Gordon: Previously on "next level chef"...
Today's challenge, we want you to create a burger
worthy of the next level.
It's really important that team trailblaisers
wins the competition today
and gains safety for all the team members.
- Gordon: Fire in the basement! - ( bleep )
this is horrible.
The idea is to cook in the basement, not set it on fire, yes?
The winning burger of the night, the wagyu.
Congratulations, team nyesha.
Pyet: My heart can't take it.
Nyesha: Gordon and richard have to nominate one dish
to go into the elimination tonight.
Gordon: The ahi tuna burger that is the most delicious,
jonathan, congratulations.
I'm sorry, devonnie. Say goodbye to your team.
Tonight...
Today's challenge, a next level brunch dish.
Today is war. Nobody going home.
- I'll get dirty to win. - Oh, no. Oh, no.
I messed this one up.
I'm gonna have to summon
every angel I know
to get me through this.
- Richard: Mariah! Mariah! - Oh, my god!
That was a huge, huge mistake.
My heart is in my throat. It's a wrap.
( music playing )
welcome back. Line up, you talented bunch.
- Good morning, chefs. - Good morning, chef.
Pyet, how excited are you about taking the top spot
with that wagyu short rib burger?
Over the moon. I was so happy to be able to save my team.
- It was the most confident I'd seen you cook thus far. - Thank you, chef.
Mariah, you're this close always to being the top dish
and I can tell it frustrates you.
- Yes. - But listen, here's the deal.
If you've ever seen a race, all you want to be
is in that final pack of people.
- Okay. - The good thing about being where you're at
is you don't have a giant target on your back.
Keep doing what you're doing.
Tricia, this competition
has been a roller coaster ride for you.
- Yes, chef. - One minute, you're cooking up
one of the most beautiful squad pigeon dishes,
and then on the next hand you're nearly setting me on fire.
What tricia have we got today?
Not the firebender tricia, chef.
Tricia on fire, not setting fire.
- Yes, chef. - Love that.
Is everybody ready to cook?
- Yes, chef. - Good.
- Because today's challenge... - Oh, god.
- ...Isn't an ingredient. - Oh.
And it's not a cuisine either.
Today you'll all be creating a next level brunch dish.
Ooh.
- Yeah. - Okay.
It's the meal that makes everybody happy.
- Yes, chef. - It is.
Mostly because of those bottomless mimosas, right?
- Oh, man, yes. - For sure.
I have so much in common with brunch.
Brunch is sweet, it is excessive,
and it is best enjoyed with a stiff drink.
I am best enjoyed with a stiff drink as well.
Brunch has become a staple for restaurateurs all over the world.
It's a vibe. It's a lifestyle.
You will each create a brunch dish
that has components that are both savory and sweet.
I, for one, am very excited about this challenge
because I know you can all make magic
in any one of those kitchens.
All right, then, time for team ramsay to--
- gordon. - Nyesha.
Are you sure you're ready to cook
because I only see three team members on your team here.
- Oh, boy. - I mean, you might have to actually
put your chef jacket on and get in there with these guys.
It's not even halftime. You're down to three players.
Nyesha: Gordon already lost two chefs.
I mean, personally, I want to him to know
that my team has some real talent,
and we're not afraid of anyone in this competition.
I'm looking at my team right now, and I'm looking at a finale.
- Sounds good to me, chef. - Quality over quantity, chef.
Oh, wow. Bold.
- We may be down, but we are not out. - No, chef.
Today is war.
We're not going home.
We're sending someone home.
We're gonna crush them.
Right, team ramsay, head over to the lift, pick up a keycard.
Time to find out what floor you're cooking on.
Tricia, tie that hair up just in case it catches fire.
I'm serious.
- We're gonna win this, right? - Yeah, absolutely.
Okay, I believe in us. Let's go.
I'm totally okay with the middle kitchen.
Just cooking in a regular kitchen,
there's no fancy-schmancy things.
I can do the middle kitchen.
Are we second or top? I just don't know.
- God. - Yes.
( cheering )
- thank you! - Thank you.
Oh, my god.
Here we are again, old kitchen!
Seeing that I'm on the top level
and knowing that the challenge is brunch,
I'm feeling extremely confident today.
I feel like all the stars are aligning for me to make my best dish so far.
Wait.
- No. - I knew it!
You ( bleep )!
( groaning )
- whoo! - All right!
I'm like, "we're here." that's okay.
This basement is, you know, not that great.
Hopefully I don't have to season my food with my tears.
- All right, let's go, team blais. - Chef blais!
I'm already stressed. Hello, chef.
- Right, guys, how are we feeling? - Good, chef. Good, chef.
I know we've got the smallest team now and it's somewhat depleted,
but we are strong, and we are gonna kick ass.
Whilst my fellow judges are now taking the piss out of me
because our team's gone down to three, I'm actually quite relieved.
Do you know why? I can spend quality time, and we're gonna prove it today.
It's a brunch, right? So it needs to have that relaxed feel.
So we're not going fine dining, okay? Grab, grab, grab.
Don't come back minimalistic.
