All language subtitles for MasterChef.US.S12E11

- Previously on
- Back to Win,"

the top 14 faced
a team challenge
in the American West.

You'll be feeding 101
cowboys and cowgirls.

It's gonna be hot back there.

We're one minute away!

- Are you okay?

Some rose up
through the ashes...

The winning team
is the red team!

...while another rode
into the sunset.

Shelly, there should be
a crust on this.

I cooked a million
steaks.

This one is completely raw.

Oh, boy.

Shelly, the captaincy
wasn't present.

Say goodbye
and hand me your apron.

Tonight,
it's a mystery box challenge

curated by
a MasterChef superstar.

Christine Ha!

And she's raising the bar.

To make a Vietnamese dish,

you must use all of those
ingredients.

Holy hell!

Someone's gonna win
immunity

and someone's gonna
be eliminated.

What's gonna happen to you?

They'll need
to keep their cool...

There's something exciting
and dangerous

- about the way you cook.
- It's very elevated.

to avoid cracking
under the pressure...

This is something
I would not choose to do.

- I'm back to win.
- Oh,

- Have you made
this dish before?
- No.

- It's completely missing
the mark.

It's kind of boring.

It's like eating suntan lotion.

You're out of it, big time.

- All right.
- This is a good one.

- Big box.
- Really excited for
tonight's challenge.

- This is it.
- A decade in the making.

- Ooh!

- Top 13! Come on.
- Uh-oh.

- Welcome back, guys.
- Another giant mystery box.

Mystery box.

The last time there was
a huge mystery box,

Shaun came out
with showgirls from Vegas.
It was a whole thing.

And I'm like, "Okay,
what's coming out this time?"

A football team? A parade?
Like, what is gonna come at us?

Welcome back to the amazing
MasterChef kitchen, everybody.

- Whoo!
- Wow.

Now, come on, it was so good
to see you all step up

and cook for those citizens
of Horsetown last week.

Red team, you guys
did a great job.

You cooked like
it wasn't your first rodeo.

It felt amazing to win
as team captain

and prove to the judges
and everybody

that I found my voice.

So I'm just trying
to channel that positivity

into today's challenge.

Tonight we have another
winners mystery box for you

with ingredients curated
by one our previous
MasterChef champions.

- Let's get it.
- Let's meet tonight's guest,
shall we?

Honestly, it's a privilege
and an honor

to get that inspiration
from the MasterChef family.

So I am stoked,

and I am ready to see
what's under that big box.

Ladies and gentlemen,
please welcome...

- Wow!

...the winner of season three,

the amazing Christine Ha!

Yes, ma'am!

- Welcome back.
- Thank you.

Oh, my goodness me.

Oh, my Lord.
Yes, ma'am.

We are so excited
to have you back here.

Season three, Joe.
Come on, that was a decade ago.

- It was a decade.
- Yeah.

Oh, my Lord.

I am speechless.

Christine is laying
the groundwork

for Asian-American female chefs
and building an empire.

And that's everything
that I aspire to be.

It's just incredible that
she's standing this close
in front of me.

- How does it feel to be back?
- It's amazing.

I didn't think that I would
tear up, but I kind of am.

You are not
the only one tearing up.

Amanda, come on, how exciting
is it to see Christine back?

I'm so excited.

Season three
was the first season that
I watched of "MasterChef,"

and seeing Christine
just dominate in the kitchen

despite life challenges
and whatever came her way,

just always having
a positive attitude,

and it's a dream to be able
to cook for you tonight.

- Thank you.
- Christine,
your incredible journey

since winning "MasterChef"
season three has been amazing.

You were judge
on "MasterChef Vietnam."

You are a best-selling author,

a culinary ambassador
for the American embassy

in countries all over
the world,

and back in Houston,
you now have two beloved
restaurants.

That's right, the first one,
The Blind Goat,

was actually nominated
for a James Beard Award

for best new restaurant
in 2020.

- Amazing.
- Houston is well-known

as one of the most multicultural
cities in America,

and Christine's Vietnamese food

has helped support
that beautiful reputation

of being a culinary melting pot.

So tonight we're honoring
that tradition

with her curated mystery box.

Right, all of you, please,
head to your stations.

- Whew!
- Great.

- Here we go.
- No pressure.

Right, on the count of three,
please lift your boxes.

One, two, three. Lift!

Oh, hell yeah.

Okay, what's this?

Those are staple ingredients
in Vietnamese cooking.

Everything's so fresh.

You've got my favorite,
fish sauce,

cilantro, limes, green onion,

palm sugar, Thai basil,

mung bean sprouts,
chilies, garlic,

- sambal, and mint.
- Perfect.

Here's the catch.

You must use all
of those ingredients

to make a Vietnamese dish.

Well...

