Original subtitles

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

- The winner of tonight's time token is michelle.

- Nice, michelle. - Yeah!

- Cooking in tonight's elimination--

Tini, nuri,

And tucker.

And go.

- That mentorship is everything to me.

You bet I'm gonna fight for it.

- The dish I'm eliminating is--

- --The chicken. - Tini.

[applause]

- I'm coming out a better chef.

And I didn't even consider myself

A chef before this challenge.

- And tonight--

- Go, go, go, go!

- You won't be cooking a winning dish.

You'll be baking it.

- First time baking something from scratch

And that it's gonna go in gordon ramsay's mouth.

- You got to go! Let's go!

Go!

- [bleep]!

- Chocolate cake is not life or death, right?

- It is here.

[knives shinging]

[dramatic rock music]

[elevator dings]

♪ ♪

[timer ringing]

♪ ♪

[dramatic music]

♪ ♪

- Welcome back.

You guys are looking energized.

- [laughs] - let's be honest,

The magnificent seven.

- Ooh. - Yes, chef.

- Ok.

- Tucker, after that elimination cook off,

How are you feeling? - Excellent, chef.

Everybody gets a bad day.

And you know, when you fall down, you get right back up

And keep swinging.

- Tucker's always been front of the pack, front of the pack,

Front of the pack.

You can be a hot-shot cook in this competition.

But like, you know, what happens when the pressure

Starts to build on you?

- Trust me, I've had thousands of those days.

- I'm here to win so I can continue teaching and pass

On that knowledge. Because I really

Do believe that at the heart of the day, food is love.

- Every single one of you has the crucial ingredients

To become a next level chef.

The question is, can you rise above the rest?

[together] yes, chef!

- This would be your toughest challenge yet.

And that's because today you won't

Be cooking a winning dish.

You'll be baking it.

- [exhales]

[whispering] I hate baking.

I hate it.

- We're giving you 60 minutes to bake

Us a next level dessert.

Excited-- - yes, chef.

- Let's go.

- --Or terrified?

- Both. - Both:

- I love baking so much.

I built and decorated my best friend's wedding cake.

I take cake orders for people's birthdays.

So this feels personal right now.

[laughs]

- The precision required to bake beautifully is an art.

Any next level chef should have at least one crowd-pleasing

Dessert up their sleeve.

- But each one of you should be able to bake

Something delicious that also looks amazing.

- Desserts should be the most fun part of the meal.

- This is a stress test like no other.

We're really gonna see who the real chefs are here.

- Ok, michelle, your last dish was exceptional.

It earned you that incredible time token.

So now, you've got a big decision to make.

Do you take those 10 seconds for yourself

And grab the ultimate ingredients?

Or do you take 10 seconds off one of your competitors?

- I'm not comfortable baking.

I'm gonna do my best.

Given my past experiences with those grabs

Being a little bit late, I need the extra time for myself.

- That's a very wise decision.

Not comfortable with that grab, 10 seconds is a godsend.

So, michelle and mehreen, I will be

Up with you in that top level kitchen every step of the way.

Both of you, head to the elevator and good luck.

[tense music]

Good luck, ladies.

[hydraulics whirring

- Here we go.

[clapping]

- Being in the top kitchen with michelle

Is such a wonderful moment.

I'm not the only one going through this type

Of journey of feeling like an amateur

But trying to grow into a pro.

- Me and you. - Yay.

- Yay.

[elevator door opening]

- It's a huge stepping stone for us as home cooks.

We earned our place here.

This is crazy.

What the heck are we doing here?

[laughter]

Why are there only two of us? - I know.

[laughs]

[hydraulics whirring

- Baking day.

Baking day. Baking day.

[elevator dings]

♪ ♪

- Today's challenge is my most feared.

There are a lot of ways you can go wrong.

[chuckles] so that control part of me hates it.

[hydraulics whirring

- My ass out this basement today.

Baby, let's go.

I've been in elimination two times before.

So for me, it's just about moving up into that top level.

- A depressingly short ride.

- I don't want to be in that basement.

I hate the basement.

[elevator dings]

Burnt-up, beat-up mixers.

The oven looks like it was made in frickin' 1600s.

- You found the tops? - Are they over here?

- I don't know.

Scavenger hunt for the tops.

Baking and pastry in the basement?

Come on, man, this is hard.

[chuckles] I hate this so much.

[elevator dings]

[elevator door opening]

- All right, how are we doing?

Feeling good, tucker?

Honored to be working with both of you.

The big dogs are in the basement today, huh?

- Yes, chef.

[elevator dings] [applause]

- Yes! First time together.

Boom - yes, chef.

Yeah. - Boom.

[applause]

I like your positioning.

How do we feel about baking?

- Great.

- We've done savory this entire competition.

So this is an amazing time to see

The range that you chefs have.

- After being in the basement, there's only one way,

And it's up.

I want to prove it to myself that I can

Get to that top kitchen again.

But I don't bake often.

I fry more than I bake.

♪ ♪

[elevator dings]

- Right, we good?

- Yes, chef. - How we feeling?

- Good.

- You had the best dish last time round

And earned yourself that amazing time token.

So 60 minutes, good luck. Come on.

- Thank you, chef. - Line up.

Let's go.

Stand by, guys, yes?

When that goes green, michelle goes for 10 seconds.

So I'll give you the countdown.

- Perfect.

- Stand by.

Good luck to you both, yes?

Make it count.

Here we go.

Michelle, when that goes green.

Ok, let's go.