I've never seen a minimalistic brunch dish yet.
It needs to be hearty and full of flavor.
Brunch is not that uptight to me. It's for hungover people.
Yeah, so, like, so much that you can do with it, you know?
- Hi, chef. - Hi, team.
- Hi, chef. - Line up.
We have a lot of pressure.
When your peers see your dishes today,
they need to scream top level kitchen.
- I expect nothing but the best up here. - Yes, chef.
- Yeah? We got this? Let's go, guys. - We got this, chef.
- Right, line up at the door. - Make you proud, chef.
Line up at the door. Make yourselves proud.
Everyone, let's line up on the rail over here.
Hands on that elevator.
As soon as that light changes green, you go, yes, team?
- All: Yes, chef. - It's coming. Platform's here, guys. Go!
- Chorizo, chorizo. - Brunch vibes.
For me, the grab is actually the hardest part of this entire competition.
Meat, bread. Oh, I wanted these more.
I'm so scared to go to a grocery store after this
because I'm gonna be fully bodying people to get a hero protein.
Guys, think about your protein and build around this, yes?
- All: Yes, chef. - Seven, six, five,
four, three, two.
Grab what you need, it's still here.
Let's go, guys.
( bleep )
nyesha: You're okay. You're okay.
Gordon: Let's start focusing, guys.
Three, two, one. Go! Here we go.
- 30 seconds. Come on. - Tricia: There's steak over here, guys.
Get your lobster, bro.
The platform grab today is all about me,
which means I might have to be a little bit selfish.
- I'll take the lobs-- oh, ( bleep ). - I'll take--
oh, ( bleep ). I don't need chicken.
I wanted the lobster.
I should've thrown that ( bleep ) down.
Damn it, reuel. I thought we were friends.
Do you see any meats-- oh, ( bleep ).
Gordon: Five, four, three, two, one.
- Grab, grab, grab! - ( bleep )
- oh, god. - Grab, grab!
I'm not playing any games. I'll getting dirty to win. 110%.
- ( grunting ) - no, no, no, no, no.
- ( groans ) - slow down, baby. Slow down.
I'm coming around, coming around, coming around.
Gordon: Five, four, three, two, one.
- Grab, grab, grab! Grab, grab! - ( bleep )
reuel: You wanna see teeth, so I'll show you teeth.
Today, big boy's hitting the floor.
- ( grunting ) - well done.
In order for me to do what I have to do,
that onion had to be on my station.
This is how I'm sending somebody home today.
Whoo! Let's go, baby.
Reuel, I love you, man, but that's not cool.
I guess now we're all competitors.
We're no longer teammates.
Richard: Go!
20 seconds left. 20 seconds.
Where's my meat? I have no meat at all.
Right, I'm looking for a protein. Hard to find.
- Excuse me. - Five, four, three...
Lo and behold, there's the cutest little
filet mignon waiting for me.
Two, one. That platform's on the move. Whatever you can grab.
The filet does not belong in the basement
because it's so beautiful.
And I feel that way about myself,
but I am here.
There we go. All right. Your time starts now.
Let's go, trailblaisers.
All right, everybody have a game plan?
Yes, ma'am.
Let's rock, baby. Nobody going home.
We're not going home, guys.
We may be on the middle floor, but I want top level dishes.
Let's go, team.
I'm feeling a winner from this level again. Two in a row.
Chef pyet, what are you working on here? It looks so interesting.
I'm gonna keep it native again. I'm gonna make brunch frybread.
- Beautiful. - It's gonna have strawberry salsa, chorizo,
and a little fried egg on top.
So frybread is like a biscuit dough,
and then you roll it out and then you fry it.
Nyesha: Who showed you how to make that?
- My grandmother, chef. - Oh, the best.
- Yes. - Awesome.
Pyet: The best thing that I can do is just honor who I am
and what people are and what they eat.
So I'm going to take all of my positive energy
and really throw it into this challenge today.
Sexy egg. Come on, girl.
Is there one ingredient that you would've liked to grab?
- Citrus of any kind. Yes, I need citrus. - Is that right?
- Chef angie, what you working on? - An awesome bread pudding.
I used some cinnamon and nutmeg, lots of sugar,
a hazelnut sauce, a perfect egg on top,
and I'm gonna do some crispy, yummy bacon.
- Nyesha: Yum. - So it's gonna be sweet and savory.
- Beautiful. Beautiful. - I'm gonna kill it.
How is it that you're able to stay so calm when you cook?
Well, I was a first responder in my 20s,
- and I do get tunnel vision. - Wow.
Here it's just food, but I do act like lives are on the line.
Yes, yes.
This really is what I should've been doing my whole life.
So I am here to prove to myself
that I made the right decision.
But as far as gameplay goes,
nobody is raising an eyebrow to me.
It seems like they don't realize I haven't cooked a bad dish yet.
Oop. Turn it down. Turn it down, baby.
Nyesha: We have sweet and savory elements coming off
of every single one of these chefs' kitchens today.
Team nyesha came to play!
Just under 38 minutes to go.
Come on, guys. We wanna this.