Oh, holy hell!

It wasn't just,
"Hey, here's your mystery box."

No, the judges have to drop
another bomb.

And so now we have to use
all 11 ingredients in our dish.

Do you know how much spice
there's gonna be?

Like, it's a lot going on,

and so you have to know
how to balance it.

There will also be a limited
pantry with other ingredients

commonly seen
in Vietnamese dishes.

Now don't forget,
whoever cooks
the best dish tonight

will win the immunity pin
and be safe

from elimination
in next week's challenge.

But, remember,
whoever cooks the worst dish

will be eliminated.

- Right, everybody ready?
- Yes, Chef.

Your one hour starts...

- Now!
- Let's go!

- Go!
- Wow.

- Where's the duck?
Where's the duck?
- Ooh, look at those fish.

Corn starch, corn starch,
corn starch,

Um, I need carrots.

Chicken broth, chicken broth.

They are so pumped
to have you here, Chef.

- Yeah?
- You have no idea.

That looks good.

Today I am making bánh xèo,
which is a savory crêpe.

It's gonna have shrimp
and pork belly.

It's gonna have a lettuce wrap.

This is my first time
making this,

but I believe that I can do
anything that I set my mind to,

and today my mind is set
and I'm gonna do it.

So 60 minutes to cook the most
authentic Vietnamese dish.

The fruit lime oil,
let's get that started.

Now, in previous challenges,
they could pick and choose
from that mystery box,

but tonight we're asking
for the first time
in "Back to Win"

they use all of those
ingredients.

That's quite a tall order,
isn't it?

That is,
because you have to really
assess your entire box,

think about what you can do
with every ingredient in there.

And I feel like
that's pretty challenging.

I got my rice on.
I got my curry broth going.

I feel like Vietnamese food
tends to be very balanced,

so I would actually maybe go
a little bit of something hot
that you cook

and then balance that
with something fresh like herbs
or a cold noodle dish.

Absolutely,
but the secret tonight is to use
a great protein, isn't it?

Whether it's a fish protein,
short rib, pork,

surely that's gonna help
incorporate all
those ingredients.

I agree.
I think because the mystery box

is full of ingredients
that are very supplemental,

so then you kind of want
something to be your star
in that dish,

so I think a nice protein
would be great to use.

This needs water.

Just over 10 minutes gone.
Just under 50 minutes to go.

Chilies, fish sauce.

I know every ingredient
under the mystery box,
because that's my thing.

I'm Asian, so that's
an advantage for me tonight.

I'm gonna be making
a glass noodle

with also sugarcane marinade
for kabobs.

Christine, she's really
an inspiration for me

because she's able to have
the passion

to follow her dreams,
so I'm gonna follow my dream.

Shall we?

All right, I need something.
Chili oil.

- Ooh,
it smells good.
- It smells delicious.

Young lady, how are you?

- You okay?
- Yes.

I'm so happy to meet you

and to be here
and to cook for you.

I'm making a beef pho.

So pho is very common Vietnamese
broth-based soup dish,

and the secret behind
that great pho is time.

You have to develop the flavors
of the rich broth.

Yeah, it takes
a long time to make a pho,

so this is something
I would not choose to do

because I cook it overnight.

Have you ever made pho before?

I've made pho before.
It took me two days.

And I'm trying to do it
in less than an hour

by using the pressure cooker,
searing everything off,

getting a nice char,
using some veal demi as well
to enhance that beef flavor.

So I'm hoping the richness
of what I've done

- comes through
in the broth today.
- Smart move.

I think you thought that
through, Amanda, and it sounds
like you have a game plan.

Thank you.
I hope you guys will enjoy it.

Focus on this execution.

- Use every minute
you've got, yeah?
- Yes, Chef.

- Good luck.
- Thank you so much.

- Good luck, Amanda.
- Thank you, Christine.

I definitely relate to Christine

being a woman in
a male-dominated industry

where everything
is an uphill battle.

Like, you are constantly trying
to prove yourself.

So it's really inspiring
but also super intimidating

- to be cooking for her today.
- Oh, my.

Given that this dish usually
takes days to make,

I have to get everything
in the pressure cooker

to allow it to cook
for as long as possible.

If I don't get the beef cooked
until tender,

I don't have a dish.

And pressure is, um...

Guys, 15 minutes gone.
45 minutes remaining.

- Come on.
- Keep it going, guys.
Come on.

Okay, you're good.
Don't freak out,
don't freak out.

Sorry, I'm at the wrong station.

That was close.

I am working on
a Vietnamese sticky pork belly.

It's gonna be very herbaceous.

It's gonna be bright
and colorful.

Christine Ha's here today.

I am so inspired
by her presence.

I first started watching
"MasterChef" on season three.
She was my favorite.

