All language subtitles for Next.Level.Chef.S02E08.720p.WEB.h264-BAE

- Previously on
"next level chef"...

Today, you'll all be creating
a next level fish dish.

- Let's go.

- All your pancetta is
on the floor over here.

- What the--ah!

- The most outstanding dish
tonight was

The halibut three ways.

[applause]

- Let's go, matt.

- The dish that I am
eliminating tonight is matt.

- [exhales]

- I'm proud of preston, man.

You know, he's 19 years old.

He's chasing a dream.

- Tonight...

The game is about to change.

You're now individuals fighting
to become the next level chef.

- This is what I came for.

- Guys, time to push.

[utensils clattering]

- Stock went down.
He didn't turn that handle in.

- I'm screwed.

- This is to all the people
that doubted me.

[blows raspberry]

[intense rock music]

♪ ♪

[dramatic music]

♪ ♪

- Welcome back, guys. Line up.

Are you all ready to level up?

All: Yes, chef!

- Because as I told you,

The game is about to change.

The team competition
is now over.

You're individuals

Fighting to become
the next level chef.

- Now only you can save
yourself from elimination.

- Show time, baby!
This is what I came for,

Cook as an individual.

So from this point
moving forward, watch out.

- If you cook a great dish,

You'll earn your way
up to the top.

But screw things up,

And you will tumble down
to the basement.

- The team match is over.

Actually sort of excited
about that because

As an individual,
I perform very well.

- Now that you're safety net
has gone,

So too are the protection
of those next level pins.

So, tucker, nuri, step forward.

Hand me those pins back.

- I can't believe chef ramsay
just took my pin.

- Thank you, tucker.

Thanks, nuri.

- I miss my pin.
My apron is so naked now.

It's like "naked and afraid,"
like--

[sighs]

- The three of us still want
someone from our team

To win this competition.

But in order to choose
the right person

To become our next level chef

And win that coveted mentorship
from all three of us,

We need to get our eyes on
everyone

And really determine who is
the best of the best.

No one starts the climb
from the top.

So today, that top-level
kitchen is closed.

[dramatic music]

- That leaves only the middle
kitchen and the basement.

And in order to determine
which kitchen

Each of you will be cooking
in today,

Nyesha, gordon, and I looked at
every single one of

Your performances in
this competition so far.

- I'm worried because
I have missed

The platform twice in a row.

I'm thinking I'm going back
to the basement.

- The following people have
been the top performers so far

And will be cooking on
the middle level.

Tini,

Pilar,

Nuri,

Tucker,

Mehreen, and...

[inhales]

Omi.

- I'm at a loss for words.

I'm like, que, que, que?
Wha-- que?

- That means vinny,

Shay, preston,

Chris, and michelle,

You'll all be cooking
in that basement today.

- I don't deserve to be
in the basement.

Although I've never had
a top dish,

I haven't had
a bottom dish either.

So I'm thinking,

Maybe I need to step it up
and prove myself.

- To truly get to
that next level,

You need to expand
your horizons even further.

So today, we are going global.

♪ ♪

Each of you are going to create
your take

On a signature dish

From a country
around the world.

- I'm an italian cook.

So if I get that opportunity,

I'm gonna nail it all day long.
[laughs]

- One of the best ways to
understand a country's culture

Is by sampling their most
iconic signature dishes.

- Whether it's pho from
vietnam,

Feijoada from brazil,

A country's signature dish,
it's like their culinary flag.

- Now, when that platform
comes down,

There'll be 11 boxes

Labeled with
the name of the country.

You've got to select
the country you want.

But here's a twist:
You won't know

Which dish
you're gonna be cooking

Until that challenge begins.

So with only two floors
and three of us,

Nyesha and I will both be
on the middle floor today.

Head to the elevators.

You're going up to that
industrial kitchen

On the middle floor,

And nyesha and I
will meet you there.

Let's go.

- [whispering]
let's go, baby. Let's go, baby.

I'm happy that
I'm in the middle.

But I don't intend on
staying there long.

I intend on moving my way up.

♪ ♪

- I go here.
This is my station.

- I go here.

There is a shift
in the atmosphere.

There are no longer teams,

No more good vibes.

♪ ♪

- They put me in the basement.

I honestly don't a [bleep].

Look, life gives you lemons,
you gotta make lemonade.

It's a survivalist mentality
right now.

- Ah, baby.
- Woo, woo, woo.

- Here it is.
Back in the game.

I want that top dish so badly.

I need the validation that
like, you're a rock star.

You belong here.

You don't belong
in the basement.

- Look what I got.
[laughs]

- Good job, vinny.

- Hi, basement.
How you doing?

Missed you.
[laughs]

- All right, where the frick
are the tongs at?

I have more than--
all right, good.

I have--I have been blessed.
Look at these.

- This is tough
for these chefs.

Now it's important because

You're gonna be judged on
your individual merit.

So your individual performance
is gonna determine

Where you cook
and that is crucial.

Make no mistake about it.
The basement sucks.

- Good luck, guys.
- All right. Let's go.

- Thank you, chefs.
- Let's go, everyone.

