10x17 - Finale: Part 2

[bunniefuu]

[Cheers and applause]

Welcome to the Top Chef
Season Ten Finale

in Los Angeles.

For the first time ever,
it's all taking place

in front
of a live audience.

Only two chefs
are left standing.

Fighting her way back
from Last Chance Kitchen,

after a controversial
elimination challenge,

Kristen Kish.

[Cheers and applause]

And the chef with
the most challenge victories

this season,
Brooke Williamson.

[Cheers and applause]

They've assembled their teams
and are hard at work

creating five dishes
that will be served

to 160 diners
and our judges.

[Cheers and applause]

The first dishes go out
in just a few minutes.

Two chefs remain.

Brooke was a prodigy
in the city of L.A.

She started really young,
and she was k*lling it.

To win in Los Angeles
on my own turf,

it would be awesome.

Brooke, can I
borrow your shears?

No.
It's a competition, Josh.

[Laughter]

Brooke's impressed me
all season long

just in her consistency.

Brooke did a great job here.

I mean,
this is really ballsy.

It's really inventive,

and I think the flavors
are really good.

Her food has
a lot of different layers,

and that's a trademark
of a really good dish.

I'm gonna cook
the best food

that I've ever cooked
in my life.

Who's hungry?

This [bleep] is hard.

I'll say it
till I'm blue in the face,

I think I was eliminated
too soon.

What?

I definitely think I deserve
to be back in the competition.

Of course it is.

Kristen is very classic.
She's very sophisticated.

She has always been
my stiffest competition.

- Feeling like a winner?
- Every day.

This is where I wanted to be
since the very first day

that I stepped in Seattle.

[Bleep], yeah,
I want to win.

I want to b*at her.

For the winner:

A feature
in Food & Wine magazine,

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

$125,000 furnished
by Healthy Choice,

and the title Top Chef.

Oh, my God.

What is this?

- Welcome to the finale.
- Wow.

[Whispers] I did not
expect a [bleep] stadium.

Okay, chefs,
you have your teams.

You know the challenge.
You have three hours.

Your time starts now.

Kristen and Brooke
have selected their sous chefs,

prepared their menus,
and will compete head-to-head,

serving
their best five dishes.

The first chef to have
three winning dishes

will be crowned Top Chef.

First course,
pig ear chicory salad.

I have team L.A.
as my sous chefs.

Stefan might be
a little scatterbrained,

but he's really quick.

CJ has a beautiful palate,
and Kuniko adds

a level of precision.

The first course,
we have a chicken liver mousse.

My sous chefs are Lizzie,
Sheldon, and Josh.

These are just good people,
you know, no egos.

Second course is scallop--
seared scallop.

We have
a scallop crudo dish.

Third course,
fried chicken.

- Nice.
- Fried chicken?

- Um, fried chicken.
- Thanks.

[Laughter]

We have
a snapper-shellfish nage.

Red snapper
with pork cheek.

For this challenge,
we both have to use scallops

for the second round

and snapper
for the fourth round.

Kristen and I often gravitate
toward the same ingredients

and prepare them
very differently.

I think I have
bigger, bolder flavors

and that's what
I will use to win this.

Final course is
a black chocolate miso cake.

We have olive oil cake
with ice cream.

Here, here's what
needs to happen first.

If anyone needs to look
at the components of each dish,

I have them
right over here.

My vision for my dishes
is simple and clean

but nicely ex*cuted,

and then lastly,
really pretty.

Then you still have
to do garnishes on those, Josh,

so I'll need them asap.
Right on.

All right, so explain to me
what's exactly happening

with this dish,
so I know full-fledge--

All right, so we're gonna
brine them for an hour.

Got it.

- How you doing, lady?
- Over-boiling milk.

The chefs' skills
will be put to the test

in front of 300 people...

Jesus.

Including Emeril Lagasse,

Gail Simmons...
Welcome back.

- Thank you.
- Hugh Acheson,

Tom Colicchio...
Good luck.

And all nine
previous Top Chef winners.

And welcome back.

Nice to see you.

Tonight, this elite group
of top chefs will accept

its tenth member.

Stephanie, either way, one
more girl will join this table.

Are you ready
to share your tiara?

It's about time.
I'm definitely ready.

In just a few minutes,
Kristen and Brooke

will be sending out
their first dish

to the diners
and the judges.

Did you ever expect this?

Being in front
of a live audience,

my family,
and the nine past winners

adds a whole nother level
of stress and anxiety.

- Tell the first course again.
- Pig ear salad.

Um, six-minute egg,
apricot puree,

candied kumquat,
fried pig ear.

Okay, just up?