The reason I know anything
about Vietnamese food is her.

I have to give her credit
for being able to work

with the ingredients
under this box today.

It's okay.

- Oh, my.

- Right, Michael,
how are you feeling?
- Hello, hello.

I'm feeling fantastic.
I'm really excited
about this dish.

How's it going over here?
What are you making?

Good. I'm gonna bo kho,
one of my favorite dishes.

Oh, bo kho.
Beef stew. Braised beef.

Beef stew, yeah,
but I'm gonna do short rib

and a crispy spring roll
with some crab.

And then I'm gonna do a classic
fish sauce lime dipping sauce.

- Interesting.
- Not the combination
you expect to hear.

- Yeah, not at all.
- Beef and crab, why?

- Why the crab?
- I'm in Texas,

so I wanna bring some of that
Louisiana Gulf crab into this,

just to bring a little of me
on the plate.

I just gotta get that beef
in the pressure cooker

because it's gonna need
a half hour.

- And that lid on, yes?
- Yes, that's what
I'm gonna do right now.

- Five minutes behind already.
- 40 minutes to go.

- Thanks, Michael.
- Thank you.

There we go.

It's perfect.

Oh, gosh.

Emily,
talk to us about your dish.

Yeah, I'm gonna do
some lemongrass pork.

I lived in New Orleans
for a few years,

and my favorite little
corner shop down the street

had this amazing
lemongrass pork.

I'm gonna do some
nice fresh pickled veggies

and then top it
with a rice cracker.

So 11 ingredients
in Christine's mystery box,
are you familiar with them all?

I am familiar with them all,
not necessarily cooking
with them all.

Which is the most challenging
ingredient for you?

I would have to say
the spicy peppers.
I'm not a spicy person.

I know that you guys
like spicy stuff, I just--

No, no, I think--
you have to use them
is the point.

Not like or no like.
It's one of the mandatory
ingredients.

And we will be looking
for them on a flavor
point of view as well.

- Yeah. Right.
- It can just be a throwaway.

- All right,
good luck, Emily.
- Thank you.

- Shrimp chips...
- Come on.

- Christian?
- Yes, Chef?

- How you doing, Chef Christine?
- Hello.

What are you cooking?
What's the dish?

I'm making you
a beef vegetable pho.

I'm very inspired by pho.

I eat a lot of pho when
I'm back home in New Orleans.

Okay, I hear a pressure cooker.

So that's what
you're cooking that in?

And what makes
this one different?

I like putting bok choy
in my pho.

- Interesting.
- And I love putting okra,

- put a little New Orleans
sauce on there.
- A little New Orleans.

So I'm wondering how
this will turn out,

but I give kudos to you
for being brave enough
to try to cook pho...

- Yes, ma'am.
- ...because it is not
an easy dish to make.

- It's not.
- Good luck, Christian.

- Thank you.
- Good luck.

Looking good.

All right.

- Dara.
- Hello, hello.

What are you making?

So I'm making
a duck rice porridge

with sautéed morning glories
and a chili garlic crunch.

I eat Vietnamese food
probably once a week

and I'm very familiar
with these flavors.

What about duck
spoke to you and said

that's the protein
for a Vietnamese inspired dish?

Usually the dish that I'm making
is served with chicken,

but duck is one
of my favorite proteins.

How important would it be
tonight to win, get immunity
in front of Christine?

That would be incredible.

I mean, as a young
Asian-American woman,

she is such
a huge inspiration to me.

I think this would be
a real incredible opportunity

for you to win immunity
and win this thing.

And not only that,
the pressure's on

- 'cause you have chili pepper
earrings on too.
- I do.

- So don't let down
your look, okay?
- Thank you, Chef.

Come on, baby.

Come on now.
Come on now.

- Okay, finally.
These are done.
- 35 minutes gone.

25 minutes remaining.

So interesting.
Some really good sounding
dishes out there, yeah?

Christian and Amanda
are both making pho.

Making a pho in
a pressure cooker is very brave.

That's not something I would do
if I were in the challenge,

because I think pho
takes a very long time

to really coax the flavor
out of the bones.

And with the locked lid
on the pressure cooker,

it's risky,
because you don't know

if it's cooked properly
until you lift that lid.

Let's cook, baby.

Breathe, breathe, breathe.

Michael's doing bo kho,
which is a very savory

Vietnamese beef stew
that we often eat in the winter.

He's doing it with short rib,
which I really think is smart,

in the pressure cooker.

The idea of the short rib
sounds delicious.

The big issue here with Michael

is that can it cook
in 60 minutes?

Yes, and be tender?

Keep it going, guys.
Come on.

Come on, come on, come on.

Let's go, baby.

Mmm. Oh, jeez!

That's burned on the bottom.

