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All right, it's time
to get Chopped.
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We pulled social media stars
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that normally cook
behind the camera.
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Say hi, guys.
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We got the sauce, you know?
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What is he doing?
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Making a TikTok mid-Chopped
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-Let's go!
-[yelling]
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It needs to taste good,
it needs to look good!
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Whoo! What have I
gotten myself into?
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They don't get to do
a second take.
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Oh, my God.
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There's no escaping the stress
and the pressure.
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I'm terrified.
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I don't know if you're even
supposed to shuck 'em.
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I can't really think straight.
But what else is new?
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Is this dish
going to go viral?
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Oh, that's looking
money, baby.
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My knees are weak.
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Oh, my gosh.
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Let's make this happen.
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[clock ticking]
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I'm a Syrian-American,
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and I'm all about
big, bold flavors.
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Remember, if their color
don't change,
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no flavor was gained.
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I'm a cook and the founder
of The Golden Balance,
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the online collective
of all my favorite recipes.
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I currently have 4.9 millio
TikTok followers,
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1.3 million
Instagram followers.
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Honey chicken tenders.
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These were
absolutely incredible.
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I'm ready to push myself
to the limit,
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compete against
other content creators,
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and make all the people
that support me proud.
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That is
a 10 out of 10 experience.
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Let's make one of my
all-time favorite dinners.
Chicken Piccata.
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I'm Alix Traeger,
I'm a content creator.
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Add in your wine. Lemon juice.
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Most of my cooking videos
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center around
viral food trends.
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Not only how the food tastes
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but visually, how it looks.
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Hakuna Piccata!
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My followers have come
to expect a lot of laughs.
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[clattering]
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Maybe a spill or two.
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But hopefully making somethi
delicious in the end.
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My strategy is to keep my cool
and keep my confidence.
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I am going all in,
and I'm bringing home the wi
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[H Woo Lee] I am a chef
content creator
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based in Los Angeles.
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I have a video series calle
Cooking For Myself.
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[clapping]
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Most of my recipes are
fusing of different flavors
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from different countries,
and I try to make dishes
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that usually seem out of reach
more attainable.
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I like to compete.
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I feel like I'm good
at working under pressure.
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I feel energized.
I really wanna win Chopped.
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[Tway Da Bae] I was born
in Vietnam,
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and I create really
easy-to-follow recipes onlin
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focusing on
Vietnamese cuisine.
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I'm super-passionate about
sharing my culture.
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I am 100% very competitive.
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I am buckled in,
ready to kill it.
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Say it with me. Canh Kho Qua
Bitter melon soup.
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Cheers. [slurps]
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-So excited.
-Whoo!
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Say hi, guys.
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[both] I'm so excited!
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-Wow.
-Oh, wow.
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-Wow.
-This is so cool.
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-Hey, guys!
-Hello!
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-[Maneet] Welcome!
-Oh, my God!
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[Ted] You're already at it.
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Always gotta get that content.
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[laughs]
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[Ted] Hello, everyone.
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-Hi!
-Hi, Ted.
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[Ted] Your followers
are used to
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eating with their eyes first.
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So our judges are expecting
every dish to be Insta-worthy.
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-Got it?
-Insta-worthy.
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Got it.
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-[Ted] All right,
chefs, it's time.
-We're doing this.
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Open your appetizer basket.
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[Tway] Whoo!
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Oh, man.
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[Ted] The mandatory
ingredients are baked feta.
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Oh, wait! This is familiar.
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[Tway] Is this like
the baked feta?
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[Alix] This is
all the rage, yeah.
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[Ted] Mussels.
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I'm screwed. [laughs]
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I've never worked with
a mussel in my entire life.
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I'm terrified.
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[Ted] Micro mizuna.
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-[Ahmad] Micro greens.
-[Tway] Okay.
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And I have no clue
what this is.
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[Ted] And a raindrop cake.
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Okay.
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Warning, this first
30-minute round
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tends to fly by.
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Also, time starts now.
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-[Ted] Let's go!
-[Maneet] Go, go, go!
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-Whoo!
-Oh, my gosh.
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[Tway] Oh, my God,
we're doing this.
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[Ted] Maneet, Geoffrey,
you are joined by
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online cooking instructor
and Chopped champion,
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Chef Joe Sasto. Welcome, Joe.
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-Thank you for having me.
Very excited.
-[Maneet] Welcome!
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[Joe] I think what makes
this so hard here today
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is that we pulled
social media stars
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that normally cook
behind the camera,
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and challenge them
to do something
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where they don't get to do
a second take.
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[Geoffrey] Yeah, like, this is
real and there's no escaping
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-the stress and the pressure.
-Uh-huh.
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One portion, two portions.
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As a content creator,
it feels really cool
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to compete against
other content creators.
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But when I'm making my video
I have nothing behind me.
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But in the Chopped kitch
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there's a clock,
and there's all the judges.
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I really just have to
zone everything out
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and bring my A game.
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I'm making baked feta lingui
with a side of mussels.
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Add some depth of flavor.
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Chili powder.
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So, to make my sauce
I'm gonna grab
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the tomatoes,
the garlic, the shallot,
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from the baked feta,
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and I'm gonna start developing
all that beautiful flavor.
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I want it to be silky smooth.
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Ahmad, is this dish
going to go viral?
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I hope so.
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[Maneet] You know, in addition
to taste, creativity,
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we are also looking at these
dishes being Insta-worthy.
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All of these
social media stars are stars
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because they have managed
to entice people
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through just the screen
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with how beautiful
their food looks.
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And that is pretty much
the expectation
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-that we have right now.
-Uh-huh.
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Okay.
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So, raindrop cake is
a Japanese-inspired dessert.
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It's essentially water
flavored with sugar,
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and then it's set with agar
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And it looks like a raindrop
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-So it could somehow
throw some people off.
-[Geoffrey] Yeah.
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[Ahmad] How you
feeling already?
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-[Tway] I feel great.
-I'm in my zone.
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All right, let's do it,
let's get it.
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I'm really excited
to see the mussels,
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because in Vietnamese cooking
there is a lot of seafood.
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And I want to steam my mussels
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in a broth
with the raindrop cake.
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I am making a raindrop-cake
steamed mussel
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with baked feta
and tomato crostini.
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Oh, love that!
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I can't really
think straight. [laughs]
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Oh, my gosh! [laughs]
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What have I
gotten myself into?
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Okay.
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I know mussels are often
served with linguine.
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I'm making
linguine with mussels
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in a white wine tomato sauce
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topped with dressed mizuna.
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I'm also gonna add in tomato
in the baked feta.
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Does anyone have
panko breadcrumbs?
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-[Alix] I have them!
-You do?
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Thank you.
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Oh, my God.
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I've never cooked
with mussels,
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but I'm thinking
it'll work really well fried.
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I'm making fried mussels
with a tomato sauce.
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So, I grab a knife and I tr
to start shucking the mussel
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I've actually never
worked with mussels.
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I don't know if you're even
supposed to shuck 'em.
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It's not quite coming out
the way I want.
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Is there, like,
a call-a-friend line thing?
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[Ted] H Woo is
shucking his mussels.
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He's shucking his raw mussels.
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[Ted] Which you really
don't need to do.
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You just need to heat them.
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[both] And they'll
open themselves.
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[Ted] Very obligingly.
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Not the time to learn
how to do this.
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Shucking the mussels
is not working.
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And then I realize
you're probably supposed
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to steam them! [laughs]
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I need wine.
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Cooks, just under
20 minutes to go.
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Whoo! Where does the time go?
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[Ahmad] Okay.
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As I'm tasting my sauce
I feel like it needs
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a little bit more
depth of flavor,
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so I add some sriracha
to give it a nice little kick.
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Oh, that's looking
money, baby.
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I grab some of
that raindrop cake
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and I toss it into the sauc
just to add some sweetness.
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Mussels going in.
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Gotta flick that wrist
a little bit.
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Okay, cooks, less than
10 minutes to go here.
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[Tway] I'm making a spread
for my crostini,
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and I blend up the feta
and the tomatoes together.
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I have close to
600,000 TikTok followers,
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360,000 Instagram followers
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It's a lot of eyes.
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And it can get
really scary sometimes.
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But what really,
like, grounds me
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is knowing that these peopl
are inspired by me.
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Whoo!
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These look great.
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Seven minutes, okay.
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I love feta, so I have
the idea to make breaded fet
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using the roasted
soy bean powder
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from the raindrop cake.
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This is a little bit
of a risky move,
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because I don't know
if the cheese
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is gonna explode from this.
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I'm just praying
that this works.
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[Maneet] Alix took
the feta cheese, coated it,
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and threw it into the fryer.
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-Oh, I like that idea.
-Which is a great idea.
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[H Woo] My mussels are
now finally opening up,
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so I'm battering my mussels
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in a classic flour, egg,
and panko mixture,
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and drop them
in the deep fryer.
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To go with my mussels,
I'm making a sauce
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from the baked feta.
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I'm using the tomatoes,
the shallot,
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the garlic, and the olive oi
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Raindrop cake doesn't have
much of a taste,
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00:09:12,928 --> 00:09:14,970
so I'm hoping that I can
put it into the sauce
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as a thickener.