- I see graham crackers.

I see cream cheese.

I see goat cheese.

And I immediately think cheesecake.

- Let's go.

- I'm feeling very blessed to be in the top kitchen today,

Because in this challenge, if you're missing one ingredient,

Your dessert might not come together.

- 4, 3, 2, 1.

Let's go, mehreen.

Let's go.

- I'm seeing tons of peaches.

I know that I can make a dessert out of anything

On that platform, and it'd be delicious,

But I am a georgia peach myself, so I'd love to bake

Something to reflect that.

- It's going, ladies. It's going.

Go, go, go.

- Platform's coming, guys.

Go!

Go, go, go, go!

Let's go, guys.

Every single thing that you need.

- Ding-dong, baby.

There's two nice cans of coconut milk.

I grab some kumquats.

I grab pineapple.

I'm making a coconut pastry cream tart

With confit kumquats and kombucha squash.

We are in a good spot. - [yelps]

- Oh, I'm sorry. Sorry, sorry, sorry.

- Come on. Come on, pilar.

- Jam.

- Go.

There it is.

Fast start.

- The grab is one of the more challenging aspects

Of the competition, because it definitely depends

What kitchen you're on.

But dessert of choice, definitely chocolate cake.

I grab cocoa powder.

I grab chocolate.

Sounds like a good time to me.

- 3, 2, 1.

All right, there we go.

Ok.

All right, your time starts now.

60 minutes to go, an amazing baked dessert.

- Showtime, baby.

- Ok, nuri, what did you grab, and what are you making?

- I'm gonna do a citrus tart, sweet-crust pastry,

And I'm gonna make a nice flavor chantilly cream.

- Ok, got it.

- I'm thinking I'll make a mango pineapple sauce to--

Oh, this knife is trash. Wow.

- Ok. - --To go with it.

- That's gonna be beautiful.

- Yes, chef.

- Do you bake a lot at home?

- Actually, sometimes I make a good sweet potato pie,

Pecan pie. - Oh, are you kidding?

- So yeah, I do. Yeah, yeah.

- I think pecan pie is my favorite all-time holiday pie.

- Me too, chef.

- It's also the sweetest thing I've ever tasted in my life.

- It is, chef. It is.

- It's not sweeter than getting out of this basement.

- Yes, chef, getting out-- - let's go.

- --Of this basement. - Let's go.

All right, tucker, what are we making?

- I'm gonna be making a fudgy chocolate

Cake, chocolate pastry cream.

- Ok, decadent and chocolate, right?

- Oui. - That's where we're going.

Ok, classic.

- I'm not really a sweet kind of person.

I have the sweetness inside.

- Who does the baking on the holidays?

- Somebody else, chef.

- Listen, every chef needs to have these skills,

And the key here is just making sure

That the flour gets worked in but you don't lose

The volume in there.

Your hair, my hair. Come on.

Let's go. Let's go.

- Team hair, chef, team hair. - Yes, exactly.

Ok, 55 minutes are left.

- So tell me about this dessert.

What's it called?

- Spicy peaches and cream cake.

- I love the idea.

You tasted the cornmeal, why?

- I want to get the nuttiness out of that cornmeal

So that the flavor shines and adds to,

Like, the bite of the cornmeal.

It's a little toothsome.

- You bake a lot at home, right?

- More than I cook.

Chocolate chip cookies are my favorite food.

I've had them every day of my life, thanks to my mom.

[chuckles] just grew up always wanting

To make my own desserts.

Dessert is my favorite meal of the day.

I plan everything around dessert.

- Mom and dad, what are their thoughts

Of you baking and being this talented chef on the rise?

- She said, "that's why you took photos of your food

Your entire life?"

[laughs] and she's really proud that something happened

With it, because when they moved to this country,

They didn't know that this is what could be possible.

- The american dream, right?

- Yes, exactly.

- Top seven, young lady.

Around the corner is the finale.

Yeah? - I'm there, chef.

- This could be one step in that direction.

- Thank you, chef.

- So tell me about this cheesecake.

- We're doing lemon zest, cream cheese, goat cheese.

I usually don't do dessert.

This is something that just sounds good to me.

I'm kind of winging it.

First time that I'm actually gonna

Be baking something from scratch

And that it's gonna go in gordon ramsay's mouth

Is not a great feeling.

- So cheesecake, sort of the plain jane of desserts.

- Yes.

- This needs to be an exceptional cheesecake.

- Absolutely. - We're on the top floor,

So we're expecting the most attractive desserts.

The equipment is here, right?

Imagine what it's like down the basement cooking dessert now?

- No.

- Are you kidding me, with those ovens down there?

Brutal. Brutal.

- Pilar. - Yes, chef.

- What's your roadmap?

- Tequila, lime, chocolate cake with a strawberry sauce.

- Beautiful. - And maybe a little zest.

- Like a compote? - Yes, chef.

- Nice. Yes, chef.

- Very cool.

- Me and my daughter do the holiday

Cookies, cupcakes.

That's about it.

[laughs] I'm hoping that she wants to become

The pastry part of the empire.

Learn all the things that mommy doesn't know how to do.

- Last time, how was it for you?

- It was rough, chef. - Wow.

- [yelps]

[plate clatters]

[bleep].

- Wow. - But I'm a fighter.

I'm here to stay. - Yeah, you are.

Clearly, that's why you're here.

I don't doubt that for a second,

And you shouldn't either. - Yeah.

- You know what I mean?

It's all about the determination

And the will to succeed. - Yes, chef.

