Previously on Next Level Chef...
The team part of the competition has gone.
You are cooking on your own.
- It's gonna be an all-out war. - Go!
Did you see Cole jump on that platform?
- Nice. - If you need it, I need it more.
Don't push me, dude!
That little brat did me dirty.
Taste that one more time. It's not cooked.
Oh, no!
The chef who's leaving us tonight... Jared.
And tonight...
One of the oldest foods: noodles.
I'm Filipino. Body by noodles.
- What're you thinking? - I haven't cooked duck yet.
- You keep grabbing all the duck. - I'm taking the duck.
That's what we're doing now?
Woo!
Ah! Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry!
This is hard.
Welcome back, guys.
New day, baby. Look at this, man.
- Wow. - How are we all feeling?
- Great, chef. - Motivated? Ready?
Yes, chef.
We are down to the magnificent seven.
Woop, woop!
It's insane that there's only seven of us.
The competition is heating up.
But you know, since the very beginning, it's me versus me.
And I have to keep that same attitude.
It's gonna be one of you who wins the year-long mentorship.
Not to mention a cool quarter of a million dollars.
- Imagine that! - Yeah. Yep.
That's what's up!
You ready for your next challenge?
Yes, chef.
It's a big one.
Today, you'll be working with one of the oldest foods
in existence.
Dating back thousands of years, and it's still loved
all over the world. Any guesses?
- Rice? - Noodles.
- Noodles!
- Yep. - Noodles.
Body by noodles. I'm Filipino.
Long life, long noodles.
I eat ramen.
Sesame noodles.
Dan dan noodles.
Oh! I love noodles.
Chef's kiss.
I'm hungry.
Today's challenge is to create a Next Level noodle dish
that really does honor tradition
but elevates that humble, simple noodle to the Next Level.
You need to pick a lane
and serve up an elevated dish
focused on noodles
and topped off with a beautiful protein as the centerpiece.
- Heard. - Understood?
Yes, chef.
You'll all have 15 minutes.
No. Stop it.
- Times two. - Oh, my God.
- Thirty minutes... - Back at it again.
...to create an outstanding noodle dish.
Yo, that was not funny, chef.
Why is he playing like this?
Like, have we not been through enough?!
Time is of the essence.
- Always. - Especially today.
Because the chef who creates the best dish
will not only move up to that top level kitchen
next time round...
but will earn one of these.
- Mmm... - Hell, yeah.
A Next Level Time Token.
At this stage of the game, it is crucial.
The winner of this Time Token
has got an incredible option to add
a 10 second head start to their grab.
I would love it, chef. You can give it to me right now.
Or as we've seen before...
you can use it to take 10 seconds away
from one of your fellow competitors.
- Wow. - Think about it.
- Spicy. - Connor?
Who would you take 10 seconds away from?
Oh, my God. You put me on blast, chef.
- Christian. - Oh, yeah?
Oh, okay. Alright.
Heard. Duly noted.
Okay, Andy and Gabrielle, you cooked your hearts out, ladies,
and you've earned your spot in the top level with me today.
- Yay! - Thanks, chef.
Christian, Darian and Connor, you've earned your spot
- in that middle kitchen with me. - Yes, chef.
Okay, Cole and Danielle,
you've battled your way out of elimination
and still have a shot at the title. Well done!
Chefs, you'll be in the basement with me. Down, but not out.
- Yeah. - Let's get it.
Okay, Andy and Gabrielle,
please head to the elevator, and I'll see you there shortly.
- Thank you, chefs. - Good luck, ladies. Good luck...
Love you, girls.
Come on. Kill it.
Go girl!
It feels like the Avengers.
Literally.
- Let's go, baby. - Here we go.
Hup, hup, hup...
The boys are back in town.
That's right.
Let's get set up and get going, get going!
I don't have all the frills of the top kitchen.
Let's go. But what I do have is some grit,
some tenacity, some resilience.
- You got this, Danielle. - I know, I'm excited.
That's all I need to make this happen.
Did not come to play today at all.
Right. Look after those ladies, look after them, let's go.
I got 'em, Gordon.
- Flavor, flavor, flavor! - Flavor!
- What is this? What is this? - We eatin' it. We eatin' it up!
Let's pop over here. Let's have a little chat.
- Feeling energized? - Yeah. Very energized.
Also, with only two of you, we're in the basement.
Not a lot of ingredients might be left
but at least you're not going to be fighting for it.
The girls will rise.
Girls will rise.
Let's go!
Let's go, chef. Let's get it.
- You good? - Yes, chef.
Listen, the end is in sight.
Every move you make now is critical. What are you thinking?
I wanna go with something creamy, Taiwanese-inspired...
- Taiwanese. - Yes, chef.
I'm listening. I'm keeping tabs on these guys.
Great. And then protein-wise, what're you thinking?
Cutlet of some sort, chicken, pork.
Connor, you've been killing it left and right
and I'm not letting you kill it on this dish.
