorate the plates?
No. No, let 'em do it.
Look how many staff there are behind there.
I know, but I...
They were falling all over themselves
in the kitchen.
And there were a lot of them on the line.
This is incredible.
Laura is prepared to go to hell and back
to make sure this restaurant survives.
However, I don't get the same feeling
from the staff.
I don't think they actually give a damn.
Unbelievable.
It's just raw?
It's raw.
Fish is raw.
What?
For God's sake, guys.
Look!
That's not-- there's no excuse.
It's like fish out of a sushi bar.
Come on, guys.
If I don't do something immediately,
It's gonna be gone tomorrow.
I just hope we can do it.
We got to be able to do it.
If we don't do it, it's not gonna work.
Tonight's difficult transition
from cooking frozen to fresh
only confirmed what Chef Ramsay
was already feeling.
A lack of confidence.
Tonight didn't exactly go
to plan, did it?
No, it did not.
Perla is not a head chef.
I think tonight confirmed that.
Surely you must see that.
I-I don't know what to do with that.
Perla's family to me.
She's not an employee that I can just cut,
you know, after so many years of being by my side.
There was one strong asset.
Quite refreshing.
And that was you.
I felt like this was your last service.
You were almost fighting for your life.
Fighting to stay open.
Fighting for every customer, every dollar.
And you cared like I've never seen you care before.
It was the first time that I actually really started
to believe that you've got what it takes
to turn this place around.
We're not going back.
Tomorrow, we are relaunching
this restaurant as a restaurant
for the first time in this town.
Thank you. Come here.
Thank you so much for everything.
Get some sleep, okay?
It was great for Gordon to sit with me
and feel that somebody has some faith in me.
I'm an absolute fighter,
and I tell ya,
this is the fight of my life.
Gordon's looking to revive
Laura's spirit and avoid
a repeat of last night's service.
So he's come up with a surprise solution
for the crippling problem in the kitchen.
Come in, please. All right.
Now here's the big change.
A humongous change.
Hang on a second. I've got to get it.
This is Naris.
Hi, Naris.
Hi, guys, how are you?
Now this lady has been with me for years.
She's an amazing chef.
Obsessed with Mexican cuisine.
And I am giving her
to you as a gift.
What she is going to do
is install a proper service
in this restaurant.
She's going to consult
properly for the first time
since you've opened this place.
I would just like to say
that I'm really, really excited.
Your restaurant is beautiful.
Thank you.
We're gonna make your kitchen beautiful.
We're gonna make your food beautiful.
Thank you. It's gonna be great.
Thank you so much. I'm excited.
One hell of a talented chef. And I mean that.
Thank you. Thank you, Madame.
Oh, God.
I can't believe it.
This is an opportunity of a lifetime.
She's gonna teach Perla so much.
For the first time in a long time,
I have some hope,
and I think we're gonna get through this.
Gordon is hoping chef consultant Naris
Will get the kitchen in order,
but there's another huge change tonight--the menu.
First of all, look at the color.
Wow. Oh, my God.
It's like a rainbow.
It's fresh, seasonal,
and it is incredibly authentic.
Taco salad. Oh, that looks good.
Carnitas. Slowly braised.
Ooh.
The sizzling fajitas,
that is gonna be piping hot.
Please be careful. Have a taste.
Mm. Oh, my gosh, you guys.
Mm. The flavor.
Ooh, that shrimp is good.
The new menu is awesome.
My mother would be so proud right now.
We're all so excited about tonight.
With Mama Rita's facing it's biggest night ever,
Chef Ramsay is willing to give Perla
one more chance to command the kitchen,
but this time he has installed a safety valve,
and her name is Naris.
Right. Uh, Perla.
Yes.
Tonight we really have to show
that you can adapt to cooking in a restaurant.
And there's a big difference.
Naris is here to help you,
but she can't do everything.
So show some spirit
to try and get this place
back up to where it should have opened
nine months ago, yeah?
Excellent. Good luck.
How can we not have a successful night?
I mean, I've got one of Gordon's chefs
to work in the kitchen,
and I think Perla will do all right.
Hello. What's the name under?
Ben.
Okay. Come with me.
Here you go.
This is our new menu. Everything's fresher now.
We're kind of revamping everything.
I'm just gonna start off with an order of guacamole.
Guacamole to start? Steak fajitas?
I will put that order in
and it should be up shortly.
Call out the order.
Appetizer chicken taquitos, Miguel.
So make sure you mark 'em, okay?
Start marking "appetizer, dinner."
Perla.
Yes?
I need you to set me up a fish taco, okay?
Perla, are you ready for the tacos?
Perla, listen to me, please.
Let's get 34 out. Whatever that is.
I need fish tacos.
Set me up the plate,
so I can just put the fish on there.
Please.
Naris, I need to pick up 34, yes?
Yeah, I have it.
I just need a plate set up.
Right. Naris. Yes, chef.
There's four of them standing watching you do everything,
and no one's doing anything else.
You've got to pick it up, Perla.
Perla, are you ready for the tacos?
No, not ready.
Do you believe that?
Cheryl.
Saw you just walk right past that table.
Everything's empty on there.
Can't clear it away?
Or do you want me to do it for you?
This one? Yeah, it's empty.
You guys all done here?
It's 20 minutes into dinner service.
Perla, pull your tickets.
Don't let 'em hang like that.
And already Perla is struggling
to organize the kitchen
and her staff.
I've never seen so many people
standing still behind a line.
What are we waiting on?
Firing the orders or not?
Yes, chef.
Perla, I need to start firing tickets now.
Please?
What's unfolding in my eyes is fascinating.
