08x13 - Fit for a King

[bunniefuu]

- Five all-star Chefs remain
to fight it out

in the final round.

Only one will win
the grand prize--

a feature
in Food & Wine magazine,

a showcase at the annual
Food & Wine classic in Aspen,

$200,000 to pursue
their culinary dreams,

furnished
by Buitoni,

and the title
that's eluded them all--

Top Chef.

It feels amazing

to have made it
to the finals

here in the Bahamas.

Thinking back
to the entire journey,

this season has been
so fiery.

Can you do me a favor
and let me expedite?

I could whip
your cute little ass.

And really emotional.

As long as I am focused,

I can actually win this.

I want to say
the money's kind of second.

I really came for the title.

- What's up, Chef?
- Hi.

- This is familiar, huh?
- It's crazy.

Good to see you.
We've been here before.

On another Caribbean island.

Last time I was in the finals,

I was left standing up there

when someone else won.

I feel
like I, you know, choked.

Stephanie,
you are Top Chef.

What, really?

I have one goal,
and that's to win.

- Ooh.
- Hey, sweetie.

- The baby's coming soon.
- Any day.

- Oh, my God.
- Her name's

gonna be Embry Lotus.
Both: Ohh.

The absolute scariest thing
would be

that I'm not gonna win
and I'm gonna miss

the birth of my child.

Talk about losing a lot.

I like this.
This is kind of cool.

This is, I don't shave
until I win the Stanley Cup.

Okay.
I'm sorry you're gonna go home,

like, with that long beard.

Coming from New Orleans,

when I feel
like I didn't do my food,

I just gave my power away
because I didn't think

my food was enough.

You let your sous Chef
talk you out of cooking

the food that got you
to the finale.

This season,
I won a couple times

doing my food

from my heart.

The winner is Carla.

- Carla.
- Carla.

Oh, my God!
[Blathering]

It is about the title,
but, more than anything,

it's about redemption.

That's my cousin.
[Laughter]

The final challenge
in New York,

I put up a soulful dish

that I learned
from my grandmother.

I was really close

with my grandmother
when she passed away.

You did your grandmother
very proud today.

Yeah. I hope so.

During the time off,

I kind of started
training more.

I was working around
all the top kitchens in DC.

Learned how to work
with different pastries

and different products.

And I'm a lot stronger now
than I was

when I was in New York.

Coming into the final rounds,

I feel like the underdog.

Almost going home
a couple of times.

I'm thanking my lucky stars

that the judges decided
to send all five of us.

- Who's going?
- We're all going! Aagh!

[Cheers]

I am bringing it.

My knives are sharp.
I'm ready.

All right, guys, let's go
inside and see what happens.

- All right.
- Let's do it.

We all walk into the fort,
heading into battle,

and we don't even know
what we're getting into.

As we turn the corner,

it's like, holy beep.

[Laughter]

I see Kevin,
the winner of my season.

Then I see
everybody's season winner.

I'm like, oh, my gosh,
what are we doing here?

Hello, everyone,
and welcome to the Bahamas.

I'm sure you all recognize
Eric Ripert from Le Bernardin.

And I'm certain
you guys recognize

the people on your right.

Stephanie, Hosea, Michael,
and Kevin are all Top Chefs,

the winners of the season
that you competed in.

I'm thinking,
obviously I want Mike on my team

if we're doing
a team competition

because he's one of the best Top
Chefs that ever competed.

So I'm excited.

For this quickfire challenge,
you're gonna go head to head

with the Chef
that won your season.

Oh, [bleep],
now I'm even more stressed out.

I got to compete against a guy
who pretty much dominated

our season.

During my season,
I knew I was the best one there.

And now this is my chance

to finally b*at the winner
of my season.

If you b*at
your season's winner

in this head-to-head cook-off,

you'll win $10,000,

furnished by Terlato Vineyards.

If they b*at you

they take home the money.

Each Chef has a cloche
at their station

hiding an ingredient
that I chose myself.

Your dish must highlight
the ingredient that I gave you.

Chefs, make sure you cook
your food with your heart,

and good luck.

Hey!

Hey.

Sorry it has to be like this.

- You too.
- This is all too familiar.

Your time starts now.

- Holy [bleep].
- What is it?

Veal?

We got to share
a rack of veal.

Definitely I think throws me
for a curveball,

'cause I'm expecting something
a little bit more Caribbean.

Is that a duck?

Are you kidding me?
In 40 minutes?

We open up the lid,
and there's a duck.

I really didn't expect
a whole bird in there.

You mind if I cut to it,
Mike?

Take care of business.

One has to start butchering it

and hand it off to the next.

So maybe I can push off
the butchering on Mike

to slow him down a little bit.

Not what I was expecting.

- I know.
- All right, I guess

we got to split this up, huh?

- Yeah, okay.
- All right.

What's at stake here
is to prove to everybody,

to the haters,
that I did deserve to win.