- What are you thinking, bro? - Like a Peruvian pasta?
There's a little bit of extra love for Darian
'cause he's Team Blais. Or was.
And probably, like, duck. I haven't cooked duck yet.
You've been grabbing all the ducks.
I'll do whatever it takes to win.
Thirty minutes. It's gonna go fast.
We're all homies, but when that clock starts...
...you don't know me.
♪ Let's go!
♪ It's gonna be a broth of deliciousness ♪
I'm so happy!
- Okay, you guys ready? - Yes, chef!
Yes, you are!
- Uh, Nyesha? - Gordon!
Let's go. We good?
Oh, these girls got fire in their eyes.
- Look after those girls, please. - I a hundred percent will.
Throw something down here guys.
Send noods, please. Not those kind, but send noods.
- Alright, ladies. - Oh, my God.
- Make Gordon proud. - Yep.
Go, go, go!
Grab ingredients, grab your noodle, grab your protein.
- Build around it. - Do you see spaghetti?
Everybody loves spaghetti. And I can't find spaghetti.
I'm looking. I'm looking. And... there's no spaghetti.
We have egg noodle in the front.
The fine egg noodles are the closest.
So, that's what I'm gonna grab.
Grab your protein and build around it.
New York strip. Duck breast. Pork belly is delicious.
The only thing I see right in front of me
are these massive tiger shrimps.
I've cooked shrimp before, but these are... huge.
Uh... okay! We're gonna go for it.
Make a choice. Okay. Black cod. New York strip.
I go for the New York strip and then I get to the other side
and I'm like, ramen. You take the poor man's noodle
and pair it with a New York strip.
- That's a gorgeous dish. - Fish sauce.
Fish sauce?
- Good girl. Good girl. - Agh!
Let's go! Go, go, go!
Uh, right, protein.
The first thing I see is pork belly.
I want that.
And little ol' Connor wants to grab that, so he takes that.
No brainer. Easiest snatch of my life.
Duck breast is there, guys.
Oh, duck is right here. I'ma take that.
I'm taking the duck. Sorry, I'm taking it. Taking it.
Oh, okay. That's what we're doing now?
I want duck, so you want duck all of a sudden.
Grab a noodle. Let's go.
Noodles, noodles? Where're the noodles?
Squid ink noodles look fire! I'm gonna grab those.
Got your noodles? They're out in front.
- Oh! Jeez! - Sorry, brother.
We got feisty on that grab. Let's go.
- Here we go, some veggie. - Grab, grab, grab.
Grab, grab, grab.
- Oh, nope! Don't need it. - What are you doing?
Agh! AGH!
It's go time. Let's go! Clear it out!
Let's go! Alright, Cole and Danielle, let's clear it out.
Everything is all over the place.
I feel like the boys just rampaged this whole thing.
You got your noodles? You have noodles?
They're up here. You gotta grab those.
I see the flower petal noodles.
Danielle kinda grabbed it a little bit
and then got hesitant, but I wasn't hesitatin' at all!
Ooh, my goodness. Okay, we're taking a rice dish.
We need a protein - tongue and hot dogs
- are the main proteins. - Oh, my goodness. Okay.
Gimme the hot dogs. I don't want to deal with that tongue today.
Oh, my goodness. Oh, tongue is a protein! Holy crap, okay.
Grab all the ingredients, guys. Grab as many as you can, yeah?
Oh, what is that? Here, have some! Have some, please!
Grab what you can. Grab it or regret it, okay!
Look what I got.
- Is it a cow? - Yeah. Holy moly.
This is all my nightmares come true.
This is everything you think about the basement cooks,
how I can prepare myself, then I just see
that tongue staring me down.
And I'm like, "It's you and me, buddy."
We're absolutely going for it.
Right, guys.
Your time starts now. Amazing noodle dishes.
Right, what'd you grab?
- So I grabbed a bunch of herbs. - Mm-hm.
I'll make this Peruvian green pasta...
- Mm-hm. Good. - ...udon noodles
with black cod. I love black cod.
I love that you're stepping out of your comfort zone
and doing something... left field.
- Yes, chef. - Good job.
- Thank you. - Christian, you good?
Honestly, this right here is my niche.
- Oh, man. - You got the duck.
Third time's a charm.
Yo, that duck, man?
Like, what's up, man? Is there something you need to tell me?
Oh, man.
- Get that duck in there now. - Yes, chef.
Okay, get that fat rendered down.
The idea behind this comes from where?
I love chili oil, but then I also love Peruvian-Japanese.
So I'm doing Taiwanese-Peruvian.
Wait a minute! You're making something Peruvian, too?
Like, what's going on over there?
Where did that come from all of a sudden?
- Aji Amarillo chili oil. - Nice.
- And a nice little green finish. - Sounds good.
Why are you taking all my ideas and my ingredients
that I said I wanted, like... We're supposed to be teammates.
Not cool at all.
This gonna be a sexy ass cook.
