- Previously on "next level chef"...
- We have gone up a level,
But one dish stood out-- the tongue.
- [squeals] - oh!
- It's go time. - Cassie, alex.
You're headed to the elimination cookoff,
Where only one of you will survive.
- I'm going to eliminate the succotash.
- The pork chop with the succotash.
- Alex, you will not be our next level chef.
- All I know is, can't keep a bad bitch down too long.
[laughs]
[dramatic music]
- Hello, beautiful!
- Today you'll all be creating a next-level sandwich.
- What is a next-level sandwich?
I don't know.
- I've just screwed this all up.
- Come on, platform is here.
- Ah!
Ah, ah!
♪ ♪
[tense music]
♪ ♪
- Welcome, and good to see you all.
- Good to see you, chef. - Good to see you, chef.
♪ ♪
- Cassie. - Yes, chef?
- Well done in that elimination cookoff.
- Thank you so much, chef.
I'm traumatized from elimination.
Nobody wants to be in that situation,
And I don't want to feel that again.
- Listen, all of you.
In this challenge, we want you all to take something humble
And elevate it into something amazing.
Today you'll all be creating
An upscale, next-level sandwich.
- Yeah, yeah. [applause]
- What is a next-level sandwich?
What's going to really elevate a sandwich
To the point that we could categorize it as next level?
I don't know.
- Do not underestimate the word sandwich.
We serve upscale gourmet burgers in all our properties.
Today we expect you to do the same thing
For that humble sandwich.
Elevate it to the next level.
- Listen, a great sandwich, it is a thing of beauty.
A lobster roll to a banh mi--
They can be as packed with flavor as you choose.
- Pilar, what's your favorite sandwich?
- Fried catfish po' boy. - Oh!
- Wow. - Yes.
- Out the gate. - Vinny, favorite sandwich?
- Peanut butter and jelly, chef.
- [laughs] - that's it?
- That's it, baby. Basics, basics.
- I'm gonna need to see more than that today, otherwise--
- You're getting that, chef. Don't you worry.
- Home sweet home, big man.
Yes? [laughter]
- I want them to bite into my sandwich and say,
"this is what I've been looking for my entire life.
Vinny's done it. You're hired."
[laughs]
- All of you will have 40 minutes
To create your perfect next-level sandwich.
That platform will be packed
With every ingredient you'll need.
Do not minimize your ingredients today.
Otherwise, you're going straight to elimination.
Is that clear? All: Yes, chef.
- All right, team blais, you're back cooking on top,
Thanks to tini's best dish last week.
- Team ramsay, thanks to cassie
Cooking her way out of elimination last week,
We're back in the middle kitchen.
- Okay, my loves.
Team arrington, we're down one teammate,
And we're back in the basement.
This is our time to cook our way back to the top.
- All of you, good luck. Off you go.
♪ ♪
- Going back to the top level, baby.
We'll be able to pick the top-of-the-line ingredients
And all sorts of equipment.
I already plan on using the kitchenaid,
These lovely hexclad pans, and that vitamix.
These sandwiches are going to be next level without a doubt.
[elevator bell dings] hello, beautiful!
[cheers and applause]
♪ ♪
- Our best work has come out of this kitchen.
- That's all you need.
- We're still six strong on team ramsay.
[elevator bell dings] - let's go, let's go.
- Home base, baby. Home base.
- Let's go.
- But we need to get a top dish on our team
So we can get back up to the top.
This is it.
- This is the best challenge to be in the basement, guys.
- Let's go, let's go. - Yes.
- This is the best challenge. - Agreed.
- This basement sucks so bad.
- Let's go.
- But I make sandwiches for my husband and my boys,
So I can make a sandwich.
[elevator bell dings] - what's up, team?
Let's go, let's go, let's go, let's go. Ugh!
[cheers and applause]
Line up, line up.
- The boss is coming. [elevator bell dings]
- Let's go. Let's go, let's go, let's go. Yes?
I want a perfect sandwich today.
Team ramsay is standing strong,
With a 100% record and 6 strong chefs.
I've got to up my game to make sure we don't go down to 5.
[elevator bell dings, cheers and applause]
- Let's go, chef. Let's go. All right. We're on the top.
Let's stay on the top. - Yes, sir.
- Sandwiches, they are harder to put together
Than you think.
Oh, it's a sandwich. Boom, boom, boom.
- Yeah. - It's not.
It's a lot of layers of structuring.
- We are not losing another person, right?
- No, not today.
- One, two, three. All: Team arrington!
[cheers and applause, elevator bell dings]
- When it's green, it's go time.
- Oh, it's coming, it's coming, it's coming.
- Go! Let's go. Get over there.
Okay, grab what you can.
This sandwich of mine is going to be earth-shattering.
I'm going to save my team from elimination this round,
Hands down.
- Don't bite me, don't bite me.
I know exactly what I want. I want that lobster.
And I just start grabbing things,
Stuff it in places that you don't stuff food.
- Do you have bread? Do you need cheese?
Do you have a condiment?
Five seconds. There's hot sauce.
- Where's the mayonnaise?
- You can grab it until it goes.
- I am trying to focus on the protein.
I got flat iron.
- If you can grab it, you can get it.
- All these things are running through my head.
I'm like, "oh, my god."