Just not all the way up.
Just make sure they don't fry.

Yeah.

I have a version of this dish
on my menu at the triple.

It's a play
on frisee lardon.

The eggs need
to be perfect,

and the pig ears
need to be crisp

and braised for long enough
so that they're tender as well.

[Cheers and applause]

I've made chicken liver mousse
many times.

I've made it in my sleep.

Prunes, hazelnuts.

Sheldon, can you just
grab the hazelnuts out?

Yes, Chef, got it.

I think my biggest weakness
is cooking for this many people.

For the past two years,
I cooked for ten people.

It's an obscene amount
of pressure

with five courses.

I have Lizzie butchering
for the fourth course,

Sheldon busting out
those scallops,

and Josh beginning dessert.

I just need to stay calm
and try not to throw up.

[Exhales]

Something's burning.

[Sizzling]

CJ's, like, completely
burning those pig's ears.

I can't even
begin to explain.

And standing there,
watching it too.

Right.

[Bleep],
I really need this--

Uh-oh.

[Cheers and applause]

Wow, this is it.

You can feel the tension,
you know?

Just walking in here,
you can feel it.

It's very exciting.

I hope they revel in it
more than just get

totally anxiety-prone by it.
Mmhmm.

[Cheers and applause]

Look at that.
That's pretty bad-ass.

Holy [bleep] show.

All: Ten, nine,
eight, seven, six,

five, four, three, two,

one!
[Cheers and applause]

Time's up, ladies.

Please come serve
your dishes.

[Dramatic music]

♪ ♪

Let's start
with you, Kristen.

So this is
a chicken liver mousse

with frisee, mustard, prune,
hazelnuts, and pumpernickel.

It tastes like chicken liver
that was seasoned properly.

Kristen,
this is not the first time

we've seen chicken livers
from you in the competition.

I love the mousse.

I love how you treated
the chicory,

and it was very simple
and very classic

and certainly very you,
so I really enjoyed the dish.

Thank you.

The chicken liver mousse
was really well-seasoned,

nicely put together.

I think
it had a good balance.

I'll take chicken liver mousse
almost any way

you give it to me,

and yours was
absolutely perfect.

It had such a velvety,
airy texture.

I felt that the lettuce
and the croutons

were piled on top
of the mousse though,

so it was sort of hard
to find it.

Brooke?

I've prepared a crispy pig ear
and chicory salad

with a six-minute egg,
an apricot jam,

and candied kumquats.

- Tastes good.
- Huh? You like this one?

The three eggs
weren't seasoned,

but they were both tasty.

Brooke, I thought the dish
had great flavor.

I liked the egg together
with the puree.

It all worked nicely.

I feel the same way.
I loved the dish.

The one problem that I had
is that my crackling

were overcooked.

I wanted them to have
a little bite to them still,

like, without them
being super crunchy.

Brooke,
I loved your dish.

My pig ear was crunchy
and delicious and not b*rned,

like some
of the other people.

The salad dressing's
awesome.

You've got a thing with
salad dressing that's just--

you know balance
really well in dressing,

and that's key.
I mean, it's--

it's a really
important attribute.

Brooke and Kristen,
it's time to find out

who wins round one.

The first chef
to win three rounds

wins the title
of Top Chef.

Hugh, who served
your favorite dish,

Kristen or Brooke?

Kristen.

I just thought it was
a really beautiful mousse,

and it was
a really clean plate.

- Gail.
- Kristen.

I absolutely loved
the combination of velvety

chicken liver mousse
and crunchy toasted hazelnuts.

Kristen,
that's two votes for you.

One more vote,
and you win this round.

Emeril.

- Kristen.
- Thank you.

Kristen, you take this round.
Congratulations.

Thank you very much.

[Cheers and applause]

Brooke, you need
to catch up.

Chefs, you can get back
to the kitchen. Thank you.

What'd they say?

Uh, that they
were both awesome.

Kristen's was perfect.

- Is that what they said?
- It sounded that way.

There were execution errors
on my first dish.

I won't let
that happen again.

Two of the country's
brightest culinary talents

continue their fight
for the title after this.

Welcome back
to the Top Chef finale,

where Brooke and Kristen
are going head-to-head,

cooking scallops
in round two.

Yeah, I think
there's plenty.

Sheldon, can you
make a cure?

Four parts salt,
one part sugar,

lavender and citrus zest.

Winning the first round
feels fantastic,

but I can't
let it go to my head.

I want to keep pushing
simple and clean,

so my idea with the scallop
is to serve them raw.

I'm just going to do
something that I like,

that I know is beautiful,
and tastes great.

How you doing
on those scallops, Kuniko?