Reuel, tell me what we got.
I'm gonna do a riff on fried spicy lobster on a biscuit,
treat it liked fried chicken.
Giving it, like, a crab boiled flavor.
And where's the sweetness coming into this? How are you gonna elevate that?
The sweetness is definitely gonna be from that maple,
so we're gonna treat it like hot fried chicken.
- Lobster is super difficult, yeah? - Yes, chef.
Get it right and it's a showstopper.
You don't look like a guy that cooks banquet food.
Banquets get such a bad rep. I bust my ass.
This is me proving to myself that blood, sweat, and tears, I'm gonna earn that respect.
So far you've got my respect.
We're not about to get another elimination on our squad.
Somebody from the other team is going home.
Pull this one off, yeah, and get your team to victory.
- Reuel: We're here to win. - Right, young lady.
- Tricia: Yes, chef? - Give me a g.
- G? - Give me an a.
- A. - Give me an s.
- S? Gas? - Turn the gas on.
- Yes, chef. - Come on.
Tricia: I'm not ( bleep ) up today, chef.
Tell me about the dish then, because you got
some great ingredients-- shrimp, asparagus, eggs.
Yes, I will be making a quiche with a shrimp and corn purée.
- Stop, stop. A quiche in 45 minutes? - Yes, chef.
It's a brunch, so it needs to have that relaxed feel,
but if you can do a quiche in 45 minutes, this could be a miracle.
Man, this sounds exciting.
Middle floor, next level dishes, yes?
- Yes, chef. - Heard, chef.
Focus, focus, focus.
Guys, we don't have the bills to pay for the freezer door being left wide open.
It's the basement!
- Under 25 minutes to go. - Ooh! Oh, my god. Okay.
- All right, mariah. - Yes?
So what are we doing?
Like, an open face breakfast sandwich with sausage.
I think with the chicken, I'm just gonna use the skin.
I have some cheese and then an egg.
Some luscious sunny-side-up egg.
You got a lot of flavors that work well here.
Breakfast sausage is a clutch call
because you got all the spices that go into breakfast sausage.
You added some flavor in there to make your own patty.
- Yes. - You're so talented.
- You've been the top tier the whole tournament. - I appreciate you.
There's a lot of energy brewing inside of me,
and I think it's because I've come so close every time
to having top dish, but I know I can do better.
And so I'm focusing on creating something that's amazing.
Oh, my gosh. This thing is huge.
It's the largest potato masher ever!
- What am I gonna do with this? - The largest one ever.
I'll use the wooden spoon, chef. I got it.
What technique. You're making beignets? What are you--
- no, sir, - I'm making fried chicken. I love this.
Fried chicken with biscuits and peach strawberry jam.
You drop the batter onto the pan.
They're rough biscuits. They're rough biscuits.
Okay, great, all right.
Jonathan's chicken is
a risky choice right here.
Chicken breast is so lean, it dries out quickly.
He's really gotta nail this one, because let's be honest,
he's been trending down in this competition.
He needs to prove he belongs here.
- This challenge was built for us down here. - I agree.
You got they got a liquid nitrogen tank at your local greasy spoon?
No, they got cast iron pans that barely work,
and they've been making it happen for 50 years.
What a gift to be in the basement for a brunch challenge.
How's the top floor, nyesha? How's it going up there?
Just a little bit of sweetness.
Nyesha: I wanna see that focus and fire.
None of this is gonna be given to you. You gotta earn it.
Rocking and rolling, chef.
Guys, what are all these brunch dishes missing?
- A drink? - Hello!
- Oh, dear. - Citrus!
- Oh! - Yes, yes!
When that platform hits, grab whatever you need.
- Oh, god. - So you can grab multiple varieties of citrus.
- Zach, you got your wish, bud. - Thank you, god.
This is exactly what I need to make a beautiful hollandaise sauce.
You know, I need some citrus in there.
- Oh, my god. Oh, my god. - Five, four, three...
- Oh, no, oh, no, oh, no. - ...Two, one.
Grab it, angie. There you go, girl.
Gordon: Grab whatever you want.
Anything you want. Citrus! Let's go!
- Let's get some acid in there. - Tricia: No panic.
Oh, hell no. I hate the platform with, like, a burning, burning passion.
Gordon: Three, two, one, and go! Grab, grab, grab!
Just do it.
What is this?
When the platform drops, you gotta grab some citrus.
- You can grab as much as you want, okay? - Oh, hell yeah.
- Grab whatever you want. - Oranges, oranges, ooh!
- Look at that. Clementines. - Move, move.
- Three, two, one. - Oh, my god.
That platform is on the move. Grab what you need.
Everybody loves citrus.
What I do? Grab a grapefruit.
- Why? I don't know. - All right, ae.
- I have a fruit salad, chef. - Okay, let's go.
- I'm gonna cook steak and eggs! - Steak and eggs. Okay.
Yes. And then for the eggs, it's gonna kind of be an omelet.
You make a perfect omelet for a chef,
and you are gonna save this team, all right?
- Oh, please! - No pressure.
