1 00:00:01,100 --> 00:00:03,100 -[Ted] Careful in there. -[groans] Ah, chef! 2 00:00:03,100 --> 00:00:05,166 [man 1] I don't break under chaos and pressure. 3 00:00:05,166 --> 00:00:08,867 [man 2] I'm just gonna focus on the four basket ingredients as I'm not making mistakes. 4 00:00:08,867 --> 00:00:11,400 It's so good, so delicious! 5 00:00:11,400 --> 00:00:13,867 [woman] I am not afraid to go after what I want. 6 00:00:13,867 --> 00:00:15,266 Nope, it's not gonna work. 7 00:00:15,266 --> 00:00:16,867 Don't do that. 8 00:00:16,867 --> 00:00:18,233 What in the-- 9 00:00:19,667 --> 00:00:21,300 He's using his fists. 10 00:00:21,300 --> 00:00:23,533 This is what I'm doing in my competition! 11 00:00:24,767 --> 00:00:25,967 [woman] Holy crap. 12 00:00:25,967 --> 00:00:28,166 Ted, tell her there's a minute left. She's gotta get it done. 13 00:00:28,166 --> 00:00:30,066 -[woman] Time is going fast. -[man 2] Ooh. 14 00:00:30,066 --> 00:00:31,767 Almost there, sir, almost there. 15 00:00:31,767 --> 00:00:33,367 [Ted] Were you born to do this? 16 00:00:33,367 --> 00:00:35,000 Oh, hell yeah! 17 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:36,200 Let's do this thing. 18 00:00:42,367 --> 00:00:45,567 If you wanna see some intimidation, I'll show you intimidation. 19 00:00:48,166 --> 00:00:52,367 I'm the chef and owner at Urban Field Pizza and Market in Longmont, Colorado. 20 00:00:52,367 --> 00:00:54,800 My style of cooking is whimsical Italian. 21 00:00:54,800 --> 00:00:57,266 We like to sneak in fish sauce and chile paste, 22 00:00:57,266 --> 00:00:59,467 unique twists on grandma's classics. 23 00:00:59,467 --> 00:01:02,567 I worked my way up from prep cook to sous chef in three and a half years. 24 00:01:02,567 --> 00:01:05,667 Along the way, my chef sent me over to Italy to do a stage. 25 00:01:05,667 --> 00:01:09,100 After my time in Italy, I got a job at one of Jean-Georges' restaurants. 26 00:01:09,100 --> 00:01:10,767 I've been doing this a long time. 27 00:01:10,767 --> 00:01:13,734 At this stage of the game, these other chefs should be scared. 28 00:01:15,400 --> 00:01:18,400 [Duyen] I am here to prove that Vietnamese cuisine 29 00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:20,467 deserves to be on the map. 30 00:01:20,467 --> 00:01:23,867 I'm a private chef based in Los Angeles, California. 31 00:01:23,867 --> 00:01:25,367 My family is from Vietnam, 32 00:01:25,367 --> 00:01:27,767 so I integrate a lot of that into my food. 33 00:01:27,767 --> 00:01:29,266 Ooh, that's good. 34 00:01:29,266 --> 00:01:32,900 I take a lot of inspiration from my heritage, 35 00:01:32,900 --> 00:01:36,166 and I also went to culinary school in Paris, 36 00:01:36,166 --> 00:01:38,667 where I graduated top of my class. 37 00:01:38,667 --> 00:01:40,600 And then from there, I worked at several 38 00:01:40,600 --> 00:01:42,567 three Michelin Star restaurants. 39 00:01:42,567 --> 00:01:45,266 I am competing for my parents. 40 00:01:45,266 --> 00:01:49,567 We are Vietnamese refugees, and they sacrificed everything 41 00:01:49,567 --> 00:01:51,166 so that I can live my dream. 42 00:01:51,166 --> 00:01:54,066 And so I'm going to win this for them. 43 00:01:55,367 --> 00:01:57,166 [Jon] It doesn't matter who's to the left or the right. 44 00:01:57,166 --> 00:01:58,600 I just need to make those judges 45 00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:00,767 remember my food more than anybody else. 46 00:02:01,700 --> 00:02:03,567 I am the executive chef at 47 00:02:03,567 --> 00:02:06,100 Black Flag Social House in Marriottsville, Maryland. 48 00:02:06,100 --> 00:02:07,700 My style of cooking is 49 00:02:07,700 --> 00:02:11,667 a combination of comfort food, big flavors and spice. 50 00:02:11,667 --> 00:02:13,066 I'm a spicy guy. 51 00:02:13,066 --> 00:02:14,000 Money. 52 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:16,567 I started doing local competitions in Maryland 53 00:02:16,567 --> 00:02:18,300 and kind of got the competition bug. 54 00:02:18,300 --> 00:02:20,767 I've been competitively cooking, like, 55 00:02:20,767 --> 00:02:23,567 aggressively for about the last five years. 56 00:02:23,567 --> 00:02:26,166 I've been to the World Food Championships the last four years, 57 00:02:26,166 --> 00:02:27,867 and I won a lot. 58 00:02:27,867 --> 00:02:29,333 You might wanna watch out for me. 59 00:02:30,667 --> 00:02:32,900 [Andres] My biggest asset going into this competition 60 00:02:32,900 --> 00:02:34,867 is my experience and my execution. 61 00:02:34,867 --> 00:02:35,967 I'm ready to go. 62 00:02:35,967 --> 00:02:38,767 I'm chef owner of Sansara in Denver, Colorado. 63 00:02:38,767 --> 00:02:41,000 It's a food truck where I do Cuban-inspired cuisine. 64 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:43,266 I got into cooking because my grandfather 65 00:02:43,266 --> 00:02:45,166 owned a Cuban bakery my whole life. 66 00:02:45,166 --> 00:02:48,767 I worked there from age 13 to about 20, 67 00:02:48,767 --> 00:02:50,600 and then I enrolled in culinary school. 68 00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:53,600 After that, I worked in and out of Michelin Star restaurants 69 00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:56,000 and James Beard nominated restaurants. 70 00:02:56,000 --> 00:02:58,834 If these chefs aren't on their A game, they will lose. 71 00:03:02,166 --> 00:03:03,600 Hello, chefs. 72 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:05,300 -What's happening, Ted? -Hey, Ted. 73 00:03:05,300 --> 00:03:08,767 There are three rounds, with mandatory mystery ingredients for each. 74 00:03:08,767 --> 00:03:12,500 If your dish doesn't cut it, you'll be chopped. 75 00:03:12,500 --> 00:03:15,767 -Not a chance. Not today. -It ain't gonna happen, Ted. Not happening. 76 00:03:15,767 --> 00:03:18,100 Let's see if these appetizer baskets will 77 00:03:18,100 --> 00:03:21,767 stump or surprise you, as they tend to do. 78 00:03:24,400 --> 00:03:25,734 Open 'em up. 79 00:03:27,066 --> 00:03:29,900 [groans] Ugh, pig lips? What in the-- 80 00:03:29,900 --> 00:03:32,100 [Ted] Oh, pickled pig lips. 81 00:03:32,100 --> 00:03:34,200 -[man] Got it. -[laughs] Oh, wow. 82 00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:37,367 I have never worked with pickled pig lips. 83 00:03:37,367 --> 00:03:39,667 [Ted] And what else? Leeks. 84 00:03:39,667 --> 00:03:43,033 -Fish sticks. -Fish sticks? That's fun. 85 00:03:44,867 --> 00:03:47,000 Some good old red chiles. 86 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:50,266 -[Ted] And finger chiles. -[Duyen] All right, I can deal with this. 87 00:03:50,266 --> 00:03:52,166 [scoffs] Pig lips. Oh, my God. 88 00:03:52,166 --> 00:03:54,900 -[laughs] -[Ted] This is a short round. 89 00:03:54,900 --> 00:03:56,367 Just 20 minutes. 90 00:03:57,467 --> 00:03:59,667 Time starts now. 91 00:03:59,667 --> 00:04:01,300 -[Marc] All right! -[Tiffany] Let's go! 92 00:04:01,300 --> 00:04:02,834 [applause] 93 00:04:04,767 --> 00:04:07,433 [Nick] Butter, sausage. 94 00:04:10,467 --> 00:04:12,467 Okay, let's start cooking. 95 00:04:12,467 --> 00:04:15,467 Marc, you are joined on the judging panel by two special guest. 96 00:04:15,467 --> 00:04:18,367 Acclaimed restaurateur, chef Tiffany Derry, 97 00:04:18,367 --> 00:04:22,200 and modern Mexican expert chef Daniela Soto-Innes. 98 00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:23,166 Welcome to you both. 99 00:04:23,166 --> 00:04:25,667 -Muchas gracias. -Ready for some lips? 100 00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:32,700 [groans] Ugh. 101 00:04:32,700 --> 00:04:35,567 [Ted] Judges, how great is it to see pickled pig lips? 102 00:04:35,567 --> 00:04:38,467 How exciting. That's not something you see often. 103 00:04:38,467 --> 00:04:40,600 -You're using the word "exciting"? -I am. 104 00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:42,600 -[Marc] Okay. -[Tiffany] So, I come from a family where we 105 00:04:42,600 --> 00:04:45,600 pickled everything, tails, feet, pig lips. 106 00:04:45,600 --> 00:04:49,100 Like, it's something you would throw into soups and stews. 107 00:04:49,100 --> 00:04:50,667 It has a lot of collagen. 108 00:04:50,667 --> 00:04:52,667 Like, I would make it into a taco, you know? 109 00:04:52,667 --> 00:04:54,600 -Like a, like a... -[Tiffany] That's what I'm saying, like, literally. 