I'm anxious.

I'm nervous.

And I know that I have to redeem myself.

- Talk to me about your game plan.

- I'm making buñuelos de viento.

- Amazing.

- This is a dessert that I grew up eating and a desert

That my boys absolutely love.

- Wow.

- Growing up in puerto rico, my grandmother used to make us

Buñuelos de viento.

They're like round fried donuts.

But this being a baking challenge,

I am going to be baking some and frying some.

- Like a choux pastry? - Yes.

- You cook that flour out. - Yes.

- The choux pastry is most important right now.

Otherwise, you don't have anything to fill.

Yes, biceps.

- Welcome to the gun show.

- Hey, I see you. - [laughs]

- Be careful, don't rip that shirt.

Don't rip that shirt, omi.

- [laughs]

- Chris, first time in the kitchen with you.

- I know, this is very exciting.

You get to see if I'm all about what I'm all about, right?

[laughs] - hey, you've made it this far.

You clearly belong here. - Exactly.

Talk to me about your dessert.

- So as a kid, me and my parents

Used to go to this thai restaurant

In town that had this amazing pumpkin custard dessert

That I loved.

So this is basically gonna be my take on it in a tart.

- How is the kabocha being incorporated?

- This guy is gonna get roasted and cut into a little disc

To go on top of here.

- Do you live in the middle level?

You think I haven't noticed? [laughs]

- I know. - This is your kitchen.

- I'm trying to get out.

It feels like today is gonna be the day that I finally

Kick down the door that's been holding

Me into the middle kitchen.

I'm getting out of here and in the top level kitchen,

I promise you.

This is where the rubber meets the pavement, baby.

- I want to see some beautiful desserts, guys.

Keep baking.

Both: Yes, chef!

- What do we have here?

- Whipped chocolate ganache and--

- This is separating.

Did moisture get in here?

- Yeah, I think some water from the--

- Throw it out.

Mm-mm. Come on, pilar.

- [groans] it just looks horrible.

It's not next level quality.

How embarrassing.

This is the day from hell.

- I truly need pilar to pull it together

And give her dish the recognition that it deserves.

I cannot have another bad dish from pilar.

- Come on, pilar. I need no liquid in this, ok?

- Yes, chef. - That's what seizing

Your chocolate up.

Are you going with chocolate or are you just

Going neutral whip? - I'ma just go neutral, chef.

- Tell me your thoughts, you know, it being neutral.

- I'ma go neutral.

I have chocolate already, the ganache.

- I love it. - I'll be fine.

- Don't overthink it. It's whipped cream, chef.

That's the easiest component of your dish right now.

- Yes, chef. - Come on.

- I'm gonna scrap the chocolate mousse idea.

And I'm just gonna do a whipped cream.

- I don't want you to cook in a reactionary state.

I need you to get in front of your dish right now.

- I want the mentors to see this girl

Is not gonna give up.

[laughs] - bring it home, pilar.

- Bring it home.

- You got this.

- Get that in the oven, will you, please?

Yes? - Yes, absolutely, chef.

- Ok.

So, guys, it's time for that mid-round mayhem.

A bounty of berries along with other ingredients

To really elevate.

Let's go, second grab, guys.

- It is berries.

I already have beautiful figs.

But like why not throw some berries into the mix?

- Red currants, strawberries.

And-- oh.

- I got some blackberries. - Mmm.

- Mid-round mayhem! - Yes!

- Make sure it makes sense with your dish.

- Yes, chef. - Hurry up.

- Gooseberries.

- Incorporate berries into your dish, yes?

- Done.

- Great.

- You can grab anything that's on the platform,

But grab at least one berry.

- Super happy to see some nice fruits.

Definitely a welcome drop over here.

- Five seconds left.

- I'm just grabbing berries, baby.

I'm going berry crazy here.

- Ok. - Very delicious, chef.

- What kind of berries did you grab?

- Blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries, chef.

- Well, what really the question is, what kind

Of berries did you not grab? - Did I not grab, chef.

- You got all the berries. - Oh, yeah, baby.

- Ok.

Tucker, you have the tray nice and buttered or oiled, right,

So that's gonna be able to pop off of there?

- Hopefully, chef. - Yeah, don't doubt yourself.

Don't doubt yourself, right?

I've seen your food, and you're an incredible cook.

One-year mentorship, $250,000 on the line.

You do whatever you got to do.

- The basement is terrible.

There's definitely no cake pans in here.

And when you bake a cake, you probably

Should have a cake pan.

- And right into the oven.

Have you ever seen an oven like that?

I mean, maybe at the gas station to, like,

Warm up some nachos.

But we're in the basement.

Good thing about that whole tray is,

There's gonna be some extra for me, I think, tucker.

- [chuckles] maybe a little for you, chef.

No problem.

- Guys, halfway down, yes?

- Halfway, yes, chef.

- 30 minutes to go.

Whatever needs to be baked and cooling needs

To be in the oven right now.

- Yes, chef.

- Yeah.

Baking is a science.

And I did not go to that class of baking or science.

[laughs]

- How's it feel being one of the last social media

Chefs here?

- [sighs] that's incredible, chef.

- You've hugged my soul with some of your dishes.

- Thank you, chef.

I'm seeing 10-year veterans, and here is me,

A mom who loves to cook who turned into

A social media chef.

Come on, baby. Let's go.

Got years of experience that

They know what to do with.

- Oh, god, that smells good.

- And they can intimidate you.

