Next Level Chef Season 4 Episode 3 ,
Next Level Chef S04E03
#NextLevelChef
#PrimeUSTV
Next Level Chef S04E03
#NextLevelChef
#PrimeUSTV
Category
😹
FunTranscript
00:00.
00:02Previously on Next Level Chef.
00:04Home Chef.
00:05Oh, oh, oh!
00:06Oh, medic.
00:07The objective is to get yourself to the next level.
00:08Go!
00:09Let's go!
00:10We're off!
00:11Watch out!
00:12I just see a fireball.
00:13I said get a pan in the hot dog.
00:14Burn the kitchen down.
00:15Let's go, home cooks.
00:16Michelin star kitchen.
00:17The five best home chefs standing right here.
00:20Well done, well done, well done.
00:22And tonight, your professionals now want to see it.
00:24Yo!
00:25It's bitten!
00:26Our standards are high.
00:27What did I come here for to win?
00:28Behind closed doors, I'm like, f*** you.
00:30Is that legal?
00:31What?
00:32Pretty quick knife skills.
00:33I need something to get.
00:34It's not a lot of time.
00:35Do you know where the lighter is?
00:37I'm your mentor, not your bitch.
00:38Find your way back.
00:39You didn't come this far to only come this far, girl.
00:41Oh, no.
00:42The final individual joining the draft is...
00:58Oh, God.
00:59That's kind of scary.
01:00Whoa.
01:01Whoa.
01:02Look at this place.
01:03Woo-chow, the ghetto, the get-tell.
01:04What am I supposed to do with this?
01:05The ghetto.
01:06It's bitten.
01:07Are there animals in here?
01:08Because I ain't got time for wildlife.
01:09Oh, that's pretty good.
01:10That's like very even cooking.
01:11As a pro chef, this is not what you're used to.
01:12The basement is night and day difference from any kitchen I've ever cooked in.
01:15The only thing that's missing is that eerie music that's like...
01:16Wait, what happened?
01:17This is my station.
01:18Brandon, you gotta go, baby.
01:19You gotta go.
01:20Sorry.
01:21Love you.
01:22Bye.
01:23Yeah, I say this.
01:24You gotta go.
01:25Love you.
01:26Bye.
01:27Well, we were all kind of nervous.
01:28It's been.
01:29It's been.
01:30Are there animals in here?
01:31Because I ain't got time for wildlife.
01:32Oh, that's pretty good.
01:33That's like very even cooking.
01:34As a pro chef, this is not what you're used to.
01:36The basement is night and day difference from any kitchen I've ever cooked in before.
01:39The only thing that's missing is that eerie music that's like...
01:42Wait, what happened?
01:44This was my station.
01:45Why don't we all just get along, take these friends?
01:47I mean, it doesn't really matter to me.
01:49Okay, sit and go.
01:50I don't really want to be the bull in the China shop,
01:53but everything's on the line right now.
01:54It's $150,000.
01:55It's a one-year mentorship with some of the coolest people on the planet.
01:59What did I come here for to win?
02:01Behind closed doors, I'm like, fuck you, but you can have the station.
02:06I have no problem being the bigger man.
02:08I mean, I kind of have no choice.
02:12I hear something.
02:13Uh-oh, I hear somebody coming.
02:16Whoa, chefs.
02:20Line up over here.
02:22Okay, I get it.
02:22Listen, there are hot dog stands in New York
02:25that have more equipment and are better outfitted than this basement.
02:28Seven of you are going to cook your way out of this basement.
02:32You'll move to the middle level.
02:33That means for one of you, your audition is going to start and end
02:36right here in the basement.
02:38From the middle kitchen, only six will move to the top level.
02:41And on the top level, only five of you will make it onto one of our teams.
02:46Auditions are a whole other game.
02:48I need to prove myself.
02:50It's now or never.
02:51Do or die.
02:52We're all pros in this kitchen.
02:54And anyone who's worked in a restaurant knows that staff meal is a time-honored tradition.
03:01We all sit down before service.
03:03We dine together.
03:05But we all know that staff meal is super important.
03:08One of my favorite stories is having to cook staff meal and only having veal stock to use.
03:14I would turn that into a delicious pasta dish.
03:17And that's exactly what your first challenge is today.
03:20Okay.
03:2020 minutes to transform some scraps and leftovers into a delicious, soulful, next-level staff meal.
03:29Are you here for it, chefs?
03:30Yeah.
03:31Line up right here on the rail, okay?
03:36All right.
03:36The platform is coming.
03:37Good luck, guys.
03:38Good luck.
03:39Time to go.
03:41Okay.
03:42Staff meal.
03:43Grab it.
03:43Grab it.
03:44The first thing I see is the cod head.
03:46It's huge.
03:47It's intimidating.
03:47It looks great.
03:48I grab it.
03:49Immediately, I feel the whole weight of the competition in my apron already.
03:52You have to grab a protein.
03:53Okay.
03:54Okay.
03:54Just channeling that inner rage.
03:56Pretend it's a mosh pit and you're at a concert.
03:58First thing I grab is beef strips and then katsu curry powder.
04:01Who doesn't love a good curry?
04:0215 seconds.
04:04Hot Cheetos.
04:05Hot Cheetos.
04:05Perfect.
04:06I can make a crust over that.
04:08This is definitely a college kid meal.
04:10Five seconds.
04:11Pork ribs.
04:11Grab some corn.
04:12Have some broccoli.
04:13Have a slice of cheese and some sour cream.
04:15Cohesive but not cohesive.
04:16But we gonna make it make sense.
04:18Okay.
04:18Grab it.
04:19If you can reach it, it's yours.
04:20Brandon, you got it?
04:21Got it.
04:21Yeah.
04:22Okay.
04:22You got that reach there.
04:23Spaghetti pasta.
04:2520 minutes starts right now.
04:27Ooh!
04:28Right up, right up, right up, right up, right up, right up, right up.
04:29There's eight of you here.
04:31Only seven of you are heading upstairs, okay?
04:33Look at this bad bitch.
04:35Naisha and Gordon are watching every move.
