- Previously on "next level chef"...
- Go!
- Mada, zach, and izahya, you still have one last chance
To save yourselves.
- This rice is just not cooking.
- I thought it was sherry wine,
But I grabbed sherry vinegar.
I have to restart my risotto.
- Ah!
- The risotto that was the least successful
Was the shrimp risotto.
- Mada.
- I'm walking out of here 10 times the chef
As I did walking in here.
- And tonight... - Richard!
- Yes, gordon?
- There's some rice for good luck.
It's raining down there.
- This guy is too much, man.
You went right back to risotto.
- What's he thinking?
- I know, chef.
I know.
- It feels like it's a dish that looks half finished.
I want more from this individual.
This was a bad grab.
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
- All right!
- Whoo! - Welcome back.
- How you doing?
[cheering]
- Yeah!
- I am loving the energy.
All: Yes, chef.
- We are down to the fantastic final five.
This is big because today's challenge will earn some of you
A place in the semifinals.
- [exhales sharply]
- We're just a few cooks away from $250,000.
It's right there. I can taste it.
I'm so close.
- Izahya. - Oh.
- When we think about the beginning of this journey,
And the nerves, and the minimal ingredients,
You're taking off, man.
- I only have just under two years of experience cooking.
And you know, I'm in the top five, and I'm beyond blessed.
Coming from football to the kitchen,
I finally feel like I belong here.
I'm top five, man.
- Gabi, how are you feeling right now?
- I'm just a kid from a small town
In the middle of pennsylvania, and I've made it really far.
And I just-- I mean, I tear up every day just being here.
It means so much to me.
This emotion is just coming from this crazy journey
That we've been on.
And so that's how bad I want it.
I just want to keep going.
- Now, listen carefully.
A next level chef has to be able to move
Constantly with the times.
That means keeping up to speed with the latest food trends.
Because for today's challenge, you'll
Be working with an ingredient that
Has exploded in popularity--
Kombucha.
- Mm. - [laughs]
- Kombucha, it started out as just your everyday sort
Of fermented probiotic drink.
But it's truly become synonymous with this sort
Of healthy lifestyle.
- I love kombucha.
Kombucha after a workout is, like, the best.
It's just, I've never cooked with it,
So this is going to be a first-time experience.
- Kombucha, with all of the natural flavor
Of different fruits and herbs, can
Work perfectly with a variety of different ingredients.
- Get creative.
You've got amazing sauces.
You could use it as a marinade, even a glaze, a pickle.
You can use it as a flavor to create anything.
All: Yes, chef.
- Today, all of you are going to have
30 minutes to create a next level
Dish using that kombucha.
Taste it first before you cook with it.
Understand what you're working with.
Got it? All: Yes, chef.
- Now, as you know, where you cook
Is determined by how you cook.
And based on the last challenge, gabi and christina,
You're starting in the dream kitchen,
That top-level kitchen.
However, christina, you won that amazing time token.
That gives you an advantage to stay on your own
At that platform for 10 seconds--
- [exhales sharply]
- --Or you can take 10 seconds away from one
Of your fellow competitors.
- [chuckles]
- Think carefully.
- It's me against myself at this point.
And I want that 10 seconds at that platform.
- Love it.
Nyesha, rich, and I are expecting a perfect dish--
- I know. - --In 30 minutes.
There's no excuses. - Yeah.
- Ok.
- It's like a double-edged sword.
I feel really good that I have that 10 seconds for myself
But really bad knowing that I have to have the perfect dish.
- Jordan, congrats.
You get the whole middle kitchen to yourself today.
- That's crazy.
- And you and I finally get to cook together.
- Let's do it. I've been waiting.
I've been waiting, chef.
- Same.
- Zach, izahya, I'm down there in the basement with you today.
Both of you have what it takes to cook your way up.
- For sure. - Good.
Right.
Christina, gabi, head to the elevator.
I will be joining you both shortly in that top kitchen.
- Christina, use that time to calm your mind.
- Yeah, totally. - Focus.
- I got this. - Good luck.
♪ ♪
- Let's do it! - Whoo!
Here we go.
- Let's do this! - All right.
- Top pick, girl. Let's go.
- Ah!
[elevator dings]
[soft music]
♪ ♪
- It's so quiet in here, I can hear my own thoughts.
[humming]
Normally it's kind of, like, frantic and panicked.
It's weird. I've never experienced this.
[echoing] hello, hello, hello.
[dramatic music]
[elevator dings]
- Yeah!
Let's do this!
Being in the basement, being stuck
With the last grab, of course there's pressure there.
But I'm ready to bring it today.
This means everything to me.
Like, I need to get a spot in that semifinals.
- How y'all doing down there?
- Getting ready.
- Hey, top five, man.
We got to go top four, though. Let's get it.
- You already know.
- Me and zay, we've been team ramsay from the jump.
We're tight. We're cool.
We're one cook away from the semifinals.
Let's get it. Let's get it.
- Look out for my boys down there.
- Oh, yeah. Always, always.
- Always. [elevator dings]
- Good luck, guys.
- Come on. - Let's go.
Let's go.
Izahya, grab, grab, grab.
- Yes, chef. - All right.
How are we doing, guys? - Good, chef.