Rally up. You want to come
over here, shay?

I want all of you to succeed,
and you've all done things

Remarkable in this competition,
all right?

All: Thank you, chef.

- Let's go.
- Hi, chef.

- You good?
- Yes, chef.

- Excellent.

- You want to earn
that top level?

It's up to you.
You gotta go get it today.

All: Yes, chef.

- Chef stretch, which country
you hoping for?

Where--where do you want to go?

- Uh, thailand.
- Thailand.

Omi, where would you go?

- España.
- Ah.

- I really hope I see Spain.

I would love to give
my twist on a paella.

[hydraulics whirring]

- Guys, the platform,
it's starting to move.

When that turns green,
we're gonna go for it, ok?

Go, guys. Let's go.

- I run

And I see Spain.

And somehow, tini, tiny, mighty
jumped over me

And grabs the Spain box.

- Hurry up. Get a box.
- Ok.

So now I'm like, muchacha!

I am pretty sure
I scraped my knee.

- I picked Spain.

I grabbed it 'cause
I like to pick stuff

I don't know how to cook,
for some reason.

- What have you got?
- Jamaica, chef.

- Oh, my god.

What have you got?

- Italy, chef.
- Italy, man.

Spain, right?
- Yes, chef.

- What have you got?

- India.
- India!

Big man, what'd you get?
- Thailand, chef.

- Thailand. You asked for it.

- Yes, chef.
- You got it, yes.

[hydraulics whirring]

- Oh, I see it move a little.

- Here we go.

- Go!

- It feels like
the hunger games.

Everybody's running
to the middle.

- I go around the platform
and grab a box

Without even seeing
what country it is...

- Have you tasted
the food before?

Have you been to that place?

- Just hoping to god

That it's something
that I can work with.

- All right.
Michelle, what do we got?

- Canada, eh?
- Hey, ok. All right.

Vinny, what country do you got?

- Sweden.
- Sweden.

- Shay, what do you got?
- I got austria.

- And--and, what do you know
about austria cuisine?

- I want to make a schnitzel.

I'm hoping for a schnitzel.
- Ok.

Chris? Greece!

- [laughs]
- wow.

- Preston?
- I got morocco.

Don't have a lot of experience
with morocco, but...

- Ok.
- I'm gonna make a tasty dish.

If you grab a box that you've
never cooked with before,

You're possibly going to
elimination.

So there's a lot at stake
for me right now.

- Ok, guys,
your 40 minutes starts now.

Let's go, guys.

- [cheering]

Shark, shark, shark, shark.

Ooh, red snapper. Ok, ok, ok.

- Tikka, tikka!

I've never made
chicken tikka masala.

[laughs]

But we just gonna roll with it.
[laughs]

- What have we got?

- Veal cutlet, pasta.

We got some parm in here.
Parmigiana.

- Woo! Pad thai, baby.

- Right, what'd you get?

- Kebabs from lebanon.
- Wow.

I'm very excited.
- Good.

So that kebab needs
that flavor, that profile,

That seasoning.
- Yes.

- How do you say it?
Pae--"pi-lay-a"?

- Teeny, tiny,
are you kidding me?

- Don't know what paella is.

I don't know what that is.
- Get yourself organized.

- What is paella?

I've never been to Spain.

I don't know
how to cook Spain--

Spanish food?

I have never cooked paella.

And I'm just like,
I don't know what the [bleep]

I'm doing at this point.

- What did you get?
- I got paella.

And I don't know
what paella is.

- Think about it as a sort of--

Almost like a--
a risotto with shellfish.

- I'm just like, oh.

I probably look so stupid
right now

Compared to everyone else.

- You've surprised many
in this competition.

There's a lot of chefs
in your situation.

- I was never a good student.

I was always getting
bad grades.

And then I found cooking,
and it changed everything.

Then I got on tiktok,
and it's just straight hate.

Everyone's like,
"you can't cook."

But I just cook with my heart.

- Listen, those comments--

Never, ever, ever give them
a second

Of your valuable time on that.

- Yes, chef.
- Ok?

- That little pep talk,
it just means a lot,

Especially coming from
gordon ramsay.

- Ok?

Good luck.
Come on. You got this, yeah?

- So this is to all
the people that doubted me.

[blows raspberry]

- Yes.

Triple yes.

Quadruple yes.

Defo yes.

- Welcome to
the "blaisment," everyone.

You wanted Italy, didn't you?

- I did, but I know how to
make a meatball.

I'm italian, so we're gonna
nail this today.

- Yes! Yes!
- We're gonna nail this today.

I know nothing
about swedish food.

But I make
the best meatballs ever,

Next to my daughter madison.

She makes better meatballs
than me,

But I'm a close second.

Let's go.

- Lingonberries, lingonberries.

- Oh, I never heard of those.
- That's all right.

- What the hell is
a lingonberry?

I have no idea about
lingonberries.

I'll figure it out later.

- Thinking of them like
pomegranates

Or cranberries is smart, ok?
Get going. Get going.

- Get really thin, baby.

[banging]

- All right.
What do we got, shay?

