Original subtitles

Gordon: Previously on "next level chef"...

It's time to remove those aprons.

From now on, you'll be battling it out all alone.

Teams are no longer existing.

You will be placed on a level based off of your performances.

Gordon: For the next challenge, there were only two dishes

that were good enough to make it to the top.

Our bottom dishes are all heading to the basement,

but not before you all face off in the elimination cook-off.

Richard: Gordon and nyesha, I'm gonna ask you to choose the weakest dish.

- Gordon: Drunken noodles. - I'm gonna go have to go with the drunken noodles

as my least favorite dish.

Unfortunately, ae, you will not be the next level chef.

Tonight...

Your job is to grab ingredients from two different countries

and create an amazing fusion dish.

I am not ready for today's challenge.

I have never felt so lost.

I'm not confident in putting together a cohesive dish.

- This is not next level cooking. - Yes, chef.

Richard: I think this is the toughest challenge we've had so far.

Please taste good. Please taste good.

( spits )

your sandbagging me here. ( bleep ) hell.

Really? This is ( bleep ).

Welcome back. Line up, please.

Throughout this competition, we've challenged you to think fast, work hard,

get better, and show us your real love for food.

Now listen, after mentoring you here for so many weeks,

it's been a thrill for the three of us

to finally watch you cook on your own now,

and we couldn't be more proud of those of you

who have rose up a level based on your amazing dishes.

It was also a little frustrating to watch some of you

because we're still seeing a lot of untapped potential.

Now's the time to step up and level up.

The next level chef must be able to master cuisines

from around the world.

Fusion has become a staple in the culinary world, let me tell you.

So for today's challenge,

you'll have 40 minutes to create an amazing fusion dish.

When the platform drops, you'll find ingredients

representing 14 different countries.

Each country will be represented by a basket of ingredients

native to that country.

Your job is to grab ingredients from two baskets

and combine them to create an amazing fusion dish.

Courtney: This is a tough one.

You are going to have to be extremely creative

to make fusion work.

As you know, where you cook is determined by how you cook.

And based on your dishes across that previous challenge,

mariah and reuel will cook in that top level kitchen today.

In the middle, courtney, angie, and tricia.

And our survivors of the elimination,

pyet and kenny, you'll be down in that basement.

This is your opportunity to take our palates

on a trip around the world.

Mariah, reuel, take a keycard on the right

and head up to that top level.

Gordon: Two countries. Good luck.

Is there anything you want me to look out for you?

I don't know what reuel's trying to do.

Is there a particular genre?

- No. - I'm not here to screw you.

We're not working in groups no more.

There's $250,000 on the line.

I've known people for ten years I don't trust.

I just met you in this elevator.

If you're looking for anything in particular, I will definitely call it out for you.

I'm good.

What country y'all want?

I want texas and mexico.

Angie: I've made it through each challenge

and I've never been to elimination.

As a home cook, nobody treats me like a threat.

I think I'm gonna go for this one over here.

And when I win, I want them to go,

"where the ( bleep ) did she come from?"

honey, we're home.

- All right. We are here. - Mm-hmm.

This is not where I'm supposed to be.

Unfortunately, the last challenge,

I didn't perform, so here I am.

This is one ugly pot.

Time to get my ass where I belong, which is on that top level.

- Can't say I've missed this place. - Mm-hmm.

- All right, blais' basement. - For sure.

Let's go. How we feeling, chefs? We feeling good?

We feeling good, chef. Time to make magic.

- Chef arrington! - Boom, boom!

- How are you today? - I'm wonderful. How are you?

- I'm great. - How are we feeling?

- Good, chef. - Excellent.

I want to put my type of cuisine on the plate.

Hoping for a japanese inspiration today?

- Yes. - Excellent, excellent.

If reuel doesn't get it first.

I can't say I'm super experienced

with fusion cuisine,

but I have cooked a lot of japanese food.

I'm hoping to god, "please, let me have the japan basket."

that would just make everything so perfect.

- Right, we good? Mariah? - Yes, chef.

You saw what it means to cook in eliminations.

- Yes, chef. - You gotta stay out of them.

I haven't been in the elimination round yet,

and I'm not planning to be there.

So I'm just hoping something comes my way that's within my background

so I can be like, "okay, I have the tools.

Let's elevate this as best as possible."

all right, everyone, let's line up on the back rail.

We're gunning for it. Make sure there's a clear path to success.

All: Yes, chef.

Two amazing countries,

one next level dish, please.

They'll be a basket there with a protein. Grab that.

Reuel: I'm at the platform.

I'm looking for a caribbean island.

The flags kinda threw me off a bit, and then I see japan.

I recognize that flag. Let me grab that.

Mariah: I see thailand with some beautiful red spotted prawns,

so I grab that basket.

This is gonna be easier,

because I don't have to manually grab each ingredient.

