All language subtitles for Next.Level.Chef.S02E02.720p.WEB.h264-BAE.[eng]

- Previously on
"next level chef"...

This season's next level chef
will walk away

With a one-year mentorship

And $1/4 million.

- Game on. Time to play.

- I'm looking
for the best dish.

This is your first presentation
of yourself.

- Let's hustle.

- This is the most intense

Food competition there is.
- [bleep]

- My immunity pin's
gonna go to nuri.

- Tucker.
- Matt.

- The person going home
tonight is...

Kamahlai.

- Wow.
[applause]

[dramatic music]

We are not going
down a floor tonight.

- No, chef.

- We need to get out
of the basement.

- I don't trust a single
piece of equipment

In this kitchen besides
this piece of equipment.

- We're coming up there!

- Ok. See you never.

- If you ignore that advice,

You're going straight
to elimination.

- I'm scared
of the elimination.

I'm not ready to go home yet.

♪ ♪

[alarm ringing]

[tense music]

♪ ♪

- Welcome.

Let's go, guys. Line up.

- We're down one person.
This just means

We gotta come back
freakin' swinging.

Team blais is a little shaken,
but not stirred.

- Wow.
- Look at you all.

- Do the blue aprons look
a little more starched

And proper?
- Uh, no.

Your team look
a little smaller.

[laughter and muttering]

- Ok.

- Now, some of your
first dishes left

A lot to be desired.

You let the chaos
of that platform

Get the better of you.

- You're cooking for a chance

At a one-year mentorship
from the three of us

And a prize of $1/4 million.

So the question is, which one
of you wants it the most?

- Y'all have to remember,
if you're putting your heart

And your soul into every dish
that you create,

You're gonna see it
in the result.

All: Yes, chef.

- Let's go.
- Let's go.

- Wise words.
And heart and soul

Is at the center
of today's challenge,

Because you'll be preparing
a dish from a country

Where they pride themselves
on cooking with so much love,

Passion, and of course, heat--

Mexico.

[all cheering]

[mariachi music]

- Mexican, puerto rican,
we're all the same.

Latinos are latinos.

I'm so excited.

- Now listen, whatever you do,

Don't forget to bring the heat,

Because there's nothing worse
than a bland enchilada

Or a tasteless tostada.

- Ok, team ramsay,
thanks to tucker earning

Best dish last time,

We're cooking
in that top-level kitchen.

Head to the elevator, and I'll
meet you there in a minute.

All of you, good luck.

- Let's go.
- Whoo.

- Let's go, team.
- Oh, we are bringing it today.

- Ooh-ooh.
[overlapping chatter]

- Let's go!

[all cheering]

[elevator dings]

[all cheering]

- I'm stoked.

The middle kitchen
was beautiful,

But you know the top is
the best of the best,

And that's where
team ramsay belongs.

- All right, trailblazers,

Because we lost
the elimination cook,

It's time to shine
in the basement.

Head to the elevators.
- Let's go.

- See you in the "blaisment."

- The blaisment.
- That was good.

[dramatic music]

- We got this.

No one's going home.

- Let's do it.

[elevator dings]

- Here we go.
- Let's do it.

- Oh, lord.

- Here we go. See?

It's not so bad.

- Feel how dull
these knives are.

- It's just gross.

- Oh, wow,
these ovens look [bleep].

[laughs]

I don't trust a single
piece of equipment

In this kitchen besides
this piece of equipment.

- What are you mashing
that's this big?

- Team arrington,
April, I gotta say,

You got us to the middle level

With your win in elimination.

Keep that momentum up.

Head to the elevator.

- Yes, chef.
- Vámonos.

- We got this.
- Watch your head, nuri.

[laughs]

[all cheering]

- Let's go!

Let's go!
- Team nyesha!

[elevator dings]

- Let's go.
- Let's go.

- Yes!

Ok, ok.
- Nice.

- Middle floor, keep me there.

It's like a warm hug.

It just feels good to be there.

- Go, let's go, let's go.

Go. Good luck.

- All right,
let's go, team blais.

[all cheer]
all right.

Gather round, gather round,
right here.

We doing good? All right.

Down here,
there's not a lot of things--

Limited burners, wobbly pans.

Ready to go?
- Yeah.

- Yes, chef
- cool. All right.

- Good luck, yeah.
- Same to you, chef.

[elevator dings]
- go.

- [cheers]
[all cheer]

Line up, line up, line up.

Line up, line up,
line up, line up.

Line up.

What I wanna see
from my team today

Is confidence.

I wanna see who you are
as individuals, ok?

- Yes, chef.
- Yeah.

- One, two, three...
All: Team arrington!

[all cheer]

- Let's go.

[all cheering]

Let's go.

We're on the top.
I wanna stay here now.

- Me too.
- Yes, we will, chef.

- See, the two floors
underneath, they wanna be

Where you're standing now.
- Yes, chef.

- Stay out of that elimination.

All: Yes, chef.
- Ok, line up, guys.

Platform's coming. Let's go.

Good luck to you all, yes?

Go!
Platform's there, let's go!

♪ ♪

Let's go, guys.
- Nice. Talk to each other.

- Because we're
at the top level,

I know that I need
to grab something

That's worthy
of a top-level grab.

I see a gorgeous red snapper,

And I was like, mine.

Cilantro, guys.
- Ten seconds.

- Cheese, cheese, cheese.
- Cheese.

- It feels a little bit
more high-end,

And I can bring
those mexican flavors,

That freshness,
that brightness,

That goes really well
with seafood.

- Right here, right here.
- Five, four...