Yo Darian, I know you want this duck.
No, it's mine.
Because I know I'm gonna cook it way better.
Christian, man, enjoy that duck breast.
I have everything I need. All the best.
We're moving, guys. We are moving.
Time waits for no one.
Why did I pick these?
Gabrielle, what're we thinking? What did you grab?
I grabbed a New York strip.
I'm gonna do a broth for my noodles.
Taking the ramen was definitely a bold choice.
I've got to step out of the box
and show that you can do something incredible
with everyday ingredients.
I'm movin' now. I see my plate and I'm runnin'.
Alright Andy, what'd you grab?
I've got these beautiful tiger prawns, chef.
I'm gonna do a play on a Cameroonian spaghetti omelet.
That's how I grew up, was eating noodles with eggs.
And if I can share a little bit of some Cameroonian flavor
into this challenge, this is top dish, period.
- Sounds delicious. - Yes. Thanks, chef.
Believe in yourself. Let's go, ladies.
Alright, we're five minutes down, there's 25 minutes left.
I'm getting nervous but I'm gonna keep it together.
Here we go, here we go.
Alright. Never have I ever made an ox tongue stir fry.
Okay. Was it on my bingo card? No.
It's just not good.
- Wow. - This is a struggle.
- Tongue is cooked. - The tongue is cooked.
- I just wanna crisp them up. - Okay.
Okay, you got this, girl. You got this.
- Cole, what do we got? - I got a bunch of good stuff.
I think I'm gonna do a play on a khao soi 'cause I went
to Thailand and that was a delicious dish that I had.
I went with my partner for her birthday.
And that was the first time I had it
and it was absolutely delicious.
It is a curry noodle dish.
- It's a northern dish, right? - It is.
It's a northern Thailand dish that was actually
brought down by the Chinese monks.
My partner would be so proud of me for making this dish.
She's always in my corner. She thinks the highest of me.
She always pushes me to be my best self.
So today, I'm doing this for her.
But I've never had a hot dog khao soi.
I've never had a hot dog khao soi either.
Connor tell me, where're we going? Pork belly in?
- Pork belly in. - Good.
Crunchy peanut butter dan dan noodle.
- Nice. - And a coconut curry pork belly.
Nice. But you're using squid ink, right?
- Yes, chef. - Do not overcook them, okay?
- Ninety seconds? - Ninety seconds max.
- Yes, chef. - Christian, are you good?
- Yep, chef. - Have a clear narrative
of where we're going with these dishes.
Yes, chef. I'm making some magic with this.
What're you gonna do with the little pancetta?
I'll use its rendered fat as well. I got some fatty pork.
- Taste as you go, young man. - Yes, always, always.
- Love me some Aji Amarillo. - Good.
This creamy Aji Amarillo vibe - it'll be that Peruvian kick.
Oh, yeah!
I got a delicious duck.
That Time Token is mine... I can see it.
I know they're gonna taste it and be like, "Wow!"
"Holy , I don't even want to taste the other dishes."
Oh, my God. My God!
Twenty minutes to go, guys. Darian, why are we going down
the Peruvian route? Where's the inspo from?
There's this restaurant in Toronto I go to all the time.
Their flavor is just unmatched. So, I'm like, "Okay, I'ma try
something different, something I never tried before."
What'll you dress this sauce in? You dress the noodles in there?
Yes I'ma toss the noodles in the sauce, get it nice and green.
Don't forget, the hero are those noodles, yes?
Yes, chef.
Let's keep an eye on these.
How do we feel like? Feel good?
Yeah, I like that chew. You let me know.
- Do you feel it's a little-- - Undone.
- I like the chew on it. - It's underdone.
- Underdone? - Give it a couple more minutes.
How we doing, Danielle?
Do you cook a lot of noodles at home?
We do cook a lot of noodles at home.
My son makes a stir-fried noodle
literally almost every single day after school.
- He loves to cook. - Okay.
He loves spicy, all kinds of fun stuff.
- He's following in... - Isn't that great?
- ...his mom's footsteps! - He loves it!
This dish today is for my baby,
my little 14-year-old dude.
One thing I know that you love
is lettin' that blender rip.
I really do!
When my son was growing up, Noah would put his hand
on top of the KitchenAid mixer 'cause that's what mom does.
And it's really special to me.
So I'm channeling all the Noah
because this is my main little man's... this is his dish.
You do a great job utilizing, like,
food processor and the blender.
I love that bad boy.
Honestly, it's really nice to have you ladies with me.
I love the feminine energy up here.
I'm used to saying, "Guys."
Good to be with the girls.
- How we feeling, chef? - Alright!
- Really nice broth, chef. - I like it.
I like it, too. You can truly taste love.
Yes, you can. And that's why I love cooking.
Incredible.
Alright, let's really use our time wisely.
Alright, Andy. I love the idea of an omelet,
maybe making a beautiful frittata, like you said.
- Yes, chef. - Turning it onto a cutting board
- and dicing that. - Yep.