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Chefs, five minutes to go.
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No way!
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It is flying.
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Time is running out, and whe
I go to check on my broth,
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half of it is burnt.
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[gasps] Oh, my God.
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There's no way that I could
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cook these mussels
in the broth.
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It's not a broth
at this point.
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I'm starting
to really freak out.
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I think I [bleep] up.
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[clock ticking]
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Come on!
251
00:09:57,556 --> 00:09:58,796
[Tway gasps]
252
00:09:58,873 --> 00:10:01,725
The sugar and the sake
that's in the broth
253
00:10:01,768 --> 00:10:02,851
is completely burnt.
254
00:10:02,853 --> 00:10:04,269
I have to start over.
255
00:10:04,346 --> 00:10:07,814
All I can do now is to toss
and start over.
256
00:10:07,816 --> 00:10:09,316
Back in business.
257
00:10:09,318 --> 00:10:11,401
Okay, less than two minutes
to go, folks.
258
00:10:13,655 --> 00:10:16,031
[Ahmad] Micro mizuna,
I'm thinking to kind of
259
00:10:16,107 --> 00:10:17,991
dress them up with
a little bit of olive oil,
260
00:10:17,993 --> 00:10:19,367
and just give them
a little bit more love.
261
00:10:19,369 --> 00:10:21,286
And then I take out
my tweezers,
262
00:10:21,363 --> 00:10:22,978
and I'm like, I need
to make this look pretty.
263
00:10:24,374 --> 00:10:27,459
[Maneet] I'm really impressed
with Ahmad's move right now.
264
00:10:27,461 --> 00:10:30,295
He is looking at it
being Insta-worthy.
265
00:10:30,297 --> 00:10:31,921
[Ted] That is lovely.
266
00:10:31,965 --> 00:10:33,256
I'm stealing that.
267
00:10:33,258 --> 00:10:34,924
[Alix] Micro mizuna.
268
00:10:34,968 --> 00:10:36,301
They're micro greens,
269
00:10:36,378 --> 00:10:38,637
and micro greens
tend to have a nice, like,
270
00:10:38,713 --> 00:10:40,096
peppery flavor.
271
00:10:40,098 --> 00:10:42,474
And so I think
they will go really great
272
00:10:42,476 --> 00:10:44,392
alongside my pasta.
273
00:10:44,394 --> 00:10:46,061
So I'm gonna dress them
274
00:10:46,063 --> 00:10:48,063
in some olive oil
and lemon juice.
275
00:10:48,065 --> 00:10:49,230
Whoo!
276
00:10:50,359 --> 00:10:52,692
One minute to go, chefs.
277
00:10:53,612 --> 00:10:56,029
[Tway] I'm going to
dress up this mizuna.
278
00:10:56,031 --> 00:10:58,823
Olive oil,
little bit of citrus.
279
00:10:58,825 --> 00:11:01,159
-[Maneet] Come on, guys!
-[Joe] H Woo, get it
on the plate.
280
00:11:01,161 --> 00:11:02,719
[H Woo] Time's running out.
281
00:11:02,721 --> 00:11:05,205
I decide to use
the micro mizuna in my sauce
282
00:11:07,084 --> 00:11:08,500
-Let's go.
-Oh, my goodness.
283
00:11:08,502 --> 00:11:09,751
-[Maneet] Come on, let's go.
-Oh, my gosh.
284
00:11:09,828 --> 00:11:11,086
-[Ted] 30 seconds!
-It needs to taste good.
285
00:11:11,162 --> 00:11:12,587
It needs to look good!
286
00:11:12,589 --> 00:11:14,047
My knees are weak.
287
00:11:15,425 --> 00:11:17,634
[Ted] Stay in the zone
till the end, chefs.
288
00:11:18,470 --> 00:11:22,722
10, nine, eight, seven,
289
00:11:22,799 --> 00:11:26,267
-six, five, four...
-Oh, my God.
290
00:11:26,269 --> 00:11:30,397
...three, two, one. Time's up.
291
00:11:30,473 --> 00:11:31,648
-Whoo!
-[applause]
292
00:11:31,650 --> 00:11:32,857
Oh, my God.
293
00:11:34,069 --> 00:11:35,860
What a wild ride. Well done.
294
00:11:35,862 --> 00:11:39,364
My heart is beating
as fast as that round.
295
00:11:42,869 --> 00:11:44,869
[H Woo] You know, I learned
one thing here, and it's tha
296
00:11:44,871 --> 00:11:46,663
you don't just shuck a musse
297
00:11:46,707 --> 00:11:49,249
You just gotta cook it first
I hope they love it.
298
00:11:49,325 --> 00:11:50,709
I doubt they will.
299
00:11:51,336 --> 00:11:54,212
Okay, this is my final dish.
300
00:11:54,214 --> 00:11:57,340
[laughing] Look at
the mess I made!
301
00:11:57,342 --> 00:11:58,866
Classic Alix.
302
00:11:58,944 --> 00:12:00,844
-Actually crazy.
-[H Woo] That was
actually crazy.
303
00:12:10,814 --> 00:12:13,398
[Ted] You have arrived
at the chopping block.
304
00:12:13,400 --> 00:12:16,526
You worked with a first basket
of baked feta,
305
00:12:16,528 --> 00:12:22,115
mussels, micro mizuna,
and a raindrop cake.
306
00:12:22,150 --> 00:12:24,909
Ahmad, would you please
tell us about your appetizer.
307
00:12:24,986 --> 00:12:26,995
I made
a creamy tomato linguine
308
00:12:26,997 --> 00:12:28,121
with a side of mussels.
309
00:12:28,874 --> 00:12:30,198
I love making pasta.
310
00:12:30,200 --> 00:12:31,732
Anything with a lot of carbs,
I'm a fan of.
311
00:12:31,734 --> 00:12:34,544
But I'm not used to cooking
mussels, only building them!
312
00:12:34,546 --> 00:12:36,546
[all laugh]
313
00:12:36,548 --> 00:12:38,590
-That wasn't planned,
I promise!
-[chuckles]
314
00:12:38,592 --> 00:12:39,924
So, what got you into cooking?
315
00:12:39,926 --> 00:12:42,218
Just growing up,
I always loved eating,
316
00:12:42,220 --> 00:12:44,345
so I would just always spend
my time watching Food Network.
317
00:12:44,422 --> 00:12:46,723
And then after high school
I had gained a lot of weight,
318
00:12:46,725 --> 00:12:48,007
and I started losing weight
eating good food,
319
00:12:48,009 --> 00:12:50,018
and I thought I would
share it with the world.
320
00:12:50,094 --> 00:12:51,186
[Geoffrey] It's a good
plate of pasta.
321
00:12:51,188 --> 00:12:52,979
It's restrained,
which is good.
322
00:12:52,981 --> 00:12:54,647
It's a very nice cook
on the mussels.
323
00:12:54,649 --> 00:12:56,983
The sauce is good,
I like the fact that the sweet
324
00:12:56,985 --> 00:12:58,485
balanced nicely
against the sriracha.
325
00:12:58,487 --> 00:12:59,986
Thank you very much.
326
00:13:00,063 --> 00:13:05,450
Ahmad, it is a deceptively
simple dish that you've given,
327
00:13:05,527 --> 00:13:09,120
but the amount of time that
you took to develop flavors
328
00:13:09,122 --> 00:13:11,498
in that sauce,
you can taste that.
329
00:13:11,500 --> 00:13:13,124
It all comes together
very well.
330
00:13:13,293 --> 00:13:14,942
[Joe] I like this dish.
331
00:13:15,020 --> 00:13:17,337
The way this looked, I thought
was very social-media-worthy.
332
00:13:17,413 --> 00:13:19,005
It was craveable.
333
00:13:19,007 --> 00:13:21,132
I feel like the pasta itself
334
00:13:21,134 --> 00:13:22,675
could be seasoned
a little more.
335
00:13:22,677 --> 00:13:25,970
But overall, a really great
appetizer to start this off.
336
00:13:26,047 --> 00:13:27,096
Thank you very much.
337
00:13:27,098 --> 00:13:28,515
Next up, Tway.
338
00:13:28,517 --> 00:13:31,768
I made
raindrop-cake-steamed mussels
339
00:13:31,770 --> 00:13:34,854
with baked feta
and tomato crostini.
340
00:13:37,275 --> 00:13:38,733
These mussels...
341
00:13:40,237 --> 00:13:41,986
are absolutely delicious.
342
00:13:41,988 --> 00:13:43,738
[sighs with relief]
343
00:13:43,740 --> 00:13:45,949
-They're cooked perfectly.
-Thank you.
344
00:13:46,576 --> 00:13:48,368
[Joe] Your use
of the raindrop cake,
345
00:13:48,444 --> 00:13:50,912
pairing it with the broth,
with the mussels,
346
00:13:50,989 --> 00:13:52,247
stroke of genius.
347
00:13:52,249 --> 00:13:53,331
I love that with the flavors
348
00:13:53,333 --> 00:13:54,415
of the sake
and the fish sauce.