04:37You want to impress us.
04:38You want to make it into that draft.
04:39Oh, my God.
04:40The cod's head.
04:41I'm not trying out for you.
04:42You're trying out for me, okay?
04:44Austin, what's up over here?
04:45Good.
04:45Just gonna take a piece of this.
04:47Can't waste my time with it.
04:48You get a mallet, so put the knife on it.
04:50Yep.
04:51All right.
04:51That make sense?
04:52Yeah.
04:52Okay, so you do that and knock it like that.
04:54Thank you, Chef.
04:54Chef Richard Blaze is my superhero.
04:56I love his style of cooking and the way that he does things.
05:00Whether I have to put a knife at risk or a cod head at risk, I'm gonna do what I have
05:03to do to impress Chef Blaze.
05:05One of those grabs that could be intimidating.
05:07Sure.
05:07But he's a professional chef.
05:08I think he's got most professional chef experience.
05:10I live in West Palm Beach, Florida, and I'm a professional.
05:12I'm a professional.
05:13Ha, ha, ha, chef.
05:15I'm washing dishes as a teenager, and then the owner, he said, how would you feel about
05:19making salads tonight?
05:20I put that apron on, the ticket buzzes, and I put the knife in my hand.
05:24I'm like, holy, this feels good.
05:26And I never washed another dish again.
05:28I've been cooking for 15 years now.
05:30I worked in a lot of kitchens.
05:31You either crack or you turn into a diamond under pressure.
05:34Cooking one day, I see this girl walking through the kitchen.
05:37Four and a half years later, we're still married.
05:39To be in this competition, I had to make a choice.
05:42My boss told me that if you're gonna come here, we can't afford to lose you.
05:46So I'm getting let go from my job.
05:48I want to have a family.
05:50So I'm gonna risk everything.
05:52All the chips are on the table at this point.
05:53I got some sambal and some coconut milk.
05:56So I'm gonna do like a little Indonesian-style fish stew.
05:59Keep going.
06:01Nom, nom.
06:03Okay, so Ryan, you are moving with, dare I say, blazing speed.
06:06Okay, so what do we got going?
06:07Lamb scraps.
06:08I think I'm gonna do like Mexican-style, like bolognese in a way.
06:11Who's the coolest person you ever cooked for?
06:12I cooked for Barack Obama.
06:13I had the pleasure of cooking for Michelle Obama once.
06:15Is that right?
06:16Well, I cooked for them both.
06:16They both came down and thanked me for a great meal.
06:18So that was like a triumphant time in my career so far.
06:20So you're one Obama better than me, right?
06:22Yes.
06:22All right, make this delicious.
06:23Okay, Chef.
06:24I'm gonna let you down.
06:25Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.
06:27Come on.
06:28Chef.
06:28You're seasoning like you've worked in a Michelin-star kitchen or two or three?
06:31Only a few, yes, Chef.
06:33Chef, fine dining background.
06:34What do we got?
06:35I'm gonna go with the tuna tostada.
06:37Not the best cut of tuna.
06:38You might have one of the worst protein grabs.
06:40Oh.
06:41How are you gonna cook the tuna?
06:42I wanna poach it.
06:43Oh, interesting.
06:45How are you gonna elevate it when it scraps like that?
06:48The pickled cabbage, the pickled red onion really brings out layers of flavor.
06:51Okay, got it.
06:53Five minutes down.
06:54That means there's 15 minutes left.
06:56Only 15 minutes left.
06:58Make sure we're doing the most important thing that a chef does, which is what?
07:01Clean.
07:02Season.
07:03Taste your food.
07:04Yes, Chef.
07:05All right, Beatrice.
07:06Hello, Richard.
07:07Beatrice, I love it.
07:08You're bouncing around.
07:09What are we making?
07:10So I'm doing a breaded beef katsu on top of my beautiful curry cream sauce.
07:16I'm gonna add some of this in the crust.
07:17You're making a hot cheeto crusted katsu curry.
07:21Yeah.
07:22That is a mouthful.
07:23Well, it's gonna be a mouthful when you're eating it.
07:25You're not cooking like you're 18, Beatrice.
07:28No, I've been working in the industry for a very long time, Richard.
07:31How long?
07:32Five years.
07:33Is that legal?
07:34I don't know.
07:34I'm a kid, but I am well-versed in every single aspect of the culinary industry.
07:43I'm not here to just be like, this is me.
07:47Look, I can cook.
07:48Like, no, I'm here to be like, look at my food.
07:50This is good.
07:51I grew up with a single mother, and she owned a restaurant for a little bit.
07:55So when I was 13, I started working there.
07:58And then when I was 17, I started working at fine dining restaurants.
08:01This is in my blood, in my soul.
08:03I was born and raised for this competition.
08:07If you get through this, you're gonna be the youngest person to be on Next Level Chef in the history of the show, okay?
08:11Rich is now trying to poach her.
08:14Brandon, so you got chicken scraps.
08:16So I actually took the carcass and put it into this milk that I'm gonna mix a polenta in.
08:21Okay, so it's like a pipa rod.
08:22It's like roasted chicken with a polenta and a little pepper salad.
08:25There you go.
08:25You're pretty tall, dude.
08:26You think that that's an advantage here?
08:27I definitely think it's an advantage.
08:29Truly, like, how tall are you?
08:30I'm six with six.
08:30Oh, my God.
08:31That's three times the size of Richard Blaine.
08:35Six foot six.
08:35Yeah.
08:36And you're from Chicago?
08:36I'm from Chicago.
08:37And you got this whole sort of, like, Jordan thing going on?
08:40Yeah, we have the same exact height, same arm length.
08:43I also have a celebrity physique.
08:45Mine's a little bit more Barney Rubble.
08:47Barney Rubble.
08:49Ashley?
08:50Yes, chef?
08:50How are we doing?
08:51Good.
08:51I am going to do some deep-fried pork scraps.
08:55Okay.
08:55Sweet potato mash.
08:56Vegetable net leaves.
08:57Okay, a little southern cooking here?
08:58Yes, chef.