Where the noodle has an opportunity... to shine.
I have committed fully to this omelet idea.
I've barely got the omelet going.
The noodles I think are cooking?
Oh, my God.
And I haven't even put the prawns on the grill.
Oh, my Gott!
It's all too much and with too little time.
My Gott!
How do I crack this shell?
I've de-shelled shrimp before
but this is a whole other level.
Why are we doing dat?
Oh, wow.
These tiger prawns are just enormous.
I'm struggling with this.
Oh, my goodness.
I'm fighting with this stupid shell.
This is hard.
Oh, my Gott.
What have I done?
Oh, my Gott.
Chef, I dunno how to open these things.
You do know how to open these things, girl.
I've never made tiger prawns before,
and I really am going to stop
grabbing things I've never cooked.
Fifteen minutes. We're halfway down, guys.
You got this, girl! Don't cook scared today, okay?
Pull this out here, then slice down the back
- and peel the shell off, yes? - Yes, chef.
I'm like, "Wow, she's making this look so easy!"
So don't leave them to the end, okay?
After this, I'm done.
I am not picking a protein
I've never cooked before.
I'm gonna stay in my comfort zone and in my safe space.
I really like to suffer.
I just really like to suffer.
Twelve-and-a-half minutes left.
Ooh, my goodness. Oh, my goodness.
This crispy tongue...?
You feeling good about the curry, Cole?
- Yep. - I love that you're getting
flavor from the hot dogs there.
Uh, has no one ever...?
You have the lime leaves.
- Oh, damn, that's good, chef. - Can you taste it?
Is it coming together? First of all,
you're super smiley. I love it!
Hot damn, chef, that's good.
You're making cream and sugar taste like the curry.
I really like it, okay.
- You got this. - Bring it together...
Get it together.
What's very important is the cooking of these noodles.
It's a noodle challenge. We don't want them overcooked
but we definitely don't want them undercooked.
Okay, noodles are done.
Ten minutes left, though. The noodles are cooked, right?
Taste them, they're good.
And your toppings are gonna be the crispy tongue over here?
- Yes, crispin' that up. - Yeah, and it doesn't need a ton
- 'cause it's already cooked. - Yes.
I would get it out of the pan.
We're gettin' out this damn basement today, baby.
Amen.
Seven minutes to go, guys. Yes?
- Yes, chef. - I want these dishes to shine.
- Yes, chef. - Check those noodles, please.
I don't want them overcooking. Connor?
- Pulling noodles, chef. - Check your noodles, now!
- They're out. - Good.
What a gorgeous piece of fish that is.
Simple, packed with flavor.
Packed! Packed! Packed!
Mm. Mm...
- How's that duck? - Looking great, chef.
I'll let it rest before I hit it back on.
Don't go crazy, now.
No, no, no. Less is more, chef.
Gently on those noodles. Nice and gently,
'cause you can break them up and they can end up busted.
The flavor profile, the creaminess, the spice level,
the balance, it's just all there.
Oh, my God. My God!
Should I dare say, maybe... better than Darian?
We'll see.
- Absolute focus, okay? - Heard, chef.
Five minutes, guys. Five minutes.
Oh my God, dawg.
Gabby, those noodles take no time.
- Yes, chef. - Make sure it's the last thing
- you do. - Thank you, chef.
I am stressed.
There's so much going on.
I have way too many elements.
Oh hell, bro.
Oh, my Gott.
Andy, your noodles are done.
Yes, chef. Coming!
I'm falling behind.
Is that enough, chef? Just warming them up?
Just drop them in, and you don't need all of them.
- Right. - Take a breath, you got this.
This is the part where it's fun.
Make sure there's not a lot of water on it.
Hug that side and roll it up.
There you go. Hug it!
- Can I pop my noodles? - Absolutely.
Plating in one minute.
Start bringing those elements together.
♪ Why not?
♪ We're doing so much already ♪
Gentlemen, get ready.
Two minutes left, two minutes left.
It's time to start plate. Yep, it's time.
Remember, the platform comes here first, girls, okay?
- Yes, chef. Heard. - The noodles are cooked -
that's really important. You feel good about it?
I feel great about the noodles, chef.
Ninety seconds, guys. Yes?
- Yes, chef. - Beautiful.
Beautiful! Get some nice little herbs on there.
Oh my God, it's going down.
Ladies, platform is heading down to the basement!
Let's go, start plating.
Nice, beautiful noodles, okay?
I'm literally shaking.
Platform's here, let's go.
- Oh, my God! - Platform's here, baby.
Platform's here. Let's go, Cole. Let's go, Danielle.
- Let's go! - Just at the end!
Woo!
Platform's here. Right, get in on there, now!
I want it on the platform now. Turn and burn.
Let's go, well done. Connor, we gotta go!
Go, Connor!
- Man! - Woo-hoo!
Well done. Good job.
Platform's here. Fifteen seconds, let's go!