The pressure cooker
has to be really hot

to cook in such a small
amount of time.

Oh, my gosh.

And I burned the crap
out of the pork belly.

Man!

There's 20 minutes left
of the cook.

I have so much more to do.

I mean, there's not
enough time to start over.

- Damn it.
- I think I've bitten off more

than I can chew at this point.

I don't know what to do.

This is a disaster.

Going down in flames.

Mm. Oh, jeez!

Oh, my gosh.

I've burned the crap
out of the pork belly.

Man!

Now I have to cut it down
and trim it.

Hot, hot, hot.

So I just hope
it doesn't taste burnt at all.

Whoo!

We're down to the last
18 minutes remaining.

Oh, my gosh. 18 minutes. Okay.

Almost there.

- Bri, how you feeling?
- Hello.

- Hi, Bri.
- I'm feeling
a mixture of emotions.

I was on the bottom when
I pulled the Vietnamese flag

when we had to do the Vietnamese
and Southern fusion.

Bri, you're a cook
that concentrates a lot
on the aesthetic of a dish,

and this dish looks bad.
It tastes like how it looks.

- That was long gone, yeah?
- Yes.

You've since progressed
brilliantly in the competition.

- Definitely.
- Led your team to victory
in the last big challenge,

so give us an insight
into the dish tonight.
What are you doing?

I am doing a salmon

that's gonna be brushed
with a fish sauce caramel,

and then it's going to be
on a lemongrass lime coconut
vinaigrette with a mint oil.

Okay, are you serving
any starch with that?
Any rice or noodles?

Oh, yes, I am doing
a stir fry as well

with the vermicelli noodles
and then the bean sprouts.

Okay, I feel like salmon
is very fickle,

and so I think it's really key
to cook that salmon perfectly.

- Yes.
- A phenomenal,
talented cook.

- She dresses food
like an artist.
- Thank you.

Let's just home we combine
that flavor tonight

with that artistry as well

and ensure all 11 mystery box
ingredients shine.

I'm excited to try it
and see if Bri can cook
a salmon that impresses me.

Good.
Sounds good, Bri.

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

Come on, baby.

I'm good. I'm feeling good.
I'm good.

Perfect.

- Fred! What are you making?
- Hi.

I'm doing crystal wrapped prawns

that I marinated
with some of the chili sambal,

your lime, mint,
and some garlic,

and then I'm gonna serve it
with a lemongrass
crustacean broth.

Someone's gonna win immunity,
and someone's gonna be
eliminated, Fred.

- What's gonna happen to you?
- I hope I can be
in the top tonight.

I mean, Christine is one
of my biggest inspirations.

Seeing someone like her win,
someone who looks like me,

it helped me realize that,
you know, I can have
a place in this society,

- and I'm not just
some outcast...
- Wow.

...like how I was made out
to be as a kid.

So I don't want to disappoint
someone who I really look up to

and is the reason why
I cook to this day.

And, Fred, let me just
tell you that kitchens are
great places for outcasts,

- so don't ever shy away
from that.
- Yes.

Embrace your weirdness, man.
That's what it's all about.

- Okay?
- I try to that every day.

- You're a beautiful person.
- Look, here's the posterchild.

Yes, exactly.

Oh, yes.

Bean sprouts.

Beautiful.

Derrick.

- Hello.
- Hi, Chef.

You're making tonight...

Since we get to do
Vietnamese-inspired food today,

I'm doing a soft-shell crab
bánh mi

with a pork pâté aioli.

How are you seasoning
the soft-shell crab?

I have it soaking in buttermilk,

lime leaves, lime juice,

- and pepper right now.
- Okay.

Fierce competitor.
Came so close last time around.

Runner-up season six.

To make it that close,
I have a chip on my shoulder.

- You're back to win.
- I'm back to win.

- Good luck.
It sounds delicious.
- Thank you, Chef.

Beautiful.

Okay, that's good.

- Gabriel, we see a lot
of nice knife work here.
- Yes, Chef.

So I'm going to do
a Vietnamese-inspired curry

with a coconut lime
jasmine rice,

and I'm gonna glaze
some seared salmon

with a very light
and vibrant daikon salad.

And what
is your experience
with Vietnamese cuisine?

My mother was huge fan of going
to different Vietnamese
restaurants in Oklahoma

and eating a good bowl of pho,
and that's how
we spent time together.

This challenge,
it has an air of difficulty,
but it's also very sentimental.

Unfortunately
I lost my mother back in 2018
from ovarian cancer.

She was my culinary
inspiration.

She's the reason that
I stepped foot in the kitchen
in the first place.

So I'm really wanting
to pay homage to my mom

and make sure that I put
that emotion into the plate.

Come on.
Come on, baby.

- Fellow, Houstonian.
- Hello! Hello, how are you?