349
00:13:54,417 --> 00:13:55,792
Thank you.
350
00:13:55,794 --> 00:13:57,210
[Geoffrey] Um...
351
00:13:57,287 --> 00:13:59,504
The broth is good.
352
00:13:59,506 --> 00:14:02,298
But the trick of the basket is
you take the feta,
353
00:14:02,300 --> 00:14:04,425
and somehow make it
go with this.
354
00:14:04,553 --> 00:14:06,427
Basically you just
slathered this on top
355
00:14:06,504 --> 00:14:08,054
and, like, called it a day.
356
00:14:09,307 --> 00:14:11,474
So, Tway, a lot of people
might not realize
357
00:14:11,476 --> 00:14:13,518
that achieving
social media prominence
358
00:14:13,520 --> 00:14:14,668
takes a lot of work.
359
00:14:14,670 --> 00:14:16,437
Can you talk about
how you've done it?
360
00:14:16,439 --> 00:14:19,107
I've honestly always loved
the camera.
361
00:14:19,109 --> 00:14:22,318
And I share
mostly Vietnamese food,
362
00:14:22,320 --> 00:14:23,436
because I think
a lot of people
363
00:14:23,438 --> 00:14:25,613
are intimidated by
Vietnamese cooking.
364
00:14:25,615 --> 00:14:28,199
And my goal is
to make people feel like
365
00:14:28,276 --> 00:14:31,703
-it's attainable to do.
-[Ted] Wow.
366
00:14:31,779 --> 00:14:34,372
Thank you, Tway.
Next up, H Woo.
367
00:14:34,374 --> 00:14:36,791
So, here I have fried mussels
368
00:14:36,793 --> 00:14:40,044
with a tomato,
raindrop cake sauce.
369
00:14:44,301 --> 00:14:48,011
I like the sauce. It's sweet,
and the bread's very good.
370
00:14:48,013 --> 00:14:50,013
I must say,
it is Insta-worthy.
371
00:14:50,015 --> 00:14:52,307
Um, I think
it's a good appetizer.
372
00:14:52,309 --> 00:14:54,058
Thank you, Chef.
373
00:14:54,060 --> 00:14:57,061
Let's start by
talking about the sauce.
374
00:14:57,939 --> 00:15:01,316
The sauce is incredible.
375
00:15:02,485 --> 00:15:05,987
But the thing with mussels
is that you cooked it twice.
376
00:15:05,989 --> 00:15:07,030
-Right?
-I did.
377
00:15:07,073 --> 00:15:09,240
So it became tough.
378
00:15:09,242 --> 00:15:12,410
I think those mussels
were your biggest pitfall.
379
00:15:12,487 --> 00:15:15,246
But they are totally redeemed
by that sauce.
380
00:15:15,248 --> 00:15:17,290
-Well done.
-Thank you, Chef.
381
00:15:17,292 --> 00:15:20,168
Thank you, H Woo.
Finally, Alix.
382
00:15:20,170 --> 00:15:22,879
So, my starter is linguine
383
00:15:22,881 --> 00:15:24,964
with a white wine
and tomato sauce,
384
00:15:24,966 --> 00:15:28,134
with breaded feta,
AKA "breada."
385
00:15:28,136 --> 00:15:30,261
Is that a new trend
that you're going to start?
386
00:15:30,263 --> 00:15:33,222
Right breada, yeah, it's
the new TikTok trend. [laughs]
387
00:15:34,225 --> 00:15:35,850
[Maneet] Alix, you might
be on to something
388
00:15:35,852 --> 00:15:38,978
with this breada.
That is delicious.
389
00:15:38,980 --> 00:15:43,149
Deep-fried cheese can
always be a very risky move,
390
00:15:43,226 --> 00:15:45,360
because if you haven't
coated it properly,
391
00:15:45,436 --> 00:15:48,112
it can just seep out
into the fryer.
392
00:15:48,114 --> 00:15:51,157
-So that was expertly done.
-Thank you.
393
00:15:51,159 --> 00:15:53,910
Yeah, I second
the breada was very good.
394
00:15:53,912 --> 00:15:55,495
But pasta's one of the hardest
395
00:15:55,497 --> 00:15:56,829
things in the world
to cook properly.
396
00:15:57,248 --> 00:15:58,873
And so when you grab it,
397
00:15:58,875 --> 00:16:00,333
you're grabbing,
like, Kryptonite.
398
00:16:00,335 --> 00:16:02,293
And no one cooked
the pasta correctly.
399
00:16:02,295 --> 00:16:03,586
No one put salt in the water.
400
00:16:03,588 --> 00:16:05,797
It's a classic mistake.
401
00:16:06,716 --> 00:16:10,051
I don't know about you judges,
but my mussels
402
00:16:10,053 --> 00:16:11,511
could have
been cooked slightly less.
403
00:16:11,513 --> 00:16:13,972
But that micro mizuna,
the way you dressed it,
404
00:16:13,974 --> 00:16:15,807
I really appreciate that.
405
00:16:15,883 --> 00:16:18,518
It added that freshness
and it really kind of
helped balance out.
406
00:16:20,397 --> 00:16:21,896
Tell us about
your online work.
407
00:16:21,898 --> 00:16:24,524
So, I actually have
always loved to cook.
408
00:16:24,600 --> 00:16:27,902
I am self-taught
and I'm accident-prone,
409
00:16:27,904 --> 00:16:31,155
-and spill and make messes.
-[Ted laughs]
410
00:16:31,157 --> 00:16:34,617
And a big part of my platform
is making mistakes,
411
00:16:34,619 --> 00:16:36,327
but at the end of the day,
I just like
412
00:16:36,329 --> 00:16:38,413
to have a lot of fun
in the kitchen.
413
00:16:38,489 --> 00:16:41,207
[Ted] I love that you all have
this message that we all
414
00:16:41,284 --> 00:16:43,710
-deserve a place
in the kitchen.
-Yeah.
415
00:16:49,175 --> 00:16:50,383
[Ahmad] What's worrying me
is the fact that
416
00:16:50,460 --> 00:16:52,135
I didn't
salt the water properly.
417
00:16:52,137 --> 00:16:55,346
But I think H Woo might be
on the chopping block,
418
00:16:55,348 --> 00:16:57,724
just for the fact that
he overcooked those mussels
419
00:16:59,561 --> 00:17:01,811
[H Woo] I'm feeling
more unsure than confident.
420
00:17:01,813 --> 00:17:05,314
I'm confident
in my unsureness, so...
421
00:17:10,530 --> 00:17:12,321
[clock ticking]
422
00:17:18,580 --> 00:17:22,290
So, whose dish is on
the chopping block?
423
00:17:22,292 --> 00:17:25,293
[intense music playing]
424
00:17:28,715 --> 00:17:30,923
Oh, my God.
425
00:17:31,000 --> 00:17:34,343
[Ted] Alix, you've been
chopped. Judges.
426
00:17:34,387 --> 00:17:37,180
Alix, you didn't have
enough salt in the water
427
00:17:37,223 --> 00:17:38,681
when you cooked the pasta.
428
00:17:38,716 --> 00:17:42,018
And the mussels
were overcooked.
429
00:17:42,062 --> 00:17:44,312
And so we had to chop you.
430
00:17:44,388 --> 00:17:46,230
Thank you so much, chefs.
431
00:17:46,307 --> 00:17:48,191
-[applause]
-Good luck, Alix.
432
00:17:50,028 --> 00:17:51,627
[Alix]
I'm a little disappointed,
433
00:17:51,629 --> 00:17:54,030
but if you watch any of
my videos you know that
434
00:17:54,074 --> 00:17:57,408
I make mistakes, and I think
that's what cooking is about,
435
00:17:57,410 --> 00:17:59,035
and that's what life is about.
436
00:17:59,079 --> 00:18:00,411
Chopped!
437
00:18:04,125 --> 00:18:06,626
The vibes are immaculate
at the moment.
438
00:18:06,702 --> 00:18:08,002
He's always about vibes.
439
00:18:08,079 --> 00:18:10,421
[Ted] Tway, Ahmad, H Woo.
440
00:18:10,423 --> 00:18:13,049
Time to acquaint yourselves
with this second basket.
441
00:18:14,636 --> 00:18:16,302
Oh, my God.
442
00:18:17,222 --> 00:18:18,930
Open it up.
443
00:18:19,641 --> 00:18:21,724
-What?
-Eurgh!
444
00:18:22,102 --> 00:18:23,893
What is this? [chuckles]
445
00:18:23,895 --> 00:18:26,896
-[Ted] It's rainbow brownies
-[Tway] This is weird.
446
00:18:26,940 --> 00:18:28,523
You also have lamb loin.
447
00:18:28,599 --> 00:18:30,441
Ah. Lamb loin, that's my baby.
448
00:18:30,518 --> 00:18:33,778
All right, this looks like
some sort of beet hummus.
449
00:18:33,780 --> 00:18:35,404
[Ted] Beet hummus.
450
00:18:35,406 --> 00:18:38,199
And 15-hour potatoes.