We're doing good. - All right.
Bring me that top floor energy down here, right?
- Oh, hell yeah. - Let's do it.
- Let's do it, baby. - Ok.
[elevator dings]
- Good luck, jordan. - My man.
- What's up, chef? How are we feeling?
- Taste everything, my man.
Taste. - Let's do it, chef.
- Congrats. You've made it this far.
- I've never cooked with kombucha.
So you know, I'm open ears to any recommendations.
- Absolutely. I'm here for you.
- Let's go. - Yes!
- Let's go. Good?
- Wow. I'm good.
- Yes, chef. - Right.
How are we feeling? - Feeling good, chef.
- Good.
- Have you tasted kombucha before?
- I love kombucha. - Ok, great.
- Yes.
- It can be done beautifully reduced
As a glaze, a beautiful puree with fresh raspberries,
Blackberries, blueberries. It lifts it.
So good luck.
Line up, ladies, please.
The platform is moving.
Christina, go!
10 seconds first.
- The first thing I see is chicken.
Boring.
I know I don't want that.
Right next to the chicken is the beautiful duck breast.
- Wow, duck breast.
Lovely.
- And then I see the pomegranate kombucha.
Duck and pomegranate, classic combination.
- Three, two, one.
Go, gabi!
- Before I know it, my 10 seconds are already up.
- You got flank steak.
You got john dory.
- I see this beautiful cod.
- Cod. Great grab.
- Cod will be beautiful with a light,
Effervescent, bubbly drink.
- Mango and passion fruit kombucha over here.
- There's so many kombuchas.
Acai, blueberry mint.
Oh, what a brilliant flavor combination.
You're coming home with me today.
- Three, two, one, go.
Off you go.
Well done.
Great grab.
- Go! Let's get it.
- John dory.
I don't know what that is.
Who?
Who is john dory? Flank steak.
Beautiful marinade.
I just go to what I see next.
Flank steak.
I've cooked that before in the audition rounds.
Kombuchas, I think pomegranate would taste
Beautiful with the steak.
Pomegranate. Love that.
I'm just kind of grabbing what I know.
- 10 seconds, jordan. - Let's do it.
But have no real direction in this.
So it's really tough right now, trying to figure
Out what I need to grab.
- Nice marinade, fish sauce, umami.
Back to your station. Organize yourself.
- We're in the blaisment. Go time.
Let's go, guys. - I'm running to the platform.
I see chicken breast.
I don't want that.
I want to stand out.
Well, what's the other protein?
There's only two, right?
John dory.
I see john dory.
I instantly grab that.
- Ok, you can grab up to two kombuchas.
- I grab lemon kombucha, ginger kombucha.
Those flavors work very well together.
- Grab your protein.
- I don't see much of anything on that platform.
But I'm seeing a chicken breast.
So I'm like, ok.
- You got a couple seconds remaining.
- And I'm just looking for other ingredients, and I
Cannot find much of anything.
- Fried shallots over here.
If you can reach it, grab it.
- All right, jordan.
Spread your wings and fly, baby.
Your 30 minutes starts right now.
- Hmm.
♪ ♪
Oh, [bleep].
- You got this. - Yeah.
Oh my gosh.
I'm, like, looking at my ingredients,
And I'm just trying to figure out
How they come together, right?
- When I think about pomegranates,
Like, moroccan, middle eastern.
- Yeah.
I don't have much experience-- - fresh.
- With middle eastern cuisine, so...
- Sure, sure, sure.
- What the hell am I doing with this?
- Have you ever cooked with kombucha before?
- No, this is the first time. - Uh, not really, chef.
- Ok.
So certainly, you've probably cooked with wine or beer.
So use the kombucha in those ways.
How are we doing, zach?
- Good, chef.
I'm going to do kombucha three ways.
I'm going to do a pickle, I'm going to do a vinaigrette,
And then I'm going to do a bouillon.
- With some john dory? - Yeah.
It was that or chicken breast, chef.
- International man of mystery, john dory.
Have you ever worked with john dory before?
- Uh, I have not.
It looks super, super delicate.
- Yeah, somewhere between, like, sole and turbot, right?
So kombucha three ways.
How does it taste?
- Good.
I like-- I like kombucha.
- The challenge, zach, wasn't how many different ways
Can you use kombucha.
- Yes, chef.
- Inter-zalactic.
Zac-lac-- intergalactic over here.
Yeah, I don't know what planet you cook on, but--
- [laughs] you know, chef, uh, I'm all about being creative
And taking risks, you know?
I mean, if you're not taking risks,
You're not being creative, right, chef?
- I don't know if I usually take
A lot of risks in front of millions of people
In the moment, but go for it.
- Heard that, chef. Heard that.
- Zach is an algorithm.
There's no other way to say it.
He is just-- [trills tongue]
But it is super risky any time a contestant does
A duo or a trio, because you give us
Two extra things to critique.
And zach is like, you know what?
Double or nothing.
You are like a rebel and an adrenaline junkie, bud.
You've been raising sort of my internal temperature
A little bit too much.
- I'm sorry, chef. Yeah, 100%.
- All right, izahya.
What have we got?
Uh, you have a minimal grab.