What do you got?
- Schnitzel!

I've made schnitzel.
It's been a long time.

I've eaten a lot of schnitzel.
I'm ready.

- All right, chris,
what do you got?

- I got greece. I got souvlaki.

- Listen, I feel like these
flavors are in your wheelhouse.

- This is absolutely
in my wheelhouse.

- All right. Keep going.
You got this, right?

All right, preston, or
should I say "im-preston"?

Uh, what do you got going on?

- I'm not really sure
what to do with these.

I don't have a lot of
experience with this cuisine.

I have morocco,

And the signature dish
is tajine.

I've never cooked or
eaten tajine before.

So I am a little bit worried
with that factor.

- This is a tajine, ok?
- Yes, chef.

- So this is how--
this is how it's cooked.

It's cooked in this container,
ok?

- Perfect.
- It's all about keeping

All of those flavors in here.

You got it?
- Yes, chef.

- Ok, boom.

- Chef,
I got a beautiful ribeye.

- Ok, and--
- I got flour

To make the gravy
for the poutine.

- How are you gonna treat
that steak?

- I want it to be elevated,

So I'm trying to imagine
the plate,

Because poutine's not something
that I typically think of

When I think elevated food.

I love poutine,

Especially at 3:00 a.M.
After a lot of tequila.

But how the hell am I gonna
make this a next level dish?

- Think about what has
to done--be done first.

Think about what has to be
done first.

The gravy and the potatoes,
right?

- Poutine?

God. Just kill me.

- Michel, big jeopardy here.

She's got poutine,
which is like a pub-y,

Very rustic sort of dish.

And she's gonna do
a french fry.

French fries are
so hard to make.

Very impressive if
she pulls it off,

But that dish sometimes is
too rustic.

Can she elevate poutine?

- 25 minutes left, team, ok?

- Heard, chef.
- Heard, chef.

- What are we doing with
this chicken skin, omi?

- It's going to be
a little bit of baking soda

To crisp it up really nice.
- Be careful.

It tastes pretty horrible, ok?
- Yeah?

I have never cooked
indian food before.

I don't even have
any indian spices at home.

- Is this a dish that
you've made before?

- Yes, chef.

My nonna used to make it
for me in the kitchen...

- Oh, are you italian?
- All the time.

I am, chef.
- Wow.

- My family's from
the southernmost part of Italy.

- Yes.
- Kind of by the boot.

- My favorite chili.
- [speaks italian]

I grew up in nonna's kitchen.

You know, my grandfather
would be out in the garden,

You know,
harvesting vegetables,

And she would cook them.

And I would get to stir things

Or help on noodle day
or on sauce day.

She was such an inspiration,

And I just really wanted to
be just like her.

That's where my love
of cooking came from.

She was always cooking for me
in the kitchen.

And I never knew that
being a professional chef

Was kind of a thing I could do

Until I saw women like you
doing it and crushing it

And kicking those boys asses.

And so I was like...
- All day, baby.

- You know,
I want to do that, so...

- You're doing it.
- That's what I'm doing, chef.

- You know you're doing it.

- Let's go. Let's go, team!

- I thought that was a hole.
I'm stupid.

I thought that hole in the top
of the tajine was a vent

For things to go into the pot.

I realize
there's no hole there.

That's just
the roof of the pot.

So I'm a little bit
embarrassed.

- All right, looks like
you're developing

Big flavor over there.
Any concerns?

- Tastes good.
- It's good. I love it.

You're a wizard, harry.
Let's go.

[magical music]

- All right, listen,
we're looking for

The next level chef down here,
ok?

I want success from all of you.

Michelle, have you cooked
the potatoes yet?

- Oh, they're done.
- Yeah, they're done.

You got to get 'em
out of there, ok?

[sizzling]

- Whoa.

- Andale, mami.

- Relax.
[chuckles]

- 15 minutes left, guys.

15 minutes.
- Heard, chef.

- What protein do you got?
You got shrimp?

- I got shrimp, chef.
- Good.

- I'm gonna use the head
to start building the flavor

In the sauce,
the shrimp shells, garlic,

Seafood stock, salt.

- Ok.
Good luck, young man.

- Thank you, chef.
- Careful with the sweetness.

You need to balance that out,
ok?

- Ok, yes, chef.

- There's levels to
this competition.

- Yes, chef.

I've never made
a jerk marinade for fish.

So this is definitely new.
I said I wanted to push myself.

- You know I'm counting on you,
right?

- Yes, chef.

But I'm stressed out.

- What'd you think?
- You can see

Who's the professional chef,
who's the home cook,

'cause it's all about
how you organize your mind.

[pot clatters]

- Gosh.

- Damn, what happened there?

- Stock went down.
He didn't turn that handle in.

- Dang!
What did I just do, man?

I'm screwed.
I'm absolutely screwed.

- [bleep].

[dramatic music]

[pot clatters]
- oh, my god.

- Damn, what happened there?

- Stock went down.
He didn't turn that handle in.

- Let's go, let's go, let's go.
It's all right. Let's go.

- Chef stretch,
what's going on, bud?