451
00:18:39,661 --> 00:18:41,035
[Tway] Good luck.
452
00:18:41,746 --> 00:18:43,538
[Ted] 30 minutes
for the entrée round.
453
00:18:45,500 --> 00:18:47,708
-Clock starts now.
-[Maneet] Go, go, go!
454
00:18:47,710 --> 00:18:48,709
-Let's go!
-Whoo-hoo!
455
00:18:48,711 --> 00:18:50,253
On your right.
456
00:18:50,255 --> 00:18:52,421
[Ted] Judges, the basket
almost has
457
00:18:52,423 --> 00:18:53,881
a little bit of
a Middle Eastern feel to it
458
00:18:53,883 --> 00:18:56,134
with the hummus and the lamb.
459
00:18:56,136 --> 00:18:58,010
Is that the direction
that you would take?
460
00:18:58,012 --> 00:18:59,011
I don't see why not.
461
00:18:59,088 --> 00:19:00,462
I grew up on lamb.
462
00:19:00,473 --> 00:19:02,140
It's basically a rack of lamb
without the bones.
463
00:19:02,142 --> 00:19:04,183
[Tway] Oh, this is beautiful.
464
00:19:04,185 --> 00:19:07,854
The trick is that it doesn't
have a lot of fat on it.
465
00:19:07,930 --> 00:19:10,648
So the chances of it
getting overcooked
466
00:19:10,650 --> 00:19:12,441
is very, very high.
467
00:19:13,278 --> 00:19:14,652
[Ahmad] All right,
let's do this.
468
00:19:14,654 --> 00:19:16,654
So, I'm excited
to see that lamb loin.
469
00:19:16,656 --> 00:19:18,364
It does not have a lot of fa
470
00:19:18,366 --> 00:19:20,616
so I wanna introduce some fa
as some seasoning.
471
00:19:21,202 --> 00:19:22,910
I'm making spiced lamb loin
472
00:19:22,912 --> 00:19:24,620
with a beet vinaigrette
Fattoush.
473
00:19:26,082 --> 00:19:27,999
I add a little bit
of olive oil and mint,
474
00:19:28,001 --> 00:19:29,584
and I start
butter-basting the lamb.
475
00:19:29,660 --> 00:19:30,710
[Ted] That's good.
476
00:19:34,966 --> 00:19:37,216
[sizzling]
477
00:19:37,293 --> 00:19:39,677
[Tway] I've never had lamb
in a quesadilla before,
478
00:19:39,754 --> 00:19:41,470
but I love trying new things.
479
00:19:42,432 --> 00:19:43,973
I'm feeling it.
480
00:19:43,975 --> 00:19:47,518
So, I'm making
a lamb and potato quesadilla
481
00:19:47,595 --> 00:19:49,937
Oh, that smells great!
482
00:19:52,567 --> 00:19:54,108
To go with my quesadilla,
483
00:19:54,185 --> 00:19:56,360
I am making
a hummus and brownie sauce.
484
00:19:56,437 --> 00:19:57,945
[slamming]
485
00:19:57,947 --> 00:19:59,363
[Geoffrey] She's making
a quesadilla.
486
00:19:59,440 --> 00:20:01,449
And she's using
the rainbow brownie
for a sauce.
487
00:20:01,525 --> 00:20:03,284
-Oh, interesting.
-Interesting, yes.
488
00:20:03,286 --> 00:20:04,660
My word exactly.
489
00:20:04,704 --> 00:20:06,996
That could either be
a stroke of genius,
490
00:20:06,998 --> 00:20:09,123
or a huge mistake.
491
00:20:12,503 --> 00:20:14,045
[Joe] We have
the rainbow brownies.
492
00:20:14,047 --> 00:20:15,922
If there's anything
that the Internet loves,
493
00:20:15,998 --> 00:20:18,424
it's rainbows. And so these
aren't just brownies,
494
00:20:18,459 --> 00:20:21,385
they're brownies and cookies
layered together.
495
00:20:21,387 --> 00:20:24,430
[Maneet] I would probably
powder the rainbow brownies,
496
00:20:24,432 --> 00:20:25,723
-make a spice blend.
-[Joe] Dry it out.
497
00:20:25,725 --> 00:20:27,600
And then dry rub that
on the lamb.
498
00:20:27,602 --> 00:20:29,435
-Use it as a crust
to roll the loin in it.
-Yeah.
499
00:20:29,512 --> 00:20:31,145
Yeah, that's a very,
very good idea.
500
00:20:35,026 --> 00:20:36,817
[H Woo] Rainbow brownies.
501
00:20:36,894 --> 00:20:39,070
I think certain foods
should stay on social media
502
00:20:39,146 --> 00:20:40,196
and out of the kitchen.
503
00:20:40,615 --> 00:20:41,797
[chuckles softly]
504
00:20:41,799 --> 00:20:43,950
I'm kinda just
winging it right now.
505
00:20:43,952 --> 00:20:46,661
But lamb loin will work
really well fried.
506
00:20:46,737 --> 00:20:48,204
I am cutting up the brownie
507
00:20:48,206 --> 00:20:51,207
and putting it into
a buttermilk batter.
508
00:20:51,209 --> 00:20:53,376
And I wanna
pound out this lamb
509
00:20:53,378 --> 00:20:54,460
so it can get really thin.
510
00:20:54,462 --> 00:20:58,673
[forcefully pounding lamb]
511
00:20:58,675 --> 00:21:01,259
I hear H Woo going to town
on this lamb.
512
00:21:01,335 --> 00:21:03,886
He's just bashing the goofy
out of it.
513
00:21:03,930 --> 00:21:05,179
You getting wild
over there, H Woo?
514
00:21:05,256 --> 00:21:06,806
I'm getting a little crazy
right now.
515
00:21:07,934 --> 00:21:12,103
I'm making lamb katsu
with beetroot yogurt dip.
516
00:21:12,179 --> 00:21:15,773
Katsu is a very popular
Japanese breaded cutlet.
517
00:21:17,068 --> 00:21:18,859
That's good.
518
00:21:20,196 --> 00:21:22,488
[Maneet] The beet hummus,
the flavor is delicious.
519
00:21:22,490 --> 00:21:24,490
But if they add something
520
00:21:24,567 --> 00:21:26,701
lighter to it
like sour cream or yogurt,
521
00:21:26,777 --> 00:21:29,954
we will get
a very bright pink,
522
00:21:30,031 --> 00:21:31,831
fluorescent-pink-looking
sauce.
523
00:21:31,907 --> 00:21:33,249
[Ted] Yeah,
and iridescent pink is not...
524
00:21:33,251 --> 00:21:34,917
Not the most appetizing color.
525
00:21:34,919 --> 00:21:36,961
But I think that would be
very good as a vinaigrette.
526
00:21:37,038 --> 00:21:38,504
[Ted] I think
that's a great idea.
527
00:21:39,924 --> 00:21:41,257
[Ahmad] There we go.
528
00:21:41,301 --> 00:21:43,342
I'm making a beet vinaigrett
529
00:21:43,419 --> 00:21:47,054
So I add some olive oil, som
lemon juice, Dijon mustard.
530
00:21:47,056 --> 00:21:48,514
And I'm gonna take
531
00:21:48,516 --> 00:21:50,766
the chocolate chips
on top of the rainbow cake
532
00:21:50,768 --> 00:21:52,476
and I'm gonna microplane the
533
00:21:52,478 --> 00:21:53,978
inside the vinaigrette.
534
00:21:54,055 --> 00:21:55,354
Okay, that's pretty good.
535
00:21:55,356 --> 00:21:56,897
Right behind you.
536
00:21:56,899 --> 00:21:58,899
I wanna win Chopped
for my parents.
537
00:21:58,901 --> 00:22:00,943
They came from Syria
40 years ago.
538
00:22:00,987 --> 00:22:02,469
And when I told my dad
539
00:22:02,471 --> 00:22:04,405
I wanted to make content,
he was there for me.
540
00:22:04,407 --> 00:22:06,574
When I told my mom I wanted
to cook in her kitchen
541
00:22:06,576 --> 00:22:08,617
and make a mess,
she was there for me.
542
00:22:08,619 --> 00:22:11,829
My parents have always been
support of who I want to be
543
00:22:11,831 --> 00:22:13,122
And that's why I'm here toda
544
00:22:13,124 --> 00:22:15,333
Holy... Time is flying!
545
00:22:15,409 --> 00:22:17,877
[Tway] I'm seasoning
the hummus with
546
00:22:17,879 --> 00:22:19,253
a squeeze of orange juice,
547
00:22:19,255 --> 00:22:22,340
some orange zest,
and then some cilantro
548
00:22:22,416 --> 00:22:24,300
and some green onions.
549
00:22:25,386 --> 00:22:27,303
I have seen
these 15-hour potatoes
550
00:22:27,347 --> 00:22:29,180
all over social media.
551
00:22:29,256 --> 00:22:31,390
It's literally like
really, really thin layers
552
00:22:31,392 --> 00:22:33,601
of potatoes that's fried.
553
00:22:33,636 --> 00:22:35,186
And I'm using
the 15-hour potatoes
554
00:22:35,188 --> 00:22:36,812
in my quesadilla filling.