We need to wash it
really well.

Yeah,
they're really Sandy.

It's disappointing
that I didn't get any votes.

The pressure's on now
to even the score.

They're huge.

I would say that,
we could cut in half.

- Half, okay.
- Yeah.

So I'm making a seared scallop
on top of brandade

with Meyer lemon, black currant
and mustard seed vinaigrette,

and some crispy speck
with juniper.

My goal is to get a really
wide spectrum of flavors

on this plate.

- Hey, Kristen.
- Yeah?

- I chose light blue.
- Light blue for what?

- For the baby's bedroom.
- Shut up.

[Laughs]

Uh, this is gonna
be a vinaigrette.

Okay.

Gonna add just
a little whole grain mustard,

a little red wine vinegar.

You know, it's amazing
what you can get when you have

two of the identical proteins
cooked by two different people

in entirely
different mind-sets.

Kristen, on that cure,
you want it just dry, like--?

- Yup, just pack 'em in.
- Okay.

CJ!

[Cheering]

What's up, guys?

You can add
a little Meyer lemon and zest.

- Zest?
- And start with the scallop.

Why do you want
to win this?

- I have a four-year-old son...
- Right.

And I don't get a whole lot
of opportunities

to do exciting,
adventurous things.

My son is 99% of the reason
why I'm doing Top Chef.

I want to show him
that he can overcome any fears.

I think you just
earned your way to Seattle.

Thank you.

I have a lot of phobias
that I don't want to pass on...

My fear of heights.

God.
Oh, my God.

I have a fear of boats,

helicopters.

I think facing my fears
will make me

a better example
for my son.

Are you worried
about me, Josh?

Yeah, a little.

Brooke has these phobias,
but when she's in the kitchen,

she's a force
to be reckoned with.

Brooke, baby.

How many ingredients
do you have, Bart?

Just enough
to whup your ass.

Oh!

We know Brooke.

I heard that the boys
interviewed for you.

- Really?
- Yeah.

[Laughter]

And I didn't hire you?
Sorry.

What did you think
of Brooke's dukkah chicken?

Why the [bleep]
they don't have no bone?

Where are the bones?
[Laughs]

I've never had
lamb-stuffed squid before.

Mmm.
Damn, this is good.

Oh, my God,
it's got every flavor.

Brooke, I like
the way her brain works.

I like the way
she operates.

She's a great chef.

I thought the broth
was beautifully seasoned.

I'm gonna
debone frogs' legs.

She's wildly talented
and creative,

using a ton
of different combinations

that I could never,
ever think about.

I would say
frogs' legs and mussels...

- That's new.
- Are new.

My child gave me this
for luck and said,

"mama, I want you
to have the lizard."

That's the guy
that made me win, right there.

If there was one thing
that I had to say to my son,

it would be, "I hope
to make you proud, be brave,"

and conquer everything
that he wants to do in life.

Brooke, you're moving on
to the finale.

To win the title of Top Chef,
that would mean the world to me.

This is the coolest thing
I've ever done in my whole life.

[Laughs]

[Cheers and applause]

They all have Meyer lemon
on them and juniper?

Oh, no, they don't.

Ever imagine that,
at this moment,

you'd be watching Brooke
in the finale of Top Chef?

I want to say I thought
she'd be in the finale.

I'm really proud.

And I bet Hudson would be too
if he could have stayed awake.

- He would be.
- [Laughs]

He's so excited,
he passed out.

You know what,
I don't blame him.

Get the nap in
while you can.

He knows how to do it.

Now, mom and dad,
when did you first realize

that Brooke was
going to become a chef?

Well, most kids watch cartoons
when they're five years old,

but she used to be watching
The Galloping Gourmet.

- Me too.
- [Laughs]

Thank you guys so much
for being here with us.

I know it means a lot to her,
and it means a lot to us.

Thank you.

Can you pass me
a little butter?

Thank you.

All right,
so just one, two...

Yeah, perfect.

I'm jealous, dude,
I want to be down there.

Scallop? I have scallop.

Like so.

Sweet.

[Cheers and applause]
One minute! Let's go!

Come on, guys!

[Cheers and applause]

Brooke, save one for me.

Save one for you?
Aw.

Brooke's second dish
has a lot of stuff going on,

but when you start
with such a beautiful product,

you don't have
to do much to it.

It's about highlighting it
as opposed to covering it up.

Will you trade out
a couple of the bigger ones?

I've never actually
done this dish before.

It's a pretty risky dish
in its flavor combinations.

But if I'm going
to win Top Chef,

this is
what I have to do.



[Cheers and applause]

It's a matter
of executing right now.

It's a matter of making sure
the team is in step.