- Looking at my ingredients, I'm like, what am I going
To do with this chicken dish?
How am I going to elevate this?
It's not going to be easy.
I'm going to reduce my kombucha down.
I'm going to make, like, a little
Glaze for my chicken breast.
If you have any ideas, if I should add anything--
- You only got two and a half ingredients, really.
This has been a problem with izahya the whole way through.
He has not quite learned to grab a lot of ingredients.
So you have a couple of ingredients.
They actually have to be perfect, ok?
- Yes, chef. - All right.
- I don't even have a starch.
Oh, man.
I'm just hoping I don't go to elimination today.
It's not looking good.
Oh, man.
I only have, like, a couple ingredients.
[exhales sharply]
- You have a minimal grab here, izahya.
- I felt like I grabbed so much things, but I really didn't.
- You've just got to really make sure
That you're utilizing all of those pieces of zucchini.
- Yes, chef. - And this pepper, right?
- Yes, chef.
- Because you're going to need more
Than just the chicken in that.
- I'm going to work with what I have.
I got no room for excuses today.
- Ok. Yeah.
So you have a couple of ingredients.
They actually have to be perfect, ok?
- Yes, chef.
- Right. Gabi, what'd you get?
- All right.
I grabbed this gorgeous cod. - Love that.
Don't overcook that. - Yes, chef.
- Again, you use that skin.
Get it really nice and crispy.
Kombucha, what did you get?
- I got an acai and a blueberry mint kombucha.
This is definitely my wheelhouse.
I'm a very zen kind of person.
I lived in portland, oregon, for a little bit,
And that was when I first learned about kombucha.
I know how that flavor works.
Mm.
That will go so good with the carrots.
- Right. Christina, what did you grab?
- I got the duck, chef.
- Love it.
- And I have a pomegranate kombucha, some
Kumquats, orange.
Uh, some chard.
- This handling of pressure is easy for you on the outside.
How does it feel on the inside?
- I have a special needs daughter.
I've been taking care of her for 10 years.
I take care of people at work as a nurse.
And, like, this is my time, man.
- Yes.
- Like, I'm here for me now, and I
Don't want to let myself down.
- Yes. This is your moment.
- I want that semifinal so badly.
This is my time now.
I've given so much of my life to others.
And-- [sighs]
Now it's time for me.
- Having three daughters, I understand
Just the closeness, right?
- We are best friends.
She has made me such a better human being
And just pushed me to be so courageous and brave.
- Yeah.
- And, like, I wouldn't be here if it weren't for her.
- Growing up, my mother was a nurse with special needs
For over 30 years. - Really?
I didn't know that. - My sister is also.
It's a very tough job.
But there's no give in that schedule, is there?
- No.
And I think this is my chance to, like, go for my dreams
And finally just do what my child me has
Always imagined myself doing.
This is amazing.
- Yes.
Let's go, ok?
Ladies, five minutes gone.
25 minutes to go.
Time for the midround drop.
We need some starch.
One bowl of rice each, please.
Think about the time you've got.
Can it be cooked within 25 minutes?
- There's not a ton of time for this rice.
I just want a quick-cooking grain.
- Be smart. Any rice you want.
- I see basmati.
That's perfect.
It's aromatic, it cooks quickly,
And I think it'll be the perfect complement to my dish.
- Platform is on the move again.
We have some starch here.
Grab a rice. - Oh, [bleep].
- Grab one rice.
- Midround drop comes.
I don't know what the hell I'm making.
I see rice and I'm like, great.
Now I have more stuff to make me not
Know what the hell I'm making.
Uh, bomba rice takes a while.
- Short-grain, long-grain. Come on.
Grab one. - Yeah.
There we go.
- Risotto rice.
- Oh, it's risotto.
- So be smart.
- Ok. Uh--
- Here we go, guys. Midround drop.
You can grab one starch for your dish.
One bowl of rice.
- Oh, man.
I have a starch now.
I see long-grain rice.
I see risotto rice.
I just had risotto.
I'm done with risotto.
I'm grabbing my long-grain rice.
- Only one bowl of rice for your dish.
- All the rices look the same, so I grabbed a rice
I wasn't super familiar with.
Hey, let's do this.
- Remember, you got to get it cooking, just like last time
With the risotto, right?
We got to get going on that rice.
- Yes, chef.
- What kind of rice did you grab?
- Long grains.
So I'm going to add my bell pepper.
- So you're thinking more like a fried rice, maybe?
- Yeah. - Ok.
- I think that would be more authentic to me,
And it'll be delicious.
I know my way around fried rice.
I make fried rice at home all the time.
Even in my videos, I have a bunch of fried rice recipes.
- Traditionally, a fried rice also gets ginger and garlic.
- Yeah.
- It would be nice if we also had a little bit of soy,
But we don't have that.
- We don't.
- I'm just concerned we don't have a ton of flavor
Over here, right?
- We'll work with what we have.
- [blows raspberry] ok, zach.
You went right back to the well.
You went right back to risotto.
- Oh my god.
Holy crap.
- Oh my god.
I'm having, literally, flashbacks right now.
Ok, you are up against it with the rice.
- Come on, rice.
Cook, baby. Cook.
- Rice is about 90 seconds undercooked.