Definitely not feeling
like I have it in the bag.

Does anybody have
a chinois strainer?

All season, my stews and soups
have been well-received.

So that's what I'm gonna do.

This time around,
I think I can b*at Hosea.

[bleep].
I would have never guessed that.

Oh, my gosh.
I have to cook against Kevin.

I'm thinking to myself,
okay, you can do this.

To stand out,

I need to blow them away
with the flavor of my dish.

I just want to do well.
My back is k*lling me.

[Indistinct chatter]

I have no idea
what the [bleep].

Lucky me, I have two people
from my season

that I get to cook against.

It's gonna be me versus Richard,

me versus Antonia.

But at least I have the chance
of winning $20,000.

I'm pretty competitive,

so I like to win everything
all the time.

You just have
to cook something.

I know.
I'm so out of practice.

There's 30 minutes left.

Been a while since we got
to cook with each other.

I didn't come here to lose.

I came here to b*at Mike.

I've got
a somewhat perfect record.

I'd like to see that keep going.

You're only as good
as the last plate you put out.

Do you know how to work
this blow torch?

Mike was beet-red.

I think he had every piece
of equipment

that they had there,
he was trying to use.

- Got it?
- Yeah, thanks.

A smoking g*n.
A circulator.

A pressure cooker.

You name it,
he had it.

He wants to b*at me and prove
that he's still the best.

I can't let that happen.

- How much time?
- 18 minutes.

Can I grab your oil
for a sec?

I'm not having an easy run.

You know, like,
I have my veal braising,

but I'm concerned
that it's gonna be too salty,

too sweet,
too aggressive.

How does this work over here?

I mean, I'm worried
about everything.

Do we have
any more inductions pans?

Every time I turn around,
my induction burner's going off.

Temperature's going down.
I'll turn it back on.

So I'm basically steaming veal
in a pan.

My induction
keeps turning off.

- Yeah, mine does too.
- Yeah.

My burner is turning off.

I'm down to one pot.

So I put the rice in
with my stew.

This is a bad move.

There's no way that my rice
can cook in this pot.

I may have just sh*t myself
in the foot.

I'm about to give you $10,000.

You can give it to me.

Hosea has to totally mess up

for me to win.

Ten seconds.

Hands up.
Utensils down.

[Alarm sounds]

Hello.
Hello, everybody.

Hello. I have barbecued pork
with a little salad.

It's celery leaves, cilantro,
shaved onion,

a little bit of celery,
and citrus.

Don't be scared to pick up
the ribs and eat those too.

I did a stew,
so I have a little bit

of potatoes, the pork,
the peppers, a little citrus.

You know,
this is already tough,

because these
are both really good dishes.

But I would say
I prefer Tiffany's.

'Kay.

- Tiffany, you take this one.
- Thank you!

It feels real good

to win $10,000

and b*at the winner
from my season.

This season,

I have not won anything.

So I was pretty excited
about that.

This is a braised leg of lamb

and then goat cheese
and rosemary polenta.

Being inspired
in this setting,

I made a jollof rice, with a
harissa lamb.

Did you mean for the rice...

To be so...

- To be undercooked?
- No, I did not.

I don't even try
to talk my way out of it.

I would go with Hosea.

- Thank you.
- I would agree.

Tom?
Oh, it's unanimous.

Can't get past undercooked rice.
Yeah, I know.

Congratulations, Hosea.

[Sighs]
I'm so disappointed.

I did a little bit
of a veal scaloppini.

Underneath it's a tapenade,

and then there's a poached egg
on top.

I did the veal
roasted on the bone.

Underneath you have a puree
of leek and almonds.

And then a saute of mushrooms,
arugula, raisin.

I mean, on one hand,
Antonia, I like your flavors.

But the veal is really tough.

Stephanie, I think
the texture of your veal's good,

the egg is great,
but there's so much going on.

It's tough,
because I got to tell you,

I'm not a fan
of either dish.

Forced to choose,
Antonia.

- Hate to win that way.
- Sorry.

I am a bit confused
by the egg on top of the veal.

But your dish, Antonia,
is dry and hard.

So, Stephanie,
I have to make you the winner.

Guess I'll break the tie.

I'm gonna have to go
with Stephanie.

Congratulations.

I'm winning on a crappy dish.

Thank you.
Well, Richard,

you got your work cut out
for you

winning against that one.

They don't have
great confidence

about Stephanie's dish.

So I'm feeling
like I have a chance

of winning this thing.

Veal I did two ways.

Seared the loin,

and I braised the cap
of the veal.

You balanced the flavors.
You are winner.

There's a good play
on salty and sweet.

Hands down,
you're winning on this one.

Off to a good start.

$10,000.
Quickfire win.

There's an intimidation factor

and a momentum
that feels great.

Michael, what did you make?

Basically it's a citrus-cured

and smoked duck breast.