- I want the eel.
- Three, two, one.

Go, go, go, go, go!

- Let's go.

Platform's on the move.

Go!

- Excuse me, chef.

- Think about your ingredients.

Grab that protein first.

Work around it.

Let's go. Let's go. Let's go.

- I'm grabbing the pineapple.

I'm grabbing the chilies,
the lime,

Some beautiful fish, mahi-mahi.

That's authentic
mexican cuisine.

It's flavor, flavor, flavor,
baby.

- Five, four...
- Garlic.

- Corn.
- Three, two, one.

It's still here.

Grab what you need. Go.

Get to your tables.
Think about it.

Let's go. Only forward.

- Oh, yeah, let's go.
- Only forward.

- Ok, when it turns green,
you go.

Blais-ing speed.

Go time.

- The hardest thing about
this competition is that grab.

I was writing
football routes down.

Like, all right, you two right,

We're going
straight up the gut.

That's what this competition
comes down to.

- Get those flavors.

Mexican cuisine.

- I see the first protein,

And I grab it.

And I see it's a cow tongue
literally bigger than my face.

And I'm like, what the heck

Am I supposed to do
with a cow tongue?

- If you can reach it,
you can grab it.

If you can reach it,
you can grab it.

Ok, back to your stations.

45 minutes.

Let's go.

Matt, what do we got
going on here?

- Ground brisket.
- Ok.

- Like, a spicy mexican
egg breakfast, brunch.

Yes.
- Steak and eggs mexican style.

- Yep.
- Ok.

All right, chris.

Ok, so you got the whole
cornish game hen.

- The whole cornish game hen.
- All right.

- I got this guy
that I believe is for mole.

- Mole usually takes
three days to make.

- Gotcha.
- We got 40 minutes.

- Got it. Cool.
Sounds good.

I'll make it happen.

- Mehreen.
- I have crab meat,

So I was thinking of making
some sort of stacked tartare.

- So salsa, tostada,
beautiful crab.

Keep going. Keep going.
- Perfect. Thank you.

- I like it.

Ok, tini, you got...

- Cow tongue.
- It's anything but teeny.

- Anything but teeny.
- [laughs]

There's always a gift that
comes down to the basement--

Filet mignon, lobster tail.

Maybe sometimes
it's beef tongue.

Ok, have you cooked
with cow tongue before?

- I have not.

I've never cooked
with cow tongue,

But you have to go
outside the box.

You have to go outside
your comfort zone.

It's called "next level chef."

It's not called
"next basic chef."

I'm really here to learn.

My name's tineke,
but everyone calls me tini.

I'm 21 years old,
and I'm a social media chef.

I was not the best student
at all growing up.

I was always getting
in trouble, bad grades.

And when I was 16,
I was finally diagnosed

With my learning disability.

And then cooking came in,

And everything changed
from there.

Ok, so today,
I'm gonna make this watermelon

How I would steak.

I started cooking
on social media,

Just made a video of me
cooking for my boyfriend,

And it absolutely blew up,

Like 20 million views.

And then I came out
with my first cookbook

Called
"cooking for my boyfriend."

They're all
affordable recipes.

I just really want people
to know

It really does not matter
where you come from.

I don't come from much,
but you can make it.

What we say where I'm from,
small town, big dreams.

Am I cooking this
like a steak or...

- So you're just gonna pull it,
chop it up rough,

Warm it up in the pan,
and season it.

- Add flavor. Ok.
- All right?

- Perfect.
- Ok. Keep going.

- Thank you.
- I like it.

- Let's go.

Bring the heat. Bring the heat.

Let's get to that top kitchen!

- Ain't nobody going home
today.

- Conceptualize.
It's gonna come together.

I was looking
for tortilla shells,

And the only thing that I could
find were these corn husks.

I'm having difficulty
envisioning what I want.

I'm out of my comfort zone
right now.

I'm alex morizio.

I'm an intensive care unit
doctor

In south beach, miami.

I am a home chef.

Guys, let's do it.

Guys, let's do it.

I'm coming from a kitchen
this big in south beach

And an electric stove.

The basement's an upgrade.

[laughs]

Here's to learning how to cook.

Boom!

My passion for food comes
from my upbringing.

Italian roots
from the amalfi coast.

Watching mom and dad make
a sauce on a Sunday--

Mwah--was heaven.

My life as an intensive care
unit doctor is very busy.

It's very pressure packed.

When I get home,
there's no better escape

Than being in the kitchen.

And whether it's
through medicine

Or through food and cooking,

Both have led me
to connect with people.

It's a party tonight.

My family said straight up,

When you get there,
don't [bleep] up.

But anyway,
putting that aside,

There's no place in the world
I'd rather be.

[groans]

- Alex, talk to me.

What did you grab?
- I grabbed--I got swordfish.

Guess I'm gonna have to wrap
them in these and boil them?

- Corn husk.

- You don't really realize
what you have

Until you go back and start
sorting everything out.

It's kind of like when you
purchase things off amazon,

And you go back upstairs,
and you're like,

Is this what I bought?

What did I get here?

- Right?
- And it's edible like this.

- No. Taste it, right?

- Ok.
- And then you'll know.

- I gotta be honest, I don't
make mexican food that often.

I am sweating
this challenge out.

So we're not eating the husk?
- No.

- Ever?
- Ever.

You tasted the husk, right?

It's just a vessel.

- Thank you, chef.
- Yeah.

- What am I getting into

With these corn husks?

Oh, my god.

I think I'm in trouble.

- When are you planning
to start cooking it?

- The swordfish?
- Yes.

- Now.
Chef arrington is

Pushing me to the max.