08:59I feel like I'm a Jersey Shore girl with a little sprinkle of Georgia peach.
09:04I can, like, tell you like it is and then smother you some chicken.
09:08Like, I mean, come on.
09:10The service I provide is private dining.
09:13I go to these people.
09:14Like, you drive up the hills.
09:16You're seeing all these mansions.
09:17You know, like, their houses are amazing.
09:18It's a cook's dream.
09:20I love my job.
09:21And, baby, this is my time to shop.
09:23I'm going to soak it up like a biscuit and some gravy.
09:26All right, the concern there is you want to make sure that those ribs get cooked, right?
09:28For sure, for sure, for sure.
09:29Make sure we can eat it, okay?
09:32Time, chef.
09:32Halfway through.
09:33Ten minutes down.
09:34Halfway down.
09:35Brennan, how are you doing?
09:35Yeah, real good, man.
09:36I'm going to do tacos.
09:37That sounds like staff meal.
09:39We are working with broken hamburger patties.
09:41So how do you make this different and elevate it?
09:43Yeah, I'm going to have some pico de gallo, a little of fancy American cheese.
09:46Okay, so like a hamburger taco almost with the American cheese.
09:49Exactly, yeah.
09:49American cheese.
09:51The finest cheese.
09:53Ooh, yeah.
09:54Don't put that in.
09:56Ash, so you grabbed...
09:57I grabbed some of this steak.
09:58I'm going to do a breaded fried tomato, and I'm going to do some hoisin sauce.
10:02Okay, so this is your type of food, a bunch of processed jars and like fried cuisine?
10:06No.
10:06Oh, I was going to say, okay.
10:07I took really healthy food.
10:09Staff meal isn't always about health and wellness.
10:11It's about getting some delicious food done, right?
10:13Exactly.
10:13That's all I care about, Jeff.
10:15Just under seven minutes.
10:16Oh, my God.
10:17You're good.
10:18You're good.
10:19How are you doing, Ashley?
10:21Um...
10:21Some potatoes are burning.
10:23This is too high.
10:24Yes.
10:24I have never cooked ribs in 20 minutes before.
10:28There's a lot going on right now.
10:29I'm just jumping from pot to pot, doing what I can.
10:33Let's go.
10:33Let's go.
10:33Let's go.
10:34You got it.
10:35Okay, there's a lot of running happening.
10:37I'm feeling overwhelmed.
10:38I'm hoping the basement does not break me.
10:41Ashley, you good?
10:42Oh, I need something to get it.
10:44I need something to get it.
10:45Where is it?
10:45Where is it?
10:45Not a lot of time left.
10:46Oh, this is burning.
10:51Ashley, there's only four minutes left.
10:53Good.
10:54It's edible.
10:54It's just a cut.
10:55The ribs are busted.
10:56You got it, girl.
10:58Keep going.
10:58You got it.
10:59Visualize your plates, okay?
11:01Wow.
11:02Wow, wow, wow.
11:03You're fishy.
11:05Trust me.
11:05Every mistake you're making, Naisha Gordon and myself are on top of it.
11:09Yes.
11:10Who are you looking at?
11:12I'm not telling you that.
11:13No chance.
11:14Because you'll go behind me and pinch them for your team.
11:17You already know.
11:18No, you're worse than Blaze.
11:19Two minutes left.
11:20Woo!
11:21All right.
11:21Time to start plating.
11:22You don't want to be left down here.
11:24Ashley, please play.
11:25Please play.
11:26Wow, she's going to lose.
11:27Very much so.
11:28Final touches right now.
11:30If you've got a garnish, now's the time to make it beautiful.
11:33Five, four, three, two, one.
11:38Hands up.
11:38Stop it.
11:40Woo!
11:40Good job, bro, chefs.
11:42Guys, good job.
11:45All right.
11:46Impressive.
11:46Now you've got to make it count.
11:48Prove to Gordon, Naisha, and myself that you can be on one of our teams.
11:52Oh, boy.
11:55Come on down.
11:56Woo!
11:57All right.
12:00First of all, that was incredible.
12:01The energy was off the charts.
12:04I'm already sort of like scouting my team, just to be clear.
12:06What are you looking at?
12:07I'm not revealing that.
12:08You always do.
12:10But you haven't won yet.
12:11We're due.
12:12Well, sorry, you're due.
12:13Not Naisha and I.
12:14Sorry.
12:14Oh!
12:15No.
12:16No.
12:16No.
12:16No.
12:17There's the constant just, oh, just going at me if I'm Gordon.
12:20Richard Blaze hasn't won.
12:21Richard Blaze hasn't won.
12:23Nice guy's finished last.
12:24I have to win.
12:26You ready to eat?
12:26Yeah, absolutely.
12:27Fire away.
12:27Who's first?
12:29It's a Cheeto-crusted katsu curry.
12:32Beatrice, an 18-year-old making Cheeto-crusted.
12:34Anything seems like it's on brand.
12:36Girl, I've got to say, I saw those Flaming Hot Cheetos and I was hoping someone would grab
12:41them.
12:41Literally my favorite snack.
12:42Yes.
12:43Way to think outside of the parameters.
12:46Delicious.
12:47Quintessential basement cooking.
12:48Elevated.
12:49Yeah, I love this.
12:50Creative.
12:50Pretty good.
12:51Next up, this is hoisin-glazed beef strips with fried tomato, cooked by ash.
12:58That beef's delicious.
13:00It's tender.
13:00It's sweet.
13:00It's everything you want.
13:03It's hard to believe it's from scraps.
13:05I do love the fact that you use the power of the jar, right?
13:08Some of those jars that are on the platform have a lot of flavor.
13:12Next up, lamb bolognese by Ryan.
13:15Lamb's delicious.
13:18Seasoned beautifully.
13:19Fragrant.
13:20Moving along, tuna scrap taco from Iman.
13:24How is that tuna cooked?
13:26Poached.
13:28When you poach it, it really emphasizes that fishiness.
13:31So to me, I would have loved to see it cooked a different way.
13:33I see where you're sort of going with these flavors.
13:35I think the pickle is actually the most successful part of this dish.