I'm just grabbing a basket. So I'm like, "okay, I got this in the bag."

gordon: Then go back for the second country.

Ten, nine, eight. Come on, guys!

You'll be in the elimination!

I grab mexico because I see some chili peppers in there,

and I know that would really compliment the spotted prawns

- from the thai basket. - Gordon: You've got it, yes?

- Reuel: I'm running out of time. - Gordon: Grab one. Grab one.

Before the platform goes, I grab the basket in front of me.

Spain. Spain and japan.

That's gonna be tough.

- Here it comes. - Okay.

Here it comes, ladies.

- Go! - ( indistinct chatter )

quick, grab two countries.

Oh, my god.

I'm circling the platform. There's no japan at all.

Nyesha: One protein and one additional box.

There's France up there.

I don't really want it, but I don't know the other ones,

- so I take it. - A protein. I've gotta get a protein.

I see veal. I haven't done veal yet.

It's Italy. I can do Italy in my sleep.

15 seconds left, guys.

I have a strong italian influence from my dad's side,

and I have a strong german influence from my mom's side.

So I see that cabbage, I see that mustard,

and I'm like, "oh, yes. Germany it is."

ooh.

Very familiar with indian cooking, so I pick that up.

Ten, nine, eight...

I'm trying to figure out, "okay, what goes well with india?"

and I settle on vietnam.

Three, two...

Second basket, I pick greece. What is french and greek fusion?

- One! - Excuse me.

Let's go, basement!

I see the steak on top of brazil,

and I'm thinking, "yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

Your girl got a good protein."

kenny: I'm shopping on the clearance rack,

so I grab china.

Richard: So you got one protein, one additional box.

I see the israel box, and I'm feeling very confident

because I'm very familiar with both brazil and israel cuisines.

So I'm hoping I can balance these flavors together.

Richard: Three, two, one.

How we doing? You got whatever's left.

Kenny: So I get my wok up.

I've yet to see a chinese/ moroccan fusion restaurant.

I'm gonna be honest. I am not ready for today's challenge.

Okay, basement, your 40 minutes starts now.

Let's go, p, baby.

40 minutes. Make it count, baby.

Two amazing countries, one beautiful dish,

and two talented chefs down here.

There's a lot of pressure being the mentor in the basement now

because you want to help your cooks get to the next level.

Pyet and kenny, they're not from team blais,

but they will directly benefit from some good mentorship.

So I want pyet and kenny to get out of the basement now.

Now remember, the first part of the cook is where you should be focusing, right?

Formulating a path.

Then leave yourself time on the back end to self-edit, critique.

- That needs salt. - Let's get, get, get it.

40 minutes to, a, create a next level dish,

but more importantly, combine two countries into one, yes?

- Yes. - Yes, chef.

Don't overcomplicate those dishes.

This challenge is all about fusion.

Balancing those amazing flavors can be incredibly difficult,

but I'm looking for the next level creative idea. What have you got?

- Oh, I got Spain. - So you got Spain?

And japan, so you're doing a spanish influence across a japanese influence.

You got a tough one there. And the protein is that hamachi, right?

- Hamachi. - Hamachi. Amazing.

And what's the base of this dish?

- What's the broth, the sauce? - Um...

I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do exactly.

Reuel seemed a little sweaty.

He seems like he's questioning his dish a little bit.

And what's the starch? How are you gonna build this dish out?

Um...

- I'm not sure yet. - Not sure yet.

Reuel: Throughout this whole journey,

I've been consistent. Always up.

And now I'm here.

I have never felt so lost.

So how's the dish coming together in terms of--

- I'm not sure yet. - Not sure yet.

Bringing two countries into one plate really does test the individuals.

Reuel may be one of the strongest competitors here,

but this challenge could send him straight down to the bottom if he can't figure it out.

So the secret here is not to use all the ingredients.

It's combining the influences and bringing that spanish influence across the japanese.

I'm just gonna do what I do. Cook.

Hamachi needs to be seared. Soba needs to be cooked.

I need some sort of broth. I have bok choy.

Let's start cooking like I'm used to.

Gordon: Don't allow that fusion to clash.

Right, mariah. What did you grab?

- Thai? - Yes.

- And? Mexico. - Mexico.

So the protein, what's the protein?

- My protein are red prawns. - Beautiful.

I'm gonna do a thai style soup with influence of mexico.

Good.

I'm making a grilled red spotted prawn thai coconut curry soup

topped with crispy tortilla strips,

some corn with poblano pepper for my mexican influence.

I need to merge these successfully

because I gotta stay in this kitchen.

Like, I gotta avoid elimination,

so I need to my dish to be on top.

So five minutes gone. Just under 35 minutes to go.

Nyesha: How you doing, chef angie? What are you thinking, chef?

- I mean, I got great stuff. - You have great ingredients. Yes, you do.

Angie: Oh, my god. I'm just in heaven.

My european ass grabbed Italy and germany.

