Original subtitles

This is the final,

a chance to win a life-changing prize.

One of London's most exclusive five-star restaurants,

the Palm Court at The Langham Hotel.

We have scoured the culinary world

for some of the best chefs of a generation,

each with an original concept...

...and we've narrowed it down...

I'm afraid we're gonna part company.

We can't take you on.

...to the best three.

Dom is elevating Caribbean food into the five-star arena.

You absolutely smashed it.

Ah, thank you, chef.

But still needs work leading a team.

I feel like we made decisions and then you kind of like...

You can't do everything.

I need you to get it together.

Go big or go home.

Adria has absolutely nailed her concept

of more plant-based style cooking.

I like how fresh the whole dish is,

the vegetables really are the star of the show.

If her time management can match her vision, she will be unstoppable.

This is when we're supposed to be serving! Come on, Adria.

Yes!

Jordan has shown he can cook his three-flavour concept.

This to me is clever cooking from Jordan.

But he's not always consistent,

and it's the attention to detail that's let him down.

Jordan, we've just had hake with bones in it.

I was told it was already prepped by the fishmonger, chef.

Mate, five-star, you check it yourself.

This final challenge will be

the hardest of their professional career.

The five-star chef that will have the keys to the Palm Court is...

So to be in the final it's just a mix of like excitement,

stress, anxiety.

I am deathly afraid

if I can actually get everything done on time.

I just hope I can rise to the challenge.

I can't believe I'm in the final.

It was hard to get here.

In a couple of challenges I could have showed leadership skills

and I just didn't.

I've really got an opportunity now

to show chef Roux that I can manage a team.

I think my biggest things I've struggled with

was a little bit of consistency.

Every dish has got to be absolutely perfect,

every dish has gotta be five-star.

Today's the biggest day of my life.

Welcome, chefs.

So this is it, the final.

Over three nights, each of you

will run this restaurant as if it were your own.

You will be head chef for one night...

...showcasing your concept, your food.

This is for real.

I want you to imagine that this really is your restaurant

because for one of you it's gonna be.

We want to see five-star cooking,

but we also want to see a leader.

Cook your hearts out

and enjoy it, cos for two of you,

it will be the last time.

Make sure it's not you.

This is the most important service of your lifetime.

Your last chance to put your name on the door.

The chefs will each have the opportunity

to run the Palm Court for one night.

Helping them are The Langham's A-Team, the kitchen brigade.

Good morning!

I'm Chef Adria.

I'm so excited to be working with you.

My name's Jordan and I'm your head chef for today.

My name is Dom.

We're gonna deliver some amazing five-star food.

In the final we're looking to see their concept

clear and defined,

the quality of their food should be at the absolute highest level.

We're looking for a head chef

who can lead this team from day one.

So, Adria.

Menu, clearly written,

and it's called Verdure. It means greenery.

Reinforcing that concept of veg as the star, meat as the side.

I think when we do traditional cooking it's quite meat-focused,

so we're not vegetarian, we're not vegan,

but we're gonna be making vegetables the star.

Three starters, and what have we got?

The Gazpacho. I loved that Gazpacho.

I actually haven't stopped thinking about it since I tried it.

The main courses, handmade saffron cavatelli.

This sounds delicious.

If she gets it right,

the fresh pasta is a beautiful touch.

Overall, I think Adria's menu is so appetising.

My worry is Adria lets the time get away from her.

It's happened to her a few times.

She can't do that today, not when you're running service.

It is her biggest challenge today.

Dom.

The Good Front Room.

I think this is really true on his concept,

it tells a story of his childhood.

It screams British Caribbean.

Let me give you all a list.

I believe that I've given you the pastry section.

I've got nice clear recipes and we'll go through them,

and I think it should be cool.

Dom's got a lot to prove to me with his jerk chicken.

What did you want that was different?

I needed more flavour.

So I want this chicken to have a punch.

I want to eat it and go, "Whoa! I was not expecting that."

And then every single table is getting sides,

whether they order it or not.

That's a lot.

That's five extra dishes! Five extra dishes.

He has to bring that all together at the pass at the same time.

There's quite a lot of cooking here.

And we've seen Dom struggle

a couple of times in leadership challenges.

So he needs to prove today that he can lead this team.

For the service you're gonna handle all of the desserts.

Cut the bun,

and we're gonna trim the edges to kind of keep it nice and square.

Jordan.

Look all through this competition we have been banging on about this

concept of three flavours,

you've proved to us it's worthy, and there it is.

