- Previously on "next level chef"...
- Only 15 of you will make it onto one of our teams.
- And your audition starts now.
- Go! Grab ingredients!
- Babe, I'm not letting go. I'm not letting go.
- I said get the pan hot, but not
Burn the [bleep] kitchen down.
- People like me don't get this kind of opportunity.
I got what it takes to be the next level chef.
- I'd like to remind all of you what's at stake.
Congratulations, you're now the top chefs in this country.
- Let's go! All: Top five!
- Let's go!
- Tonight...
- We are going to draft our teams.
[cheering]
- Let's go.
- I know how to mentor winners.
- What did you do over the weekend?
I made a draft war room board.
- So, for my first pick, someone who knows how to grind.
- Hold on.
Would you like to join team ramsay?
- [bleep]. - What the hell is happening?
- Uh...
[knives shinging]
[dramatic rock music]
[elevator bell dings]
♪ ♪
[timer ringing]
♪ ♪
- Welcome back.
Feeling good? All: Yes, chef.
- It feels so crazy that I'm going to be drafted today.
I am praying that I end up on chef ramsay's team.
Like, please, chef ramsay, pick me.
I won't let you down. I promise.
- First of all, well done last week, all of you.
The journey to the next level starts right here,
Right now... All: Yes, chef.
- Because today, richard, nyesha, and myself
Are going to draft our teams!
[cheers and applause]
- I know how to mentor winners.
- Ouch. [laughter]
- And I see that potential in a lot of you.
- Okay, a little smack talk, a little shot
Right off the bat there. - Tiny big, just a little bit.
- All right, okay. Trust me-- in the finale this year,
It's going to be bathed in trail blaiser blue.
[all oohing]
- You two can go on and on, but, honestly, as the mentor
From the reigning champion, I'm looking
To keep that title right where it belongs,
Inside team ramsay.
- Yeah. - Yeah!
- But there is some good news for you, mr. Blais.
Since you're the only mentor here that hasn't had a winner
On "next level chef"... [laughter]
You do get the first pick of the draft.
[cheers and applause]
- Okay, here we go, my first pick.
[dramatic music]
If you can make basement-level ingredients
Shine like they're on the top floor,
That's someone that I want on my team.
I'm going to take zach.
[cheers and applause]
- Wow. - Let's go, baby.
- This season's our season, chef.
Won't let you down.
I'm feeling so good right now I'm on team blais.
My fingers were crossed that he would pick me,
And it happened.
It happened.
- So, for my first pick, I am going
To choose someone who knows how to grind
Because that's what it takes to win here.
♪ ♪
It's going to be chef von. Let's go, chef!
- I knew you were a smart one. I knew you were a smart one.
Let's go.
- Von, [bleep].
- Finally, the best part of the draft,
Because I now get two picks in a row.
My first pick is someone that really surprised me...
- Oh, yeah.
- That showed great finesse.
Chris, step forward. [cheers and applause]
Let's go, chris!
- Chef ramsay, my hero?
Let's go. I'm walking in shock right now.
I'm in shock.
♪ ♪
- My second pick is gabi.
- Dang!
No!
♪ ♪
- Gabi?
Like, honestly, like, that's sort of, like, my whole plan.
Aah!
I had this planned out.
What did you do over the weekend?
I made a draft war room board.
- Christina.
- Lauren.
- Angela. [cheers and applause]
- I'm going to choose jordan!
- Yeah! - Yeah! [laughs]
- Let's go, chef, let's go. - Let's go, baby!
- Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.
Hold, hold, hold on, hold on.
Jordan, watching what you did, how you performed,
The finesse that you had...
Scallops are perfection, sort of magazine-cover material,
But it tastes as good as it looks.
Jordan, I know how to mentor talent.
I've been doing it for the last four decades,
But I know what you need specifically,
And I want you on team ramsay.
- [bleep].
- Oh, my god, what?
- I will give you my next two picks,
Two in a row, if you're willing, jordan.
- Those scallops must have been out of this world.
This is insane. What the hell is happening?
- [groans]
- Would you like to join team ramsay?
- Uh...
♪ ♪
Chef ramsay, you made me go viral
When I burned my fingerprints off.
I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you.
So I got to show out for you. I'm going to team ramsay.
- Yes! Welcome! - Whoa, whoa, whoa!
- I'm just hoping chef arrington doesn't hold
This against me, but chef ramsay is
The ultimate teacher of food.
I want to impress him. I want to learn from him.
I got to go with the goat.
- Fine.
Jordan, I just hope you don't regret that later.
- He won't.
- Okay, fine, fine, fine. - Ooh! [chuckles]
- [groans] okay.
So my first pick of two...
I'm going to go with ari.
[cheers and applause]
- Wait, wait, ari, one more thing.
- Don't listen to him. - I'm joking. I'm joking.
- Don't listen to him. Please do not listen to this man.
My fourth choice is going to be...
Alexandra.
- I was fourth pick.
I'm so clumsy, I would always get picked last for kickball.
Yeah, like, and here we are.
- Izahya, welcome. [cheers and applause]
- My fourth selection is...
