- Previously, on Top Chef...
- Top Chef usually has about 16 chefs.
- I'm wondering what's gonna happen with all these people.
- 29 chefs arrived in San Antonio
to compete in three heats for a spot
in our biggest culinary showdown ever.
This is what will earn you a Top Chef coat
or a ticket home.
The first two grueling rounds
proved to be an emotional roller coaster.
- I'm not the best guy for this, that's for sure.
- I don't see a tie on there. - Yeah, it's all cut up.
- I think you should just leave now.
- Wow.
- Please pack your knives and go.
- Thanks.
- Head home.
- I think you should get a Top Chef coat.
- Oh, my God.
- You're in. - Thank you very much.
- Congratulations. - Yes!
- Boo-yeah, bee-otch.
- Then that means you're on the bubble.
- And I'm cooking again.
- Now, 11 chefs have earned their coats,
4 chefs are on the bubble, waiting for a second chance...
- This sucks.
- And 10 chefs are about to cook
for the very first time, and learn their fate.
At stake for the winner,
a feature in Food & Wine magazine,
a showcase at the annual Food & Wine classic in Aspen,
$125,000 furnished by healthy choice
to bring their culinary dreams to life,
and the title of Top Chef.
♪ Top Chef: Texas 9x02 ♪ The Heat Is on Original Air Date on November 9, 2011
== sync by elderman ==
- Do you think it's gonna be the same--the same challenge?
- I was thinking that. I was thinking that.
In the stew room, on the bubble,
there's me, Molly, Edward, and Janine.
like, three challenges or something,
but I worked at Jean-Georges for a long time,
which was hard as hell, but I got through it.
So I'm gonna have to remember what I'm here for,
and that's to win.
- No, the joke is there's actually no spots,
we're just gonna cook for 'em.
- They just wanna see us sweat. - Messing with us.
- We're getting to know each other.
It's just like prisoners in a room together,
we're starting to bond.
I feel like I know you. I spent my life--
- feel like we've been through so much together.
- All kidding aside,
I don't want anyone to get in over me.
So I don't know if I wanna get too friendly with anyone.
There's still a third group, right?
'Cause there was three groups.
- We're likely looking at two more people.
- Oh, my God.
- Jesus Christ.
- Wow.
- We're the third and final group to cook.
- Holy [Bleep]. [Laughs]
- I'm excited that the moment has finally come,
but not knowing how many spots have already been taken
definitely adds to the anxiety.
- Welcome to the Top Chef kitchen.
Of course, you know our head judge Tom Colicchio.
- Hi, Chef.
- And I'd like to introduce you to Hugh Acheson,
Top Chef Masters alum,
chef and owner of Empire State South,
and one of your judges this season.
- Thanks. It's good to be on the other side.
[Laughter]
- It's pretty cool seeing Chef Hugh,
but I still have a crush on Padma.
In middle school, I had her picture in my locker.
I still think Padma Lakshmi's
the most beautiful woman on the planet.
It's just a fact. Everybody has to deal with it.
[Laughs]
- Chefs, I'd like to hear a little bit
about you guys, where you work.
Why don't we start with you?
- Beverly Kim Clark.
I'm the chef de cuisine at Aria Restaurant.
- Ashley Villaluz. I currently hold a sous-chef position.
I've worked at some of Seattle's finest restaurants.
- Paul Qui. I'm the executive chef
at Uchiko restaurant in Austin, Texas.
I was also nominated for rising star Chef James Beard.
- Paul's a good friend of mine,
and initially I thought it would be
a huge advantage to be in my home state,
but seeing Paul, I'm extra nervous now.
- Jonathan Baltazar of Heights Cuisine,
and I'm a private chef.
- Laurent Quenioux.
I'm the chef at Vertigo Wine Bistro in Los Angeles.
- Andrew Currin.
I was nominated this year
for people's best new chef, Food and Wine Magazine.
- Berenice Dearaujo.
I'm chef de cuisine
of Senora Martinez in Miami, Florida.
- Kim Calichio.
I am the sous-chef at Fishtail by David Burke.
- Lindsay Autry,
and I'm the executive chef of the Omphoy Ocean Resort
and Michelle Bernstein restaurant.
- Chaz Brown.
I'm the chef de cuisine of Fatty Crab
on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
And I was nominated by my mom as one of her two favorite sons.
[Laughter]
- There's some amazing chefs I'm with, I know that,
but I've got a family, I've got a son and a husband,
that right now I'm supporting.
I'm the one bringing home the bacon.
So I'm not going to waste this opportunity.
- Let's get started.
There are ten items on this table.
We'd like you all to decide which one of you
will be cooking with each of those ingredients.