And then I did a duck leg

in bacon vinaigrette

and a burnt leek
and coffee Pesto.

So here we have

a cashew-dusted
spiced duck breast.

Then I took the leg
and made a mushroom jus.

Nice.

I'm gonna go
with Michael.

Thank you.

I think your dish was
very interesting and complex.

However, I like
the dish of Mike the most.

Thank you.
Thank you, Chef.

I think
they're both really nice dishes.

You know, the only thing
I'm gonna have to go to

is who I think
handled the duck better,

and that's Mike's.

Oh, wow.
Thank you.

So you won, Mike.
Congratulations.

Thank you.

It was very important to win
to b*at Mike, my nemesis.

Ain't nothing gonna stop me.

Quite honestly impressed
that Mike Isabella

b*at Mike Voltaggio.
He's a tough competitor.

I don't underestimate anyone
at this point.

Top Chefs,
thank you for joining us.

- I'm so proud of you, though.
- Thank you.

These guys are in
for some tough times.

It's All-Stars.

They're gonna have their work
cut out for him.

This fryer's supposed
to be doing--

Seriously, like,
this is gonna start something.

- I know.
- Oh!

All right, let's get
to your elimination challenge.

Tomorrow night, we've been
invited to a dinner party

by Bahamian royalty
to welcome us to the island.

And as a show of gratitude,

we suggested
that you do the cooking.

[Laughter]

I hear I'm cooking
for royalty.

Just thinking to myself,

you still have
to cook good food.

So I'm still gonna cook
the same things

that I would cook
for someone who is not royalty.

It's truly an honor for us
to be included

in such a prestigious evening.

Guys, you're all great Chefs.
Please make us proud.

In the meantime,

you can all head over
to The Cove at the Atlantis,

where you'll be staying for the
duration of the competition.

See you tomorrow.
See you tomorrow.

Good luck.

We arrive at Atlantis.
It's just gorgeous.

All: Whoa!
Wow.

The suite is amazing.

Oh.

This thing is monstrous.

It's gorgeous in here.
[Cheers]

Carla and I decide
to stay roommates.

We kind of rely on each other
a little bit,

which was really nice,
to have someone you can talk to.

That's my bff.

Wouldn't it suck to be here
today and gone tomorrow?

Like, not to be here?
You know what I mean?

Like, that's why we got to work
that much harder.

I was really happy
that I got this quickfire,

because I think
now I'm finally feeling

my groove a little bit better.

- Oh, my God.
- Did you find our room?

- Yeah, let's go look.
- Winning Top Chef this season

would allow me to open up

the restaurant of my dreams.

Be the hardest-working person
that showed up for this.

I've cooked every single piece
of fish that I think swims

in a hundred miles
of this island.

I would be prepared
to go chase down a goat

and k*ll it
and cook it.

After a beautiful day,

our first day
in the Caribbean,

and for all of us being here,

I'm stoked.

Cheers.
Cheers, guys.

Mike, you take
your lobsters yet?

- Yup.
- Where are those timers?

We have 2 1/2 hours of prep.

We have everything we need
in the kitchen,

and we are cooking
for "Bohemian" royalty.

This is
our first elimination challenge,

so the atmosphere in the kitchen
today is kind of hectic.

We are all running.
No, I'm serious.

I'm doing a hash with it.

When you hear royalty,
I really think of people

who've eaten everything
and who's traveled the world.

And, honestly, you don't want to
put up a plate of bull[bleep].

You got allspice, Antonia?

Yeah, it's on the station.



Is this the same thing
as the old school ones?

You want to toggle
the fahrenheit to celsius.

You know how to do that?
Huh?

My dish is gonna be
spiny lobster

with some pulled pork

and pickled turnips.

I got it.
I'm a professional.

I think my dish relates well
to the challenge

because it's got a sense
of refinement to it.

Yeah, I'll get right on that.

The dish that I came up with
is lamb, bacon, brussel sprouts,

blue cheese,
and hazelnuts.

It's an upscale dish.

It's a dish
that you would serve

for the King and Queen
of the Bahamas.

Can I turn this oven
all the way to 500?

Yeah, it's just potatoes
in there.

I've worked in the Bahamas
a couple of times.

And I'm hoping

that I can use
that experience

and it helps me.

I don't think
this oven is still hot either.

My dish is pork medallions
and apple chips.

Carla, did you ever find
a rack?

A rack? No.

Mentally, I need
to get over being on the bottom

for the quickfire because
it's creating self-doubt.

- Carla, how are you doing?
- I don't know.

I psych myself out,
and the reason I think

I do better
when I'm underestimated

is because I'm afraid
of failing

if I really believe
that I'm gonna do it.

And that's the trip
that I have to go through.

It could be anybody's bad day.

- Right. Exactly.
- That's really the truth of it.

All the people
that have tried something

and have been underestimated,

it's for them.