- I'm going to prove to myself I can make a risotto now.
- Are you making rice for a baby?
Is this risotto for ants?
- [laughs]
- Make sure we have enough on the plate.
- Heard.
- Right back to the scene of the crime, zach.
- Sorry, chef.
I've got to make sure this is perfect for you.
- Ok. Got it.
- Jasmine. Great.
Get that on nice and early. - Right now.
- Taste everything, ladies.
Get that kombucha beautifully reducing down.
- Yes, chef.
- You have 10 minutes down, 20 minutes left.
- Ok.
- Hyperdrive now, ok, baby?
- Yep, yep, yep, yep, yep.
- What direction are we taking this pomegranate reduction?
- Um, maybe get a nice glaze on top.
- Sure, yeah.
- I don't know what it's going to taste like reduced,
So we got to play to that. - So let's get that on.
- My sauce, we're figuring this thing out as we go.
But now I got risotto rice.
[bleep]
- So risotto rice.
When I think about a risotto rice,
Am I making a arancini rice ball?
Am I making a proper risotto dish?
- Let's do a steak risotto, I suppose.
Um-- - ok, ok.
- Is that a thing?
- Well, I want you to make the dish make sense.
Let's go. - Nyesha.
- Yes, chef.
- How's my boy?
What did he grab?
- He's grabbed a flank steak.
- Flank steak? - Flank steak, yep.
- Um, he's trying to make the arborio rice work with that.
- Arborio rice with flank steak?
- [whispering] I know. - What's he thinking?
- I know, chef.
- Oh, man.
- Arborio rice does not go with flank steak!
- Holy [bleep].
- 12 minutes.
- Chef, I know you said it was risotto rice.
If I'm going to do a arancini, can I
Treat that like regular rice and just
Get it on a low simmer?
- Unless you make that, you cool it down,
Roll it in a ball, deep fry it.
But the filling's got to be really cold to do that.
- Oh, [bleep]. To fry it?
- Yes.
You could chill it down in the freezer,
If you put on a sheet pan.
- Yeah, yeah. We're going to do a arancini.
I think I've got enough time to make some arancini.
So I need to get this risotto done and in the
Freezer yesterday.
- 10 minutes left.
10, 10, 10, 10, 10. - Ok.
I'm worried about that. - I am too.
I am too. So let's be smart.
Harness, jordan.
- Yes, chef.
- [sighs]
He's got a lot of work ahead
Of him and a short amount of time
To pull this concept together.
- Grabbed the wrong [bleep] rice, man.
- Watch that cod, now.
- Beautiful.
- When it gets too hot-- ok.
Always flip it quickly, yes?
- Yes, chef. - Kombucha.
What are you doing with this?
- Um, so I have some in here with the kumquats.
And then I'm going to add sugar.
- So that's going to be done like a little marmalade?
- Yeah. - A gastrique?
Nice.
- Just glaze it and then gastrique it on the plate.
- Love that.
Gabi, you need to start tasting everything now.
- Yes, chef. - Ok.
And start thinking about how that's going to come together.
- Yes, chef.
I'm getting a little worried about my rice.
I just want it to absorb properly,
And I don't want it to be wet.
- And every two or three minutes,
Get your fork and run through.
What does that do? - That'll fluff it.
- Exactly that.
- My protein could be great, and that could be great.
But if I don't have good rice, then
This dish isn't going to work.
Lids. Where are all the lids?
Over here.
Come on, rice.
Do your thing, rice.
- Seven and a half minutes to go.
- Kombucha risotto, baby.
- Kombucha risotto.
You-- are you making--
Are you cooking the risotto in the kombucha?
- Absolutely, chef.
It's a kombucha challenge.
So I'm going to kombucha four ways.
This is what makes me who I am.
I'm here for a reason, and this is it.
- You've proven that you can pull it off.
- I have to, chef. I have to.
I got to get a spot in that semifinals at least.
- Chef, what do you think I should do with my sauce
To kind of thicken it up?
- We have vinegar, and we have sugar.
Just make sure it's not too sweet already.
- Yeah, I tasted it.
- Got it.
- What's that in there, gabi?
- I'm doing sort of a chimichurri,
Incorporating some of this acai kombucha.
- Love that.
Taste everything, yes?
- Yes, chef.
- Richard!
- Yes, gordon? What--
- There's some rice for good luck.
It's raining down there.
Did you realize I have a mentee on each floor?
- This guy is too much, man.
Good luck?
I don't think he means it.
[dramatic music]
- Six minutes, bro. - Six minutes?
- Dude, you're asking a tall order to cool
This down very quickly. - Yeah, I am.
- And be smart about where you're cooling this.
Freezer, right? - Freezer, absolutely.
- Ok.
- My risotto needs to be chilled,
So I can work it into a ball.
I need this thing in the freezer right now.
- Go, baby.
So get everything else that you need to do ready now.
- Everything else needs to be done.
Absolutely.
- Do nothing else.
- Ok, how are we doing, izahya? - We're going good, chef.
- Ok.
You're going to cook this sort of in that fried rice style.
You want that pot really, really hot.
- Yes, chef.
- I'll tell you what you are doing.
- Making the most out of my ingredients, chef.