110 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:58,266 -[laughing] -Stinky, delicious, yummy taco. 111 00:04:58,266 --> 00:05:01,000 [Nick] Let's get out these pig lips. 112 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:03,000 I'm chopping up these pickled pig lips. 113 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:05,400 It's definitely pickly, and they're just like, 114 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:07,166 not that delicious at all. [laughs] 115 00:05:07,166 --> 00:05:09,000 They're definitely a little on the rubbery side. 116 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:12,000 So I'm thinking that I could probably hide the pig lips 117 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:15,367 into some sort of a ragù with some Italian sausage. 118 00:05:15,367 --> 00:05:18,867 I'm making creamy polenta with pickled pig lips, 119 00:05:18,867 --> 00:05:21,166 finger chile, and leek ragù. 120 00:05:21,166 --> 00:05:23,500 Topped with fish sticks and salsa verde. 121 00:05:23,500 --> 00:05:25,700 These pig lips are weird, I'm not gonna lie. 122 00:05:25,700 --> 00:05:28,000 Strange ingredient. 123 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:32,500 [Duyen] The pickled pig lips has this gelatinous texture, 124 00:05:32,500 --> 00:05:35,000 and I wanna fry them. 125 00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:38,333 I think they're gonna be a really nice textural element. 126 00:05:38,767 --> 00:05:40,066 Behind. 127 00:05:40,066 --> 00:05:45,166 I'm making a fish salad with a fish sauce vinaigrette 128 00:05:45,166 --> 00:05:47,767 topped with crispy pig lips. 129 00:05:47,767 --> 00:05:52,300 My plan is to use the fish stick as the protein of my salad. 130 00:05:52,300 --> 00:05:55,166 [Tiffany] Now the fish sticks often use, it's like pollock, 131 00:05:55,166 --> 00:05:57,367 but it could be many different types of fish. 132 00:05:57,367 --> 00:06:00,867 But the texture is just like breadcrumbs, essentially, 133 00:06:00,867 --> 00:06:02,200 but like light and crispy. 134 00:06:02,200 --> 00:06:04,467 Maybe that will be really nice, like, a bunch of herbs... 135 00:06:04,467 --> 00:06:07,133 -[Tiffany] Yes. -...thrown in there with the chiles. 136 00:06:10,166 --> 00:06:12,767 Fish sticks, yum. I love these at 12 o'clock at night. 137 00:06:12,767 --> 00:06:15,100 Maybe not in my Chopped basket, 138 00:06:15,100 --> 00:06:17,300 but we're gonna make 'em work. 139 00:06:17,300 --> 00:06:20,500 I immediately think to myself, "Make a fish cake." 140 00:06:20,500 --> 00:06:23,266 This is the first time I've ever seen a box of fish sticks 141 00:06:23,266 --> 00:06:25,467 being dumped into a food processor. 142 00:06:25,467 --> 00:06:27,100 -All of 'em. -And that's what Jon's doing. 143 00:06:27,100 --> 00:06:28,800 -[Tiffany] All of 'em. -All of 'em. 144 00:06:28,800 --> 00:06:31,867 [Jon] I am making a crispy fish cake with pickled pig lip 145 00:06:31,867 --> 00:06:35,400 and finger chile agrodolce and crispy leeks. 146 00:06:35,400 --> 00:06:38,166 I throw in some garlic, some shallots and parsley. 147 00:06:38,166 --> 00:06:39,967 Fish cakes are gonna be great. 148 00:06:41,166 --> 00:06:44,567 It's a wasted second here, but you gotta get comfy sometimes. 149 00:06:45,800 --> 00:06:47,900 You know, I gotta get these fish sticks dry. 150 00:06:47,900 --> 00:06:49,900 I want them to add a crunchy element, 151 00:06:49,900 --> 00:06:51,734 so I need to get them in the oven. 152 00:06:52,967 --> 00:06:56,467 I'm making braised leeks with pickled pig lip 153 00:06:56,467 --> 00:07:00,767 and finger chile relish and fish stick sand. 154 00:07:00,767 --> 00:07:04,667 I'm braising the leeks with white wine and butter and stock. 155 00:07:04,667 --> 00:07:06,667 -[sizzling] -Oh. 156 00:07:06,667 --> 00:07:09,000 I'm adding the pickled pig lips' juice to the leeks... 157 00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:10,467 Come here. 158 00:07:10,467 --> 00:07:14,166 ...because I want the judges to see everything from the pickled pig lips. 159 00:07:14,166 --> 00:07:16,400 Chefs, you have less than 10 minutes, hurry up. 160 00:07:16,400 --> 00:07:18,000 Ten minutes, thank you. 161 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:19,967 Ten minutes, guys. 10 minutes. 162 00:07:19,967 --> 00:07:22,266 [Andres] Eek, no running in kitchens. 163 00:07:25,266 --> 00:07:27,800 [Nick] I wanna make sure the fish sticks are crispy on the plate. 164 00:07:27,800 --> 00:07:30,867 So, I'm just gonna throw 'em in the fryer and hope that they get crispy. 165 00:07:30,867 --> 00:07:33,900 [Duyen] ...leeks very often, and I wanna keep them 166 00:07:33,900 --> 00:07:35,166 just really simple. 167 00:07:35,166 --> 00:07:37,000 Throw in some salt. 168 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:40,300 And so I'm just lightly sautéing them. 169 00:07:40,300 --> 00:07:43,600 [Marc] Now, of course, my favorite ingredient in this basket is the leeks. 170 00:07:43,600 --> 00:07:46,200 I love leeks, like a nice leeks vinaigrette. 171 00:07:46,200 --> 00:07:49,100 -Nice starter, you know? Cook up the leeks... -[Tiffany] Yeah. 172 00:07:49,100 --> 00:07:51,066 -[indistinct] Mmm. -...little red wine vinegar, some mustard. 173 00:07:51,066 --> 00:07:52,600 That's all I need. 174 00:07:53,900 --> 00:07:56,800 [Jon] Oh, I love leeks, so I'm super happy to see leeks in the basket. 175 00:07:56,800 --> 00:08:01,000 It should bring a nice pops of onion flavor to the top of this fish cake. 176 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:05,467 Then I put the leeks in a bowl of rice flour and ancho chile powder, 177 00:08:05,467 --> 00:08:08,166 then drop 'em in the fryer and get 'em crispy. 178 00:08:08,166 --> 00:08:10,900 I've been competitively cooking 179 00:08:10,900 --> 00:08:13,600 for about the last four or five years. 180 00:08:13,600 --> 00:08:15,400 Right behind you. Right behind you. Down the line. 181 00:08:15,400 --> 00:08:17,000 Yeah, I'm a quiet storm. 182 00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:19,000 Like, I look cool and calm on the outside, 183 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:22,567 but on the inside, like, it's raging. 184 00:08:22,567 --> 00:08:26,000 [Andres] To go with the leeks, I'm gonna make a pickled pig lip relish 185 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:27,667 with some shallots, some honey, 186 00:08:27,667 --> 00:08:29,600 and with the finger chiles to bring that heat. 187 00:08:29,600 --> 00:08:32,600 The pig lip is gonna add that brineyness. 188 00:08:32,600 --> 00:08:35,567 -We need more. -[sizzling] 189 00:08:35,567 --> 00:08:37,967 -[Andres] Ooh. -Five minutes to go, chefs. 190 00:08:37,967 --> 00:08:39,367 Go, go. 191 00:08:39,367 --> 00:08:41,000 [Andres] Ooh, you're hot. 192 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:43,266 [Duyen] So, I'm gonna throw these back in the fryer. 193 00:08:44,467 --> 00:08:46,066 Behind. 194 00:08:49,467 --> 00:08:52,467 [Andres] I'm making a sand with the fish sticks to add a crunchy element, 195 00:08:52,467 --> 00:08:54,266 but I check and the fish sticks are 196 00:08:54,266 --> 00:08:56,100 not as dried out as I need them to be. 197 00:08:56,100 --> 00:08:58,600 I know I gotta get these fish sticks crispy, 198 00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:00,667 but I'm running out of time. 199 00:09:01,467 --> 00:09:04,166 Let's do it. Behind. Coming down the line. 200 00:09:04,166 --> 00:09:06,667 I need to make it to that fryer but... 201 00:09:06,667 --> 00:09:09,100 Can I go left basket? Uh, she's in left basket. 202 00:09:09,100 --> 00:09:10,800 Both baskets are being worked with, 203 00:09:10,800 --> 00:09:12,800 and I'm in some bad shape. 204 00:09:12,800 --> 00:09:14,300 Behind, coming down, behind. 205 00:09:14,300 --> 00:09:16,567 -[utensils clanking] -I'm sorry about that, chef. 206 00:09:16,567 --> 00:09:18,900 I'm not sure what Andres is making over there, 207 00:09:18,900 --> 00:09:20,900 so I'm a little worried that it may not be coming together, 208 00:09:20,900 --> 00:09:22,800 -and he's a little, very... -[Marc] Little whirlwindy. 209 00:09:22,800 --> 00:09:25,000 -[Tiffany] Yeah. -[Marc] A little everywhere. 210 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:26,567 [exhales heavily] 211 00:09:27,867 --> 00:09:29,467 [Andres] That fryer is not gonna be 212 00:09:29,467 --> 00:09:31,166 available for me the rest of the challenge, 213 00:09:31,166 --> 00:09:34,367 and the fish sticks are not as dried out as I need them to be. 214 00:09:34,367 --> 00:09:37,100 I don't think I have time for this, but we're gonna try it. 215 00:09:37,100 --> 00:09:39,000 I just know that I have to keep pushing 216 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:41,000 because there's a clock and there's judges. 