- I just knocked it by
walking past, chef.

It wasn't stable on there.

- Yeah, but that
doesn't matter.

That is an excuse.

You have to set yourself up
for success.

You know what I mean?
- Yeah. Let's go, let's go.

- Nuri's stock just fell
on the floor.

And that's a thing.
Nuri doesn't stop down

And take a breath
and focus on his plan ahead.

I need you to
stretch that talent.

I need you, chef stretch.
You got this this.

- This is a little bit
too easy.

So let's start with
our mid-round mayhem.

That platform's descending with
11 international ingredients.

Try to select the ingredient
that's gonna enhance your box.

One ingredient only,
understood?

Let's go.

- I look over and
the first thing I see is

A black truffle,
and I'm all, "yoink."

- It's not stopping for long.

- I see a birdseye chili.

I need that extra level
of heat.

I need more heat.

- I'm looking around.

But I didn't see anything
that I need.

- One only.

- And I just grab honey.

Damn, I should have got
the cabbage!

How am I gonna use honey?

Cabbage,
that would've been perfect.

- One ingredient that's
going to enhance your dish.

- I see sobrasada,

And I grab that sobrasada
so fast it's not even funny.

- One amazing ingredient.

- I grab red cabbage.

But I don't want
a mid-round drop,

Unless it's like straight booze
and I can have a drink.

[laughs]

- So, preston, what did
you grab in the mid-round?

- I grabbed tahini.

- That should work in there
even if it's like,

As a little drizzle or
something on top, right?

Ok, I love it.
- Chef, I don't have a lot of

Experience with couscous.
So I--do I soak it first,

Or do I just throw it
straight in?

- Steam it up, ok?

You do want it to be fluffy.

This is a crucial learning
moment for preston

Because it's not a fancy dish
with little leaves and dots.

It's not preston's strength.

Big challenge for him.

- Ten minutes to go, yes?

Now you start getting that base
in there, ok? You good?

- Yes, chef.
- Yeah? Feeling better now?

- Yes, chef.
- Good girl.

- What do we have here, nuri?

How are we cooking the shrimp?

- Um, I'm just gonna
lightly pan sear 'em.

- And be careful with
these chilies.

They're very spicy...
- Ok, heard, chef.

- When you start
using those seeds, ok?

- Okay, heard, chef.
- So make sure you taste it.

- I tried to remove
some of them.

- Yeah, yeah.
- Right, how you feeling?

- Feeling good, chef.
- We're good?

- Just waiting till
the last minute

To put that red snapper on,
chef.

- Smart.
I love that confidence, ok?

- Thank you, chef.
- Good.

- Guys, time to push.
- Seven minutes to go.

Ok, that's still rare.

Touch it. Touch it.
- I can do medium-rare, right?

- I'd put it back in the oven
for two more minutes.

You know what I mean?
I would put back in--

You got the heat in the tray
now, haven't you?

- Sure.
- Yeah?

- Behind.
Coming down, coming down.

My veal comes out
of the pan fry--

I'm like, "mm, super rare.
Perhaps raw."

I think all of us are
feeling the time crunch.

It's stressful.

- Tucker's just pulled out
her veal

And it's raw in the middle.

She is up against it.
- Yep.

- Three minutes left.
- Heard, three minutes.

- Means we're plating
very, very soon.

All right, how we doing
on our gravy?

- It's salty, but--

- Ok, listen.

I don't think it's salty

Because you're gonna have
these sweet lingonberries.

- Yes, sir.
- Have you eaten one yet?

Have you tasted it?
- I have not.

- Oh--
- I will.

- Please! Please.
- I was gonna sugar 'em.

- It's your--it's your whole
thing on the line here.

You're gonna taste it and
you're gonna be like,

Oh, it's too tart, right?
- Yep.

I'm an idiot.

Taste the lingonberry towards
the very end.

If I'd known that, ten minutes,

I would've made
a nice little jam out of it.

My thoughts are,
"I'm in deep trouble."

- We are down to
two minutes to go.

- This fish is taking forever.

Oh, my god.

- Next time, just leave it
on the skin side, chef.

- Yes, chef.

- For the first time
in the competition,

I feel like
I'm really struggling.

- What's the plan, tucker?

It's raw, so what's the plan?

We're gonna slice and--

- We're just gonna use
the outside slices, chef,

Not any of that inside slice.

- Keep it going, guys.
Yes?

Keep it going.

- You're letting it rest
right now.

- Turn that off. Turn that off.
Turn on.

- The chefs are both coming
to me being like,

"chef, I'm worried about
your veal."

So now I'm worried
about my veal

'cause they're worried about
my veal.

- Turn it on.

- Now we're all worried.

- Let's go! It's time to plate!

- Behind.
Right behind you guys.

- Time to plate now?
- Yes, time to plate now!

- I'm starting to envision
how I want to present the dish,

Which is the part that
I'm most concerned about.

How do I make it look pretty?

- 90 seconds left!
- Yes, chef.

[hydraulics whirring]
- platform's on the move.

- Gotta go, girl.
Gotta go. It's undercooked.

[bleep] damn!

