brought to you by Hidden Valley Ranch.
♪♪♪
- You know, I'm really, uh...
I'm proud of what I've done.
You know I've accomplished a lot here on "Top Chef."
And I fought my way all the way through
"Last Chance Kitchen."
And ended up back on the show getting to compete
with these amazing chefs from season 16.
And, uh, you know, I made one mistake
and that's the way it goes.
It just happens to be that
competing on the show isn't my forte.
- Hey chefs, welcome back to "Last Chance Kitchen."
- You know, I think I came to "Top Chef"
looking for validation last season.
And I didn't get it.
I walked away feeling like I wasn't good enough.
- Wanna take a wild guess who's competing today.
- No guesses. - No guesses.
Why don't you guys line up over here
and I'll tell you.
- So coming back this season,
and being able to really come to terms with it.
I think that's the most important part
is I never needed the validation.
I don't need that as my motivation.
I don't need that pain and that anger
and that chip on my shoulder as my fuel.
- Well, any guesses?
You are.
- You brother was just eliminated from "Top Chef."
And he's decided that he's had enough chances.
And he's bowing out of the competition.
- I've already proven myself in "Last Chance Kitchen."
These chefs, they are all hungry for that title.
And I've had multiple shots at it, you know.
I think it's their turn.
- No, I'm done-done. I don't--
I don't have it in me to compete anymore.
- He's a really talented chef and we wish him luck.
But we have a spot to fill.
Nini, you kinda look like you're ready to throw up.
You okay?
- I wasn't expecting this, but you know,
you can never expect anything on this.
I just have to like, wrap my head around this whole thing.
And I'm so happy I'm wearing a jumpsuit
and not a dress today.
- I know you all thought you were out,
but I'm going to give you one more shot.
- I'm very excited for another chance to compete
But I don't want to make biscuits again.
Please don't make me make biscuits again.
- I bet you're all excited to know what the challenge is.
♪♪♪
- This isn't something we've ever done before
on "Last Chance Kitchen." Only one of the five of you
will return to the kitchen.
So you're gonna truly need
to earn the spot back.
There's absolutely no restrictions.
You have free run of the pantry, the refrigerators.
Anything you want.
I want a dish that speaks for you.
The dish should tell me everything that I need to know
about why you deserve a shot back
into the competition.
- I hate when there isn't, like, a clear defining thing
that we have to make.
It's like, "Oh, make whatever you want."
and this is the, like, worst, because I'm so indecisive.
- Now, to make it more interesting,
- Of course.
- I'm not gonna be in the kitchen.
I'll have no idea who's making what,
you're not gonna have a chance to tell me what you're making.
- I'm excited for the thought of a blind tasting.
My ability to talk and articulate
is kind of a hit or miss situation.
- Ready? You have thirty minutes.
And your time starts now.
- Sh--. - Da, da, da, da.
This challenge is harder than you can even imagine.
Do you have the proteins?
I have sweat mustache all of a sudden.
I'm not wearing my sports bra.
I had no idea I was going to be cooking.
There's sea bass. - Can I have a sea bass?
- What's this? Lemme steal this. - No, I wanna use it.
If you change your mind on that beef, I want it.
- Yeah, you know what, take it. - Yes. Thank you.
- My dish is only three components,
a protein, a side, and a vinaigrette
And that's really simple, like once Tom tries it.
I'm not gonna have to explain anything.
He's gonna like it.
- The first thing, I think,
is how am I gonna make something
that even though Tom's tasting blindly,
will shout that is obviously Nini's plate.
And then, water.
And I think a chawanmushi
which is like, one of my favorite dishes.
- Are you making an omelette, Natalie?
- No, I'm not making an omelette.
I don't immediately know what I'm gonna make.
I'm just going with my gut on this,
and kind of just seeing what's in the fridges
and what's in the pantry.
The first thing I grab is the sea bass.
I feel very comfortable cooking fish.
I know that it's something that I can cook comfortably
in the allotted time period.
- Hey guys, who's the most excited
for this opportunity, huh?
- Kevin is. - Kevin is!
- Just 'cuz it's your birthday.
- I don't know,
birthdays don't fare well on this show.
- The "Top Chef" birthday curse
is when you always lose the elimination challenge
and go home, like, thank God you were born.
Have a nice ride home.
- Kevin, what are you making?
- I'm gonna do a salmarejo soup.
- Very Spanish.
- I really wanted to offer something.
that was completely different
than anything that I've shown Tom.
So, the salmarejo comes to mind.
- Pablo, what are you making?
- I'm gonna be making seared sea bass,
pickled radishes,
then I'm gonna saute some mushrooms
and then finish it with some avocados, some chorizo
- Chorizo.
- Past few times I cooked for Tom,
he told me the first dish was too sweet.
and the next dish was too acidic.
What I'm missing is balance.
I want to show him that I can bridge that balance.
- Caitlin, what you making?
- A take on Cincinnati chili
Cincinnati chili is unlike any other chili,
there's a lot of cinnamon in it,
a little chocolate.
and we eat it over spaghetti,
so I'm going to take the spices, rub it on a steak,
and serve up a hearty meal for Tom.
- How does it feel to come back?
- Feels good. All I want to do is cook.
- I know, right?