Especially down here in this kitchen, like,
we don't have nonstick pans because--
I know. I'm worried about that.
- Okay, so, so am I. - For sure.
Ya girl is stressed.
How am I gonna cook these beautiful omelets,
make it all soft and fluffy and not stick to the pan?
Okay, listen, you got one shot, so let's go make it happen.
How's that going? Oh, my god. Oh, lord.
All right, well, it looks like it's browning a little bit.
We gotta get moving because the eggs are gonna start to brown on the bottom.
You're wasting time over here. We gotta go. We gotta go.
Oh, man. Ooh, it's sticking
- aah! Oh, lord. Oh, no! - Make it look beautiful.
How's that going? Oh, my god. Oh, lord.
All right, well, it looks like it's browning a little bit.
We gotta get moving because the eggs are gonna start to brown on the bottom.
You're wasting time over here.
Oh, man. Ooh!
- Okay, okay. - Okay, okay, that's good.
All right. Yeah, you're good. You're good.
The great thing about an omelet is you can reshape this.
- Okay, chef, thank you. - Okay?
Brunch is not my forte.
I drink my brunch 99% of the time.
I'll get a mimosa and just spray a little bit of orange juice on there.
- Pshew, pshew! - Let's go. Let's go.
Listen, right now team blais is basement.
Courtney's got a seven-course breakfast working.
Jonathan's making homemade biscuits.
We got steak and eggs for ae.
And mariah, as usual, has 19 ingredients.
- Oh, my god. Okay. - Courtney, you're flying. You're cruising right now.
This is, like, the big breakfast. This is, like, a classic.
I'm doing french toast, bacon, home fries, scrambled egg.
Courtney: It is extremely important we rock this challenge
so that we can keep our four and continue
to have an advantage over the other teams.
We didn't come to play. We came to win.
A lot of work to be done over here, courtney and mariah.
Just make sure we got the timing figured out, all right?
We got the time. We got the time.
Okay, fam, I see you out here.
Giving me ptsd, man.
Kenny, how do you enjoy cooking on this middle floor?
- Anywhere you put me. Doesn't matter. - Doesn't matter where, right?
Does that come from being a hard knife, going kitchen to kitchen?
Absolutely. Just being able to adapt and overcome.
I've been in the industry 14, 15 years now,
and I've been in restaurants, hotels, bistros.
I wanted to branch out and kind of do my own thing,
so that's where the knife for hire came in.
I just started working on my own,
making my own decisions, making my own money.
- What'd you get? - I'm gonna do steak and egg, then do a crepe with it.
You said you're gonna wrap it in a crepe?
- Yes, chef. - Wow.
I have to turn this up.
I went out on a limb and I'm gonna do a crepe.
Don't overcomplicate that, kenny.
- Okay, please? - Absolutely not. Yes, chef.
Attention to detail at this point is everything.
I gotta be the top dish.
Gordon: Big challenge. An amazing brunch dish.
My team's three dishes-- lobster,
the most amazing steak, and shrimp.
Honestly, I am done losing.
Today we're going to the next level.
Let's go, guys. This is the time to push.
Sense of urgency, keep it high, yes?
- All: Yes, chef. - Zach, I know you are a longtime line cook.
- Yes, chef. - Is this the first time you've made brunch?
I was in charge of brunch at a couple different restaurants.
- Oh, amazing. - I rose through the ranks of restaurants
starting at diners cooking breakfast.
Worked my way up, and I was in charge of one of the nicest brunches in the city.
It's probably the thing I'm most confident cooking.
I'm gonna be making a nice hollandaise
smoked salmon, benny,
a nice little crispy seasoned potato.
I'm gonna candy some of the orange peels for my citrus.
- Flavor bomb? - Yes, chef.
Excellent. Very comfortable with making hollandaise?
Yes, chef, I've done it 100,000 times.
- 100,000? Wow. - It's good, but it's spicy.
Gotta hope that works out.
We need to be working with speed and intensity.
- All: Yes, chef. - Bring it. Bring it.
Let's fry it, let's fry it, let's fry it...
Chef amber, what you working on?
Amber: English muffin french toast
and a pork peach potato hash.
Brunch is for soaking up alcohol and bad choices,
and nothing soaks up a rough night
quite like french toast and hash.
Made it very savory to balance out the sweet peaches
that are gonna get combined with it.
Where's the sweetness coming from?
Brown sugar. Is it too sweet?
You might wanna think about not having too many sweet elements
because if you're using those sweet peaches,
there might not be a reprieve, right?
Chef arrington seems highly unsure about what I'm doing.
- Maybe a little butter? - Just a little, you know, a little love.
Love and butter, that's my main ingredients.
But I'm positive this is so spicy and herbaceous and savory,
it's gonna come together beautifully.
- Make sure it's not too sweet, okay, chef? - Yes, chef.
Nyesha: Look, team nyesha's got bread pudding,
french toast, frybread, and eggs benny.
Cooking up here on the top level,
it's important to understand your vision and execute it, right?
And I know that my team will do just that
with these amazing dishes today.
Start dialing in your dishes, my team.