And I'm trying to reach for bread,
And the platform starts moving.
I wanted to jump in there.
Damn it.
I forgot bread. What was I thinking?
[sighs]
- Let's go, guys! Come on, let's go!
Let's go, let's go, let's go! Well done.
Grab. Look at that.
- Who let the hanger steak drop to the middle floor?
Y'all are silly.
There's only one per cow.
Mmm.
Put it in the apron basket. Mine.
- Ten seconds. Go back again, vinny.
Go back. Grab, vinny.
Grab, grab, grab. - Any lemons?
Any lemons? - Other side, other side.
- Any lemons? Give me a lemon! - Five, four...
- Give me a lemon! - Cheese, cheese.
- Three, two, one.
Grab, grab, grab, grab! Let's go, guys.
- Go! Here we go. [claps hands]
Spread, lettuce, bread, protein.
- I see pork, I grab the pork.
And then I'm looking for the cheese.
Where's my cheese?
I would love some cheese in my sandwich.
I didn't see any cheese. There was no cheese.
There was zero cheese.
I didn't see it.
- Come on, guys. You want this.
I know you do. Three, two, one!
Platform's still here. Grab what you need.
Let's go, let's go, let's go, let's go.
- I saw the soft-shell crab.
My eyes lit up, and I'm like, "that's it."
I want to make sure I make an amazing dish
So we can get the hell out the basement.
I'm tired of it. - I got the lobster.
- Yeah, you did. - Oh, yeah.
- Yeah, she did. - That's my lobster.
He's going to make sure I don't get an elimination.
So you have to, you know, give it love.
You have to make food with love.
You're going to taste so frickin' good.
You're going to get another top dish.
- All right, team, your 40 minutes starts now.
Okay, darryl, what are we thinking over here?
What are you doing?
- I think I'm going to marinate this flat iron
And maybe make a bread.
- You're gonna make a bread?
- I'm going to make a flat--flat--
- You're going to make a flatbread.
Okay, because you didn't grab bread?
- Yeah.
Oh, god. Never forget your bread.
If you hear someone screaming in the kitchen real loud,
You know it's me.
I'm chef drama.
So I want to try to give you drama on the plate.
I'm darryl, from atlanta, georgia,
And I'm a professional chef.
I own an upscale catering company.
When you come to an event,
It's all about the dramatic presentation.
Many call me chef drama.
[somber music]
At the age of 31, my kidneys shut down.
I remember when the doctor said to me,
We have to start you on dialysis today.
I just jumped up and ran and just--
♪ ♪
It just like, brought it back, you know?
2019, I received a new kidney.
A gift of life.
And to be here on "next level chef,"
It has shown me that all things are possible.
- All right, matt. How was the grab?
What are you going to do? - It was good.
I got a filet mignon. I got blue cheese.
- You're making a steak sandwich
With some cheese and mushrooms.
- Yeah. - Got it.
Let's go, let's go, let's go.
The stakes are high. The pressure's on.
Gordon hasn't lost a player.
Do I want to take down gordon ramsay?
Of course.
Team blais is taking it home.
- Winning sandwiches. Winning dish today, right?
All: Yes, chef! - Absolutely.
- What's your game plan, shay?
- I'm making a pork belly in a coconut curry sauce.
- Yum.
- With a little pepper tomato slaw.
And I haven't quite figured out what
To do with this mushroom pate, but I'm really glad I got it...
- Maybe a spread.
- 'cause I figure it's got a lot of umami.
- Nuri, what's your game plan, chef?
- So what I'm going to do is make
The pancetta mayonnaise, toast the buns,
Fry the soft-shell crab.
- Who you cooking for right now?
- My daughter right now. This one is for her.
- Your daughter to come, right? - Yes, chef.
- I know you've got one on the way.
- This one's for her, chef. - What's her name?
- Uh, she's nori. N-o-r-I.
- Ah! - I'm n-u-r-I.
- We love to see it.
- Yes, chef.
I don't want to attach my baby girl's name
To nothing but perfect.
Fingers crossed. Top dish, baby!
- Nori, this is for you. - This is for my baby girl.
- Right, vinny. What did you grab?
- I grabbed a nice little haddock.
- Ciabatta. Yeah? - Ciabatta.
- And how are you going to cook this fish?
- I'm gonna batter it up.
I got my oil nice and hot, going.
- Elevate it, yes? - Yes, chef.
You got that. - Okay, good luck.
- Thank you.
Being a firefighter, we live through pressure every day.
Right now, I'm the duck on the water.
I might look cool and calm, but my little flippers
Under the water are going banana sandwich.
I'm vinny from massachusetts, and I'm a home chef.
I've been a firefighter for 18 1/2 years,
And I'm the firehouse cook.
Love cooking for the firehouse.
They will tell you if it's garbage or if it's great.
- It's so good.
- People describe me as a very loud, fun guy.
I love to compete.
You could be tom brady,
And I will throw a football against you.
It doesn't matter. I'll compete.
I'm a very proud father of my daughter, madison.
She's nine years old.
Let's put you right over here. - Okay.
- She is my very soul, my very breath.
Being a dad is the best achievement in my life.
I want to win this competition for my daughter.
That's my special ingredient coming into this competition.
I am bringing my a-game.
I'm a fireman, and I don't give up.