217 00:09:41,000 --> 00:09:43,300 And we need to make a plate so... 218 00:09:43,300 --> 00:09:46,734 My plan is to food-process these fish sticks. 219 00:09:48,367 --> 00:09:49,567 You're gonna work. 220 00:09:49,567 --> 00:09:51,166 And then I'm gonna sear 'em off real hard 221 00:09:51,166 --> 00:09:52,867 in a pan with some hot, hot oil, 222 00:09:52,867 --> 00:09:55,300 and I'm gonna dry them out that way. 223 00:09:55,300 --> 00:09:57,166 [Nick] I'm going to check on my fish sticks right now. 224 00:09:57,166 --> 00:09:59,367 They're golden brown, and I'm pretty happy with where they're at. 225 00:09:59,367 --> 00:10:00,800 I'm not gonna do too much to these. 226 00:10:00,800 --> 00:10:02,367 I just want that nice, crispy crunch, 227 00:10:02,367 --> 00:10:03,734 add that textural element. 228 00:10:05,266 --> 00:10:08,600 [Duyen] I start assembling my salad and this vinaigrette. 229 00:10:08,600 --> 00:10:11,667 So, I'm adding fish sauce and the pickling liquid 230 00:10:11,667 --> 00:10:13,400 with a little bit of olive oil. 231 00:10:13,400 --> 00:10:15,333 [Jon] Right behind you. Right behind you. Down the line. 232 00:10:18,300 --> 00:10:22,066 [Andres] Whoo, caliente! 233 00:10:22,066 --> 00:10:23,667 This finger chiles, 234 00:10:23,667 --> 00:10:26,467 it's very similar to a serrano, 235 00:10:26,467 --> 00:10:28,400 but a little bit, like, sweeter. 236 00:10:28,400 --> 00:10:30,767 [Marc] They have a very much of a bell pepper flavor to them, 237 00:10:30,767 --> 00:10:33,000 but they have a little bit of a kick in the background. 238 00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:36,900 [Jon] I have bacon rendering to go with the pickled pig lips 239 00:10:36,900 --> 00:10:39,300 and the finger chiles to make an agrodolce. 240 00:10:39,300 --> 00:10:41,367 I want a spicy component, 241 00:10:42,367 --> 00:10:45,200 and the finger chiles definitely hit that mark. 242 00:10:45,200 --> 00:10:47,467 One minute left, we gotta hurry up. 243 00:10:47,467 --> 00:10:49,800 -We gotta get it all done, all the ingredients. -[exhales heavily] 244 00:10:49,800 --> 00:10:52,066 You are hot. Let's do this thing. 245 00:10:54,400 --> 00:10:56,233 Almost there, sir, almost there. 246 00:10:57,600 --> 00:11:00,100 -[Marc] Thirty seconds. -[Tiffany] Let's go, Nick. 247 00:11:00,100 --> 00:11:01,567 Let's go, Andres. 248 00:11:04,166 --> 00:11:06,166 Chefs, get those plates done. 249 00:11:06,166 --> 00:11:10,467 Ten, nine, eight, seven, 250 00:11:10,467 --> 00:11:16,467 six, five, four, three, two, one. 251 00:11:16,467 --> 00:11:19,567 -Time's up. Please step back. -[scattered cheering] Whoo! 252 00:11:19,567 --> 00:11:22,266 -[Daniela] Good job! -[applause] 253 00:11:22,266 --> 00:11:25,467 [Andres] Oh, you guys are so pretty and I'm so ugly, but it's okay. 254 00:11:25,467 --> 00:11:28,100 It's so good, so delicious! 255 00:11:28,100 --> 00:11:31,600 I thought the fish sand was gonna be a little more sandy and pretty, 256 00:11:31,600 --> 00:11:35,000 and it's more... [whispers] ...mushy, but it's okay, it's delicious. 257 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:37,367 [Duyen] That round went really fast. 258 00:11:37,367 --> 00:11:39,500 But, I do feel confident about this dish. 259 00:11:39,500 --> 00:11:41,400 It has a little bit of Vietnamese flair, 260 00:11:41,400 --> 00:11:43,266 and I'm excited for them to try it. 261 00:11:45,500 --> 00:11:49,367 Chefs, in the first round you had to work with pickled pig lips, 262 00:11:49,367 --> 00:11:53,467 leeks, fish sticks, and finger chiles. 263 00:11:53,467 --> 00:11:55,667 Chef Andres, what did you make? 264 00:11:55,667 --> 00:11:57,667 I have made braised leeks 265 00:11:57,667 --> 00:12:02,166 with a pig lip-finger chile relish and fish stick sand. 266 00:12:06,467 --> 00:12:10,600 I love the way you cook the leeks, and I love your finger chiles. 267 00:12:10,600 --> 00:12:13,567 The sweet honey and the vinegar, 268 00:12:13,567 --> 00:12:16,166 it really works on the pig lips. 269 00:12:16,166 --> 00:12:19,000 But the fish stick, you didn't do much to them. 270 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:22,000 [Tiffany] The fish sticks, the reason that they come across 271 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:26,066 still feeling like fish sticks is because you don't have enough crispiness. 272 00:12:26,066 --> 00:12:28,266 Maybe using something else from the pantry 273 00:12:28,266 --> 00:12:32,200 so that you get the crunch that you're desperately looking for 274 00:12:32,200 --> 00:12:34,266 on top of the dish would help out. 275 00:12:34,266 --> 00:12:36,767 But here, I think the star on the plate is definitely the leeks. 276 00:12:36,767 --> 00:12:39,767 They are very nicely cooked, and I love the color that you got on it. 277 00:12:39,767 --> 00:12:41,367 [Marc] You really took all the basket ingredients 278 00:12:41,367 --> 00:12:43,867 and kind of chopped it all up, put it in a pan and gave it back to us. 279 00:12:43,867 --> 00:12:46,667 So, it's a little bit lacking on creativity, I think. 280 00:12:46,667 --> 00:12:48,166 Understood, chef. Thank you. 281 00:12:48,166 --> 00:12:50,800 Chef Andres, thank you. Chef Duyen? 282 00:12:50,800 --> 00:12:55,000 [Duyen] You have a fish salad with a fish sauce vinaigrette, 283 00:12:55,000 --> 00:12:57,166 topped with crispy pork lips. 284 00:12:59,367 --> 00:13:02,100 Where do you normally draw your inspiration for cooking? 285 00:13:02,100 --> 00:13:04,600 My family, we are refugees from Vietnam, 286 00:13:04,600 --> 00:13:08,867 and even though I was cooking at different restaurants in New York and Paris, 287 00:13:08,867 --> 00:13:13,767 I still bring a lot of, kind of my cuisine to the forefront of my food. 288 00:13:13,767 --> 00:13:16,367 I love the flavor. I love this vinaigrette. 289 00:13:16,367 --> 00:13:19,467 -Thank you. -Weaving a leek that you've braised a little bit, 290 00:13:19,467 --> 00:13:21,467 and of course the finger chiles, into a salad, 291 00:13:21,467 --> 00:13:23,667 what a great idea. The pig lips are amazing. 292 00:13:23,667 --> 00:13:25,867 -[laughs] Thank you. -They're so good. 293 00:13:25,867 --> 00:13:29,266 [Tiffany] When you get the crispiness from the pig lips, it is delicious. 294 00:13:29,266 --> 00:13:33,000 To take and sort of deconstruct the fish sticks, I think is smart. 295 00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:36,567 But I think that you chose the wrong lettuce, altogether, 296 00:13:36,567 --> 00:13:39,300 just because it's soft, it doesn't hold 297 00:13:39,300 --> 00:13:41,767 -enough of that vinaigrette. -Heard, thank you, chef. 298 00:13:41,767 --> 00:13:45,467 I have to agree. I wish, like, in presentation-wise, 299 00:13:45,467 --> 00:13:47,200 a little bit more neat. 300 00:13:47,200 --> 00:13:50,667 But I love that beautiful fish sauce and the pickling liquid. 301 00:13:50,667 --> 00:13:52,867 -Thank you. -[Ted] Chef Nick, you're up next. 302 00:13:52,867 --> 00:13:55,266 Yeah, so today, I have pickled pig lip, 303 00:13:55,266 --> 00:13:59,166 leek and finger chile ragù, with creamy polenta on the bottom. 304 00:13:59,166 --> 00:14:00,433 And then I made a salsa verde. 305 00:14:03,700 --> 00:14:06,667 Chef Nick, I love the use of your finger chiles. 306 00:14:06,667 --> 00:14:09,166 -Did you sauté that with the pig lips? -I did, yeah. 307 00:14:09,166 --> 00:14:11,000 It's so delicious. I think that helped 308 00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:13,100 the pig lips just mellow down. 309 00:14:13,100 --> 00:14:15,600 Are there any basket ingredients in the salsa verde? 310 00:14:15,600 --> 00:14:17,634 No, not in the salsa verde, no. 311 00:14:18,767 --> 00:14:21,166 The salsa verde is good. It's got a pretty big punch to it. 312 00:14:21,166 --> 00:14:23,266 It holds up with the polenta. 313 00:14:23,266 --> 00:14:25,667 But the things that really are represented in my plate 314 00:14:25,667 --> 00:14:28,166 in front of me are not basket ingredients. 315 00:14:28,166 --> 00:14:30,667 It's tricky 'cause we're judging a basket. 316 00:14:30,667 --> 00:14:32,700 -I'd like to see the basket. -[Nick] Yeah, yep. 317 00:14:32,700 --> 00:14:34,900 I'll be honest, when I saw the fish sticks on there, I'm like, 318 00:14:34,900 --> 00:14:36,967 "Ah, just did the fish sticks and fried 'em, 319 00:14:36,967 --> 00:14:39,467 and just stuck it on the side of the plate." 