- Yeah, you're making lemonade with a couple lemons over here.
- Look at me. Man, I'm in the top five.
I'm extremely proud of myself.
I feel like I've conquered everything I could conquer,
Except for, you know, winning.
Now I'm going for the number one spot, man.
- Did you actually watch the two seasons
And start doing challenges based off of what you saw?
- Yeah, that's exactly what I did.
And it helped me practice for the competition,
And look at me.
- So like an athlete, you basically
Looked at the two seasons of "next level chef"
As game footage.
- Yep, I studied, I practiced, and came here,
And I've been executing.
- What position did you play in football?
- I played d end and d tackle.
So I was in the trenches. - Really?
- Yes. - You were.
So yeah, you were in there. - Yes.
Yes, chef. I was fighting.
That's what I'm looking to keep doing.
- Let's go, izahya.
You got this.
[dramatic music]
- Gorgeous. - Two minutes to go.
Start plating. - Thank you, chef.
- Last two minutes.
- What am I going to do here?
Visualize it.
I want it so bad now.
And just knowing how far I've come,
Everything is resting on today.
Whew!
All right. No pressure.
- All right. My rice, my zucchini.
- Don't you dare slice that duck right now.
- I'm not. I'm not.
- No, no. Good.
- No, no, no.
- 90 seconds, j. Let's go.
90 seconds.
- [sighs]
[bleep]
I feel the risotto, and it's still warm.
Like, I don't have time to deep fry an arancini ball.
I'm just going to put it underneath.
- Taste it.
If it tastes good, these judges are
Going to see you and feel you. - Tastes great.
A little too soon, but-- - tastes great.
Happy, happy. Let's go.
- It was risotto, then it was arancini.
And now, with seconds left, we're back to risotto.
This is insanity. - Come on, jordan.
Come on. I believe in you.
- 60 seconds left, guys.
Now you got to make sure that it looks great.
There's only five people here. - Yeah.
- Don't forget the glaze, right?
That's the big part, the kombucha, right?
- Yep.
- Platform's going down to the basement.
- Let's go, dude.
Don't be too precious.
- I got you, chef.
- The platform is here, guys.
10 seconds.
Izahya, the platform is here, dude.
- Yeah.
- Ok.
Wipe that plate.
- We got her done. We got her done.
- Platform's here, jordan.
Don't forget your sauce.
Do not miss that platform.
Don't do this to yourself.
Platform is on the move, jordan.
Platform is not waiting for you.
Come on.
Let's go. Let's go.
Not easy.
- [exhales sharply]
- Excellent. That's enough carrot.
Don't overdo it.
You don't want your garnish to be bigger than your protein.
- Yes, chef. - Ok.
10 seconds, ladies.
We got to go.
Christina, turn and burn.
Christina, turn it.
Turn! - Ok, girl.
Breathe. Just breathe.
- Turn, turn, turn.
Christina, go! - Christina!
- Go, christina, go! - Christina!
- Christina, turn and burn.
Christina, turn it.
Turn! Turn, turn, turn.
Christina, go! - Christina, christina!
- Go!
- I got it, I got it, I got it.
- Man. It moves, don't forget.
Well done.
- Yay!
Group hug!
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
- Kombucha. Wow.
Look at those. I can smell them from here.
♪ ♪
- Keeping up with the trends in today's world
Is super difficult. Well done, all of you.
Uh, richard, should we start in the basement?
- Yeah, let's.
This is a mango and passion fruit kombucha-glazed chicken
Breast with fried rice.
- It looks a little bit minimalistic.
I think it's just lacking a little bit of soy or salinity.
- The actual glaze is very sweet,
And the kombucha is almost lost in translation.
- Ugh.
I put my heart and soul into that dish.
I thought it was perfect.
This sucks, man.
It really does.
- Ok, we have a pan-seared john dory
With kombucha four ways.
- We're going from one extreme to the other now.
Talk about embracing the challenge.
That dish is beautiful.
John dory, very hard to cook right.
It's cooked beautifully.
And smart with the creativity four ways.
I love that.
- This dish is cerebral, and it is a wonderland
Of textural contrast.
- It looks elevated in the plating.
The sauce, it highlights the levity in a kombucha.
The rice is cooked absolutely perfect.
- Yes!
You know? Just beyond ecstatic.
So relieved.
There's no way in hell that I was
Going to mess this risotto up.
- To the top floor.
This first dish is a grab that had
An additional 10 seconds from the time token,
A duck pomegranate kombucha.
♪ ♪
- Duck and pomegranate and kumquats.
That's, like, kind of a perfect combination of the sweet, sour,
And the gaminess of the duck.
The 10 seconds served the chef well, I think.
- [exhales shakily]
- I really get those beautiful nuances off of that kombucha
That comes naturally.
There's a lovely sort of citrus note
That also complements the pomegranate.
Just a really thoughtful dish.
- Duck is cooked beautifully.
It's a very smart grab and a great example
Of what an advantage those time tokens can be.
- Oh!
My god, I'm so proud of myself.
Whatever you set your mind to, like,
You can do whatever you want.
- This is a pan-roasted cod.
♪ ♪
- I mean, this is one of those dishes
That, seeing such a beautiful story,
It's touching my soul.