You can bring the horse
to the water.

The horse has gotta drink.

So at a certain point,
as soon as she leaves me,

I'd better start drinking--

Water or tequila--
more like tequila.

- Let's go, team.

Bring it home.

Where are we going?

- To the top level. Let's go!

- To the top!
- All day, baby.

- We are not going down
a floor tonight.

- No, chef. No, chef.

- We are definitely
staying on top, yes?

All: Yes, chef.

- Good.

Right, vinny,
what did you grab?

- I have a ribeye, chef.
I'm gonna vacuum seal this

To get the flavors in,

And I'm gonna make
a nice little tomatillo.

- Bring the heat.
- I'm bringing the heat.

- Gotta feel the heat.
- Thank you, chef.

- Right, tucker,
tell me about the dish.

What are you doing?

- I have some roasted
tomatillo salsa.

I'm gonna pickle
a little peppers.

I'm gonna get that in
very soon.

- Chicken, that needs to rest.

Remember the secret,
nice and crispy?

And getting that really nice
and moist as well, yes?

- Yes, chef.

- Preston.

Flank steak,
is that what you wanted?

- Yes, chef.
- Yeah?

Tell me about the dish.
Where are we going?

- So we're gonna
probably do, like,

A chilaquiles.
I'm gonna start

Making my spicy sauce
right here.

- Smart.
- I'm gonna do a cold-smoked

Pickled onion on top as well.
- Love that.

The inspiration comes
from where?

- So this is gonna be
from my grandma.

She was from mexico.
This has been something

That she makes for us
all the time at home.

But unfortunately, earlier
this week, she did pass away.

So this is kind of a dish--
- well, I'm sorry to hear that.

- She really just showed
the whole family

That love can be shown
through your food.

So this is dedicated to her.
- I love that.

- The last thing she told me
before I came out

To compete is,
cook from the heart, have fun,

And just do your best.

And she believed in me.

- If there's ever
a time to shine,

It's gonna be tonight, yes?

- Yes, sir.
- Good luck, yeah?

- Thank you, chef.

I'm preston
from arlington, texas.

I'm a professional chef,
and I'm 19 years old.

A lot of people are always
surprised about my age.

I'm not even allowed
to drink yet.

My college presented me
an opportunity for extra credit

To go clean at a tournament

Called
the world food championships.

Then they said
there was actually

An open slot available
for competitors.

I was like, ok,
like, might as well,

Like, try it out.

We actually ended up taking it

All the way to the end
and winning it.

- ♪ a living legend ♪

- Oh, my!
[cheering]

- I was extremely
surprised to win.

My alter ego would be
clark kent versus superman.

Outside the kitchen, I'm
a little shy, a little nerdy.

But once I step
inside of the kitchen,

The gloves come off
and I'm ready to throw down.

- Right, mark,
tell me about the dish.

What are you doing?
- I'm gonna do a turkey taco

And a little salsa.

- That turkey needs
cooking though, ok?

It's a big thigh.
- Yeah. Yes, chef.

- Put some more oil
in there as well.

Turkey's dry.
- Yes, chef.

- Right. Young lady,
tell me about the dish.

What are we doing?
- I'm doing a caramelized

Pork belly, some brown sugar,
a little bit of water.

- Right.
- I unfortunately did not

Grab a starch.

- No. No.
- But I am doing

A scallion pancake tostada.
- Tostada?

- I'm feeling very stressed.

I did not grab a starch.

But I need to get out
of my comfort zone,

Show them that I have
what it takes to be next-level.

I'm cassie. I'm from south
brunswick, new jersey.

I'm a social media chef,
and I'm 28 years old.

Straight out of college,

I auditioned
for the brooklyn nets,

And I was with them
two seasons.

It really made me
who I am today.

I recently decided to pursue
being a content creator.

My asian parents did not
want to hear that.

They did say, you know,
in three months,

If this isn't working out,

Then you really have
to get another job.

So I said, ok.

And before
three months was up,

I gained 600,000 followers.

[upbeat music]

Going to school,
my mom would pack me lunches,

And she would
make me chinese food.

I let kids kind of get
into my head about,

Like, oh,
what is that, you know?

But as I got older,
like, I just really

Started stepping into myself.

Why wouldn't I be proud
of my culture and my cuisine?

I'm definitely a better cook
than my mom now.

She hates to hear it.
She hates to admit it.

But everyone knows it.

- All the flavors are there.
- Thank you, chef.

- I wish you got a starch,
but,

Um, good luck.
- I do too.

Yes, chef.

- [exhales deeply]
the heat is on.

- [bleep] breathe, cassandra.

[bleep]

- Cassie, she's chosen
the pork belly.

But she failed
to grab a starch,

So she's making
a scallion tostada.

Right now, she's in trouble.

My saving grace, preston.

Mexican cuisine is
in his wheelhouse.

And he's got
a beautiful flank steak.

28 minutes to go, ok?

- All right, darryl.

- Ok, I have prawn.
- What are we doing?

You got prawns.
- Uh-huh.

I'm gonna make
a pepper sauce cream.

The sauce will be the base.

Bring a little drama
to the plate, basically.

- Please bring the drama
to the plate,

Because I'm not seeing a lot
of mexican ingredients here.

I'll be back, ok?
- Ok.

- Let's go.

I'm a little worried
right now about darryl,

Because he didn't
really grab, like,

The traditional mexican pantry.

He's got prawns,
he's got canned olives.

Tini has tongue.

It's actually a gem
of an ingredient

Once you get over the fact
that it's a cow tongue.