320 00:14:39,467 --> 00:14:41,367 But I'm not mad at the fish sticks at all, 321 00:14:41,367 --> 00:14:43,767 because you left it together it's still pretty crispy. 322 00:14:43,767 --> 00:14:46,667 But the leeks got a little bit too brown. 323 00:14:46,667 --> 00:14:50,100 It kind of takes over a little bit of everything on the plate. 324 00:14:50,100 --> 00:14:52,667 -Yeah, thank you. -And finally, chef Jon. 325 00:14:52,667 --> 00:14:55,867 So, today you've got a crispy fish stick cake 326 00:14:55,867 --> 00:14:59,200 with a pig lip and finger chile agrodolce 327 00:14:59,200 --> 00:15:01,033 and some crispy leeks. 328 00:15:04,300 --> 00:15:08,567 I love the sauce with the pig lips and the chiles, is really nicely balanced, 329 00:15:08,567 --> 00:15:11,100 and it's going really well with the fish cake, 330 00:15:11,100 --> 00:15:13,367 which was a great idea. All credit to you 331 00:15:13,367 --> 00:15:15,667 to re-transform an ingredient and do something like this. 332 00:15:15,667 --> 00:15:18,066 But it needs a little something else 333 00:15:18,066 --> 00:15:19,867 'cause it's a very, it's heavy on the bread side. 334 00:15:19,867 --> 00:15:23,000 -Mmm-hmm. -The fish cake needed some relief. 335 00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:26,367 It is very bready and somewhat dry. 336 00:15:26,367 --> 00:15:29,567 And so part of the reason we keep going back to that sauce 337 00:15:29,567 --> 00:15:31,867 is because it's absolutely needed. 338 00:15:31,867 --> 00:15:35,567 But I really, really enjoy the fried leeks. 339 00:15:35,567 --> 00:15:37,066 [Daniela] I love your presentation. 340 00:15:37,066 --> 00:15:41,166 I love how you cut long ways the pig lips, 341 00:15:41,166 --> 00:15:44,166 because they match with your cut of the leeks, 342 00:15:44,166 --> 00:15:45,900 that were all so fabulous. 343 00:15:45,900 --> 00:15:47,567 It's beautiful. Thank you. 344 00:15:47,567 --> 00:15:48,967 Thank you. 345 00:15:50,166 --> 00:15:53,200 [Nick] I could have utilized the ingredients a little bit more, 346 00:15:53,200 --> 00:15:55,400 but I think all in all, it was a good bite of food. 347 00:15:55,400 --> 00:15:57,200 So, I think it's enough to get me to the next round. 348 00:15:57,200 --> 00:15:59,467 [Andres] I wish those fish sticks were crispier. 349 00:15:59,467 --> 00:16:01,100 I think it's between me and Nick, 350 00:16:01,100 --> 00:16:03,967 but I'm excited to go see who's chopped, man, let's do this! 351 00:16:07,400 --> 00:16:09,266 [Ted] Whose dish is on the chopping block? 352 00:16:13,166 --> 00:16:16,600 Chef Andres, you've been chopped. Judges? 353 00:16:16,600 --> 00:16:20,367 Chef Andres, we felt like the leeks were really the star on the plate, 354 00:16:20,367 --> 00:16:22,867 and the other three ingredients took a backseat. 355 00:16:22,867 --> 00:16:26,900 And also the fish sticks didn't add a crunch element to the dish. 356 00:16:26,900 --> 00:16:28,867 And so we had to chop you. 357 00:16:28,867 --> 00:16:30,166 I understand. Thank you, chefs. 358 00:16:30,166 --> 00:16:33,100 Am I disappointed? Yeah, of course. 359 00:16:33,100 --> 00:16:35,367 But I have loved the experience. 360 00:16:35,367 --> 00:16:37,700 I would do it again 100 times. 361 00:16:37,700 --> 00:16:40,166 You don't lose. You win or you learn. 362 00:16:40,166 --> 00:16:43,667 Chef Duyen, chef Nick, chef Jon, 363 00:16:43,667 --> 00:16:45,266 let's see what you got. 364 00:16:47,667 --> 00:16:49,100 Oh, hell yeah. 365 00:16:49,100 --> 00:16:51,100 [Ted] And you're looking at pork tenderloin. 366 00:16:51,100 --> 00:16:53,367 Pork tenderloin, all right. That's something I can work with. 367 00:16:53,367 --> 00:16:56,133 -[Ted] Brussels sprouts. -[Jon] Brussels sprouts. 368 00:16:57,166 --> 00:16:58,600 What is this? 369 00:16:58,600 --> 00:17:00,900 [Ted] A vegetable goat cheese log. 370 00:17:00,900 --> 00:17:02,900 Really beautiful. 371 00:17:02,900 --> 00:17:04,867 Oh, messed up this time. 372 00:17:04,867 --> 00:17:06,567 [Ted] And cola. 373 00:17:06,567 --> 00:17:10,767 [Duyen] I don't even think I've drank cola in the last twenty years. 374 00:17:11,767 --> 00:17:15,467 This is a 30-minute round, and the clock starts now. 375 00:17:15,467 --> 00:17:17,166 -[scattered cheering] Whoo! -[Tiffany] Let's go. 376 00:17:17,166 --> 00:17:18,867 [Daniela] Let's go. 377 00:17:21,367 --> 00:17:23,734 -Coming through. You're good. -Real sorry. 378 00:17:27,600 --> 00:17:29,166 [laughing] 379 00:17:29,166 --> 00:17:30,867 Why you throwing stuff, Jon? 380 00:17:30,867 --> 00:17:34,467 [Ted] Judges, Brussels sprouts have come a long way. 381 00:17:34,467 --> 00:17:37,600 When some of us were kids, nobody knew how to cook them properly. 382 00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:39,567 Several years ago, they've had a renaissance, 383 00:17:39,567 --> 00:17:41,367 and they're still going strong. 384 00:17:41,367 --> 00:17:43,367 [Daniela] You know, you can shave them super thin. 385 00:17:43,367 --> 00:17:44,867 You can crisp them up. 386 00:17:44,867 --> 00:17:47,333 You can even stuff the little pockets. 387 00:17:48,867 --> 00:17:51,467 [Nick] Let's get some color on the plate. 388 00:17:51,467 --> 00:17:54,166 I love cooking with fresh seasonal ingredients. 389 00:17:54,166 --> 00:17:56,500 I'm using the Brussels sprouts to make a caponata. 390 00:17:56,500 --> 00:17:58,867 A traditional vegetable caponata is vegetables 391 00:17:58,867 --> 00:18:01,400 cooked down low and slow with some tomato. 392 00:18:01,400 --> 00:18:03,667 I'm making roasted pork tenderloin, 393 00:18:03,667 --> 00:18:05,767 a Brussels sprout vegetable caponata, 394 00:18:05,767 --> 00:18:08,700 herb goat cheese cream, and a cola glaze on top. 395 00:18:08,700 --> 00:18:10,467 In the second round, I'm definitely gonna let 396 00:18:10,467 --> 00:18:12,900 the basket ingredients try to shine a little bit more. 397 00:18:12,900 --> 00:18:14,667 The pork is definitely gonna be the star of this plate. 398 00:18:14,667 --> 00:18:16,967 And I'm just seasoning it basic with salt and pepper. 399 00:18:16,967 --> 00:18:19,066 And then I'm just gonna get a good sear all the way around 400 00:18:19,066 --> 00:18:20,967 and then finish this off in the oven. 401 00:18:27,600 --> 00:18:30,066 Chef Duyen, what are you doing? Tell us. 402 00:18:30,066 --> 00:18:33,266 I'm gonna make some Vietnamese pork patties. 403 00:18:33,266 --> 00:18:36,700 And I'm gonna add some of that Brussels sprouts into my mixture. 404 00:18:36,700 --> 00:18:40,100 -And then I'm gonna do a curry. -Okay. 405 00:18:40,100 --> 00:18:43,667 [Duyen] What's inspiring this dish is Vietnamese street food. 406 00:18:43,667 --> 00:18:46,900 Pork patties are often seen for lunch. 407 00:18:46,900 --> 00:18:49,667 So, I wanna make sure that I'm really highlighting 408 00:18:49,667 --> 00:18:51,400 a little piece of my heritage. 409 00:18:51,400 --> 00:18:53,400 And I want some nice color on these. 410 00:18:53,400 --> 00:18:56,300 [Marc] In the first round, I was impressed by Duyen. 411 00:18:56,300 --> 00:18:58,667 The creativity with that first basket. 412 00:18:58,667 --> 00:19:01,367 And I love that Duyen is sticking to her Vietnamese roots. 413 00:19:01,367 --> 00:19:04,200 -[Daniela] Totally. -[Jon] Down the line. Down the line. 414 00:19:04,200 --> 00:19:06,066 After hearing the judges critiques, 415 00:19:06,066 --> 00:19:08,400 I am starting to eyeball chef Duyen. 416 00:19:08,400 --> 00:19:11,567 -Breadcrumbs... -Second shelf, left side. 417 00:19:11,567 --> 00:19:14,467 But like, I've wanted to be on Chopped since I was 18. 418 00:19:14,467 --> 00:19:17,100 And for a chef, Chopped is kind of like our NBA Draft, 419 00:19:17,100 --> 00:19:19,233 and I will not squander this opportunity. 420 00:19:20,066 --> 00:19:21,967 I'm making crispy pork medallions 421 00:19:21,967 --> 00:19:24,767 with Brussels sprout hash, cola glaze, 422 00:19:24,767 --> 00:19:27,333 and garlic herb goat cheese butter. 423 00:19:28,166 --> 00:19:29,767 Brussels sprouts love a little fat, 424 00:19:29,767 --> 00:19:32,300 so that pancetta should work out really well. 425 00:19:32,300 --> 00:19:36,066 Chef Jon, what are you doing with the cola? 426 00:19:36,066 --> 00:19:39,467 Um, the cola and the Brussels sprouts are gonna have themselves 427 00:19:39,467 --> 00:19:41,900 a nice relationship and turn into barbecue Brussels sprouts. 428 00:19:41,900 --> 00:19:45,166 -Beautiful. -[Marc] I've never actually cooked with cola. 429 00:19:45,166 --> 00:19:47,066 It's sweet. You can reduce it down. 430 00:19:47,066 --> 00:19:49,867 -I'd rather just use real sugar, but it's in the basket. -Right. 