Fish is cooked perfect.
There's a beautiful brightness coming from this herb
Condiment here.
And the rice has a nice, pleasant toothsomeness to it.
Spot on.
- I never would have thought to use
The kombucha as the replacement for vinegar in a chimichurri.
As beautiful as it is, it's as smart as it is beautiful.
- This is what I practiced for.
This is what I envisioned.
This means everything to me, and it's just so satisfying.
It just feels so good.
- Shall we move to the middle floor?
- Oh, [bleep].
Chef ramsay is just going to stick
His shoe so far up my ass.
This is not a top five dish.
[exhales sharply] stress.
- Here we have a flank steak.
This was prepared with arborio rice.
♪ ♪
- Where was the kombucha?
- So the pomegranate kombucha was used in a sort
Of pan reduction sauce.
- Um, tough on this one.
It feels like it's a dish that looks half finished.
And with a entire floor dedicated to yourself,
Strange grab, that, especially with flank steak.
- For me, this-- the obvious thing here is
That it's missing kombucha, which was
The theme of the challenge.
- I want more from this individual.
This was a bad grab.
[dramatic music]
All five of you, well done.
At this stage of the competition,
There is so much up for grabs.
We now need to decide who has earned
Their spot in the semifinal.
Shall we?
- [sighs] great job, dude.
Oh my god.
- I'm tasting dishes that I've only experienced in the finale.
- The competition has gone up a notch, absolutely.
- The duck-- I mean, what a smart grab.
It wasn't a waste of those 10 seconds.
That's how you play the game in "next level chef."
- Absolutely, and it was complemented by the rice.
A really cohesive dish.
- At least you had first pick on protein,
And you got to see everything.
- Good job. - The cod.
Oh my goodness.
- I mean, I can see that on, like,
Any coastal california menu anywhere.
- Like, that dish for me was just, like, almost spiritual.
- Mm.
- The john dory four ways.
I mean, what flair. Tremendous flair.
- Flair, bravery. But it worked in this case.
- It worked great. - Beautiful.
And the john dory is exceptional for me.
- That's what I'm saying.
I stuck with the challenge, man.
The challenge was kombucha.
I did kombucha.
- The flank steak.
It's sort of a dish that was badly conceived.
Why?
With so much choice on that second floor, the second grab,
Why go for that rice?
- That was so basic, that dish.
That's the problem I have with it.
- Yeah.
- I should have worn my lucky underwear today.
- Yeah.
- The chicken fried rice.
- When you only grab three ingredients,
There's only so many things that you can do.
- Ok.
- This chef was foiled by their grab.
They didn't grab anything.
- It seems to be a trend of his, that minimal grab.
I've heard that come up quite a bit.
- I hate kombucha now.
[laughter]
- Best dishes. Come on.
- For me, to be honest, it's the john dory dish.
- Mm-hmm.
- Because you have to take into account what the challenge was.
- Sure. - Four ways kombucha.
- It wasn't, how many times can you cook with kombucha?
- But it's also not, how good can you cook cod?
- That cod--
I mean, kombucha-glazed carrots, the notes
Of coriander-- incredible.
- That duck dish was beautiful.
- The duck dish was good.
The duck dish was solid. - Good?
Oh my goodness. - The duck dish was--
Gordon.
But did it, like, ring and sing of kombucha?
It's a kombucha challenge. - Absolutely.
- It was nice. - Nice?
Oh my god.
- We don't know what--
- The two is apparent.
- We really don't know what to expect.
- [sighs] goodness me.
Spirited discussion back there.
But one dish absolutely earned their spot in the semifinals.
Cooking on that top floor next time round, with the final time
Token of the season, goes to...
♪ ♪
- Cooking on that top floor next time round...
Gabi, congratulations.
Well done.
[applause]
Oh my goodness me.
Semifinal, girl. Well done.
- Thank you, guys. - Amazing.
Congratulations. - Thank you.
I can't believe that I'm in the semifinal.
This is for the 12-year-old girl who just grew up
In a tiny town and didn't know she was capable of all of this.
- Exceptional, cohesive, proper understanding,
Magical, floral-- everything you want
From a real creative dish.
- Thank you.
- Two more dishes have earned themselves
A spot in the semifinals.
- [exhales sharply]
- Cooking out of the middle kitchen
On the next challenge...
Zach and christina.
Congratulations, both of you.
[applause]
- I am in the semifinals!
Like, what?
- Christina, duck was cooked beautifully.
And the use of kombucha across that, you delivered it.
Well done.
- Thank you.
- Zach, your dish was cooked with poise.
We asked for a couple of ways.
You go the whole hog and give us four ways.
Exceptional redemption with the risotto.
A delight.
- Thank you, chef.
Semifinals, baby!
Yeah!
- Ok.
That leaves jordan and izahya.
Both of you will be heading to the elimination,
And only one of you will be advancing to the semifinal.
- I love zay.
Like, that's my boy.
I have such a bond with him.
But the fact that me or him are going
To have to knock one or the other out,
That's-- that's heavy.
That's tough.
- You both cooked with kombucha today, a modern
East asian ingredient.
So for the elimination cookoff, you'll
Be cooking with one of the region's
Most traditional and versatile utensils--
A wok.