Nicole. - Wow.
Last pick for team blais is...
Matt. - Wow.
- Let's go, guys. Come on, now, let's go.
- Wow.
So two phenomenal chefs left.
- I can't believe what's going on right now.
I am being picked close to last.
- The last member of team arrington--
I'm going to go with mada.
[cheers and applause]
To the top, baby!
- Do you know what?
Now I have something to prove, and I'm coming.
- Wendy, welcome to team ramsay.
- Thank you. Thank you so much, chef.
- Just look at team ramsay.
Just look at the strength, the finesse,
The determination, the grit.
- I think he needs glasses, chef.
[laughter] - I'm telling you.
Well, listen, right now it's time
For your very first challenge.
[scattered cheers] - yes.
- You're all going to be making something that you've
All made a hundred times over...
♪ ♪
An all-american burger.
[all cheering]
- I can do this [bleep] in my sleep.
Burgers are my biggest seller on my menu. Let's go.
- But, listen, not just any burger.
It's time to make an amazing smash burger.
- I'll just use mada's biceps to smash all our burgers.
- Oh, mada smash. [laughter]
- But it's got to be next level.
That's why you're here.
Team ramsay, there's more good news.
As the reigning champ and the last to pick in the draft,
We are starting right where we belong,
In the top-level kitchen.
[cheering] - let's go, baby!
- I had second pick.
So that means we get to start in the middle kitchen.
[cheering] - ooh.
- Let's kick it off in the basement, team blais.
Are you ready? All: Yes, chef!
- All of you head to the elevator.
I'll see you up there shortly.
Well done. - Thank you, chef.
- Let's all jump on mada's back.
- Good luck!
- You spend so much time in the basement, no?
- I live down there.
- I know, I just--thank you for jordan, by the way.
- I cannot believe you took him.
Are you kidding me? - He hijacked me last year.
- You guys are arguing like it's michael jordan.
- No, yeah. I mean, all's fair in love and cooking.
- I just love how he went viral for burning
His fingerprints off.
So good luck!
[elevator bell dings, cheering]
- We're starting at the top, baby.
And we staying at the top.
♪ ♪
Feels good to be back here, baby.
Right here, baby. Home sweet home.
What's up, baby? How you doing?
[elevator bell dings] - whoo!
[upbeat music]
[cheering]
- Let's go! - These are cute.
- Of course it'd be nice to be in the top,
But, hey, at least we're not in the bottom.
Good luck, team blais. Have fun down there.
♪ ♪
- Come on, baby! - Let's go!
- Okay.
- God, I hate this place so much.
It's brutal. It's a little bit rusty.
Welcome to team blais, baby.
The hardest thing is ingredients are gonna be bad.
The grab's going to be rough.
I have no idea what to expect right now.
- Time to make it official, guys.
- I don't want to say it, but it could be third-time loser.
- First-time winner.
There he is.
- Let's go, chef! - Let's go!
- How we doing, everyone?
- Team blais all the way, you know.
I came here with that mindset. I manifested it, and I'm here.
So I'm ready to take team blais to the end.
- I am so pumped up to be your mentor.
No one goes home today.
All: Yes, chef. - Let's go.
♪ ♪
- Let's go! [cheering]
- Ah!
Let's go!
- Let's go!
- Were you surprised I picked you guys?
- Nope, I knew it. I was already walking up
Before you said it, yeah. - Here we go!
All: [chanting] ramsay! Ramsay! Ramsay!
Let's go!
[shouting]
- Oh, man, we're on the top level.
We have first grab.
I have chef gordon ramsay standing right in front of me.
Ready to cook, chef. - You ready?
- I'm ready. Let's go. - Yes.
- And I'm looking at him like, ahh!
- Platform is on the move.
You got the first pick.
- Here we go. - Three, two, one.
Let's go!
- Look all that-- turkey, venison, salmon.
- I'm on the top floor. I have to make a smart grab.
And the first thing I see, lamb.
And then right next to it, I see feta.
Oh, they're a match made in heaven.
Peanut butter and jelly.
- Beautiful brisket.
With the brisket I could make the perfect smash burger.
[indistinct chatter] oh, yes!
I cook those on the food truck. It's in the bag.
- Five, four, three, two, one.
Go, go, go, go.
Well done!
- When that light changes green, you go.
- Yes, chef. - Yes, chef.
- Go!
Layers of flavor. Let's go!
Grab your ingredients! Grab what you need!
- Wow. Dry-aged beef--
I'm grabbing the beef.
Saw some monterey jack, saw a brioche and said, boom!
I'm making sure that burger is top dish,
Or I'll send myself home.
- Grab a protein, build around it.
- Ostrich, ostrich.
- 10 seconds, guys. 10 seconds.
- Salmon, no. Plant-based, hell, no.
I see turkey.
Boom, like a spider monkey out there just grabbing
That protein out of thin air.
- Everyone have a bun? - Have a bun?
- Yes. - Does everyone have a bun?
Everyone have a protein? All: Yes, chef.
- All right, back to your station.
Organize yourself. - See you moving.