Good, Willie.
How are you doing?

- And what are you making
over here?
- I'm doing pretty good.

Today I'm gonna do a fish sauce

caramel braised catfish.

Okay, so something very similar
to what I did in the audition,

so are you ready
to serve me that?

I'm ready.
I'm just hoping you love it

just as much as they did
the first time around.

That's one of the most
delicious dishes I've tasted
in this competition so far.

Oh, my God.
Thank you, Chef.

Do you know what
I'm gonna give you?

- A white apron.
- A white apron.
Congratulations.

Thank you.

It sounds promising
and delicious.

I definitely wanna try
and see if it's better

than my clay pot catfish.
So, we'll see.

What are you marinating
the catfish in?

So right now
I have some shallots, onions,

- garlic, lime juice...
- Mm-hmm.

I like the addition of the lime.

Something I've learned
from MasterChef I think

is adding acid to a lot of
things really helps the dish.

What would immunity mean?
You've been so close, Willie.

Just to have that immunity pin
would be awesome.

But I'm not gonna
back down from a challenge.

This catfish dish
sounds delicious.

- Good luck.
- Yes, Chef. Thank you.

Whoo!

Almost there.

Just under
five minutes remaining.

Amazing dishes out there.

- Oh, yes.
- Now, Big Willie,

he's doing a Vietnamese style
braised catfish.

It's similar to kind
of what I did in the audition,

but actually it sounds like he's
stepped it up another level.

Derrick's now assembled
those huge sandwiches there.

- Look at the size
of those things.
- Yeah, perfect.

Okay, Bri, start getting things
on the plate. Let's go.

- Brandi, taste everything.
- Yes, Chef.

Come on, Christian.

So Michael still hasn't got
that beef out there yet,

and it's just
under three minutes to go.

- That should be out by now, no?
- Yes.

- Oh, my God.
- Three minutes left,

and I don't even have
the pressure out
of my pressure cooker.

Come on, Michael.
Put your plates out.

- Oh, shoot.
- I need every last second

to get the beef in there
as tender as possible.

So I'm gonna have to throw
this stew into the bowl

at the last second.

Breathe, breathe, breathe.

It's scary,
because once I release
the pressure from the cooker,

I won't really be able
to do anything about it.

It's either gonna be
delicious or it's gonna be
a total failure.

I don't have time for this.

Michael still hasn't got
that beef out there yet.
That should be out by now.

- Yes.
- Two minutes remaining!
Let's go!

Come on, Michael.
Put your plates out.

- Here it comes.
- Here it goes.

- Wow, here he goes.
- Let's see.

- It's soft.
- Wow.

It smells amazing.

60 seconds remaining.
Last minute!

- Come on, guys. You got this.
- Here we go.

You can do it, Brandi.
You can do it, Brandi.

Oh, my God,
my hand is shaking right now.

- Me too.
- Quickly, Bri.

Keep it going, guys.
Come on.

Come on, Gabriel.

We got this, guys.
Keep it pushing.

We're down
to 20 seconds remaining.

Breathe, breathe, breathe.

- Bring back memories?
- Yes.

- Oh, my Lord.
- They should be wiping
down the plate.

Ten, nine, eight,

seven, six, five,

four, three, two, one.

- And stop.
- That's it.
Hands in the air.

- Oh, my God.
- Well done.

Tonight your challenge was to
cook a beautiful Vietnamese dish

inspired by Chef Christine

and use all 11 ingredients
in your mystery boxes.

It is now time to find out

exactly how all of your dishes
came together.

- So, Christian...
- Yes, Chef.

And what cut of beef
did you use on this?

Beef tenderloin
and skirt steak.

- Have you made
this dish before?
- No.

Okay, Brandi.

I left my pot on the burner
after I took my pork belly out.

- I apologize.
- I think you can taste
a little bit of that.

Is the pork from here
what's served on your plate?

- Yes.
- Thank you.

You never know what the judges
are gonna say about
everyone's dishes.

Gabe, do you feel
you captured the essence
of Vietnamese cuisine?

I do feel like I have a decent
balance of spice between my slaw
and my curry sauce.

I am a little worried about
some of my other competitors

because I don't know
if they've ever used some
of these ingredients before.

So this is the crepe
with the pork.

Okay, so this sounds like
a traditional Vietnamese dish.

I thought it was pretty cool
colors, flavors.

It sounds like you've eaten
this dish before.

- I've actually never eaten it.
- Really?

- No.
- Thank you, Shanika.

It's not the time
to play it safe

and go down a traditional route

of making pho or bánh mi's.

Doesn't taste
very strong, now does it?

Yeah, I feel like
it's still lacking
a little bit of depth.

So, Derrick,
tell me what's in between
the sandwiches.