In my case, I'm going to cook fearless.

Today's the day.

- Come on, chris. - Yes, chef.

Right behind you, coming around.

My tart dough is the one thing that I'm sort of still

Worried about.

It's got to get blind baked.

And then the weights come out.

And then you bake it so that the rest of it

Gets cooked fully through.

- We're starting to whip up.

What's that for?

- I'm gonna wrap the bottom of these pans.

- You should've done that to begin with.

Let's get them in the oven, yes?

- Thank you, chef. - You got to go, girl.

Let's go.

This is a tough one.

Michelle's going down the cheesecake route.

My one worry is the base is way too thick.

A cheesecake is about that creamy texture, not the base.

Mehreen, on the other hand,

She's doing like a cornmeal cake.

But corn, it's very hard, very gritty.

For me, right now, the jury's out.

- Baking is so sweaty.

- I know. I'm so hot right now.

- Young lady-- - yep?

- --You've never been in an elimination.

I don't want to send you in one now.

- I don't want to go to one. - Ok, so come on, let's go.

There you go.

Yeah?

Good.

- I'm the only chef that hasn't been in elimination.

And that is absolutely absurd.

- It's going fast. - Top seven, top six,

Top five, finale. - Yep.

I want to get there.

- Well, focus on this, please? Yes?

- I'm focused, yes. - Keep it going.

Let's go. Let's go.

Let's go.

Cornmeal out? - Cornmeal out.

- Good. You don't soak that, do you?

No?

- I can make a soak.

- Depends what kind of texture you want, remember?

- Right.

- You've got plenty of time.

- I've made peaches and cornmeal cake

Many times before.

The cake is nowhere near dry.

I'm confident.

I don't need a cake soak.

- You got your tart shell working?

- I'll take my tart shell out and let it cool down a bit.

I'm just wanting to make sure my tart shell is

Baked properly and make sure the dough is not raw.

That's the most important thing for me.

- That's your chantilly cream?

- Yes, chef.

- You got your curd chilling?

- Yes, chef.

- Bring it together.

Ok, so I mean, nuri has got a lot on his plate.

He's doing a citrus curd tart.

So he's got his own dough.

He's got to blind bake the dough.

He's got to make citrus curd.

He's got all these berries.

But it's just a lot of work.

And then for tucker, I'm worried that the cake is

A little loose and a little fudgy,

And it's not gonna be a perfect slice for her.

I have an incredible track record of getting

People out of the basement.

I stand by it.

I'm getting someone out of the basement today.

- How are we feeling in here? - Good, chef.

- We're good, chef.

- I have the plan blueprinted in my head.

The schematic is ready for this plate to come together.

I'm just right now waiting on the tart crusts to cool off.

Oh, mama.

Whoo!

- Tart shells are cool? - They're a little warm, but--

- Be careful.

- Because if I go for this pastry cream in like

A piping-hot tart crust, it's gonna come right out,

And then the tart shell is not gonna be good.

- Get that cooling, chef chris. - Yes, chef.

- You can't put it in there hot. Let's go.

- Yes, chef.

So I tossed it in the freezer.

And I am just pacing back and forth in full-blown panic

Mode like a psychopath.

[tense music]

I am not going home because of a botched thai desert.

I'm pacing like a madman.

I can't go out like this!

Cool off, baby.

Cool off.

Chris.

- I'm feeling the pressure right now

Just because of my tart crust.

But besides that, everything else is

Locked and loaded and ready to go.

The tart hasn't totally cooled down.

I have it in the freezer on a tray on top of ice.

- Seven minutes. - Seven minutes.

- Heard that seven. - Seven.

I want beautiful dishes out of this middle level, team.

- Yes, chef. - Heard that, chef.

It is game time, baby.

I grab that tart shell right out of the freezer--

- Chris, you thinking about your plate?

- Thinking real hard, chef.

- Love that.

- --Get a nice smear of the pastry cream.

Any chef loves a well-executed tart.

We are good to go.

It is nostalgia, old memories of my family.

It is money in the bank today, baby.

♪ ♪

- We're ready to open up our own bake shop down here.

- Yes, chef. - Yeah, we are.

- And I like it. And you're going tart?

- Because it needs a little brightness

From that chocolate cake. It's gonna be super fudgy.

- I think that's smart. Good call.

Just again, presentation-wise, making sure that that's not

Running all over the place.

I want to make sure that the amount of sauce

Is appropriate for the thing that's there.

- Heard that, chef.

- Always thinking of the eater.

- Sure are.

- You didn't start out being a cook, did you?

- No, I went to nursing school.

I got my bachelor's in health sciences and spanish.

- Ok, so that's why you're so good under pressure, though.

- Sure, I mean, when a patient's having a problem,

You don't get to panic. - Right.

- I mean, you can on the inside,

But you can't let it affect what you're doing.

- I mean, as important as this is, a chocolate cake

Is not life or death, right?

- It is here. - It is here. I love that.

- I think when people get down in this basement,

The underdog mentality takes over down here.

- Yes, chef.

- They fight hard to get out of here.

[upbeat music]

- How high are we going with this stack?

Where are we going?

- I'm gonna start with two layers.

If it can hold three, that's fine.

- Good.

Did you put a soak on there?

- No, I haven't done a soak.

- What a shame.

Five minutes to go.

- I'm running out of time.

My cakes haven't set.

I'm gonna need to get them in the blast chiller.

I haven't even made the berry sauce.

- Quick.

- Thank you, chef.

- This is [bleep] disaster.