- Preston, what did you grab?
- I grabbed a lot of spices for my banh mi, chef.
I'm making an aioli right now.
- It's a sandwich, okay? - Yes, chef.
- Don't underestimate the power of simplicity, okay?
- Yes, chef. - Good.
Cassie, what'd you get?
- I didn't get a bread.
- Hold on. You didn't get bread?
Oh, my god.
How did you not get bread?
You can't forget the most important thing in a sandwich,
And that's the bread.
Oh, boy.
Otherwise, you're an idiot sandwich.
- I am now messing up two challenges in a row.
- What happened? - I must be blind.
Chef ramsay is just looking at me
Like I am the sore thumb in his group.
- Young lady, you do not want to be back in that elimination.
- I have to figure out what to do,
Or else I could be going home.
- Think about that composition there, okay?
Think about what you're doing.
- I'm going to make a cheese crisp
For a little extra texture. - Okay.
- I forgot the bread,
So I'm going to make a lettuce open-face sandwich wrap,
Served with a cheese crisp.
This is going to really just help with my dish.
- So you're doing a fried turkey--
- Like a hot chicken sandwich,
Using the sambal for the hot glaze.
- This is just like cooking at the magazine, right?
- Just like it. Just-- - just like it?
A totally controlled environment.
- Exactly. - You have enough time.
But you left the magazine to do this.
- So far, feel like it was a good choice.
My name's mahreen.
I'm a 27-year-old home chef from brooklyn, new york.
Both of my parents are from bangladesh.
My mom would make incredible bangladeshi food.
All of my culinary influences started with my mother.
I was an editor at "bon appétit" magazine,
But I did recently quit to come on this competition.
There's a smart, logical version of me
From a few years ago thinking, what the hell are you doing
Throwing your salary out of the window
To cook next to gordon ramsay?
Knowing that I have so many little cousins and nieces
That want to go to culinary school,
And I can't wait to show them what it looks like
To have another muslim woman
That looks like them living out that dream--
To know that they can make it to this level, too.
This is in their cards as well, not just mine.
- You got 30 minutes left. There's not a lot of time.
There's always a lot of things to think about with sandwiches.
- Let's go!
- All right, chris. What are we up to over here?
You're pretty pumped up. I can tell.
- [bleep], I am. - All right.
- I'm gonna basically do a fried shrimp po' boy.
- Okay.
- It's going to be some spicy mayo to go with the shrimp,
And I toss it in, and I got white truffle paste as well.
- Okay. All right.
- My focus right now is taking team ramsay's digits down.
I am ready to be an absolute menace to them.
- Oh, lord.
I'm just screwing up.
- Flip this thing, darryl. - Yes. I'm trying.
- You take a negative, and you turn it into a positive.
- Right. - Lemons to lemonade.
No bread to the best homemade bread you've ever had.
- Right.
- Let's go, team blais. Come on.
- Does anybody see a brush?
- We're in the basement. [laughs]
- What do we have here, pancetta?
- That's for the mayonnaise, chef.
I'm going to do a pancetta mayonnaise.
I'm here to win, baby. That's what I'm here for.
But the competition is heating up.
And it's 250 grand on the line and a year mentorship.
About another minute on that, and I'm good.
If you're a shark, you're going to swim.
If you're a fish, you're going to get ate.
And I'm a shark. [chuckles]
It's "next level chef," baby. Let's go.
- April... What protein do you have, chef?
What protein did you grab? - Pork.
- You have pork? - Yes.
- Are you 100% sure about that?
When you taste it-- - oh, lamb.
I'm sorry. - You have lamb.
- Yes. - Taste it.
- Yes. - Dead giveaway.
- I knew exactly what I had. I knew I had lamb.
When the chefs speak to me,
I get so nervous and so anxious.
I could be holding a cucumber,
And they're going to say, what are you holding?
And I'm going to say, a banana.
- What's your game plan here, chef?
- I'm going to do ahi tuna sandwich,
A tarragon-infused ranch dressing.
- Now you're thinking like a chef.
- Yes, chef.
I've never done a sandwich like this before.
But my specialty is sushi.
So I know I know how to cook ahi tuna.
- Game day, baby.
Let's get out of this basement. All: Yes, chef.
- Get out of this basement.
- I don't want to be in this basement no more!
- I need this whole team to get ready.
I'm not losing to those guys upstairs.
These chefs came to win today.
- 25 minutes remaining.
Stunning, elevated sandwich.
- My fish broke.
It's not easy to elevate a sandwich.
Do you keep it basic?
Do you go out of what you know?
I'm really behind right now, and I'm not loving this.
- Good, catfish. When is that going on?
- Right now, chef. - Yeah?
But make sure you've got a nice color on that catfish.
And you got to let it rest as well, because it's fibrous.
- Yes, chef. - It's very, very--
- Swole, like you. - Yes, exactly.
- [chuckles]
- Let's go, team blais.
I'm sick of the up-and-down game.
We want to stay on the top kitchen.
- I have just really...
Screwed this all up today.
- All right, everyone, it is time for mid-round mayhem!
What goes well with sandwiches?
- Chips. - Pickles.
- Pickles!
You have to make a pickle.
You got to grab it right now.
It's mid-round mayhem.
You got to make a pickle.