I mean, if you look
at the last dish that came up--

I mean, she wasn't
paying attention

to what CJ was doing,
and CJ b*rned the pig's ears.

That first dish, the pig ears,
that should have never happened.

And we saw it
right in front of us.

Right, watched it happen,
yeah.

All:
Eight, seven,

six, five, four, three,

two, one!

[Cheers and applause]

[Dramatic music]

♪ ♪

Thank you.

Brooke, let's start
with you.

I did a seared scallop
over a salt cod puree,

crispy speck
with a little black currant

and mustard seed vinaigrette.

There's something else
on there.

A little--
and a little juniper.

- Romanesco?
- Romanesco too, yeah.

Thank you.

And my scallop's
overcooked.

When I look over there,
all I see are them going...

- I think it's a tie.
- These are both really good.

Picking apart our plates.

Ugh, that's always fun.

Brooke, I really enjoyed
the combination.

I think we're getting
used to you having a dish

that seems very--
sort of basic, but there's

one little sort of thing
that's fighting.

But this actually
works really nicely.

The scallop
is perfectly cooked.

Nice dish.

Cool.

Were you worried
at all about how early

you seemed to be cooking
those scallops?

Um, I felt like getting
a good, hard sear on both sides,

so they weren't raw
in the middle

and overcooked
on the outside.

I just wanted them to rest.
Okay.

I mean, the flavor's great,
and there's a synergy to it.

And there's
an earthiness to it.

The flavors are really bright,
really well-balanced.

Thank you.

Well, my background--
I'm a big salt cod lover.

Codit's, like, my favorite
flavor in the whole world.

The combination of this
just drives it home for me.

Thank you.
Thank you.

Kristen?

I did a cured scallop
with bitter orange, Meyer lemon,

and some apple.

Your dish is
exactly what I expect from you.

It's really flavorful.
It's really delicious.

Thank you.

There's nowhere to hide
on this dish,

and you did these scallops
really proud.

Thank you.

I just love the simplicity
of what you did with it.

And you didn't
overcomplicate it.

It's absolutely delicious,
Kristen.

Thank you.

Brooke,
you're already down one round,

so this is
a very important vote for you.

Let's get the results
for round two.

[Dramatic music]

♪ ♪

Judges, who served
the best dish?

♪ ♪

Brooke, I thought
the combination of flavor

with the brandade, romanesco,
and that mustard seed

was perfect.
Thank you.

Emeril, who served
the best dish?

Brooke.

Okay, Brooke, one more vote,
and you take round two.

Tom.

You know, I enjoyed them both,
but I thought

Kristen's combination
of sweet and sour and briny

just did a better job
of highlighting

the natural sweetness
of the scallop.

So I give it to Kristen.

[Cheers and applause]

Kristen served
the better dish.

Hugh, it's two to two.
You're the tie breaker.

So who served
the better dish?

♪ ♪

Brooke.
[Cheers and applause]

The wintery flavors
were great.

The brandade was awesome.

It just--it worked as a dish,
and I'm a sucker for romanesco.

Well, Brooke, you win
and are back on equal footing...

- Whoo-hoo.
- With Kristen.

[Cheers and applause]

This is intense.

The pressure
is certainly building.

Next plates have
to come out in 34 minutes,

so get back
to the kitchen.

Mm, all right.

Can we clear all this stuff?
I'm gonna get shallots.

We're gonna toss that.

- With what?
- Super crispy chicken wings.

I need pots--
or pans on for the marrow.

Or you know what,
super--

crank the oven to 500.
We're just gonna blast it.

Brooke can throw down
when she has to,

and now we're evened up.

So I'm gonna step up
and kick ass.

Up next, the chefs choose any
dish in their culinary arsenal

to showcase their talent.

Welcome back.

A new Top Chef
will be named tonight

and take home $125,000

furnished by Healthy Choice.

- Ooh, can you pick parsley?
- Yes. Parsley, coming right up.

Just, like, the nice,
little, tiny leaves.

Being tied
with Brooke right now

puts fire under my ass.

So my goal
is to try to hit

as many different
flavor profiles as possible.

My third course
is crispy bone marrow,

celery root puree, mushroom,
and veal au jus.

Doesn't have
a lot of sweetness,

but I wonder if that's okay
'cause, I mean, we don't want--

- Wanna add a little more sugar?
- A little more sugar? Okay.

Yeah.

My third dish is

vadouvan-seasoned
fried chicken wing.

I really want
to redeem myself

from the fried chicken
challenge.

But the risk of this dish
is that maybe it's too playful,

maybe the judges don't want
to be eating chicken wings

with their fingers.