My concept is three,

so we're working with three flavours today,

so I want us all to work together. I'm really looking forward to it.

Pig's cheek, lobster, prawn. OK, surf and turf.

It feels opulent, it's pork, it's lobster,

it's prawn. Three gorgeous things together.

Yeah. Bit of a crowd-pleaser.

Wagyu, onion, thyme.

It is too open for interpretation, this one.

Like Wagyu is a breed. What is it, what cut? Yeah.

What I would love to see from Jordan today is consistency.

Whether he can maintain five-star quality throughout,

I'm not sure.

So let's get cracking right away.

Each chef will have four hours' prep before service begins.

I think it's gonna be fun,

but it is going to be a lot of work,

and the food is going to be great.

Every good head chef understands that mise en place is vital.

Mise en place is basically getting everything ready for service.

Communication is key.

Get everybody on board to work as a team, as a brigade.

Just checking how much pasta we have.

We need to make 20 portions.

We have about seven, eight portions,

so we're just gonna be making a little bit more pasta.

One of Adria's main courses is a pasta dish.

She's showing Loredana how to make each piece by hand.

And then after you've rolled it, then just like this.

Wow, how's it going, Adria?

I am definitely nervous about running the pass,

but I don't want them to think that I'm nervous.

I love the way that you've got the recipes out,

they're clear, they're concise.

Mainly it's gonna be I think rolling the pasta.

And I think that's gonna be a popular dish.

Pasta is always popular. Get yourself super-organised... Yeah.

...make sure they are confident in you.

Yeah.

As her team continue to prepare for service,

Adria has been called

to the Palm Court for a final interview.

So we're here, the final.

Tell me, why should you be running this restaurant?

I quit my career as an engineer to do this.

I sacrificed so much but I never had this chance.

I really believe that making plants the star will really work.

And I know I can deliver that.

Why do you want to win this?

I've never been known to be the best at anything in my life.

My parents never tell me

"I love you," and that, "you're the best."

So I think this would finally say, "Adria, you're the best."

OK, Lore. Your prep before service,

you're going to do the quail eggs.

You've done scotch eggs before? Perfect.

Chef Roux said to me,

"Dom, I haven't seen you lead a team.

"Both times you were in a position where you could've

"and you should have. You didn't deliver.”

I think Chef Roux definitely wants to see that from me today.

Yes.

I've managed to outsource some really great jobs.

Lore is a pro at scotch eggs,

and then I've got Francesca,

who's a superstar pastry chef,

so she's giving me all of her skills over there.

The skill set of the chefs I've given them

should be enough for them to pull off a great service.

However, they need guidance.

They've not worked with a lot of these ingredients before,

so they need to be told what to do.

So what are you prepping here?

The sea bream is going to be marinated

and then it's gonna wrapped into the banana leaves.

Have you ever done this before? Like cook in banana leaf?

Ah, not really chef. First time.

Well, you've got a lot to do.

So, guys, we are two and a half hours gone,

but let's push now, get the job done.

ALL: Yes, chef.

You know, when 1 first arrived I had imposter syndrome.

I couldn't see how my food was gonna fit here.

There's a lot of stereotypes

and stigma around Caribbean food.

A jerk chicken leg and thigh in a metal tray

with some kind of rice and peas.

I wanted to run away from that, you know,

I wasn't proud to cook Caribbean food.

And it's only in the last five years that dream got reignited again.

I cook from the soul

and that is what I'm gonna give the diners.

I think that you're gonna just want to see,

is it five-star?

And I think that you're gonna say yes.

As you can imagine,

today is the biggest shift of my life,

and I want you guys to help me win this.

Jordan's a head chef, Jordan runs a kitchen every day,

but this is a whole different level,

this is a whole different ball game.

So to see if he can step up

to cook at this level, is a huge challenge.

This dauphinoise is going with the beef dish,

the Wagyu.

It's layered potatoes cooked in garlic and cream.

The cuts of meat I'm using is flat iron,

takes a little bit more work,

just to break down some of the marbling in there.

Have you taken the vein out?

Yeah.

Can you tell us why you deserve to win this?

I left school when I was eleven.

I was told I wouldn't be anything in life.

I was homeless, I'd sleep in some woods at night.

This just proves that if you've got the right work ethic

and you believe in yourself that you can do it.

What is it about you,

above the others that makes you think that you should win?

I do feel like I can command a kitchen a little bit better.