We have to get out
of the bottom here

Because I cannot
stand listening

To gordon making fun of me,
and nyesha's up there

Walking around thinking
they just got everything made.

We need to get out
of the basement.

Nyesha!

- Richard!

- We're coming up there!

We're on our way up!

- Ok.
- Ok.

- See you never.

Only way is up, yes?

All: Yes, chef.

- Hi, chef.
- Hi, shay.

- I wanna make, like,
a chicken carnitas situation.

- We love a chicken carnita.

How's your tortilla life
coming?

- Having trouble with my dough.

- Ok, let's get out of trouble.

- Let's get out of trouble.

- What do you have
in your dough?

- It's chicken fat,
some butter,

Flour, water, and salt.

I am using that chicken fat
in the tortillas

To infuse them
with a chicken flavor.

Pretty brilliant,
if I do say so myself.

- Keep cooking.

Bring the heat!

- Right, tell me,
michelle, what do you got?

- I'm thinking crispy fish,
spicy citrus broth.

- Yeah, that's smart.
But just make sure

That broth is packed
with flavor.

- Yes.
- Michelle,

Don't go too early
with that snapper.

- Chef ramsay's telling me,

Hold on the fish.
Don't cook it too early.

I'm thinking,
how much time do we have?

What's going on?

Being that I'm a home cook,

And normally it's a very
relaxing experience,

It's just kind of overwhelming.

I'm michelle.
I'm a senior brand marketing

Manager from new jersey,
and I'm a home cook.

In an italian american
household,

Cooking for someone is
a love language.

I met my husband in college.

We've been together 11 years.

My husband and I bought
our first house

Exactly four minutes away
from my parents.

They'd be like, we came.

We brought dinner. We're here.

Now we're 12 minutes away.

For me, cooking is
a therapeutic experience.

I have frank sinatra on,
my wine glass.

I am in my element.

I wanna see if I can hang

With the big dogs
in the kitchen.

I would be lying if I didn't
say I was scared [bleep].

- Come on, come on.

♪ ♪

- Get some color in there
as well, yeah?

Ok? And taste
the seasoning as well, yes?

- Yes, chef.

- Gently, gently,
gently, gently,

Gently,
because you'll break it.

I said, don't go too early.
- Yes.

- That piece of fish took
how long to cook?

- Three minutes.

- How long did you have
in the challenge?

- 45.
- Right.

So when should you put that on?

- Ten minutes before it, max.

- If you ignore that advice,

You'll go straight
to elimination, ok?

- Yes, chef.
- I don't want you in there.

Just, yeah, slow down
a touch and listen.

- Yes, chef.
- Ok?

I'm telling you
because I want you

To work well
and win this thing.

- Yes.
- Ok?

Let's go!

[somber music]

- As a home cook, I'm not used

To the stress
of the time constraint.

Like, I cook with a glass
of wine in my hand and music.

It's always a very relaxing
situation for me.

[choked up]
I wanna do really good, so.

Oh, god, I'm like, such a mess.

- Every chef needs to adapt.

- Yes, chef.
- Yes, chef.

- I need to see all of you

Adapt right now...
- Yes, chef.

- Because it's time
for the mid-round mayhem.

Coming down shortly
is a absolute staple

In mexican cuisine.

Avocados, ten seconds.

- Yes! Let's go.
- Let's go, guys.

- Grab limes.
- Grab the limes.

- What else is there?
What else is there?

Is there anything else?
Just avocado and lime?

Stoked to see aguacates.

I can do something with that.

Got 'em.
- Well done.

- Let's go, baby!
- Extra limes, babe.

- This is the biggest [bleep]
avocado I've ever seen.

- I know.

- Guys, avocados!

[all cheering]
let's go, let's go, let's go!

- Aguacate!
- Make sure you grab

A nice avocado.
- Y lima!

[chuckling]

Clearly, I love avocados.

I manifested it today.

- Make sure you grab an avocado
that you can use.

- Thanks.

- It's time
for the mid-round mayhem!

[all cheering]
mid-round mayhem.

Darryl, you got
to grab ingredients.

You got avocados.
- And limes.

- There's some lime over there.

You gotta
use an avocado though.

Make sure it's ripe.

- Yes.
- Good job. Ok.

- Oh, my god.
- Whoo! Beautiful!

- All right, now, listen,
we don't wanna just see,

Like, a slice of avocado
on a plate.

- No, no.
- Bring it into the dish.

♪ ♪

- I was gonna fry it,
or is that no?

- I mean, listen, I think you
work it into this mango salsa.

I'm fired up.
I wanna beat gordon ramsay.

We're down a player
on team blais.

Now this is about
getting the best dish

That will get your team safety
to then cook on the top floor.

- Matt.
- That looks beautiful.

- Crispier?
- It looks good.

Maybe just, like,
another minute.

- All right,
I'll take this one out.

- Talk to me.
- Chef, question.

- You need
to organize yourself.

- Ok.
- You need to slow down.

You got this, ok? Just cook.

- Do you deseed these?

- Did you taste it?

You have to taste it.

Spicy.

- Pretty damn spicy.
- Ok.

Nuri?
- Yes, chef.

- My man, chef stretch.

- Yes, chef.

- Paint your dish picture
for me.

- So I'm gonna do
the chicharrones crumble

With the fish skin.

I'm gonna plate the salsa
on top of the fish.

- How is the avocado
incorporated?

- I'm figuring that out, chef.
I'm thinking--I don't wanna

Just do a mash,
but I'm figuring it out, chef.

- Hurry up.
- Yes, chef.

- Hurry up.

The intensity is high
in this kitchen.