13:37Next dish was cooked by Brandon, a roasted chicken carcass with a cheesy polenta.
13:44I love the vibrancy and the boldness and the colors before I even get into tasting this dish.
13:49I've been to restaurants where sort of these bits and pieces of the chicken get thrown in the trash.
13:53So to be able to transform that into a meal that doesn't quite even feel like staff meal,
13:57feels like a menu dish, is pretty impressive.
14:02Next up over here, we have a crispy pork rib with a spicy cream sauce by Ashley.
14:07Excuse me.
14:14And so sadly, a little dry.
14:1620 minutes to make a pork rib tender.
14:19Those things need some sort of tenderizing time.
14:23When he started choking and coughing, I was like, oh, Lord, don't show the mental screen.
14:27Yeah, sorry, Gordon.
14:29Next up, broken hamburger taco.
14:32This is cooked by Brendan.
14:33Seasoned beautifully.
14:34It's got the heat, the acidity.
14:36It tastes way better than it looks.
14:37Wow.
14:38Yeah, to me, this is like very, very staff meal.
14:41I'm going to have an extra taco before I get back to service.
14:45Last, we have Indonesian cod head curry.
14:49This was cooked by Austin.
14:51Delicious.
14:53Absolutely delicious.
14:54Yeah, in one of my restaurants, I'm eating this for staff meal, and I'm going to ask who cooked this.
14:58And then I'm going to say, hey, we want to put this on the menu.
15:00Oh, yeah.
15:01How are you doing?
15:02You did that.
15:03Okay, guys, chat amongst yourselves.
15:05We've got a few things we've got to work out, okay?
15:07It's a long start.
15:08Yeah.
15:08What about those chicken wings?
15:10Seasoned on point, right?
15:11Sounds gorgeous.
15:12And sadly, one's not moving up.
15:14The tuna for me did not work.
15:17I thought the ribs were going to be one of the standout dishes.
15:19No, it was not the way that you're going to cook a rib.
15:22Are we in agreement?
15:23Yes.
15:24Oh, yeah, yeah.
15:25Right, guys, line up, please.
15:27Yeah, so listen.
15:28We have come to an agreement.
15:30The first three people that have earned their way to the middle level are Austin, Ash, and Brandon.
15:44Head on over to the elevator.
15:48Oh, gosh.
15:50I made it.
15:51Thank you, chef.
15:52Okay, so the next three people moving up are Ryan.
15:57Thank you, chef.
15:58Brandon.
15:58Thank you, chef.
16:00And Beatrice.
16:01Thank you, chef.
16:02Head on over to the elevator.
16:04Join your colleagues.
16:05Thank you, chef, so much.
16:06I like you, chef.
16:07Slip.
16:09Iman, Ashley, only one of you can move up to the next level.
16:13I understand, chef.
16:14The final person heading to the middle level is...
16:18The final person heading to the middle level is...
16:28Iman.
16:29Thank you, chef.
16:30You can join the others in the elevator.
16:32Good job.
16:37Ashley, this is tough.
16:38It's clear that you're a talented chef.
16:40You just ran into the fact that there were a lot of talented dishes today.
16:43I mean, this is just an honor for me.
16:46And I just hopped out there with a dream to cook.
16:49It has everything to me, so I already feel like I won.
16:52Dreams take all forms.
16:53Yes.
16:53This is just the beginning of all the long, great one.
16:56Good luck, Ashley.
16:58Okay, round two.
16:59Are we ready?
17:00Represent for the pros.
17:01I just feel so blessed to have this opportunity at all.
17:05Well done.
17:06Good luck, guys.
17:12Thank you, sir.
17:12Good luck, guys.
17:13Grab, grab, grab.
17:14Good job.
17:15Oi.
17:16It's round two flight.
17:17Let's go.
17:18Yeah, I messed up, but I'm really a good cook.
17:20The middle kitchen is way more what I'm used to.
17:22Now I got to show you that I belong here because I really want to get on a team, and I'm going
17:25to keep proving it every round.
17:27As pro chefs, many of you know how hard it can be to keep the bottom line healthy in a
17:33restaurant, right?
17:33Yes, sir.
17:34One way to do that is to add amazing high-end daily specials using low-cost ingredients.
17:42That's what's going to be your next challenge.
17:43You're going to have 20 minutes to create a next-level daily special that you would be
17:48proud of, one that any one of us mentors would put on our restaurant menus.
17:53And you know our standards are high.
17:55Very high.
17:56Yes.
17:57Please line up.
17:59All right, guys.
17:59Platform's on the move.
18:01Perfect daily special.
18:09Is anyone else turned on right now?
18:12No.
18:12Go.
18:14Let's go, guys.
18:15Grab a protein.
18:17I see you tri-tip first.
18:19Nope.
18:19That's way too long.
18:20Muscles.
18:21Boom.
18:21That's like two seconds.
18:23I see a tri-tip.
18:24That's an easy grab.
18:2620 seconds, guys.
18:27Build around your protein.
18:29I love me some chicken thighs.
18:31There's 10 seconds, guys.
18:3210 seconds.
18:33And I grab the rice noodles.
18:35Basil.
18:35There's chili and shallots.
18:37I see some sauce, but I don't know what it is.
18:39Platform's still here.
18:40And it's red wine, so I'm not sure how I'm going to pair this with what I have.
18:47Oh, man.
18:48All right.
18:48Back to your station.
18:49Okay.
18:50Your 20-minute starts right now.
18:52Let's go.
18:52Let's go.
18:53He's got pretty quick knife skills right there.
18:58Ryan.
18:58Yes, Chef.
18:59Great job cooking your way out of the basement, young man.
19:01I appreciate it.
19:02What'd you grab?
19:03So, I have my trout here.
19:03I'm just going to panseer it's inside down.
19:05I have some vegetables here, so I'm going to kind of make like a succotash almost.
19:08And you always cook with this much swag, all the jewelry.
19:10You've got to go a little squeeze.
19:11Yeah, a little something like that.
19:12Is that your style?
19:13Yeah.