I see you, baby. - Let's go.
- There it is. Okay, what do we got?
- That platform is ravaged.
- Nope.
- I panicked. I got salmon, raspberries.
Now all I got to do is figure out
What to do with these ingredients
That are third choices.
- Ah, no pickles? No pickles? No pickles?
- The only protein ingredient I see is plant-based.
- Good job.
- I have never cooked with plant-based meat before.
- Grab as many things as you can
That are going to add flavor to the dish.
- We are just going crazy for the scraps.
- Three, two, one. - You guys got anything?
You got anything?
- You can use it if you can reach it, matt.
- Holy shenanigans! - Your 25 minutes...
- Oh, my god, I did get pomegranate.
- Starts now.
It's time to get out of the basement, okay?
Best dish has to come out of this kitchen.
Let's get to the top floor, guys.
- I got short rib.
Oh, I got short rib.
- Did you really? - Yeah.
Short rib.
How the heck did this make it to the basement?
I expected a can of cat food or something.
Lucky me, this might save my ass.
I'm pumped now, man.
We're getting out of this basement.
- Top kitchen, I expect the next-level burgers.
- Gordon, you kicking yourself for not picking me?
- Do you want to come up a level?
- You [bleep] up.
Had to save my girl. Come on now.
- Christina, my second pick.
- I'm honored, chef. I will not let you down.
- What protein did you grab?
- I grabbed sirloin, yeah. - Awesome, awesome, awesome.
How we feeling, ari? - I'm feeling so good.
I've got ostrich meat, and I've put a little butter in there
Because ostrich meat is very lean.
- Really smart. - Yes.
- Make sure you're watching your heat, right?
You want hot, but not too hot.
- These babies get hot hot.
[exhales sharply] [flames whoosh]
- Chef, chef.
- Oh, my god. - Be careful.
I said be careful. Ari's station's on fire.
Please, let's go! Let's go!
- Control your things, people.
- Guys, we are on fire here--
Some of us quite literally. [alarm beeping]
- I'm not a firefighter, I'm a chef.
I got this, baby. I'm not going to let a little fire come
In between me and my big win.
It wouldn't be me if there wasn't a little bit
Of drama in the kitchen.
I'm not going to let a little fire get in my way.
It's still going. You just got to let it burn, baby--usher.
- Oh, this knife is dull.
- Okay, matty, how we you doing?
- How you doing, chef?
- Okay. - I'm feeling good, man.
I got salmon. - Salmon.
- So I'm working on a salmon burger.
I haven't cooked a salmon burger.
I haven't eaten a salmon burger.
And now here in the basement, I got
To do my best to make the best salmon burger I've never had.
Got the raspberries, the harissa,
The anchovies, and the garlic.
Gonna make a sauce with that. - Okay.
[trilling tongue] raspberry, salmon, harissa.
Okay, so salmon burger, some sort of fun, some condiment.
Dr. Seuss couldn't write that as a list of ingredients.
Are you doing one patty or two?
- We're going to see where we go.
I'm nervous because this is a lot of stuff
I've never worked with before--
Salmon, harissa, and these raspberries,
Stuff that you wouldn't really think to put together,
But you got to try to make some magic down in the basement.
Whoa!
- Nicole. - I grabbed a plant-based.
Never cooked anything vegan, but we're gonna spice this up
And make sure it's nice and tasty.
I've never worked with plant-based protein
Like that before.
I don't know how it's going to hold together,
But it looks like red meat, and so I think,
It can't be that much different, right?
- It's a great idea.
So just keep moving along with that idea.
- Flour, flour, flour.
- Just focus and stay grinding, baby.
Easy, just like the food truck.
- Jordan, I'm glad you made the switch.
- Thank you, chef.
I appreciate the opportunity. I won't let you down.
- What did you grab?
- So we're basically going to do
A asian-inspired banh mi style burger.
We got some ground pork--we're going to get
Our beautiful asian flavors in there.
This day could not be going any better.
I'm in the top kitchen.
Chef ramsay fought for me. That means the world to me.
I need to show him that I'm ready to put up a fight.
How y'all feeling, man? - I'm feeling good, man.
- Good, good, good, good, good, good, good, good, good.
- 20 minutes to go.
What goes well with a burger? - Potato!
- Fries. - Fries is right.
Team ramsay, it's time for the mid-round drop.
Guys, all of you grab a basket. I need something fried.
Grab a basket.
- I need potatoes right now.
- Oh, my god. All I see are vegetables.
- It could be fried jalapeños.
There's asparagus here, carrots.
- First thing I see is a carrot.
I have never had a carrot fry personally,
But I've never made a banh mi smash burger before either.
I think we are about to stand out right now.
You ever done fried carrots? - No, brother.
- I see that platform is on the move.
Grab one basket for your fried veg side.
- All right, I got to make something crispy
To accompany this awesome burger that I'm making.
I see some green beans.
Oh, boom, tempura green beans, perfect.
[dramatic music]
- All right, here we go, guys, mid-round drop.
You have to grab a vegetable and fry it up.
You need a fried-vegetable side.
- I grab an eggplant.