Omi, I think that her flavors
are gonna be really delicious.

I'm really impressed with nuri,
mr. Stretch over here.

He's really bringing it.
He seems focused.

He has a vision.

Having a little trouble
with alex, communication.

I'm trying to help him,

But there's just
some sort of a block here.

- 11 minutes to go, guys, yeah?

♪ ♪

Cassie, what are
you making there?

What is that?
- I'm trying to make

This quick caramel sauce.
I wanna get the pork belly on

Before I throw this in...
- Smart.

- Because I do not
want this sugar to burn.

- Just don't get it
too sweet, yeah?

- It didn't caramelize
the way I want.

Should I stick it back
in the oven, chef?

- Well, it needs to be a little
more caramelized than that,

Otherwise, it'll boil.
Come on, let's go.

- Just making sure, chef.
- I know, I know.

But I want you to win.

I want you to win.
- Yes, chef.

- Come on, baby.

- Michelle, talk to me.

- Can you taste
this sauce for me?

Yeah, I just added
a little sugar.

It tasted a little sour.

- Yeah, I love that.
Can you imagine that

With a little bit
of citrus in there as well?

- Exactly.
- That's lovely.

♪ ♪

Preston.

- Yes, chef.
- I've gotta get some substance

On that plate as well, ok?

I love the aesthetics,
but I wanna see

Some proper food on there, yes?

- Yes, chef.

- I wanna win every challenge,

But it's harder
to stay on the top

Than it is to climb the top.

I need to make sure
my team produce

Some outstanding dishes

'cause that's what separates
you from the competition.

Gotta lift this, yeah?

We gotta stay at the top, yes?
- Yes, chef.

- Yes, chef.
- We're not leaving, chef.

We're not leaving.

- We're going,
but where are we going?

- Top level, chef.
- That's what I'm

Talking about.
All: Top level!

- Let's go! Let's go!

- Next-level dishes,
next-level plating.

Let's go.
- Come on, alex.

Come on. Bring it home.

Start thinking
about your plates, guys.

Winning dishes, right?

♪ ♪

- This is ready for a menu
in la somewhere.

Ok? Let's go.
- Don't hype me up.

- Let's go. Mexican cuisine.

Bring the heat, blais-ing heat.

- Blais-ing heat, here we go.

- Two minutes.
Darryl, what's up?

Plate it. Plate.
- Oh, plating?

- Plate!
- Oh, [bleep].

- This is where
we finish strong, yes?

All: Yes, chef.
- Let's go.

Use a towel.

- Yes, chef.

- Here we go.
Put that down.

Work with two hands.
Put the pan down.

There you go.
Select what you want.

- Yes, chef.
- Select the best.

Vinny, put it down.
I don't want you to fall over

With that thing, yes?

There you go.

- The platform is
on its way down.

Platform's here.

Darryl, let's go,
let's go, let's go.

Matt, come on.
You got a long way to go.

- I got it.
- Platform is here.

Last looks--cilantro, lime?

- This looks sexy.
- You got it?

- Yeah.
- You got it?

A little bit, yes.

- I think we did good.

- Come on,
platform's coming, guys.

Let's go. Let's go. Let's go.

Drive it home.

- I was first to the platform.

I was like, I've had enough
of this challenge.

Let me just put my plate down.

- You guys are gonna miss it!

Let's go! Right now.

- Yes, chef.
- Right now.

♪ ♪

Put the plate
on the platform now!

- [shrieks]
- [bleep]

- [cheering]
- yes!

- Oh, my god.

- Guys, here we go.
- Yes, chef.

- Put everything on that plate.
- Let's go, guys.

We gotta go. 15 seconds.

- I'm on far.
- Let's go.

Come on, hurry up!

- I'm on the far.

- Ten seconds.
- Oh, you go furthest.

You go furthest.

- Preston!

- Let's go!

- Five, four...

- Come on, preston. Come on.

- Preston,
you're gonna miss it!

- Preston!

- Come on, preston,
you got it, babe.

Right here, right here.
- Five, four...

[overlapping chatter]
three, two...

- Let's go!

[all cheering]

[dramatic music]

- Ok, well done, all of you.

Really good job.

These dishes really
do look mexican.

Shall we taste?
Shall we start in the basement?

- All right,
let's head on to the basement.

We have here a play off
of a tostada

With pomegranate seeds, crab,
and a mango salsa.

- This dish looks beautiful.

But man, you take a bite,

And it absolutely
wakes your palate up.

- Yeah, we told you
to bring the heat.

This dish definitely
brings the heat.

- I can't believe
I threw something together

In that ugly-ass kitchen,

And gordon ramsay said,
this is amazing.

- Over here,
we have seared prawns,

Deconstructed tostada
with a peppercorn sauce.

- Dish feels a little bit
sort of discombobulated.

It doesn't feel
like it's a real,

Authentic take on the shrimp.

Red flag for me.
- Totally.

- Either you can take
the criticism or not.

I'll take anything he gives.

If I could marry gordon ramsay,
I would.

That's a joke, now.

[laughs]

- Ok, over here we have
mexican-inspired breakfast

Of some ground brisket.

- I grew up
eating ground beef tacos.

You can tell
the spices are all there,

But you need to amplify them
ten times as much.

- Ok, over here we have
the cornish game hen

Roasted with some mole flavors.

- The color and the flavor and
the crispiness, really good.

- Really, really delicious.

- All right, moving over here,

We have a beef tongue sopes
meets birria.

- I saw that big tongue
descend down,

And I thanked god none of us
picked it up on the top floor,

'cause that is a bitch to cook,
let me tell you.