On the bread I toasted it
with a pork pâté aioli.

- You toasted it with
a pork pâté aioli?
- Yeah.

I wanna stand out in this crowd.

Dara, very emotional today.

Were you able to put emotion
in the plate?

I was. I'm really proud
of how everything turned out.

Thank you, Dara.

Emily, is there a sauce
or is there something missing
off this dish?

No, it's-- the lettuce
and the vegetables are tossed

in the nuoc cham dipping sauce.

- So this is the key element.
- Yes. Yeah.

- Very strong.
- Hmm. Strong.

- Very strong.
- Bowen.

What'd you dress
the noodles in?

It's cooked pepper paste.

- Pretty spicy.
- You put that paste
in the noodles?

- Yes.

- Michael.
- Hi, Joe.

- Very ambitious dish.
- I put it all out there.

Thank you.

The judges have been
really tough this whole time.

Willie, did you adjust anything
per her advice?

I did actually.
I made sure that it was balanced
with a little vinegar.

They know that
we've all worked professionally
in the culinary world.

Fred, your dish
looks very minimalistic.

Thank you.

We are all all-stars here,

and we should be able to do
whatever's thrown at us.

Is that just
plain coconut milk?

No, it was infused
with the lemongrass,

and it also has lime.

Thank you.

- There's a lot of good dishes
out there.
- Yeah.

With Christian and just
the flavor on that broth,
it's really profound.

- You know, it tasted very rich.
- Not easy to do.

Half of the ingredients from
the mystery box are missing.

It's very not evocative
of a Vietnamese spirit.
That's an incomplete dish.

You can definitely tell she
doesn't have a lot of experience

- with Vietnamese food.
- No.

- We agree?
- Yeah.

Let's do it.

Right, there are three dishes

that Christine, Joe,
Aarón, and myself

really do feel that stood out.

The first dish that really
lit up our palates

is from a home cook
that tonight really achieved

a lot of depth of flavor.

Please step forward, Michael.

Oh, my God.

I took so many risks today,

and I hope Christine
really notices

my attention to detail
when it came to getting

those Vietnamese flavors
onto my dish.

Michael,
tell us what it is, please.

A Vietnamese beef stew
with short ribs,

some beautiful crispy crab,
pork, and mushroom spring rolls.

It's the real deal,
and it smells delicious.

Thank you.

It's aromatic, it's flavorful.
Everything's cooked properly.
It sings in your palate.

To my surprise, I actually find
myself liking the spring roll
more than your braised beef.

- Oh, wow.
- I like your beef as well,

but your spring roll
is very solid.

Thank you.

It's just a perfect medley
of balances of richness,

profound flavors. Good job.

Young man,
you took a big risk tonight.

You left everything
in that pressure cook

to literally minutes to go,

so there's something quite
exciting and dangerous about
the way you cook.

But be careful
with that star anise.

Second, third, fourth mouthful,
it becomes too much.

- Thank you. Good job.
- Thank you.

Yeah, Michael.

The second cook in the top three
did an outstanding version

of a classic
authentic noodle dish.

Please come forward, Christian.

Wow!

I'm back where I need to be--
winning.

The only thing that
I'm worried about
is this broth.

A pho in 60 minutes?

Hopefully I came through
with the flavors in my broth.

Christian,
please tell us what you made.

I made
a vegetable beef pho

with flank steak,
beef tenderloin,

and it's topped
with roasted okra.

It really looks like something
out of a food magazine.

You can see the technique.

It has a real pop to it.
It really looks quite delicious.

All right. Thank you, Chef.

Christian, it's a dish
that's actually very near
and dear to my heart

because it was something
my mom cooked and then
I never learned

to cook it from her
before she passed away.

So this is still my white whale
that I've been chasing...

- Oh, my God.
- ...all my life, to make a good
beef pho that can be like hers.

I really like how
you put yourself into this bowl,

- and the broth is delicious.
- Thank you so much, Chef.

The beef is perfectly seasoned.

It has the right amount
of spice.

It's a really great
balanced noodle dish.

- Thank you, Joe.
- Just a lot of noodle.

- Maybe, yeah, pump
the brakes on the noodle...
- Yeah, too much.

- ...and give me more
of that broth.
- Yes, Chef.

But really great
element with the okra.

I like that little nod
to New Orleans.

- Yes. Thank you.
- It was real cool.

It tastes of attitude.
It's you. You in a bowl.

It's punchy, it's bold.
Great job.

- Thank you.
- Thank you.

- Well done.
- Thank you, boss.

The final dish that
we are dying to taste more of,

it's someone
who has been in both the top
and the bottom so far.

Please come forward, Dara.

Being in the top three
feels incredible.

The fact that Christine Ha
gets to taste this dish

that I've put so much into,

I couldn't be
any prouder of that.