Here you go.

- Good.
- Are you sure?

Yeah.

[Indistinct chatter]

Chicken?
I'll do chicken.

Chicken?
Okay.

Sheldon, with that broth

for the crispy bone marrow,

we're sh**ting just for,
like, super umami.

You got it.

You know, I think
they're fairly evenly matched.

They have very different
approaches to food.

I think Brooke--
think of her

doing more home-cooked things,
but then I think

about dishes like
the squid stuffed with lamb.

- Frogs' legs and mussels.
- Frogs' legs and mussels, yes.

Kristen--her stuff is
a little more subtle, artistic.

And sometimes maybe
trying to make fancy plates

when you're cooking
for 68 people

can get you
in a little bit of trouble.

Who's got an eye on marrow?
Someone?

They should be able
to just bake up in the oven.

We're gonna do a coating
after they are already crisp.

Vadouvan, honey,
and apple cider vinegar.

- Sheldon.
- What's up?

Three minutes,
those bones should be ready.

And then can you just
grab the hazelnuts out?

Yeah.

Ooh, it's getting hot.

You think you
can win Top Chef?

If I didn't,
I wouldn't be here.

The past year and a half,
I've been very fortunate

to work
for Chef Barbara Lynch.

She has taught me
how to trust my vision.

Steph, you here?
I have my crab down there.

Stephanie and I
met seven years ago.

She is my best friend.

We bonded over the fact that
we both were getting boob sweat

because we were
the only two girls on the line.

It was so hot.

Next thing you're gonna tell
me you're roommates too, right?

Oh, almost.

We live
in the same apartment building.

A lot of lesbian rumors
because of this,

which we're not,
just to clarify.

Stephanie,
please pack your knives.

Being a chef and cooking
is the most important part

of my life.

I tried to, like, channel
my photographic memory.

- Mm-hmm.
- Kristen is the one to b*at.

My hat's off to Kristen
on a perfect onion ring.

I just think
it's a perfect bite.

I couldn't wait
to go back for another one.

- The heat is on.
- The heat's on, but you know...

[Groans]

You're up
about $35,000 right now.

- Josie, two more orders.
- Coming at you right now.

Right now.

Going into restaurant wars,
my concept, my food,

I'll take responsibility
for it.

But I don't want anybody
[bleep] it up for me.

All right, keep--
please keep going.

You guys didn't
get enough sauce.

She sauced your plate, I--

There's a lot of things

that would have been
done differently, absolutely.

Kristen, please pack
your knives and go.

As leader, you take on
the responsibilities,

whether they come out
good or bad.

Hey, Kristen,
this is Last Chance Kitchen.

I think a lot of people
are shocked to see you here.

I was definitely
eliminated too early.

I have to step up,
even more so now.

I did a "bouillabaisse" broth,
finished with smoked butter.

The winning chef is...

Kristen.

The winning chef is...

Kristen.
Oh, really?

[Cheers and applause]

Kristen, wow.
I think this was redemption.

Karma.

So the winner would walk
through those doors

and right
into the Top Chef finale.

The winner
of Last Chance Kitchen is...

Kristen.

I will do everything
in my being to win.

Definitely with a portion
of the money,

I'm gonna take
a trip to Korea.

I was born there,
but I was adopted

and moved to Michigan
when I was four months old.

The one thing I do miss
is seeing two people

that look like me,
you know?

I just need to see,
you know, where I came from.

God, I just want to win.
I just want to win so bad.

You have your marrow?
Yeah?

So, uh...
Just a little bit.

All right, team Kristen.
She is doing so well so far.

You guys must
be really excited.

- Of course.
- Oh, yeah.

John, how is it feeling
to watch your sis

compete like this?

Did you ever imagine that
you'd be here for the finals?

No, it's amazing.

I remember dropping her off
in Boston with nothing

but a suitcase of clothes
and dreams.

And now she's this big city girl
all over the world

and teaches us
what's going on.

So, dad, it must
have been heartbreaking

to watch her get voted off
that first time.

What went
through your head?

Well, I was really sad
that she got kicked off,

but I texted her afterwards
and said,

"Kristen,
you're my Top Chef."

- Aw.
- Yeah.

[Coughs]

Two minutes.

I think
there's more meat on this one.

- You think so?
- Very good.

I had the last one.
Very good.

- Crispy bone marrow.
- Delicious.

What is Kristen doing?

I don't know, but it smells
like some mushroom with soy

umami b*mb.

One minute, Kristen!

- She looks really stressed out.
- Both of them.

Yeah.

Two more courses after this.
Holy crap.

Kristen's dishes
are always beautiful,

but if the judges are
more interested in the flavor

than the concept, I'm confident
that I have the ability

to win this.