19:13She's seeing my swag I got going on here.
19:16Like, she sees that I'm like a little player in the kitchen.
19:20Good knife work.
19:21Thank you, Chef.
19:23That's a good knife.
19:24You know much better.
19:25Okay.
19:26Iman, what'd you grab?
19:28I grabbed some mussels and Spanish chorizo couscous.
19:31It's kind of like Spanish-style mussels.
19:33Usually you do it with fries, right?
19:35But we'll do couscous here instead.
19:37Your focus is so intense.
19:38I love it, girl.
19:39Let's go, Chef.
19:41No, no, no.
19:42I'm not just a badass line cook.
19:45Badass.
19:46I'm also a fighter.
19:47This, this.
19:48I'm a very straightforward, in-your-face, right here, right now.
19:51And I want to be the best at what I do at all times.
19:54I cooked for close to 10 years with the best of the best.
19:57Only Michelin-rated kitchens in New York City.
19:59Now I own a luxury custom cookie company.
20:02I use all of the experience that I had in the kitchen to make them really look like art.
20:07But I'm not just a cookie girl.
20:08Don't play me.
20:09I need you to ruin this so we'll go to the top.
20:13You are good.
20:14Hey, Beatrice.
20:14Hello, Nyesha.
20:15Where are you taking us in the middle level?
20:16I'm going to make some meatballs with my ground meat right here.
20:19Beatrice, got her on the watch list here.
20:21The youngest, Chef.
20:23You see that as an advantage, as a disadvantage?
20:25Definitely an advantage.
20:26I'm like SpongeBob in this competition.
20:28I'm absorbing everything you tell me.
20:29Okay, girl.
20:29Keep going.
20:30We have six minutes out.
20:32Heard six minutes.
20:33How are we feeling, Austin?
20:34Chef, I'm doing all right.
20:35Excellent.
20:35Just grabbed some nice prawns.
20:37I'm going to dust some of the little tagine.
20:39Get in the middle of a little ginger and red pepper coulis.
20:42It's going to go a little Spanish.
20:44Wow.
20:44I have to make one pick right now, Gordon.
20:46I would say I'm going to go with Austin.
20:48Richard, there's a lot of pressure with that first pick, too.
20:50I'm keeping my cards very close to my chest.
20:53All right, Brandon.
20:55Hey, how are you, Chef?
20:56I'm wonderful, Superstar.
20:57That's what they used to call me in culinary school.
21:00Enrolling in culinary school, it changed my life.
21:03Whatever we had to cook, it was a competition of who could make it the best.
21:06And it got to the point where everybody was like, well, what's the point?
21:09Superstar is just going to win.
21:12Working in the culinary industry, I have the pleasure of working with some of the top chefs in Chicago
21:16and professional athletes.
21:18I want to be an international brand.
21:20I'm going to be the Black Gordon Ramsay.
21:22I want you to be able to open your kitchen cabinets and see the space.
21:27And so what is your dish, Brandon?
21:28A nice pork tenderloin.
21:30In the oven, I have some parsnips going, some heavy cream.
21:34Make a nice little puree.
21:35Get that puree going.
21:35Yes, I apologize.
21:36Thank you, Chef.
21:37Don't be nervous.
21:38We got this.
21:39I'm not nervous.
21:39Are you nervous?
21:42Am I showing that I'm nervous?
21:43All right, guys, halfway down.
21:45Curran, be wise, guys, about when you're dropping your proteins.
21:48Holy s**t, my steaks are on.
21:53And it's a big one.
21:55Come on, get hot, baby.
21:56I left this too long.
21:57This is a big piece of meat to cook in 20 minutes.
21:59Brennan.
22:00Hello.
22:01So where are you taking us?
22:01You grab tri-tip.
22:02A tri-tip.
22:03That's not a...
22:04That's not an easy one.
22:06No.
22:06All right, this is going in the oven.
22:08Awesome.
22:08And so what is your inspiration for cooking?
22:11Oh, it came from my dad.
22:12He's taking me around the world.
22:14What's been your most favorite travels so far?
22:16The changes.
22:16Peru and the car.
22:17Peru's got some great food, huh?
22:18Yeah, I have the guinea pig.
22:20For the last 22 years, I'm a head chef on super yachts.
22:27Typically, we're cooking for billionaires and celebrities that you might have heard of.
22:33Mango Cullen?
22:34No, I can't.
22:35No, I can say it.
22:35Let's see Robert Streisand, Steven Spielberg, Justin Bieber.
22:41When I'm not on the yacht, I ride my motorcycle around the world.
22:43My time on this planet, I want to spend exploring.
22:46And when I see people accumulating stuff, I'm like, all right, well, that's an anchor.
22:49Like, that's literally...
22:50I just made a pun there to my yachting career.
22:54Hey, Mom, you don't need this blender.
22:55Take it, Papa.
22:56Thank you, Mamacita.
23:00It's got Blender Central in here.
23:02All right, Ash, what'd you grab?
23:03So I've got these vermicelli noodles, these rice noodles.
23:06We're going to make this chicken dish.
23:07I'm going to deglaze with a little red wine.
23:09It's almost like an Italian rice, like Chinese dish.
23:13Just make sure it makes sense and it's not confusing, right?
23:15An Italian-Chinese dish.
23:17We know there's fusion and then there's confusion.
23:20I get a lot of people asking me, like, who do you look up to?
23:28I always say Mother Earth.
23:30Check out where we are today.
23:32I travel the world with yoga retreats, wellness retreats.
23:35Walking into a room and someone's talking about nutritional yeast and I'm like, these are my people.
23:41I'm so lucky that I get to live my passion and help people live out their highest vibration.
23:45Five minutes left, guys.
23:50Five minutes.
23:51Let's go, Ryan.
23:51Most important, five minutes to keep your spot in this competition, I'd say.
23:55Oh, yeah.
23:56Not sending me home, girl.
24:01My entire hand is completely burned.
24:05It's such a rookie mistake to grab a hot pan with my bare hand.
24:11Most important minutes in this competition.
24:13I really just need to get through this 20 minutes alive.