- I try to flip it over.

The flesh is just like tore up.
It just looks horrible!

This is the worst day to have
chef ramsay there

In the kitchen with me.

- 45 seconds to go.

- Platform's here.
Platform is here!

No one can miss the platform.

Three seconds!

Michelle,
do you have enough sauce?

Is there enough gravy?

- My plate was not clean,
but I got it on there.

- Platform's here, guys.
Come on. Let's go.

Gotta go.
Mehreen, gotta go, girl.

[tense music]

Ten seconds, let's go.

You've still got
ten seconds of cooking.

Let's go.
- Come on, pilar, you got this.

- We're like looking at
the fish

With ten seconds to go.

I might have like the smallest
piece of little fish.

My plate looks horrible.

- Five--

- There's five seconds left,

And pilar is still cooking.

Pilar, like, get your dish
on that platform.

Come on, pilar!
Come on. Come on.

- One--you got to go, girl.
You got to go.

- The plate barely gets on
the platform,

And thanks to chef stretch,
he tipped it up there.

- Man!
[applause]

♪ ♪

It just wasn't my day.

I'm so frustrated with myself.

I'm just--I want to cry.

- Well done.

Your first individual
challenge;

The heat is on.

But looking at these dishes
in front of us,

You did very well.

Richard, nyesha, shall we?
- Please.

- Let's start on
the middle floor.

- So, first up, we have
a trip to Italy,

The veal parmesan.

- Flavor-wise,
beautiful, delicious.

Pasta's slightly too thin.

- Great use of truffle,
which is unexpected.

- Bold execution here with
cooking the veal chop whole.

But an amazing take on
a veal parmesan.

- Nonna would be so proud of me
right now.

I did her justice today.

- Ok, next up,

The lebanon box
with lamb kebab.

- I don't see a kebab here.

- Yeah, so chef made a play on
a pot pie with a short dough.

- Smart move not going down
the kebab route.

The flavors are there.

- Ok, next up,
we have a paella,

Trip to Spain.

- Wow.
Seasoning's spot on.

- All of the seafood's
cooked beautifully.

- Paella,
never cooked it before.

I've never even seen it before.

Then they loved it?
Ooh, I'm just so relieved.

- We have a trip to jamaica

With a jerk red snapper.

- Sadly,
the dish looks unfinished,

Like it's missing 2/3rds of
that fish.

Rice needs more seasoning.

- I'm not getting any of
those jerk spices

That kind of almost make
your nose run a little bit.

- I just expected more.

- I'm normally
very proud of my plate.

And that was not
a professional chef's plate.

- Next, we have thailand
with a pad thai.

- It's bloody hot.

Second, third, fourth mouthful,

I'm not too sure if
that's gonna be overkill.

- Yeah,
it's that birdseye chili.

- Fricking birdseye chilies!

What the hell, man?

Why did I put another
chili in there?

- [exhales]

- Oh, dude, what are you doing?

♪ ♪

- This is a chicken tikka

With a fresh cucumber condiment
on the side.

♪ ♪

- The tikka is delicious.

It's fragrant. It's floral.

It's got the right amount
of heat.

- Yeah, the cilantro is
a little too much

For what the dish is, I think,

But the rice and the sauce,
delicious.

- The fact that I am getting
this type of feedback

On this dish that I'm cooking
for the first time,

I am feeling amazing.
[laughs]

- Shall we head down
to the basement?

- Please.
- Let's.

Near and dear to my heart,
the swedish meatball

With gravy and mash.

The cabbage is from
the mid-round drop.

The lingonberries are
so, so tart.

[tense music]

Sort of sucking some of
the other flavors away.

- Meatballs,
just a touch too tiny.

The smaller you make them,
the quicker they dry out.

- Ok, next up, we head to
canada with a poutine.

♪ ♪

- This is elevated.

Ribeye is cooked beautifully.

There's no two ways about that.

- My favorite part is actually
the fries, right?

There a little bit crispy.

You get these--
it's kind of nice to

Create your perfect bite.

- Honestly, I feel like
someone's pranking me.

To hear such positive things

About this poutine
that I made--

I'm just on, literally,
cloud nine.

Canada, eh?
[laughs]

- Ok, and here we have
a lamb souvlaki.

A yogurt sauce, dill,
lamb shoulder.

- Pretty nice seasoning
on this.

Lamb's a little bit too tough.

- I would love to see
a little bit more tenderness

In this protein.

- All right, and over here,
we are off to austria

With a pork schnitzel.

- Protein's seasoned
beautifully.

- I love the potatoes here.

Fork crust, simple potatoes,
tasty.

Ok, over here,
we head to morocco

With a classic tajine.

Mid-round drop here was tahini,

Which doesn't look like
it made the plate.

I'm not getting all of
the flavors of the almonds,

The olives, and raisins.

But the chicken is cooked well.

- The flavors are strange
with this dish.

It doesn't feel moroccan.

Couscous for me,
it's all bitty and very tight.

But the dish is quite dry.

- I definitely was
not expecting that.

I thought the couscous was
nice and fluffy.

But, like, I really want to
stay in this competition.