As I say, I don't think I'm a better chef than anybody,

but I feel I have the right characteristics

to make a great chef.

So cook your heart out.

I can't wait to taste your food again.

Thank you, chef.

There'll be 50 guests seated in the Palm Court each evening,

and the chefs will have two and a half hours

to complete their service.

Adria, front of house here.

In charge of the guest's dining experience this evening,

maitre d' Andre Ferreira.

Have the guests arrived? They've started to sit down.

We probably need another like five more minutes

to just make sure we're really set up for starters.

The three starters are going to be a gazpacho,

and then we're going to have a wild mushroom

and bok choy salad,

and the third thing is barbecued tempeh biscuit sliders.

Please can I get the wild mushroom for starter?

Can I please have the gazpacho?

Check on, chefs.

Two more sliders... Yes. ..and two mushrooms.

One of the roles of the head chef is to call out the orders

and to coordinate all of the food coming to the pass,

where the food is dressed,

finished and sent out to the guests.

It's so important you get the timings right.

Compliment them. Well done, chef.

Yeah? Thank you, chef.

This is really good.

You can feel the citrus coming from the bok choy

complementing the fragrance of the mushrooms

incredibly well.

This looks very vibrant, super colourful.

It is exactly that.

The gazpacho, absolutely incredible.

Incredible. I just wanted more.

Like it is up there with one of her best dishes.

On the menu Adria's written "Biscuit Slider,"

and in my head I was really hoping for it to be luxurious.

Yeah. Whereas it's quite thin.

It's almost like a tuile in a sense. Yes! Exactly. But just dry. Yes.

The morel and bok choy dish, which was just,

it was her seasoning which was beautiful,

and really well-executed.

Two more sliders. I'I come round.

You've got more starters here to call out as well, Adria.

Being a head chef in a busy kitchen like The Langham,

you need to run your brigade like clockwork.

You've only got a limited amount of time,

so you need to control the flow of service.

You sent to table three, chef,

but they've already had starters on table three.

I probably just forgot to knock that off. Sorry, my fault.

What happened there?

I forgot to cross one off so they already had their starter again.

Two sliders and a gazpacho.

The guests are saying it's been too long.

Two sliders and a gazpacho.

The sliders are there, I can see them coming, the gazpacho is made.

Adria's finding it a little bit tough, honestly.

I mean it's new for her, it's totally new.

Main away, we're ready on the mains.

Stop the mains for a minute,

get the starters out, quick. Come on.

Three...four sliders all day,

and two mushroom and one gazpacho, please.

The service is crazy

cos the tickets come in altogether, is the problem.

We missed a lot of tables, maybe she was confused from this.

Adria, you look lost.

I am a little bit.

Push, push, push, push.

Service has just ground to a halt

and there's like four or five tables' starters wanting to go,

and now the main courses are being called as well,

and we've just got a bottleneck.

And table four literally will be leaving without any food.

This is your kitchen, you know,

I don't want to jump in unless it's really, really necessary.

Keep the intensity up.

Keep on reminding them, "Keep an eye on the clock," yeah? Absolutely.

Dom's service is about to begin,

and amongst the 50 diners in the Palm Court is his mum.

You sit down and you think to yourself,

"This is absolutely marvellous." It was very glam.

The first starter is a jerk chicken dish

and then we have ackee and salt fish cakes,

and then gun go pea daal hummus.

Could I do the Jerk Chicken?

Can I get the daal hummus to start, please? OK.

OK, guys, check on. We've got one jerk chicken,

one fishcakes, two hummus.

Oui, chef. Check on,

table of two, one fishcakes, one jerk chicken.

Service, please. So this is table three,

so we've got one chicken, two hummus and a fishcakes, please.

Coming in thick and fast, huh? Yeah.

Service place. Table four.

This is another level. Wow.

That jerk chicken is a chicken that I would bring my mum

to come and have, it's that good.

The all-round spice that he's got in there,

and I'm not just talking hot and heat,

like, it's aromatic.

I mean this is cooking at the highest level.

The ackee and salt fish with that rich sauce,

is amazing.

The daal slash hummus, it's beautiful.

I adore that. Tangy but spicy, it's rich and it's comforting.

It's rich and comforting.

I am impressed.

It doesn't look like Caribbean food,

but it tastes like Caribbean food.

Lovely.

Right, chef, feedback for you.

Starters, loving it.

Really going down well. Jerk chicken, phenomenal.

Thank you. They're really enjoying that.

Thank you very much. You're welcome.