24:16Beatrice, you're just starting cooking.
24:18I had a hot pan.
24:18I grabbed it with my hand.
24:20That was dumb.
24:21Fight, fight, fight your way back.
24:23Yes, sir.
24:23You didn't come this far to only come this far, girl.
24:25Hell no.
24:25Hell no.
24:29Hot pan behind.
24:30Hot pan behind.
24:31I will not leave this competition without going to that top four.
24:35Three minutes, guys.
24:36This thing has to be finished.
24:38All my other prep for this dish is done.
24:40I'm ready to go.
24:44The steak is not.
24:45Oh, it's undercooked.
24:46Yeah.
24:46Going in, going in.
24:47Back in the oven and just, like, pray that I have enough time.
24:51Brennan is in trouble.
24:53Where are your chicken thighs at?
24:54I got them out.
24:55They're right here.
24:55I'm hoping they are amazing.
24:58Make sure, right?
24:58It's your destiny in your hands.
25:01I am literally making this dish up as I go along.
25:04But I know it's going to come together great.
25:06Come on, Brandon.
25:09It's not cooked.
25:10Get it back in the pan.
25:11Absolutely, Chef.
25:12Okay, guys.
25:13That's two minutes.
25:14Yes, Chef.
25:14Plating.
25:16Come back up a century.
25:17Come on.
25:18Come on.
25:18This is when you ignite those boosters.
25:21Whose team do you want to be on?
25:22I know you all want that $250,000 and a title of Next Level Chef.
25:26This looks beautiful.
25:29Five, four, three, two, one.
25:34Time's up.
25:36We're going to come back.
25:39Gordon, Richard.
25:41Hi, Naisha.
25:41That was rather frantic.
25:42A little?
25:43It felt, from the green room, panic set in, Naisha.
25:47Yeah.
25:48Shall we?
25:49Yes, please.
25:49Let's start with the tri-tip from Brennan, served with a sweet potato cake and a cheese twill.
26:00So, tri-tip, undercooked.
26:04Such a shame.
26:05Good, promising, sounding dish, but not executed at Next Level of Italian.
26:09Yes, Chef.
26:11Next up, we have the Italian and Chinese-inspired noodle dish coming from Ash.
26:17Chinese-Italian, right?
26:18Chinese-Italian.
26:19Chicken is literally just cooked.
26:23There's a rawness to red wine, is it?
26:26Yes.
26:27Got to cook the alcohol out.
26:28Did you feel rushed in this dish?
26:31A little.
26:32I was going a little too fat.
26:32Does it taste like it?
26:34Fusion is great, you know, when it works.
26:36It's not really singing as a Chinese or an Italian dish.
26:39Next up, we have Brandon, seared pork tenderloin with a parsnip puree.
26:45Puree, slightly salty, but the pork is delicious.
26:49I gotta say, Brandon, you made me real nervous when you cut into that pork and it was dead raw in the center.
26:54However, you got over the finish line, really good effort.
26:56Next up, Austin's Spanish shrimp.
27:00It has a red pepper puree on the bottom.
27:05Sure, but delicious.
27:06Smartening the heads on.
27:07So much flavor in there.
27:08Yeah, great dish.
27:09Congrats.
27:10Next up, we have Ryan's pan-seared ocean trout with succotash.
27:15This is finished with a chive puree.
27:18This challenge was make something that could be a special in one of our restaurants.
27:22I could see this visually in one of my restaurants.
27:26Trouts cooked deliciously.
27:28That puree is wonderful.
27:31We move to a Spanish-style mussel.
27:35This is served over couscous from Iman.
27:39Visually, it's really, really pretty.
27:40The flavors work, but the couscous sort of acts like a sponge and sucks up all the broth that was there.
27:45So it dries out the mussels a bit.
27:47Mussels should be served in their own broth.
27:49I'm just not too sure about the combination between couscous and mussels.
27:51I don't get that bit.
27:53Next up, we have a pasta.
27:56This is served with ground beef and a fresh arugula salad.
27:59Is that it?
28:00Just pasta.
28:01Started out as meatballs, however, ended up on the floor.
28:05Great pivot.
28:06You didn't give up.
28:07Yeah, strange on this one.
28:08I don't know if it's an actual dish.
28:10I'm not too sure what this is.
28:13This, for me, reads more of a basement sort of staff meal vibe I'm getting off of this.
28:19Talk amongst yourselves, please.
28:21We have a lot to discuss.
28:22I think they're trying too hard.
28:25A lot of flair.
28:26I see great elements in a lot of them.
28:27They're just sort of messed up with a little touch of panic in the last five minutes.
28:30And also, they're overcomplicating it.
28:33It's all how you handle the pressure, right?
28:34That's right.
28:34Are we in agreement?
28:35I think this one's pretty fair.
28:37That's a tough one.
28:37I expect you better.
28:38So, the first two people to move to the top level are going to be Austin and Ryan.
28:53Like, all that breath I was holding in is finally, like, let him go, baby.
28:58The next three people that are moving to that top level.
29:06I'm on.
29:08Brandon.
29:09Oh, thank you.
29:10And Beatrice.
29:15Oh, my God.
29:17What?
29:18I'm not even here right now.
29:20I'm on, like, a cloud.
29:21Cloud nine.
29:22Oh.
29:26That leaves Ash and Brennan.
29:28There's two of you, and there's one spot left in that elevator.
29:33Final person moving to the top level is...
29:35Brennan.
29:49Thank you, Chefs.
29:51Give me a hug.
29:53Good job.
29:54Yeah.
29:55I don't recommend that.
29:57I was so impressed downstairs.
29:59I wanted you on my team.
30:02Thank you so much, Gordon.
30:04Promise me you're going to continue that trajectory.
30:06Yes, Chef.
30:07Thank you, Ash.
30:07Thank you so much.
30:08I appreciate you guys.
30:09Stay well.
30:10It's been another great, great adventure.
30:17It was just awesome to be here.
30:20This is not a joke.
30:21Richard and Aisha, see you in 20 minutes.
30:22Yes, Chef.
30:23Good job, guys.