And you asked me,
"do you think you can win

doing what you do?",

and I said to you, "if I can't,
I might as well leave well."

Okay.



Are you going to use
all of those containers?

No. Go ahead.

Carla, Tiffany,
and Antonia

played it safe
just to get here.

And I think they're playing it
safe right now.

It kind of makes me
a little upset.

[bleep].

For them, it's an honor
to be here.

For me, it's not an honor
to be here.

For me, it's an honor to win,
and I'm gonna fight

till I get there.
[bleep].

Don't worry about the sauce
because it's hot.

Carla, what do you think?

I think it needs some salt
and some spice.

- Some heat, you mean.
- I'm worried.

[Police sirens wail]

Some police officers come
on motorcycles,

and a big truck comes

to pick us up.

Every time
I get a police escort,

I'm usually on my way
to jail.

Thank God those days
are over with,

and now I'm going
to see royalty.

I mean, if we're getting
a police escort,

that means the food's got
to be good.

What if we walk into
this mack daddy amazing kitchen?

Like, that is [indistinct].
Fantastic.

[Police sirens wail]

Not many palaces
around here.

This is how they roll.

As we're driving,
we're kind of in the middle

of these rows of restaurants,

and it seemed very local.

I have no idea
what's going on.

I don't know.
Is it a festival?

Jesus Christ.
[Chatter]

[Festive music]

♪ ♪

- It's Junkanoo, kid.
- Who?

♪ ♪

O.M.G.

What in the world?

I don't know
whether I should be happy

or scared.

[Indistinct chatter]

Mike's getting
his New Jersey groove on.

Go on, Mike,
with your bad self.

I am called
the Jersey two-step.

I have two steps--
to my right and to my left.

♪ ♪
[Laughter]

I'm very nervous now.

I'm planning
on doing a four-star dish,

and my head just starts spinning
really quickly.

And I start thinking
about options

for my dish just in case.

♪ ♪
[Cheers and applause]

Hey, Chefs.
How's it going?

I'd like to introduce you
to Bahamian royalty.

This is Vola.
He's the King of Junkanoo.

Hi, Chefs,
and welcome to the Bahamas.

Duh.
The King of Junkanoo.

How could that have escaped me?

Junkanoo is a celebration
of life

in the Bahamas.

It can remind you of Carnival,

Mardi Gras.

It's a similar celebration.

You'll be cooking for
the King, as well as his crew.

We're cooking here
at Twin Brothers.

I'm thinking
I got this one in the bag.

My dish is perfect
for these people,

so I'm excited.
Other people, not so much.

Definitely not the King
and Queen that I was expecting.

I'm like, [bleep], my dish
is just not gonna be good here.

Good luck.
Your time starts now.

Eek!
Let's go.

We get into the kitchen,

and it was kind of scary
because we didn't know

what to expect.
That's it?

This is it, y'all.
Fryer, a microwave...

- And the flat top.
- All we have is a flat top.

- Yeah.
- Okay.

It's difficult because we have
to cook for 50 people,

and there
is limited kitchen equipment.

It's gonna be
a little bit tougher to execute,

but I'll make it work.

[Grunts]

Is this fryer
supposed to be doing this?

Yeah, this one
is really hot.

That second one.

I drop my plantains
in the fryer,

and the one
to the right is lightly smoking.

I think we need to say something
about this fryer.

Like, this should not look
like this.

Seriously, like,
this is gonna start something.

I know,
and I tried turning it down.

It's starting to smoke.

It's gonna catch fire.

Oh!

Okay, the fryer
just caught fire.

[Fire alarms wailing]

- Uh, Chefs...
- What?

- Oh, man.
- Shut up.

Seriously, like,
this is gonna start something.

I know,
and I tried turning it down.

It's starting to smoke.

It's gonna catch fire.
Oh!

Okay, the fryer
just caught fire.

Okay, I got it, guys.
I got it.

Move the basket.
I got it.

I got this one.
We have a fire.

All right, don't--
don't move it.

Don't move it.
It's gonna poof like that.

The fryer,
it's the last place

you want to see a fire

because you just set
about 35 gallons of oil on fire.

We've got serious fire.

This could be a pretty bad
situation pretty quickly.

- It's not off.
- Fire in the hole!

- Antonia, your food.
- Should we keep cooking?

- Yeah, I got to move my--
- Should we keep cooking?

Even before we ran out
the door, everyone was like,

"put towels over your food."

Clear the kitchen.

Shut it down.
Everybody out of the kitchen.

Everyone was more concerned
about their food

than their own personal safety.

Clear kitchen.

There was a lot of smoke.

At this point, I just hope
that the kitchen's still okay.

[Fire truck alarms blare]

What did you do?

Nothing, the fryer
was just turned all--

you didn't see the smoke?

Did actual flames start?
All: Yes!

You didn't see it?

Whatever it is,
I mean,

it went on fire,
we're out of the kitchen.