- You should be able to take any of these ingredients
and make it sing.
- Once you've decided, grab your tray,
but do not touch the cloche.
It'll ruin the surprise.
- In my mind, I'm thinking,
"it won't matter whatever ingredient I pick,
"because we're probably gonna switch
once we pull up that cloche."
- Your three minutes starts now.
- I'll take the mushrooms.
- Duck. - I'll do the sprouts.
- I see a bowl of rice up there,
and next to it, it says risotto.
My wife is Italian-American. I know how to make it good.
That's the ingredient for me.
Risotto.
- I would love short ribs. - I wanna take duck.
- I'll do "oxtopus."
- "Oxtopus"? - "Oxtopus"!
[Laughter] - Sweet.
- Octopus.
- I either want mushrooms or oxtail.
- I'll take the shrooms.
- Hey, you wanna rock, paper, scissors for the mushrooms?
- I'd love to. One, two, three.
One, two, three.
I win, so I'm pretty excited.
Now I just need to find out what's underneath this cloche.
- Okay, I'll take the oxtail.
- Cool. Game on. Let's go.
- Are you all happy with what you ended up with?
Anybody else not happy with what you have?
- Depends on how much time we have.
- Ah, okay.
[Laughs]
- Ready...
Set...
Lift.
- [Bleep]
- These clocks are the amount of time
that each of you have to prepare your ingredient.
- I am not happy.
I need to make it into the top 16,
and 20 minutes is not enough time for me.
- Are you happy about your choices now?
- Oh, my God. 40 minutes.
If you talk to an Italian, risotto takes all night.
Could have gone for those Brussels sprouts.
- Your times start now.
- You need all the fennel? - You need all the fennel?
- Tom and Hugh are walking around the kitchen,
so I'm just feeling a little nervous and scared.
- Bagel, head of cabbage--
- what are you doing?
- Some grilled trout with a little,
like, southeast-Asian salad.
This is my one shot to get that coat,
and grilled trout-- it's something simple
that I can execute in 20 minutes.
I'm just super nervous right now.
- Well--
- I own three trailers that make street food,
and that business has been featured on Bourdain,
which I thought was really cool.
I just want to show the world what us Texas cooks can do.
- Right behind you.
- How's it going?
- Awesome, if I didn't have to clean chanterelles.
Mushrooms take at least 15 minutes to roast properly.
And the chanterelles need to be cleaned.
- Little wild mushrooms, a little poached egg?
- A little fried spinach to garnish.
I'm excited to talk to Tom,
but eight minutes have already elapsed.
I know I'm screwed.
- Okay. - Thanks, Chef.
- [Bleep]
I have 60 minutes to cook oxtail.
I'm gonna have to pressure cook it.
I don't normally use a pressure cooker to cook,
so I know it's going to be a challenge.
I just got married. It's almost been a month.
And my husband is Filipino.
His grandmother has taught me how to cook quite a few dishes.
So I'm making a Filipino dish called kare-kare,
inspired by her.
- Hey, Kim. - Hey, chef, how you doing?
- What are you making?
- Fennel puree with some fennel, shaved artichoke,
and the puree is gonna be on the plate
with the pan-seared lamb.
I think just 'cause I'm a sous-chef
doesn't mean that I should be underestimated.
I'm strong in my techniques,
and I have a fresh mind, too.
- Hey, Laurent. Little zabaione with the duck?
- No, no. It's a yuzu lemon curd.
- Oh, okay, oh, okay.
- I grew up in France in the Loire Valley.
As a matter of fact, I never wanted to come to the U.S.,
but I had no choice.
I was working in a three-star restaurant,
and the chef got a contract,
so we got shipped out to Los Angeles,
and I loved it so much that I never got back to France.
- You have about a half an hour left, I think, right?
- Yeah.
- Octopus definitely brings out memories
of something my mom used to make for me when I was growing up.
She was a wonderful cook,
and she only cooked, like, Korean food.
But in our restaurant it comes in already pre-cooked,
so it's definitely a challenging ingredient for me.
- Do you feel happy with the risotto?
- I'd better be, or my wife will literally kill me.
- [Laughs]
- That is not a joke.
I'm not very happy about 40 minutes to make risotto.
- It's been a, uh-- it's been a stumbling block
for a lot of Top Chef people in the past, so...
- Thanks for the words of encouragement.
Kiss it.
- Keep it simple, bring it.
- But I'm not afraid to be judged.
Am I a Navy Seal, or am I a G.I. Joe?
It's very important to me that I see
where I stack up against the best of the best.
- Ten minutes!
I'm doing Asian-marinated short rib with a cabbage slaw.