And you hit
everything with salt?

- Yeah. Everything's got salt.
- 30 seconds!

- This looks like a lot of fun.
- Yeah.

A lot of fun.

That's too fine.

Some of these over here
need a plate wipe too.

Right here.



All:
Ten, nine, eight,

seven, six, five,

four, three,

two, one!

[Cheers and applause]

[Dramatic music]

♪ ♪

Brooke?

I did a vadouvan
fried chicken wing

with a sumac
yogurt-tahini sauce

and a pickled
kohlrabi fattoush.

I forgot the wet naps.
Yes.

Sorry.

Dude, I'm digging
the chicken wings.

- Yeah.
- That's [bleep] ballsy.

That is ballsy.
I like that.

I was not expecting this.

I was not expecting
chicken wings.

There's a reason
behind the chicken wing.

Explain the reason
behind the chicken wings.

Um, I felt like I needed
to redeem myself

with some chicken
on the bone...

Yes.
Okay, good.

And fry it properly
and provide some flavor.

You know, Brooke,
works for me.

It's delicious,
really delicious.

I get
why you're doing it,

although I'm still not sure
why you're doing it.

That said,
the vadouvan

is really nice
with the chicken wing.

Um, I like that.

I'm not sure
about this other salad here.

But I'm not quite sure
how it all works together.

[Clears throat]

♪ ♪

Kristen?

I did celery root puree
with mushrooms, bone marrow,

bitter greens, and some
barely cooked radishes.

I love all of the earthy tones
of this dish.

Absolutely, I love it.
It's delicious.

Thank you.

Um...

I was wondering why you decided
to stew the mushrooms like that

as opposed to getting
some roasted flavor out of it?

'Cause I think that I wanted
the bone marrow to kind of

do all of that for it,
and then the mushrooms

were just an undertone.
Okay.

I just wish it was hot.

Yeah.

It wasn't.

Kristen, I thought
the puree and the mushrooms

were so velvety,
and that bone marrow

just sort of cut
through it all,

just like I wanted it.

Brooke and Kristen,
you're even with one round each.

Now it's time to find out
who wins round three.

[Dramatic music]

♪ ♪

Emeril.

Kristen's--

Kristen, you served
my favorite dish.

I just loved
all of those earthy tones.

Just really well ex*cuted.

I have to give
this one to Kristen.

More developed flavor.

Uh, at this point
in the competition,

I think it's just
a much more interesting dish.

Padma,
what did you think?

You know, this one was
a really difficult decision.

Kristen, you served
my favorite dish.

You win this round.

[Cheers and applause]

Brooke, it is
all or nothing

with the next dish,
so get back there, guys.

[Cheers and applause]

Jesus Christ!

- This is it, yes?
- Yes, yes, yes.

My fried chicken
was a crucial mistake,

and I can't make another,
but it is not over yet.

My fourth course is gonna
be a tough one to b*at.

- I'll take this.
- Okay.

And you start--
start those please.

Need to get
the collard greens out

and dress those
in lemon juice and fish sauce.

Lemon juice
and fish sauce, yes.

How are you?
What happened?

We won--they won one,
you won one?

She won two,
I won one.

We'll k*ll this one.

Coming up,

both chefs' technique
will be put to the test

as they prepare red snapper
in round four.

My advice to Brooke
and Kristen is to really relax

the mind
and just be yourself.

Brooke, Kristen--

I don't know,
I was gonna say something

incredibly clever,
but I [bleep] blew it.

Do what you do well.

I know it's not a very
descriptive answer, but...

I hate to try
to use the sports analogy,

but it's about not,
you know, fumbling the football.

Try to make something
that doesn't suck.

This is your moment.
Let it go, girls.

Go out there,
rock it.

Think about lots of,
like, really empowering,

don't listen to everybody
that has advice for you.

[Laughs]

Keep your adrenaline
in check.

Yeah! Yeah!

[Glass shattering]

[Indistinct chatter]
Yeah!

In this round,
red snapper's on the menu

for both chefs.

Kristen is ahead of Brooke
by two to one.

Cabbage is stirring,
beets are in.

Gotta get out.

This is the dish that I feel
the most confident with.

I actually practiced it
before I got here.

It's red snapper
with a shellfish nage, uni,

little gem lettuce,
and leeks.

Where are the shellfish?
You have not cooked those yet?

- No.
- Okay, perfect. Awesome.

Where is the garlic?

They're not over there?

Knowing that the next dish
could be the deciding factor,

it's definitely weighing
on my nerves.

But it is not over yet.

You want a rectangle
or a square for the judges?