Guys, I just want to say that maitre d's just been in,

and you guys have really smashed it.

We've still got a long way to go,

I don't want to start clapping for us yet.

Oh, yeah. But let's keep up this tempo.

15 minutes, we'll start plating on the pass.

ALL: Yes, chef.

You seem to be really incredibly in charge of your kitchen here,

and confident.

Oh, I want the guys to feel confident, chef.

I think if I start flapping or be unsure,

it's gonna push off on the team, and I don't want that.

The first dish is mackerel, rhubarb and fennel.

The next dish is beetroot, dill, and buttermilk.

Then we have a pig's cheek, lobster and prawn.

Could I have the mackerel, rhubarb and fennel to start with?

Pig's cheek, lobster and prawn.

I'll also go for the pig's cheek please.

OK, check on. Three pig's cheeks.

ALL: Oui, chef.

Check on. One mackerel, one pig's cheek.

ALL: Oui, chef.

Three pig's cheeks, you're going to table six, please.

Table six, yes, chef.

Prawn head, number 12.

Yes. Thank you.

And we've got 30 seconds on one pig's cheek, one mackerel, oui?

ALL: Oui, chef. Thank you.

So Jordan has cooked this for me before,

the pig's cheek,

but it's definitely nicer this time.

Some of the dishes that Jordan's plated in this competition,

they've been quite messy and quite rustic.

To bring this level of elegance in the final,

it's quite a feat for the man, like, he's done such a cracking job.

The mackerel is exactly what I expected. Yeah.

The beetroot surpassed my expectations.

The puree is delicious

and I do really enjoy the roasted beets.

The pig's cheek was soft, succulent, juicy.

This is a very, very strong start.

One mackerel. You're going to table ten, please.

Keep going, this is perfect, let's keep going.

How's your evening going, how are you enjoying the food?

The sauce was really nice?

As a head chef, it's your responsibility

to check every dish that leaves the kitchen

is of the highest standard.

You can't blame the brigade for mistakes

as it's ultimately your menu,

and your reputation that's on the line.

Hi, chef, sorry.

Guest at the table said, "Tasted it, it wasn't de-veined properly,”

it ruined the flavour of the dish for her.

If possible, can we just give her a prawn and something else,

just to complement, to complete the dish? Yeah, oui, no problem.

Thank you very much. Can I have just one prawn, please? One prawn.

Vein! Yes. That shouldn't happen.

My bad, chef.

Guys, how's everyone feeling? OK? Yeah?

I think we can start pushing through the mains.

An hour and 15 minutes into her service,

and Adria has just finished serving starters.

So we're going to... Let's...let's reset.

For my mains we have a hen of the woods mushroom dish,

chickpea panisse,

and finally, saffron cavatelli pasta.

I know we are short on the pasta,

but everything else should be there and ready.

On pasta we're gonna have about 15 portions.

15 portions. Oui, chef. Yeah, instead of the 25.

So if they can push the other two?

Yeah, can you push the other two?

The saffron cavatelli, please.

Handmade saffron cavatelli.

Check on, chefs.

Can we get three pasta, one mushroom.

Yeah. Followed by five more pastas, one mushroom.

Two more cavatellis, pasta. Uh...

We have already sold out of pasta,

already 15 portions gone.

There should have been a lot more made.

I'm just missing one of the pasta.

I think we'll have to apologise... That's all right,

I'll push them to the mushrooms, it's delicious. Thank you very much.

You're welcome, chef. I'll buy them a drink.

Adria, that pasta is getting cold.

You've already not got enough pasta,

if we don't send that soon, it's gonna go in the bin.

All right. Number two, yes, number two.

And they're a bit angry, so big smiles, please.

I'm late. Thank you very much.

The panisse, I actually enjoyed how light it was.

The pasta...hard. Yeah.

I still love the hen of the woods.

I loved it. I love the little parfait,

I think the sauce is delicious with it.

Mains away. Two lamb, one Wagyu.

Oui, chef.

First mains away, is it? Oui.

Wow, first main courses are just going.

Normally this is bottleneck, this is a pinch point.

One lamb, one Wagyu, table seven, please.

The main course, we have hake, vichyssoise and caviar.

We have Wagyu, onion and thyme

Then we have lamb samphire and red pepper.

The main courses are being pumped out, he's pushing them out,

because there's only three things to put on the plate,

which is great, fantastic.

But I think the attention to detail is slipping.

The gratin dauphinoise seems to be coming up more and more dry.