431 00:19:49,867 --> 00:19:51,100 -They gotta use it. -It was in the basket. 432 00:19:51,100 --> 00:19:53,533 Chefs, 15 minutes on the clock. 433 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:04,066 Yeah, this clock is moving super-fast. 434 00:20:04,066 --> 00:20:07,166 Normally, my curries take two days to make, 435 00:20:07,166 --> 00:20:10,967 so I'm trying to fit a two-day curry into 15 minutes. 436 00:20:10,967 --> 00:20:13,533 But I am not afraid to go after what I want. 437 00:20:14,667 --> 00:20:18,066 I attribute the strong work ethic from my parents. 438 00:20:18,066 --> 00:20:21,066 When we came from Vietnam to the U.S., 439 00:20:21,066 --> 00:20:23,166 they had sacrificed everything 440 00:20:23,166 --> 00:20:25,400 just so that I can live my dream. 441 00:20:25,400 --> 00:20:28,266 So a win for one person is a win for all of us. 442 00:20:28,266 --> 00:20:31,500 In my curry, I have coconut milk, 443 00:20:31,500 --> 00:20:34,066 red curry paste, curry powder, and turmeric. 444 00:20:34,066 --> 00:20:36,667 For the aromatics, I'm using lemongrass. 445 00:20:36,667 --> 00:20:37,667 Boom. 446 00:20:37,667 --> 00:20:41,567 And I'm hoping the goat cheese adds a nice tang. 447 00:20:41,567 --> 00:20:45,166 And then I'm using the cola to add that sweetness element. 448 00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:49,867 I'm actually gonna add more goat cheese. 449 00:20:49,867 --> 00:20:52,600 In the basket is a vegetable goat cheese log, 450 00:20:52,600 --> 00:20:54,266 and really, it's just goat cheese. 451 00:20:54,266 --> 00:20:56,800 But, you know, having it with the right ingredient, 452 00:20:56,800 --> 00:20:59,300 being able to just give it that salt, 453 00:20:59,300 --> 00:21:02,734 give it that tang to something would be really nice. 454 00:21:04,400 --> 00:21:05,900 [Nick] I think the goat cheese is gonna be 455 00:21:05,900 --> 00:21:07,500 a nice little sauce for the bottom of the plate. 456 00:21:07,500 --> 00:21:09,900 And to form my goat cheese cream, 457 00:21:09,900 --> 00:21:11,767 as soon as I remove it from the blender, 458 00:21:11,767 --> 00:21:15,066 I add in some scallion, tarragon and parsley. 459 00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:18,467 I have four amazing kids. 460 00:21:18,467 --> 00:21:20,100 My fifth child is definitely my restaurant. 461 00:21:20,100 --> 00:21:22,266 Winning the $10,000 would definitely allow me 462 00:21:22,266 --> 00:21:23,767 the opportunity to step away from the restaurant. 463 00:21:23,767 --> 00:21:25,600 Just spend some quality family time. 464 00:21:25,600 --> 00:21:28,300 It feels like I spend more time there than at my actual house. 465 00:21:28,300 --> 00:21:31,567 -All righty, what's next? -[sizzling] 466 00:21:32,600 --> 00:21:34,367 [Jon] I'm going to use this goat cheese log to make 467 00:21:34,367 --> 00:21:36,667 herbed garlic goat cheese butter. 468 00:21:36,667 --> 00:21:40,100 I add in chives, parsley and rosemary. 469 00:21:40,100 --> 00:21:42,100 The tenderloin is a very lean protein, 470 00:21:42,100 --> 00:21:45,166 so this will add a little fat to a dish where it's needed. 471 00:21:45,166 --> 00:21:48,567 -Are you cooking it yet? -Uh, no. That's the next thing. 472 00:21:48,567 --> 00:21:51,767 Pork tenderloin's pretty quick. I don't want to overcook it. 473 00:21:51,767 --> 00:21:55,400 My plan with this pork tenderloin is to get it nice and crispy on the outside 474 00:21:55,400 --> 00:21:59,834 and if I pound it out to an even piece, it should cook quickly and evenly. 475 00:22:08,467 --> 00:22:11,033 Jon is legitimately bare knuckling his pork. 476 00:22:12,767 --> 00:22:13,967 [Jon] I'm good. Appreciate it. 477 00:22:14,200 --> 00:22:15,667 [chuckles] 478 00:22:15,667 --> 00:22:17,100 He doesn't need a mallet. 479 00:22:17,100 --> 00:22:20,166 -He's using his fists. -He doesn't need a mallet. He doesn't need a mallet. 480 00:22:20,166 --> 00:22:22,667 "This is what I'm doing to my competition." 481 00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:25,667 [Jon] There's no point in wasting 30 seconds 482 00:22:25,667 --> 00:22:27,367 running into the pantry for a mallet, 483 00:22:27,367 --> 00:22:29,867 when you got these. 484 00:22:29,867 --> 00:22:32,467 I still want to season my pork with barbecue flavors, 485 00:22:32,467 --> 00:22:37,767 so I grab garlic, onion, ancho paprika and drop them in the fryer. 486 00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:41,634 Five minutes to go, chefs. 487 00:22:43,700 --> 00:22:46,133 [Duyen] Time is going fast. 488 00:22:53,066 --> 00:22:56,767 [Nick] So for the cola glaze, I'm gonna use that cola to deglaze the pan. 489 00:22:59,100 --> 00:23:00,800 And then I'm gonna add some of the demi-glace, 490 00:23:00,800 --> 00:23:03,300 a little butter, and then add a little bit of red wine vinegar 491 00:23:03,300 --> 00:23:04,700 to kind of brighten the whole thing up. 492 00:23:04,700 --> 00:23:06,300 That's pretty good. 493 00:23:06,300 --> 00:23:10,133 The medallions are looking golden brown and delicious. I'm ready to plate. 494 00:23:16,967 --> 00:23:19,734 Behind, Duyen. Three minutes. 495 00:23:21,100 --> 00:23:23,500 [Duyen] I want to add a nice textural element. 496 00:23:23,500 --> 00:23:27,667 I'm going to take off some of the petals of the brussels sprouts 497 00:23:27,667 --> 00:23:29,767 and then drop them in the deep fryer. 498 00:23:31,100 --> 00:23:32,300 Behind. 499 00:23:34,700 --> 00:23:38,066 -[Ted] 30 minutes never went by so fast, chefs. -Ugh. 500 00:23:39,867 --> 00:23:45,900 [Ted] Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, 501 00:23:45,900 --> 00:23:50,066 four, three, two, one... 502 00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:52,066 Time's up. 503 00:23:56,000 --> 00:23:57,233 [Duyen] Oh, man. 504 00:23:58,066 --> 00:23:59,634 -There you go. -[Duyen sighs in relief] 505 00:24:01,100 --> 00:24:04,000 It's hot. It's hot in this kitchen, but I feel good. 506 00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:05,600 My competition came to bring the fire today, 507 00:24:05,600 --> 00:24:07,166 and they're not gonna make this easy. 508 00:24:07,166 --> 00:24:10,000 To my competitors, I think, I mean, looking at their plates right now, 509 00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:12,266 they look absolutely beautiful, 510 00:24:12,266 --> 00:24:15,967 but it's not intimidating because I'm very confident in the flavors I can bring. 511 00:24:20,867 --> 00:24:25,066 Chefs, you created main dishes from a vegetable goat cheese log, 512 00:24:25,066 --> 00:24:28,867 brussels sprouts, pork tenderloin and cola. 513 00:24:28,867 --> 00:24:31,867 Start with you, Chef Jon, please tell us about your main course. 514 00:24:31,867 --> 00:24:38,100 [Jon] So I have a crispy pork tenderloin medallion over a brussels sprout hash. 515 00:24:38,100 --> 00:24:42,066 Cola barbecue glaze and then a herbed goat cheese butter. 516 00:24:45,767 --> 00:24:48,100 I loved your presentation. It was so pretty. 517 00:24:48,100 --> 00:24:52,967 I felt like it was kind of like a biscuits and gravy type of situation. 518 00:24:52,967 --> 00:24:56,166 I loved what you did with the brussels sprouts. 519 00:24:56,166 --> 00:24:58,967 -And you kept deglazing with cola, right? -Mmm-hmm. 520 00:24:58,967 --> 00:25:03,467 It worked so good with the herbed butter. I love that combination. 521 00:25:03,467 --> 00:25:05,900 But for me, it was, uh, down to, 522 00:25:05,900 --> 00:25:08,567 like, the pork, you know, it was a little dry. 523 00:25:08,567 --> 00:25:11,266 I... I saw you pounding the pork over there and, uh... 524 00:25:11,266 --> 00:25:13,967 I almost feel like I maybe would have rather had a thicker piece, 525 00:25:13,967 --> 00:25:17,100 so it would have stayed a little bit more moist. But it all works together. 526 00:25:17,100 --> 00:25:18,800 But separately, this is a little heavy. 527 00:25:18,800 --> 00:25:21,100 This is a little dry, and this is a little too fatty, 528 00:25:21,100 --> 00:25:22,567 but once you put it all together, 529 00:25:22,567 --> 00:25:25,100 -it's... it's actually a great bite. -Thank you. 530 00:25:25,100 --> 00:25:27,800 [Tiffany] The goat cheese where, you know, there's lots of herbs, 531 00:25:27,800 --> 00:25:30,867 you needed the brightness on the plate with everything else. 532 00:25:30,867 --> 00:25:32,467 I do feel like the pork is a little dry, 533 00:25:32,467 --> 00:25:34,367 but I think you have a really delicious 534 00:25:34,367 --> 00:25:36,300 -plate of food together. -Thank you. 535 00:25:36,300 --> 00:25:37,967 Next up, Chef Duyen. 