It can be pickled any which way.
Five seconds only.
What can you make? What can you make?
What do you need also?
You can grab it! You can get it!
♪ ♪
- Let's go, all of you.
A stunning pickle with your sandwich.
Five seconds. - Jalapeño.
- Let's go.
- I know that I need some acidity
To balance out my dish.
But, hey, you got any bread up there?
That's what I'm thinking.
- Pickled. Has to be pickled.
You understand? - Yes, chef.
- Grab, grab, grab, grab, grab!
- Mid-round drop-- it's no joke.
I know I need something to pickle
To bring some acidity.
I need to elevate this.
I manage to grab a cauliflower.
- Get your pickling liquid on. All: Yes, chef.
- Make sure the vinegar is balanced out
With some water, okay?
- Yes, chef. - You don't want it too strong.
What's the plan with the radish?
- I'm pickling the radish.
- Your flavors have been on point, shay.
- Thank you, chef. I appreciate it.
- Stick with that. Yeah, I appreciate it, too.
Let's go. - All right.
Can't let the nerves get the best of me.
- Let's go, shay. Let's go. - Thank you, chef.
I'm shay. I live in key west, florida.
And I am a social-media chef.
Growing up, I never felt that I was really good at anything
Until I started cooking.
Finally, I found my passion, after all these years.
I started posting on tiktok, on instagram my recipes.
I didn't think much was going to come out of it.
Then I started going viral.
And once you go viral, you want more.
It's like you're at a casino
Pulling that slot over and over again.
I am engaged.
I have been with james for 8 1/2 years.
Want me to feed you?
He's my best friend.
I don't think I would be sitting here right now
If it wasn't for him, because he's my--
Ah. I'm getting a little emotional.
[glasses clink] - cheers.
- Cheers. - Love you.
- I want to win this competition so we can have
A freakin' awesome wedding and I can pay for it
And not freak out.
- Chef, time? - You have 15 minutes to go.
Come on, guys, I want to win this.
I want to win. Come on.
- Yes, chef. - Want to win.
- Don't be scared of this sandwich. Let's go.
[bleep].
- That's not ready yet, chef. - No.
Vinny--he's got this beautiful slice of haddock,
But he's sort of almost overcooked it.
It's like, it needs to be elevated.
But right now he's out of his comfort zone.
Great shame.
- What am I doing? What am I doing?
- Uh, cassie.
- I'll check my fries in a second.
- No, it's not the fries.
It's the cheese crisp. It burnt.
- It's burnt. - I can smell it from here.
- It's burnt. - Take it out and start again.
- Yes, chef.
[dramatic music]
- Do you make sandwiches at home for the kids?
- All the time. - All the time?
- Yeah, all the time. - So this is like--
We're in your wheelhouse. - Dude, I'm in it. I'm in it.
- All right, what are your kids' favorite sandwiches?
- Oh, they love steak.
- You're making filet mignon for your kids?
Steak sandwiches? - Oh, yeah, yeah.
They've had it. - You're dad of the year.
- Richard, they've had caviar, truffles,
And steak, by request. - Unbelievable.
I like that. - [chuckles]
- All right, chef, I'm here with you.
- I've just screwed up. - Okay.
That's still raw. That's still raw.
Yeah? I mean, it's raw.
So don't worry about overcooking it.
I'd get it in the oven, right?
Okay. Super worried about darryl over here.
He didn't grab any bread. He made his own flatbread.
He's kind of flustered.
I don't know if he can pull together.
So much pressure to stay on top.
Everyone comes up here, they get a little complacent,
And they fall quickly below.
I don't want that to happen today.
I love this.
Is it cooked all the way through?
- I pounded it out pretty flat, so I hope it's good.
- All right, are you not going to slice it?
- I've chosen the turkey breast.
And I'm looking at it and knowing, okay,
This could get too thick real fast, too dry really fast.
But I can just imagine chef ramsay cutting through it
And being pleased, hopefully.
- We are running out of time. - Oh!
♪ ♪
- How are you spending the next five minutes of your life?
Let's get out of this basement. All: Yes, chef.
- Hell, yeah.
- P, I need to see pitbull p here today.
Walking around the kitchen is not
Going to get you to the title of next level chef.
- Yes, chef. Hear. - Intensity.
Full throttle. Let's go. - Yes, chef.
- Let's go, guys. Last two minutes.
Start building those amazing next-level sandwiches.
Let's go. - Yes, chef.
- I want to see the pickles in there as well.
I want to identify what we're pickling, yes?
- Yes, chef. - Yes, chef.
- Let's go.
- A minute left.
Season your food.
Does it look beautiful?
Did you get your pickle on the plate?
Think about presentation.
We want to stay on the top kitchen.
- Platform's on the move.
Come on. Platform is here.
It's here. It's not waiting for you.
Let's go. - Making room for you, girl.
Put yours down here. Put yours down here.
- Shay, right now. - I got it.
- Come on, chef.
- Come on, team. Pickles!
Let's go.
- Ah!
[plate clanks] - it's too late.
- It's okay.
- Oh, my gosh.
Ugh. Pilar, pilar, pilar.
That's what I wanted--
To elevate the dish a little bit more.
I'm hoping that the lack of the pickle is not a disqualifier.