The ones on the pass there have got burnt bottoms.

Those gratin dauphinoise do not look five-star.

And you can't blame the other guys,

you're the one that's sending it.

This beef...

I've had some beautiful beef before, but this...

Who'd have thought a few years ago,

that Jordan would be serving his food

in The Langham Hotel? It's marvellous.

It's not bad after living in the woods, is it? Yeah.

I need one...one...

Lum...

...one scotch egg, please.

The mains will be curried goat chops,

banana leaf-baked sea bream and roast baby cauliflower.

Along with his mains, Dom is serving each table

with a selection of five sides,

including plantain and ochre slaw.

Right, have you got a table that's ready there?

No, chef.

What's missing?

OK, let's go... table four please, chef.

So that's... No, we can't go with the goat or the sea bream.

You can't, you're waiting on scotch eggs for everything? Yes.

Please plantain, please, please, please.

To be able to manage a service well,

you've got to literally be an octopus.

To manage the tickets,

to organise what the chefs are doing and when they're doing it,

to take away some of the pressure from them.

They're waiting, look, they're waiting for you.

Is he in control?

Er...it's starting to get a bit frayed.

Starters were lovely and smooth, it was,

and they all knew what they were doing. Now they're...

It's a lot. He's trying to achieve a lot with these mains.

This should not happen. No. The pass should be constantly

sending, sending, sending. Constantly, there should be a consistent flow of food.

I need plantain, I need rice.

You've got plantain, you've got rice in front of you.

Dom, you're losing it, come on, man. I know, chef.

Service was not very smooth,

like four people all doing one dish,

which normally is not like this,

normally it's like one chef taking care of one dish.

Like this, it was much more disorganised.

Hi, chef. Hey.

The guests outside are waiting for some mains.

What's happening, what's going on? It's coming, I...| apologise.

We need to send that, come on, come on, come on.

This is getting really bad.

This feels so embarrassing, man.

Dom, we really, really need to crack on. Yes, yes, yes, yes.

Push these first main courses out.

Dom's guests are waiting for their mains.

Some restaurants you wouldn't mind if it was a long time,

but this kind of restaurant, you'd want it to be a bit smoother.

But a lack of clear instructions to his brigade

have led to orders falling behind.

Nobody knows what they're doing other than you.

Come on, we need to get these out.

Mix the salad,

and bring to me mixed with a little bit of olive oil.

If the kitchen brigade aren't managed properly,

then service will grind to a halt.

OK, chef. Bulk it up, come on, let's go, let's go.

We have a lot of tables waiting for mains.

I'd love to say that there's something different I could do,

but there isn't, and I'm not gonna let myself get stressed out

about something that I can't control.

I'm gonna get it to you as quickly as I can. I apologise.

No problem. Thank you chef, I'll let them know.

Two more chops, a sea bream and a cauliflower.

So you're sending what, two or three tables in one go now?

Yes, I mean I've been trying to do that, chef. Good, good, good.

That's the way to do it, come on. It is coming. We're gonna get there.

It's colourful it's vibrant. I think it looks really good.

That goat curry, wow.

Beautiful sauce.

The chops were so tender.

Literally pulling off the bone.

One of the dishes that probably surprised me the most

was the cauliflower.

My God, has he delivered with flavour!

I thought the fish was so delicate.

It was beautiful.

I just think that there were so many sides,

everything is mixed in together and you can't really focus

on what you're eating. Yeah. I think one element needs to go.

He's taken on a lot by producing the sides

and I think that's what slowed things down in the kitchen.

Dom, the goat is tender, it's delicious.

Thank you, chef. Can I taste the chilli?

Yeah, it is spicy though, so...

This you're going with to table 15, please.

Yeah, it's spicy. If you're a hot pepper sauce person,

you need to blow your socks off. That's blown everything off!

I bet you Rav just says she loves it, and that's it.

That sauce is everything I wanted from a hot sauce.

It's blowing my head off, but I want that.

This sauce is a grower.

MIKE LAUGHS My face is suddenly boiling.

Just blast out these, these mains,

and then just we're all hands on deck, bang out the desserts.

Jordan is the only chef whose service is running to time.

How are you doing, chefs? All good?

ALL: Yes, chef.

Just keep pushing, chefs, this is good.

It's going very well,

chef is very clear with what he wants for us to do,

and we are very confident with what we are doing.

I have some feedback for you. Yeah?

It's a bit negative about a dauphinoise,

slightly burnt at the bottom. OK.