- Platform's here. - Uh, prawns! Agh!
Ten seconds. Go, go, go!
Ow, ow, ow!
Go, Andy, go. Go, Andy!
It's not going to stay for you. Let's go!
Let's go, Gabrielle!
Let's go! Hurry up!
Go, Andy! Let's go, Gabrielle!
Let's go! Hurry up!
Good job, good job...
You did it, you did it...
- Oh, my God. - I know.
Oh, man.
Mm, they smell good!
Wow. Look at these!
Right, Nyesha and Richard, the basement?
Yeah, let's start down here.
Let's get right into it.
Okay, so we're gonna start off with a Rice Noodle Stir Fry
- with ox tongue... - Wow.
...and a peanut sauce on the side
and a little Chinese vinegar dip as well.
Noodles cooked... brilliantly.
I think it's a tough grab if I'm honest.
Just got to be careful of the dryness of that ox tongue
because it's very, very dry.
Would have definitely loved to see some beautiful herbs
or something to play against the richness of that ox tongue.
It does eat slightly like beef jerky.
Next up, we have a Hot Dog Khao Soi.
So a northern Thailand curry noodle dish.
This is delicious. I'm amazed it's centered around
a frickin' hot dog. Again, something that was
unwanted from the previous two floors.
The right kind of depth of heat is in there.
It's sour, it's tart. Very good.
I'm blown away by the flavor in this.
Usually you go to the restaurant and you can get chicken,
you can get shrimp, you can get tofu.
I think we need to add hot dog
to the options in a Thai restaurant.
I may not have had all the ingredients I needed
but I made it work!
Somebody will be putting hot dog
khao soi on their menu very soon.
It'll help them with food costs, okay?
Shall we head up to the middle floor?
- Yes, we shall. - Brace yourselves
for some magic. Okay, first off we have
a Duck Breast over Aji Amarillo Noodles
finished with a little bit of pancetta
and a little bit of that duck fat.
Incredible amount of depth of flavor
and viscosity in the sauce.
The noodles are chewy, cooked properly.
The moment for me really is there's no reprieve, right?
You got rich, fatty deliciousness,
but then you also have rich, fatty duck.
Think about the contrast
of how the dish is meant to be enjoyed.
It's a tough one, isn't it, because it is super rich.
Can you finish the bowl?
Hm. Good point.
Damn... Damn.
Next up, a Marinated Curry Pork Belly
over peanut chili dan dan noodles.
This chef used squid ink noodles with that pork belly.
I thought the noodles were too rich when I first tasted it
but the fresh herbs and the pickled radish
- really wake it back up. - The secret here is the grab.
You've got this cheap belly pork - $4, $5 slice -
that is elevated into a $20 dish. Delicious.
Lastly, this is a Spicy Black Cod
over a Peruvian-inspired udon noodle.
Absolutely glistening.
I think this chef really elevated this dish.
It looks like a fine dining dish.
And that color green is just so appealing
and it delivers.
I mean, the amount of flavor that is coming off of this
very simplistic looking dish -
the impact that the flavor has is just a core memory.
The noodles are exceptional. It's fragrant.
It's fresh, vibrant. Really good job.
Eat that, Christian!
Shall we move on, up to the top?
Let's move to the top, please.
First up, this dish is Grilled Tiger Prawn
over a fine egg noodle.
This is a play on a classic Cameroonian dish
called Spaghetti Egg.
I know who cooked this one.
I love the presentation of it.
We did a great job here, this chef,
presenting the star protein.
I think it's actually too shrimpy, too prawn-flavored.
Interesting. The noodle is cooked perfectly.
You brought your heritage to this dish
and it definitely shows.
Be careful of the cook on those large shrimp.
This one is just a touch medium, a little bit too firm.
Okay lastly, this is a Steak and Egg Ramen
with a shiitake mushroom broth.
One knock is there's not enough broth on it
but the egg is perfect - this protein is cooked excellent.
I love this dish.
The cook on the steak: Beautiful.
It's just so nice to have the confidence to grab,
I'll be honest, one of the crappiest of noodles,
and elevate it into a Premier League dish.
Exceptional.
Wow. Some incredible dishes. Well done.
Excuse us for a moment, we need a serious conversation.
Have a chat amongst yourselves.
- Thank you. - Wow.
- So many good dishes, though. - Yeah, really great.
- Hot dogs, oh my God! - Delicious.
I'm actually blown away how good it eats,
how much it tastes like khao soi.
She knew exactly off the jump
- what she wanted to make. - Wow.
She knew the dish, she's traveled to Thailand.
- That cooking was exceptional. - Right.
Honestly, the black cod
with udon noodle and that green sauce?
- You loved that. - Oh, my lord.
The amount of depth of flavor? Incredible.
I said core memory and I meant it. Really great.
- Christian's been killing it. - That wasn't Christian, no.
- Interesting. - That's Darian's.
- Really?! Darian's dish? - Yeah.
