Original subtitles

Previously on "MasterChef"...

This is United Tastes Of America.

We wanna find out where in America do the best cooks come from?

- Please welcome Graham Elliot! - Daphne Oz!

The caliber of contestant and home cook is amazing.

So far, ten cooks have earned an apron

- from the Northeast and the Midwest. - What do you think?

Girl, you are on your way. It's a definite yes from me.

That burst of flavor is there.

For me, it's an absolute resounding yes.

- Let's go! - It's symbolic of the Midwest.

I love this dish. I'm a yes.

Let's go, baby!

Tonight, on "MasterChef"...

Please welcome Susan Feniger.

the regional auditions continue...

Everybody knows Westside's the best side.

I like that, that sass!

...as the best from the West

battle it out for a white apron.

I am here to fight for that apron!

You're exactly what we're looking for.

Absolute resounding yes.

This very much speaks California.

I think everyone in the West, we're just a little weirder.

- Wow. - It's pretty obvious that it's a big no.

I promise you I can do this.

I just don't think you're ready.

- This is my station right here! - Yeah!

Thousands of people have fought to get here,

but I am here, and I am here to fight for that apron.

- The next MasterChef is in this room. - Right?

- Which is crazy. - I know.

I just wanna make you proud.

I wanna see where Gordon at. Where he at?

Wow, thank you. Thank you so much!

Welcome back, everybody, to "MasterChef: United Tastes Of America."

Come on!

Amazing.

Tonight another region will prove

that they have what it takes to compete at the highest level.

The best of the best will earn a MasterChef apron.

If you can show us that you're the shining star of your region,

you'll put yourself one step closer to the title,

the trophy, and a quarter of a million dollars.

Yeah! Let's go!

Now, one of my favorite parts of "MasterChef"

is getting a great insight to America's culinary diversity.

And this season we are truly celebrating that diversity, let me tell you.

Now we've seen the Northeast and the Midwest.

It's time for another regional round of auditions. You guys ready?

Tonight's lucky region is...

The West.

Now, representing the West tonight,

we have another guest judge.

One of the most beloved chefs across Southern California,

she has six best-selling cookbooks,

and multiple James Beard nominations.

Please welcome the amazing Susan Feniger.

Oh, my God.

- Good to see you. Welcome. - Thank you.

Welcome to the MasterChef kitchen.

- Thank you. - What an absolute pleasure having you here.

- Congratulations on everything. - Thank you.

Now, you've called L. A. home for so long.

Your iconic restaurants have really helped shape

the L. A. landscape for over 40 years.

How would you say that the West helped shape your empire?

Oh, I mean, the West is everything.

We just-- we love the West!

We've got this amazing agriculture.

We've got the ocean.

There's such great diversity here.

I think because of that,

it gives you the opportunity

to be incredibly creative.

What do you wanna see tonight

from these phenomenons from the West?

To me, the most important thing is every ingredient

that you put on has to really stand out.

You know, it should look pretty, for sure,

but flavor's the most important thing.

Amazing, amazing. Now, listen carefully.

To get your hands on those white aprons tonight,

you'll need at least three yeses from the judges.

All of you, the very best of luck,

and more importantly, do the West proud.

- We'll see you in the restaurant.

It's taken us ten years to get you here,

- but thank you, honestly. - Finally!

I'm so excited to be here.

It is an incredibly exciting night tonight with the West.

Being a cook in the West is probably like being a painter

with the greatest palate of colors to have

because you can draw from the ocean, the mountains, the plains, the deserts.

- You have everything. - Electrifying West Coast.

- Yep. - Brace yourselves.

Okay, honey, you got this!

- We're gonna make this happen! - Whoo!

I am from Fairbanks, Alaska,

I am passionate about where I live,

and I could not be more excited to rep my state today.

I'm Lizzie, I'm 29 years old,

and I am a preschool teacher's aide.

Living in Alaska is wild. It's exciting.

In the summer because of the extreme sunlight,

we get to do so much outdoors,

but in the winter we have darkness all the time.

So that's why I started cooking.

- You got this. - I got this.

Cooking has completely changed my life.

I'm involved in so many different things.

In the evenings I get to help make pizza dough at a local pizza place,

and on the weekends I get to teach cooking classes.

It's really good.