- Okay. Let's go.
♪ ♪
- I got far charger right here. - Let's go, guys.
Five, four... - Taking second furthest.
- Third, third. - Three, two...
- Get it, get it. - One, go!
- Good job. Let's go. - Man.
- Good job.
- Cassie, that was the crisp.
You got no bread.
Parmesan tuile, and there's the crisp.
No crisp.
Girl, come on.
- I forgot a component that could really save me.
I definitely do not feel ready
To be in that elimination round again.
- Platform's here! The platform's here!
♪ ♪
Five seconds!
Matt! Matt!
- I pick up my plate, and I'm running over to the platform.
And as I'm reaching up, my apron hooks my arm.
- Matt!
Go, go, get your stuff on there!
[bleep]!
- Just as it's going up, I drop it on the platform.
[bleep].
- The pressure's on. I mean, talk about anxiety 101.
I just hope the other floors are in the same mess,
Or we are in trouble.
- [bleep].
- Everyone thinks that sandwiches are easy.
But, truthfully, to nail a great sandwich,
It's exceptionally hard.
There are some great highlights in front of us.
But, honestly, it was a struggle to get here
For some of you.
Shall we start off with nyesha in the basement?
- Yes, please. - Please.
- So, first up, we have a albacore blt
On ciabatta bread, served with a tarragon aioli.
[bowl dings]
Unfortunately, this person forgot
To put on the pickled cauliflower.
- Damn.
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
I love this. That tuna is absolutely nailed.
What is missing is the acidity.
- Yeah, it's lacking some acidity.
I love the surf and turf.
And it's an ablt--creative.
- I'm wondering what would have
Been the outcome if I would have managed
To get those pickles on the plate.
There was one pickle on there, though.
[laughs]
- Next up, a pork duo.
This pork belly is cooked with a coconut curry
And prosciutto with a spread of mushroom duxelles.
- Duxelles and curry, that doesn't go.
Let's get that absolutely clear,
But I love the cook on the caramelized pork.
Delicious.
- Am I the only one that wants it wrapped in aluminum foil?
It's just got this, like, on-the-go vibe to it.
I love the salad.
- So here we have sort of play on a sloppy joe.
This person chose to pickle bird's eye chili.
So beware.
- I love the tribute to a sloppy joe.
My mom made me sloppy joes all the time.
- There's no way on earth
That I'm going to taste that as a pickled chili,
Because that will absolutely obliterate anybody's palate.
And that is so soggy. - Yeah.
- A shame.
- Next up, a pork meatball sandwich.
This person picked maple syrup to sort of enhance
The sweetness of the pork.
- Pork's really, really well seasoned.
Maple's a little too sweet.
- It's a shame. Bloody good meatballs.
♪ ♪
- Next up here, we have a soft-shell crab sandwich
With pickled red pepper and pickled cucumber.
[crunching]
- You can hear the crunch on this.
- Yeah. Great job on the batter.
- It's an absolute travesty for me
To see that crab go all the way down to the basement.
I was shocked.
But delicious, really delicious.
- The crab's great.
The pickles-- outstanding on this.
- And that fresh slaw in there
Really adds great textural elements.
- It looks like the type of sandwich
That you'd get at a restaurant.
This is the result, I think, of a great platform grab.
- This individual is cooking at the top of his or her game.
- I was doubting my own self, but no more.
It's go time. It's showtime.
- Should we move to the middle? - Please.
- Oh, boy.
- [sighs] here we go.
- Let's start with this one.
This is a slice of breaded haddock,
Topped with a pickled cabbage.
I was excited with this individual
When he grabbed that haddock.
Dark fish.
♪ ♪
It needs seasoning.
It needs acid. It needs to be lifted.
It was fried very quickly.
A little bit too fast for their own good there.
- I did completely opposite of what chef ramsay just told me.
Good tactic, vinny. Good tactic.
- It's got that hot-oil flavor to it,
Bordering on burnt.
- Next, a marinated strip steak
With a beautiful aioli.
- Steak is cooked wonderfully here.
- There's a beautiful brightness
I absolutely love.
Great job.
- Now, this is a seasoned catfish
That has been blackened on a soft bun with a pickled slaw.
- Looking at this dish, I wasn't impressed visually,
But the flavors are just jumping around
And dancing on my palate.
- It's a tough one to get right, catfish.
Really good.
This ham steak was seared.
And then there's an artichoke puree.
- The pork is cooked beautifully.
- I mean, you don't usually see artichoke schmear
On a sandwich.
It eats really, really healthy.
I'm not sure if that's a good thing.
- This is a hanger steak,
Served with pickled onions
And a beautiful truffle aioli on top.
- This is a well-executed thought.
And I have to say, I'm really impressed
With how well the steak is cooked.
- It's a chef's sandwich-- delicious.
Pork tenderloin. It's an open sandwich.
Unfortunately, forgot the bread.
Also, it came with a parmesan cheese crisp,
Which was also forgotten. - Wow.
- I'm confident in my flavors.
The challenge was a sandwich, and I didn't make a sandwich.
- Flavor-wise, it's fantastic. It's so fresh, so bright.
I don't want bread all the time.
But is it a sandwich?
- Pork's cooked beautifully, marinated beautifully.
Aioli's amazing.
But it is missing the sandwich effect.