I love Peruvian food.
And the second best dish there for me was the dan dan noodle
- with the squid ink. - Mm.
- That was Christian. - No! That was Connor's.
- So Christian's was the duck? - Interesting.
- Just the fatty... - Super fatty.
Is that a duck dish or a noodle dish?
- Totally. - Also, he's forgotten
the rustic charm of the noodle dish.
He presented it like it was a duck dish.
- Absolutely. - Showing off cooking.
It wasn't about the duck, it was the noodle.
- The ox tongue. - It was dry!
- Definitely dry. - You gotta be careful with that.
- Yeah. - Uh, top floor?
I thought the shrimp was a miss.
Yeah, the shrimp was definitely overcooked.
She got it on the grill and then totally forgot about it.
Absolute tragedy.
There's three or four dishes I'd order
in a restaurant and be happy with it.
Yeah, which one do we give the Time Token to?
- That's the real question. - I'm gonna make an argument
that the khao soi is more of a noodle dish,
then the black cod is more of an entrée with noodles.
- No! - Yes.
It's literally just noodles. It's a noodle dish.
And a big chunk of black cod. It's a delicious dish.
- A big chunk?! - There's no arguing...
- Sure, sure. - ...it's one of the best.
To me, the khao soi was so authentic.
I hope I can get that Time Token over you
but if you get it I won't be mad.
The cod pasta blew me away.
But honestly I think that might be the most memorable dish
- of the season for me. - Wow.
It's pretty cut and dried to be honest.
- Wow. - It's the Thai noodles.
- It's the cod dish for me. - Bloody hell.
Oh, my God!
We're coming down to the final details
to separate the seven of you and it's getting harder and harder.
But we all agreed...
that two stood out from the rest.
Those dishes were cooked by...
- Darian. - Thank you, chef.
And Cole.
Well done, really well done. Come on.
- Thank you, chef. - Thank you, chef.
Now the difficult decision: Which one gets the benefit
of the game-changing advantage, the ten-second Time Token?
The winner tonight,
congratulations goes to...
Cole. Well done.
- Yes! - Woo!
- Here we go, girl! - So happy for you.
Look after it, use it wisely.
- Good job, Cole. - Great job.
Turning that $2 hot dog into something valued at $15
- was exceptional. - Thank you, chef.
Started from the bottom, now we here!
You can't keep a player down too long!
Both of you will be cooking in that top level kitchen
- next time around. - Let's go!
- Congratulations.
I don't wanna wish bad on nobody but I hope Christian
is in the basement. Hey, do you need something down there?
Nope!
Okay, so now for the not-so-fun part.
Tonight,
there were three dishes
that failed to elevate their noodles.
Those three chefs,
they'll all be headed into the elimination.
They are...
- Danielle. - Yes, chef.
Andy.
And...
- Christian. - Understood.
I don't know how I made it to this elimination round,
but I'm getting my ass out of there.
And after conquering one of the world's oldest comfort foods -
all starch - we're gonna take that safety net away.
In this elimination challenge
you must create a Next Level entrée
completely starch-free.
Tonight, it's all about balance, flavor, and technique.
You have to let your protein shine.
- Understood? - Understood. Yes, Chef.
Okay, you're cooking for survival.
I know no one goes through this competition
without going through an elimination challenge, but...
... I'm just...
I'm not at my strongest right now.
Everyone, head to the elevator. I'll see you up there soon.
Alright, guys. Good luck, yeah?
- Andy! Pull this out. - Yes, chef.
- Let's go, Christian. Lock in. - Let's go, Danielle!
- Lock in. Let's go, Danielle. - Yes, chef.
Beautiful flavors. Great plating.
- Cole, look after her. Let's go. - Yes, chef.
Good luck, everyone.
Get it! Get it! Get it! Let's go! Let's go!
- There you go! - Alright!
I really do envision myself with a spot in that finale.
I want this little guy.
I'm the last Home Chef standing.
I'm not going anywhere.
Let's go, champ.
Okay, everyone. How're we doing, chefs? Doing good?
- Much love. Doing good. - Let's bring it over here.
Andy, Danielle, Christian,
you have one last chance
to save yourselves in this competition.
Twenty-five minutes.
No starches. Line up on the wall.
I got to get to that platform and kind of block the way
and make sure I get the protein I want
before they can even reach for anything else.
As long as I get what I want, feel free to grab anything else.
The platform's moving.
When the light is green, it's go time.
First to the platform gets the choice.
Go time!
Go, Andy! Ooh!
Scallops, pork. Okay.
I see cod, I'm like... "Let's go."
- Okay. You got it. - Good, Danielle...
Ingredients over here. You got some citrus.
- You got soy sauce, vinegar. - Don't push me, dude!
Oh, it's gettin' super scrappy.
It's a good purée. Alright, you got...
I don't like this side of Christian.
Hey, bro, can I get in here?
Fifteen seconds. Tahini paste, curry paste.