555
00:22:38,816 --> 00:22:40,566
I am very competitive.
556
00:22:40,568 --> 00:22:43,778
Being an immigrant,
being a child of immigrants
557
00:22:43,780 --> 00:22:45,488
has instilled in me,
558
00:22:45,531 --> 00:22:49,492
hard work and dedication
will get you so, so far.
559
00:22:49,494 --> 00:22:52,203
And winning Chopped
would be amazing.
560
00:22:52,205 --> 00:22:53,829
Let's ground this.
561
00:22:57,460 --> 00:22:58,918
[H Woo] I'm pan-frying
the lamb
562
00:22:58,994 --> 00:23:00,285
and they look golden brown,
563
00:23:00,362 --> 00:23:01,754
so I take 'em out,
put 'em into the oven
564
00:23:01,831 --> 00:23:03,381
so they can stay warm.
565
00:23:05,343 --> 00:23:07,218
And I'm making a yoghurt sau
with the beet hummus,
566
00:23:07,294 --> 00:23:09,553
chopped herbs and mint.
567
00:23:10,431 --> 00:23:11,931
I started cooking
while I was in college,
568
00:23:11,933 --> 00:23:14,308
and learned from recipes
that I found online.
569
00:23:15,395 --> 00:23:18,646
So, I have close to
a million followers on TikTo
570
00:23:18,722 --> 00:23:21,524
and around 250,000
on Instagram.
571
00:23:21,567 --> 00:23:23,442
Being in this competition
means a lot.
572
00:23:23,444 --> 00:23:26,946
I hope that it inspires others
to start cooking more.
573
00:23:26,948 --> 00:23:28,989
Less than 10 minutes to go.
574
00:23:28,991 --> 00:23:30,658
[Ahmad] H Woo,
how you feeling?
575
00:23:31,160 --> 00:23:32,159
Feeling pretty good, you?
576
00:23:32,236 --> 00:23:33,327
-You vibing?
-Vibing.
577
00:23:33,329 --> 00:23:36,580
I feel like
everyone's zoned in.
578
00:23:36,582 --> 00:23:38,707
Fattoush is a traditional
Middle Eastern salad.
579
00:23:38,709 --> 00:23:40,251
Usually has a lot
of sumac, onion,
580
00:23:40,253 --> 00:23:42,211
and some
deep-fried pita bread.
581
00:23:42,213 --> 00:23:44,547
So instead,
taking the 15-hour potato,
582
00:23:44,549 --> 00:23:46,132
I'm gonna deep-fry them
to kind of
583
00:23:46,134 --> 00:23:47,633
imitate the deep-fried bread
584
00:23:47,635 --> 00:23:49,168
I'm behind you.
585
00:23:53,182 --> 00:23:55,599
[Tway] I have to start
assembling my quesadilla
586
00:23:55,601 --> 00:23:58,978
with the lamb,
potatoes, mozzarella.
587
00:23:58,980 --> 00:24:00,855
And I go to check
on my brownies
588
00:24:00,857 --> 00:24:03,691
and I realize they are burnt.
589
00:24:03,726 --> 00:24:06,193
God, I burnt my brownies!
Damn it!
590
00:24:06,195 --> 00:24:07,778
I need more brownies.
591
00:24:07,813 --> 00:24:10,030
Hey, Tway, how are the rainbow
brownies coming over there?
592
00:24:10,107 --> 00:24:11,532
[Tway] I burnt them!
593
00:24:11,534 --> 00:24:13,325
[Joe] Are you gonna be
able to recover from that?
594
00:24:13,402 --> 00:24:14,994
Of course.
595
00:24:14,996 --> 00:24:16,495
Luckily I still have
some brownies left.
596
00:24:16,497 --> 00:24:18,038
I just restart.
597
00:24:18,040 --> 00:24:20,291
Less than two minutes
to go, folks.
598
00:24:22,336 --> 00:24:24,795
[H Woo] Typically katsu's
kinda served with
a potato salad.
599
00:24:24,797 --> 00:24:26,714
I wanna make
a Mediterranean potato sala
600
00:24:26,716 --> 00:24:28,841
out of the 15-hour potato.
601
00:24:28,918 --> 00:24:32,219
Mixing it with horseradish,
lemon juice, mayo, and olive
602
00:24:34,682 --> 00:24:36,098
[Ahmad] I go to
check on my lamb
603
00:24:36,142 --> 00:24:37,349
and I'm so disappointed.
604
00:24:37,351 --> 00:24:38,851
It slightly feels overdone.
605
00:24:38,853 --> 00:24:40,311
I'm actually really nervous
606
00:24:41,022 --> 00:24:42,813
[Maneet]
Presentation matters, guys!
607
00:24:42,890 --> 00:24:45,733
Make sure the dishes
are Insta-worthy.
608
00:24:47,236 --> 00:24:49,778
-[Ted] Keep on
keeping on, folks.
-[clapping]
609
00:24:49,822 --> 00:24:51,880
-[Maneet] Come on!
-[Ted] 10, nine...
610
00:24:51,882 --> 00:24:53,782
-Right down to the end, use
every second on that clock.
-...eight, seven,
611
00:24:53,784 --> 00:24:58,037
six, five, four, three,
612
00:24:58,039 --> 00:25:02,416
two, one. Time's up.
613
00:25:02,493 --> 00:25:04,043
[applause]
614
00:25:04,119 --> 00:25:07,046
Marvelous, marvelous,
marvelous, marvelous.
615
00:25:08,299 --> 00:25:10,591
The brownies
definitely threw me off.
616
00:25:10,593 --> 00:25:13,719
But I think my lamb
has great flavor.
617
00:25:13,721 --> 00:25:16,096
So, fingers crossed.
618
00:25:18,726 --> 00:25:20,842
[clock ticking]
619
00:25:28,528 --> 00:25:32,571
Social media stars,
in the entree round, we asked
you to make main dishes
620
00:25:32,648 --> 00:25:39,662
with rainbow brownies,
lamb loin, beet hummus,
and 15-hour potatoes.
621
00:25:39,664 --> 00:25:41,830
And we're starting
with you, Ahmad.
622
00:25:41,832 --> 00:25:47,545
So I made a spiced lamb
loin with a beet root
vinaigrette Fattoush,
623
00:25:47,547 --> 00:25:49,880
topped with crispy
potato crouton.
624
00:25:49,957 --> 00:25:53,842
Just to give off that, uh,
Fattoush feeling
of that fried bread.
625
00:25:59,183 --> 00:26:05,271
I was expecting, um, Fattoush,
and I got Fattoush-lite.
626
00:26:05,273 --> 00:26:11,193
Fattoush is leftover pita
that's dried with sumac,
onion, lemon, garlic.
627
00:26:11,195 --> 00:26:12,444
I think it was good,
it's just that without
628
00:26:12,521 --> 00:26:15,155
the lemon, the sumac
and the onion,
629
00:26:15,157 --> 00:26:17,283
it doesn't have, uh,
the oomph of a Fattoush,
630
00:26:17,285 --> 00:26:19,618
but I love
the thought process.
631
00:26:20,955 --> 00:26:26,166
-Have you made this beet
hummus vinaigrette before?
-I have not.
632
00:26:26,243 --> 00:26:28,711
-It's very good.
-Thanks.
633
00:26:28,713 --> 00:26:31,297
[Joe Sasto] It has a great
balance of acid
and creaminess.
634
00:26:31,299 --> 00:26:36,051
I love the potatoes on top.
It adds a wonderful kind of
crouton texture to your salad.
635
00:26:36,053 --> 00:26:37,553
Thank you, Chef.
636
00:26:37,555 --> 00:26:40,264
On the lamb,
how did you use the spices?
637
00:26:40,266 --> 00:26:43,684
I marinated it with a little
olive oil, mint leaves.
638
00:26:43,686 --> 00:26:50,232
Yeah, it did get dried out
and also, the spice on top,
it almost got burnt,
639
00:26:50,234 --> 00:26:53,444
and that's where
the bitterness is coming from.
640
00:26:53,520 --> 00:26:56,071
Thank you, Ahmad.
Tway, we'll taste
your dish next.
641
00:26:56,073 --> 00:26:59,199
I made a lamb
and potato quesadilla
642
00:26:59,201 --> 00:27:02,119
with a hummus
brownie dipping sauce.
643
00:27:04,165 --> 00:27:06,749
Look at this plate,
pink salsa...
644
00:27:07,960 --> 00:27:10,294
...at first glance may seem
kind of weird,
645
00:27:10,296 --> 00:27:13,797
but it actually on the black
cast iron plate, made me wanna
dive right into it.
646
00:27:13,832 --> 00:27:15,190
Thank you, Chef.
647
00:27:15,192 --> 00:27:18,260
The color of the sauce
that you have over here
648
00:27:18,304 --> 00:27:22,181
definitely makes this dish
social media worthy.
649
00:27:22,257 --> 00:27:24,808
-Right.