Hopefully we get to cook
tonight.

What's the matter?

I'm trying to change my dish.

Change your dish to what?

Go with your gut.
Go with your heart.

I'm already
in a bad headspace.

I think I'm in Antonia's head
a little bit intentionally.

Antonia's strength
is well-ex*cuted food.

So if I can mess with her head,
she might make a mistake.

If I start trying
to change my dish right now,

I'm gonna be in trouble.

I think she's a thr*at,
and this is a competition.

At some point,
I'm gonna want her to b*mb.

It appears that thermostat
may have been off

or faulty
or something.

Possibly something was too wet
when it went in there.

Whatever happened,
the fryer caught fire.

The fire protection system
was pulled

to put out the fire.

It did the job
but also completely contaminated

all the food that was there.

You can't cook in here.

- Hey, Chef.
- Hey, Chef.

Uh, Chefs, um...

We cleaned up the fire.

But unfortunately the food,

it sort of has chemicals on 'em
and stuff.

- What?
- Ah, man.

- Shut up.
- So we're starting over.

- Oh!
- Really? Is it that bad?

Yeah, well, there's chemicals
from the Ansul System.

But they have to scrub
the whole kitchen down.

So we're back in the kitchen
prepping, recooking,

and serving dinner
later on tonight.

It's just
a really weird situation.

You know,
you just push so hard,

and then you're at that turning
point where you're just about

to start plating,
and then there's a big fire,

and you lose all your food,

and now I have to start
from scratch again?

Like, [bleep].

Obviously the same food
that you chose

to the best that we can,
it'll be there.

But we are allowed
to recalculate our dish?

- You can change the dish.
- Totally?

Totally.
Doesn't matter.

- That's amazing.
- Yeah.

Yeah, I'm not so happy
about this new development

because I feel like, you know,
I had one up on everybody.

So let's get back at it.

- Okay.
- Bye, Chef.

We have to re-prep it up
and cook again

for the same night,
and it's been a long day.

I mean, everyone's a little
stressed out at this point.

Anyone got salt?

- Salt!
- Salt?

I have salt at my station.

How do you find
a can opener?

- It's frustrating having
to re-prep the dish

because I think
that I could have ex*cuted

my dish well,
and we'll never know.

I'm choosing to do
a new dish

because that's just the spirit

of this competition.

It's about coming up
with ideas on the fly.

It's not about going
into a recipe book

and just doing something
that you did yesterday.

Behind you.
Hot.

Now my dish is going to be

cannelloni of pickled turnip
with braised lamb.

Behind.
Richard and I are the only ones

changing our dishes.

I decide to do my version
of shrimp and grits,

where I'm gonna do
a crispy shrimp

on a pork-infused grit

to take it less formal

and more traditional.

Five minutes.

[bleep].

Let's go.

Down.
Oh.

Excuse me.

We get back to Twin Brothers.

The kitchen is clear.

And this time we have
some countertop fryers

to use.

[Beep]
Oh.

Maybe it's okay.

I decide to fry
my apple chips

because they have gone limp,

and, instead of doing
the medallions,

I decide to cook
the entire pork tenderloin

in the fryer.

Here I am again

doing a technique

that I would never do,

but I think it will cook
more evenly.

I'm crossing my fingers.

Having to do the prep
over again,

it's actually easier
the second time.

Kind of looking around,
and I feel like, you know,

my execution is better
than everyone else's.

I'm just pumped up.

I'm not here to get
a free vacation

in the Bahamas.

I want to win this challenge.

Since this is something
I know how to do...

I just--I feel good.

- Is that dish for me?
- No.

It's an undercooked piece
of pork.

So I take my pork tenderloin,

and when I cut it and plate it,

I realize that the center
is raw.

I'm trying to get
that tenderloin cooked

so that I can actually serve it.

But I have to MacGyver this.

- Can I get you a drink?
- Sure.

I think you know
what the King drinks.

[Laughter]

I'll have a kalik.

- Hello.
- Hello. How you doing?

- Good evening.
- Percy, this is Padma.

The King of Junkanoo

and our host today.

Nice to meet you.
This is Gail.

- Hi.
- Gail. And this is Eric.

Hi, Percy. I'm Eric.

We're gonna be dining
together.

Cheers to you,
and thank you for welcoming us.

Cheers to Junkanoo.

All: Cheers.
To the Bahamas.

So let's go taste the food.

Thank you.

Nice.

Junkanoo has to be the end
of a show.

For you,
it was the beginning.

It's a great way to kick off
the first elimination.

It is. It is.

One minute and 30 seconds.

Can I get
a sweep to the line?

Watch out. Behind.

Usually good,
bad, or indifferent,

I know when a dish
that I've done

feels right.

And as I'm plating
the dish,

I'm like this doesn't seem
like this came from me.

My friends are gonna talk
about me smearing this.

I hear you saying
I've gone to the other side.