There's a lot of pressure,
thinking that this is the dish that can move you forward,
but I think I can put all the bull[Bleep] aside
and just make my way through this.
- Time's ticking. - Yes, it is.
- Getting there. I like the ideas, though.
- 60 minutes to braise veal with a bone in it
is definitely a test of time management.
I see Tom speaking to someone out of the corner of my eye,
and as I see him starting to approach me,
I just run.
I'm like, "I don't have time."
- One minute, chefs!
- The fennel is not cooking,
but I got to start plating.
This is my judgment plate.
[Bleep], like, I need to move fast.
- Knowing that this plate was gonna
move me forward in the competition,
it's very nerve-racking.
I wouldn't even be able to face
any of my guys in Austin if I go home today.
- My mushrooms are still on the stove,
my eggs are not beautifully poached.
Oh, you bitch.
- 30 seconds left.
- At this point,
I'm literally throwing this stuff on the plate.
I know I'm gonna be in trouble.
Not good.
[Timer beeps]
[Sighs]
- Chaz is not gonna get it done in time.
- Cook, risotto, cook.
- This is the moment
that all the hard work has been building up to.
My hands are shaking. For me, this is it.
There's no option for me to go home.
- Kim, what did you make?
- I have for you a pan-seared lamb chop,
some kalamata olives, and arugula,
with a little bit of pan jus.
- Today I made for you some properly-roasted mushrooms.
They're topped with a little bit of brown butter vinaigrette,
and then a poached egg.
- I made a grilled trout,
and a light southeast Asian-influenced tomato salad.
It's pretty rustic in cut.
- Paul, let's start with you.
- It was my favorite dish of the group.
- Thank you, chef.
- Everything is seasoned nicely, the fish is grilled nicely.
I would be happy to see you continue
and compete in the competition.
- It's such a precise dish.
I agree with Tom, I think you should move through.
- Thank you, chef.
- Welcome to the Top Chef house.
- Thank you so much.
- There you go.
- I couldn't feel happier.
This huge sense of relief just overcame me.
I've passed the first trial.
[Sighs]
- Kim, your lamb was grgreasy.
I'm afraid what you cooked doesn't earn you a chef's coat.
- It's just not there.
It was overcooked. I just can't get past that.
- Please pack your knives and go.
- Thank you for the chance.
- Andrew, how are you feeling?
- Nervous.
I really let my nerves
and the clock get the best of me,
and just wasn't proud of what I put forward today.
- Some of the mushrooms are a little gritty,
but they are roasted nicely.
Let's put you on the bubble and see what you can do.
- Thank you, chef.
- I thought your dish had a lot of earthiness,
a lot of flavor.
It was a bit messy,
especially with the greasy, fried spinach.
I'd like to put you on the bubble.
- Hell yeah. Thanks, Padma.
I wasn't happy with my first dish,
and ended up with a messy plate.
So I feel blessed to have this second chance.
I'm ready to get in there, and show 'em what I can do.
- What do you think's going on in the other room?
- I can't imagine it's just us, you know?
Like, I'm sure that there's got to be a few more.
- Oh, hola.
- I walk into the stew room.
There's four chefs in there already.
I feel a little uneasy.
- What are you in for? - I got mushrooms.
But I'm ready to move on.
I'll cook five times today if they want me to.
- Cook, risotto, cook, risotto.
At this point, I'm just telling myself,
"Chaz, all you got to do
"is make sure that it's cooked correctly,
and you're gonna send a powerful message to the judges."
- Being a private chef is very different.
It's much more relaxed,
and right now, it's total chaos.
Chef Tom and chef Hugh are lurking around,
and I'm [Bleep]ing bricks.
Hot pan.
- With short ribs, the longer they sit and marinate,
the more tender they become,
and my marinade really isn't
getting to the point where I want it to fast enough.
- In France, either you become a cook,
you become a priest, or you become an army guy.
The worst in the family always end up to be the cook.
Well, it was a little bit like that for me,
but I love what I do.
Unfortunately, the oven is not hot enough.
So I didn't get the crispiness on that duck.
And that's pissing me off.
- We're looking at two minutes.
- Hey, you need help? I have time.
- How much time do have? You have any idea?
- I think you got one minute. - Huh?
- One minute. - One minute for me?
- One minute. - Thank you.
- I can help you plate.
- I say to myself, "Chaz, you got 30 seconds.
Try something."
- You need anything?
- No, my plates are over there.
- He takes the risotto, tells me it's all good,
but I know it's not looking too good for him.
- Right behind you.
[Timer beeps]
[Scoffs]
Time's up.
And it's heartbreaking.