30:24Thank you, guys.
30:25They earned it.
30:25Thank you, Chef.
30:25Thank you, Chef.
30:26Right, welcome to one of the most extraordinary kitchens anywhere in the country.
30:31Let's go.
30:32Top level.
30:32That's where it's at.
30:33That's more like superyarts.
30:34Well, that's convenient.
30:35That's how I'm used to cooking, so I'm ready.
30:38Now, final challenge.
30:39One cook away from getting yourself into that incredible draft and a chance to be mentored
30:43by either Richard, Naisha, or myself.
30:4720 minutes, I want you to create a next-level dish.
30:50Michelin star standard.
30:5220 minutes?
30:52You want Michelin star in 20 minutes?
30:55It's a bit daunting.
30:56Convince us that you deserve a place on our teams.
30:59One of you aren't going to make it.
31:01Make sure it's not you.
31:02My entire background is Michelin-rated restaurants.
31:04If I don't crush this cook, it's kind of like, why are you here?
31:07Right, this is it.
31:08The platform is moving.
31:11On your mark, get set, go!
31:14Come on, let's go!
31:16Filet mignon.
31:17Snag it as fast as I possibly can.
31:19Tiger shrimp.
31:20Tiger prawn's such a great protein.
31:22Cooks quickly, way faster than a tri-tip.
31:24Bill chop.
31:25Bill chop.
31:25Amazing proteins.
31:27Venison fillets.
31:28See red meat, and I go for it, and then I'm like, oh, no, it's venison.
31:31I don't know that very well.
31:33And then I go to, like, just see anything else, and they're all gone.
31:35Five seconds to go.
31:36So now I'm very annoyed.
31:37Thing goes well with venison.
31:39Go, go, go, go.
31:40Grab, grab, grab.
31:41Quick, quick, quick, grab.
31:42Well done.
31:43On to your stations.
31:44Good.
31:45You have 20 minutes.
31:46Start now.
31:47Let's go.
31:49This is it.
31:50One cook away from entering the draft.
31:53Let those hero ingredients shine.
31:56Austin, filet mignon.
31:57Yes, chef.
31:58Great grab.
31:59That filet is so much more than a piece of meat.
32:02It is my ticket to a mentorship.
32:04The celery root.
32:05What do you do with that?
32:05I'm going to make a cream with this one.
32:06I'm going to make a red wine mushroom sauce with these.
32:09Nice.
32:09Get the puree done first for the celery root.
32:12I have a tattoo of a celery root, for crying out loud.
32:14If I don't do celery root properly, I'm going to look like a fool.
32:18Beatrice, what did you grab?
32:19So I grabbed a duck breast, chef, as well as some cherries.
32:23Perfect combination, duck and cherries.
32:25The only get on, the better.
32:26Do you know where the lighter is?
32:27But it's there in front of you.
32:28Ah, yes, chef.
32:30Yes, I'm your mentor, not your bitch.
32:31Yes, chef.
32:32Oh, I thought he cussed at me.
32:34It's been a bucket list item.
32:36That was so cool.
32:38Let's go, let's go.
32:39Iman, what did you grab?
32:40I got venison.
32:41Delicious protein there, yes?
32:42Let it rest for as long as it cooks.
32:44Yes, chef.
32:45Oh, I love venison.
32:46This is tough, though, because, um,
32:48you have to incorporate some sauce.
32:49Where's the sauce?
32:51Um, oh, my God.
32:52Venison always needs a sauce.
32:54I don't have anything to make sauce,
32:56so now what's going to go on this plate?
32:57Think about it, yes?
32:58Oui, chef.
33:00Five minutes down, 15 minutes to go.
33:02Heard five minutes down, 15 to go.
33:05Hey, Siri, set a 15-minute timer.
33:07Brennan, what did you grab?
33:08I got some beautiful prongs to saute them here,
33:10and then I'll do, like, a kind of take on mushy peas.
33:12Is this a dish you cook in the yacht?
33:14No, this is coming out of my head right now, chef.
33:15Right.
33:15Make sure it makes absolute sense, okay?
33:18Absolutely, chef.
33:19We're coming up to halfway.
33:21Ten minutes gone, ten minutes to go.
33:23Ryan, great grab there with Bill Chop.
33:25Thank you, chef.
33:25Tell me about the dish.
33:26What are you doing?
33:27I'm going to sear the meat,
33:28and then after I get the panju out of that,
33:30I'm going to add my aromatics,
33:31deep stock to that to give it a little bit of a sauce.
33:33What do you think about Ryan?
33:34I'm a New Yorker.
33:35He's from Massachusetts.
33:36Bringing that bling.
33:37Ryan's quick.
33:38Is he the dark horse in this group?
33:41I see some potential.
33:42The East Coast, there's no beating around the bush.
33:45You wake up, you stretch out, rise and shine,
33:48look over the city,
33:49and you just see someone saying, like,
33:50hey, you.
33:52I did not grow up with no silver spoon in my mouth.
33:55I got in trouble a lot.
33:57I didn't really know what direction I wanted to go in life.
33:59And the thing that really saved me was the kitchen.
34:02It gave me that sense of purpose,
34:03and now I've been on the line for eight years.
34:06So cute.
34:07I'm the cutest.
34:09My girlfriend, Angelia, and I had a little daughter.
34:12Having my brand-new baby,
34:13it's more than my mouth to feed at this point.
34:15It's a legacy thing I'm trying to set for my family,
34:18and this is going to be, like,
34:18the foundation starting point.
34:21Just go all the way.
34:29Brandon, tell me what you grabbed.
34:31There's a beautiful piece of halibut here.
34:32So I'm making a flavorful broth with some mint,
34:34a little ginger.
34:35Are you doing, like, an Asian-style halibut?
34:37Yes, sir.
34:39Right, we're down to six minutes, yes?
34:41There's no time.
34:42Protein, protein, Brandon.
34:43Protein.
34:44I know that time is taking away.
34:46My anxiety level is through the roof.
34:48Oh, the fuck?
34:49And I realize that a mushy piece,
34:51I just don't have the time.