At this point in my life, I am ready to completely

involve myself in the culinary world,

and I know that "MasterChef" can help me do that.

Guys, it's Gordon Ramsay.

Man, good evening.

- Hello! Hi! - You okay?

- I'm fine. - Amazing. Name is?

- Lizzie from Alaska. Yes. - Lizzie from Alaska.

- Love that. - What's the dish? What are you doing?

Yeah, I'm doing an oven roasted halibut

with a cauliflower purée,

pan-seared mushrooms, and a fresh herb oil.

Mmm. That sounds amazing.

- And is it Alaskan halibut? - It is Alaskan halibut.

- Are you roasting this? - I'm a little nervous about that,

- but it's gonna happen. - Were you practiced on before you got here?

- It's very good. - And what would you give it on a scale of ten?

- A 20. - That's-- wow.

- A 20. - Okay, okay, yeah.

- Do not overcook that halibut. - Yes, sir.

- It smells delicious. Good luck. - Thank you.

It's so good to meet you both.

- Great to meet you. - Good to see you.

All right, got four more minutes.

Five maybe.

Whoo!

Oh, yeah! Guys, it's pretty!

Five, four, three, two, one.

This is the most important dish I will ever make in my life.

I am not leaving without that apron today.

Welcome.

My name is Lizzie, I'm from Alaska,

and this is roasted Alaskan halibut, cauliflower purée,

pan-seared mushrooms, and a fresh herb oil.

Right, whereabouts in Alaska do you live?

I'm in Fairbanks right in the center.

We're quirky, we're fun, we have a beautiful culture.

- It's incredible. - Shall we?

- Come on. - Okay.

Right, visually, Joe, what do you think?

I think it looks top notch.

I love the cook on the halibut.

It looks all balanced and done right.

- Thank you. - The roasted mushrooms look gorgeous.

That little bit of lemon and the sprig of thyme,

I love the way this looks.

- This is exactly my kind of food. -Dig in?

- Susan, how was that for you? - I love the flavor of the oil.

I love the earthiness of the mushrooms with the cauliflower, which just tastes great.

So I have to say it's a yes all the way for me.

Okay, thank you.

For me, I just love the confidence of the mushroom.

They're earthy and bold and they stand up to the halibut.

When you do things like that, it makes me wanna say yes.

- Thank you. - Fine start. Two yeses.

You only need three.

I think you've done yourself a bit of an injustice.

White on white I'm not a big fan of.

The purée underneath, sublime. I mean, really delicious. Joe?

Yeah, I-- I'm a little bit dumbfounded.

I've never tasted halibut that tasted quite like that dish makes it taste.

- Okay. - And that is a really good thing.

I'm gonna say yes, which gets you an apron.

And I'm gonna give a compliment that I don't give usually.

- Okay. - This dish is meritous of being copied.

- It's that good. - Thank you.

- Very good job. - Yeah.

I'm excited to see what you can do in this competition.

- It's a very solid yes from me. - Thank you.

- Come over. - Very good.

- That's awesome. - Congratulations.

- Oh, my God. Okay, okay.

- Oh, my gosh. Okay. - Congratulations. Come on.

- Thank you, guys. You guys are incredible. - Hold it together.

Great job. Four yeses. Congratulations. Well done.

I'm so happy! I just got my apron!

I'm so proud to represent Alaska.

We have a strong region in the West.

Those other regions better watch out.

Everyone's rooting for you back home.

You've got this. You are a baking daddy.

It is beyond important to rep my region.

I think I'm the only one here from Utah.

- I've gotta do my state proud.

I eat salmon every single day,

and the dish I'm making is a spicy salmon tostada.

The tostada shell is actually salmon skin,

and it is going to blow the judges' minds 'cause it blows my mind.

You make that dough. Go and make it!

I am making what Utahans refers to as scones, which are flatbreads,

along with a raspberry, lemon, vanilla compote

and a basil lemon cream to go with it.

This is a bite of Utah, 100%.

- Whoo! - Come on, Miss Salmon Queen!

- Ooh, that's hot. -Five, four,

three, two, one.

- Hello. Welcome. - Hi!

I am Gigi, also known as the Salmon Queen.

- You're the Salmon Queen? - Oh, yeah.