But this is
an absolute delight.

The elegance shown
is somewhat rare.

I love the pickle
and the cabbage,

Whoever cooked this thing.

But they've absolutely
nailed it.

What happened
in that basement tonight?

'cause you've got
a bunch of great dishes.

- I think we got gifted
some great ingredients.

- Yeah.

Shall we go on
to the middle floor?

Wow, what do we have?

- We have a mahi-mahi

With a duo of chicharrón,

Both pork and fish skin,
with a fresh pineapple salsa.

It's really pretty.

- This dish is delicious.
Love the salsa.

- It's crunch, it's fresh,
it's really beautiful.

- I love it.

- Next up, we have
a posole-inspired dish.

This person used
the pork steak,

Chicharrón crumble on top.

- Amazing how much flavor
you got in there in 45 minutes.

- I love it.
It's authentic,

And it takes me straight
back to mexico.

- Next up, we have
a seared swordfish,

Summer vegetables
on top of a corn husk.

- Yeah, I mean,
the only salt on this dish

Was the water that
the swordfish was swimming in.

- And it just looks
a bit weird, presentation-wise.

- I allowed one ingredient

To completely throw me off
for 45 minutes.

Can't let that happen.

- Next up,
we have the fish taco

With an avocado crema.

- Touch more season, again,
when you fry fish.

Season it before and after,
really important.

- I wish it had a little bit
more of the charred flavor

That reminds me of mexico.

- Next, this tri-tip
has been seared.

It has an avocado crema
on a flour tortilla.

Beautiful salsa.

- Great cook on the steak.
- Mmm.

A little too out of the box
with the plating.

So lastly, we have a handmade
flour tortilla with a chicken,

A play on carnitas.

- Whoever made that,
heat's delicious,

But I'm more impressed
with the fact

That they made
a fresh tortilla.

That's hard in 45 minutes.

Delicious.

- I would love a piña colada
by the pool right now.

- So top floor,
[inaudible] chicken.

This thing was
beautifully cooked,

And the avocado crema sauce
around the outsides.

- Look at the plating.
This looks like

It's from a restaurant
in mexico city.

- That sauce is so delicious,

I would've just loved
to see more of it on the plate.

- This is a pork belly

With a sort of tostada,
avocado crema.

Pork was sous vide.

This is supposed
to be a scallion pancake,

And the pork sort of
caramelized.

- Tastes a little bit
like a dessert.

It's so sweet.

My heart is racing,
there's so much sugar in that.

- Great shame.

I got excited for the pancake,
traditionally,

But it wasn't done properly.

- I was trying to go
out of the box,

But clearly,
it didn't work for me.

- This is a marinated ribeye

With a chili fried egg on top.

Steak could have done
with two minutes less.

It's all about that sear,
letting it rest.

This turkey thigh,
it was cooked in a skillet,

Slowly basted, super doused
with a lot of mexican spice.

- You know, I think you gotta
toast those shells

A little bit more
so that they're not as chewy.

But I love the flavor here.
I love the nostalgia.

- This is a flank steak
that was sous vide.

Beautifully seasoned.

Cooked in a skillet.

- Sauce is absolutely
delicious.

- Yeah, listen,
the flavors are there.

My big worry here
is that it's a little bit

Sort of style over substance.

This is the red snapper,
cooked skin side down,

And then finished
with a broth underneath.

- Skin's a little soggy.
Fish is overcooked.

But the aguachile, the broth,
super flavorful.

- Can you taste how dry it is?
- Yeah.

- I'm scared
of the elimination.

I know that I can do
better than that,

And I'm not ready
to go home yet.

- We got a lot to discuss.

- We do.
- Shall we?

Excuse us.

♪ ♪

- Some great highlights,
by the way.

I mean, beautiful highlights.

- Honestly, I had seen

So many beautiful dishes
out here.

- The cornish hen, I mean,
that dish was delicious.

- Cornish hen, delicious,
and kind of also,

Like, fine dining looking.
- Absolutely.

- Yeah. Big shock for me
today was the tongue.

That was the one
that I thought

No one was gonna pick up.
- Mm.

So delicious.
- So brave.

- It's an amazing ingredient.

- Gordon, your chicken--

That chicken dish...
- Yeah.

- Visually,
was the best dish for sure.

- The cook was exceptional.

I mean, really exceptional.

- I had a challenging time
with alex,

That corn husk
with the seared swordfish.

- Yeah, a bit like michelle
with that red snapper.

- The fish was dry,
but the broth was delicious.

- Yeah.

- And cassie,
everything was just too sweet.

It just wasn't
an authentic mexican dish.

- Tiger prawn, right,
it didn't really

Make sense at all.
- Yeah.

- Plating hanging
off the edge of the plate.

I wonder if he's actually
never even had a tostada.

- That's tough.
That's very tough.

Let's get one thing clear.

We have gone up a level,
all of you.

But only one dish
stood out today

That oozed authenticity.

And that dish was...

♪ ♪

From richard blais' kitchen,

The tongue.

[cheers and applause]

- Let's go, baby.
- Yes!

Oh, yes!

- I can't believe it.
I'm not gonna believe it.

We do not have
to go into elimination.

We're back where we started.

It's just so, so exciting.

I keep saying that word,
but it's so exciting.

- Tini, there was nothing teeny
about that tongue

Or your performance.

Congratulations.

You can head on over
to the lounge,

Put your feet up,
and you can watch

The elimination cook.

- Thank you.
- Good job, tini.

Now unfortunately,
we know what that means.