I think, by the end,
the pork and chips

are coming together.
I like the sauce.

My dish is as good
as it's gonna get.

[Timer beeps]

It tastes like chicken,
doesn't it?

[Laughs]

So this is Carla's dish.

And Carla made a pork loin
with sweet potatoes

and apples.
It's beautiful.

Mm.

It is sweet.

- It's an apple.
- It's caramelized.

But it's very close
to a dessert.

A little sweet, yes.

But I like sweet.

My pork is underdone.

That's looking raw.

Unfortunately.

It's creative.

Potato chip.

Well, this looks interesting.

This is Antonia's.

She made a fried shrimp
with grits.

A little slaw on top.

It has a lot of flavor.
It's very tasteful.

It's spicy,
and it's not really salt.

It's nice.
I think Antonia's dish,

the shrimp is a bit overcooked.

There's a meat
that sort of seems, like,

buried underneath,
but has no distinct flavor

or character at all.

This little shredded carrot
thing on top was, like,

Howard Johnson's called and
they want their garnish back.

Did Antonia
change her dish a lot

from before the fire?

She completely changed
her dish from the fire.

She was using lamb before.

Fried shrimp
is a great idea.

Yeah.

I'm talking to myself.
I finally made the dish right.

Oh, no, I want a bed.

I want to cross my fingers.

Well, we're not about to hit
any bed anytime soon.

This is Mike's dish.
He made a sous vide chicken,

served with, like,
a lobster hash.

A little surf and turf.

The sauce is nice.

I like the seasoning.

The iodine make it
very unpleasant to my palate.

I love the sauce
in Mike's dish.

There was surprises,
and when you taste it,

there's a lot going on.

But I thought the white meat

was a little bit dry.

The dark meat, though,

that he incorporated
into the hash

I thought was delicious.

I think it's a dish
fit for a King.

You got a minute, Blais.

- Oh.
- Oh.

- Thank you.
- This is Richard's dish.

He made a lamb.
It's roasted loin,

a braised leg wrapped--
it's a cannelloni,

but instead of pasta,
it's actually a turnip.

And this is totally different
than the dish

he originally was gonna do
before the fire, right?

Yes.

It's amazing what you can do
with food.

[Laughter]

Isn't it?

Richard did a great job
with the lamb.

I can taste the mustard.

But it's very delicate.

It's not very pungent.
No.

So he's using the turnips

to make the skin
of the cannelloni.

It's a little bit undercooked.

See, I actually--
My favorite part of the dish

was the cannelloni.
- Oh, really?

Yeah, only because
I think that there's a way

of presenting it, and I think
it's also a clever way

of saying, oh, it's a
cannelloni, but it's not pasta.

My food is [bleep].

It's disgusting.

Who are you talking to?

- Myself.
- No, don't do that.

Talk to somebody.
What's wrong?

I'm just a little upset.

Like, I just feel like...
No, no, no.

You guys don't do that, please.

Don't do that right now.
Please.

Very tasty.

Ooh, I think
there's some food coming.

- Hello.
- This is Tiffany's dish.

She made a roasted pork.
There's a dirty rice.

So it has all the gizzards
and stuff

from the chicken
that she had.

She made a little tomato relish
and a little bit of slaw.

How does the rice taste?

It has a nice seasoned flavor.

The meat is very tender.

Nice spice to it
as well.

I really enjoyed it,

but it didn't show us
anything exciting.

I wish she had shown us
just a little more,

pushed a little more.

Tiffany put together
a nice dish.

It's fairly simple.
Yeah.

Especially because
she's cooking for royalty,

right, in this challenge.
Yes.

- So...
- That's right.

[Laughter]

I think mine had

a little too much salt.

- Oh, yeah?
- Yeah.

I adjusted after that one,
but...

I just think that,
you know, some of it was good,

some of it was interesting.

I think maybe
it's because the challenge

was a little bit misleading
to them.

I think they were thinking

there would be
a very upscale environment.

I wonder if the fire
spooked them a little bit.

It might have.
I mean, to have

to start all over again
is a little disheartening.

Your energy isn't as up.

You're not as raring to go
when you have to start

and stop like that.
It's possible.

All in all, it was--

I think they did very well.

Yeah.

Percy, thank you so much

for welcoming us
to the Bahamas.

It was a wonderful evening.

Well, it's better
in the Bahamas.

[Laughter]
That's what they say.

And now let's get back
to judges' table.

- It's not bitter, right?
- Mm-mm.

Is it too rich, too salty,
or anything?

No.
The consistency's really nice.

Blais is the odds-on favorite
by everyone here.

When I win,
then he's gonna be hurt.

Well, as usual, man,
my dish could be awful

in ten of many different ways.

In retrospect,
I kind of wish

that I didn't change my dish.

I know when I don't do well.

At this point, I'm just hoping
that somebody else's mistake

was just a little bit worse.

I'm [bleep] exhausted.
Let's get out of here.