I eat eight to ten pounds of salmon a week.

Eight to ten pound a week? That's a whole freaking salmon a week.

- Oh, yeah. - What?

- I don't have my glasses. What does that say? - It says "salmon."

I have a tattoo in my mouth that says "salmon."

- Why did you do that? - Because I always have salmon in my mouth.

- What? - Okay.

Give us an insight to the dish.

I made some spicy salmon tostadas,

but the best part is the tostada shell

is actually crispy salmon skin.

I'm wondering why there's nothing cooked.

You're a salmon queen, but you're not cooking salmon. You're frying the skin.

Um, it's almost like a snack or a canapé.

- 'Cause it's not a dish is it? - It's not a full on dish, no.

No. The tastiest thing on that board is the actual skin.

This dish is pedestrian.

It does everything except exalt the magnificence

of salmon as an ingredient.

- I don't taste the salmon at all. - Okay.

This dish would have potential,

but it needs just to be balanced a bit more.

I think it's pretty obvious that it's a big no.

It's definitely not good enough for an apron.

My name is Tyson. I am 38. I am from Taylorsville, Utah.

This is what Utahans know as a scone,

with a raspberry compote

and a lemon basil whipped cream to go with it.

On its own, I think this could have a bit more flavor.

Every dough needs salt, whether it's puff pastry, short pastry,

because it just tastes like fried bread.

Not salting a fried dough like that

- is a real amateur mistake. - Okay.

- For me it's a no. - I appreciate the passion

and the heart behind it, but I'd have to say no.

Tyson, unfortunately, that's two nos. What a shame.

- Thank you very much for the opportunity. - Thank you.

- I'm sorry.

It's okay.

I'm proud of you.

You can't overlook the fundamental mistakes.

- No. Crucial. - You know, salting and things like that.

We just really have to hold the standard high.

- Yeah, let's go, Amanda! - Whoo!

- Whoo! - I'm Amanda,

I'm a stay at home mom in Sherman Oaks, California.

Ooh, it smells good.

I'm a California girl, I'm a California native,

and I love California.

I have three kids.

I spent my life making sure

they're well taken care of every single day.

I love being a mom.

But cooking is my passion,

obsession, and now it's my time.

Let's go, babe! You got this!

20 seconds. Man, you're cool under pressure.

Wow. Looks amazing.

Five, four, three, two, one.

"MasterChef" is the ultimate opportunity of a lifetime,

and I want that apron bad.

- Welcome. - Thank you.

My name is Amanda,

and my dish is an herb crusted halibut

with sautéed tomatoes and fennel

and pickled purple cauliflower.

Shall we? Right. Okay.

Listen, it looks like it's a really nicely cooked piece of halibut.

Yeah, I appreciate your approach to the freshness,

but I'm just concerned.

With the amount of olive oil,

- it's gonna be too much. - Shall we?

- You have fennel pollen on top, right? - Yes.

I think I better steal that so I can see how that is.

Um...

the halibut's cooked beautifully.

- Oh, my God. Thank you so much. - It's seasoned beautifully.

The fragrance of the fennel, it's exceptional. It's a perfect harmony.

A little bit longer on the quick pickling for the cauliflower. Big deal.

I am an absolute resounding yes.

- Really good job. - Thank you so much. Thank you.

To me, this very much speaks California,

with the olive oil, the tomatoes, plenty of basil,

and the flavor from the fennel.

- I'd have to give you a yes. - Thank you so much.

- Ooh. Uh-oh. - Two for two. Aarón?

I stand corrected as far as the oil.

I think it actually needs it.

With that being said, I think it's too many onions.

I think the sweetness of the tomatoes is too much.

And the fennel pollen is just so aggressive.

It's completely dominating my palate,

so for me, it's a no.

Wow.

Amanda, that's two yeses and one no.

You need three to land an apron.

Joe, it's in your hands. Please.

I'm in a difficult position here

because we're looking to give out a coveted West Coast apron.

I promise you I can do this.

I was a stay at home mom because I had three kids

and it was important for me to be there with them.

But now this is important for me to do for myself.

Joe, yes or no?

Amanda, that's two yeses and one no.

You need three to land an apron.

Joe, yes or no?

I will work hard.

- Congratulations. - Thank you so much!