34:52And all these other ideas I had are just slipping away.
34:55Brandon, we're good?
34:56Yeah, I've got the sauce here.
34:57Okay.
34:58Just edit yourself.
34:58There's a lot going on.
35:00We should have.
35:00It's 20 minutes, and you need to assess,
35:02like, every minute,
35:03can I do that thing that I wanted to do,
35:04or can I not?
35:05And you have to be quick about it.
35:07It's like you just have to.
35:08Five minutes.
35:10Five minutes.
35:12That's fabulous.
35:14Let's go, let's go.
35:15In, mom.
35:15Ryan, let's have a look.
35:16Touch that.
35:17So what does that tell you
35:17when it's those dents in there?
35:19It's raw.
35:19It's raw.
35:20So it's still raw.
35:21And that's going to be sliced
35:21at the last minute.
35:22It means it's not just going to rest.
35:24It's like it does.
35:26There's three that have this, like,
35:27professional energy.
35:29It's Austin.
35:30Guthy Cook.
35:30Austin, look at me.
35:31Do me a favor.
35:32Breathe.
35:33Breathe.
35:34Ryan.
35:36Beatrice.
35:37Behind you, chef.
35:38Behind you.
35:39It's not going in.
35:41We are down to the final two minutes, guys.
35:44Dish up.
35:45Great.
35:45Plating, guys.
35:46One dish to earn yourself a spot in that draft.
35:50Because what dreams are made of.
35:5145 seconds.
35:53You've got to go, guys.
35:55Come on.
35:59Look at that.
36:00It's gorgeous.
36:02Ah, you see that filet?
36:04Stunning.
36:0515 seconds to go.
36:0615 seconds, chef.
36:07I have nothing on my face, chef.
36:09Come on, Iman.
36:10Let's go.
36:10What a nightmare.
36:11Don't waste time.
36:12Please don't waste time.
36:13Is there a sauce there?
36:14Five, four, three, two, one.
36:19And stop.
36:20Stop.
36:21Well done.
36:22All of you, well done.
36:24Good job.
36:27Welcome back, Nisha and Richard, please.
36:29What an extraordinary 20 minutes.
36:31Incredible.
36:32Let's start off with the veal chop cooked by Ryan.
36:36Served with a carrot puree and morel mushrooms.
36:40Incredible sauce that elevates the protein.
36:43The cooking on the veal chop is definitely sort of at an expert level for sure.
36:47Good job.
36:47Thank you, chef.
36:48Next up is this filet mignon with celery root puree cooked by Austin.
36:54A really, really pretty dish.
36:56The cookery on the protein, pretty spot on.
36:58I asked for Michelin star.
37:00This is beyond.
37:01It tastes exceptional.
37:02It tastes exceptional.
37:03Well done.
37:03Great job, bro.
37:04Great job.
37:05Great job.
37:06Next up, we have a duck breast by Beatrice.
37:11It's done with a fresh cherry production.
37:13Really stunning visually and really delicious.
37:16The duck is cooked beautifully.
37:17Pink, crispy fat.
37:19Pretty good.
37:21Next up, the marm pan-roasted venison with grazed carrots.
37:25I think one of the most difficult proteins to cook on this top floor is cooked beautifully.
37:33But it's such a shame because it really is apparent it's missing a sauce.
37:37What a shame.
37:39I know better.
37:40I am better.
37:41And I've cooked in restaurants where we have Michelin stars.
37:43And that's not a three Michelin.
37:45That's not any Michelin level of food.
37:47God forbid I do go home.
37:49I'm going to be really f***ing pissed.
37:51Next up, we have a marinated slice of halibut served as a fragrant broth.
37:56This is cooked by Brandon.
37:58It's an odd description, but the broth is mysterious.
38:02Like, almost haunting in a really, really good way.
38:04The broth really allows the protein to shine.
38:07So that's really smart.
38:09Thank you, sir.
38:10Finally, we've got tiger shrimp cooked by Brennan.
38:13And the idea behind the peas was like this mushy pea, but they're fresh peas.
38:17Timing got the better of this individual.
38:20The protein, very well cooked, which is tough for a prawn of this size.
38:24The peas, to me, are a little overcooked.
38:26I'm looking sort of for a connection for the peas and the shrimp together.
38:29Pea's a little bit greasy.
38:30If there's ever a time for pea puree, this is it.
38:33Yes, sir.
38:33We need a very serious moment.
38:36Richard and Aisha, please.
38:38All the proteins, I think, were cooked really, really well.
38:41Excuse me.
38:42The filet mignon.
38:43Gorgeous.
38:44What a shame that venison from Riman had no sauce.
38:47But the level of difficulty cooking the venison is so high.
38:51Brennan's tiger shrimp, usually cooked.
38:53But the dish felt unfinished.
38:55He did.
38:57Are we agreed?
38:58I think so.
38:59Shall we?
39:00Yeah.
39:01Line up, please, guys.
39:03Good luck, guys.
39:04Okay.
39:05Before we announce who's made it into that draft, I'd like to remind all of you what you're fighting for.
39:19That's mine.
39:19I'm ready to get a chef's jacket on and get to work.
39:22That's so awesome.
39:23Okay.
39:24The first person headed through to the draft is Austin.
39:31I just can't believe it.
39:35I can't freaking believe it.
39:36All I'm thinking about now is how am I going to look in a blue apron?
39:39The next person who's earned a spot on one of our teams is Ryan.
39:48Well done.
39:48Congratulations, guys.
39:50The next person into the draft is Beatrice.
39:56Yes.
39:56Congratulations.
39:57Thank you so much.
40:00The fourth person joining the draft is Brandon.
40:09Obviously, that leaves Brennan and Iman.
40:16The final individual joining the draft with a chance to become America's neck-level chef is...
40:31Iman.
40:35Iman.
40:36Venison, cooked, beautifully, exceptional.
40:39Oh, dear.
40:42Brennan, I just want to remind you of the thousands of individuals that you've beaten to be here.
40:45Thanks, chef.
40:46I would like to wish you...
40:47Thank you, guys.
40:48...continued success.