I already got a plant-based burger.
- You can grab whatever you want there.
- [sighs] this is too many vegetables.
- Five seconds left.
- Sorry to all the vegans.
- Let's go. There we go.
- So you got a smash burger
That now needs a fried vegetable.
Okay, matt, what'd we grab in the mid-round?
- I got some zucchini.
- You feel good about the zucchini?
- I do feel good about the zucchini.
- Okay, what are you going to do with it?
- I'm going to fry it with a little bit of seasoning,
Get a little bit of bread crumbs on there.
Gonna be real delicious with that sauce.
- Okay, so you're going to go a little bit of flour,
Egg wash, bread crumbs? - Yes, sir.
- Okay, got it.
- Zucchini chips need a nice sauce with them.
I really just hope that all these flavors
Go together well.
- I think we're going to have pretty cool,
Versatile burgers down here. - Yes, we are.
- 10 minutes gone. 15 minutes to go.
Chris, you shaped the patties, yes?
- Which ones? - You shaped them, right?
- Not yet, chef.
- You're my first pick for a reason.
I saw some greatness across those auditions.
- Will do, chef. - Don't overcomplicate it.
No more salt in there, yes. - Yes, chef.
This brisket is on point.
I mean, it's gold, it's money.
This is the money flavor.
Look how beautiful that is.
Salt, pepper, it's game time, baby.
- Time is going, okay?
12 minutes to go. - Heard.
- Does anyone got their burgers going yet?
- Not yet, I'm about to.
About to get real smoky up in this grill.
- Now, listen, I know you guys are challenged
Here in the basement.
You don't have the right pans.
We might not have the best presses, all right?
But we have to make it happen, okay?
Angela, so we want to really make sure
We press that down, right?
All right, nicole, how we doing
With the plant-based burger over here?
- It was sticking. - Get a little oil on there.
- I'm freaking out.
The whole plant-based meat is sticking to my burger press.
Not looking good. They won't--
- It's not looking good? Okay-- - they're not staying together.
- Okay. - So I'm scared to flip.
I'm trying to get the patty off,
And it's just crumbling like taco meat.
Oh, no. Mine aren't sticking together.
Oh, this is not good.
- What? - Frick.
I think it's burnt.
- I think that's burnt,
And I think here you can reform it, okay?
- I just feel like nothing was really coming together.
I should have put an egg or something to bind in it.
- And just get it off and let it rest.
You lose a little bit, it's okay.
- I have a sauce that I'm really proud of,
Which I hope gets me brownie points.
So hopefully it's enough.
- Ten minutes to go.
I will not want to lose. Let's go.
Right, now, izahya, this is where you smash now, my man.
- Yes. Let's go, let's go.
[dramatic music]
- All right, time to smash.
♪ ♪
- Let's go, guys, let's go.
- Smash burger, right? Smash patty.
Keep going, big push. - Yes, chef.
- See, now, you got this, girl.
Smash it. Smash, smash, big smash.
Feeling good?
- Yes, feeling good, chef. - Feeling strong?
- Yes. - I see that.
- We are strong. We are strong.
- Quite literally, chef.
♪ ♪
You okay, von? - Yes, chef.
- Guys, we are on fire in here. Be careful.
Don't touch it. Don't touch it. Be careful.
- Von's smashing the burger.
His whole arm's on fire, and he's just like,
I don't give a [bleep].
Oh, okay, von, you go.
- Good? - Yes, chef.
- Good? - Yes, chef. I'm doing great.
- Seven minutes to go, guys. Yes?
- How we doing? - This look good to you?
Now you can see underneath here.
Now you can see beautifully how it's--
Nice and gentle. Back over. There you go. Good.
- Beautiful. Thank you, chef. - Perfect.
- My pork patties are looking great.
Oh, my god, beautiful!
We're going to do an asian glaze.
This thing is going to come together incredible.
- Let's go, guys. - Thank you, chef.
- Chris, don't oversalt it. Don't destroy that.
Okay, this is breaking up.
- It's breaking up, chef,
But I'm going to put it back together.
So I start struggling with this smash burger as I'm cooking it.
When I put the weight on top of it,
It's just sticking to the weight.
My burger is not--it's not working out right now.
This is not what I expected.
I'm going to pop it in the oven.
That's where it's going to come back together.
- Yeah.
- Four minutes left, guys.
- I don't like the shape of that one,
So I'm making another one that's a little bit bigger.
- So I want you to breathe. - Yes, chef.
- Okay, you're doing great. How we feeling, ari?
- I'm loving what I did with this ostrich meat.
- Nice amount of sauce on your burger?
- Aioli is great.
I've made ostrich burgers many, many times.
I'm just trying to take my time and cook it properly.
- Set yourself up for success, team.
- Yes, chef.
- Nice-looking green beans, von.
- Christina, you got this, girl.
- Yeah. - Don't cook nervous.
You handle pressure in that icu unit.
- That's for sure. - You know what I mean?
You got this.
- I'm only cooking one burger patty.
Everyone else has two or three patties.
I'm hoping that I didn't make a bad decision.