Should we move to the top floor?
- Yes.
We'll start over here.
We have a surf-and-turf open-faced sandwich
With homemade bread, homemade bread.
- Did they forget the bread, or was the intention no bread?
- They forgot to grab bread. - Right.
- Oh, god.
- It's such a shame. It looks like an entrée.
- I love the idea.
The bread is just a little bit dense.
And I would say it's a bit of a missed opportunity.
- It's missing the sandwich part.
- I am so frightened.
The elimination challenge has my name written all over it.
- All right, in front of you, gordon,
This is a crispy shrimp po' boy on a toasted baguette.
- Whoever made this is cooking with such confidence.
This is textbook for me. I love it.
It's a perfect sandwich that is a proper meal.
This is a sandwich to die for, and it's bloody delicious.
- I love to see the great utilization of the protein.
I know exactly what I'm eating.
Visually, it's absolutely stunning.
- This sandwich was on a different planetary level.
Top dish, it's going to be me. Just you wait.
- Moving on, we have a cheesesteak, if you will.
It's filet with blue cheese, mushrooms,
A chili aioli, and some artichokes.
- It's a shame,
'cause it's not the most visually attractive sandwich.
It's certainly one of the tastiest.
- Take some time to be able to plate something beautifully
So that the vision can carry through to the flavor,
'cause the flavor's absolutely impeccable.
- Mm-hmm. - Yeah, unfortunately,
This chef ended up having to toss his dish on the platform,
And that's why it looks this way.
All right, moving on, we have a play on a lobster roll,
Potato and dill, and red-pepper salad.
- Lobster is beautiful, really beautiful.
- It's so well cooked,
And lobster is so hard to cook perfectly.
- I'm really impressed with the pickle.
- Okay, here we go.
In front of you, gordon,
We have a hot fried-turkey sandwich
With a fresh cucumber slaw and a sunny-side-up egg.
- Can we just talk about visuals first?
'cause it just looks beautiful.
[dramatic music]
To cook turkey like that
And have the confidence not to slice it,
Knowing full well it's going in front of us three
And it's nailed beautifully, there's something quite unique
About this individual's technical ability.
- I mean, this proves that, like, you need technique
To cook a sandwich.
The dredge is so crispy. The egg is perfect.
- Bloody good, chef.
- I feel incredibly proud.
The three best chefs in america--
The fact that they like it... I don't know what to say.
[laughs]
- We asked for a next-level sandwich.
And let me tell you, there's a lot to choose from here.
This is going to be a very tough choice tonight.
Please give us a moment.
Shall we?
♪ ♪
Some really good dishes tonight.
The techniques were incredible.
The glaze on that shrimp-- beautiful.
- Delicious. - That's a top-level choice.
- Honestly, that turkey-- incredible.
- It was so perfectly cooked. - Smart.
- That crab was delicious. I mean, it looks stunning.
- Really great job. - The pickles on that...
- Mm-hmm. - Were next level.
- I'm disappointed with the slab of haddock.
Great choice, but, unfortunately, badly executed.
- Let's not forget
About that open-face dense surf and turf.
- I mean, it's a pretty neat concept.
- It did not look anything like a sandwich, I'm sorry,
Even an open sandwich.
- It's not about the presentation
As much as it was the lack of flavor.
- That pork tenderloin was desperate for bread.
- And even if you're going to use lettuce,
Like, pick a protein that has a lot more depth of flavor.
- Sure. - It's close.
- We got our top, right?
Yeah?
- Yes. - Let's go.
- Ah.
- [exhaling sharply]
Whew.
- Okay.
So the winning next-level sandwich tonight...
Congratulations goes to...
♪ ♪
The soft-shell crab.
- Let's go! Let's go!
I got the best dish! [claps hands]
I want to cry, chef. - Aw.
- Like, I can't believe it.
- All three of us agreed,
It's the kind of sandwich
We'd stick on our restaurants tonight
For a perfect appetizer.
It was exceptional.
- Thank you, chef.
- You're the type of cook who walks around with cookbooks
In their bag, right? - Yeah.
- It reminds me of me growing up.
- Thank you, chef.
- Cook with that confidence
And carry that through this competition.
- Yes, chef.
This one was for my baby girl.
So daddy's making you proud, baby.
I'm making you proud.
- All right, team arrington, you guys are all safe.
Head back to the lounge, please, put your feet up.
- Yes, chef. - Yes, chef.
- Good job, nuri.
- I'm just happy that I could save the team
And get the best dish.
We deserve to be safe.
We deserve to get out of the basement.
- Whoo! - Let's go!
- Let's go! You did it! - Let's go!
- Started from the bottom! Both: Now we're here!
- Whoo! - Let's go, guys.
- Started from the bottom. Now my whole team's here.
♪ ♪
- [sighs] unfortunately, that means that both of you
Have to pick one of your chefs
To battle it out in that elimination.
♪ ♪
- This is really hard.
The chef I'm putting in the elimination tonight is...
♪ ♪
- The chef I'm putting in the elimination tonight
Is someone that was slightly scattered across that cook
And I know can do much better.
The chef I'm putting in the elimination tonight is...
[dramatic music]
Vinny.
Cassie, although you forgot your bread,
Your flavors were delicious, and that's what saved you.