[Bleep]
It just destroys me inside
to know that I'm not gonna be able
to give the judges something.
- What happened?
- I made an ass out of myself.
I thought I had four minutes left,
I was happy with it, but there's nothing--
- the risotto's cooked. - It's cooked.
- How'd you lose track of time?
- I was trying to stay on top of it as much as I could.
It's 40 minutes to cook risotto.
I don't blame anybody but myself.
- I mean...
- Chaz...
Unfortunately, we really have nothing to judge you on.
Please pack your knives and go.
- Thank you. Pleasure meeting you guys.
Obviously I'm disappointed in myself.
It stinks, and it stings.
Padma--it kind of feels like she's breaking up with me.
I want my CDs back, you know, we have to split up our friends.
You cut me deep, Padma.
- Bernice, what did you make?
- I made an Asian-style short rib
with a cooling cabbage slaw.
- I made a duck with a lemon yuzu curd
and a small arugula that have been sauteed
with pomegranate molasses and lemon oil.
- I made a Spanish-style Brussels sprouts.
It's deglazed with a little sherry vinegar.
The Brussels sprouts are sitting on top of a tomato sofrito
with paprika and hazelnut gremolata.
- Jonathan.
- The Brussels sprouts were the main part of the dish,
and to me they just weren't cooked,
or they weren't seasoned.
I'm gonna say no.
- Hugh?
- I'm gonna say you have to go home.
- Jonathan, please pack your knives and go.
- Thank you.
- Laurent.
- You brought a gazillion things to a plate
that needed to make sense.
I'll put you on the bubble.
- I mean, you've been around a kitchen a long time.
- Yes.
- Probably have more experience than pretty much anybody here.
- Uh-huh.
- And I'm sure you can cook.
But based on this dish, I would say no.
Padma, I'm gonna let you figure this out.
- I don't think this dish should earn you a coat.
But I think you have potential,
so I'm gonna put you on the bubble.
- Okay.
- We'll see you a bit later. Thank you.
- The dish wasn't perfect. I can do a whole lot better.
So I'm totally excited to have a second chance.
Merci beaucoup for that opportunity.
- Hugh.
- The dish was just one-dimensional,
and uninspired.
Unfortunately, I don't think you should move on.
- Tom.
- You know, bernice, I know where you work,
I know who you work for,
and I know you can cook,
but we can only judge by what's in front of us.
And based on this sh, I would say, um, no.
- Please pack your knives and go, Bernice.
- Thank you for the opportunity. - Thanks.
- Hearing, "pack your knives," it's gut-wrenching.
I would've very much liked to have moved on.
I think I could've done a lot better
than the plate I presented.
- I'm glad that I have 60 minutes.
I wish I could have a little bit more for osso bucco.
And at this point,
I just want everything to make it on the plate.
- I want to make it so bad.
I can, I must, I will.
I keep this note in my pocket.
Onions.
If you constantly remind yourself what your goals are,
you're gonna get there.
- Oh, good.
My oxtail's been braising for 50 minutes.
[Steam hisses]
I need to check it out, I need to see where it's at.
I'm having trouble getting the pressure cooker lid off.
[Hissing]
Oh, my gosh, what would my husband say?
Are you serious?
I cannot be sent home for a Filipino dish.
[Bleep]
- Maybe there's only two spots.
- They leave me here long enough,
I'm gonna kill the other five people.
- What time do I have? Eight minutes left, [bleep].
- We're the third and final group to cook.
We don't know how many slots have already been taken.
That definitely adds to the anxiety.
- Got my onions.
[Steam hissing] What do I do now?
Beverly, do you know how to open this?
- I'm not sure, I'm sorry. - No?
- Water--take it to the sink and run it under cold water.
- Thank you.
- I know that when it comes down to the judging,
it's gonna be on the quality of our food--
make sure your water's cold.
Not necessarily who knew
how to release pressure out of a pressure cooker.
- I get the lid off, I'm a little disappointed.
[Bleep]
The oxtail is not as tender as it should be.
So I try to get some of it off the bone,
and see if I can't get it a little bit more tender.
Hot coming through, right behind.
- My brain is in hyperdrive
because the octopus-- it comes out a little tough,
so I cut it in little pieces
so it will tenderize a little more.
I need to get going.
Ten seconds.
[Timer beeps]
- I did the best that I could do with 60 minutes...
- Thank you.
- But I just want to just move past this nerve-racking point.
- Hi, Ashley. Tell us what you've made.
- Um, it's a Filipino dish, it's called kare-kare.
It was a bit of a challenge for me
to cook the oxtail with this amount of time,
but I feel like the flavoru are great,
and I hope you love it.