- Come on, guys! Big push! - Yes, chef!
- Act like you want it!
- It's time to get out of the basement, okay?
- Yes, chef. - Yes, chef.
- I don't want to see anyone in that elimination cook.
Three minutes left, three minutes.
- That's bad, bro. That's trash.
- And you have sauce somewhere?
- I'm working on it right now. This one is horrible.
I'm trying to make a new one, chef.
- A new one? Okay.
- The same ingredients, a little bit different process.
- Listen, we're running out of time, okay?
- Yes, sir.
My biggest challenge right now is
This sauce I'm trying to make, and it does not taste good.
I don't know if raspberries are the right thing,
But it's too late now.
I got to do whatever I can to make this as good as I can
With what I got.
- Okay, zach, I like the sound of it.
Tell me you're feeling good. - I feel great, chef.
- Feeling good about your condiment?
- Yes, chef. Feeling great.
- Okay. - Sauce is tasting great.
I'm feeling super confident in my smash burger.
This is what's going to get us out of this basement.
- It's only cooking the rim. Ha!
- Okay, well, that's because of the pan.
That's the challenge of being down here.
This basement isn't easy, and it's not supposed to be, okay?
We have to get out of here, team blais.
All: Yes, chef. - Let's go.
- Okay, guys, two minutes to go.
Start plating. - Yes.
- Right, chris. - Here you go, chef.
- That's it. - There it is, baby.
- Back together now. - Yes, chef.
- Bring it back together.
- So I'm looking at this smash burger,
And it's kind of just all over the place.
What the heck just happened?
- Take your time, okay? Take your time.
I want your best, okay?
- I should have binded it together
With another component.
I'm thinking, what did I just do to myself?
[dramatic music]
- Guys, one minute, one minute.
Platform's heading down. It's heading to the basement.
Next up is you.
Come on, guys, show me why I picked you.
- Let's go. Let's go. Let's go.
♪ ♪
- Izahya, bring it home. Fried pickles, bring it home.
Finesse that.
Ask yourself, is that the best smash burger?
Finesse it.
- The platform is here.
The platform is here. Get it on the platform.
- Heard, chef. - Matt, the platform's here.
- Yes, chef. - Couple seconds left.
It's on the move soon.
- Nice. - Yes!
- I'm feeling good about it. - Yes!
- The plates looked good, guys. - Same.
- Here we go. Platform's on the move, guys.
- Oh, my god, I'm running out of time.
- No plate left behind. Let's go.
Get those plates up. Let's go, mada!
- I don't have time
To make sure my plate is extra beautiful.
I got to just go.
- Come on, mada, let's go. Let's go, come on.
- Mada, let's go!
- Let's go. Let's go. Come on.
- Mada, do not miss that platform.
- Go, mada!
- Platform is here! Let's go, get those plates up!
Let's go! - Let's go!
- Come on, mada. - Right now!
Go, mada!
Hurry up!
- Good job, mada, please.
- I know, you're tall. - Good job, mada.
- Please don't do that to me.
You're going to give me a heart attack--I need you.
- I like the pressure.
I'm, like, 7 feet tall, man.
For the platform, I'm made for it.
- Platform's here. Let's go!
Go, go, go, go! Ten seconds to go!
Jordan, got to go. It's got to go, jordan.
Got to go. Get it on there. Let's go.
Five, four, three, two, one.
Yes. [cheering]
- Whoa! - Let's go, baby!
♪ ♪
- Look at these beauties.
- Wow. - Well done.
Now, be aware, the chef who's eliminated tonight--
Their team will not only be down a member,
But they'll be sent down to the basement.
Understood? All: Yes, chef.
- Nyesha, richard, you ready? - So ready.
- Let's start on the top floor.
Okay, this beauty here is the wagyu beef.
Mmm, mmm, mm.
- Maybe a little bit overcooked,
But this is a real classic rendition of a smash burger.
- I loved it--cooked beautifully, seasoned on point.
I love the idea of the fried pickles as well.
Next up, this was a lamb-inspired smash burger,
Set with marinated feta.
- The balance and the saltiness, the brininess
Coming off the feta cheese is really exciting
To eat against the richness of that lamb.
- This was a brisket burger, served with fried asparagus.
We had a couple of issues with the coming together of it.
- Yeah, this one's a little bit messy on the eyes.
♪ ♪
- For me, I would have pulled back a touch on the salt.
- I mean, a lot of salt. Very, very salty.
- There has to be--
I mean, there has to be some worse dishes here right now.
- This is a pork burger with some fried carrots.
It's not easy to do.
Beautiful bacon in there as well.
- A really unique take for the fried side item.
- This for me is out-of-the-box thinking on a smash burger.
- I love the lift of the acidity and the heat.
The grabber was smart on this one.
- I just got three incredible compliments
From all three mentors.
This could not go any better. I think we got the top dish.
Absolutely.
- This was a asian-inspired shrimp,
Served with some avocado.
- I really appreciate the flavor and the caramelization
Of the shrimp, right?
A little bit of creaminess coming off the avocado.
The bun, for me, is a little bit dry.