- Ok. Well done.

We've got to decide

Who's going up
and who's going down.

Richard, nyesha.

♪ ♪

All right, top dishes today...
- Yes.

- The tikka.
- Tikka was so delicious.

Oh, my gosh.
If I ordered that for takeout,

I'd be so impressed.

- I thought the veal parmesan--
it was a fresh take.

- How many
veal parmesan dishes

Are you having with
black truffle?

The dish was splendid.

- I'd say the dish that
surprised me the most

Was that poutine, even without
even tasting the meat,

The potato alone--

- But making french fries
in 40 minutes

Is really, really tough.

So there's a lot of
technique involved.

- Let's talk about the--
- [groans]

- The snapper,
the jamaican inspired snapper.

- Yeah, yeah,
that broke my heart.

- What happened there
by the way?

- It broke my heart.

- She cooked it on
a plancha grill.

- I think she just didn't
leave herself enough time

On the back end, you know?

- They've got to understand,

To get into that
top flight kitchen,

They've got to produce
a top flight dish.

- Absolutely.

For me, the pad thai
had a nice level of

Depth of flavor, but then
this chili is too much.

- They had to grab water.
I'm like [bleep].

- The one I was excited to
taste but didn't deliver.

The meatballs were so tiny.
- Yeah.

Listen, I mean,
that wasn't my favorite.

- That cabbage was raw.

- What do you mean?
- [bleep].

- And the other one
that's borderline for me,

Personally, was that tajine.
It was just dry.

- That was not a tajine.

- It's a shame.
Well, it's gonna be tight

To get to the top, but I think
it's obvious who's going in.

[tense music]

♪ ♪

Nyesha, rich, and I felt
there were

Three outstanding dishes today

That have earned their right

To cook in that
top-level kitchen.

Those three dishes were...

The tikka from india.

Omi, congratulations.

[applause]
- wow.

- Real authenticity.

- Thank you, chef.

[sighs]

I'm about to go up to
the third floor.

I'm beside myself right now.

- The next person moving to
the top,

The canadian poutine.

Michelle.
- Thank you.

[applause]

- Gravy to die for.
- Thank you, chef.

- Congrats.
- Thank you.

Finally, I got the validation
that I needed.

Poutine?
I didn't think that

That was gonna happen at all.

- The final person moving to
the top level

Is the one who cooked...

The italian veal parmesan.

Congratulations.
[applause]

Truffle in a veal parmesan?

Girl, you've got balls.

- I'm really proud of myself,
chef.

My nonna would be proud too.

- Very.

- I did my heritage proud.

Nonna is smiling down on me
right now, for sure.

- Now, the three bottom dishes.

These chefs will be
moving to the basement

For the next challenge,

But not before they cook in
that elimination cookoff.

The first dish heading into
the elimination is--

- Ok.

The first dish heading into
the elimination...

Is the jamaican red snapper.

Pilar, the timing got
the better of you tonight.

And we know you can
cook better than that.

- I agree.

The thought of someone
being eliminated

And that possibly being me--

I'm not ready to go home.
I have so much more to prove.

♪ ♪

- The second dish
into the elimination...

[tense music]

Is...

♪ ♪

It's the swedish meatballs.

Vinny, your passion is evident.

What we need now is
the finesse.

- Yes, chef.

I knew it. I knew I was gonna
be here. I knew it.

I'm just--mm--
disappointed.

- This third dish
didn't hit the mark.

The final dish in
the elimination is...

♪ ♪

The moroccan chicken tajine.

Preston,
it missed the mark completely.

- Yes, chef.

- You've been in that
elimination before.

You've cooked your way out
brilliantly.

You need to replicate that.
- Yes, chef, I will.

- Obviously that means

That shay, nuri, tini,
chris, and mehreen,

You'll be starting off in
that middle-level kitchen.

Understood?
All: Yes, chef.

- Ok.
Omi, michelle, and tucker,

Head back to the lounge,
put your feet up.

Well done.
[applause]

- Good job, guys.
- Really good job.

- I am feeling literally,
on top of the world.

- Michelle!

Well done, girl.
- Thank you. [laughs]

- Ok, pilar, vinny,
and preston, stay here.

The rest of you head into
the elevator, please.

- Only the strong survive,
baby.

It feels really good
to be safe.

But now I'm telling myself,

"all right, man, you gotta
get to that top level now."

- Now, for tonight's
elimination,

You're cooking
a classic french dish,

Duck a l'orange...

- Huh?

[chuckles]

You don't serve that
in the firehouse often.

- That we want you three
to modernize.

Understood?
All: Yes, chef.

- Right, from now on until
we reach the finale,

Each of us will take a turn
overseeing

The elimination cookoff,

While the other two will
blindly taste the dishes.

The very best of luck,
all of you.

Off you go.
- Good luck, chefs.

♪ ♪

- This is like my ride-or-die
moment right now.

If I don't cook something
to perfection,

I'm definitely going home.

- I know we're not a team,
but like,

Half my team's in
the elimination right now.

It's not amazing.

[cheers and applause]

- It's $250,000 on the line.