[tense music]

- Oh, omi, these look delicious!

- Right out of here.

- Start composing.

Make sure you're ready to plate.

Stay ready so you don't have to get ready.

Filling? - About to fill.

- Beautiful.

Nice puff.

- They're beautiful, golden on the outside,

And they feel nice and light on the inside,

So I know that they're ready.

And I'm so happy with how they turned out.

- Here we go.

- You good, chris? - Yes.

This is what I made before.

I did a pop-up back in west palm beach

Where I did it in the whole kombucha squash.

- Beautiful. Love to see it.

- I doing a tart is exciting for me,

Because nothing to me screams love than,

Like, a perfectly executed tart.

- Absolutely. Visualize the win.

- Let's do it.

- Focus on the size of what's going on your plate

First, michelle, ok?

- Yes, chef.

- The hero is the cheesecake, ok?

- Let's go, mehreen.

Good.

Again, michelle, the cheesecake is the most important thing.

Get that on first and then the garnish.

- All right, blais' basement, we got two minutes

Left only, ok?

Now, it's about making this look beautiful and delicious.

Let's start getting it on a plate now, yep?

It's go time.

Ok, that's good, just make sure we're getting

Everything on the plate, nuri. - Yes, chef.

- Ok.

- I'm kind of thinking maybe should I just

Put the cream directly on the plate instead

Of these little corny cups?

But I'm happy.

Visually, the dish looks beautiful.

- Let's go.

- Gotta go.

- It's beautiful plates, working with intention.

Platform's headed down, guys.

One minute left. - Heard that, chef.

- One minute! - Yes, chef.

[tense music]

♪ ♪

- All right, the platform is here.

You got to get your plates over there.

Be gentle, nuri.

- I'm hoping the tart shell is perfect.

I'm worried that it's maybe slightly underdone.

I hope that they don't rip me apart for that.

- 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

Way to bake, chefs.

[clapping]

- [laughs]

- Here we go.

Platform's here.

Let's go.

Let's go, omi.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

♪ ♪

- Come on.

Hurry up!

- I am just completely flustered.

My cheesecake, I can't get it out of the mold.

I've never used one of these things before.

Chef.

- Gently.

20 seconds to go.

- The time is ticking, and I feel like a crazy person.

Is it supposed to just lift out?

- Yeah, it does. Lift it off.

Gently now.

Ok, underneath.

Lift, lift, lift!

There you go.

[clapping] 15 seconds to go.

We've got to go.

- I basically throw it on the plate, and it is everywhere.

- We've got to go.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

Michelle! - [groans]

- You've got to go! Let's go!

Go! Go!

Go! - [groans]

It was a mess.

It literally looked like I dropped it

From the top kitchen to the basement kitchen.

- [bleep]. [bleep].

- Oh, god.

I'm going to elimination today.

That was a mess.

[tense music]

[elevator dings]

[tense music]

♪ ♪

- I'm feeling like absolute trash.

I basically threw my plate on the platform.

So at this point, I don't even know what it looks like.

I need a miracle.

- Richard, nyesha, shall we? - Yes, please.

- Let's.

- Let's start in the basement.

- This is a citrus tart with a tropical fruit marmalade,

If you will, and then some whipped chantilly cream.

- Visually, it looks sort of pedestrian.

The tart is way undercooked.

- It's a bit confusing how this dish

Is intended to be enjoyed.

It's a bit compartmentalized.

Just make one beautiful tart shell.

- Yeah, this one's tough, because the concept is here.

The curd is delicious, just not together as a beautiful dish.

Ok, over here, we have a chocolate cake

With a raspberry cremeux, fresh fruit, and a little bit

Of raspberry coulis as well.

- Visually, it looks nice.

- When there's a sauce like this,

I want to be able to enjoy that sauce.

A nice little puddle to really ensure that we can actually

Go in there and taste that.

- Thank you.

♪ ♪

- I think the only thing I want to say

Is a little bit more depth, a bit thicker, a bit more

Confidence in the cook here.

It's a shame.

- I think a deeper pan would help

Create those layers and depth of flavor so it's more moist.

- It's tastier than the dish looked.

- Shall we move to the middle?

- Please.

- Nyesha, please, what do we have?

- First up, we have the buñuelo, a fried choux pastry

And also baked as well.

This is filled with a coconut crema with a wild berry sauce.

- Visually, it looks beautiful.

It's like a sort of dessert trolley

In a top five-star hotel.

♪ ♪

I just want to say, the cook inside that choux pastry

Is absolutely spot on.

- The choux pastry here is superb.

- [chuckles] I'm so happy to be able

To represent my culture and show

The world what I could do.

- Next up, we have a chocolate cake.

This is garnished with fresh berries

With some texture coming from candied pecans.

♪ ♪

There's freshness coming from the berries.

Nothing is over sweet or cloying.

- This is a chocolate cake that's just fudgy

Enough and not too dense.

- The actual hero, the cake, is just off the charts.

- Oh my god, I pulled it off.

[chuckles]

- Next up, we have a coconut tart.

This is garnished with kabocha squash and candied kumquats

And pineapple.

- The eye-catching moment for me, it's just

The thinness of that pastry.

And it is wafer thin, but cooked beautifully.

And that shows great skill.

Beautiful.

- Kabocha squash has a lovely sweetness that plays really

Nicely with the coconut.

- Beautiful.

- I could kick a door down right now with how happy I am.

And on a pastry day, no less.

This is me just letting everyone know

That I'm still here and I'm still very

Much in this game to win it.