- Is it a smash burger?
That's my only question with this.
- Should we move to the basement?
- Okay, so we'll start right here,
Where we have a plant-based burger,
Which fell all the way to the basement,
Believe it or not,
With a barbecue sauce and crispy eggplant.
- It can be challenging
Grabbing that plant-based meat product
And bringing it to life.
- That barbecue sauce is delicious,
But it's been used so heavily, it just obliterates the palate.
- Listen, I drown my nuggets in barbecue sauce, gordon...
- Right. - So I'm okay with the sauce.
It's a little one note texturally.
This is our chicken smash burger
With a basement-made pineapple and mustard barbecue sauce.
That pink bun looks really, really nice.
- Chicken's cooked beautifully.
I love the heat in there as well.
- Moving along here, we have salmon with a harissa
Raspberry condiment. - Wow.
- Being in the basement, I feel like you've really
Got to try to take a risk, because if you take that risk,
Even in the basement, that looks that much better.
♪ ♪
- This burger is slightly overcooked for me.
It doesn't taste of salmon.
And the raspberries just don't work.
- This was a tough task right here,
But raspberry, salmon, and harissa sounds weird,
Tastes kind of weird, too.
Coming up top here, we have a short rib burger
With sriracha aioli and chilies and a pretzel bun.
Short rib in the basement, how did that happen?
What's going on, top floor, middle floor?
Thank you for the gift.
- I'm really surprised this was made in the basement.
You have the classic makings of a smash burger--
The onion, the cheese, the beef, caramelized.
It's delicious.
- Seasoning is on point.
The fried jalapeño on the side, delicious, really good.
- Lastly, venison
With a little bit of a balsamic glaze
And some pickled fennel.
- It's cooked beautifully. It's a tough one.
And it's ingredients that shouldn't really work together,
But, somehow, tonight you've made them work.
- I really enjoy this. This is beautifully cooked.
And I really enjoy the pops of acidity coming
From the pomegranate seeds.
- Okay, shall we move to the middle floor?
- Yes, please.
First up, we have a sirloin burger.
And this chef used parsnip as their fried vegetable side.
- This burger's seasoned beautifully.
It's cooked absolutely spot-on.
- For me, the parsnip chip was a really money grab.
- [sighs]
Here we have a dry-aged beef burger served with a fried egg
And caramelized onions.
On the side, tempura green beans.
- Is it double stack? - Double stack.
The chef actually weighed the patties out
To 4 ounces individually.
- Burger tastes good. Really on point.
It's amazing how much a burger can get elevated
With just a simple, beautiful egg fried on top.
The green beans are delicious.
It's a really nice little sort of naughty fry.
- Next up, we have a turkey burger.
This is mediterranean-inspired.
The chef used tahini. - Mmm.
- Whether it's the tahini or the olive oil,
It definitely leaves a lot of bitterness on the palate.
- Next up, we have a veal burger and fried broccolini.
- It's a shame, this one, because I was excited
About the idea of veal in a burger.
Needs more texture, a little bit more crispiness.
- Next up, we have an ostrich burger
Served with swiss cheese.
And the side is fried cauliflower.
♪ ♪
- Mine's raw.
- Yeah, it's a little undercooked in the center.
- Damn. What a shame.
- Oddly, it's a little too rare on the inside
And a little crispy/burnt - sure.
- On the outside. - [bleep].
I work with ostrich all the time.
Like, how could this happen to me?
- What a shame.
- I feel like I let my team down.
- Right. Well done, all of you.
Have a chat amongst yourselves, because right now we need
A couple of minutes to ourselves.
Excuse us, please.
- If your basement continues cooking like that,
You're not going to win.
- Listen, there's one or two high highs down there.
- But, listen, low lows.
Where were you when they're putting raspberry with salmon?
- What am I supposed to do? - But where's the mentor?
- Am I grabbing their ingredients, gordon?
That's all that's left.
Sometimes you get raspberries and salmon and a pink bun,
And that's how it is.
- Outstanding ones. - Short rib burger.
That tasted the most like a burger
You would get at a proper restaurant.
- That was beautiful burger.
- Even the pretzel bun worked on it.
- Let's move up to the middle floor.
My ostrich must have been running around
On the middle floor.
- It was really raw in the middle.
- It was. - Her whole station
Almost nearly burned down to the ground.
- Well, that was the amazing thing about it.
It was burnt and rare. - Yeah.
- I've never seen a burnt tartare before.
- Quite an accomplishment.
- I was doing cartwheels in here.
I'm about to crawl out of here. - [laughs]
- The dry-aged beef.
- Dry-aged beef, delicious. - Delicious.
He did the simple things correctly.
The meat, the cheese, threw an egg on it.
- That burger, for me, was the most rounded burger.
And top floor.
How about the pork burger? How delicious was that?
- It was cooked beautifully.
- As much as it pains me right now,
Gordon, because I want to see some people
Fall from your floor-- really, really good.
- What about that brisket burger?
- This guy was my first pick.
- It almost ate more of like a chopped cheese.
- Yeah, he struggled.
- No, yeah.