I ain't just doing this
for me.

I'm a single mother.
It's just me and my baby.

She just has me to depend on.

Today is not the day
for me to go home.

[cheers and applause]

- Right, you guys feeling good?

Yes?
- Yes, chef.

- Ok. Listen and focus.

- I am going against two pros

That probably make
duck l'orange in their sleep.

But I'm not intimidated.

You know, I'm the firefighter
that won't give up.

I'm gonna cook my heart out
tonight, for sure.

- Very best of luck to
all three of you, yeah?

- Thank you, chef.
- Line up, please. Let's go.

30 minutes to create
a next-level duck dish

To keep you in the competition.

Here it comes.

Your 30 minutes starts...

Now.
Off we go, guys.

[cheers and applause]

- I work good under pressure,

So maybe this is what I need
to just

Put the fire in my gut
and focus.

- One minute gone,
29 minutes remaining.

Let's go.
Right, young man.

Give me the inside the dish.
Where we going?

- So I'm gonna score it,
sear the duck fat.

I'm gonna make that into

My sauce as well.
- Good.

- I'm gonna just
keep it simple,

Don't over complicate things,

And really, just make
a tasty dish.

- Right, how you feeling?
- Feeling good, chef.

- Good. What you got?

- Try to do it more than
one way.

I want to do
a candy orange skin...

- Good.
- Orange reduction sauce,

And a orange herb salad on top.
- Nice.

Ok, make sure we elevate
this dish, yes?

- Yes, chef.

- Right, young man,
come on.

I've seen some of
your best things

In these cook offs, yeah?
What you doing?

- I'm gonna pan fry
my duck breast.

- Good.
- I want to make a nice glaze--

A hot glaze with it.
- Smart.

- Mashed potatoes--I've been
killing the mashed potatoes.

- Hey, the best mash.

Get those potatoes on, please.

Let's go.
- Yes, chef.

- So I saw you put oil
in there.

And then I saw you put butter
in there. Why?

- Just--just to help it out,

Start it off a little bit,
but--

- He added oil to his pan?
- And butter.

- Remember, butter burns.
- Yes, chef.

- Don't baste something
with burned butter, ok?

So be smart, so if
it's burning, start again.

I don't want you giving that
duck that burnt flavor, ok?

- Watch out.
Coming to the sink.

Watch out, watch out.

I'm a little bit concerned with
having to reset my pan.

I feel like I lost
a lot of those good flavors

That I was getting in
that duck.

But I would rather that than
have a burned taste in my duck.

- Who's looking strong?

- Pilar.
- Why?

- Seems like she's gonna
element it,

Using a different--
a lot of different forms

To really, you know,

Show the star of the orange in
the duck.

- Mehreen, who's got this?

- Even though preston's
never cooked it before,

He looks--
he looks like he's gonna win.

- Interesting.

- Chef ramsay smells so good,

I have forgotten about
the duck l'orange.

It just smells like an elegant,
smart, scary person.

It smells really good.

I don't know how else
to describe it.

- Right, 7 minutes gone,
23 minutes to go.

So when's that duck going on?
- Right now, chef.

- There's a secret.
Get it on early.

Ah, pilar?
- Yes, chef.

- Faster at that duck now.

11 minutes gone,

19 minutes to go.

Pilar, get that duck going,
girl, please.

- Yes, chef.
It's sizzling, chef.

- Oh, girl, you got to
turn that heat up.

That is too low.
- Yeah, that's still white.

- Tell me how you're gonna
plate this. Where we going?

- I'm gonna do a whipped cream
orange sauce on top.

That whipped cream,

I think it's gonna be
a great addition

And add beauty to my plate.

- So vinny's whipping cream.

You don't really add that
into a fatty duck breast.

Pilar?
- Yes, chef?

- This duck is just not moving.

Did you get the pan
on straight away?

- Yes, chef.

Not cooking fast enough.

And I'm just like screaming
in the inside.

- Crank up the oven.
Get it in the oven, please.

- Yes, chef.

- No, that is--
I mean, that is completely raw.

- Chef pilar,
if you do not perform,

Your butt is going home.

- Five minutes to go.

This is the dish that will save

Your position in the kitchen.

Preston,
duck is resting nicely.

- Yes, chef.

- That's a big weight off
your shoulders. Ok?

- Yes, chef.

- He's 19.
- He's so talented.

- 19.
- Like...

What was I doing at 19?

- At 19, I was busy trying to
get my groove on.

- I cannot tell you how
important it is,

Slicing that duck at
the very last minute.

- Yes, chef.

- Too early,
you'll turn it dry.

- Come on, vinny,
finish strong, baby.

- Vinny's slicing the duck now.
Why now?

It's always
the last thing you do

Before it goes on the plate.

2 and 1/2 minutes left.

[tense music]

- Come on, p, let's go, baby.

- Let's go. Let's go.
[applause]

- As I'm slicing my duck,
I see that nice pink color.

I'm like, thank you.

The duck is cooked perfectly.

- Come on, guys, let's go!

[cheers and applause]

- Off to the races.