Gordon, nyesha,
both of you have to choose

One member of your team to head
into the elimination cook-off.

- [sighs]

- Gordon.
- This is tough.

I've got good dishes.

Two missed the mark.

♪ ♪

The person I'm gonna put
into the cook-off is...

- The person I'm gonna put
into the cook-off...

[dramatic music]

Cassie.

- Everything's at stake
at this point.

I came in here thinking
I have nothing to lose,

But at this point, I feel like
I have everything to lose.

I'm good enough to be here,
and I'm not gonna give up.

- That dish missed the mark.

It doesn't feel authentic.

I know you can do better.

- Yes, chef.

- Prove it.
- Yes, chef.

[overlapping chatter]

- Nyesha, who will you be
putting into the elimination?

♪ ♪

- The person that's gonna go
into the elimination today...

Is alex.

You let one ingredient throw
your entire performance off.

Cook like you want to be here.

- 100%.

- Cassie, alex,

Right now you're headed
to the elimination cook-off

Where only one of you will
survive to cook another day.

So we're gonna give you another
chance to redeem yourselves

With a staple
of every mexican kitchen,

Corn.

On that elimination
platform will be

Two beautiful
bone-in pork chops

And a variety of corn.

Be inspired.

This is your one chance
to save yourself.

You two can stay here.

The rest of your teammates,

You can head on over
to the elevator.

[overlapping chatter]

- I got it.
Thank you, thank you.

♪ ♪

Let's go. Cook your best dish.

- 30 minutes to keep yourself
in the competition

And make sure you don't send

Your entire team down
to the basement.

Ok? Good luck.

- Thank you.
- Thank you, chef.

- All right, both of you, I'll
be with you in the kitchen,

And gordon and nyesha will join
us after you're done cooking.

Off to the elevators,
and I'll see you shortly.

- Come on, cassie.
Come on, let's go.

- Come on, alex, you got this.

♪ ♪

- [sighs]

Good luck.

- Good luck.
- Same to you.

- I'm ready to fight
for my place.

I don't like to lose.

I mean, I know
nobody likes to lose,

But I, like, really
don't like to lose.

[exciting music]

[all cheering]

♪ ♪

- You got this. You got this.
- You got it.

- Let's go.

- You got this.
- Strength in numbers, baby.

- You got this.
- Strength in numbers.

- The last place
that I wanna be

Right now is this elimination.

I do not wanna go home.

[indistinct chatter]

- Ok, how we going, everyone?

You doing good?

Cassie, how are you feeling?

- Confident, chef.
- I like to hear it.

I like to hear it.
Dr. Alex, is this like

When you're heading
into surgery?

- Similar feeling.

I am an intensive care unit
doctor.

Pressure is a part
of my daily life.

Heartbeat's still at 60.

Ready to go.

Ready to cook.

- Ok, remember,
we have to do 30 minutes

To cook a corn-inspired dish.

You want that corn
to be featured, ok?

- Yes, chef.
- Don't hold anything back.

- Yes, chef.
- Yes, chef.

- My dad growing up was always

So excited about corn.

Any time we had corn
in the house,

And he came home to eat,

He would say corn, corn, corn!

So no doubt about it,

I'm bringing my dad with me
into this challenge.

- When the light's green,
you can go.

♪ ♪

It's go time.

Let's go, alex.

Let's go, cassie.

You got 30 minutes.

All right, remember,
the platform's not

Going anywhere, ok?

Let's start cooking something.

Ok?
- Yes, chef.

- All right, alex, what do
we got going on over here?

- Corn three ways, chef.
- All right.

- I'm gonna roast one of these
corns right over there,

Sauté a little bit of corn,
make cream of corn.

- Ok.
- And then blend that,

And then I'm gonna
do succotash.

- I've never even heard
of a succotash.

I'm like, what is a succo-who?

Alex looks confident.

We got this in the bag.

Like, he's not going home
today.

- All right, cassie, what
are we thinking about here?

- What I'm gonna do
is I'm gonna create

A shallot corn butter...
- Ok.

- So I can finish
a veggie in there.

- Right. Ok.

I like that. I like that.

- I know cassie's gonna
crush this.

So I am not concerned,

But also,
a little bit concerned.

- Five minutes are gone.

Five minutes are gone.
- That's ok.

- Cassie, what are we doing
with the pork?

- Hopefully, there's
some cornmeal on there.

- Right.
- I'm gonna dredge it

And I'm gonna fry it.

I need to do what I do best,

Which is just cook
and have fun with it.

I know that once I'm tense,
once I put pressure on myself,

That's when I crack.

[all cheering]

- That's what
I'm talking about.

When you're seasoning,
when you're seasoning,

You're seasoning
the meat, right?

Go ahead. There you go.
- We got salt bae over here.

- Let's go.

Alex, how are you gonna
cook the pork?

- The pork I'm gonna pan sear.
- You're gonna pan sear it?

- Yeah, right now.
- Ok, but it's seasoned, yeah?

- Yes, sir.
$250,000

And a one-year mentorship
is on the line.

- Is it sizzling?
- You got a loud sizzle?

- You should hear that.
I don't hear that.

Pull that out.
It's not ready to go.

- This was not
what I was looking for.

I need a nice sear
in that cast-iron pan.

- It's not hot enough.

No, it's not hot enough.

All: Take it off, take it off.

- [bleep]
- it's gotta get hot.

- What am I doing right now?

Come on.

- Yeah, it's sizzling.
It's sizzling.

- There we go.
[overlapping chatter]

- Let's go, baby!

- That's the cooking gods,
baby.

- I do have grace
under pressure,

And I do enjoy pressure.