All right, guys,
let's go.

My meat was unevenly cooked.

To be totally honest,
was not proud of tonight.

All I got
was fryer grease.

So tell us
about this nut theory.

If nuts were musical genres,

peanuts would be like,
you know, rock and roll.

Walnuts are very close
to the peanuts,

almost like British rock.

[Laughs]

An almond
is very, like, elegant.

It's like ballet.
It's like classical.

Hazelnuts are like hippie.

Hippie nuts.
Oh, yeah.

- Pistachios?
- It's like pop.

- What about Brazilian nuts?
- Ooh.

Are you supposed
to eat those, really?

They're always
in a lot of nut mixes.

Only because
they take up space.

Exactly.

That was a good distraction,
Carla.

Our new home
for a couple of hours.

Ohh.

It's been so long
since we had a judges' table.

- Hate it.
- Hate it?

The process of it.

I second-guessed
every dish I put up this season.

I just hate everything
I [bleep] do.

That's the point.
That's the problem.

I mean, that's not--
that's a bigger issue

than right now.

If there's no difference
in your feeling

when you do well
and when you don't do well,

how do you distinguish inside?

I don't, unfortunately.

I was looking around
at everybody else's food.

I'm like, [bleep].

Everyone else
is miserable too.

[Laughter]

And then I said,

"they're probably feeling
exactly how I'm feeling."

And I said, "stop it, Carla.
Do what you do."

Yeah,
but today's not what I do.

That's why I feel,
like, sick to my stomach.

Good evening.

- Good evening.
- Hello.

We'd like to see
all of you, please.

Thank you.

Here it is.

Chefs, tonight we had
a wonderful celebration,

but unfortunately
your meal as a whole

missed the mark, and one of you
will be going home.

Halfway into the cook,
there's a fire.

Yeah, it was tough.

But they're gonna be tough

from hereon in,
so get used to 'em.

Carla, did you change
your game plan

the second time around?

I planned
to do the same thing.

The one thing
that was different

were my apple chips.

I was amazed
at how crispy your chip was.

But it was too sweet.

It wasn't the apple chip
that I had intended.

But I needed some--
I had to put something on it.

You know?

My meat was unevenly cooked.

It was quite pink in the center.

I think Gail's being kind.

It was--
it was pretty raw.

And there was a reset

because of the fire.

You had a chance
to rethink this.

Why did you...
- But you all--

that batch was the only one
that was like that.

And I'm sorry
you all got that one.

- Well, some of us--
- well, not all of us.

My piece was perfectly cooked.

And I think Tom was jealous.

- Antonia.
- Initially when you said

to cook for royalty,
I was gonna do lamb

with fennel butter,
and when I arrived

to the fish fry,
I was like,

I can be a little less stuffy
about it.

I just changed my entire dish

and, you know, to be totally
honest was not proud of tonight.

The shrimp were overcooked,

and it was very, very dry.

Fair enough.

I just wasn't quite sure
about where the meat fit in.

That's what tripped me up.

It kind of looked
like that beige mystery meat

that, you know,
you used to get

in the school cafeteria.

I know.

What was it?
Was it pork belly?

It was shoulder.

- Why?
- I was hoping to just bring

just more of a richness
to the grit.

The problem is,
once you put meat in there,

it's no longer creamy grits.

It's stringy meat
and grits.

I found the dish to be
just odd.

- Tiffany.
- Flavor-wise, I thought mine

was good.
I mean, it was very rustic.

I would have liked to see
something a bit more complex

and a sauce that made the dish
not as dry.

Yes.

That was in my head as well.

But it was weird to me
with the rice, kind of had--

I didn't--
I don't know.

I wanted more
of that ginger-tomato jam.

I didn't get enough of it.

And when you put the word curry
into the description,

we were kind of expecting
this punch of flavor,

and we couldn't really find it.

Maybe I shouldn't
even have called it, like,

curry slaw.

Maybe I lost focus a little bit.

- Mike.
- I liked my dish.

It was a little bit different.

You know, I mean, I enjoyed
the nice, roasted chicken

with that flavor
off the lobster.

I thought the flavors
worked nicely together.

I thought the sauce
was the star of the dish.

It was nicely made.

I thought
the lobster was nicely cooked,

and the components,

they were many,
but worked together.

Thank you.

I agree.
I think that the sauce

did bring everything together,

and it had a great richness.

You really tasted that lobster.

But I thought
the breast meat was dry.

Okay.

I thought the dish
had a lot of complexity,

but every element
was making sense.

Thank you.

Richard.
What did you think of your dish?

I mean, honestly,
I hate everything I do.

To be candid.
Okay.

I thought both lambs
were nicely cooked.

I thought the seasonings
were all right on.

Could have used another element,
'cause all it was was, you know,

the mustard and lamb,
and the turnip.

I brought
some dehydrated apple,

and the humidity k*lled it.