-[Maneet Chauhan] But with
the lamb I would have
650
00:27:24,885 --> 00:27:27,811
suggested cooking
it to only rare,
651
00:27:27,888 --> 00:27:31,065
cutting it and then putting
it in there and searing it
652
00:27:31,067 --> 00:27:35,944
because you're cooking
the lamb twice, and being
such a lean piece of meat,
653
00:27:35,946 --> 00:27:39,031
it overcooks very easily.
654
00:27:39,033 --> 00:27:40,866
-Thank you, Chef.
-[Geoffrey Zakarian] Did you
taste this dipping sauce?
655
00:27:40,868 --> 00:27:43,410
Um, no, I didn't.
656
00:27:47,625 --> 00:27:49,725
Tell me what you think.
657
00:27:51,796 --> 00:27:56,590
There's way too much going
on it. It becomes like a train
wreck in Times Square.
658
00:27:56,667 --> 00:28:00,928
It's so much going on,
so you gotta, like, taste
as you go.
659
00:28:02,014 --> 00:28:04,098
Thank you, Tway.
Finally, H Woo.
660
00:28:04,174 --> 00:28:07,768
I have here a take
on a lamb katsu,
661
00:28:07,845 --> 00:28:11,772
a horseradish potato salad,
and then the sauce
662
00:28:11,774 --> 00:28:13,816
is a beetroot hummus
with yogurt sauce.
663
00:28:15,236 --> 00:28:17,528
Where is the brownie?
664
00:28:17,604 --> 00:28:19,988
[H Woo Lee] I cooked
the brownies in buttermilk,
665
00:28:19,990 --> 00:28:22,950
and then dipped the lamb
in the buttermilk,
666
00:28:22,952 --> 00:28:25,093
then I battered
it and fried it.
667
00:28:25,095 --> 00:28:28,747
The lamb again is a little
overcooked, but the breading
on that lamb is excellent,
668
00:28:28,749 --> 00:28:32,626
and very imaginative to put
the brownie into
the buttermilk.
669
00:28:32,628 --> 00:28:36,714
-Thank you, Chef.
-The beet hummus sauce,
it's delicious.
670
00:28:36,716 --> 00:28:43,011
The lamb is overdone,
but because it's fried,
it doesn't come across as dry.
671
00:28:43,013 --> 00:28:45,597
-Thank you, Chef.
-This is a beautifully
composed plate, H Woo.
672
00:28:45,599 --> 00:28:49,101
The potato salad, I think
is incredibly creative.
673
00:28:49,103 --> 00:28:51,311
What I don't like
is the olives,
674
00:28:51,388 --> 00:28:55,482
and I just don't think
it works with kind of those
greasy, heavy potatoes.
675
00:28:55,484 --> 00:28:57,484
It's kind of like fat
on fat on fat.
676
00:28:57,561 --> 00:29:00,112
-You need some freshness.
-Thank you, Chef.
677
00:29:01,282 --> 00:29:03,866
[Tom Allen] Now enough of all
this tension and critiquing,
678
00:29:03,909 --> 00:29:05,367
do you guys wanna take
a selfie or something?
679
00:29:05,369 --> 00:29:06,618
-Yeah.
-Let's do it.
680
00:29:06,620 --> 00:29:07,619
-Okay, here. Give it to me.
-[Allen] Okay.
681
00:29:07,621 --> 00:29:08,820
[Tway] Okay.
682
00:29:08,822 --> 00:29:10,138
[Allen] Maneet, you should
be in the picture.
683
00:29:10,140 --> 00:29:11,874
[Chauhan] Oh, I am so being
in the picture.
684
00:29:11,876 --> 00:29:14,126
-[Ahmad] She is the picture.
-[Chauhan] Yeah. Let's go.
685
00:29:15,504 --> 00:29:18,714
-[Chauhan] That's how selfie
are taken, guys.
-[all laughing]
686
00:29:32,104 --> 00:29:35,647
So whose dish
is on the chopping block?
687
00:29:42,782 --> 00:29:45,991
Tway, you've been chopped.
Judges...
688
00:29:45,993 --> 00:29:49,411
Tway, while we loved the idea
of the quesadilla,
689
00:29:49,413 --> 00:29:52,372
the lamb was a little dry
and overcooked,
690
00:29:52,449 --> 00:29:55,417
and that pink salsa,
it was just a little
too sweet,
691
00:29:55,419 --> 00:29:58,712
and not balanced,
and so we had to chop you.
692
00:29:58,714 --> 00:30:01,799
Thank you, Chef.
Bye guys. Good luck.
693
00:30:01,801 --> 00:30:05,594
-[H Woo] Good luck.
-[all clapping]
694
00:30:06,764 --> 00:30:09,640
[Tway] Ugh,
this experience
has been incredible.
695
00:30:09,642 --> 00:30:13,435
I feel like I can conquer
anything now that I have
gone through Chopped.
696
00:30:13,479 --> 00:30:15,203
[chuckles]
697
00:30:18,108 --> 00:30:23,320
This final round,
I can believe I'm here.
It's a blessing.
698
00:30:23,322 --> 00:30:27,908
Ahmad, H Woo,
will you like
what's in this final basket?
699
00:30:27,910 --> 00:30:29,451
There's only room for one.
I got this.
700
00:30:29,495 --> 00:30:30,702
I'm ready to take
this one home.
701
00:30:30,779 --> 00:30:32,162
[Allen] All right.
Let's do it.
702
00:30:35,960 --> 00:30:37,209
Open it up!
703
00:30:38,504 --> 00:30:40,212
-[blows air]
-[Ahmad] Oh, look.
704
00:30:40,214 --> 00:30:42,714
-[H Woo] Okay.
-The dessert is already made.
705
00:30:42,716 --> 00:30:46,009
-[Allen] A cotton candy cake.
-[H Woo] Who invented this?
706
00:30:46,011 --> 00:30:46,844
[Ahmad chuckles]
707
00:30:47,137 --> 00:30:48,846
Is this Nature's Cereal?
708
00:30:50,766 --> 00:30:53,308
-[Allen] Nature's Cereal.
-[H Woo] Oh, my God.
709
00:30:53,310 --> 00:30:54,685
[Allen] Bergamot.
710
00:30:55,729 --> 00:30:58,856
-[H Woo] Wow.
-[Allen] And croissant
doughnuts.
711
00:31:00,234 --> 00:31:02,693
-This is ridiculous.
-[Allen] 30 minutes.
712
00:31:04,655 --> 00:31:05,921
Time starts now.
713
00:31:05,923 --> 00:31:07,531
-[Cauhan] Chefs, let's go!
-[Zakarian] Go!
714
00:31:07,608 --> 00:31:09,491
-[judges clapping]
-[H Woo] Here we go.
715
00:31:13,998 --> 00:31:17,416
On social media, desserts,
especially colorful,
716
00:31:17,418 --> 00:31:18,792
over-the-top desserts
are so popular.
717
00:31:18,869 --> 00:31:20,878
Vanilla extract.
718
00:31:20,880 --> 00:31:26,758
This cotton candy cake,
all that this is is different
layers of cotton candy
719
00:31:26,760 --> 00:31:29,177
layered up in the form
of a cake.
720
00:31:29,179 --> 00:31:31,388
[Sasto] Cotton candy's
just sponge sugar...
721
00:31:31,390 --> 00:31:33,181
-[Zakarian] Yeah.
-...so essentially we're
giving them sugar...
722
00:31:33,225 --> 00:31:34,433
-[Chauhan] Sugar.
-...for the dessert round.
723
00:31:34,435 --> 00:31:35,934
[H Woo] Yep.
724
00:31:37,521 --> 00:31:39,813
That's ridiculous.
[chuckles]
725
00:31:39,815 --> 00:31:43,150
Cotton candy is easy
to incorporate
into an ice cream.
726
00:31:43,226 --> 00:31:45,110
I'm making cotton candy
and ice cream.
727
00:31:49,366 --> 00:31:51,700
Bergamot is a Mediterranean
citrus fruit.
728
00:31:51,702 --> 00:31:53,702
Definitely gonna use
this in the ice cream.
729
00:31:55,956 --> 00:31:58,582
[Chauhan]
H Woo has over
the last two courses
730
00:31:58,584 --> 00:32:02,836
really shown us that, uh,
he has a very controlled
731
00:32:02,838 --> 00:32:05,213
and a very refined approach
to cooking,
732
00:32:05,215 --> 00:32:08,884
beautiful plates that look
absolutely Insta-worthy.
733
00:32:08,886 --> 00:32:10,576
[Ahmad] H Woo,
how are you feeling?
734
00:32:10,578 --> 00:32:14,348
[H Woo] I'm vibing.
I feel I'm being a little
crazy here.
735
00:32:14,350 --> 00:32:18,477
Ahmad sort of exudes
this sunshine of food
and cooking, you know?
736
00:32:18,553 --> 00:32:21,104
He just loves to cook,
and I love seeing that.
737
00:32:23,692 --> 00:32:26,276
[Ahmad] I've never made
a cheesecake before,
738
00:32:26,278 --> 00:32:28,946
but I feel like you cannot
go wrong with some
cream cheese.