Vinny, I want you cooking up there
Like you cook back home for your fire brigade--
Whole heart, passion, but organized structure.
- Yes, chef.
- 30-minute redemption.
Clear? - I'll bring it, chef.
Thank you.
- Richard? - [exhales deeply]
All right, team blais, this is where it gets tough.
I have to put someone up against vinny,
Who's cooked some tasty food here.
So the person that I'm going to put in for team blais is...
♪ ♪
Darryl.
Not only did you forget to grab bread,
But your sandwich just lacked flavor.
You're a veteran. You're a pro chef.
It's time to take vinny down.
- I'm ready to rock.
- Okay, vinny and darryl...
For this elimination cookoff,
You're both going to take on a dish
That has seen such a surge in popularity
Over the last couple of years--
Spicy chicken sandwich.
- If I can't bring the heat on chicken,
Pack my bags and send me home, okay?
- It sounds simple, but a great spicy chicken sandwich
Is very difficult to get right.
- Yes, chef. - Yes, chef.
- Team ramsay, team blais, please head to the elevator.
- You got this, man.
- I could go home today. I don't want to do that.
I'm a firefighter. I'm ready to fight.
- Vinny. - Yes, chef.
- Take him down. - I don't think he can.
- You're coming back, darryl. - I can bring it.
- Head to the elevator, and I'll see you up there shortly.
- Come on, vinny. Good luck.
- Time to rise up, darryl. Let's go.
You got this, darryl. - I got it.
- Don't cut yourself, vinny, okay?
- Peanut butter and jelly, vinny.
Peanut butter and jelly. - Come on, vinny.
Take him down, man. Come on!
- I'm gonna cook my heart out.
That's what we're here for--heart.
Doing it for my daughter.
[voice breaking] I miss her so much.
[cheers and applause]
- I came to cook, baby.
- Good!
- Chef arrington! [cheers and applause continue]
- Darryl, vinny, 30 minutes, right?
- Yes, chef.
- Cook like it's your last dish.
- Yes.
- Because the reality is, for one of you, it is, right?
- Right. - Yes, chef.
- Hands on the elevator, please.
- Let's go, vinny. [applause]
- Platform's on the move.
Go!
Let's go!
30 minutes. - Here we go, vinny.
- Think spicy. Think about your spread.
Think about your lettuce. Think about your bread.
- There you go.
- How are you bringing the spice?
You don't have to get it all at once.
The platform's here the entire time.
- There you go, there you go. - Right?
What you got in your bowl here?
- I'm going to do a nice little hot fried chicken.
- All right, we going thigh, we going breast?
- We're going thigh all day long.
It's a nice tender piece of meat.
- Is this a sandwich you've made before?
- I have never, ever made this in my life.
- Okay. What's your spread?
- I'm going to do a hot mayonnaise.
- Hot mayonnaise. Okay. Balance, right?
Spicy but not overwhelming.
- There you go, vin. - You got this, bud.
- What's the game plan, darryl? - I'm going to go with--
I'm gonna flatten my chicken breast...
- Yes, sir. - Get it into marination...
- Yep. - And get some spice on it.
- Are we frying your chicken, pan-frying?
- I'm going to fry it.
- Deep fry? - Deep fry.
I'm going to get to it. - Let's go, chef.
Make sure you balance out the spice, okay?
That's really important. - That marinade is fine.
- You're good. Get a bowl for your aioli.
Darryl is confident.
That man has cooked some fried chicken before.
As long as he brings the right amount of heat,
Darryl's coming out with this.
- 25 minutes to go.
- Work on the chicken.
- Put your chicken in the fryer.
Chicken needs to go in the fryer.
- Grab your tongs. - There you go, baby.
There you go, baby. Yeah! Let's go!
- Vinny, vinny, left side. Left side, make sure it's flat.
- There you go. - Beautiful.
- Nice. - Yes.
- Ten minutes down, guys, twenty minutes left.
- There you go.
- Yeah, baby!
- [gasps] that was a lot.
That was a lot. - Oh, that was a lot of chili.
- Whoo! - Boom, we like it spicy.
There we go.
- They said they wanted heat, so give them heat.
- Got a little heat.
- Get the chicken in your flour
And get it in the [bleep] fryer.
- Let's go, darryl. Let's go, baby.
Let's go, chef drama. Let's go, chef drama.
- Full throttle. Full throttle, let's go.
- There you go. - Here we go, d.
Here we go, d. - In the fryer--cooler one.
All right, good. Now go back.
- I am feeling confident.
I'm here to represent hot atlanta.
- Check your chicken.
- Let's go, darryl. Let's go, baby.
- Let's go. - There you go, baby.
- They're soft.
My chicken isn't crispy.
I need to throw it into the next fryer,
Which is a little hotter. - Yep. Pop them in there.
- You can just switch the things.
- Switch the baskets. - Oh, he's got both.
You got all three. [laughs]
Three out of the four are being used currently.
That just isn't fair.
It's not cooked. All the fryers are taken.
- Take it out.
- Sorry, vinny.
[laughs]
- Ten minutes left, guys, ten minutes.
- Knowing how much time we had, I'm like,
Put those potatoes in there and go on to the next task.
It wasn't like I was trying to take all the fryers.
I wasn't.