But also good. Thank you. Thank you, chef.

Oh, here we go, main course.

For somebody that doesn't like lamb,

this is a dish that could convert any lamb hater.

It's succulent, it's well-balanced,

I love the juiciness from the red pepper and then the samphire

kind of pops in your mouth. It's lovely.

And I have to say my favourite, though, was the fish.

The flavour of the Wagyu is incredible,

but I think this dish is really quite heavy,

very indulgent, and has lacked a lot of finesse.

It just doesn't have anything that's special.

I feel like I've had this 20 times before in my life. Exactly.

I can't fault the way he's running service.

He's on top of it, he is on top of his game.

There's not a single ticket that has been missed or anything.

Yes, there have been errors, prawns not de-veined.

Little things like that make a huge difference.

Tables away, chef, all good.

All done? Well done, chefs,

that's starters and mains done, just desserts now.

ALL: Oui, chef. Come on! Smashing it, guys.

Adria is in a bottleneck of crossing courses

and her desserts are still not on the pass.

They're just waiting now, they're waiting for you to call out orders.

Can I please...OK, first dessert coming on

will be three ginger loaf, two chocolate tarts.

Can I get some plates?

Oh, sorry that you had to leave.

I actually think one or two guests might have left already.

I'm not sure what's happened, but I'm slightly worried.

Table six are cancelling dessert.

OK, so people are leaving.

Without dessert.

The desserts should have been served 40 minutes ago.

I know. Let's warm the cake,

warm the peaches and the butterscotch.

To finish I've got poached rhubarb,

ginger loaf and a dark chocolate ganache tart.

Can we just get the food on the plates?

Come on. What else is going on this?

And then it's gonna be...er, the tart.

I feel really sorry for her, because she is a good chef,

and she's so stressed.

Can you put the one verbena, chef, please,

and then a crisp and then a cream.

Yeah, like that. Perfect. Thank you.

OK, we're rocking and rolling now.

This dish with the rhubarb, I loved that sauce,

it was like beautifully perfumed and cardamomy

but then the rhubarb was undercooked.

When I see ginger loaf on the menu,

I expect something soft, generous.

It doesn't have that softness

and that generous quality that you want from a ginger loaf.

My favourite was probably the tart.

The pastry was stunning.

I love that pastry. Gorgeous.

Love it. I actually want the recipe for that pastry. I was gonna say,

I want the recipe. Like, it's outstanding.

Table 12, yeah?

Dom's taken the decision to send all the main courses out,

because they were waiting so long,

but that means that the first people that have had their mains,

are now waiting very, very long for their dessert.

It really is that domino effect.

With desserts due to go out,

sous chef Francesca is awaiting instructions from Dom.

We are not in a really good situation

with the dessert, honestly.

He basically didn't tell me how he wants me to cook the tart.

We're still missing some part of the mise en place.

Chef, I'm so sorry to interrupt but I need you right now.

Mm-hm? I need you really to tell me what is all this stuff?

For this dish? Yeah. I don't know nothing about it.

You have to show me... Ignore the title. OK.

That's why I've written out what you need, the components.

OK. I'm gonna show you the dish,

when we have to make... I'm gonna show you the dish. OK.

So are some of the desserts not ready then?

Some aspects of the desserts aren't ready, chef, that's correct.

Sorry, Francesca. I feel bad. Don't worry, it's fine.

Which is obviously my fault and my responsibility. Yep.

Francesca is a sous chef, right, she knows what she's doing.

Yeah. If you tell her.

But cheese, fruit, bun,

it's not clear, and it is really winding her up.

As so many times in this competition,

the desserts are an afterthought.

Hi, everyone. I can only apologise.

I went and spoke to the chef,

he said he's a little bit overwhelmed over there,

it's gonna be a little bit longer, looking about ten minutes.

For the desserts we have a Bakewell tart

but instead of raspberry jam, we're using sorrel jam.

And the second dessert is a Guinness punch panna cotta.

The third dish is bun and cheese.

Bun is like a fruit bun,

gonna use some Cashel Blue,

which is a really beautiful soft blue cheese.

Yeah. So we're gonna do like a little rocher, which is...

Dom! ..gonna go on top of the tart. You haven't got time to explain!

Dress the frigging plates, and they will follow you. Yes, chef, yes, chef.

And then we're gonna do a little rocher of the ice cream...

Ooh... Ooh la la.

This is a little... Oh, yi-yi-yi,

that ice cream is not nice.

You're never gonna make a smooth quenelle out of that, never.