That's the most beautiful frybread I've ever seen in my entire life.
Like, come on, girl. How are your potatoes looking?
Maybe 30 seconds too long, but they're not burnt.
All right, listen, we're cruising down to the end.
- We should be thinking about plating. - Ooh, god.
- Mariah, are you doing all right? - I am.
Okay, you gotta get going. I'm a little worried that you got a lot going on.
Just like the burger challenge,
sandwiches are challenging to plate.
- We're running out of time. - Are we? Okay.
- Mariah, are you gonna make it? - I believe so, sir. Yes, chef.
- We're plating very soon. I'm worried, I'm worried. - Yes.
Behind. Hot, hot, hot. Hot behind. Behind, behind. You're good.
Tricia: Oh, there's a fire. And again.
♪ there's a slight fire, but it's okay ♪
gordon: Tricia on fire again. Story of my life.
Two minutes left! It is go-time, team blais!
Mariah: All right, you guys, this is it. Plating right here.
Last two minutes, guys! Start plating!
- Let's go, boy. Let's go. - Tricia, I want a winning dish.
I'm gonna give it to you, chef.
This is it now. This is it!
- Let's start plating! - All: Yes, chef.
Steady hand, baby. Steady hand.
This is the last final moments of cooking. Tie it together.
- Perfect plates, no less. - Oh, no. Okay.
Come on. 30 seconds to make that magical.
- 25 seconds to go. - Stop shaking.
The platform is on the way, team blais!
- That sound is haunting me. - Courtney: Oh, my goodness.
Let's go, let's go! Get over there!
- Mariah: Wait, what? - Go! Go!
Get over there! Five seconds, let's go!
We gotta get over to the platform. Let's go!
- Move, move. - Mariah?
- Yes? - Mariah?
- Mariah! Mariah! - Oh, my god! What?
( sighs )
let's go, let's go! Get over there!
- Mariah: Wait, what? - Yeah, we gotta go. We gotta go.
Five seconds, let's go! We gotta get over to the platform.
- Move, move. - Mariah?
- Yes? - Mariah?
- Mariah, mariah! - Oh, my god. What?
( sighing )
- I didn't know we were plating. - You didn't hear him say--
- no. - Are you okay?
No. No, I'm not.
I totally blew that. Like...
Now I don't know what happens.
Someone from my team needs to have the top dish
or I'm gonna be up for elimination.
- Seven, six, five-- - let's go!
- Kenny! Four, three-- - I'm here, chef!
- I don't wanna break my egg! - Two, go!
Go, go, go, kenny! Go, go, go!
- Let's go! - Kenny: Yes, sir.
Nyesha: Dial it in. Tight plates.
Ten, nine, eight,
seven, six, five, four--
let's go. That platform's not waiting for you.
Come on. Get it on, get it on, get it on.
- Guys. - It's okay. Put it on, baby.
- You got it. You got it. - Oh, my god.
Okay, 45 minutes to create a stunning brunch dish
with a savory and sweet element,
and that beautiful citrus from the mid-round drop.
Shall we start from the top please? Nyesha.
Nyesha: First up, an english muffin french toast,
pork and peach hash.
This is topped with pickled blueberry and a poached egg.
Wow. Pork is delicious.
Right amount of heat in there.
But I'm just getting obliterated
with the amount of sweetness on this dish,
this overpowering sugar.
Next up, brioche bread pudding with blood orange.
It's served with a chocolate hazelnut sauce and candied bacon.
Visually, nyesha, how is that for you?
A bit odd to place the egg on top of the bread pudding.
Yeah, for me, it's bizarre.
Richard: All right, I'm gonna try it all together and be brave here.
Gordon: All together?
Your ass is gonna be running faster than usain bolt.
I'm just so confused.
Fried egg with chocolate sauce? Man, that's a tough one.
That really broke my heart because I'm better than that.
I just let myself down and I need to do better.
Next up, we have chorizo and a frybread made from scratch
with a strawberry salsa and sliced fresh avocado.
Eggs cooked beautifully. Oof.
Yes, eggs are perfect.
Nyesha: So bold to create a bread and make a bread,
not just take one off the platform.
Frybread, that's delicious.
That strawberry salsa, I'm here for it.
Nyesha: Pyet is really starting to rise
to the top in this competition.
This dish is screaming a 10 in creativity,
and honestly my team needs it if we're going to stay out of that elimination.
Let's taste this last one.
Smoked salmon croissant benedict with twice-cooked potatoes
and a candied citrus zest.
Richard: I love that this dish didn't go overboard on the sweetness.
I love that little candied hollandaise. What a nice, quirky idea.
What wasn't for me is that train track of overcooked potatoes in the middle.
What a shame.
Middle floor.
A take on a steak and eggs wrapped in crepe.
Definitely, uh, large.
I would definitely order this to share with my brunch buddies.
The new york strip is tender, seasoned beautifully.
It's like a sort of breakfast after a night-after party.
It just, it goes on and on and on.
Can you name that dish?
It's a crepe, it's a burrito.
A crepe-arrito.
Gordon: A crepe-rrito.