I saw you went straight for that. I said, "I know where she's going."

I'm italian and german, so I'm like, "me!"

nyesha: What's the game plan, chef?

I'm thinking I've got lots of great ingredients

for a really yummy veal parmesan.

- Nyesha: Yes. - I'm gonna make a veal schnitzel

and a creamy parmesan polenta with a sauerkraut slaw on top.

- Okay. - I've never had so much stuff!

Nyesha: I'm extremely proud of angie.

She's blossoming. Look, I have to say,

I think she's a dark horse in this competition.

- Oh, that's a fork. - Tell me your plan.

So you want to clarify the butter?

Yes. Sear the duck breast. Create a gastrique with the champagne.

I grabbed France and greece.

I'm thinking perhaps I'll make a seared duck breast

with a celeriac and pea purée

and hopefully make some type of olive pastry that you could dip.

Yeah, a gastrique would be beautiful.

- With the duck. - With the duck breast.

Makes sense. Sort of french inspiration.

Tricia: With the béarnaise sauce,

I'll use the feta cheese, the--

- béarnaise? - Yeah, béarnaise.

So you have gastrique and a béarnaise?

- Yes. - You cannot serve a dish that has fat on fat.

You're not gonna pair two things that are very fatty.

- Yes, chef. - You know what I mean? Why do you need the béarnaise?

- So gastrique then. - I think that's smart, chef, personally.

Chef arrington is not super sure about my béarnaise sauce.

Quite honestly, I'm not super sure about my béarnaise sauce as well,

but I cannot think up for the life of me

any other sauce I know at this moment.

I'm just kind of hoping that whatever I put on the plate works well.

I was definitely hoping for that japan basket, I'm not gonna lie.

Richard: All right, 30 minutes remain.

There's 30 minutes left in the cook.

You definitely gotta have one or two of your elements

sort of going here. All right, pyet.

How is this dish brazilian and israeli?

So I'm gonna do a pan seared steak.

I'm gonna make a little tahini and date sauce.

It smells like your food. It smells like your kitchen, you know what I mean?

It is. Cooking like I'm cooking for my family right now, chef.

Richard: Who are you cooking for?

Native-american people around the country.

You know, there are a lot of people

from where I come from that would love to have an opportunity to do this

and to even just cook for these mentors,

so I have to remind myself of that

and really bring all of those emotions and those feelings

to the forefront when I'm in the kitchen cooking.

All right, kenny, china and morocco.

- Morocco. - So what are you thinking?

You got some spices working right here.

I'm gonna do a pork fried rice basically.

So it's gonna be a pomegranate glazed tenderloin.

A pork fried rice? That's very chinese.

What else was in that basket from morocco?

I got couscous, I got preserved lemons which--

- you got couscous? - Yes, chef.

When you said pork fried rice,

I was thinking pork fried couscous.

You can't sound more fusion.

Heard. Gotta execute today, baby.

- Yeah, you gotta execute. - Yes, chef.

All right, that's moving, bruh. Mid-way challenge.

Kenny: Gotta be a twist, right?

What does every country need across their cuisine?

Fresh herbs!

Reuel: I don't want anything else.

Keep it up there. Keep it all the way up there.

I'm still trying to figure out my dish.

Flat leaf parsley, fresh mint, oregano. Be smart. Thai basil.

Come on. And it's gone. Say goodbye. Hurry up!

- Hurry up! - Damn it.

Ladies, platform's here! Fresh herbs.

Grab your fresh herbs.

Nyesha: So the mid-round drop is herbs.

It sounds easy, but this being a fusion challenge,

you have to choose herb based on the region that you're cooking.

Is this tarragon?

Nyesha: I want that fragrance in the dishes, ladies!

If you choose the wrong herb, it's gonna throw your dish off completely.

- Ah, this is good one. - All right, everyone, here comes the drop.

You gotta grab some herbs. Fresh herbs.

Take what you need for your dish. You gotta grab at least one.

I'm so happy because every single challenge

I somehow forget to grab an herb.

Three, two, one. Thank goodness.

I was really happy about that.

The cilantro, you knew that was coming.

I got some thai basil.

And you got some basil. Okay.

25 minutes left. Only 25 minutes.

- Mentally, we're editing. - What's the game plan, chef?

I grabbed india, and I grabbed vietnam.

So I'm gonna do a chicken curry, I'm pretty sure some kind of purée.

This is the second time we're seeing curry.

But different. Different type of curry.

- How so? - Because I have fresher ingredients...

- Yes. - ...Versus just the spices.

Nyesha: Excellent. I'm gonna pull your butter off.

- It's ready to go, okay? - Oh, yes, chef.

The clarified butter is also for my béarnaise.

- So you are making a béarnaise sauce? - Yes, chef.

I don't know if it's because I'm not tricia's original mentor

that she's not taking my advice,

but I want to see her do her best.

Tricia is cooking from a place of fear,

and it's going to end up in the death of a dish.