- I did braised veal over creamy polenta,
and then a warm salad, and charred, pickled carrots.
- I did my version of nakji bokum,
a Korean-style octopus dish,
with spicy gojuchang sauce,
and I used grilled scallions
and pickled cucumbers.
- Let's start with Lindsay's dish.
- Um...
I loved it.
- [Laughs]
- It's perfectly seasoned.
When you first look at it,
it appears to be a very simple dish.
There's a lot going on in here.
This is--this is some good cooking here.
I'd be happy to give you a coat.
Well done. - Thank you.
- So, for me, you've earned a chef coat.
- Come get your coat.
- This is what I came for.
Getting the coat is like 3,000 pounds
being lifted off my shoulders.
- Tom, what'd you think of Ashley's dish?
- You know, Ashley, this dish was about the oxtail.
I just wish the meat were cooked more.
- Yeah, me too. [Laughs]
- And it just-- it didn't do it for me.
Based on this dish, I don't see it.
- Your oxtail left a lot to be desired.
But I think you have potential,
so I'm gonna put you on the bubble.
- I think that you just need to mature in cooking more.
And for that, Ashley, I can't put you through.
- Okay.
- Ashley, please pack your knives and go.
- Maybe I played it a little too safe
by doing a dish that I felt
really represented myself.
It hurts.
- Are you familiar with cooking octopus?
- Actually, no. [Laughs]
- It was risky. Really crazy-risky.
But I liked it.
It tastes of Korean food,
it's comforting, it's soulful, it's good.
I'd like to see more of this craziness.
- I think you earned a Top Chef jacket.
- Whoo-hoo! - Come get it.
- I made it.
I definitely need this for my family.
This is up there as being
one of the most important events in my life.
I'm so excited.
- Cheers. Congratulations, everyone.
- Congratulations. - All right.
- Hi. - More people are coming in.
Let's go see who else is here.
Congratulations. Chris. Nice to meet you.
We, uh--we started already.
- Hi, I'm Chuy. - Hi. Lindsay.
It's really exciting to start to see everybody
that has made the cut, but it's not gonna be easy,
because I see a lot of chefs here
I've read about before, that I've seen in magazines.
- Did any of you guys have to do the bubble?
- No, I didn't.
The first one was enough, you know?
[Laughter]
- Oh, God, to go back a second time?
I would've freaked out.
- Very un-fun. Really un-fun.
- This waiting is killing me though.
- It's better to be sitting in here
than it would be to not be here at all.
But of course it'd be a lot better to just have the jacket.
- Where are you from?
- I'm from Minnesota.
- Is that where you're cooking now?
- I cook on the Allure of the Seas
for Royal Caribbean.
- Oh, a cruise ship.
[Laughs]
- I expect some of the chefs
to look down on what I do, and that's okay.
I think everybody in this competition
has something to prove here.
And I am absolutely ready to defend my territory.
Maybe there's only two spots left.
- Maybe there's only two spots.
- I bet you there's only one spot.
- Hell no.
[Laughter]
Don't even do that.
- If they leave me here in the stew room long enough,
I'm gonna kill the other five people to get that jacket.
That's how bad I want it.
- Hi, chefs.
We'd like to see you all in the kitchen.
- We all look at each other,
stand up, and walk into battle.
- Seeing Emeril is certainly a surprise.
And my heart was pounding through my chest.
- There are six of you,
but there are just two slots left.
- There's a 33% chance that I could get into a blue jacket,
and I really wish there were some more spots.
- Using any ingredients in the kitchen,
you have 45 minutes to make one dish
that shows us why you should be here.
- I'm nervous that we can choose whatever we want.
It's so hard to compete in a challenge
where the focus is so broad, versus something specific.
- Don't leave anything on the table.
This is your moment that will define you as a chef.
- Your time starts now.
- The feedback that I received about the first challenge
was that they really wanted me to highlight the protein.
So I see tiger shrimp and go for it.
I can adapt to a lot of different situations.
So I should be moving forward.
- I accidentally hit your burner.
I'll get it, I'll get it.
- I see mussels, and I immediately know
I wanna do mussels with a Spanish flair.
Winning Top Chef, bringing that publicity to Austin,
justifying my 90 hours a week.
That's where this inspiration's coming from.
- 30 minutes, everybody.
- I'm making creamy polenta
with pork fig wine sauce
and bacon-wrapped shrimp.
My mother sat me down
when I was a freshman in high school
and said, "what do you wanna be when you grow up?"
And I was like, "are you kidding me?
"I'm 15 years old.
All I wanna do is drink."
But I really thought about it, and guess what.
I've been working in restaurants since I was 15.