- Oh, yes, man.
I just cooked in a wok.
So I'm going to go in swinging.
I'm going to go in fighting.
I'm ready, and I'm just going to give it my all.
- It's going to be the only pan that you
Can use in your elimination cookoff today.
Show us your best wok dish.
Both: Yes, chef.
- Ok.
All of you, please head to the elevator.
- The very best of luck.
Jordan, focus. Get control of your timing.
- Izahya, you just cooked with a wok.
Remember the things we talked about.
- Yes, chef. - Let's go, guys.
Don't take this personally, both of you,
But I have definitely got one individual in the finale.
Do you all want to ask, how did I do it?
- How did it happen? - Good mentoring.
Thank you, nyesha.
Thank you. Thank, thank, thank you.
[dramatic music]
- Hey, kill it today, guys.
- Hey, I'm just going to put good food down, man.
- Yeah.
You should be proud of yourselves.
- Whoo!
Me and jordan, three eliminations.
Man, we bonded through trauma.
- Battle of the brothers.
- Yeah, I know.
- But everything's at stake for me.
I'm chasing a dream here.
So I'm not going down without a fight.
I promise you that.
- Whoo, chef!
- Let's do this. - I'm gonna get it.
- Get it, girl.
- We want to see what you can do with a wok.
- Yeah.
- Earn your spot in the semifinals, ok?
- Let's do it. - Yes, chef.
- All right. - You guys got this.
- You guys got this.
- Come on!
- Yeah, baby. - Let's get it, bro.
- Good food. - Platform's moving.
♪ ♪
Go!
Let's go, guys.
- I see the new york strip steak,
And I know I want that steak.
- Grab that protein. - Beautiful, take it.
That's all you, dog. - I see lime.
I see noodles.
I see oyster sauce.
It's a wok challenge.
I'm looking to tap into my inner thai, man,
And just knock it out.
- Think about the sauce.
- I see pork tenderloin, sriracha, mirin, fish sauce.
I've got an idea in mind.
It's near and dear to my heart.
Let's go.
- What are we thinking? Kind of a thai--
- I'm gonna go pad thai with this.
- Beautiful.
- Thai food is one of my favorite cuisines--
The flavors, the textures, the balance.
I'm looking to replicate that today.
- Keep going. - Thank you, chef.
- Let's go. Let's go.
- First meat grinder use of the season.
- Yeah! - Whoo!
- Jordan, what you wok-ing with?
- We got pork tenderloin.
We're going to do a nice crispy ground pork
And vegetable chow mein with a delicious sriracha lime sauce.
- Ok.
- My sauce has a lot of flavor in it.
- Sure.
- So it's going to kind of speak for itself.
There's a lot of elements going on right here.
I got to focus and bring that in,
Because if you can't do that, you're going home.
- Guys, five minutes down, right?
Five minutes down.
Spot in the semifinal, gentlemen.
- Yes, chef. - High stakes.
- What you got there, zay?
- Some peanuts. - Nice.
- Toasting them up. - There you go.
- Ooh!
I see the vision.
- Yeah.
- Izahya, tasting as you go, right?
- Yes, chef.
- Got some fish sauce?
You're going for a pad thai vibe?
- Oh, man.
I'm looking down at all my ingredients,
And I forgot to grab the fish sauce.
Looks like jordan has that over at his section,
And now I kind of have to pivot.
I grabbed some shaoxing wine.
I'm just hoping that the flavors are there.
- Build that flavor, man.
- Make sure it's not too oily, ok?
- Ok.
I want to be in that semifinals.
I'm just telling myself in my head, like, you got this.
Come on. Keep fighting.
Don't stop. Keep going.
- Feeling good, zay?
How are you doing over there, man?
- I'm doing good. Doing good.
- 15 minutes, guys. 15 minutes.
- Let's go, guys.
Keep up the good pace.
- Where's that pork going?
Is it staying in the pan?
Do I have a landing--
- Yeah, we want this nice and crispy.
Gonna let that go for a second, get
Some beautiful edges on there.
- Amazing.
Build color, but don't overcook the pork, right?
- Yes, chef.
Pork tenderloin, it's a very lean meat.
So I want to get it crispy, but I also have
To balance not drying it out.
I'm going to have to get this thing precise.
- Make sure those are beautiful, nice
And pulled apart. You don't want clumpy noodles.
- Yes, chef. - Ok.
10 minutes to earn your spot in the semifinals.
- Let's go, guys.
- Jordan, what are we doing with the tomato?
- Tomato is going to get chopped up.
I like a little pop of acid in there.
- Sure. So what's the next step?
- Uh, working on a sauce right now, chef.
A lot of flavor.
Most of the flavor from the dish
Is going to come from the sauce.
It's missing something.
I can't put my finger on it.
My sauce does not look like it normally looks.
Let me think real quick.
Hold on.
Chicken stock, sriracha, rice vinegar.
What am I missing in my sauce?
I got my stock.
I got everything in there that I can remember.
My ginger, my garlic.
What am I missing in here?
- This is so stressful.
- Ah, that's what I forgot.
I knew I forgot something. Brown sugar.
You can't have sour without the sweet.