Don't overcomplicate. You don't need too many components, okay?

- Yes, chef. - You're talking gastrique,

you're talking béarnaise, you're talking--

- it's a lot. - Make sure it makes sense

and that you're tasting everything together, okay?

Yes, chef.

Nyesha: Stop. Leave it there.

Thank you, chef. Sorry, chef.

Tricia, chef arrington would like her hair on her arms.

Okay, thank you, courtney.

Tricia: Not again, tricia.

Fire in the basement!

- Watch out! - What is wrong with me?

You are really determined to light these fires in this kitchen, aren't you?

( bleep ) my life.

Nyesha: I'm done. I'm frustrated with tricia

because she's not rising to her full potential.

- Yes, chef? - Tricia, let's go. This is ( bleep ).

- Yes, chef. - Cook better! Focus!

This is not next level cooking, do you understand?

- Yes, chef. - It's not a game.

This is not about pretty photos.

Yes, chef.

- What? - ...Was that?

- Nyesha: Let's go! - What's burning?

( bleep )

- tricia, this is not next level cooking. - Yes, chef.

- What? - ...Was that?

- I want nothing part of that. - What's burning?

What the ( bleep )? What's burning?

- Bounce back. - Yes, chef.

I know you can do this. I'm tough on you because I believe in you, okay?

Yes, chef.

Tricia: I know I'm better than this.

Chef arrington knows I'm better than this.

I'm hoping that the mentors are able to overlook the fire in the kitchen

and focus on the flavors on my plate

because I am confident in my flavors.

- Do you know you can do this? - Yes, chef.

Game day, baby. How's your veal cooked, chef?

- It's perfect. Yes. - Seasoned?

You seasoned the veal before your breaded it?

- Oh, yes. - Great.

How else are we building flavor here? Do you have some cheese?

Yes, I did put some parm in there.

Nyesha: Make sure you cook that cream through.

- Angie: Yeah. - You don't want it to taste too raw.

Yes, chef.

15 minutes left.

How you doing over there, kenny?

I'm good, mama. How about yourself, baby?

- I'm good. - Ooh, what's this?

- Sweet potato, dates. - That's the sweet potato date?

And the tahini. Something's missing.

I'm very worried about the sauce.

It's not turning out the way that I want it to.

At this point, it's the only thing

that's really tying in the two countries together.

It needs some more sweetness. More.

You know, well, let's try and open up that coconut milk

because the tahini and the coconut, to me,

- that sounds exciting. - Heard, chef.

You're standing on a lot of shoulders

and you got a lot of people looking up to you.

So no pressure. Let's get out of this basement.

- What is that right there? - Pomegranate molasses. I'ma glaze my tenderloin.

- Okay, that's really sweet. - Yes, chef.

- Okay, just be mindful. That's really, really sweet. - Kenny: Heard.

Richard: I think this is the toughest challenge we've had so far,

because you don't have the resources,

ingredient-wise or equipment, as always in the basement,

but now you have to create something

that combines a couple of different cultures. This is a lot.

You got two countries fused together to make one amazing dish.

- Yes, chef. For sure. - Let's get out of the basement.

Gordon: So just under 12 minutes to go, guys, yes?

Right, how we feeling now? We feeling better?

- Kind of, chef. - Yeah? Good.

- Toasting your almonds? - Chef.

Good. And where's your hamachi?

That's it there? Good.

Right, how long is that broth gonna be cooking for?

- I have in there for 20 minutes. - 20 minutes. Good.

Is this is gonna be a sweet curry,

or are you gonna go for sweet, spicy, sour--

- sweet, spicy, sour. - Good.

I'm gonna do, like, a coconut red curry base.

It's something that I've had when I went to thailand.

I love international cuisine, chef.

I spent five years flying internationally as a flight attendant.

Traveling is definitely an advantage for me

in this competition, especially for fusion.

That's the expectation, is to know how to merge these two flavors together.

And if you've never tasted something from another country, how would you know?

You don't seem to be fazed by pressure, do you?

My whole life has been nothing but pressure, chef.

- Really? - Yes.

- It doesn't look like that it in the kitchen, you know that? - I'm like a duck.

I look calm, but I'm pedaling like hell underneath the water.

In this competition so far,

mariah has always been one to watch.

She's damn good. Yeah, she's on a different level.

You got two great baskets. Do it justice, yes?

Yes, chef.

- Ten minutes left, right? - Yes, chef!

- Thank you, chef. - Power time.

All right, courtney. Calm.

- Chef courtney? - Yes, chef?

- What do we have in this pot? - We have garbanzo beans

and the cauliflower's going in there as cream in there.

Beautiful. Did you restart your curry?

I did because I forgot my coconut milk.

Last time I made it with heavy whipping cream,

and I want you all to taste it with coconut milk.

- Chef. - Thank you.