Dara, what's your dish?

I prepared a rice porridge

with a seared duck breast

and sautéed morning glory,
mung beans, and a chili oil.

The real risk here is I don't
see the 11 ingredients,

but hopefully
I can taste them all.

Wow.

Dara, I must say, rice porridge
is a very humble dish.

It's something I grew up
not really liking

because my mom only cooked it
when I was sick.

But you've managed
to make this humble dish

into something
that is very elevated.

Thank you so much.

What you did
is take Vietnamese flavors

and techniques
and somehow manipulated them

into seeming like it's a
European Michelin star dish.

It's got a lot
of explosions of flavors.

Every bite's a mystery and
a discovery at the same time.

- Thank you, Joe.
- I can't believe

that you were able to get all
of this flavor done in an hour.

The usage of the herbs
wakes it all up,

and it's a really interesting
pairing for duck.

- Thank you, Chef.
- Dara, it's delicious.

Young girl, you've got a palate,
let's get that absolutely clear.

That rice is not too starchy.

It's just-- you know, you've
treated it like a risotto.

You're only 20 years of age,
and so if anyone thinks
that you're the youngest

and the underdog,
they need to think again.
Good job.

- Thank you.
- Thank you, Chef.

Dara!

- Yes!
- Don't cry, don't cry.

- No. Head up.
- Head up.

- So this is hard.
- Yeah, I'm locked.

So I'm just not really sure

which one I would necessarily
pick as the best one.

I thought Michael's flavor
was just delicious.

- Yeah.
- I don't know.
Dara's congee's pretty solid.

Christian's was authentic.
- Yeah, yeah.

- No one played safe.
- It was close. I don't know.

- Okay.

Three amazing dishes.

You're all safe
from elimination,

but there is only one individual

receiving the immunity pin.

Congratulations goes to...

Three amazing dishes.
You're all safe
from elimination,

but there is only one individual
receiving the immunity pin.

Congratulations goes to...

Michael.

Good job.

Yes! I finally got the pin.

Michael has arrived.
This feels right.

This feels like where
I'm supposed to be
in this competition.

Congratulations.

All three of you,
please make your way up

to the safety of the balcony.

- Thank you.
- Now there were three dishes

that we felt
somewhat missed the mark.

And sadly one of you will be
leaving the competition.

The first dish we need
to take a much closer look at,

it was seafood based,

but unfortunately
just too bland.

Please step forward, Bri.

Coming off
of the amazing feeling

winning as a team captain
in last week's challenge,

I did not want to be
in the bottom three again.

I'm so frustrated with myself.

Bri, please describe
your dish.

I made pan-seared salmon
with a fish sauce caramel glaze

atop a stir-fried noodle
with a coconut lime sauce.

My problem with this dish

is that if I take this away,
this is the dish.

I'm not sure
that's gonna be enough.

So...

- The salmon's pink
in the middle.
- Okay.

This is "MasterChef" season 12,
"Back to Win,"

and I think the assumption is
that everyone can cook
a perfectly medium

to medium rare piece of salmon,
which you did.

Which was not
what the challenge was about.

The challenge was about
to interpret the flavors,

the culture of Vietnam,
and the ingredients.

I'm not tasting anything.

It has no passion.
It's just very flat.

And the coconut milk, I
understand your thought process

by trying to put
some flavor into it,

but that needs to sit
or marinate

and let those aromatics
fully impart their flavor.

It just tastes like
raw coconut milk.

It's kind of boring.
The sauce is too thick.

Just kind of
the dimension of the coconut
and then tartness,

it doesn't really
marry well together.

The salmon is actually cooked
better than I had expected,

but I think as a whole,
the dish didn't
really work for me.

Bri, unfortunately,
the dish is missing the stamp

of authority
on Vietnamese cuisine.

It's too pale. It's too bland.

It's completely
missing the mark.

I'm really disappointed.

I think that I struggled
to find the balance

between a dish
that was authentically me

and authentically Vietnamese.

I think in this case,
you should've forget about you

and thought more about Vietnam.

- Thank you, Bri.
- Thank you.

- It's like eating
suntan lotion.
- Yeah.

The next cook
in the bottom tonight

presented us a pork dish
with some glaring issues.

Please come forward, Brandi.

So this sucks.

I've never been
in the bottom before.

I'm not happy about it,

and I don't want this to be

the last thing that I cook
in the MasterChef kitchen.

Okay, Brandi,
what did you make for us?

I made a Vietnamese
sticky caramelized pork belly

over a serrano chili noodle
with pickled carrots and daikon
and fresh herbs.

It looks like a bowl
full of raw ingredients.

So I'm looking for either
a sauce, a reduction, a broth,

something that pulls
all these things together.

How's the color of the pork?