That curry paste is 1,000 percent mine.
Curry paste is right here.
Get yo' hands away!
Do you have something that can function
as a starch on your plate? Ponzu? Paprika?
Grab it or regret it. Back to your stations. Let's go.
Good grab. Great grab, y'all.
Your 25 minutes starts right now. Let's go.
- Okay, okay. - Love that smile, Danielle.
- Let's go. - Go get it, girl.
Christian, what're we thinking about, chef?
I'm gonna do a pan-seared Kurobuta
with a cauliflower steak and a roasted green purée.
Okay. Got it. Just remember, probably a sauce, right?
Danielle, how're we doing?
We literally grabbed it all, chef.
What're we thinking dish-wise, Danielle?
Gonna do a beautiful seared scallop,
maybe a little succatashy moment here.
- The herbs are really wonderful. - Okay, put it together.
- You're really good with herbs. - Yes, yes, yes.
- Another fun purée is a soubise. - Soubise, yes!
- Cook the onions in some cream. - You got it. Yes, sir!
You can get a nice soubise with the scallops...
- Yes! With the flour. - ...and beautiful little florets.
How far do you take that flour in a soubise?
You don't even need flour. Just get some cream
- and start cooking these onions. - Okay. Yes, chef.
We're gonna go overboard on the sauce
and they're gonna love it. They'll be like,
"Oh, oh... It's not a shame! It's incredible!"
Andy, what are we thinking?
I want to do a coconut curry with a crispy skinned cod, chef.
- Just these beautiful florets. - Okay. And you have curry paste?
- Yeah. - That's brilliant. Okay.
Woo!
And you have that little island for the cod.
You alright, bro? You celebrating?
Argh!
Alright dude, I'm glad you're having fun.
But listen, someone's going home today.
- Not me, chef. - I know you love Team Blais
but it's an individual competition right now.
I just wanna make sure we're not getting too cocky.
It's Team Me now. That was just spill, I might as well drink it.
- Yes, chef? - Alright, alright.
Danielle, she's locked-in, man.
- She's very calm. Locked-in. - Oh, you scared me.
She's the most locked-in I've ever seen her.
Yeah, yeah.
Cooking with joy.
Those guys are dunzo.
Listen, I want all three of you to make it, okay?
- Yes, chef. - We want it to sing.
- We want it to sing curry, yeah? - Yes, chef.
I'm just doing a really simple, beautiful plate, chef.
Yeah, yeah. That's it. There's so much flavor in here.
- Yeah, a little bit more, chef. - Yeah. Put more in there.
I'd go with like a half a spoon, you know?
Don't be shy with it. It's a little spicy but that's fine.
Let's season this cod and let's start cooking the cod.
Yes, chef. This dish is survival.
That is the title of it, Survival Curry.
Not one bit of me is ready to go home.
- Well done, Andy. - Taste that curry sauce again.
If you need to, put some cream and let it reduce.
Cole. You just made a curry, right?
The balance is the spice, all the aromatics.
Okay, way to move, Andy. Let's go.
Ten minutes left, ten minutes left!
Make it hard on Gordon and Nyesha here.
Danielle, you don't need the blender forever.
- I need it. - Okay, you need it. Okay!
This blender has absolutely become
a little bit of emotional support for me.
So as the blender's going, I'm feeling calm.
Hm! It needs a lot more salt.
- Andy, you feeling good? - I feel good, chef.
Yeah. Think about what this plate's gonna look like.
- Don't forget your broccoli. - No, we're good.
Six and a half minutes left. Okay, go to the end.
You love that blender. Let's go.
- Oh, ! - How is that, Danielle?
It's over-salted. Behind! Behind!
Danielle, you have time to fix this.
- Yep. - Yeah, if it's too salty
- add cream, chef. - Yes, chef.
What is she doing?
Danielle, what's going on?
My sauce is a little over-salted.
I'm making a roux really quick because--
- Oh . Okay. - Yep. Okay.
- A roux. - A roux, yeah.
Just want you to make sure you get
- something on the plate. - Yes, chef.
Make sure you cook the flour out of that
'cause that's the danger of starting that so late.
Yes, chef. Cook that flour out.
- Plating in 60 seconds! - Okay.
I'm panicking.
I need this sauce to work.
I'm not ready to go home.
Please, Jesus.
Plating in 60 seconds.
Three minutes left, three minutes left.
The entire time I'm telling myself,
"If you don't nail this sauce Danielle, you're going home."
- Are we ready to plate? - I'm ready to plate.
Time to plate. Two minutes, two minutes!
- Okay. - Take your time.
You wanna plate it like an angel, okay?
A nice little beautiful puddle of sauce.
Minor details can get you sent home.
You didn't come all this way to go home right now.
Okay, let's push all the way to the end.
Yeah, exactly. Plate like an angel.
- Bring it home, you guys! - Five, four...
- Do what you wanna do. - ...three, two...
- Beautiful, Andy! - ...one, hands up! Let's go.