- Square.
- Cut off here?

Like this? Watch.

I decide to pair the snapper
with a pork cheek

because I've had
a pretty good track record

with surf and turf.

Yeah, that looks good.
Yeah?

Yeah.

Okay, I'm gonna strain
the shrimp stock right now.

Okay, and then add
one can of tomato paste

and let it reduce down.

Brooke, is there any spices?

Caraway seed?
Anything like that?

- Peppercorn.
- Yeah, what else?

Chili flake.

I see a lot of pressure
cookers out there, man.

That's smart though, man.

I mean, that's the only way
to braise meat, really.

Like, if someone
does a braise,

I feel like
it's a big advantage.

These are the nine
previous winners of Top Chef.

Take a look
at all they've accomplished.

You are Top Chef.

- What? Really?
- Congratulations!

Over nine seasons,
Top Chef winners

have gone on
to incredible success.

Whoo!

I don't even know
what to say right now.

I'm ready
for a cocktail.

Season one winner,
Harold Dieterle--

three renowned
New York restaurants,

two stars
in The New York Times,

and New York magazine's
top 100 restaurants.

Cheers.
Cheers.

Season four winner,
Stephanie Izard--

two Chicago restaurants,
Food & Wine magazine's

best new chef,
and two James Beard nominations.

Winning Top Chef just
gives you so much more exposure.

I mean,
it's a whole nother world,

but it's awesome and flattering
and amazing and fun.

You are Top Chef.

Season nine winner,
Paul Qui--

James Beard winner,
Best Chef Southwest,

and Food & Wine magazine's
top ten empire builders.

My heart's,
like, over there!

It's a big opportunity for
a chef to compete on Top Chef.

I'm so excited.

It can really
jump-start your career.

- Congratulations, Hosea.
- Yeah!

There's the emotion
in waiting for Padma.

Top Chef takes what we do,
and it introduces it

to a whole new demographic.

It's made eating out cool.

- You are Top Chef.
- I am?

That was
the best reaction ever.

What?

- Congratulations.
- Thank you.

Winning Top Chef has
definitely changed my life.

I have hung out
with the First Lady

of the United States.

I worked
with Bill Clinton Foundation.

Pretty big.

You are Top Chef!

These nine past winners
have opened 17 new restaurants.

Only one chef
will join this elite group.

Who will be the tenth?

Yeah!

So, Harold,
I wasn't there when you won,

but it's pretty much
like this, right?

Uh, not quite.

[Laughter]

Stephanie, you now will
not be the only female chef.

There are so many amazing
female chefs out there,

and it's great
that finally another one's

gonna win Top Chef.

And, Ilan, what was it like
watching yourself on TV?

I looked really fat.

[Laughter]

Um, hair always looked
like crap, I was oily.

Nothing has changed then.

[Laughter]

Whoo!

I'm the only one at the table
who knows how it's gonna feel

for both competitors tonight
at the end of the day.

The verdict either way,
it's gonna be life-changing,

and it's a special night.

Michael, like Brooke,
you're an L.A. chef.

She's down
two to one right now.

Do you think
she can pull it off?

There's definitely
a style to Brooke's food.

You look at it, and you're like,
"there's no way this is all

gonna make sense,"
and then you start to taste it,

and it's like
an adventure in each dish.

It's wonderful to see how
all of you have done so much.

Thank you for ten seasons
of awesome food.

Thank you.

This fourth dish
is creative.

I'm pairing a lot
of different flavors

that you don't often see
paired together.

Ooh, la la.
Perfectly cooked.

I'm ecstatic about the way
the fish is cooked,

and I believe this is a dish
to tie the game.

Huh?

[Laughs]

Pay attention to the job,
not the girls.

I'm waiting.
I wait until you're done.

Can you make sure
the sauce is hot?

The challenge
is making sure

everything's ex*cuted
perfectly.

All I can keep thinking
is I hope that fish

is perfectly cooked.

You want to do that?
I can do this.

[Cheers and applause]

Holy [bleep]
[Bleep] show.

- Hot, hot, hot.
- Dude, it's intense down there.

They're, like,
battling it out.

[Dramatic music]

This is
a $125,000 dish.

That's it.
It's a $125,000 dish.

You need to sauce
those plates right now.

- I'm happy with this.
- You are?

- Yeah.
- You should be.

These flavors are sick, and
that slaw is very, very good.

Let's get this course
and be done with it.

All:
Ten, nine, eight, seven,

six, five, four, three,

two, one!

[Cheers and applause]

[Dramatic music]

♪ ♪

Kristen and Brooke,
how are you feeling?

Nervous.
Sweaty.