536 00:25:37,967 --> 00:25:41,500 Chefs, what you have in front of you are Vietnamese pork patties 537 00:25:41,500 --> 00:25:45,166 with a cola-coconut curry, and rice noodles. 538 00:25:48,500 --> 00:25:51,900 [Ted] There's $10,000 at the end of the rainbow for one lucky competitor. 539 00:25:51,900 --> 00:25:53,266 What would you do? 540 00:25:53,266 --> 00:25:55,400 I would reinvest it into my business. 541 00:25:55,400 --> 00:25:57,467 Uh, my pop-up series called Duyen's Friends. 542 00:25:57,467 --> 00:26:00,500 Um, it wasn't meant to be a global pop-up series, 543 00:26:00,500 --> 00:26:04,467 but I've just had people from all over the US and Europe as me to pop up, 544 00:26:04,467 --> 00:26:07,200 and so I would use it to travel 545 00:26:07,200 --> 00:26:10,567 and pop up in new cities and hopefully, also Asia. 546 00:26:10,567 --> 00:26:16,367 So Duyen, the curry itself, is rich and creamy. 547 00:26:16,367 --> 00:26:19,200 Um, you definitely get the sweetness with the cola. 548 00:26:19,200 --> 00:26:23,500 The pork patty itself has just like lots of flavor. 549 00:26:23,500 --> 00:26:27,867 But the one thing that I am craving here is more herb. 550 00:26:27,867 --> 00:26:31,367 I will have to agree with you, Chef. Just more herbs. 551 00:26:31,367 --> 00:26:35,000 I love the use of your brussels sprout in there. 552 00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:38,767 That was really brilliant, and pork and fish sauce are best friends... 553 00:26:38,767 --> 00:26:40,500 -Yeah, definitely -...you know, once you 554 00:26:40,500 --> 00:26:42,567 caramelize them and cook them together, 555 00:26:42,567 --> 00:26:44,567 it's just, like, the secret sauce. 556 00:26:44,567 --> 00:26:46,166 [Marc] You know, more herbs would have been great, 557 00:26:46,166 --> 00:26:49,133 but I would have loved a lot more of those brussels sprouts on here fried. 558 00:26:49,600 --> 00:26:51,200 For me, the brussels sprouts 559 00:26:51,200 --> 00:26:53,800 really just brought in a whole other dimension to the palate 560 00:26:53,800 --> 00:26:55,967 while you were eating it all together, that it was really good. 561 00:26:55,967 --> 00:26:57,400 I got two or three, which was great. 562 00:26:57,400 --> 00:26:58,667 -I would have liked to have more of those. -Yeah. 563 00:26:58,667 --> 00:27:01,567 -But again, another good dish. -Thank you. 564 00:27:01,567 --> 00:27:03,000 [Ted] Finally, Chef Nick. 565 00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:05,767 [Nick] So what you have in front of you is a roasted pork tenderloin, 566 00:27:05,767 --> 00:27:08,600 brussels sprout and vegetable caponata underneath that, 567 00:27:08,600 --> 00:27:12,567 and then there's a herb goat cheese cream and then a cola glaze on top. 568 00:27:15,266 --> 00:27:16,600 [Marc] You've done a great job here. 569 00:27:16,600 --> 00:27:18,867 I think it was a good idea to use the brussels sprouts in this manner 570 00:27:18,867 --> 00:27:22,000 and like trying to weave them into your vegetable medley at the bottom. 571 00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:23,900 But I'm having a hard time with the cola. 572 00:27:23,900 --> 00:27:27,266 If you had gone with the caponata and used the cola in that, 573 00:27:27,266 --> 00:27:29,100 I think that could have helped in the usage. 574 00:27:29,100 --> 00:27:32,467 But, god dog it, you know how to cook a piece of pork tenderloin. 575 00:27:32,467 --> 00:27:34,767 It's beautiful, a little pink in the center. 576 00:27:34,767 --> 00:27:36,600 Um, it is extremely tasty. 577 00:27:36,600 --> 00:27:37,967 And I really like the goat cheese. 578 00:27:37,967 --> 00:27:40,000 I like the tartness it brings to the plate. 579 00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:43,567 The pork, mine was, uh, overcooked, 580 00:27:43,567 --> 00:27:46,667 but... but I see the other chefs', uh, wasn't, 581 00:27:46,667 --> 00:27:49,867 so maybe it was just I got probably the ends... 582 00:27:49,867 --> 00:27:51,600 -Yeah. -...of the tenderloin, um... 583 00:27:51,600 --> 00:27:54,367 Actually, the cola glaze is pretty nice. 584 00:27:54,367 --> 00:27:57,066 But then it was mixed with the goat cheese, 585 00:27:57,066 --> 00:27:59,300 and I don't know if that worked very well for me. 586 00:27:59,300 --> 00:28:03,133 -But overall, the dish looked, uh, really pretty. -Thank you. 587 00:28:05,567 --> 00:28:07,100 The pork might have been a little dry, 588 00:28:07,100 --> 00:28:11,266 but I'm hoping the judges appreciate the flavors I put on the plate. 589 00:28:11,266 --> 00:28:15,667 The level of competition is a lot higher than I expected it to be. 590 00:28:15,667 --> 00:28:17,166 Everybody is breaking the thunder, 591 00:28:17,166 --> 00:28:20,200 so it's like you want to feel safe and you can't. 592 00:28:20,200 --> 00:28:21,667 [Nick] Jon might be on the chopping block. 593 00:28:21,667 --> 00:28:23,967 You know, the judges said his pork was a little overcooked. 594 00:28:23,967 --> 00:28:25,166 I thought I cooked my pork beautifully. 595 00:28:25,166 --> 00:28:26,700 I thought my sauces were nice. 596 00:28:26,700 --> 00:28:28,533 I would definitely say it's a tight competition. 597 00:28:31,100 --> 00:28:33,533 So, whose dish is on the chopping block? 598 00:28:41,166 --> 00:28:44,600 [mouthing] Oh, my God. 599 00:28:44,600 --> 00:28:47,400 Chef Nick, you've been chopped. Judges? 600 00:28:47,400 --> 00:28:51,367 Chef Nick, your pork tenderloin was inconsistently cooked. 601 00:28:51,367 --> 00:28:54,800 Uh, the goat cheese and the cola sauce just clashed together. 602 00:28:54,800 --> 00:28:56,767 And so we had to chop you. 603 00:28:56,767 --> 00:28:58,200 Hey, thank you guys so very much. 604 00:28:58,200 --> 00:29:00,300 You guys, good luck. 605 00:29:00,300 --> 00:29:02,467 -Best of luck to you, Chef. -[Nick] Thank you. Thank you. 606 00:29:02,467 --> 00:29:05,867 I'm like, second guessing every single thing I did on that plate, 607 00:29:05,867 --> 00:29:07,233 but you can't go back in time. 608 00:29:07,233 --> 00:29:09,233 At the end of the day, my kids will definitely still be proud of me. 609 00:29:14,266 --> 00:29:17,934 Chef Duyen. Chef Jon. Dessert baskets are ready for you. 610 00:29:21,000 --> 00:29:22,033 And open them up. 611 00:29:23,967 --> 00:29:25,667 [both exclaim] 612 00:29:25,667 --> 00:29:28,700 [Ted] And you've got salted egg yolk paste. 613 00:29:28,700 --> 00:29:30,800 What is salted egg yolk paste? 614 00:29:30,800 --> 00:29:32,567 [Ted] A pink pineapple. 615 00:29:32,567 --> 00:29:34,066 I'm feeling this pineapple. 616 00:29:34,667 --> 00:29:35,867 [Ted] Wafer sheets. 617 00:29:35,867 --> 00:29:38,266 -Wafer sheets? -[Duyen] Wafer sheets? 618 00:29:38,266 --> 00:29:40,400 [Ted] And finally, spice drops. 619 00:29:40,400 --> 00:29:42,567 [Jon] Did you find these in my grandmother's purse or something? 620 00:29:42,567 --> 00:29:43,667 This is like church candy. 621 00:29:43,667 --> 00:29:45,667 This is... This is not for cooking. 622 00:29:47,567 --> 00:29:49,567 Uh, a candy. 623 00:29:49,567 --> 00:29:51,900 What am I gonna do with a candy? 624 00:29:51,900 --> 00:29:53,634 [Ted] 30 minutes for your final round. 625 00:29:56,300 --> 00:29:58,533 -Clock starts now. -Whoo! 626 00:30:06,266 --> 00:30:10,266 Judges, candy, fruit, crispy wafers? Okay, smooth sailing. 627 00:30:10,266 --> 00:30:13,000 And then we have this salted egg yolk paste. 628 00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:14,100 Trouble? 629 00:30:14,100 --> 00:30:16,000 -I... I don't think that's the trouble. -[Daniela] No. 630 00:30:16,000 --> 00:30:17,166 No, that's not the trouble. 631 00:30:17,166 --> 00:30:19,600 -[Ted] That's not the trouble? -No. No, no. 632 00:30:19,600 --> 00:30:21,867 I don't think you've ever had the spice drop. 633 00:30:21,867 --> 00:30:24,600 Normally, when we talk about candy, we say, "Let's just pick one." 634 00:30:24,600 --> 00:30:27,567 And you know, if it's red, it's probably strawberry or cherry. 635 00:30:27,567 --> 00:30:30,567 But that's not the case here. The green one is made... It's spearmint. 636 00:30:30,567 --> 00:30:33,300 -It's like your toothpaste in the morning. -[Ted] Ooh. 637 00:30:33,300 --> 00:30:35,000 [Marc] If they can get past these spice drops, 638 00:30:35,000 --> 00:30:36,967 they've got this salted egg yolk paste. 