- 90 seconds to go. Let's go!

♪ ♪

Well done.

The goodness is on the board.

I want the goodness
in the duck.

It's got to stay in the duck.

Make these plates beautiful.
Let's go.

- Oh, my god. It looks so good!

- You got this, vinny.
- Let's go, vinny.

- I've nailed the duck.
Perfect.

I think I got this today.

- 30 seconds to go.
Let's go!

Come on, guys.

- Let's go, guys.
- 30 seconds.

Sauce, guys.
Sauce, sauce, sauce, sauce.

♪ ♪

Ten, nine, eight, seven, six,

Five, four, three, two, one.

Nice job. Well done.

[cheers and applause]

- Way to leave it on the plate,
you guys.

- Well done.
- Good job, baby.

- Good job.

♪ ♪

Richard, nyesha, welcome back.
- Thank you.

- That was an extraordinary,
impressive, 30-minute cook.

- Wow.

- Three stunning dishes.

Let's start with
this one here first.

This is a duck that was roasted
skin side down,

Done with roasted vegetables
in duck fat.

- This looks like
the cover of a magazine.

It's vibrant, beautiful,

And the gumption and tenacity

To not even slice the duck.

Shows pure confidence.

♪ ♪

- The duck is cooked
beautifully.

♪ ♪

- Beautiful, medium--
medium means perfect.

What a modern dish.

I love the control
on the sauce.

- She crushed that.

That was executed beautifully.

- This dish,

Duck topped with some light
pickles and fried potatoes

Round the outside.

- When you slice a duck,

You don't want to
really sort of

Drown it in the sauce.

You should showcase that
beautiful cook on the duck.

[tense music]

♪ ♪

- Oh, boy.
- Oh.

They all had that face
where it was not--

Something's wrong with
the sauce.

- I love the jus.

However, for me,
it's a little bit sweet.

When you have a rich,
fatty duck,

You want something that sort of
cuts that fattiness.

- Duck is cooked
really, really well.

I like it.

- Our third and final dish.

This is a duck that sits over

A bed of creamy
mashed potatoes.

- Um, what is this--

This cream over here?
A meringue or--

- Fragrant-scented
whipped cream.

- Come on, vin.
I hope they love it.

- Me too.

- The cream's a little weird
but that's where

A lot of the orange flavor
comes through.

- Flavor-wise for me,
it's straightforward,

Honest, really beautiful.

♪ ♪

- Nyesha,
I want to come to you first.

I need to know,

Which duck dish are you gonna
be sending home?

♪ ♪

- The dish that
I'm sending home tonight is...

♪ ♪

- Oh, god.

♪ ♪

- For me, it's gonna be
the duck with the fried potato.

♪ ♪

- Preston.
- One vote on preston.

- Richard?

- For me, the duck that
I'm sending home tonight...

♪ ♪

Is the duck...

With the fried potatoes.

♪ ♪

- That dish was cooked by
preston.

- Oh, my gosh.

Wow.

- Oh, lord.

- Oh.

- Aw.

- Young man,
um, I am devastated.

You absolutely nailed
the cook on that duck.

Sadly,
the dish is somewhat lacking

As a completed dish.

- I wanted to be
the next level chef.

And obviously, it wasn't me.
[chuckles]

But taking a step back
and reflecting, like,

I did my first flambe with
gordon freaking ramsay.

- Your culinary journey is
just starting.

- Like, this journey has been
so amazing.

I got to experience it with
three of

The biggest culinary giants
in the world.

Thank you for having me.

- Another one bites the dust.

- Ah.
- Yeah.

- Well done.
[applause]

Ok?
- Thank you, chef.

- Well done.

At 19 years of age,

I, gordon ramsay, was not
cooking at that level.

Take this moment and
continue the climb.

Good luck, young man.

Take care.

- Hey, I can't wait to see you
at your big restaurant

In a couple years.

You're gonna be
the best chef on earth,

You know that?

[voice breaking]
I'm very proud of my--myself.

[breathes deeply]

I am not a professional cook,

But I just knocked out
one of the best prodigies

In the culinary community.

I have a lot of passion,

And here I am,
still in the fight.

- [groans]

- I proved that
I deserve to be here.

And I'm gonna use this
as my motivation.

I'm a underdog
but I'm used to that.

- Good job, preston.

- Good job, buddy.

[applause]

♪ ♪

- We've lost one of the most
talented youngsters

In the country today.

And this is what
you're facing now.

Next time we see you,

It's going up another level.

Good night.
All: Night, chef.

- Thank you, chef.

- You too.
- You got it.

♪ ♪

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

Richard, nyesha, and myself
would like to congratulate you

For making it to the top ten.

Come on!
[applause]

For today's challenge,
we're heading to a place

Where every chef makes
their first real impression:

Amazing appetizers.

- If you mess this up, bro,
no excuses.

- All right, guys, 40 minutes
starts now. Let's go.

- Vinny?
- Yeah?

- Be smart.

- I'm in the competition,
not you.

- Is that what you grabbed?
- Yeah.

- That's
a good diabolical laugh.

- [evil laugh]

♪ ♪