The color on the pork's
actually quite nice.

It's got really nice
caramelization on there.

It doesn't look burnt
like the bottom of her pan.

Brandi,
my pork tasted quite nice.

It's caramelized,
it's sweet, it's sour.

But it needs love.
It needs passion.

It needs heat.
It needs acidity.

It feels like you've been
given half the time

because the dish
is not completed.

You have the pickled element,

you have the herbs,
some texture with the peanuts.

One thing that's not
present is something cohesive
to bring it all together.

The noodles
are incredibly bland.

Like what Aarón said,
I wish there was a sauce

to kinda bring
the whole dish together.

- Thank you, Brandi.
- Thank you.

Okay, the final dish,
unfortunately and surprisingly

is from a cook who has not
had a misstep up to this point,

but tonight
she shocked us completely.

Please come forward...

The final dish
that we would like to taste
from the bottom three

unfortunately and surprisingly
is from a cook

who has not a misstep
up to this point.

Please come forward, Emily.

I've never been called up
in the bottom three.

Even in season nine,
it never happened.

So maybe once I get up there
and they kind of uncover the
different components of my dish,

that might save me
from elimination.

All right, Emily, can you please
describe what you made?

I made
a lemongrass pork salad
with marinated vegetables

and a shrimp dusted
crispy rice chip.

Emily, I don't know
if you thought hard enough
about this dish.

"Is a seared pork chop salad
gonna keep me in it?"

Shall we?

This severely lacks three things
that you have in spades.

It lacks love, intelligence,
and it lacks strategy.

Yeah, Emily, I'm shocked.

It's really stripped down.

It's dry. I'm sorry.

I do love crispiness and
the crunchiness of the salad.

That's a nice texture,
but nothing that's kind of like
that unctuous sauce.

I think that's
what's missing in your dish.

Emily, the dish is good,

but I just know
how much more you can do,

especially when
you're in your comfort zone.

And tonight
you're out of it big time.

Thank you.

Bri, Brandi, and Emily,
this is a tough one.

There's a lot to discuss.

Please, all three of you,
give us a moment please.

Thank you.

Yo, this is a hard decision.

I've never been
in the bottom before.

It's not a good feeling at all.

Bri's dish,
there was no representation
of Vietnamese style.

- I mean, nothing.
- Nothing, no.

- Really, I agree.
- And the sauce was too thick.

Brandi's looked
half finished, didn't it?

It looked like things you would
use to prep to do another dish.

What happened
to Emily tonight?

She didn't really wanna
take a jump into it.

- No risks.
- No risks.

She just did something simple.
Too simple.

- Ready?
- Yeah.

Let's go.

Bri, Brandi, and Emily,

three somewhat lacklust dishes

across this authentic challenge.

There is one dish
that completely missed the mark.

The person leaving
Back to Win" is...

Bri.

Brandi and Emily,
please say goodbye to Bri.

Bri, the dish was miles away.

The coconut cream
was so acidic and sweet,

it just did not make sense.

Ultimately, you failed
because the dish

just didn't taste
authentically Vietnamese.

I know you know food.

It's just tonight
wasn't your night.

In our eyes, you're still
gonna be our plating queen.

No one's taking that crown.

It is the toughest of seasons.

So keep that momentum,

continue that trajectory.

and promise us you'll continue
climbing that ladder.

Thank you all so much
for the opportunity.

I'm gonna learn
from my mistakes,

so thank you all
for your feedback,

and I'll continue to grow.

Come and say goodbye, girl,
please.

When I first came into
the MasterChef kitchen,

I was 23-year-old trying
to find her way.

I came back to show that growth
that I have achieved

since season ten.

It's really sweet
to get that recognition
from Gordon Ramsay.

I love you so much.

Even though I'm leaving
here tonight,

I got to cook amongst
the best of the best.

Bye, guys.

- Whoo!
- Love you, Bri!

And I will always be
the MasterChef Plating Queen.

There's nothing safe
in this "Back to Win" season.

You've gotta give it your all.

Good night.

- Next time...
- Welcome back, everybody.

...the infamous tag team
challenge is back
with a big twist.

You have to cook three signature
dishes from my restaurants.

- Are we ready? Let's go!

- Come on, baby! Let's get it!
- But if they can't
work together...

- Switch!
- Let's go, let's go,
let's go, let's go.

- Tell me, tell me!
- It's going on the long side!

- Don't freak out.
- ...one will go home alone.

Wait, what are you--
no, no, no, no, no!

- Switch!
- I'll do it, I'll do it.

- It looks terrible.
- He's out of time.

- Switch!
- Bowen, I'm almost
ready! Calm down!

They don't seem like a team
that should be together.

The hero should be
the Wellington.

It's completely raw.

And it's bland.
What a shame.