- All three of these dishes, personally,

Some of the best food I've tasted in this competition.

Should we move to the top floor?

- Yes.

- Let's start with a cornmeal cake.

This is done with a puree of peaches.

And then there's a creme patisserie and a peach puree

Around the outside.

- I love the height on it.

It looks fantastic.

- I love the structure of this.

I'm really impressed.

♪ ♪

- Yeah, I love the idea of cornbread as a cake base.

There's just a little too much of it, right?

It's not soaked.

There's not enough cream to match the dryness of the corn.

- Yeah, there's a sort of gritty texture

That's happening in my palate, but it's not unpleasant.

- When you start tasting that,

It does need a soaking,

Because it's heavy, that corn, right?

Yeah, it's a shame.

- I'm so disappointed.

I know how to bake a cake.

And I don't want my last impression here

To be the mistakes that I've made today.

[tense music]

- Ok, so visually, you have to sort of put your sunglasses

On for this one.

This is a classic baked cheesecake.

It's done with a graham cracker.

Unfortunately, this young lady forgot the dessert

Needed to hit the platform.

I hope it tastes better than it looks.

- This has got all the right components here,

But it's just not quite set.

- It's undercooked.

- You just run out of time to execute it.

- My plate was an actual disaster,

But I feel like I have a lot of fight left in me,

And I don't want to go home.

- Excuse us.

♪ ♪

- Hell, no. No.

- What went on with your floor?

Seriously? - They were focused.

Thanks.

When she pulled that choux pastry out of the oven,

It was really beautiful.

- A really great example of just

Do what you know how to do. - Yeah.

- 100%.

- The chocolate is hard.

It looks dense, but it was not.

It was creamy and fudgy sort of chocolate cake.

That coconut cream pie, absolutely stunning.

And the thinness on the tart shell, next level.

And to cook it that way.

- That was perfection.

Ok, let's talk about cheesecake nightmares,

Because that was a shocker.

- Too buttery, too cheesy, not set.

And the crumb on the graham cracker didn't set.

- What happened?

Getting under-- getting away from you?

- I just never made a cake before, so...

- Oh, so you were like--

- This was me-- - --here we go.

- --Learning on the job.

- Oh my god. - Yeah.

- And then the corn cake.

Just very heavy.

- Like, it looks so delightful.

It's just dry, and there's not enough cream on it.

- Basement, richard, the tart wasn't even half full.

- The curd was tasty. - Yeah.

- But, yeah, a mess.

- That chocolate cake--

- Too thin for me. Too thin.

- Yes.

- We've got to come up with the best dish.

And the good news is we have three,

And we know what floor they're on.

♪ ♪

Ok, I'm gonna cut straight to the chase.

The first two dishes moving to the top level belong to--

[tense music]

Chris.

[applause]

Young man, that tart was amazing.

- Thank you, chef.

Right now, I just have the "star wars"

Theme song playing in my head, like, on full blast.

I'm so excited right now.

- The next dish headed to the top level is--

Omi.

[applause]

Those buñuelos, extraordinary.

Yeah, well done.

- Thank you, chef.

- The winner of the time token, a huge advantage at this stage

Into the competition, especially in the top six.

Congratulations goes to--

Omi.

[applause]

- Whoo!

Get it, girl!

[cheers and applause]

- Good job, omi!

- Good job, girl.

- That was well-earned.

Great job.

- I'm very proud of myself.

I'm so proud of this cook.

I really pushed myself to really show my heritage

And show my culture.

It just reassures me that I am--

I'm staying in a good lane.

- All right, chris, listen, you may have missed the time token,

But you are finally moving to the top level, man.

- Yeah.

- I'm proud of you, dude.

- Thank you, chef.

- Now for the not such good news.

The first dish that will cook in elimination--

And it should come as no surprise, but it pains me,

Because I've been behind this young

Lady every step of the way--

--Belongs to michelle.

You understand why, right?

- I do, chef.

- The next dish that will cook in the elimination

Belongs to--

[tense music]

Mehreen.

Richard said it.

It was just too much corn, too dense, too heavy,

And a lot going on there.

- I have to say my pride is hurt a little bit.

I don't want to go home on baking day.

I'm not gonna let that happen.

- The final person cooking

In tonight's elimination is--

[tense music]

[tense music]

- The final person cooking in tonight's elimination--

And it pains me, is--

♪ ♪

Nuri.

[somber music]

The curd, exceptional.

The hardest bit done.

The rest of it just not up to the next level standards.

I didn't want to see you in there again.

It's your third in a row.

- I'm upset with myself.

This is what I wanted to do ever since three years old.

And then I just get sent back into elimination,

So it's just like--

I just feel like I failed.

- Ok, so obviously, that means that tucker and pilar,

You're both moving to the middle level.

But omi and chris, you're headed to the top.

You're both safe.

And you can head back to the lounge

And watch the elimination from there.

- Thank you, chef. - Really well done.

- See you soon. - Good job.

[applause] - good job, guys.

- Chris, well done. - Thank you, chef.

- Proud of you. Omi! - Yes, chef.

- Can I have the recipe, please?

- Yes, chef!

- So we're gonna be switching it up from desserts--

- Thank god.

- --To the first meal of the day

With a classic, eggs benedict.

[upbeat music]

- I love eggs benedict.

It's not something I'm necessarily

Making on a regular basis.

But it's something I order from the diner all

The time when I'm hungover.

[chuckles]

- A traditional eggs benedict takes

So much skill to get right.