Never. Think on your feet.

Yes, chef. Break it up a bit.

Dom repurposes his vegan ice-cream in to an iced sprinkle.

I know we're on desserts,

but table seven are still waiting for two goat's chops.

Can I get two goat for me, please?

What's happening with the ice cream there, chef?

I'm not really sure to be honest, it's just not smooth,

but it's also vegan. I just need a moment, please.

I'm just doing the best that I can.

I'm not gonna get stressed and start losing my head.

This is for table eight, please.

I think that the Bakewell tart pastry was spot on today.

It was thin, it was crisp, perfectly baked,

and the ice-cream, I mean,

it was not an ice-cream. The ice-cream was a real shame.

I absolutely adore the panna cotta.

The booziness of the panna cotta is amazing.

The bun and cheese,

I don't think the plantain was needed.

This is for table eight, please.

Table three are missing four desserts,

there was two tickets put through for table three,

cos they were joined later. That's what I thought.

And then table five, we've already got the desserts for table five, chef.

We've already got desserts for table five.

This is an unmitigated disaster.

You just don't know what you're sending anymore.

So can we go for table nine, two bun and cheese,

a Bakewell tart and the gluten-free dessert, please.

Table three, the other check, have you found it?

This is the other check, chef. This one is?

A service that should have taken two and a half hours

is now over that two and a half hours.

No, to be honest, chef, I'm really embarrassed. My mum is here,

and I feel like I put my best foot forward

to be able to deliver a great service today.

I take these things personally,

I look like I can't serve 50 customers.

It does break my heart a little bit.

My heart's somewhat broken.

Dominic has made Afro-Caribbean food come to the table.

That's it. Beautiful, tasty.

That makes me very proud.

Onto desserts now,

a couple of hiccups in service that I wish we didn't have,

but, you know, we're back on it.

Puddings, we have rum baba with barbecued pineapple

and a lime clotted cream,

and then a chocolate genoise sponge,

chocolate ganache, cherry and anise sorbet,

a little bit of cherry gel.

And then strawberry Eton Mess

with basil and pink peppercorn.

The chocolate cake looks very, very heavy and tight.

I don't think Rav's gonna be best pleased with that one.

These are some of the most elegant and beautiful desserts

that we have been presented with in the competition.

But the chocolate one, the sponge is too hard,

way too hard. But I love the cremeux on top.

Cremeux, yeah. Silky, delicious.

The rum baba, the flavours were there,

but it was bready, it was dry,

it wasn't moist and juicy and moreish.

My favourite was, out of all three, the strawberry dish.

I really like the contrast of the sharp basil sorbet...

Very fresh. Yeah, but you want that from a basil sorbet.

Just to double check that that table 12 is going now?

Oui, chef. Then that is everybody done.

That is everyone done, chef.

Thank you, chef.

Today was amazing, really smooth service.

The buzz of service is like no other drug there is.

The adrenalin, the happiness, the anxiety.

I feel on top of the world right now.

You need to just be proud of what you've done.

Yeah, I am, yeah, today was...

I'm gonna cry for you.

Thank you so much. You guys were a star team.

Although it's been one of the hardest things I've done,

it's one of the best things I've done.

I'm so proud of you, you were incredible.

I'm very competitive,

I do like winning, I like being the best.

Your wife is a superwoman.

Thank you, guys. You are a superwoman.

The point in service where I just kind of felt

a little bit heartbroken and a little bit deflated,

it's hard to pacify yourself,

when you feel like your best wasn't good enough.

Hello, babes! Hi, mum. How you doing?

Well, I'm not sure it's clapping-worthy.

I love it!

Oh, it was absolutely fabulous.

I think, are you lot lying?

Everyone loved it. OK.

It was amazing. I'm so proud of you.

Thank you. I love you.

Now's the wait, yeah, to find out if I've done enough.

Yeah. Easily.

I hope so.

Hey, mate. How was it, OK? Tough, mate.

Mine was...far from smooth. Really? Why?

It was...]| mean it was, it weren't far from smooth,

but it was...it wasn't smooth.

How was it? It was insane. It was actually insane, like at some point

like, I didn't laugh, but I was almost laughing cos it was like...

I just couldn't believe what was happening. Laugh or cry.

With all three services complete,

it's down to Chef Roux to choose a winner.

Wow. That was intense, eh?

What a final, though. Absolutely.

Three chefs cooking their hearts out? Couldn't ask for more.

The calibre of some of the dishes were outstanding.