- Thank you so much! Oh, my gosh. - Well done.

Bye, Amanda. Don't let me down.

- That was a big investment. - I won't.

I will not let anybody down, I promise.

I just got a MasterChef apron. I am so excited.

I will spend the rest of the season

proving to Joe that I deserve this apron.

This is some of the best cooking I've seen.

This is an amazing level we're at this year.

Sure. Two aprons down in the West and three to go.

Absolutely.

There it is! There it is!

I am here at "MasterChef"

to show what the West is made of.

Whoo!

My name is Megan, I'm 41 years old,

I live in Cokeville, Wyoming, and I'm a motel owner.

Really wish I was a judge right now. This would be delicious.

A year and a half ago, my husband and I,

we found this motel that just happened to be for sale that was a fixer.

So we moved from Seattle, Washington,

and we kinda jumped right into it.

The motel is a family affair.

It's 15 rooms. All of us get involved.

It entails a lot, but we have the support of our family and each other.

- Oh, yeah. Espresso is in. - You got this.

Everybody's here supporting you.

Cokeville, Wyoming, is the true Old West.

It's a town of about 500 people.

We don't even have a grocery store,

and so I've had to get really creative

in cooking just by necessity.

Whoo! How's it taste?

- Taste good? - It tastes good.

Oh, Gordon's here. Gordon's here.

- Hello. - Hi.

- How are you? Nice to see you. - Hi.

- What is that you're doing? - I am making

an espresso custard, and I'm serving it

in a dark chocolate cup with caramel whipped cream on the top.

- I do like caramel and chocolate. - Sounds good.

And I like that combo together.

Where's the idea come from? Where did it start?

I'm from Seattle originally,

and there's a coffee shop on every corner.

You got enough time to get it done within 45 minutes?

- I do, I've done it. - Love that.

- Is Mum gonna do it or not? - Yes.

I didn't even like coffee, and this made me love it.

Well, fingers crossed. High-five.

- Good luck. - Thank you.

Get that chocolate in the mold.

Doing a dessert is a risk

because custard is kind of technical to make.

Same with the chocolate. You have to temper it.

It's a brave dish to take on,

but I think I can do it.

All right, make it look pretty.

Five, four, three, two, one.

You gotta go win!

My whole life I have taken leaps,

and today that's what I'm here to do.

I wanna see what I can do in the MasterChef kitchen.

-Welcome. - Thank you.

Wow. Hi.

My name is Megan, I live in Cokeville, Wyoming.

I'm from Seattle, Washington, originally.

So this is an espresso custard

served inside of a dark chocolate cup

topped with caramel whipped cream.

- Shall we? - Yeah.

Okay. Wow.

Susan, visually, how does that look?

It's beautiful and certainly really well done,

- and you made that cup? - I did.

- Oh, you make the cup yourself? - I did.

Did you make the espresso too?

I used espresso powder.

Look, I think it looks fancy, you know?

It looks like you could serve it in a roadside motel.

As well as a restaurant. As well as a restaurant.

- Yeah. - Yeah, I mean it's got the wow factor.

- Shall we? -Yeah. Let's do it.

Okay, Megan, you know, three yeses from four judges.

Susan?

I think the flavor of it is really quite delicious.

The garnish is not exactly what I would do.

- I like more based on the chocolate and the espresso... - Okay.

...and the caramel itself. But the flavor is quite nice.

- Thank you. - It's a yes for me.

- Ooh. - Right away.

Aarón? I'm shocked that you're able

to get that much flavor in that custard, to be honest.

That is the obvious star of this dessert.

For me, I think there's enough flavor here,

enough of that sort of passion for your dessert making

that I'm gonna say yes.

Thank you.

Two yeses. Joe, please.

I'm having a little more difficulty with this dish

because for me, it's really about tasting the bitterness of coffee,

and I don't feel that this dessert has that component.

I think the custard tastes goopy,

kinda like Elmer's Glue with coffee syrup in it.

- So for me it's a no. - Okay.

You have two yeses, one no.

I guess it's all up to you, Gordon. What do you think?

Visually, it had that wow factor.

It does need a sponge to lighten the load

- because it's very sweet. - Okay.

I would've dropped that caramel. It didn't really need it.

It needs more bitterness. It's a tough one.

Come on.