This is a take on a quiche.
Quiche done in 45 minutes, virtually impossible.
Nyesha: I love the citrus coming through,
but this does not read brunch to me.
It seems very compartmentalized.
There's just too much saucework going on.
It's, like, a painter's pallet.
This individual shot themselves in the foot
by trying to be too smart for brunch.
Next, fried lobster,
chive biscuit, and the maple for the sweetness.
Took the lobster from the drop. I was amazed that hit the second floor.
Richard: Not an easy item to cook.
- The lobster's perfect. - Nyesha: Love the idea of a fried lobster.
That is a next level technique.
I'd like to see this on one of my restaurant menus.
After tasting my team's three dishes,
I've got one lobster which is incredible,
new york steak wrapped in a crepe,
and then one deconstructed mess,
but it only takes one stunning dish
to save your entire team.
Down to the basement.
We'll start right here with an all-american breakfast platter.
It's not a restaurant dish, but that's what I love about it
because it's a perfectly cooked home brunch.
A perfect balance of the savory and sweet,
exactly what brunch should be.
Our next dish over here, fried chicken breast
with biscuits and gravy.
This chef should go into the business
of biscuits with butter and jam
because that's a dish on its own.
That marmalade is next level.
Biscuits are phenomenal.
The kind of biscuit you need to take two days
to sleep it off after eating it.
The big issues I have with this dish, it is dry.
You got all me excited and you just kicked me in the nuts.
- Our next dish, again, we're in the basement. - Gordon: Wow.
This is steak and eggs. This chef was gifted all the way from the top floor.
Filet mignon that went all the way down to the bottom.
The sauce is hoisin and molasses.
Very beautifully cooked classic omelet,
and then a little parfait with a spiced yogurt.
Oh, my god. I'm scared.
How the hell did a filet mignon get down to the basement?
Someone sneak one in?
I wish my team would've grabbed that filet.
Amber: I'm thinking chef arrington's
gonna give us a real talking to about our grabs
after seeing the incredible ingredients
that made it to the floors below.
That steak is just melting in your mouth.
And that little kiss of hoisin sauce, beautiful.
I love that you've just gone above and beyond a fried egg.
Okay! I did that.
Last up over here, gordon, nyesha,
one of my chefs did not make the platform.
( gasping )
- how's that possible? - Caught up in the presentation of their plate, perhaps.
- It just didn't make it to the platform. - Oh, dear. Um, okay.
Mariah: That was huge, huge mistake.
If you don't mind, I would love you to try the dish.
- Nyesha: Of course. - Gordon: Yeah, love to. Why not?
Richard: This chef made the ultimate breakfast sandwich,
fried egg, crispy chicken skin chicharrón,
- a little bit of aioli under there, melted cheese. - Textbook.
Look at that egg. How beautiful is that cooked?
Where did we get the chicken skin from?
Richard: This chef grabbed some pork sausage and also some chicken
and used the chicken to get this textural contrast.
Gordon: Wow.
- Nyesha: Mm. - That's the money there,
the crispy chicken skin and that fried egg.
I'm really sad it didn't make the platform. What a shame.
Nyesha: Honestly, that would've been one of my top picks.
It's too bad it's disqualified.
Ugh! It hurts bad.
It's like pouring salt on my wounds.
I put so much effort and so much work into it,
it's killing me inside.
All of you, give us a moment,
because we've got some serious deliberating to do.
Richard: Team blais is in rough shape.
I got one chef who overcooked chicken,
I got one chef who didn't even get a plate up.
I'm just hoping we have a fighting chance with ae and courtney's dishes.
I'm so sorry, but that dish that your cook left off that platform,
that's the best dish of your bunch.
- Absolutely. - Nyesha: 100%.
Let's talk about the dishes that actually made the platform.
- The fried lobster biscuit. - Nyesha: Absolutely.
Richard: It really looked like it came from a restaurant
that dominates brunch, not just serves it.
Yeah, the fried egg on the fried flatbread
with the pork underneath, delicious.
Everything seasoned beautifully.
Richard: Two really good dishes,
but which one would bring you back for a second bite?
- Shall we? - Yeah, sure.
- All right. - ( indistinct chatter )
- here we go. - Richard: All right, chefs,
only one dish was good enough to save their entire team
from the elimination round.
I really want this win for myself and for my team.
I don't want us to go into another elimination challenge.
- The lobster biscuit. - Let's go!
( muted chatter )
- good job, man. - Congratulations.
Reuel, you cooked with conviction today.
Beautifully done. You've saved yourself and our tiny team.
Reuel: Today the wolf came out.
I'm letting them know it's gonna be a problem.
Okay, which means, sadly, nyesha and richard,
both your teams will be facing elimination.
Richard, please, who are you sending in?
Timing's the most important thing that we can master as chefs.
We're sending the missed plate, mariah, into the elimination.
- Wow. - You're gonna have to prove to me
and the rest of your team that you can remain in this competition.
- Yes, chef. - And I know you can.
- You got it. - Gordon: Nyesha?
This is the toughest part for me.