As somebody who is self-taught,

to come this far is-- it's a major accomplishment.

Okay.

There are only seven of us,

so this really needs to be perfect.

At this point, a small mistake can catapult you to the basement.

I don't wanna be there.

- You gather yourself, tricia? - Yes, chef.

Calm your heartbeat. Breathe through your nose.

Heartbeat is pretty insane.

- This is the time to level up, chef. - Yes, chef.

Bring these plates together, guys!

We're down to three minutes to go, guys.

- Components ready? Yeah. - Good.

Some dishes you have to pull out of your ass.

So I just took my noodles.

They're dripping from the hamachi.

Tossed it in there to make sure they're seasoned.

I did a charred shishito

and I put the saffron and paprika in the broth.

- For the spanish influence? - Yes.

This is it now. Finishing touches now. Herbs.

- Taste everything, guys. Come on. - Yes, chef.

It's time to plate. Two minutes left.

Is it seasoned well? Does it look beautiful?

Oh, ( bleep ) yeah. Perfect.

Let's get our asses out of the basement, kenny.

- For sure. No choice. - Let's do it.

Come on, ladies. Let's get it.

Nyesha: Best plates, no excuses!

Flavor, fat, excellence.

Where's my parm? I'm looking for my parm and my grater.

- Ah! - Platform arrives, guys. Let's go!

Platform's on the move, guys. Platform's on the move.

Platform's coming down.

15 seconds, guys! We gotta get to the platform!

Come on! Let's get out of this basement!

Let's get the ( bleep ) out of this hole.

Seven, six, five,

four, three, two...

( bleep )

one. Last looks! Last looks!

That plating was ( bleep ) garbage.

Flavors, baby. Flavors.

Get your plates up there! Bring this home!

Five, four, three, two, one.

Good job. Way to fight!

Gordon: Here we go, guys. Come on, guys, please.

Five, four, three, two, one.

Oh, my goodness me.

- I figured it out. - We'll see about that in the taste.

I'm sorry, chef.

It's not easy, right?

- I can do way better than this. - You can.

I watched you cook on that top level the first day that you entered this competition.

My mind was all over the place today,

but I have a lot left to prove.

I'm fighting for myself,

my followers, my family.

I really want to show that I can succeed

as a social media chef.

- Trust yourself. - Yes, chef.

Gordon: Okay, that was a very tough challenge.

I just hope all of you created a fusion dish,

- not a confusion. - Absolutely.

Based on what we taste today,

the best dishes are gonna be safe,

and move up to that top kitchen for the next challenge.

The middle dishes will also be safe and move to the second floor.

And the worst dishes today will all cook in the elimination challenge,

and one of you will be going home.

There's a lot at stake here. $250,000.

- Right, shall we, nyesha? - Yes, chef.

Richard: Okay, so this dish right here,

the chef had to use china and morocco

and did a sweet and sour pork fried couscous.

Gordon: So visually it looks rather plain.

It's a shame because it's undercooked underneath and cooked nicely on top.

But really sweet. Really sweet.

Yes, I mean, it's really wiping out a lot of the flavors

that were intended, I imagine, for this dish.

Richard: Okay, so this chef had the tough task

of combining brazil and israel

and did an achiote rubbed skirt steak

with black beans, a pineapple salsa,

and a tahini coconut date sauce.

Yeah, visually, let's be honest,

the steak's actually cut the wrong way.

Oh, great. Pyet's going home because she doesn't know how to cut a steak.

I'm very worried at this point.

Nyesha: Conceptually, great ideas.

I really like the flavor of the sort of tahini coconut date sauce.

- Use some salt. - For me, it actually tasted better than it looked.

When you expose protein like that, it needs seasoning inside,

but the date purée works well.

Right, shall we move to the middle floor?

Nyesha: Yes. We have a veal schnitzel.

The inspiration behind this dish

was germany and Italy.

This has a shaved cabbage salad with a soft polenta.

Please taste good, please taste good, please taste good.

This is the kind of dish that any professional chef with a german mum

and an italian father would be proud to put on their plate.

The polentas, you wanna dive into that thing and smother it all over.

And the cook on the veal is exceptional.

That is next level fusion.

It tastes as good as it looks, right?

When we talk about soul and love in a dish,

so here we have a chicken breast.

This chef had ingredients from india and vietnam.

Curry's beautiful. Fragrant, not too spicy.

The chicken's slightly overcooked.

Nyesha: I would've loved to see more of the sauce,

because that sauce was so delicious her

bs, right? Nyesha: I would've loved to see more of the sauce,

both of these countries share some herbs in common.

I would've loved all the flavors to come together.

Courtney: The competition is definitely getting hard,

and I know it seems like nitpicking,

but when you're talking about $250,000

and you're talking about mentorship from three people,

nitpicking is what's going to separate

the top from the bottom.

Nyesha: This chef cooked through France and greece.

This is a roasted duck sort of cut

with a béarnaise sauce.