Nervous,
but, um,

I'm happy with the way
my dish came out, so...

Let's start with you,
Brooke.

I made a braised pork cheek
with crispy red snapper,

a pine nut cream,
a collard green slaw,

and sorrel puree.

Well, enjoy, everyone.

I knew it was
gonna be bouillabaisse--

Thank you.

Brooke, I think
the snapper's perfectly cooked,

and, you know,
if collards are the new kale,

I'm all for that.

It's all good.

I liked the combination of
the pork cheeks and the snapper.

The sorrel brings
a nice brightness to it.

You've got some crunch
from the pomegranates.

All in all, it's a very nicely
put together dish, yeah.

Brooke, I love
how you added the sorrel.

Just sort of perked it all up.
Well done.

Yeah, I actually
really love the play

between the pork cheek
and the snapper.

And the pomegranate gives
that perfect, little amount

of juice and just a little bit
of tartness

that you need
in the dish.

This is Brooke's.

It's the cheek.
[Indistinct chatter]

I like the fact
that Brooke's dishes

are more exciting and mixing
different layers of flavor.

Like, it's--
it's good.

Kristen,
what did you make?

I have snapper with leeks,
little gem lettuce,

tarragon, uni, and a little bit
of shellfish nage.

Kristen, I think the snapper
is beautifully cooked.

There's a great depth of flavor
in the shellfish stock.

The little gems are crisp
but still succulent.

It's a very nice dish.
Thank you.

The texture was spot-on.
The uni was beautiful.

And you left it alone,
which I really appreciated.

You did something
that I found sort of interesting

and actually
a little hard to eat.

Um, Kristen, your leeks,
because you left them

long and stringy,
sort of made it

a little difficult
to get to cut,

um, and then to eat.

So I thought the uni pairing
was really nice.

It was really balanced.

I love that leek--
that braised leek.

I wasn't bothered by the fact
of using a Kn*fe.

I'm good with the Kn*fe,
so it was a really good dish.

Thank you.

Chefs, the upcoming vote

will potentially decide
who wins Top Chef.

Kristen, at one point,
you were out of the competition.

Did you think
you would get--

you know,
get back in at this point

where you are one vote away
from winning right now?

Well, being here now,
I kind of forgot

that I was ever
out of it, um...

[Laughs]

Brooke, you won
more challenges

than anybody this season.

I did.
Um...

I feel like I want
to win this to prove

that I wasn't winning
because Kristen wasn't there.

Clearly this is
a very crucial round.

The title is so close.
I can feel it.

And I want it.

These are
the most important dishes

that I've ever cooked.

If she wins this course,
I will be done.

Kristen, you are
one winning dish

away from the title.

Brooke, you have
to win here to force

a fifth and final round.

For either of you,
these results

could change
your life.

Let's find out
who wins round four.

[Suspenseful music]

♪ ♪

Gail.
[Sighs]

Kristen...

Your flavors were just
a little more harmonious,

and I just couldn't
get enough of the uni.

Thank you.

Emeril?

Brooke or Kristen?

Kristen.

Um, I just love
the whole combination.

The fish
was cooked perfectly.

Perfectly.

Kristen, you're up.
Two, zero.

If you get Tom's vote,
you are Top Chef.

Tom.

- Kristen.
- Kristen, you are Top Chef!

[Cheers and applause]

Yeah, I won.
[Laughs] I won Top Chef.

Where are the balloons?

Wow.

This win means
absolutely everything to me.

Being the second female Top Chef
is fantastic,

but at the end of the day,
I just wanted to win regardless.

[Laughter]
Nice job.

Am I disappointed?
Yeah, I'm disappointed.

It's hard to have
been through so much

and, um...

And still not
have gotten there.

But I think
I've made myself proud,

and I'm really proud
of myself.

Aw, monkey.
Tired boy.

Thanks, Dad.

[Cheers and applause]

I'm gonna go back to work
'cause I absolutely love it

and make myself a better person
and make myself a better chef.

- Congratulations.
- Thank you.

- Welcome to the club.
- Congratulations.

Congratulations.
Thanks a lot.

And in the very near future,
a trip to Korea for me.

Thanks for having this whole
Last Chance Kitchen thing.

[Laughs] It kind of
worked in your favor.

- Yeah.
- But you know what?

You were actually able
to hold your head really high

when you left
and fight your way back,

and so congratulations.

- Wow.
- It just was...

- Oh, my God.
- An exceptional season.

- You won. You won.
- I can't--

being able to have done it
in front of family

and my best friends,
it's amazing.

I'm proud that I got
to make them so proud.

Never a doubt, right?
Never a doubt.

Thanks, Dad.