- All the fryers are taken.
- Finish it in the oven. Finish it in the oven.
- Yep, going. - Beautiful.
- He just put it in the oven.
So that's going to make the bread a little soggy.
- Vinny, is your pickling liquid
Boiling yet, or not yet? - No. Not yet.
There's a lot of pressure right now.
But pressure makes diamonds. I'm a diamond.
I'm going to sparkle. I'm going to shine.
I have it.
I just need to bring it together.
- There you go. Do it up.
There you go. - Nice.
- There you go. - Nice.
- Come on, darryl. You got this, baby. Come on.
- Perfect.
That chicken look good, I give him that.
- Beautiful buns. - Sexy buns.
- Out of the gate, I thought vinny had it,
But now darryl's coming back.
- Darryl's sneaking in. - Look, he's speeding up, too.
- I'm confident.
I'm not going home over some chicken.
No way.
Chef drama is bringing it.
- You don't want this going soggy.
Retain that beautiful texture.
- Yes, chef. - Two minutes.
Two minutes. Start plating.
You got this. You got this.
- Thank you, chef. - Just build it up.
- It's cooked through, right? You're using one of those?
- I'm using one of those. - Season while they're hot.
Season while they're hot. Do not put a burnt part.
- Plate it beautifully, right? - Okay.
- You got this, babe! - Grab a pick.
Grab a pick, if you want. - Big one, big one, big one.
- Yes! [indistinct shouting]
- One minute left, guys.
- Being at an elimination challenge
Is so frickin' stressful.
I have no idea how this is going to go.
It's close.
- You got this, vin.
- 20 seconds. - Let's go, darryl! Let's go!
- Let's go, let's go! - You got this.
- Come on, darryl. Do it, do it, do it, do it.
Hit it.
- Ten, nine, eight, seven,
Six, five...
All: Four, three, two, one.
[cheering]
- Let's go.
- Oh, this is going to be very hard.
[elevator bell dings]
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
- Gordon, richard, our first dish here--
We have a spicy chicken sandwich
With a chicken breast,
A side of seasoned potato wedges
And a spicy barbecue slaw.
- Shall we dig in? - Please.
- The chicken's cooked perfect. - Mm-hmm.
- It's juicy. - Okay, okay.
- Ooh, that looks really nice.
- Spice level's okay,
But I'm looking for a little bit more contrast in flavors.
But it is cooked beautifully.
- Gordon, please.
- The breading's a little bit bland,
But I love the cook.
It's cooked good. - It's gorgeous.
Next dish, we have a spicy chicken thigh
With cajun fries.
- Wow. It's a "spicy chicken sandwich" challenge,
But this one is really hot.
What I love about this is the acidity of the pickle--
Just a little bit of that sweetness
That this really needs because it is spicy.
- Gordon, please.
- Yeah, this one's just slightly
On the overcooked side.
Smart choice of bun.
It's seasoned nice, and it's hot.
This is a tough one, really tough, indeed.
- Two really good dishes here.
Will it be the spicy chicken thigh,
Or will it be the spicy chicken with the breast?
♪ ♪
- I mean, literally, it's that close.
It's six in one hand, half a dozen in the other.
For me, my favorite, though...
It's got to be the thigh.
- Gordon, please. - Two good attempts.
But the person I want to save...
Is the person who cooked the breast...
- Wow. - On the technical reason
That it was cooked beautifully.
Nyesha, we're tied.
It's down to you to break the tie.
Who are you sending home?
- Very difficult decision.
♪ ♪
The one I'm sending home tonight, it's going to be...
♪ ♪
The chicken breast. - Wow.
- That dish was cooked by darryl.
Sorry, darryl.
- It's okay. - You cooked well tonight.
- Thank you, chef.
- But the reality is, it wasn't spicy.
I don't want to see either one of these guys go home.
But also, this competition
Is about finding the next level chef.
It's about the food and who has the ability
To learn and adapt in this competition.
This elimination cook was to make a spicy chicken sandwich.
Vinny's sandwich was more spicy.
- Darryl, you brought the drama,
Truly, in this last round.
I'm going to miss having you on our team.
- I'm going to miss being here.
- Loved cooking with you, and the next time I'm in atlanta,
I'm going to have to find you. - Look me up.
I am sad to be leaving.
I lost this battle,
But I haven't lost the battle of living and learning.
[applause]
Let's see what tomorrow brings.
- Tough night, right? - Yes, chef.
- But if you thought tonight was tough,
Wait till you see the next challenge you're about to face.
Trust me. It's going to be tight.
Good night. All: Good night, chef.
- Vinny. Vinny, vinny, vinny, vinny.
- Good job. - Thank you, chef.
- You're dancing on thin ice.
And guess what. The ice is melting.
- "the ice is melting," he says.
[laughter]
♪ ♪
- Next time on "next level chef"...
- You will have 45 minutes
To create a next-level chinese-inspired dish.
- I order chinese. I don't cook chinese.
- Why is the pressure so much higher today?
- We on "next level chef," baby.
- What did you grab? - Whole lot of sauces.
- Sauces? - I am an idiot.
- Hey, guys, how's it feel down there?
- Let's not live here, okay?
Team blais has to win today. There's no choice.
- Someone's going home on the other [bleep] teams.
[loud smash]