Good job, babe.

I feel like it was a great dish.

Two of the judges really liked it.

I'm not gonna stop cooking.

I'm gonna keep going.

- We're proud of you. - Thank you.

We're expecting a lot from these West Coast cooks.

It's a tough one. At this point, we have to be really selective.

Yeah.

- Let's go, buddy. - Come on, baby.

- Come on, buddy. - Come on!

- You got this, man. - You got this.

- Whoo! - You got this, buddy.

I cannot wait to show people

what Hawaiian food has turned out to be.

- Yes! - I think a lot of people underestimate Hawaii

because they think it's just super chill, too relaxed.

Like, they don't take us seriously,

we're just a vacation destination.

- But that's not true. - Yes.

So I'm really excited to represent.

Aloha. My name is Madame Donut.

I'm 48 years old,

and I'm from Maui, Hawaii.

I'm the Queen of Donuts.

I really am!

About ten years ago,

I started a donut shop.

I make everything from scratch.

I even make my own sprinkles.

However, it's time to show everybody

that I'm very multi-layered

and I can do so much more than doughnuts.

So today I'm making an ahi tuna musubi,

with crispy sushi rice, and the soy gastrique.

I want to show the world how elevated

a convenience food can be.

Here we go.

- Aloha, Chef. Aloha. - Hello, how are you?

- How's it going? Aloha, Joe. -Aloha. How are you?

- Great to meet you. - Whoa, what are we making here?

I came here to represent Maui, so I'm making a musubi.

- A Hawaiian staple, yeah. - Convenience food. Exactly.

Traditionally it's made with spam. I'm using ahi.

Okay, do you think you have enough elevation

- to get you one of those coveted aprons? - 100%.

You're cooking against maybe cooks from Southern California, Portland, Oregon.

And then you have Hawaii, which is cool,

but it's not the first place I think of

when I think of food, quite frankly.

- Yes. Joe, look at this.

Aarón: Orale!

Uptown! Excellent!

I like that, that sass!

I'm here to change your mind.

- All right, good luck. - Yeah, I like the fact that you're tasting.

- That's awesome. Cool. - Thank you. Thank you, Chef.

All right!

Madame Donut: My dish has a lot of components.

The rice, for sure, has to be cooked right.

The fish has to be cooked right.

I don't want to overcook the fish.

And also just representing all the colors of the ingredients

that I brought in.

Come on.

One minute!

You got this! You got this!

I closed my donut shop to be here

because I want that apron.

- 20 seconds. - Come on.

Oh, my God, I don't know where to put these.

Seven, six, five,

four, three, two, one.

I didn't-- I didn't get everything on there.

My dish turned out 90% of how I wanted it to be.

Some components I didn't get on the plate--

the dragon fruit dressing and the pickled ginger.

But I'm really hoping that the judges will really see the potential

and the magic on this plate to give me the apron.

- Welcome. - Aloha, Chefs.

-Aloha. -You look amazing.

Give an insight to your name, where you're from.

- I'm Madame Donut. - Madame what?

- Donut. - Donut?

- Yeah, like a donut. - Madame Donut.

I literally changed my name.

Normally I'm calling individuals donuts.

Now you're being asked to be called a donut.

It's not a compliment when he says it, right? You know that?

I know, I know, and I don't mind.

Okay, what's the dish, please?

I live on Maui, and I'm representing Hawaii on this plate.

So this is an ahi musubi with crispy sushi rice

and soy gastrique to go with it.

Okay. Right.

I love how this dish represents you.

- Yes. - It's colorful, it's vibrant.

I know there's gonna be a little bit of spice

and a little bit of that sort of sassiness in flavor.

I'm curious about the negative space.

You left half of the plate empty.

I wanted to put pretty dots of the dragon fruit dressing.

- You ran out of time? - Yes. Sorry.

It's kind of like I'm on Hawaiian time

and I'm trying to kick my butt to kind of get into gear.

- You're on mainland now. - Let me tell you something.

You gotta make it happen in the 45 minutes that you have.

- I know. - Shall we?

Mmm.

Um, you'll need three yeses

to get your hands on an apron.

Um, that's a tough one.

You'll need three yeses to get your hands on an apron.

Um, let me tell you something.

- Tuna's cooked beautifully. - Thank you, Chef.