Mm. Out of the three of them,

there was only one that managed the pass beautifully,

like a seasoned pro, and that was Jordan.

You put him in a kitchen, five, 600 people,

he'd shout the orders out, he would command respect,

and he could run that pass. He's got it.

It was a really well-paced service.

He can command a kitchen, yes,

it was the most flawless service we've seen,

but do I believe that his concept would work,

and that he's the right person for this?

I don't know.

I think that Adria's concept

of making plants the star of the show is fantastic,

and it's the type of concept that could seamlessly fit

into an environment like this.

But Adria can't command a kitchen.

I loved her finishings to the restaurant,

the menu design was great,

but you felt the energy being sucked out of the room,

the longer the service went on.

Adria does need help, yes,

but her food is so unique and it's different,

and I think that Adria is willing to learn,

she's willing to get stuck in.

She said herself she wants to be the best,

it would drive her forward in order to command a kitchen,

and those are skills that she can learn.

Yeah, but you can also refine Jordan's concept.

He could get there with some help,

with some mentors hip as well.

Do I want to spend my time mentoring?

I want a chef that can deliver.

Dom didn't have a fantastic service either.

He started off OK,

but it went a bit pear-shaped during service.

But he delivered flavour in abundance with his menu.

The concept of British Caribbean at five-star level,

we have not seen a restaurant of this type yet in this country.

People would flock to it.

And as a restaurateur, that's what we always want.

I have got probably the most difficult decision

to make in my career.

I need to pick the right chef,

that's gonna be a huge success,

that's gonna represent me,

and represent this five-star luxury hotel.

If you two had to come back to one of these restaurants,

which one would it be?

Because that's the question, isn't it?

I know which one I'd go to.

Oh, my god, good luck, good luck. Good luck, good luck. I'm so proud of you.

Good luck, man.

- Good luck, Adria. - Good luck, chef.

JORDAN: All comes down to this.

Wow.

Absolutely incredible. Thank you.

Seriously, hats off.

I think each and every one of you

has at one stage in this competition shed a little tear.

We're all in agreement, we did pick la creme de la creme.

You three should be very proud of yourselves.

Adria, we absolutely loved your concept.

A bit flaky during service.

That was your lack of working in a professional kitchen,

but you know what?

That resilience, that strength of character,

even when the checks were raining in.

They were raining in, chef.

You never gave up.

Dom.

The depth of flavour that you managed to get in your food,

it's incredible.

Your desserts...

you still need a bit of work on that,

but you didn't let the pressure of service get the better of you.

Yes, chef.

Jordan.

Chef. What an incredible journey.

And what a chef!

A natural leader.

Somebody able to drop into a kitchen

with four chefs that he doesn't know,

and bang, nailed service like that.

Wow.

Seriously, that's special.

And what a grafter you are.

Your concept...

...we liked it.

Still needs some polishing though.

Oui, chef.

This is tough.

Really, really tough,

but we have made a decision.

And the Five Star Chef that will have the keys to the Palm Court is...

...Dom.

CHERING

Jesus Christ!

No, chef!

Oh, my god. Oh, my god.

Well done, congrats.

Ah, man, no way!

Did I know I was gonna be standing there? I don't know,

but I did say I was lucky, and here I am.

It's amazing. My mum was there, the pride on her face!

Absolutely fabulous! I mean what else can you say,

I was just beside myself.

Thank you all so much.

Honestly... Well done. What a lad.

Seriously, well done.

JORDAN: To hear Chef Roux and all the other judges,

you know, say such great comments about me,

it just validates that, you know, I'm doing the right thing,

I am a quality chef.

A DR I A: He really deserves this,

honestly, you've gotta be... Oh, thank you. ..just so proud.

Oh, I am, I am, I am.

It was unreal to be in that room

and get that feedback from the judges,

especially from Chef Roux,

and I think also having my family and friends there,

witness it, it just meant so much to me.

CHEERING, APPLAUSE

We set out to find a hidden gem with an original vision

to revolutionise five-star dining.

Dom's concept is personal,

it's what makes his restaurant unique.

He might have struggled during service,

but he's refined his food

and it tells a story that I want to be part of.

Hard work from now on in.

Oh, indeed, chef.

What am I gonna do with the Palm Court?

I'm definitely gonna make it sexy.

We're gonna be serving great Caribbean food.

Guests are gonna travel far and wide to come

and taste this new Caribbean cuisine.

I'm gonna make it amazing, I really am.

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