739
00:32:28,948 --> 00:32:31,573
Bergamot is giving me some
lemon vibes,
740
00:32:31,617 --> 00:32:34,242
and I'm dusting it into
the cream cheese.
741
00:32:34,244 --> 00:32:37,162
I'm adding some
confectioner's sugar,
some vanilla extract,
742
00:32:37,164 --> 00:32:39,247
and I'm gonna toss in a litt
bit of heavy cream
743
00:32:39,249 --> 00:32:41,458
just to give it some
silky smoothness.
744
00:32:42,544 --> 00:32:44,294
Twenty minutes to go, folks.
745
00:32:46,590 --> 00:32:48,423
[Sasto] Nature's Cereal is o
of those things
746
00:32:48,425 --> 00:32:50,801
that is a direct product
of the internet.
747
00:32:52,179 --> 00:32:57,057
It is a mix of berries,
usually with coconut water
poured over it.
748
00:32:57,059 --> 00:32:58,433
It's a gimme
basket ingredient
for the dessert round.
749
00:32:58,435 --> 00:33:00,702
[Chauhan] It's--
Completely.
750
00:33:00,704 --> 00:33:02,887
[H Woo] I'm using the berrie
from the Nature's Cereal
to make a compote,
751
00:33:02,889 --> 00:33:07,943
and I get them into a sauce
pan with, um, bergamot rinds
water and sugar.
752
00:33:12,241 --> 00:33:15,325
[Ahmad] I'm gonna repurpose
the Nature's Cereal into
a reduction.
753
00:33:15,327 --> 00:33:17,661
I'm straining out a little b
of that coconut water,
754
00:33:17,738 --> 00:33:21,206
then I'm gonna toss
in the cotton candy
instead of sugar.
755
00:33:21,283 --> 00:33:23,166
Zest and juice.
756
00:33:23,168 --> 00:33:26,003
I'm also zesting and juicin
the bergamot into
the reduction.
757
00:33:26,079 --> 00:33:27,504
I guess the most.
758
00:33:27,923 --> 00:33:29,339
Less than 10 minutes to go!
759
00:33:30,968 --> 00:33:33,427
-H Woo, are you making
ice cream?
-[H Woo] Yes, sir.
760
00:33:38,017 --> 00:33:40,475
[Sasto]
These croissant doughnuts,
uh, incredibly popular.
761
00:33:40,477 --> 00:33:43,145
Essentially it's a croissant
dough,
762
00:33:43,147 --> 00:33:46,398
punched out into the shape
of a doughnut and then fried
763
00:33:49,570 --> 00:33:52,279
[H Woo]
With the croissant doughnuts
I'm cutting them up
764
00:33:52,281 --> 00:33:53,613
and then making
a chocolate orange sauce
765
00:33:53,615 --> 00:33:55,991
to help bring some flavor
out in them.
766
00:33:58,746 --> 00:34:00,895
Behind, behind.
767
00:34:02,624 --> 00:34:04,958
[Ahmad] For my
cheesecake crust, I'm takin
some Graham crackers,
768
00:34:04,960 --> 00:34:08,712
the croissant portion
of the pastry, and I'm gonn
blend them together.
769
00:34:09,923 --> 00:34:13,842
So, uh, Ahmad right over
there is making
a no bake cheesecake.
770
00:34:13,886 --> 00:34:17,387
He's going to use
the croissant doughnut
as the base,
771
00:34:17,389 --> 00:34:19,723
-and then build a cheesecak
on top.
-[Sasto] Interesting.
772
00:34:20,017 --> 00:34:21,641
Four minutes to go!
773
00:34:21,718 --> 00:34:23,101
[H Woo]
There's not much time at all
774
00:34:23,178 --> 00:34:24,853
[Allen] We're getting down
to the wire here.
775
00:34:24,855 --> 00:34:26,855
[H Woo] I go to check
on my ice cream and...
776
00:34:28,567 --> 00:34:30,275
...it just splatters all
over me.
777
00:34:30,277 --> 00:34:31,568
-[Allen] Oh, wow.
-What is he doing?
778
00:34:31,645 --> 00:34:33,311
Let's not touch that early.
779
00:34:33,313 --> 00:34:35,697
H Woo has just gone
ahead and opened
the ice cream machine,
780
00:34:35,699 --> 00:34:38,658
and the ice cream
is not set.
781
00:34:38,660 --> 00:34:41,995
[H Woo] I have two
of the basket ingredients
in this ice cream.
782
00:34:41,997 --> 00:34:44,306
I need it to turn
out perfectly.
783
00:34:54,885 --> 00:34:58,303
[H Woo] I go to check
on my ice cream, and it jus
splatters all over me.
784
00:34:58,305 --> 00:35:00,430
-Oh, God.
-Oh, my God.
785
00:35:01,809 --> 00:35:04,059
[H Woo] My ice cream
is not even close
to being ready.
786
00:35:04,478 --> 00:35:06,394
I hope that's fine. [chuckles]
787
00:35:06,897 --> 00:35:09,106
[Ahmad] This berry sauce
needs to thicken.
788
00:35:09,108 --> 00:35:12,442
My plan is to have several
levels of flavor and textur
in this cheesecake,
789
00:35:12,519 --> 00:35:14,945
so I take my cheesecake crust,
I put it on the bottom
of the dish,
790
00:35:15,021 --> 00:35:17,531
then I start piping
my cheesecake filling
on top.
791
00:35:18,784 --> 00:35:20,617
[Sasto] Don't forget about
your ice cream.
792
00:35:20,694 --> 00:35:23,078
H Woo is going to wait 'till
the last second to get
the ice cream out.
793
00:35:23,080 --> 00:35:24,604
H Woo, you have to pull
your ice cream out.
794
00:35:24,606 --> 00:35:26,373
I'm praying
for that ice cream.
Behind, behind.
795
00:35:26,375 --> 00:35:27,624
[Chauhan] Okay, come on,
come on! Let's go, let's go!
796
00:35:27,626 --> 00:35:29,668
Make sure everything's
on your plate.
797
00:35:29,670 --> 00:35:32,546
Time's running out.
I hope that the ice cream
has set.
798
00:35:32,622 --> 00:35:35,173
-[Chauhan] Okay, come on!
-One minute to go!
799
00:35:35,208 --> 00:35:37,843
[Chauhan]
Not a lot of time! [clapping]
800
00:35:37,845 --> 00:35:40,303
Okay, come on, come on!
Let's go, let's go, let's go!
801
00:35:40,305 --> 00:35:42,264
[Sasto] Make sure everything's
on your plate,
all the components.
802
00:35:42,266 --> 00:35:45,267
[Allen]
All right, final seconds
of the final round!
803
00:35:45,310 --> 00:35:49,354
Ten, nine, eight, seven,
804
00:35:49,356 --> 00:35:55,819
six, five, four, three,
two, one.
805
00:35:57,114 --> 00:35:58,446
Time's up.
806
00:35:58,448 --> 00:35:59,948
-[Sasto] Wow.
-Whoo!
807
00:35:59,992 --> 00:36:01,658
-[judges clapping]
-[Ahmad] Hey.
808
00:36:01,735 --> 00:36:03,827
-[H Woo] Oh, my God.
-You all right? Sup, baby?
809
00:36:03,862 --> 00:36:05,478
That was scary.
810
00:36:06,874 --> 00:36:09,833
I'm looking at Ahmad's dish
and it looks fantastic.
811
00:36:09,910 --> 00:36:12,794
[Ahmad] I look at H Woo.
It seems like he's pulled
off ice cream,
812
00:36:12,796 --> 00:36:15,755
but I think
this is a $10,000 dish.
813
00:36:15,757 --> 00:36:18,842
I came up with something
that I'm pretty proud
of, honestly.
814
00:36:24,683 --> 00:36:29,269
H Woo and Ahmad,
that last basket
was a lovely one.
815
00:36:29,346 --> 00:36:36,610
A cotton candy cake,
Nature's Cereal, bergamot
and croissant doughnuts.
816
00:36:36,612 --> 00:36:38,778
H Woo, please tell
us about your dessert.
817
00:36:38,780 --> 00:36:42,824
Chefs, on your right
is a cotton candy
and bergamot ice cream,
818
00:36:42,868 --> 00:36:45,994
and on the left
is a croissant doughnut
819
00:36:45,996 --> 00:36:47,829
with an orange chocolate
sauce underneath,
820
00:36:47,831 --> 00:36:50,332
and on top
is a Nature's Cereal
reduction.
821
00:36:51,043 --> 00:36:54,878
H Woo...
this is really good.
822
00:36:54,955 --> 00:36:57,756
-Thank you.
-[Chauhan] The consistency
of the ice cream is lovely,
823
00:36:57,832 --> 00:37:01,968
it's velvety, it is everything
that an ice cream should be.
824
00:37:01,970 --> 00:37:06,306
And the chocolate sauce
and the Nature's Cereal
sauce,
825
00:37:06,308 --> 00:37:10,936
nice, flavorful, clean,
and when I have
everything together,
826
00:37:10,938 --> 00:37:13,104
it's a very
sophisticated bite.