- Stop cooking. - Woo!
- Wow. - Wow, chef.
Nyesha, Gordon, all I really can say
is that I'm super proud of these three chefs.
They threw down. They created some
restaurant-worthy looking dishes.
Three beautiful-looking dishes.
Okay, first up here we have a Seared Pork Chop...
- Wow. - ...with a broccoli salsa verde,
roasted cauliflower steak,
and apples in a champagne applesauce.
Yeah, I was curious what this syrupy sauce was.
It definitely works, it's a beautiful complement
to the pork. Apples, classic pairing.
Cauliflower works well with that.
A slight departure for me
is the broccoli verde sauce, if you will.
It's a really interesting composition.
Uh, great sear on the protein.
It's seasoned beautifully.
It's rested and it's cooked absolutely spot on.
Um, I do have a problem with this sort of salsa verde purée.
It's sort of grainy, and it's not puréed,
and it's sort of in between.
Moving on, we have a Crispy Skin Cod
with a coconut curry, and vegetables.
It looks beautiful. It's so inviting.
The colors, they pop. Cod's cooked beautifully.
It's glistening. It's bright. It's beautiful, vibrant.
And I love the heat.
Yeah, I love the vibrancy coming from the vegetables.
There's this incredible vibrant sauce
against the perfectly cooked cod
is really quite enjoyable to eat.
Lastly, we have a Pan-seared Scallop
with a spinach and onion soubise
and a crab, apple, and dill salad.
Scallops are cooked beautifully.
Um, the sort of soubise and the spinach
is a little bit lost in translation
because it's not powerful enough.
Smart idea using soubise.
The part for me is really the graininess in the soubise.
It's almost like a floury texture
that I haven't experienced yet in a soubise.
Is it flour... What is it?
It might be a bit of flour.
- The chef made a roux... - Gotcha.
- ...to thicken it up. - Gotcha.
Now's the hard part.
Okay, Nyesha, which dish are you going to eliminate tonight?
For me, I think it's important to transform a vegetable
but it's also very important to do that vegetable justice.
And I thought the least successful
expression of that was in the scallop dish.
Okay Gordon, same question for you.
Which dish will you be eliminating?
The pork, the scallops, or the cod?
I'm not a big fan of this slurry of broccoli.
And I'm not a fan of the sort of floury soubise.
My goodness me.
The pork is cooked beautifully
and the scallops are cooked beautifully.
The dish I'm sending home...
...is gonna be the scallops.
That dish was cooked by Danielle.
Shoot.
Danielle, it was just such a joy to have you on Team Arrington.
I hope you're proud. I had such a good time.
Every single freaking cook was just wonderful.
And you guys, the family members that I've made,
I just don't believe that this is the end.
There's so much more to do
and I can't wait to work with you again.
You've been a powerhouse, let me tell you.
I wish we had more time to cook together...
- Yeah. - because there's something
quite unique, and you're direct.
- We need that in this industry. - Yes.
And we need more women like you.
And I'll single out a little moment
from a girl that means so much to me, Claire Smith...
- Mm. - ...who was watching from afar
the way you cook, and she tipped you to go all the way.
- Thank you, chef. - Wow.
Incredible. Continued success, girl.
We're gonna be watching you very carefully, okay?
- Good job. - Well done. Come say goodbye.
I feel like this is just the beginning.
I've been at this for 15 years and...
I'm gonna keep on at it.
And I'm just so proud of myself.
It was really good.
Oh, my God.
I feel really good. I feel super good.
- Good job, Danielle. - We love you, Danielle!
Thank you. - I love you, Danielle.
Good job, Danielle.
- This is Andy's. - Andy's.
And this is Christian's.
- Andy, great job. - Thank you, chef.
Beautifully cooked, I think it's one of your strongest dishes.
Christian, you're sort of walking on a tightrope
without any safety net.
If it wasn't three of you in this elimination,
young man, you'll be halfway down the elevator now.
Yes, chef.
Too close. Close. Real close.
Excuse me.
Okay, what a day. Top six, give yourselves a round of applause.
Come on.
Next time I see you, we'll be celebrating a birthday
- like no other. - Huh?
Something 250 years in the making... Good night.
That's it? That's the riddle?
- Thank you, chef! - We'll have to figure it out.
- Great job. Good job, everyone. - Congrats.
- Let's go! Great job, Andy. - Thank you, chef.
- Good luck. - Keep it up.
- All of you, great job today. - Thank you.
Next time on Next Level Chef...
We are celebrating America's 250th birthday.
- Woo! - Oh, let's go.
Happy birthday, America.
Time to celebrate America.
USA! USA!
- Do you want to go first? - What a gentleman.
I spoke too soon.
Ooh! What's this big spill?
I don't have time to fix that.
We want to taste that American spirit tonight.
Two sips, you're gonna be on your back.
USA! USA!
- Is that Richard Blais? - USA!
Honestly, I'm gonna kill him.