So I need that sugar, baby. Come on.
- Five minutes left, guys.
Five minutes.
- Come on, zay. Focus on those flavors.
- It looks a little oily. - Yeah.
- Just make sure you're tasting it.
You want to kind of create that nice glaze on the noodle
So it's not super oily, you know what I mean?
- Yes, chef.
I can't fold right now.
So I run to the fridge really quickly, add a little bit
Of stock in there, and it gets rid
Of some of that oil texture to it.
- Make smart choices.
One minute.
Should be plating, guys. - Go, zay.
Let's go, jordan.
- Beautiful mint on your station.
Any finishing touches.
It's got to be nuanced, taste delicious.
- Let's go, guys. Nice job.
- Let's go, guys.
- Count them down, guys.
All: Five, four, three, two, one.
- Well done, both of you.
- Nice job, guys.
- Great job, guys.
Man. - Good job.
- Great job.
- Woof.
It smells good.
- Gordon, I know these are both your mentees.
- Yeah.
- And I hope that they both made you proud tonight.
- It's a testament to their strength,
The fact they're this far.
And so this is a tough decision.
- Ok.
Let's start with the steak pad thai.
- Thank you.
- I like how proportioned it is.
I like how there's veg, and there's some scrambled egg
And some crunchy peanuts.
What I'm really looking for is a little bit of those flavors
That you really want with thai food-- maybe fish sauce,
A little bit of chili, a little bit more oomph to it.
- You know, this is the kind of thing
That I eat on a sort of daily basis back in thailand.
It's got the right amount of seasoning in there.
I just need some tartness.
It is on the verge of being slightly greasy,
And I don't know if that's the noodles or the beef.
- Next up, we have a udon noodle.
This has been prepared with a ground pork loin.
- The noodles are delicious.
I love the acidity and the sourness of those noodles,
Especially the heat.
It just does not need the tomatoes.
- What I love about this dish is the spicy-sweet
Notes I'm getting from it.
- Yes.
- You know, I'm not a big fan of the pork loin.
Eats really, really dry.
- Yeah.
- Two very good dishes.
Unfortunately, we have to eliminate one.
Richard, which dish are you going to eliminate?
- One's lacking a little bit of that sort of savory
Wok hei flavor that you get.
One's lacking a little bit of acidity.
But they're both really, really neck and neck for me.
Nyesha, the dish I'm going to eliminate is the...
♪ ♪
The pad thai.
- Gordon, which dish will you be sending home tonight?
- Really tough one for me.
I've been across every step of this journey by your sides.
I'm going to go on flavor and which one would
I want to order again.
The dish I'm sending home is the...
♪ ♪
Pad thai with the beef.
- That dish was cooked by izahya.
- [sighs] damn.
- Oh, man.
I fought to the very end.
And I put my all out there.
I put it all out there, man.
- I still have to remind myself you've only
Been cooking for two years.
And I think the growth and the confidence
And the commitment you've shown to this industry,
And this competition, has been extraordinary.
You found food on the back of the upset
With the injury in football, exactly the same as I did.
And that's why you and I are going to stay very close.
- Thank you, chef. - Got it, my man?
- Thank you, chef.
- Here's what I'd love to do.
I've got restaurants in miami, and I'd
Love for you to come and spend a couple of weeks with me
In those restaurants.
♪ ♪
And I know that's not a mentorship.
But what it will do is open another door to get you
Into where you'd like to go.
- Thank you, chef.
From the bottom of my heart, I thank
You, chef, for everything.
You mentoring me, you just pushing me, you guiding me
And just believing in me, this has been an experience
Of a lifetime for me.
I've worked so hard to get here.
And just in a matter of two years, you know,
I've had my ups in this competition, I've had my downs,
But I've responded every single time.
And my whole goal here was to inspire, you know?
I want to inspire people like me,
That's chasing that dream, to just keep going, keep going.
So I'm so proud of myself, so proud of myself.
- Come here, big man.
Ah.
Yeah.
Oh, man.
I can't wait to see you in miami.
- This isn't going to stop me.
If anything, it motivated me.
It lighted a fire under me.
I want to learn more.
There's so much more to do, man.
So I'm excited for what the future holds.
[applause]
- One of us.
Well done, my man.
Oh my goodness me.
- [sighs]
- Congratulations to you all.
You are our "next level chef" semifinalists.
Come on!
[applause]
Amazing.
Well done.
There are four of you and only three spots up for grabs
In that grand finale.
So the thing that you should be asking yourself right now is,
Will it be me?
- Mm.
- Good night.
- Thank you, chefs.
- Man. Well done, man.
Well done. - Thank you, chef.
- Get some rest.
- Oh, man.
- Whoo!
- You good, girl?
- I mean-- - man.
- --He's so sweet. - I feel you.
♪ ♪
- Next time on "next level chef"...
- You're just one cook away from the grand finale.
- Crunch time right now.
- Let's go!
- Not now. Don't drop the ball now.
Come on. - I want to be there so bad.
- The dish--
- I'm not going down without a fight.
- --That has earned their way--
- At this point, it's really anybody's match.
- --Into the grand finale--
- Ugh, my heart's pounding.
- --Is--
- It means so much to me.
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