- I could baste all day, you know that?
It's like, so relaxing.
I'm gonna do a scallop with a clam bake.
Right now, I feel like I need to cook to be happy.
I'm recently single.
We had a wonderful commitment ceremony.
About a month later, she told me that she didn't like my vows.
And she broke up with me over the phone after nine years.
A post-it note would've been more touching than that.
Right behind, right behind.
- Already got it.
Small mixing bowls, anybody?
Thank you.
- I'm gonna do sauteed scallops,
rice fennel with saffron, and a ritotta of scallops.
It's gonna be a scallop two ways--
raw and cooked.
So hopefully, this time around,
the judges will understand my cooking, my style
what I'm about.
- On your tail, Edward.
- I look around, and I realize that everyone's doing seafood.
I don't want to be doing
the same thing everyone else is doing.
So I decide to go with duck.
- Yours? - Not mine, not mine.
Outside of Kentucky, I'm a nobody.
I'm here to show the judges
you don't have to live in New York to do stuff like this.
As long as I keep my nerves steady,
there's no way I can screw this up.
- Ah, [Bleep]!
- Oh, I [Bleep] Myself.
- Edward, you all right?
- It's a pretty bad cut.
- Yeah, go in here.
This is like the seven dwarves.
- [Laughs] Oh, my God.
- This bed's too soft. This bed's too hard.
I'm in the room with Chris and two other chefs.
We got bunk beds, so it's like back being in college again,
which is absolutely awesome.
- You get a little ladder. - I know.
- This is perfect. - All right.
Finding this bed, strategically, is really important.
- Same thing over there.
- Yeah?
- In my room that I'm sharing with three other guys,
I'm in a bunk bed, and I'm 6'4", 300-pounds.
It's crazy.
That's what's up.
- Right behind.
- Yeah, I'm moving now. Moving.
- We have 45 minutes to cook the best dish that we can bring,
and I'm feeling good.
Everything's running really smoothly.
Dammit.
Cut myself. - Edward, you all right?
- I just throw a glove on there, and just keep on going.
No blood on the cutting board.
It's a pretty bad cut.
I am just pumping blood out of my finger.
Good, the doctor is in.
The medic's trying to check out my wound,
and I'm not about to stop.
Can I move while you're checking?
And at this point, if I could cut off my arm
and give it to him to fix it,
I would cook one-handed for the rest of this challenge.
He can take my entire torso.
I'll cook with my feet if I have to.
Because I bombed on that first dish.
I won't do that again.
All right, thank you.
- All right, guys, we got 20 minutes.
[Glass breaks]
- Right behind. Hot, hot, hot.
I feel really good about my dish.
I think the watermelon
with the little bit of lime juice
is gonna cut through the butteriness of the scallop,
and everything that I wanted to be there was there.
- I'm stressed about the moment,
I wanna make sure everything is done on time.
Think I'm a little more focused.
I realize it's just two spots, and I want one.
- Five minutes!
- In the first challenge,
I let somebody else butcher my meat.
This time I have everything under control.
I'm gonna rock it.
- 2 1/2 minutes.
- I feel really good about the mussels,
but I wish I was already plating.
Ah, [Bleep]!
The six of us in the kitchen have a lot of stress.
My first round, I ended up with a messy plate,
but I'm not gonna put out a dirty plate this time.
- I'm so happy to have a second chance.
I really want to show something different,
something fun and exciting.
- One minute! One minute!
- In the last minutes of plating,
I'm forgetting about my shrimp.
- 15 seconds.
- It's just stress, and I look at the shrimp,
and I'm thinking they might be overcooked.
[Beeps]
- [Laughs]
- I'm waling my dishes over to the judges.
Presentation-wise, it looks different,
it smells different, so it's looking good.
- I'm looking down at my plates,
and I know my flavors are right.
I'm going to walk outta here with a chef coat.
- Ed, please tell us what you've made.
- I have a blend of Asian and Southern food.
A sweet Asian custard,
and then on top of that, you've got a few slices of duck
with barbecue sauce, pickled corn, and candied bacon.
- I have a jumbo stuffed prawn
with a mousseline of shrimp,
and it sits on a yuzu beurre blanc,
with a ponzu pudding and soy-glazed watermelon.
- I have a seared scallop
with baby clams, bacon, corn--
the garnish is watermelon and snap peas
tossed with a little bit of lime juice.
- I made creamy polenta with a bacon-wrapped shrimp,
and a port wine fig sauce.
- I did a scallop two ways.
- What you have in front of you is mussels.
The pasta in there is fregula.
On the side is charred corn panna cotta
and charred shrimp.
- Janine, how do you feel you did today?