639 00:30:36,967 --> 00:30:40,567 It's not salty but it's savory. It's super grainy. 640 00:30:40,567 --> 00:30:43,367 Maybe it can be a topping, like with butter and sugar 641 00:30:43,367 --> 00:30:45,600 and the egg yolks with the wafers. 642 00:30:45,600 --> 00:30:48,367 And you, you could maybe try to make a custard of some sort. 643 00:30:50,166 --> 00:30:53,100 [Jon] So the clock is ticking and I'm trying to figure out 644 00:30:53,100 --> 00:30:55,100 which direction I want to go in. 645 00:30:55,100 --> 00:30:57,567 I look at these wafers, and I'm just like, 646 00:30:57,567 --> 00:31:01,100 " All right, we're gonna try to do kind of like a play on the Napoleon." 647 00:31:01,100 --> 00:31:05,367 I'm making a not-Napoleon with spice drop and rum, 648 00:31:05,367 --> 00:31:08,867 caramelized pink pineapple and citrus salted egg yolk crema. 649 00:31:09,400 --> 00:31:10,567 That's not a Napoleon. 650 00:31:10,567 --> 00:31:13,367 Because I've learned to not commit to certain terms 651 00:31:13,367 --> 00:31:16,500 because then they judge you based off of that. 652 00:31:16,500 --> 00:31:19,867 For my citrus crema I start whipping heavy cream, 653 00:31:19,867 --> 00:31:21,867 orange zest, lemon zest, lime zest, 654 00:31:21,867 --> 00:31:24,667 a little bit of vanilla and the superfine sugar, 655 00:31:24,667 --> 00:31:26,100 and I'm like, "This is the perfect place 656 00:31:26,100 --> 00:31:28,367 to hide the salted egg yolk paste 657 00:31:28,367 --> 00:31:30,367 to kind of balance out that sweetness." 658 00:31:32,266 --> 00:31:35,867 The spice drops taste like sweetened cough medicine. 659 00:31:35,867 --> 00:31:38,200 So I'm going to melt them into simple syrup, 660 00:31:38,200 --> 00:31:40,767 and then I'm working with the wafer sheets. 661 00:31:40,767 --> 00:31:43,133 Pop them in the oven. Make it a little toasty. 662 00:31:45,900 --> 00:31:48,166 [Ted] We've had a bunch of really competent cooks today, 663 00:31:48,166 --> 00:31:49,967 and I feel like these two chefs... 664 00:31:49,967 --> 00:31:52,600 I feel really confident about both of them. 665 00:31:52,600 --> 00:31:54,767 [Tiffany] I mean, they have been definitely 666 00:31:54,767 --> 00:31:56,900 fighting and fighting to be on the top. 667 00:31:56,900 --> 00:31:58,900 And right now we're going to see. 668 00:31:58,900 --> 00:32:02,233 [Duyen] I know that Jon has been putting out some great dishes. 669 00:32:03,767 --> 00:32:05,767 But I'm going to remain focused 670 00:32:05,767 --> 00:32:08,567 and make sure that I bring home this $10,000. 671 00:32:09,567 --> 00:32:12,467 I'm making a salted egg yolk mousse 672 00:32:12,467 --> 00:32:16,533 with a pineapple compote and a pistachio wafer crumble. 673 00:32:18,266 --> 00:32:20,900 Duyen, how you feeling over there? What's going on? 674 00:32:20,900 --> 00:32:23,567 I'm making a salted egg yolk mousse. 675 00:32:23,567 --> 00:32:29,100 So I'm gonna put it in the ISI and then my ramekins are in the blast chiller, 676 00:32:29,100 --> 00:32:30,867 so hopefully it'll be done in time. 677 00:32:30,867 --> 00:32:32,867 I need to make my mousse right away 678 00:32:32,867 --> 00:32:35,433 because I know that it needs some time to set. 679 00:32:39,767 --> 00:32:44,000 I'm hoping the blast chiller will get my mousse cold quickly 680 00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:46,367 and that my gelatin is going to set. 681 00:32:46,367 --> 00:32:47,767 [softly] All right. 682 00:32:49,500 --> 00:32:51,166 The crispy wafers are really like an ingredient 683 00:32:51,166 --> 00:32:53,000 that should go on the inside of a candy bar 684 00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:56,367 with a lot of chocolate on the outside to make it taste like something. 685 00:32:56,367 --> 00:32:57,967 Which they could do, I suppose. 686 00:32:57,967 --> 00:32:59,567 You're only using it for crunch. 687 00:32:59,567 --> 00:33:02,300 You're not using that for flavor. It has zero flavor. 688 00:33:02,300 --> 00:33:03,467 [Marc] If you wanted to do a layered thing 689 00:33:03,467 --> 00:33:06,767 and probably put like a pastry cream in there or something. 690 00:33:06,767 --> 00:33:10,567 [Duyen] I'm using the wafer sheets and I add pistachios, butter, 691 00:33:10,567 --> 00:33:15,333 flour and sugar to make a crumble to add texture to my dish. 692 00:33:16,767 --> 00:33:18,834 Chefs, 15 minutes on the clock. 693 00:33:22,467 --> 00:33:24,100 [Tiffany] Well, thankfully, they have the pink pineapple. 694 00:33:24,100 --> 00:33:29,266 This particular pineapple, it's been basically molecularly modified. 695 00:33:29,266 --> 00:33:33,300 So instead of it being so astringent, that flavor on the pineapple 696 00:33:33,300 --> 00:33:35,300 that can numb your mouth a little bit... 697 00:33:35,300 --> 00:33:38,467 -Enzymes, right? -...um, that is actually what's taken out. 698 00:33:38,467 --> 00:33:43,367 And so you're... you just get, like, really sweet, juicy pineapple. 699 00:33:43,367 --> 00:33:45,867 If you cook down that pineapple and you put dairy in it, 700 00:33:45,867 --> 00:33:49,767 you can make like a really, really beautiful mousse or butter. 701 00:33:49,767 --> 00:33:51,600 [Duyen] For the pink pineapple compote 702 00:33:51,600 --> 00:33:54,300 I'm reducing it with the spice drops. 703 00:33:54,300 --> 00:33:59,767 I'm hoping to just infuse the flavor of the spice drops without overpowering. 704 00:33:59,767 --> 00:34:03,367 [whispers] Fires, lime juice, grab some mint. 705 00:34:04,867 --> 00:34:08,300 I initially learned to cook watching my mom and my grand mom in the kitchen. 706 00:34:08,300 --> 00:34:11,567 My grandmother ran the food bank at her church. 707 00:34:11,567 --> 00:34:13,567 And then my mom ran a catering business, 708 00:34:13,567 --> 00:34:15,934 and food is my gift to share it with people. 709 00:34:19,767 --> 00:34:21,133 [Duyen] Nope, it's not gonna work. 710 00:34:22,266 --> 00:34:24,567 I check on my mousse in the blast chiller, 711 00:34:24,567 --> 00:34:27,333 and it's still not set and it's starting to deflate. 712 00:34:28,100 --> 00:34:29,533 Five minutes to go, Chefs. 713 00:34:35,400 --> 00:34:37,367 [Duyen] If this mousse doesn't set, 714 00:34:37,367 --> 00:34:40,600 I will be giving the judges a soup. 715 00:34:40,600 --> 00:34:44,834 I know I need to pivot, and I am panicking. 716 00:34:48,467 --> 00:34:49,767 [Duyen] Behind. 717 00:34:49,767 --> 00:34:51,867 This mousse has the salted egg yolk, 718 00:34:51,867 --> 00:34:53,834 and I need to make it onto the plate. 719 00:34:55,767 --> 00:34:58,834 I think the problem may be the blast chiller, 720 00:34:58,834 --> 00:35:03,333 so I take more of the mousse base and put it into the regular freezer. 721 00:35:03,333 --> 00:35:05,734 Just in case plan B doesn't work out, 722 00:35:05,734 --> 00:35:08,266 I'm already working on plan C. 723 00:35:08,266 --> 00:35:12,400 It looks like Duyen is now making her mousse for the third time. 724 00:35:12,400 --> 00:35:15,367 [Duyen] I grab some mascarpone and heavy cream 725 00:35:15,367 --> 00:35:19,767 and I add some salted egg yolk paste and I start whipping it. 726 00:35:19,767 --> 00:35:23,734 If the moose doesn't set, I'm going to use this as the base of my dessert. 727 00:35:29,100 --> 00:35:31,166 [Jon] So I have these beautiful pink pineapples. 728 00:35:31,166 --> 00:35:35,000 I pour that simple syrup I made from the spice drops right on top. 729 00:35:35,000 --> 00:35:37,333 Toss it with a little mint. Add a little rum. 730 00:35:37,333 --> 00:35:39,400 Now I just need to let all of that liquid cook down 731 00:35:39,400 --> 00:35:42,233 and kind of glaze those pineapples, and it'll be where I need it to be. 732 00:35:44,100 --> 00:35:47,567 Less than three and a half minutes to $10,000. 733 00:35:47,567 --> 00:35:49,000 Let's go. 734 00:35:55,934 --> 00:35:58,400 [Marc] Look at Jon, he's suspending his... 735 00:35:58,400 --> 00:36:01,667 his wafer on top of little dollops of whipped cream or something. 736 00:36:01,667 --> 00:36:04,800 [Tiffany] Oh, God, "suspending". Wow. 737 00:36:09,367 --> 00:36:12,433 [Duyen] I go to start plating the second mousse... 738 00:36:13,767 --> 00:36:15,000 Nope, it's not gonna work. 739 00:36:15,000 --> 00:36:16,533 ...and it's still not set. 740 00:36:17,066 --> 00:36:18,967 [sighs] Chef! 741 00:36:18,967 --> 00:36:21,667 [Duyen] I have to go with the mousse number three. 742 00:36:21,667 --> 00:36:23,266 This is not going my way, 743 00:36:23,266 --> 00:36:27,567 but my family, they have sacrificed so much for me to even be here, 744 00:36:27,567 --> 00:36:31,033 I will not give up until my dessert is on that plate. 