Rice needs to be a little bit more crispier, if I'm honest.

That's a tough one.

For me, it's a no.

Yeesh.

...to go back to Maui,

but a yes to get an apron in "MasterChef."

- Oh, my God. Oh, my God. - Susan?

This is exactly my kind of dish.

It's perfect saltiness.

It's got the right amount of acidity.

I'm with Gordon. It's a yes for me, too.

- Thank you, Chef. Oh, my-- - Yeah.

The rice is the silent star here.

I love the fact how you transformed the ahi

into almost a steak texture.

It's kind of robust, and I think that's beautiful.

- So? - I believe enough that this is a yes.

- I'm gonna give you that apron. - Oh, my God. Thank you, Chefs.

- Thank you, thank you, thank you! - Aarón: Yes, yes.

- Congratulations. - Three yeses?

Well, wait. Don't you wanna hear what I think?

I somewhat do, yes!

All right, I gotta tell you something.

It's time for the donut queen

to leave the donuts behind and move on

to restaurant quality dishes like this.

- It's a yes. Four yeses. - Yeah, yes.

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

Miss Donut, we're officially now gonna give you the title of MD.

- That's going on that apron. - Yes! MD, yeah.

- Congratulations. Well done. - MD.

I don't even know what to do.

- Yes! - Madame Donut: This feels, like, unreal.

They all said yes to me.

Like, holy, holy... beep!

- Oh, my God! - You deserve it. You deserve it.

- That was great. - That was delicious.

- I really liked that. - I want more of it.

- She did a great job. - Really good job.

- She challenged herself. - Why would you turn your name into a donut?

You should become Gordon Wellington.

I'll call you G. Wells from now on.

- Lord Wellington. - Gordy Wellington.

- Fabulous. - Great dish.

Aarón: Absolutely.

- Yeah! - Let's go, Kennedy!

I got it.

My name's Kennedy. I'm 26. I'm from Denver, Colorado.

I grew up surrounded by wildflowers on a farm on 12 acres.

Whoo!

Absolutely proud to be from Colorado.

I'm a wild girl, I'm from the mountains,

and it definitely shaped who I am today.

That was really good.

That's the best I've ever done it.

- Right. - Let's go!

Aah!

- Hello. How are you? - Hello!

- We good? You look amazing. - I'm good. How are you?

Tell us about the dish. What are you doing?

I'm doing an elk tenderloin over rainbow carrots

- with a blueberry compote. - Love that. Elk.

Nothing more mountain girl, right?

How are you gonna cook this elk?

I'm gonna sear it just real quick over top

and leave it in the oven to finish.

I'm looking for a medium rare.

Why are you toasting that rosemary?

- I wanna open up the aromatics. - Yeah.

- Great idea. - Right. Wow, love this.

Is this the kind of dish you cook at home?

- I live in a school bus. - Say that again.

- What? What? - Did you forget to drop her off?

She just-- she did an overnight in the bus?

Me and my girlfriend renovated a school bus.

We work all around the country following festivals.

We're just a little weirder in the West.

We love that! That's why we love the West.

My motto has always to been to stay weird.

Just got a little something different to us.

I'm with you, yeah.

Make sure that rests well.

Don't slice that piping hot, yes? Can't wait to see it.

- Good luck. - Thank you. Thank you so much.

- Now that looks good. -I'm definitely

not your normal cookie cutter kind of girl.

I currently live and travel full-time in a renovated school bus.

I have a living room, I have a bathroom, I got a kitchen.

But all I have is a camper stove,

so I really wanna prove to the world

that a girl who lives in a school bus

can still throw down in a huge kitchen.

- Then you let it rest? - Yeah, I have to let it rest.

I decided to do a risky protein like elk

because you gotta really know what you're doing when you work with it.

- It's very easy to overcook. - That's beautiful.

- Ha, ha, ha, ha. - That's perfect.

- She be plating! - My mouth is watering.

Seven, six, five,

four, three, two, one.

Whoo!

Just because I cook on a school bus,

that doesn't mean I can't handle bigger things.

All right!

I'm a badass chef, I'm from the mountains,

I can handle wild game, and I'm ready to go.

- Welcome. - Hello!