- I, um, took your advice, and I simplified it a bit.
- I would've liked to see the watermelon,
being garnish, be more of a part of the meal,
as opposed to this ostracized--
- there was a little on top. - Okay.
- I tried to incorporate it like that.
- Growing up in new England's kinda like home,
and I can taste every single component.
Simple? Yes.
Well-executed? Yes.
- Thank you. I appreciate that.
- Molly, do you feel that you put a dish out
that will earn you a Top Chef coat?
- I sure hope so. [Laughs]
- The shrimp's overcooked.
Again, the skill's there,
but that one element is definitely not right.
- It is a dish that really could've
come this close to being a magnificent dish.
It needed a little bit of marrying of flavors,
and a little bit of push, overall.
- Ed, do you feel like what you put out today
should earn you a chef's coat?
- Yes, I do. I think it's a pretty good dish.
- I love the flavors.
I love what's happening in there.
Presentation is fantastic.
- I think the duck may've gone a little bit over,
just in the way I wanna eat the duck.
- Grayson...
- Why figs and shrimp?
- I bacon-wrapped the shrimp
because I like the flavors together.
- So the fig is really playing off the bacon,
not so much the shrimp?
- Right.
- I'm asking these questions
because you should have intention.
Because to my mind,
figs and shrimp don't make a whole lot of sense,
but figs and bacon, of course, make sense.
This was a good version of it.
You put together a nice dish.
- I loved how you protected the shrimp with the bacon,
yet gave it a lot of flavor.
I like the whole combination.
- Thank you.
- Andrew, how are you feeling right now?
- I'm very happy.
You told me to cook with confidence,
and I hope that the flavors truly come through.
- I like how you got
that smoked paprika in there a little bit,
and brought those flavors out.
I'm a little confused by the panna cotta.
- Okay.
- You know, I wish you had stopped right here,
'cause I would've been singing your praises
for this nice bowl of mussels
that is so different and fun.
- Laurent, what do you think about your dish?
Do you think it merits a chef's coat?
- Well, I hope so.
- This tartare is not appetizing to me.
It's not look-- it doesn't look appealing.
It's almost gray.
- I got quite excited
when you said, "scallop two ways."
The hot scallop is cooked perfectly.
I love the combination with fennel,
j think that all works.
I have to agree with my colleagues about the tartare,
but overall I understand the concept of your dish.
So I appreciate that.
- Thank you.
- There are only two slots left.
Obviously, we have a very big decision to make.
We'll call you back in a bit.
- Thank you.
- [Sighs]
- What do you think? - You never know.
They could talk you up, and then be like...
[Pops]
- I think it can go anywhere too,
and I feel proud of what I did.
I feel blessed to have this second chance.
Being from Austin,
I certainly don't wanna be one
that doesn't even make it into the top 16.
It would be an absolute heartbreak.
It's in their hands now.
- Molly's dish--
the shrimp was just completely overcooked.
If we would have served this shrimp in the restaurant,
we would be the laughing stock.
- The flavor was quite bland on the whole dish.
- You got to get the main part of the dish right.
- [Bleep] Shrimp, man. [Laughter]
- Laurent.
- I didn't think it was a clean, bouncy tartare.
- I don't understand this tartare and a hot dish.
Typically, you serve hot food on a hot plate.
- Right. - And tartare's cold.
That spice-- I still don't get it.
- Still taste it on the roof of my mouth.
- Edward.
- I thought he did a nice job.
Making the mushi in a short period of time,
I think it had a lot of flavor.
- He floundered a little bit on the actual cookery of the duck.
- I overcooked the duck.
- Andrew?
- I wish Andrew'd just stop the mussels.
I don't understand the panna cotta,
I don't understand the little,
chopped-up shrimp thing over there.
- Amen.
- And the mussel dish was good.
- He is a definite middle-ground player right now.
- I really did believe in it, though.
- Grayson.
- It was totally different from a standard shrimp and grits.
Emeril and I cook this stuff every day.
- Yup. - And that's not what we cook.
- I thought it was a solid dish.
- The grits were a little dense.
It was flavorful, but there were a few flaws.
- And that leaves us with Janine.
- It's a tough one, it's a tough one.
It was a very good dish.
It was all there on the plate,
but there was something about the dish.
It just had this raw taste to it.
- But Janine's scallop was perfectly cooked,
so, you know, it's a hard one.
- I think Janine is a shoo-in.
- Yeah, you are in, yeah.
- There are only two spots.
- Mm-hmm.
- I think we have our 16 chefs.
- Same here. - Yup, I do too.
- So do I.
[Suspenseful music]
♪ ♪
- Chefs, as you know, there are only two slots left.