So tonight, I need you three to make it count.

Ok, pilar, tucker, you can head to the elevator.

We need a moment with these three.

Congratulations.

- Thank you, chef.

- [laughs]

- Well done, ladies.

- Good job.

[tense music]

- [exhales]

- All of you, it's got to be down to that velvety

Hollandaise sauce.

There's no fast-tracking that.

And that yolk bursting over that ham, spinach muffin.

Whatever way you're taking it.

- Ok, all three of you, head to the elevator.

I'll see you up there soon. - Yes, chef.

- Good luck. - Good luck, everyone.

- Let's go, nuri. - Come on, michelle.

Let's go, girl.

- Magazine cover, mehreen. - Let's go.

- Flavor.

- Don't leave it to late before poaching the egg.

[hydraulics whirring

- All right, guys.

- Even though I've been in elimination two times before,

This one feels a little bit different--

- Come on, guys! [clapping]

- --More on the line, more at stake for me.

I want to get into top six so bad.

I'm not ready to go home.

- All right, everyone. How are we doing?

Both: Good, chef.

- So here we go, listen, every next level

Eggs benedict usually features

A protein as well, right?

30 minutes; for one of you,

The last 30 minutes, unfortunately.

Hands on the elevator.

Let's go.

- I am very nervous.

I've never cooked a dish in 30 minutes.

It's a lot of pressure.

- The platform's not gonna go anywhere, right?

Lots of flavors over there.

What's gonna take the longest to make?

30 minutes, your best eggs benedict dish.

Let's go! - Get it, mich.

Get it. - Ok, guys, get it.

- I run to the platform.

I grab the lobster, even though that's

Probably risky because you could overcook the lobster.

But I'm like, I want the challenge.

- Someone's grabbed the salmon.

Michelle's got the shrimp.

- I grab the shrimp.

I'm super excited, but I'm also like, they're not clean.

They still have heads on.

Right away, I start ripping them

Off and cleaning them out.

- Michelle, what are we making?

- I want to do some beautiful, panko-fried shrimp with

A tarragon-type hollandaise.

- It's also called a béarnaise.

That's what that is. - News to me.

Turns out all these years I've been making

Fancy béarnaise sauces, not hollandaise.

Who knew?

- Nuri, what are we making?

- I'm making a lobster benedict.

Chef, I'm gonna make a nice hollandaise,

Use the clarified butter, fried green tomatoes,

And some crispy bacon.

- You're making your sauce already?

- Yes, chef. - Ok.

- I'm just getting it started.

I'm gonna put some cayenne in the end

And some clarified butter.

- Ok, got it.

Mehreen, what did you grab? What are you making?

- I grabbed kimchi.

I grabbed salmon.

I'm gonna make a fried salmon cake, kimchi hollandaise.

I'm just getting the salmon cooked so I can just

Shred it into these scallions.

- Salmon cakes, you bit off a lot, ok?

- When I hear chef blais tell me that I have a lot going on,

My brain just says, "time to prove

To him that you can do a lot when you have a lot going on."

[sizzling]

- Ooh, look at that salmon, girl!

- Nuri, your lobster?

- I'm just gonna remove the meat from it.

- You're gonna poach that in butter

Or are you gonna blanch it? - Yes, chef.

No, I'm gonna poach it in butter, chef.

- Ok, got it.

Don't forget the hallmark of this challenge--

Beautifully poached eggs, hollandaise sauce

On some toasted bread.

Have you toasted your bread yet?

- You've got to be able to do three things

At the same time, everyone.

Ok, we're already eight minutes down.

I'm a little concerned we bit off a little bit more

Than we can chew here.

- [bleep]. That's no good.

I'm making my hollandaise sauce.

It's going the plan.

And I start working on other components,

Come back to my hollandaise sauce, and it's scrambled.

It's broken.

- Where did your sauce go?

- Chef, it kind of broke.

I'm just gonna restart it.

- Oh, nuri.

Come on.

- Work smart, nuri.

Work smart.

- If I don't have a perfect hollandaise...

- [exhales]

- Chef stretch is going home.

[whispering] all right, let's go.

- 13 minutes to go. - Whew, my arm!

- You got this, mich!

- Did you throw away the idea for the green tomato,

Or are you still doing it?

- Yeah, I'm gonna do crispy bacon.

I'm not gonna do the green tomato.

- Ok, I like that. - Let me just make sure that

The key parts are correct. - Who taught you how to edit?

- Chef ramsay. - Ok, keep going.

Let's go. Let's do it for him, ok?

- Yes, chef. - I cannot screw this up.

I have to edit, edit, edit.

Perfect hollandaise, the first one messed up, edit.

Green tomatoes fried, don't need it, edit.

I'm like, edit, edit, edit.

- I love the pace, everyone.

You're fighting for your lives up here, ok?

So you still got to do your eggs

And you still got to cook your salmon cake?

- My heart is beating faster than it's ever beat.

There's not a second in elimination

Where you don't feel rushed. [laughs]

- When they cut into those poached eggs,

You want that egg yolk to run.

- You see that yolk, 'cause that-- that thing is--

- Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's--

- Falling out of that thing.

- You keep an eye on those for me, tuck?

- Yeah, for sure.

- Just under six minutes.

- Michelle, you better watch that in hollandaise,

I swear to god.

- Mich, babe, check them.

They're brown on the outside. Are they good on the inside?

- They're good. - Don't slip.

- Please don't slip.

- It's almost scrambled.