745 00:36:32,767 --> 00:36:34,467 -[Ted] 15 seconds. -[Tiffany] 15 seconds. 746 00:36:34,467 --> 00:36:35,734 Go. Go. 747 00:36:36,834 --> 00:36:38,100 Come on! 748 00:36:38,100 --> 00:36:39,934 -[Marc] Vamonos. -[Daniela] Come on, chica. 749 00:36:39,934 --> 00:36:43,867 [Ted] Ten, nine, eight, seven, 750 00:36:43,867 --> 00:36:47,467 six, five, four, 751 00:36:47,467 --> 00:36:51,834 three, two, one... Time's up. 752 00:36:55,166 --> 00:36:57,567 [Jon] At the end of the day, I put something beautiful on the plate. 753 00:36:57,567 --> 00:37:01,500 I have nothing but respect for Chef Duyen. She is a beast. 754 00:37:01,500 --> 00:37:03,367 [Duyen] I had to pivot twice. 755 00:37:03,367 --> 00:37:05,033 I mean, that's just part of being a chef. 756 00:37:05,033 --> 00:37:06,767 You have to think quick on your feet. 757 00:37:06,767 --> 00:37:08,667 I still think it's a really great dessert. 758 00:37:08,667 --> 00:37:10,500 -Oh, man. Push comes to shove... -Cheers. 759 00:37:10,500 --> 00:37:12,066 ...this is way more fun on TV. 760 00:37:16,600 --> 00:37:18,333 [Ted] Chef Duyen and Chef Jon. 761 00:37:18,333 --> 00:37:22,166 You found yourselves making desserts with salted egg yolk paste, 762 00:37:22,166 --> 00:37:26,667 a pink pineapple, spice drops and wafer sheets. 763 00:37:26,667 --> 00:37:29,166 Chef Jon, please tell us what you made. 764 00:37:29,166 --> 00:37:33,233 [Jon] Um, I made a spice drop and rum caramelized pink pineapple. 765 00:37:33,233 --> 00:37:35,900 Not-Napoleon, but salted egg yolk crema. 766 00:37:36,967 --> 00:37:38,333 So why are you saying not-Napoleon? 767 00:37:38,333 --> 00:37:41,100 Because I don't want to be held to Napoleon standards. 768 00:37:42,166 --> 00:37:44,100 There's not pastry cream on there and some other things. 769 00:37:44,100 --> 00:37:47,433 -So it's not a Napoleon. -[Ted] Okay. All right. 770 00:37:48,467 --> 00:37:49,900 [Daniela] The pineapple is delicious. 771 00:37:49,900 --> 00:37:54,133 You were very successful dressing, uh, the pineapple with the spice drops, 772 00:37:54,133 --> 00:37:55,667 and it's not overpowering. 773 00:37:55,667 --> 00:37:58,467 But the wafer got really soggy. 774 00:37:59,066 --> 00:38:00,667 I think what happened was 775 00:38:00,667 --> 00:38:03,233 -that the pineapple was hot... -Mmm-hmm. 776 00:38:03,233 --> 00:38:05,066 ...when you put it on the wafer. 777 00:38:05,066 --> 00:38:08,467 I think the flavors worked out. The pineapple tastes great. 778 00:38:08,467 --> 00:38:10,667 Um, I like the cream that you made. 779 00:38:10,667 --> 00:38:12,867 I just think that the wafer... 780 00:38:12,867 --> 00:38:16,367 Yeah, it didn't really work in the application you were looking for. 781 00:38:16,367 --> 00:38:20,000 You were successful with creating some good flavors. 782 00:38:20,000 --> 00:38:22,867 The pineapple and the rum... You're crema is good. 783 00:38:22,867 --> 00:38:25,166 It definitely still has a little bit of that 784 00:38:25,166 --> 00:38:27,967 kind of texture that the egg yolk has, you know. 785 00:38:27,967 --> 00:38:31,600 -Um, but you don't really mind because it really tastes good. -Thank you. 786 00:38:31,600 --> 00:38:33,567 Finally, Chef Duyen. 787 00:38:33,567 --> 00:38:35,867 [Duyen] Chefs, what you have in front of you 788 00:38:35,867 --> 00:38:41,600 is a salted egg yolk mousse with a pineapple compote 789 00:38:41,600 --> 00:38:44,233 and then a wafer and pistachio crumble. 790 00:38:46,467 --> 00:38:48,767 I think I think the best bite is a little bit of pineapple 791 00:38:48,767 --> 00:38:52,000 with a little bit of cream and the crumble. 792 00:38:52,000 --> 00:38:54,667 But I think maybe there's a little too much of the cream 793 00:38:54,667 --> 00:38:57,367 because it's just hard to detect the flavor of the egg in there. 794 00:38:57,367 --> 00:38:58,600 It's just, you know, 795 00:38:58,600 --> 00:39:00,367 -it's like a bowl of whipped cream almost. -[Tiffany] I agree. 796 00:39:00,367 --> 00:39:02,166 But the pineapple has lots of flavor. 797 00:39:02,166 --> 00:39:04,467 It's nice and sweet. It's delicious. 798 00:39:04,467 --> 00:39:08,266 I like the flavors. I think the biggest problem here is the ratio. 799 00:39:08,266 --> 00:39:11,367 And how desperate you were to just get it done. 800 00:39:11,367 --> 00:39:14,066 I think it lacks your personality, 801 00:39:14,066 --> 00:39:17,400 uh, because you're so bright and so fresh 802 00:39:17,400 --> 00:39:20,667 -that, uh, would have been nice to see that. -I appreciate the feedback. 803 00:39:20,667 --> 00:39:22,266 Thank you, chefs. 804 00:39:24,834 --> 00:39:27,500 I think one of the cleverest things I saw today was Jon with those fish sticks. 805 00:39:27,500 --> 00:39:29,734 Turning them into a little fish cake. 806 00:39:29,734 --> 00:39:30,967 [Tiffany] I think the idea was great. 807 00:39:30,967 --> 00:39:35,166 I do think that not adding some relief in there 808 00:39:35,166 --> 00:39:38,266 leaves it very bready and dry. 809 00:39:38,266 --> 00:39:42,166 But the agrodolce and pig's lip was delicious. 810 00:39:42,166 --> 00:39:43,333 And, of course, the finger chilies. 811 00:39:43,333 --> 00:39:44,400 -Nice little pop. -I know. 812 00:39:44,400 --> 00:39:46,133 -[Tiffany] It gets a little sp-- Yeah. -I love those. 813 00:39:46,133 --> 00:39:48,967 [Marc] Duyen, she just put them in the salad but they were just right. 814 00:39:48,967 --> 00:39:51,166 They popped. That salad was delicious. 815 00:39:51,166 --> 00:39:53,767 The lettuce definitely kind of wilted in. 816 00:39:53,767 --> 00:39:55,567 And you didn't get as much of the vinaigrette, 817 00:39:55,567 --> 00:39:58,834 but the salad really had a lot of flavor. 818 00:39:58,834 --> 00:40:01,266 If you're talking about creativity, 819 00:40:01,266 --> 00:40:04,066 I want to have that pork tenderloin patty 820 00:40:04,066 --> 00:40:06,567 that Duyen made for the second round again. 821 00:40:06,567 --> 00:40:09,767 It was just beautifully done with a lot of care. 822 00:40:09,767 --> 00:40:13,867 Actually, I think that dish needed more brussels sprouts. It needed more herbs. 823 00:40:13,867 --> 00:40:16,367 And then Jon made that great sauce with the cola, 824 00:40:16,367 --> 00:40:18,166 and he made it with his brussels sprouts. 825 00:40:18,166 --> 00:40:21,867 -But the main thing, the pork was dry. -So overcooked. 826 00:40:21,867 --> 00:40:23,467 It was a good fight but I think dessert 827 00:40:23,467 --> 00:40:25,000 -took them both down. -You're right. 828 00:40:25,000 --> 00:40:28,667 Well, this was a memorable competition, but who won? 829 00:40:28,667 --> 00:40:29,967 We know, Ted. 830 00:40:36,667 --> 00:40:39,667 [Jon] Realistically, Chef Duyen was a great competitor. 831 00:40:39,667 --> 00:40:42,934 And I genuinely feel like it's a 50-50 coin flip right now. 832 00:40:42,934 --> 00:40:46,934 [Duyen] I am a little nervous that this dessert round almost cost me the win. 833 00:40:46,934 --> 00:40:50,867 But I hope the judges see I never I gave up. 834 00:40:50,867 --> 00:40:55,467 It would mean everything to me to be the next Chopped champion. 835 00:40:55,467 --> 00:40:59,066 So whose dish is on the chopping block? 836 00:41:09,934 --> 00:41:12,800 Chef Jon, you've been chopped. Judges? 837 00:41:13,567 --> 00:41:15,934 Chef Jon, we start with the appetizer. 838 00:41:15,934 --> 00:41:18,467 That fish cake was just a little bit too bready. 839 00:41:18,467 --> 00:41:21,133 The main course, the pork got a little overcooked, 840 00:41:21,133 --> 00:41:24,934 and then a dessert round, unfortunately, that wafer just got soggy. 841 00:41:25,867 --> 00:41:27,567 And so we had to chop you. 842 00:41:27,567 --> 00:41:29,266 Appreciate you guys. Thank you. 843 00:41:29,266 --> 00:41:31,033 -Congratulations, Chef. -Thank you. 844 00:41:31,033 --> 00:41:34,166 When you lose a competition, you tend to want to be salty and angry about it. 845 00:41:34,166 --> 00:41:35,934 But, like, I don't mind losing to Chef Duyen. 846 00:41:35,934 --> 00:41:38,567 She's a beast. So It's still a win for me. 847 00:41:41,567 --> 00:41:46,867 And that means Chef Duyen Ha, you are the Chopped champion. Well done. 848 00:41:46,867 --> 00:41:49,433 Thank you so much. Thank you so much, guys. 849 00:41:50,567 --> 00:41:54,000 I'm really excited to win for my family 850 00:41:54,000 --> 00:41:56,333 and also for the Vietnamese community. 851 00:41:57,000 --> 00:41:58,667 Hey, Mom and Dad, I did it.