The hardest part of this dish has been done perfectly.

The duck is cooked beautifully.

But a béarnaise with duck in any world is never gonna work.

Nyesha: It was very challenging even to get to this point.

I advised exactly what you're saying, chef.

I feel like ( bleep ).

I know what I did,

and I just have to own it, I guess.

Top floor.

So this is predominantly thai

with a mexican influence.

There's a broth that was done in the pressure cooker.

Vermicelli noodles. The shells were grilled.

This tastes like it was cooked overnight. It tastes like it was cooked on the beach.

I don't care if the beach is in thailand or if the beach is in mexico,

and I love this sort of, like, thai broth

with this mexican pozole garnish

with all crunchy cabbage and tortillas.

It's powerful. It's oozing confidence.

Nyesha: Absolutely. It's just smart.

The amount of flavor that was able to be built in one bowl in 40 minutes?

Impressive. That's some next level ( bleep ) right there.

Oh, my god.

Oh, where'd that come from?

But okay! All right.

Gordon: So this is a hamachi.

The base is the japanese influence

with a sprinkle of a spanish flair.

Hamachi, unfortunately, it hasn't cooked

into the center, and that's raw.

Smart choice with japan. Smart out of the gate.

You got to put Spain in there, you shot yourself in the foot.

So it's more confusion than fusion.

Noodles way overcooked, but I'm not feeling good about this.

This dish is extremely clunky to eat.

It's just difficult to understand how to enjoy this dish.

My, my, my, how the mighty has fallen. That's the best I can say.

Every dog has its day. Today just wasn't mine.

All of you, give us a moment please, because we've got some tough decisions.

What a tough night.

Well, I'm for sure going in the elimination challenge.

Oh, my gosh.

Some cracking highlights.

- The germany versus italian flair? - Nyesha: Epic.

40 minutes to cook a curry, that's a tall order.

And bringing the indian influence with vietnam?

- Yeah, that sauce was killer. - Yeah.

The combination of thailand and the mexican influence...

That's the prime example of how to meld two regions of the world together.

The underwhelming performances?

The japanese with the spanish flair, that just didn't work.

That, for me, was this individual's weakest performance.

I'm assuming that that was mariah's dish, right?

No. The actual dish was cooked by reuel.

- I'm sorry, reuel. - It's all good.

And that duck, I mean...

Richard: The duck, just a wasted opportunity.

That's tricia. I know she's your team member as well.

- And reuel. - Listen, kenny, he's in the basement.

He's got morocco and china.

He's got a great idea, but he didn't execute it.

It's all pomegranate molasses. It's all sweetness.

Yeah, but hold on a minute. Now you guys are confusing me,

because everybody I've mentored in this competition is going into elimination?

Are you kidding me? You're sandbagging me here.

I mean, come on. Brazil, israel? Come on.

Are we saying 'cause they're in the basement, they've got no choice?

- You don't pick those two cultures. - Exactly.

No, no. That being said, the flavors on that dish

were not as bad as reuel's or kenny's or tricia's duck.

Nyesha: I feel like those were the least performing dishes

to highlight two regions of the world.

( bleep ) hell. ( bleep ) me.

Really? This is ( bleep ).

Reuel, kenny, tricia, bottom three dishes, right?

Nyesha: No, you're not wrong.

Richard: I mean, listen, listen. This is not cumulative.

- You're only as good as your last dish. - I get it.

It is about your last dish, but I didn't expect this. Shall we?

Fusion, we know was never gonna be easy.

Neither was what we just went through back there.

We are definitely not in agreement today.

However we have come to a consensus.

Two dishes stood out in today's challenge.

The first...

Was the thai/mexican fusion with red prawns.

Thank you.

The second dish that stood out...

...Was the italian/german fusion

of the veal schnitzel with soft polenta.

- Mariah, congratulations on staying on the top level. - Good job.

- Oh, my god. Thank you so much. - Congratulations.

And, angie, well done. You've climbed.

- Thank you, chef. - You've made it to the top.

Now the question is can you stay there?

Yes, sir, I can.

I've knocked reuel out of the top.

I went from basement to middle to damn at the top.

I'm next level chef. This is how it's done.

And two dishes deserve to be in the middle today.

The first, it's the indian/ vietnamese fusion,

- the chicken breast. - Thank you.

The second dish that made it to the middle level...

...Was the brazilian/ israeli fusion.

You may be surprised, pyet, but the flavors on that dish were excellent.

Thank you, chefs.

So that means that reuel,

tricia, and kenny have been dropped to the basement,

and all three of you will be cooking in the elimination.

For the rest of you, you can head to the lift,

and these three will meet you in the top kitchen soon.

Reuel: This is the first time that I'm going to elimination.

When my back's against the wall, I get real focused,

so it's 20/20 vision at this point in time.

- Good job, guys. - Thank you.

- You got this. - You got it, girl.