- I'm scared. - It's difficult. Which way do I go?
Do I send in angie, who has been one of my stronger cooks until today,
to knock out richard's team?
Or do I send in my weaker cook
to prove that she belongs in this competition?
The dish I'm putting forward today...
It's...
The dish I'm putting forward today...
It's me.
In this intensity, I don't think my body has understood
it's not actually life or death.
I feel like I'm at peak adrenaline and peak stress.
I'm scared. I sure don't want
to have to out-cook mariah on a day like today.
I'm gonna have to summon every angel I know to get me through this.
The dish that will send someone
into the head to head elimination cook-off is...
The english muffin french toast.
I needed more from you today, amber.
Sorry, chef.
I needed more from me today also.
When you want something this bad,
it's really hard to think about it coming to a close
when you're nowhere near the finish line you imagined for yourself.
I'm not ready for this to be over.
I want you to go into that elimination tonight
and prove why you belong in this competition.
- Understood? - Sorry, chef. Understood, chef.
- Let's go. - We're gonna take her out.
Mariah: I know that my competitors,
maybe they're looking forward to me going home,
because I am their competition.
I'm flattered if they want me to go home.
That means that I am good and that I am a threat.
All of you, please, say goodbye to the two ladies.
- Head up into the lift. - ( indistinct chatter )
- you got it. - Let's go.
Okay, ladies, for tonight's elimination cook-off,
it's all gonna come down to a dish created with something
that always goes with brunch every time-- coffee.
You'll need to create on stunning coffee infused dish.
This elimination, I'll be with you during the cook.
Richard and nyesha will join us after you finish cooking.
- Is that clear? - Both: Yes, chef.
Amber: I am fired up right now.
I am an underdog when it comes to experience,
but that doesn't mean I'm not here to win.
Right, both of you, best of luck.
Head up into the elevator. I'll see you shortly.
Throughout this competition, amber has not seemed to be able to step up,
but I know she's got a lot of fight in her,
and I really need her to bring that energy into this elimination cook-off.
It's not going to be easy going up against amber.
It's her second time in elimination,
so she's a little bit more familiar with intense pressure.
She's felt that before. I haven't.
Right, here we go. 30 minutes is not long, so make it good.
- Both: Yes, chef. - One beautiful coffee inspired dish.
- Let's go. - That's exactly it right here.
I grab the ribeye because it is my favorite type of beef.
It's fatty and rich and delicious
and can hold up to some of the bitter and spicy flavors
I'm going to ask it to uphold.
- ( overlapping chatter ) - oops, sorry.
I grabbed the filet because I know I can add a lot of flavor to it.
I am kind of going for, like, a southern-inspired type of vibe.
Tell me about the dish. Where are we going with this?
- I plan on doing a coffee rubbed filet. - Nice.
And I'm going to do a red-eye gravy with the coffee extract.
- Love it. - Going to do a tomato salsa.
- You should not be in here tonight, you know that? - I know, chef.
- Because that dish tasted delicious, you know that? - Thank you, chef.
- Okay? - This could be the last time I cook in this competition.
I could possibly be going home,
so I have a lot riding on this dish that I'm going to create.
- Do not leave yourself short of time, okay? - Yes, chef.
- Amber, what'd you get? - I am doing an aztec-inspired ribeye
with an adobo sauce and a creamy purée underneath it
- of this cauliflower and some roasted veg on the side. - Good. I love that.
I've got a lot to prove right now, and I'm gonna do it.
I've cooked with coffee before,
but this is do or die 30 minutes.
Now was the time to step it up and be a little braver.
Coffee's gotta shine, okay?
So make sure it's nice and fragrant, yes?
- Yes, chef. - Good luck. 3 1/2 minutes gone.
- I hate it when people use the peeler like that. - I know.
Amber, use your peeler both ways. Scrub it.
And get close to the stem. Make it beautiful.
You want immaculate.
I want amber to knock mariah off of the competition.
Mariah is a machine. She is a threat to all of us.
10 minutes gone, 20 minutes remaining.
- Right, how's it going? - It's good, chef.
- What's that in there? - Red-eye gravy.
- Just don't get it too gloopy, okay? - Okay. Heard.
Do you need to add any sugar to your sauce?
- It's spicy as hell. - Pyet: Okay.
This sauce is hot, y'all. Like, real hot.
So what I do know I need is something creamy and velvety
to stand against bold spicy flavors.
- Oil? - Oil, salt, pepper.
I've never made a cauliflower purée,
but in my mind, that would be lovely here.
Check. See how tender it is. Feel it.
- Is it tender? - No.
- So it needs to keep going. - So I'm gonna do my darnedest to create one now.
Gordon: Right, good.
What's the garnish in there? What is that?
I have some coffee dusted fried onions.
- Touch them. You want a touch more crispy, okay? - Okay.
- The judges are gonna absolutely spit that out. - Heard. Behind you.
We're down to four minutes remaining.
- Finish strong, ladies. - Nice.
Back up. On here.
Good. Beautiful. So not quite cooked. Back in.
Try and test them when they're in the oven still.
