05x14 - Finale Part 2

[bunniefuu]

This season on Top Chef...


best up-and-coming chefs

Met in new york for the culinary
competition of a lifetime.

[sizzling]

Through 13 tough challenges,

They faced
relentless pressure.

I don't wanna talk to you.

Do whatever the [bleep]
you want, stefan.

congratulations, hosea.

thank you.

the winner is carla.

shut up!

the winner is stefan.

stefan.

stefan.
thank you.

stefan definitely gets
under my skin.

He's kind of the guy
i'm gunning for.

the remaining four chefs
met up in new orleans...

well, I feel like I am
still the underdog.

But i'm from the south,
and I understand the food.

you've gotta be kidding me,
right?

it will be team euro
in the finale.

There's no way i'm walking away
as a loser.

emeril, will you please
announce the winner?

that chef is carla.
thank you.

unfortunately, this is gonna
be the end of team europe.

fabio, please pack
your knives and go.

now only carla, stefan,
and hosea have remained.

At stake for the winner
of our top chfinale

In new orleans...

A feature
in food & wine magazine.

A showcase at the annual
food & wine classic in aspen.

$100,000 to help turn their
culinary dreams into reality,

Furnished by the makers
of the glad family of products.

And the title of top chef.

[up-tempo jazzy music]

♪ ♪

i'm so psyched
to be in this final three.

I mean,
it's a lot of pressure.

You know, all of a sudden,
i'm nervous now,

Because it's down to three.

But this is do or die.

If there ever was do or die
in this competition, this is it.

thanks, I appreciate it.
thank you, sir.

good morning.

oh, check it out.

So this morning,
we have breakfast

On tcreole queen
paddle boat.

Going from 17 chefs to three,

And i'm in the three--

In a word, wow.

feel so honored.

oh, absolutely.
this is so cool.

you know what the coolest
part about it for us

Is that we got
to do every challenge.

i've been building momentum,

And i've been on top
the last few times.

And, honestly,
if I continue to deliver

The food that got me here,

To do the food
that the judges said,

"carla, we liked that,"

I have a very good chance
of winning.

it was a big wake-up call
for me,

Coming to new york,
really, reminded me

That there's a lot of people
out there that are hungry,

That are trying...
To make a mark.

I'm ready to be top chef,
man.

I worked my ass off for this.

I feel like I have
more to prove here

Than any of these other guys.

Carla, stefan

Own their own businesses
already.

I don't.
I work for somebody else.

I'm a chef in a small town.

And it would suck
to go home without the title.

where do you think
she's from?

that one?
long island?

that's...
Somewhere in asia.

team euro is broken up,
and fabio has to go home.

That [bleep] me off.

But i'm here to win
this competition,

No matter what.

On the last challenge,

My food was much better
than hosea's.

Look at hosea.

Did he win any elimination
challenge by himself?

One?
It is what it is, man.

It's done, it's over with.

Hosea, get the [bleep]
out of here.

Go back to frickin'
colorado.

so we leave
the creole queen.

We meet padma and tom
at the historic

New orleans collection.

Congratulations, stefan,
carla, and hosea

For making it
to the final challenge,

Which will determine
who will win $100,000

And the title
of top chef.

for your final challenge,
it's a pretty simple one.

Cook us the best three-course
meal of your life.

We want to see the fire,
the passion, and the soul.

But more importantly,
it must be delicious.

You can use whichever
proteins you like.

You'll be cooking
head-to-head

And serving it
simultaneously.

Again, it's
a three-course meal.

You do not have
to make a dessert.

That's entirely up to you.

I don't know if you're happy
when tom tells you,

"hey, you can make
whatever you want to."

You're kind of like, you sit
there and say, "[bleep].

What am I gonna make now?"

So new orleans is an amazing
restaurant city.

And you'll be cooking
your final meal

At one of the most famous
restaurants

In the whole country:

Commander's palace.

commander's palace
is just so much

A part of the history
of cuisine in new orleans.

Even though this restaurant's
been around forever,

It's--it's always current,

And there doesn't seem a more
fitting place to do it.

You'll be serving to a table
of 12 judges

And distinguished guests.

You'll have two hours
to prep tonight

At the autobahn tea room.

And tomorrow, you'll have
three hours to cook

At commander's palace.

And, of course,
we arranged for some help.

we were just waiting
for who rounds the corner.

I'm thinking that it's not going
to be previous contestants,

Because they already
brought jeff back.

Who are these people?

ohh.

in walks richard,
casey, and marcel

From seasons past.

They were in the final three.

There's plenty
of people out there

That thought these three
easily should have won.

It's pretty cool
seeing them.

Chefs.

these chefs

Know a little bit
about the pressure

You're under right now.

Each one of them
made it to the finale

And just fell
a little bit short.

But along the way,

They've gained some valuable
knowledge

That they can impart to you.

Use them wisely.

so now it's time
to draw knives.

This will determine
in what order

You choose your sous chefs.

Carla, because you won
the last elimination challenge,

You get to choose first.

ohh.
three.

stefan.

i'll let hosea pull.

hosea.

one.
one.

And I guess we know
which one you have.

two.

all right, hosea.

Who would you like?
hmm.

Marcel kind of reminds me
of stefan.

And the thought of having
to pair up with stefan

And do a dinner
would drive me nuts.

I'll take richard.

I really thought you were gonna
win last season, so...