I'm just trying to get it set like a normal restaurant,
not like a canteen
where they're serving everything en masse.
Perla was still in the catering mindset,
and with the cooking fresh and cooking to order,
it's obvious she didn't know how to do that
and make it happen.
Perla is clearly being exposed
For her lack of leadership,
and the kitchen is slowly sinking.
Perla, we need to get organized.
This is not-- this is not working.
But, finally, an hour into dinner service,
appetizers are leaving the kitchen.
Okay. All right.
I'll go in and send this back for you guys.
Perla...
What's the deal with 33?
All right, burnt chips,
no beans, and not enough cheese.
's sake.
Guys, refire.
Some more cheese in there,
but no--don't burn the chips, yeah?
Sorry.
This is the difference between
just taking stuff out of a fridge
and dipping it in fryer
that got fried this morning
or trying to cook it fresh.
On top of the three pieces of steak they gave me,
they gave it to me raw. send it back.
What's wrong with that?
What a disaster.
It's incredible.
You have the most amazing looking restaurant
and a great tasting menu,
but if you haven't got the right staff to pull it off,
you're screwed.
Perla, take your tickets. Talk to me.
What tables have gone out?
From the first ticket, Perla was completely absent.
Perla. Yes.
Please put numbers on them.
I'm not running the table. I don't know what's going on.
I have to turn my head 100 times to say,
"Perla, what's next?
Call it out. What are we doing?"
Perla, talk to me.
You got to talk to us.
We're not-- we're not psychic here.
Perla realized the ticket times
And started feeling the pressure.
She fell apart.
Perla, take control.
She's not equipped to work a line.
There's not one ounce of line material
in that woman.
Perla. Perla. Perla.
It's relaunch night at Mama Rita's.
Perla has shut down,
and the kitchen is at a standstill.
Laura. Yes?
Two seconds.
I couldn't have made it any easier for her.
It's clear now she's not making the transition
from relying on processed,
frozen, defrosted crap
to cooking fresh.
That is not head chef material.
We're not looking for
a super duper fine-dining chef.
I'm just looking for a cook that can cook
from start to finish.
Tonight it's been obvious.
Yes. But can-- I will make a comment.
I have--I have a woman
that has stuck with me through thick and thin
for six years.
Okay, my big question to you--
Yes. are you her boss or are you her friend?
I am her boss, and she--
Wrong. You are her friend.
It would break my heart
to not have Perla as my head chef,
but right now I have to stand back
and really look at what's best for my business.
Who has? Perla.
Okay, look at me.
Naris, take over the line, yes?
You, outside. Five minutes.
Get some fresh-- take her outside.
Let's go.
Unbelievable.
It's okay. It's okay.
Look at me.
It's okay. I'm scared too.
I'm scared and it's hard, okay?
I'm frightened to all hell right now.
I've got to try to pull this off
with the staff that I've got
and this new way of cooking.
It's okay.
It'll be okay.
I promise you it'll be okay.
One mahi-mahi.
Coming in 30 seconds.
With Perla off the line
And Naris in control...
Get some lime on here please
And finish these for me?
Mama Rita's kitchen is finally on track.
Two mahi tacos up. Piping hot.
Here are the fish tacos.
Can I have a ramekin please?
Technically, I wasn't supposed to be on the line.
I was just supposed to supervise.
But I can't watch 'em go down.
Good job. Now keep it up.
Let's finish the night.
All right. Carnitas?
Who got the mahi?
You can do it. Just focus.
Chef Ramsay's plan
And Naris' rescue of the kitchen
has resulted in customers being satisfied.
You like the new relleno? Yeah, yeah.
And the relaunch ends on a positive note.
Without Naris,
we wouldn't have been able to get through tonight.
Thank you so much for coming in. Thank you.
You guys, clean up a little.
She knows her stuff.
I mean, she's clearly a great chef.
While the relaunch was a success,
Unfortunately no one's in the mood for celebrating.
Certainly not Perla.
And definitely not Chef Ramsay.
Tonight was made more difficult
than it ever had to be.
Perla's not a leader.
She's never gonna step up
to the mark of a head chef ever.
It's not rocket science.
I know.
Naris, over the next two weeks,
I want you to separate the brigade,
focus on the strengths, the weaknesses.
Okay, thank you.
Thank you so much.
It'll be good. Wonderful.
Perla's strength isn't being a chef,
and this whole scenario has brought that to light,
and now it's blaringly clear
that I need to do something about it.
Laura, the future success of this restaurant
is in your hands.
If you don't extract out of her
everything she knows about cooking,
you're mad.
It will never, ever work
if you step backwards to your old ways.
I won't do that again.
I'm gonna run it like a restaurant. Good.
Next time you come you're gonna see some staff changes.
Promise me?
I--I give you my word.
Come here. Stand strong. And good luck.
I've got one hell of a headache.
Did we honestly take a caterer
and turn her into a restaurateur?
That question will only be answered
when she finally decides what to do with Perla
and her kitchen team.
What a nightmare.
Holy chimichangas.
After Gordon left,
Laura worked with Naris
to organize the kitchen and the staff
into a fully functioning restaurant.
Once this system is implemented,
I think that will make it
much, much smoother.
That makes sense.
And after two weeks,
Laura finally made the staff change
she promised Chef Ramsay.
She installed a new head chef,
moving Perla out of the kitchen
and back to catering.
Moving forward now,
there's definitely gonna be a split
between my catering and the restaurant.
They are going to be two different businesses.
Well, guys, thanks for coming in.
I don't think my eyes were open,
and they haven't been open for a very long time,
and it took Gordon to come in here and--
whack, whack, whack, whack, whack,
to get me to open 'em.