- You good? - Yes.
- Let's go. - All right.
- Here they are. - Okay, here we go.
- [whispering] oh, my god.
- Now, before we tell you our decision--
Which was tough, by the way--
There's one more thing on the line today.
You didn't think we'd forgotten these?
- Wow. - Ooh.
- The immunity pin.
These pins are a huge safety net.
If at any point you're nominated for elimination,
You can use it to save yourself.
We'll each reward one pin to the chef who earned it
Across today's challenge.
That doesn't necessarily mean
That it's the best burger of the day.
It may mean, did you work the hardest?
Did you have the right composition with that burger?
So the chef who has earned my immunity pin
Showed poise.
There's just something quite unique about the way
You pivot and handle yourself.
This pin goes to...
Jordan.
Well done. - Aah!
Thank you, chef. - Congratulations.
- Thank you, chef. - Well done.
- Thank you. - Really well done.
- Yeah, good job.
- Whoo! - [laughs]
- Okay, guys, the chef who will be earning this immunity pin
Is...
Christina. [cheering]
[upbeat music]
- Thank you.
- You earned it, girl. You earned it.
- Thank you. - You were calm under pressure.
You edited along the way. - Yeah.
That is coachable. - Yeah, absolutely.
And I'm going to listen to you all the way.
- Good job. - Good job.
- This chef really thought on their feet,
Made some great quick decisions,
And ended up putting out
A really, really nice proper smash burger.
I'm going to give my immunity pin to...
Zach. [cheers and applause]
- Yes.
- Dude...Immunity pin.
Don't let it go to waste. - We're going to the end, chef.
- First-round draft pick and the immunity pin, [bleep], yes.
- There were a couple of burgers
That were real standouts,
But only one will earn safety for their team
And the right to cook in that top kitchen
In their next challenge.
The best burger today...
Was cooked by...
[dramatic music]
Von. - Yes, sir.
- Team nyesha. - Let's go!
Let's go. - Yeah.
Eat that, gordon.
Should have picked me, but I'm glad nyesha picked me
'cause that's my home girl-- we cool, we're here.
[chuckles]
- Congratulations, team arrington.
- Okay, guys, team arrington, you're safe.
[cheers] please head back to the lounge.
Kick your feet up, relax.
Well done, von! - Thank you, chef.
- There is nothing that can save you
From raw meat,
Except for von.
[chanting] von. Von. Von. Von. Von.
Thank you, von. - Absolutely. I got you.
I got you.
- Gordon, richard, you have to choose a member of your team
To go into that elimination.
I'm going to start with you, gordon.
- This is really hard-- I mean, really hard.
The person I'm sending into the elimination...
Is chris.
Chris, you were my first pick in the draft, okay?
Prove it once again. - Yes, chef.
- I'm going to throw into the elimination against chris...
Matt.
This wasn't your strongest dish,
But I think the platform got the best of you.
Upstairs, you'll have all the ingredients
That you need to take down chris.
- Let's take him out.
- You have one final opportunity to save yourselves.
Do not hold anything back.
We want you to put a next-level spin
On another wildly popular dish, just like smash burgers--
A classic fish taco.
You have 25 minutes.
Richard and gordon will join us after the cook.
Head to the elevator, and I'll meet you there.
- Let's go, chris. Come on, dog.
[elevator bell dings]
- Let's go. Let's go. Team ramsay.
- Come on. - The lion's den.
- I got a golden opportunity here.
We got chef ramsay's number-one pick overall,
And if we can knock him out,
That sets a really good path for chef blais
The rest of the way.
- I feel bad for chef matt.
My confidence and my level of performance
Is at a ten compared to him.
Today it's his turn to go home.
[dramatic music]
- Let's go.
Okay, guys, please, hands on the elevator.
- All right, dog. Let's get it.
Let's get it. Let's go. Let's go. Let's go.
You got this.
♪ ♪
- We're going to go when it turns green.
Go. - Let's go.
Green! - Get there.
- Let's go, guys.
Platform stays here the entire time.
- My first pick on protein would have been the mahi,
But it's okay--I'm perfectly fine making a cod taco.
- What's your plan?
- Right now I got to sauté that and leave it in butter,
That way it doesn't overcook. - Sauté?
- It's going to be amazing.
- Your mahi-mahi? - Yeah.
- Yeah, don't forget it's fish, right?
So it doesn't take that much time at all.
You want to start with what is going to take the longest.
Where are we at, matt? - Hi, nyesha.
- What's going on?
- Working on my jalapeño crema right now, my avocado crema.
- How are you preparing your cod?
- Blackened cod, going to be on the grill or a pan.
I haven't fully decided yet. - Nice.
Are you making your own tortillas?
- I am making my own tortillas, chef, yes.
- Excellent. Do you feel comfortable with that?
- I do. - Good.
Show everyone why you belong in this competition
And why you're vying for the title of next level chef, yes?
- Yes, ma'am. Thank you so much.
- You're a so cal, man.
- Yes. Yes, chef. - Right?
- You mess this up, they're not going to let you back.
- No, I'll retire, chef, if I mess this up.