827
00:37:13,106 --> 00:37:16,691
-Thank you, Chef.
-Um, I disagree.
828
00:37:17,653 --> 00:37:19,194
I don't like your ice cream.
829
00:37:20,989 --> 00:37:22,948
And chopping doughnuts
and throwing 'em in chocolate
830
00:37:22,950 --> 00:37:25,742
is not my idea of a dessert,
it's like, Hail Mary.
831
00:37:28,622 --> 00:37:30,038
[Sasto] I'm gonna land
somewhere in the middle.
832
00:37:30,040 --> 00:37:33,166
It's eye-catching
and ice cream.
833
00:37:33,168 --> 00:37:35,669
The texture on it's great,
but in the cotton candy
834
00:37:35,745 --> 00:37:38,046
and the bergamot you put
in there, it gets lost.
835
00:37:38,048 --> 00:37:39,965
Had you just used
a little bit of zest,
836
00:37:40,041 --> 00:37:43,176
you really would
have gotten that floral
and aromatic quality.
837
00:37:43,178 --> 00:37:46,429
-Got it. Thank you, Chef.
-Thank you, H Woo.
Finally, Ahmad.
838
00:37:46,431 --> 00:37:49,391
Chefs, in front of you
is a cheesecake,
839
00:37:49,393 --> 00:37:51,851
and then the reduction on to
is Nature's Cereal.
840
00:37:51,853 --> 00:37:54,062
I did a bergamot juice zest
841
00:37:54,064 --> 00:37:56,439
and then I took all
that top layer cotton candy,
842
00:37:56,441 --> 00:37:58,525
and I put it into
the reduction instead
of sugar.
843
00:37:58,527 --> 00:38:00,944
[Zakarian] It's pretty,
no question about that,
844
00:38:00,946 --> 00:38:03,989
and I think
that it's a great idea,
and I think the composition
845
00:38:03,991 --> 00:38:05,865
-is very smart.
-Thank you.
846
00:38:05,867 --> 00:38:09,077
-Ahmad, have you used
bergamot before?
-My first time.
847
00:38:09,121 --> 00:38:10,620
You would have had me fooled.
848
00:38:11,248 --> 00:38:13,540
Um, I love your use
of bergamot.
849
00:38:13,616 --> 00:38:19,337
It is restrained, but you
still taste it, and I love
the way that this looks.
850
00:38:19,414 --> 00:38:21,589
It's incredibly
social media worthy.
851
00:38:21,633 --> 00:38:23,591
I think this is a really fun,
creative dessert.
852
00:38:23,593 --> 00:38:25,117
Thank you so much.
I'm honored.
853
00:38:25,119 --> 00:38:28,054
I love the idea that you took
the croissant doughnut,
854
00:38:28,056 --> 00:38:31,182
and you made
it into the crust,
855
00:38:31,184 --> 00:38:34,436
but I think you could have
taken it to the next level
by toasting it
856
00:38:34,479 --> 00:38:36,980
because when you have
the cheesecake, you want
that crunch,
857
00:38:37,057 --> 00:38:38,523
you want that baked base.
858
00:38:40,360 --> 00:38:42,560
[Allen] Okay, Ahmad,
thank you.
859
00:38:44,531 --> 00:38:48,658
The judges must choose just
one winner, and this does not
seem like an easy call.
860
00:38:48,660 --> 00:38:50,976
We'll bring you back soon.
Thanks.
861
00:38:53,081 --> 00:38:58,418
Judges, even worse than being
chopped, these social media
stars risk being unfollowed
862
00:38:58,420 --> 00:39:00,879
by people who didn't think
they performed well here.
863
00:39:00,881 --> 00:39:02,005
Could that happen?
864
00:39:02,082 --> 00:39:04,716
-Well, uh...
-No.
865
00:39:04,793 --> 00:39:06,926
I think they are going
to gain more followers.
866
00:39:07,003 --> 00:39:09,971
Ahmad's dessert was a very
rendition of a cheesecake.
867
00:39:09,973 --> 00:39:13,391
It was elegant, and he made
a beautiful, like, parfait
in the glass.
868
00:39:13,393 --> 00:39:18,271
H Woo, on the other hand,
I know that you did not like
the texture of the ice cream.
869
00:39:18,273 --> 00:39:21,107
I do think that the texture
of the ice cream was great.
870
00:39:22,277 --> 00:39:27,947
In round one, H Woo did not
know how to cook
with mussels.
871
00:39:27,949 --> 00:39:29,449
[Zakarian] Yes,
they were overcooked.
872
00:39:29,451 --> 00:39:30,742
[Chauhan] But the sauce
that he created
873
00:39:30,744 --> 00:39:32,702
with the baked feta,
it was delicious.
874
00:39:32,737 --> 00:39:35,580
I thought, though, uh, Ahmad
did a really good job
with the pasta,
875
00:39:35,582 --> 00:39:37,749
you know, other than it need
more salt and water,
876
00:39:37,751 --> 00:39:39,918
-but his mussels
were cooked perfectly.
-[Chauhan] Yes.
877
00:39:39,920 --> 00:39:43,129
-[Sasto] They were.
-Where Ahmad sort of fell down
was on his entree.
878
00:39:43,131 --> 00:39:46,049
-[Sasto] Mmm-hmm.
-[Zakarian] That beautiful,
expensive lamb loin,
879
00:39:46,051 --> 00:39:49,844
his spice rub got, like,
really acrid smoky burn.
880
00:39:49,846 --> 00:39:54,557
But what Ahmad did amazingly
was take that beet hummus
881
00:39:54,559 --> 00:39:58,478
and make that light, fresh
vinaigrette out of it.
882
00:39:58,480 --> 00:40:00,146
[Sasto]
He transformed the ingredien
883
00:40:00,148 --> 00:40:02,440
Think that H Woo's katsu,
the crust was great,
884
00:40:02,517 --> 00:40:05,193
and he was very successful
in his beet yogurt sauce.
885
00:40:05,237 --> 00:40:07,487
Unfortunately the lamb
was overcooked.
886
00:40:07,489 --> 00:40:10,740
I don't think either one
of 'em made
too many mistakes
887
00:40:10,742 --> 00:40:12,450
that is gonna make
this an easy decision.
888
00:40:12,527 --> 00:40:14,702
It's a very close
neck and neck battle.
889
00:40:24,589 --> 00:40:27,632
I want this so badly
for the people
that support me,
890
00:40:27,634 --> 00:40:30,051
which is friends, family
and followers.
891
00:40:30,053 --> 00:40:31,594
I'm just praying for the bes
892
00:40:32,722 --> 00:40:37,225
Holy [bleep].
I'm feeling anxious.
[chuckles nervously]
893
00:40:38,186 --> 00:40:41,062
So whose dish
is on the chopping block?
894
00:40:51,074 --> 00:40:54,492
H Woo, you've been chopped.
Judges...
895
00:40:54,494 --> 00:40:57,704
H Woo, in the first course,
the mussels, which was
the star of the dish,
896
00:40:57,706 --> 00:40:59,205
really were overcooked.
897
00:40:59,207 --> 00:41:01,416
On the second course,
the lamb was overcooked.
898
00:41:01,418 --> 00:41:04,127
The potato salad
was a good idea,
899
00:41:04,129 --> 00:41:09,132
but the olives kneaded
very heavy for us,
and so we had to chop you.
900
00:41:09,468 --> 00:41:10,884
Thank you, Chef.
901
00:41:10,886 --> 00:41:12,051
-[Ahmad] Come here.
-[both chuckling softly]
902
00:41:12,053 --> 00:41:12,677
[H Woo]
You did a great job.
903
00:41:12,679 --> 00:41:18,266
[clapping]
904
00:41:18,268 --> 00:41:21,728
This didn't go the way
I wanted, but I'm just
so grateful to be here
905
00:41:21,804 --> 00:41:23,480
and to experience all this.
906
00:41:23,482 --> 00:41:24,647
It's been a great time.
907
00:41:27,319 --> 00:41:28,726
[Allen] And that means,
Ahmad Alzahabi,
908
00:41:28,728 --> 00:41:31,488
you are the Chopped champio,
congratulations.
909
00:41:31,490 --> 00:41:32,547
-[Zakarian] Yeah!
-Thank you so much.
910
00:41:32,549 --> 00:41:33,806
-[Chauhan] Whoo!
-[all clapping]
911
00:41:33,883 --> 00:41:35,399
-Oh, my God. I appreciate it.
-[all clapping]
912
00:41:36,870 --> 00:41:40,538
[breaking up]
Shout out to my parents.
Just makes me cry.
913
00:41:40,540 --> 00:41:45,126
To my followers everyday
who support me, and I'd never
knew I'd be here.
914
00:41:45,253 --> 00:41:47,328
It's crazy.
915
00:41:47,330 --> 00:41:50,089
I just won Chopped, baby.
It's just the craziest
feeling in the world.
916
00:41:50,091 --> 00:41:51,966
Thanks so much.
917
00:41:52,001 --> 00:41:54,427
Big breath in,
I won Chopped.
918
00:41:54,513 --> 00:41:57,305
Just so emotion,
and, so, bless you.