- Yes, chef. - There you go.
Mariah, it's getting brown!
Mariah has very selective hearing.
- Yeah, you can slice it. - And plate it that way?
- Mariah! - She needs to get those things.
I yell at her like, "mariah, the onion rings! This is gonna burn."
- mariah, they're dark. - Mariah, the onions!
Yes? Okay.
- Mariah, they're dark. - Mariah, the onions!
Yes? Okay.
- Mariah! - I'm going. I hear you.
I hear you. I'm coming.
Mariah: Not getting my plate on the platform was a huge mistake.
So there's very little room for error.
Good job, mariah.
If the onion rings were over, it's a wrap.
We're down to two minutes to go!
- Start plating. - Finish strong, ladies.
- Gordon: Big push now, please! - Finish strong, ladies.
Make it look beautiful. There you go.
30 seconds to go.
Elimination is on the line, guys.
- Come on. - Things are chaotic.
I am not feeling great about how done my carrots are,
and I see that mariah is also doing a steak.
Now I know we're really going apples to apples here, and mine better be better.
All: Five, four, three, two, one.
And stop! Well done.
I ran out of time, and after slicing my steak,
realized I did not taste it.
- I'm concerned. - You have both have cooked brilliantly. Well done.
- Wow, nyesha. - Chef.
- And richard. - Chef.
If only you could've seen what we've just witnessed.
Two phenomenal dishes.
If this goes to a tie, I'm gonna have to break that.
This is one is a filet mignon that has a coffee centered rub
done with a salsa and fried onion rings.
Here we have an aztec take on a ribeye
sat on a cauliflower purée drizzled with a sauce and roasted carrots.
Amber: I'm just really feeling pretty strong about it
other than maybe it's a little too simple.
Right, the filet.
Nyesha: Love the texture coming from the onion rings.
Cooked beautifully.
I'm not getting a lot of coffee flavor.
I disagree with you, nyesha, as far as coffee flavor.
I'm getting the red-eye gravy sort of vibe.
I'm not a fan of the salsa here at all.
I have to say that's really what's blowing my palate out.
There's a beautiful brightness and acidity from that salsa,
but it's overpowering the rest of the dish.
Mariah: I am feeling frantic, anxious.
There's a lot on the line.
Let's concentrate on the ribeye, please.
I have just got a deafening heartbeat in my mind
and I'm just thinking, "please, please love this."
texture of the purée is stunning.
The sauce is very spicy, and it's blowing my palate out.
Carrots a little bit underdone.
Cauliflower's ethereal. It's so light and fluffy.
And the sauce, I'm getting, like, chipotle vibes.
A little bit too strong, a little too smoky.
It's blowing away the coffee flavor.
So, nyesha, which dish are you sending home, please?
Oh, my gosh. So difficult.
I just don't want to send amber home.
I don't want to lose any of my team.
The ribeye with the cauliflower is the dish I enjoy less.
Richard: This one is tough.
Losing mariah would be devastating.
She was my first pick in the draft,
and she's team blais' resident badass.
I hope I'm gonna make the right choice here.
My least favorite dish
under the circumstance with this challenge is...
It's the ribeye dish.
The ribeye was cooked and owned by amber.
The one big issue with this dish is the sauce is way too hot.
The fact that you've got one of the most expensive cuts there,
it doesn't need such a voracious heat.
But you have just put in an extraordinary 30 minutes,
and you should be incredibly proud.
I have no kitchen training, and this was brave.
My heart goes out to you, girl.
You're a chef that no doubt cooks with love,
and you can't teach that.
- That comes from an authentic place. - Thank you.
Amber, this was delicious dish. I meant what I said.
And it's sad to lose you even though you're not on my team.
You've been cooking some delicious food.
Amber, I'm really sorry, but you will not become the next level chef.
Please say goodbye to your team and head to the elevator.
Don't you feel sorry. You deserve that.
Girl, when we go back to texas, I'm telling you, I'm gonna hit you up.
- You can buy me a drink. - ( laughing )
gordon: Take care.
Amber: I started this competition on a difficult note,
but I have fought every step of the way,
and I will always be proud of that.
Mariah, first of all, well done.
- Thank you, chef. - Second great dish of the day.
- You do deserve to go to the next level. - Thank you, chef.
I feel amazing.
I deserve to be here,
and I deserve to win this competition.
Top ten!
Top ten! Oh, my gosh.
One third of the competition has gone.
The next time we see you,
the dish you'll be cooking will have a huge impact
on this competition.
And be prepared for surprises along the way.
- Is that clear? - All: Yes, chef.
Good night.
( music playing )
- I did too much! - What's new, girl?
I did too much.
Next time on "next level chef"...
Today things are about to take a step up.
- No team is safe today. - Oh, god.
The worst three dishes will head into elimination.
Only one of you will come back.
- ( bleep ) - this is crazy.
I'm starting to panic.
Each time I'm getting used to the competition,
- it levels up again. - The stakes are high.
There's only ten of us and two of us are going home.
I can't be in the elimination tonight.
- It's do or die. - I don't want to go home.