- Oh, [bleep].

- Let's get a little bit of-- a drip of water in there.

- She left it in that pot for way too long.

- Feeling good?

It look like it's together?

- It was beautifully together.

My hollandaise looks like scrambled eggs.

I'm trying to frantically bring it back together.

- Ok, it's broke. It's broken.

You have two more eggs.

- [bleep].

It's doomed.

- You need these eggs, mehreen?

- No, chef, you can grab them. - Ok?

- Blais is encouraging me to start a new one.

I am not sure if I'm gonna make it out of this alive.

- Start whisking, whisking, whisking.

Let's go. You got it? - I think so.

- You got this, mich, come on. - Whisk it, finish it off.

- Thank you, chef. - You got it. Ok?

It's back. All right, two minutes left.

You got the perfect one, right?

And you have the sauce ready to go after that, right?

- Yeah, the sauce is right in here.

- Pull it together, michelle. Yeah, are we good?

- Yes, chef.

- Watching is very stressful, because this

Is somebody's last cook.

I'm just concerned that everybody is like not doing

Things in a timely manner.

I'm like, the wheels are spinning,

And the car is standing on the little block thing.

I don't know about cars, but, like,

You know, we're not going anywhere very fast

And I'm concerned for everybody right now.

- Final minute and a half. Let's start plating.

It's go time, 90 seconds! - Come on!

Come on! - Come on, let's go, guys!

- Here we go! Here we go.

- Gotta be the best eggs benedict you've ever made.

- Yes, chef.

- 15 seconds left.

- Nice. Don't be afraid--

- 15 seconds.

- --Of the hollandaise, nuri.

- 10--

- There you go.

- --9, 8, 7, 6,

5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

Stop cooking, everyone!

[cheers and applause]

- Whew!

[tense music]

♪ ♪

- Nyesha, gordon, welcome.

It felt like a super intense three-star brunch service.

Ok, so this is a salmon eggs benedict

With a kimchi hollandaise.

- Wow.

The secret is always in that yolk being runny.

Yeah, so that bit worked.

♪ ♪

Egg cooked beautifully.

Kimchi hollandaise, amazing.

Salmon, just a touch too crispy.

- I love the fresh take.

It's really taking me on a journey.

- Next up, crispy shrimp eggs benedict

With tarragon hollandaise.

♪ ♪

- So the cook on the egg, delicious.

Let's get that absolutely clear.

You've got to be so careful, I've got a mouth full of grit.

It doesn't look like the shrimp have been cleaned.

And I honestly thought it was sand.

- I did clean the shrimp, I swear!

There must have been one that wasn't as thoroughly cleaned.

And that's the one that ended up on the frickin' plate.

- But nice toast of the bun, delicious.

- I really appreciate the tarragon

Flavor that's so pronounced.

But it's completely thrown off with the grit

That was, unfortunately, left inside that shrimp.

♪ ♪

- And finally, we have lobster eggs

Benedict with a cayenne hollandaise sauce.

- Lobster, bold move, can be rubbery.

I would prefer to have seen a complete cover of hollandaise

Over that egg.

Doesn't need bacon that thick.

That's a big no-no for me.

- I kind of miss that crunch and contrast of texture

That you generally get from the crispiness

Of that english muffin.

But I really enjoy this.

It's delicious.

It's giving everything I want.

- Ok, so three good takes on an eggs benedict.

We'll have to eliminate one, though.

So, nyesh, I'm gonna start with you.

Which eggs benedict will you eliminate?

- [sighs] I'm going to eliminate--

--The benedict with the crispy shrimp.

- Gordon?

- Tough one.

Three courageous efforts, very tough.

The dish I'm going to eliminate is the eggs benedict--

--With the shrimp.

- That dish was cooked by michelle.

- Oh, michelle.

- It's michelle. - Oh, michelle.

- You came in as our home chef.

And over the last couple of months,

I'm talking to you like a pro.

- I never thought that I would get

This far in this competition.

And it's been a real dream come true for me.

- You've been amazing.

- So thank you, especially to you gordon.

And, nyesha, we didn't get the opportunity to cook together,

But I wish we did.

And, richard, two top dishes with you in the kitchen, so...

- I'll take you on team blais any day, michelle.

- [laughs]

- Come here.

- Thank you so much. It was amazing.

- Oh, man.

- Having gordon ramsay say, "you came into this competition

"as a home cook, but you're leaving

As a professional chef,"

Regardless of going home today, I'm just so proud of myself.

- Take care, michelle.

[somber music]

- I'm really sad that michelle has been eliminated.

She was my partner in crime.

You know, we're both the last of ramsay's angels over here.

But yeah, I'm now the last ramsay team standing.

So I am team ramsay.

- That is not getting any easier.

Young man, there is nothing to be upset about.

- It's my third elimination in a row.

That's why I'm upset right now.

- Think of it this way, it's your third victory.

All of you have proved yourselves

The potential to become the next level chef

Is within your grasp.

Good night.

- Good job.

[upbeat music]

- Thank you, chef.

♪ ♪

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

We are down to the final six.

- The semifinals are right within my grasp, baby.

- For today's challenge, you need to reimagine

An old favorite--

Surf and turf.

- You're in the basement; you better start thinking

Of some low-end seafood, man, because that's what

You're getting.

- Stop stirring the pan, dude. It's cooking.

- [bleep]. Touch that again.

- Yeah. - That's raw.

Not even rare yet.

- I don't know what I'm doing.

- [bleep] hell.

[tense music]