Kenny: I'm in an elimination challenge again,

two challenges back-to-back.

I'm pissed off, I'm disappointed, but it's all at myself.

But there's no excuses.

- Team ramsay. - Team ramsay, huh?

Tricia: I'm embarrassed with what I put on the plate.

I'm not surprised that I'm going to elimination.

It is the first time.

But I have to admit, I'm a little scared

'cause I am going against two professional chefs.

To say that I'm disappointed is an understatement.

Now tonight you'll have one last chance

to earn your way back into the competition.

Chef nyesha arrington will be in that kitchen with you

across those 30 minutes.

And trust me, you're gonna need her more than you'll need me

because tonight's elimination cook-off

is based on the extraordinary background of chef arrington.

Tonight you'll be cooking a fusion dish

of korean and good old american southern cuisine.

This elimination cook-off is very close to my heart.

This celebrates my heritage of korean from my mom's side

and the southern roots of my dad's side.

This is what has shaped my palate, so it's very close to home.

All of you, head into the lift, and good luck.

Chef nyesha will meet you upstairs.

Kenny: Chef tricia, chef reuel, and myself, like,

we've been together pretty much this whole journey.

- I love you guys. - Right back at you.

We've all made each other better.

So it's unfortunate we gotta go head-to-head at this point.

- This is intense. - Mm-hmm.

I'm gonna stay in this competition by putting my best foot forward.

I'm gonna channel everything that I know,

make sure I play with flavors properly, and come out to kill it.

This cook means a lot to me. It's personal.

I want to see today dishes that are korean forward

with that sort of southern hug, that soul from the back end.

Yes, chef.

Line up at the elevator, please.

- Let's cheer them on, team. - Let's go, tricia.

Trish, good luck. Kenny, good luck.

- Platform's coming, guys. - Ooh, beautiful.

- Go! 30 minutes. - Oh, my god.

Nyesha: Fight for what you deserve.

Oh, thank god.

Finally something good is happening from this platform.

There's gochujang, there's soy sauce! Oh, my god.

I haven't had this since the beginning of the competition.

- Trish? - Yeah?

- Wanna borrow some of that gochujang from you. - Absolutely.

Tricia, what are you thinking, babe?

- I got this. - I believe in you.

- What's your plan, chef? - I'ma do a korean barbeque on my strip.

Nyesha: What flavors are you adding on your new york strip?

It's more of a gochujang barbeque sauce with steak.

Excellent. What's your southern influence?

My potato purée, and I got my okra.

I gonna pan sear, and then I'ma do a spiced pear.

Smart using a pear.

I made a mistake in the main challenge.

I didn't taste everything together.

My dish was too sweet.

As someone who's fighting for $250,000,

there's no excuses.

I'm down?

"get your ass up." simple.

- Borrowing some gochujang? - Got it.

Nyesha: What's your plan, chef reuel?

I'm going to do kimchi fried rice.

Nice. It sounds delicious.

It's gonna go with a little bit of the andouille.

- Okay. - The kimchi fried rice I get

usually has this ground pork sausage in there that you can barely see.

And today, this is a take on it.

For all them times I've been ordering that

and having it be delivered, I said,

"praise jesus! Today's the day."

what are your aromatics in your kimchi fried rice, chef?

- Ginger, garlic. - Excellent. Great start.

Nice.

Those are nice cuts, reuel.

What's your plan, chef?

I'm going to make a dak-galbi.

I'm making dak-galbi,

which is a spicy marinated chicken.

It's so delicious.

What's your plan with the chicken?

Into small pieces, chef, for the dak-galbi.

- Nyesha: Bounce back, okay? - Yes, chef.

Nyesha: Just over 20 minutes left!

You're seasoning this along the way, right?

- Kenny: Heard, chef. - Nyesha: Very important. Season it in layers, right?

- Don't wait till the end to season. - Absolutely, chef.

I don't know what she's making, but I'm intrigued.

- I'm very intrigued. - Nyesha: Let's go, guys!

Tricia: Oh, my god.

Nyesha: Tricia, get it together.

Flames. Tricia's station is flames.

- Come on, tricia, focus. - Oh, ( bleep ).

Tricia, why are you doing this to me?

Tricia, why are you doing this to me?

Intentional fire, I swear.

Maybe I took on a more difficult challenge than I should have,

but the components seem to be coming together.

I'm feeling good about my dish.

Nyesha: You need to sear this on the fat side as well, okay?

- Yes, chef. - What do you have in this pot here?

Leeks. I'm gonna put my potatoes in there as well.

Nyesha: How are you building flavor in this?

I was gonna let it cook down some, chef.

- More like a stew-like. Yes, chef. - Yes. Okay.

Calculate the next ten minutes of your life, guys!

For one of you, it's the last ten minutes!

Make it count.

- You're cooking this again, right? - Yes, chef.