My name's Kennedy, I'm from Denver, Colorado,

and today I made for you an elk tenderloin

over rainbow carrots with a blueberry compote.

-Wow. - Sounds good.

Aprons are few and far between.

Elk is one of the most difficult,

tempestuous proteins on the planet.

Why elk on a night like tonight?

I just wanted to show you guys a little bit of who I am as a person.

I'm a mountain girl, and elk obviously is from Colorado.

And I just wanted to show my heart.

- I love that. - Shall we?

-Let's go. - Aarón: Indeed.

Yeah, let's taste.

Visually, it pops.

Elk is absolutely beautiful.

You can see that pink gradient

of that from the center out.

- Beautifully done. - The plate is gorgeous.

Thank you, Chef.

- Shall we? - Yeah.

You get in.

The elk is the most difficult protein being cooked in this kitchen tonight.

And you absolutely nailed that.

- Really nailed it. - Thank you, Chef.

- Do cook like this in the school bus? - I sure do.

Wow, what's one glamorous (bleep) bus.

I could do with one more thing on there, I think.

Pasta purée. Something a little bit more earthy

- to get rid of the sweetness. - Okay.

But it is an absolute yes from me.

- Thank you so much. Thank you. - Great job.

I love that you did a blueberry compote with vinegar,

and it's got sort of the perfect combo together.

The carrots are perfectly cooked and the elk is just delicious.

- Thank you, Chef. - So I think I'd have to say it's a yes.

Superb handling of the elk. I love your boldness.

I mean, the fact that you sliced it to show off

your confidence in cooking it says a lot about you.

- Thank you. - And for me, it allows me

to feel confident in giving you a yes.

Excellent dish.

You're exactly what we're looking for.

An apron for the West Coast.

You represent a region of philosophy, a way of life. Congratulations then.

- You have an apron. - Thank you so much.

- Aarón: Great job. -Well done.

- Don't lose that. - All right.

- Amazing. Really good. - It feels good.

-Well done. -Congrats.

- Thank you so much. - Oh, my gosh.

Oh, my God, she's gonna be--

Yay!

Winning this apron means everything to me.

It just proves to myself that I have what it takes to be here.

I mean, I got four yeses.

On a scale of one to ten, this is literally the best day

of my entire life.

- I'm so proud of you! - Thank you.

Let's go, buddy.

Oh, yeah!

Everybody knows Westside's the best side.

Get after it, Cal.

All right, there we go.

- Hi, bud. You good? - Hey, how you doing?

- Nice to see you. James. - First name?

James. Good to see you, bud. You good?

- Feeling good. -Where are you from?

Portland, Oregon. Y'all here for the West.

We the best. I mean, you know?

- I got the...

Give us an insight to the dish. What are you doing? What is it?

- I am doing a Northwest crab cake... - Right.

- ...with a sautéed squash. - Oh, I love that idea.

Growing up, was it Mum taught you to cook? Was it Dad? Who was it?

It was my mom. She taught me how to cook.

Good. I love that. Is Mum here?

No. Unfortunately, she passed away.

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

- So, it just-- - Well, let's do this for Mum.

- What was Mum's name? - Gloria.

-Gloria. - Yeah.

What did she teach you growing up?

- That I could do anything. -Good.

- I love that. - Good.

I think you should call these

the Glorious Gloria Crab Cakes.

- Oh, you know what? - Yes.

Now they're the Glorious Gloria Crab Cakes.

- Yeah. - I love it.

- Do her justice. - Thank you.

- Good to see you, bud. - I'm gonna give you a hug.

20 minutes to go, James. Let's go.

- You got this, buddy. - Whoo!

Makes me nervous, like, he's gonna cut himself.

- Mom, I'm not gonna cut myself. - Hi, guys.

- Hello. - Young man, how are we?

- What's up? I'm good. - First name is?

- Calvin. - Calvin. Good to see you.

- Young man, how old are you? - I'm 18.

- Congratulations. - Wait.

- Thank you. - Aren't you in school?

I was gonna say, shouldn't you be in school?

Don't tell my teachers, all right?

Okay. 18 years of age? Listen, four years ago,

- you could've been on "MasterChef Junior." - I know.

Was he always excited about food growing up?

Yeah, he loved eating it, he loved cooking it.