That might have done that.
I don't know.

I like the idea
of the cannelloni.

I thought that was smart.

It was a great way
to contain the braised lamb,

and the mustard
was really great.

I disagree
with Gail for the cannelloni.

It was too soft.

I put the turnip
in the pickling liquid.

As it sat in the pickling
liquid, it softened up.

If I get through tonight,
I need to work

on my vegetable cookery.
You got to get better

each and every day,
so I agree.

You show that you master
a lot of techniques,

and I appreciated that.

Eric, as the guest judge,

please announce the winner.

For us, the dish
that was the most harmonious,

well-ex*cuted, and delicious

was the one from...

Mike Isabella.

Oh, wow.

[Applause]
Thank you.

- Congratulations, Mike.
- Thank you.

I'm stoked.

And I think that b*ating someone

like Richard Blais could
really change his mental game.

I really do.
He gets really,

really stressed out
about a lot of little things

because he cares so much.

Richard, you're also safe
from elimination.

You can all return
to the stew room.

We have a decision to make.

Congratulations, Mikey.

- Thank you.
- Congratulations.

Thank you.

I want to win every time,

so I'm disappointed
that I didn't win the challenge.

Second place sucks.

Sorry for you guys

having to sit through this.

So Tom,
I made this pork dish that--

I put it in the fryer, and then
I finished it on the grill.

I mean, that's his vision
of what I did all night.

And I didn't.

Based on the comments,
I would think it's Antonia.

- See?
- But...

My shrimp was overcooked.

No, you could not eat mine.

But Eric said,
you know, he ate his

because his tenderloin
was cooked perfectly.

That's the point.

I mean, one out of four
doesn't keep you here.

You know,
I think we could find fault

in any one of these dishes.

I mean, any one of them
could really go home.

Yeah.

Each of them made
some technical mistake

in each dish
that they prepared.

Carla made that dish
that was so sweet

it was almost a dessert.

That chip to me
was just grease.

It was like a doughnut
that was, you know,

fried in some really bad grease
with sugar on it.

My biggest issue was, I could
not finish eating the dish,

because the center
of my pork loin

was pretty much completely raw.

Both the major components
of Antonia's dish

had problems with it.

The shrimp, you saw it,
they were dry.

The grits were watery.

And then with the meat
in there,

it just didn't make sense.

Which was sad
because Antonia knows

she can do better.

Tiffany's dish,
pork and rice,

tomato jam,
nothing wrong with it,

but it's not exciting,
and so it wasn't a good dish.

It's almost street food.

It was just sort of middle
of the road.

I certainly am never going
to think about this dish again.

Won't remember it
tomorrow morning.

Yeah, you kept saying
you didn't like the jam,

and they loved it.
Yeah.

I think we know
who made the worst dish tonight.

- Mm-hmm.

Yup.

Let's get them out here.

Chefs, tonight's challenge

was to cook for the King
of Junkanoo and his crew.

The three of you cooked food

from your heart
and from your soul,

but it didn't go far enough.

It was very basic,
and, at this stage

of the game,
we need something more exciting

with more punch,
more spirit, more life.

Tiffany, your pork was
nicely cooked, nicely seasoned,

but missing an element,
maybe a sauce.

You knew coming here
you have to give more.

Carla,
we got a lot of sweetness

from the sweet potato
and the apple,

but really the downfall

was the pork
was just really undercooked.

Antonia, shrimp and grits,
we've seen it.

Not a good version at all.

For one of you, you'll have
a short trip to the Bahamas.

Carla, please pack your knives
and go.

Thank you so much.

This has been amazing.

And I appreciate it.

The judges
made the right decision.

I didn't have a winning dish.

I wanted to go home
making a really good dish

that I was proud of.

And I think
that's disappointing.

[Sighs]

I think, in the end,

undercooked pork
just really did her in.

It's me.

Come on, D.C.

One of the best things
about actually being here

is the personal growth
and the self-acceptance.

All right, make mama proud.
All right, Miss Carla Hall.

- Bye, Carla.
- Bye, guys.

Doing Top Chef again,
hands down I'm a better Chef,

and it will change me personally
just because there's been

a sense of doing
what I want to do

and acceptance of myself,
which, for me,

is--is some kind
of personal victory.

Next on Top Chef All-Stars...

- Ooh, jeez.
- Whoo!

Padma in a bikini.
So good morning.

I see smoke over there.

Okay, guys, so this is,
like, some campfire stuff.

Ah, [bleep].
We're in trouble.

Oh, my God.

Where's the conch?

- We got to go get it.
- Oh, my God.

There are sharks out there.
I'm pretty sure.

I can swim, but it's
definitely not my strong point.

I'm a hot mess out there.

- Oh, my God.
- Whoo!

Is your lobster undercooked?

I thought I had a sh*t to win,
but then you get, like,

a smack in the face.

For more about the recipes
seen tonight,