Nyesha: You wanna bring the temperature down of your rice

so it doesn't continue to cook, right?

- Yes, chef. - Make sure that rice is perfect.

I want tricia to win. You don't want to put it back in the oven?

- Okay. - We're cooking that chicken thoroughly, right?

- The dark meat takes time to cook and break down, okay? - Thoroughly cooked, chef.

- Let's go, tricia. - Thank you.

- Bring that vision to life, chef. - Yes, chef.

Nyesha: Five minutes left, guys! Five minutes!

Kenny, you need to season your food, okay?

- Heard, heard, heard. - Season your food.

It's either win or go home. I've been here before.

Here I am still standing.

Somebody has to go home, and it's not gonna be kenny.

Two minutes!

Start plating, best dish of your life.

Pyet: You got this, tricia. Let's go, kenny.

Let's go, chef. You tasted it, right?

- Oui. - Oui.

Every single element on that plate matters.

All: Five, four, three, two, one.

- Stop cooking! Good job. - Good job, you guys.

Nyesha: You showed up. Let's go!

Okay.

We're down to the top seven now,

and so it's hard not to take it personally

that every chef I've mentored is up for elimination today.

I hate the fact that I'm going to have to send one of them home today.

- Chef. - How was that?

Intense. We have three dishes here, chefs.

First, we have a gochujang glazed new york strip

on top of okra with a leek and potato purée,

and finish is a pear korean spice gastrique.

There's a nice cook on the-- did you say new york strip?

- Yes, chef. - Yes, rested well.

Leek and potato purée, I kinda want it to be grits.

Gordon: I love the heat from the glaze.

The dish is very sweet.

Kenny: I'm baffled again.

The only sweet component I had was the pears,

but even that still had the kick

because it had the gochujang in it.

So I felt like my dish was actually a bit on the spicy side.

I actually really love the chili and the pear.

You got the spice from the gochujang...

- Traditional korean. - ...And the fermented chili.

A little bit of that korean pear flavor.

I don't know. At this stage, I want a touch more.

Our next dish here, we have a sort of play on a dirty rice.

This is a gochujang glazed crispy squid

on the bottom, you have andouille sausage

studded throughout that kimchi fried rice.

I'm not getting much sausage. Was that in there, you said?

- Hmm. - First of all, I love this chef's direction

with taking new orleans and korea.

Visually, it's great.

I would've liked a little more spice.

Um, it tastes delicious.

It's dirty.

And what do I change? A bit more heat.

More egg.

And then finally...

Yes, and our last dish, we have a sort of bar inspired dish.

This is a smoked rolled korean egg.

What you have in that cast iron cocotte

is a dipping sauce which is made of cream cheese, some cheddar,

it's got chicken.

Visually, yeah, it's intriguing.

It's almost like two dishes into one.

It's bold, but it looks attractive.

I'm looking at these three dishes.

I do not know which dish is going home.

I'm actually kinda surprised.

All of these dishes have some merit to them,

so it's anyone's game.

- It's meant to be dipped into. - So you dip?

Yes. There was leg meat used in this dipping sauce as well.

Egg is delicious.

The one issue I have here...

...Is the raw chicken thigh.

( bleep )

did you eat the--

( spits )

( spits, coughs )

I ( bleep ) am really mad at myself right now.

That is so raw, there's no way we can continue eating that.

That dish belongs to who, please?

That dish belongs to tricia.

Yes, chef.

- Oh, young lady. - Yes, chef.

There's no way in good conscience that we could put you forward.

I understand, chef. Thank you.

Young lady, I'm lost for words.

I've grown to like you a lot

and you've done some amazing things.

And you plate like angel.

Thank you, chef.

Please say goodbye to your colleagues

and enter the elevator, thank you.

- We'll see you again. - ( indistinct chatter )

it sucks to be eliminated by a raw dish,

but to be in this competition was such an honor

and to have worked alongside chef ramsay,

having him teach me, has been incredible.

Bye, chefs. Thank you for everything.

- Take care. Head up. - Bye, tricia.

- Thank you, tricia. - Thank you. Bye.

Oh, I failed.

( bleep )

all of you, time is running out.

Everything you do matters.

I thank god for humbling me today.

I got a taste of what elimination feels like.

That's not happening ever again.

Good night.

Good night. Thank you.

- Thank you, chefs. - Thank you.

( gordon sighs ) raw chicken.

Damn, trish.

Gordon: Next time on "next level chef"...

Welcome to the semi-finals.

Don't celebrate too hard just yet though.

For three of you, your journey ends tonight.

Nyesha: Fight for that spot in your finale.

This is it. I've gotta take everything I've learned from this competition,

and I've gotta get it on that plate.

Kenny: This is personal for me.

I'm rethinking all of my life choices at this moment.

What did you want? What did you want?

Kenny: It's a no-holds-barred right now.

- Aah! - Let's do this, big boy.

Courtney: It is the finale that is on the line.