- That is money, buddy.
- Mm-hmm.

- Beautiful.
- Take it off.

- We're done, done.

- Done. Done.
- Turn it off.

- I frickin' love him.

- I'm gonna make
a purple cauliflower puree

With some corn in it as well.

- You're gonna put purple
cauliflower in the cream,

And it's gonna turn gray.

I mean, you do what
you wanna do, right,

But it's a corn challenge.

Ten minutes to go.

- Make sure you taste
as you go.

[tense music]

- Money!
[all cheering]

- That's the face.

- You know, I feel quite calm.

I'm doing my game.

And the truth is, I'm
the same way in the hospital.

- Should I add some cauli--
this to this?

- But like,
last second, last second.

Keep the corn fresh
and vibrant, right?

- You're doing great, man.
- Come on.

- Let's go, baby.

- Ok, we're coming
down to the last.

One minute left.
One minute left.

- That's nice.

- Don't put too much.
Don't put too much.

- Salt and pepper.

- Let's move. Let's move.

- Take the bacon off!

It's a corn challenge!

Let the corn shine.

[all cheering]

- That's right,
that's right, that's right!

- Have you tasted everything?
Ok.

Alex, have you tasted
everything?

- I've tasted everything, chef.
- Ok.

- Yes, chef.

- This is a dish that's gonna

Save your life
in this competition.

Five, four, three, two, one.

Stop cooking.

[all cheering]

- You killed it. You killed it.

- You killed it, [bleep].
You [bleep].

- My heart and soul was
on that dish.

I probably got
a little bit corn excited.

I think my dad is still
in the back of my head

Screaming, "corn, corn, corn!"

♪ ♪

- Nyesha, gordon,
this was intense.

I mean, this morning,
we were talking about cooking

With heart and soul,
and both of these chefs

Truly cooked
with heart and soul.

Let's start
with the pan roasted pork chop

And corn four ways.

- So four ways,
creamed, succotash--

- Creamed, succotash,
charred corn, baby corn salad.

- Whoever cooked this,
there's a great sear

On that pork chop.

All the fat's
rendered down nicely.

- Wow.
- The cook is beautiful.

- It's gorgeous.

- The seasoning on the pork,
delicious.

Sadly, for me, this corn with
the cream is under-seasoned.

- For me, I see two different
concepts at play on one plate,

Succotash and creamed corn.

Maybe choose one lane
and just really execute

That one vision really well.

- The second dish,
we have a cornmeal-crusted

Pan roasted pork chop
with a brown butter corn puree

And a corn and lime salad,

As well
as some purple cauliflower.

- Great use of corn.

- Wow.

- I'm not a pork chop master.

I don't cook pork chop a lot,

So I'm kind of nervous.

- That juice on there
is dripping.

- Nailed it.
- Survey says, yes.

- It's perfect.
- Nailed it.

- Amazing echoing
of flavors happening.

Beautiful textures
coming off of fresh corn

And also pureed corn.

The garnish itself is
a little bit overkill.

Don't need it.

- I love the actual
cream corn underneath.

That purple cauliflower, it
just needed a little bit lift.

It's watery,
so it just needs seasoning.

But the pork is nailed.

So it's a tough one.

Two good dishes.

I could be seconds away

From sending
my own chef home tonight,

Which would be a disaster.

- It's the tough part
of the job now.

Nyesha, which dish
would you eliminate?

♪ ♪

- I think one dish drove home
the theme of this,

To elevate corn in a few ways.

But which dish
would I eliminate?

The pork chop
with the succotash

Is the dish
I'm eliminating tonight.

- Gordon?

- Corn is in abundance
across both plates,

But one of these dishes is
just too overcomplicated.

I'm going to eliminate
the pork chop...

♪ ♪

With the succotash.

- Unfortunately,
the pork with the succotash

Was cooked by alex.

- Oh, he's going home.

- No!
- [sighs]

- Alex, you will not be
our next level chef.

- Ah, this hurts.

I mean, there's no
two ways about it.

I mean, don't let anybody
tell you any different.

And as jovial
and energetic as I am,

I'm a competitive sob.

- Alex, what I saw
from you today,

You have that doctor's touch,
for sure.

- Thank you.
- It's commendable.

It takes a lot of guts

To come on "next level chef"
and compete.

He put himself
to the test here.

He willingly came
to these kitchens

To put food
in front of richard blais,

Gordon ramsay, and myself

Because he loves it.

That's beautiful.

- I leave nothing behind.

This is one of the greatest
memories of my lifetime.

And I'm just--
I'm so grateful for all of it.

You gotta be crazy not
to wanna do this.

- Cassie, congratulations.

How are you feeling?
- Thank you so much, chef.

I'm just really happy
to not let you down.

I have so many emotions.

I don't know what to feel,
but all I know is,

Can't keep
a bad bitch down too long.

- Now, this next challenge
may seem simple,

But it's the most difficult
on the planet to pull off.

Good night.

All: Night, chef.

- Good job, cassie.
- Delicious plate.

♪ ♪

- Next time
on "next level chef"...

- Hello, beautiful!

- Today, you'll all be creating

A next-level sandwich.

- What is a next-level
sandwich?

I don't know.

- I feel a little complacency
'cause it's sandwiches.

There's not a lot of time.

- I'm just
screwing this all up.

- What am I doing?
What am I doing?

- If you a shark,
you gonna swim.

If you a fish,
you gonna get ate.

And I'm a shark.

- Come on, guys,
I wanna win this.

I wanna win, come on!

- Come on, platform is here!

- Ah!

- [bleep]