- No, come on, man.
You making your own tortillas?
- I'm going to try, chef, if there's time.
If not, I can always go back to that platform, chef.
- Yeah, don't leave it for the end, okay?
Make sure you're happy with your tortillas.
You can always wrap them in a napkin, keep them soft.
- Yes, chef. - You know what I mean?
- You got it, matt. Come on. You got it.
- The press ain't coming low enough.
These things are this thick. They're looking like pitas.
I'm wasting a lot of time on these tortillas.
I have to pivot to some store-bought.
- 15 minutes, guys. 15 minutes.
- How am I looking? How am I looking, bro?
- No, you're looking good, dog.
- Yeah?
- Just make sure you hit these right, bro.
Execute these tortillas right.
- Bro, if not, I can use regular tortillas over there.
- Dude's pressing more than my chest days at the gym, bro.
Like, come on.
- Calm down.
I'm pressing the tortillas. They're not coming out right.
They're actually falling apart.
At this point, I'm thinking about pivoting.
I turn around, and I look at the platform.
There's no more store-bought tortillas.
What the heck did I just do to myself?
What did I just do?
- Oh, you [bleep].
This is it--all my blood, sweat, and tears,
It's crumbling in front of me with the tortilla.
It's done, but I cannot give up.
I have to plate this dish no matter what happens.
- Four minutes left.
- Going against chris, he has the most experience.
He knows what he's doing.
In my head right now, I'm just thinking,
Everything has to be completely spot-on and absolutely perfect
If I have a chance to take him down.
- Two minutes left, guys. Let's start plating.
- There we go. There we go.
- Okay, matt.
- Dude, matt's about to win, bro.
- Chris, are you sure you want to go on this plate?
Those are really pretty.
- It's going to break if I put it on there.
I already tried to.
- How are we at leveling this up, next-level taco, chef?
- There's citrus, there's creaminess.
Everything's done right. - Ten--guys, count them down.
All: Nine, eight, seven, six...
- Come on, chris. All: Five, four...
- Squeeze it on top. All: Three, two, one.
- Beautiful. - Oh, there you go.
[elevator bell dings]
- After you, bud.
Ooh, it smells good.
- Seriously fiery cook up here.
First dish, we have a mahi-mahi taco.
This is on a red-corn tortilla with citrus salsa.
- Wow. This is super wet.
♪ ♪
Delicious. I like them.
Smart move, whoever got the mahi-mahi.
It's vibrant.
The downside is the tortilla is wet.
And so it's sort of not practical.
It feels a little bit rough around the edges,
But kudos whoever made them
Because they do taste delicious.
- I love the aromatics and the freshness of the cilantro.
Maybe it's missing a little salsa,
But I love some of these other crunchy bits.
- Next up, we have...
A pan-roasted cod taco.
This is served with a radicchio slaw.
- They don't look like they're handmade tortillas.
- That's correct.
This chef pivoted--started with handmade tortillas
And decided to go with the store-bought tortilla.
- Right.
- A little clunky. The fish is big.
What I love about this is, you can hold it,
You can handle it like a taco.
- Let's get one thing absolutely clear.
The fish is beautiful.
The disappointing part for me on these is the bitterness.
There's a radicchio that is such an aftertaste.
- I thought it was purple cabbage.
[bleep] radicchio, man.
- Richard, I'm going to start with you.
Which dish are you going to eliminate tonight?
The mahi-mahi, or will it be the cod?
- The dish that I'm eliminating is...
♪ ♪
The cod.
- Gordon.
- The dish I'm eliminating tonight...
Is the cod.
♪ ♪
- That dish was cooked by matt.
- I've been doing this 18 months.
I never expected to be here.
- It was an absolute joy getting to work with you,
Even for the short amount of time.
You should be really proud of your work.
And I can't wait to keep watching
Your journey on social media. - Thank you, chef.
- Well done, bud. [applause]
- Leaving this early hurts.
I know for a fact I didn't go home because of effort.
I didn't go home because of fighting spirit.
I went home because of inexperience.
I mean, it sucks, it hurts, but I know there's more to go.
- Listen, learn from the hurt.
We've all done that in this room.
Dust yourself down and bounce back.
Here's the good news.
You are all one step closer to becoming our next level chef,
But things are about to get more spicy.
All: Ooh. - [groans]
Good night, guys. - That was intense.
Good night.
- Oh, chris, my number-one draft,
Stay out of elimination.
Will do, chef.
- Man!
- Next time on "next level chef"...
[all screaming]
- It's time to spice things up--curry.
- Curry isn't my strong suit.
If you're not producing the best dish that you can,
Your time could be up.
- I want the heat.
I wanted the whole [bleep] fire.
- Blais, you good? - No, I'm not good.
Can you send some ingredients down?
- You don't want to be in that elimination cook
Tonight, right? - No. Hell, no.
What am I going to do? - Lauren, you got to go.
- Yes, chef. Yes, chef. - Lauren, it's moving!
Go! Go! - Come on, lauren, lauren!
Come on. Come on. Come on. - Get it. Go.
[object clatters] - [bleep].