Unfortunately,
we're gonna have to send four of you home tonight.
- Molly, last round,
you put together a nice soup.
We weren't completely convinced,
we gave you an opportunity to come back,
but unfortunately,
you completely hammered those shrimp.
- Molly, please pack your knives and go.
- Thank you.
Getting a second chance, and then being eliminated
is definitely bitter.
I wish I could've represented myself a little bit better.
- Laurent...
Gave you a second chance to come back in.
A lot of competing flavors.
Unfortunately, I don't think those flavors
all worked together.
- I'm sorry, Laurent. Please pack your knives and go.
- Thank you. Bye.
- Ed...
It was a real gutsy call to do mushi.
It's a hard dish to do in a short time.
Lot of depth of flavor,
the duck was a little overcooked, though.
- Ed...
Congratulations. Come get your Top Chef coat.
- Ha-lle-lu-jah.
I will not disappoint you.
Getting that jacket is vindication.
I feel like I've already won something major
just to get he.
- Andrew...
Janine...
And Grayson...
Only one of you will move on
to compete for $125,000
and the title of Top Chef.
- Janine...
Put together a nice dish.
Scallops were nicely prepared,
flavor of summer came across.
We're a little confused about that little pile of watermelon.
Don't know if it needed to be there.
But something needed to tie the whole thing together.
Grayson...
Flavors were good.
Wasn't the most imaginative dish.
We've seen shrimp and grits before,
I've seen bacon-wrapped shrimp before.
It was a little unexpected with the fig.
Andrew, it was a really great plate of food.
Then you had to go and mess it up with the panna cotta
and the grilled shrimp, and whatever else on there.
I wish you had just stopped with mussels.
- Me too.
[Suspenseful music]
♪ ♪
- I'm sorry, Andrew. Please pack your knives and go.
- Thank you.
It sucks to know you were that close.
I thought that jacket was mine.
♪ ♪
- Janine and Grayson, it's down to the two of you.
One of you will be getting a Top Chef coat,
and the other will be going home.
[Suspenseful music]
♪ ♪
- Janine and Grayson,
one of you will be getting a Top Chef coat,
and the other will be going home.
Grayson...
Congratulations. You'll be moving on.
- Good job.
- I'm sorry, Janine. Please pack your knives and go.
- She says, "you're in!"
I feel exhausted, but I'm happy I am where I am.
Thank you.
- I'm disappointed not to make it in the top 16.
I just didn't wanna be
the last one next to the person that got the jacket,
and that's exactly what happened.
[Chefs chattering]
- I live right by there. - Oh, do you, really?
- On Broadway, where treasure island is.
- Wow.
- Walking into the house,
I feel a moment of relief, like, I made it.
- Man...
- How's it going?
- This house is big.
- How you doing, man?
- I'm breathing for the first time in a couple hours,
and it feels good.
But Grayson and I have made it by the skin of our teeth,
so I feel like I'm starting out at the bottom of this race.
- Congratulations.
- Did it again. - [Laughs]
- I don't want the other chefs thinking,
"Ed and Grayson, they're the underdogs
because they had to cook again."
We just got more experience, okay?
Okay, cheers. - Cheers.
- The final 16 chefs have been chosen.
- Watch out. - Where's my team?
- This season, on Top Chef,
they will battle it out across the great state of Texas.
- Uh-, here we go.
- I'm sorry, we need to get someone here, please.
- The journey begins in historic San Antonio.
- Whoo! - Can you believe it? [Laughs]
- Nothing here is normal.
- I better see some mother[Bleep] Snakes
on some mother[Bleep] Plates.
- Oh, my God!
These challenges are hard as [Bleep].
So sorry.
- As the temperature rises, tempers flare in Dallas.
- Why are you plating with a plastic spoon?
- Are you turning into Howard Hughes?
- My [Bleep]Ing egg. Bull[Bleep].
- And in Austin, the fierce competition
pushes some chefs to the breaking point.
- This is the hardest thing I've ever done.
- She's completely freaking the [Bleep] out.
It's a total meltdown.
- You love driving the bus. Hitting people.
- I expected a lot more from you.
- They were crappy.
- You have nothing nice to say, don't say anything.
- In our biggest season ever,
it's the biggest twist of all.
- It's not over just yet.
- The competition continues online,
hosted by Tom Colicchio.
Time's up.
For the first time in Top Chef history,
eliminated chefs will unpack their knives
for the chance to get back into the Top Chef competition.
The winning chef is...
You get the win here. Get to keep the coat.
- For the world premiere
of Last Chance Kitchen, go to bravotv.com now.
== sync by elderman ==