He was just always in the kitchen,

- always right next to me. - What are you making here?

So I'm making fried halibut cheek tacos.

- Wow, I like the idea. - Okay, halibut cheek.

And you're serving a taco to Aarón Sánchez? Are you mad?

No.

- Can't turn back now. - Well, no.

- You're absolutely right. - You're right.

Make sure it's a good one, man. Good luck, yes?

- Nice to meet you. Amazing. - Thank you so much.

- A little butter in there. - James, you got this, baby. Let's go!

- Let's go, James! - You know we gonna get it.

- Whoo! - Good job, Cal.

Let's go, Cal! Come on, buddy!

Let's go, Cal!

Perfect.

- Five, four, three... - Yeah, boy.

Wrap it up, you know what I'm saying? We gonna get this apron!

- Good job, buddy.

Let's go, Cal!

My name is Calvin Berkeley, I'm a high school student from San Diego, California,

and I made halibut cheek fish tacos

with a kiwi watermelon salsa.

- Susan, what do you think? - One of the things that I love

is does look like you made this nice and crisp,

which is really important and very challenging to do.

It's all about the flavor as well, right?

- Yeah. - Shall we?

Young man, you need three yeses tonight

to get your hands on an apron.

A taco has three elements that need to work in synergy.

The tortilla, you have your protein, and then you have your garnish.

I think you put way too much oil in the tortilla,

and then kiwi and watermelon have no business being there.

Unfortunately for me, sadly, it's a no.

See how the tortilla falls apart?

Part of what you need is maybe a base to hold some of the juice.

You wanna be able to pick it up, but you don't want it

- to have it fall apart like that. - Yes, Chef.

Honestly, you'll get there, but I'm a no.

Unfortunately, that's it. Two nos, and I'm sorry.

- Take care. - Thank you.

I love you, buddy.

My name is James, 31 years old from Portland.

These are Glorious Gloria Crab Cakes

with tartar sauce and sautéed squash.

Where does the passion for cooking come from?

It came from my mom.

And I have a twin brother.

Unfortunately, he can't be here because he's handicapped.

- I miss him so much. - Yeah.

And my brother said, "Hey, I'm holding down the fort.

You can go to 'MasterChef' and, uh,

see if you can get an apron."

Wow. I mean, you're clearly a passionate guy,

- but what's your dream? - Uh, my dream is to open

a food cart, you know, serving soups.

- I love making soups. - Love it. Shall we?

-Check it out. -Yeah.

Uh...

I mean, visually, I love the color on the crab cake.

- It looks like it's packed with flavor. - Thank you.

Shall we?

Overall, I have to say,

the crab cake is really what's so compelling,

and that's taking over my palate in a beautiful way.

With that being said, for me it's definitely a yes.

- Thank you. - I would've liked the crab cake a little bit more higher heat

to give a little bit more crispness,

but the flavor of it, seasoned really well.

- I'd say yes. - Thank you.

United Tastes Of America.

This year we're going up a level.

James, ooh, man.

That is one of the best crab cakes I've ever tasted.

It is an absolute yes from me.

- Thank you. - Come here. You good?

- Thank you so much. - There you go, young man. Get that on.

- There we go. Smile. - Yeah! You know?

And let's just give a big moment to Mum.

- Congratulations. - Great job. Great job.

Well done. Good man.

- This is for you, Mom! You understand?

This apron means the world to me.

You know, I'm able to make my brother proud, my mom proud.

It means I am one step closer to my passion, to my dream, and fulfilling that.

Are you surprised that they're amateurs, cooking on this level?

This is what I think about the West.

You could see tonight some of the quality that was there.

I feel like they're cooking better

than some of the cooks we have in our restaurants.

Three regions down, one to go. This is it.

Next time on "MasterChef"...

Please welcome Tiffany Derry.

...it's the last night of the regional auditions.

- I got the South in the house! - Let's go!

It's a spicy Southern showdown...

- What are you doing?

- Step away! - ...as the hopeful home cooks

fight it out for the final five aprons.

- Whoo! - If I overcook this steak,

they might kick me out of Texas.

This dish takes me straight back to New Orleans. I'm a big yes.

This is as perfect a medium rare as we've seen on this show.

- Mm. Mm. - Oh, damn.

-Broke my tooth. - Oh.