- Nini, what are you up to?
- I'm gonna make a chawanmushi.
- Oh, ha ha. Breakfast.
- Chawanmushi is in a warm egg custard
that is traditionally made with eggs and dashi.
and you mix these two together,
and you put them in teacups and you steam them.
- Why'd you decide to make that?
- Going for something simple but something I love.
- Thirteen and a half minutes.
- Do you like that Tom is not here?
- Uh, I enjoy it.
- This is nice.
Tom not being in the kitchen is great.
because you don't have to worry about,
when is he gonna come and talk to me.
What am I gonna say?
What should I not say?
- What are you cryovacing over there, Kevin?
- Um, getting a quick pickle on my macadamia nuts.
So I know that I need to add some acidity to this salmarejo
So, kind of kill two birds with one stone.
you get the texture, but then you also get the acidity
with the richness from the nut.
Eight and a half.
- I'm looking for something
that I could put the egg custard in
so that I can steam it,
and all I can find are bowls.
I really wish that I had thought of the vessel
before I even made this dish,
because now I'm kinda stuck with this bowl,
and I'm really concerned because I hope
that it doesn't overcook on the outside
and then undercook in the center
- As I'm tasting this soup,
I'm realizing, my soup's not cold
but it's not piping hot.
Kind of just have to accept what temperature it is.
and really banking on the flavor profiles.
- Less than five minutes, guys.
- Come on, hotness.
I think the most daunting task for me
is getting the cabbage to where I want it to be.
I want to use some whew.
As it cooks with the cabbage it carmelizes a little bit.
And adds a little bit of sweetness
but still some of that acidity.
I think this is something that can stand out
in front of the other dishes.
- I'm being very thoughtful
in how I'm crusting the steak.
There's this sweet, savory, spice blend on it.
My mustard sauce is being a little fickle.
I'm constantly trying to tweak it with adding honey
to try and mellow out the bitterness.
- [bleep] three minutes.
Down to the wire with my custard.
My chawanmushi is like, bubbling on the outside
and then still loose in the middle.
It usually takes about ten minutes to steam,
if you have the right vessel.
Give it like 30 more seconds.
I'm just like crossing my fingers,
I'm like, I just want it to cook at this point.
- Two minutes.
- Fickley.
- [bleep]
- Twenty seconds.
- Time's up.
- Good job, guys. - Good job, guys.
- Woo! - Woo!
- Hello.
- Dum, dum, dum.
- I can't see anything.
Fish is nicely cooked.
It has this really nice crust on it.
The sauce is really meaty.
- This mustard sauce is really bitter.
But the steak is really nice.
The texture of the custard is really, really nice.
Has some really nice flavors.
Fish is nicely cooked, and I like the apple too.
I think it adds a little tartness to the dish.
Well balanced dish.
Trying to figure this one out.
It's fruity, and it's...
spicy.
It's rich at the same time.
Flavors are pretty good.
♪♪♪
- Who made the steak dish?
The steak was perfectly cooked.
but that sauce is really aggressive
- It's meant to replicate the flavors of Cincinnati chili.
- Skyline chili. - Yes.
- I actually like the cinnamon spice on the steak.
- Thanks
- Who made this fish dish?
The sauce is really meaty.
- It's a chicken jus.
- It's really nice, I like that combination,
but the garnish is just, I couldn't get past it.
- Okay. - Who made this?
What's in there? There' so much in there, right?
I soaked some rustic bread
with some macadamia nuts,
I blended all that up with some of the water
that it was soaked in.
- I like the flavors a lot,
I just think the texture of the soap itself
is just too thick.
- Caitlin, Kevin, Natalie...
You guys can step aside.
- Yeah, the birthday curse sucks.
What are you gonna do about it.
It's real, it's vicious,
And it's coming more and more true every season,
So if you're on "Top Chef,"
hopefully you don't have a birthday.
- So, I-I liked both of these dishes.
I thought the custard and the mushrooms,
I thought it was really good.
Texture was really nice in the center.
On the outside, there are some bubbles around there.
So it was cooked a little too quickly.
And the mushrooms themselves
could've used a little more seasoning.
But I like the dish a lot.
And the fish dish, it's nicely cooked.
The garnishes, you kinda had to eat them a couple times
and think about it,
but there's a lot of different textures,
a lot of different things in there,
and they all work really nicely together.
They're both really good.
The winning dish...
is this fish dish. - That's me.
- I didn't know at all,
when I first looked at everything.
When the two of you were standing here,
I got a pretty good sense of whose was whose.
I like the dish a lot,
I think it was just the little bubble on the outside.
And the combination of the mushroom itself
being a little underseasoned.
- Thank you, Chef. - You can take a seat.
Being eliminated three times, like,
that boyfriend that you're like, alright,
I'm done, boy bye.
- Pablo, you're back in. - Thank you.
- You're back in "Last Chance Kitchen."
You're still a long way to go.
- I know, I know. - See you next week.
- Yeah, Pablo. - Pablo.
- Pablito.
- So it's definitely crazy knowing
that I was part of the peanut gallery
And now I'm back in "Last Chance Kitchen"
ready for the next challenge.
Next stop, maybe Top Chef.
- I suppose you can win.
[laughter]