It's be a huge honor
to have you on my team.

stefan.

I have to give marcel
another sh*t.

i've seen the second season.
People don't like marcel.

But he's a great chef.

He's a bit of a [bleep],
but...Who's not?

and, carla, I suppose
it's an all-girl team for you.

I wanted you, casey.

I remember casey
being very meticulous

From season three,

And so that's why
I want her.

okay, so chefs,
good luck to all of you.

good luck.

thank you.
I appreciate it.

and we'll see you
at commander's palace.

so we get
to the audubon tea room.

oh, yeah.
we have two hours prep today,

And then three hours
to cook tomorrow.

where's the proteins?

where're the proteins, dude?

foie gras.

what about fish?
What about our first course?

my strategy for the last leg
of the competition

Is make sure I get
the best product I can get.

wanna grab the foie?

Did you grab the foie?

where's the foie gras?

I don't know.
Did he just take both loaves?

hey, wait. Hosea.

Hosea, can you give
my foie gras back, dude?

You cannot take all three,
I take two.

stefan is bitching that he
doesn't have enough foie gras,

And i'm like, "well, you know,
dude, this is a competition.

"like, I got it first."

I take--I picked two, hosea.

I bought 'em myse--dude.

what do you mean
you pick two?

I pick two.

I just grabbed 'em
outta the walk-in.

I put two foie gras
on the side of my t*nk.

you want it, let's do one
and a half each, i'll share 'em.

whatever. Whatever, hosea.
Keep it. Keep it.

Thanks, buddy. Appreciate it.

[bleep]

hosea had to pick
all the foie gras.

That's bull-[bleep].

of course I wanna kick his
ass in the finale--absolutely.

Ready, marcel.
Where is our station?

uh, let's just do it--
you wanna do it up there?

yeah, perfect. Here.

When someone tells you
"cook your best meal",

And you have two hours in the
kitchen [indistinct] for prep,

It's not much time.

yeah, let's do the shrimp.

i'm a flavor junkie,

So I want food
that has strong flavors.

I have a very rough idea
of what I wanna work with.

I wanna do a raw fish
first course,

Something with scallops and
foie gras for the second course,

And I wanna do a game
for the third course.

We're not making
anything exact right now.

Tonight i'll sleep on it,

Tomorrow i'll know
exactly what we're doing.

how--how did you guys
get all the caviar?

All three?

i'll let you negotiate
with my chef for some.

not winning,
you know, it sucked.

So i'm feeling pressure
just like I was competing.

I want hosea to win.
I'm spirited, here.

I want him to win.

hosea, you get
all the caviar, too?

Six things of caviar, dude.

I didn't even see
what he grabbed.

all six.

my strategy is
to incorporate big flavors.

I know I wanna do french food.

I'm gonna do a version
of the bouillabaisse,

And I know I wanna do
the beef comfort food

Exciting but still
a little refined.

I'll get the reduction
started for the beef.

got it. I'm listening to you.

no, no, i'm--
that's all I have.

both: [laugh]

carla has ideas
to do meat and potatoes.

Very simple, so you really
have to do something

That makes it
better and different.

My idea that I lent to the plate
was let's sous-vide the sirloin.

well, i've never
sous-vide before.

it's--girl, it's so easy.

All it is is cooking in a bag...

as I walk past carla's
station I notice

That they're doing
some sous-vide bags,

Which is not something i've ever
seen carla do before.

I feel like i'm seeing
casey's influence on her food,

But if it works for her,
it's gonna really work for her.

why don't you take one side--

Just put rare,
one slice, boom boom.

This menu. It's back to basics.

Just a good-quality,
good, yummy dish.

Where I was born in finland,
my mom was a chef for 42 years.

My family was cooking
all the time.

I was always around food, so.

Cooking basic food
is much sexier

Than do a bunch
of bull-[bleep].

Guys, 12 minutes,
we'll be out of the kitchen.

we can't [bleep]
around tomorrow.

Like, one mistake,
one forgotten protein,

One forgotten dish, that's it.

aioli, fish...
right.

bouillabaisse...

red wine. Where's red wine?

one minute, guys!

here you go.

thank you, casey.

you're welcome, momma.

we're gonna be
all right, man.

Get some sleep;
don't drink tonight.

we'll see
if it works tomorrow.

sure. In the morning.

we can--we can--
we got three hours, man.

all right.
thanks, buddy, appreciate it.

thanks, pal.

morning, chefs.

all: morning.

oh, I know
there's some twist.

I already feel like
I don't have enough time.

[screams]

[bleep]. Oh, my god.

welcome.
thank you.

the treat for tonight
is the voodoo tarot card reader.

i'd like to see
a crystal ball

Because I have some questions.

She has bones with her.

She has, like,
a coffin with bones in it.

Weird.

How about love life?

How about a girl named jamie?

oh...

let--let me see your palm.

Well, that could be
your girlfriend.

that's a possibility.

we walk into the kitchen
of commander's palace,

And there's tom,

Standing in front of a basket
of some crazy ingredients.

wow.

oh, I know
there's some twist.

It wouldn't be a finale
without a twist, right?

morning, chefs.

all: morning.

yesterday we told you
that all you had to do

Was make the best
three-course meal of your life.

We're gonna add one more course.

I already feel
like I don't have enough time,

So i'm nervous.

These butterflies are now, like,
[imitates wing flapping sound].

Bats or something, you know,
i'm like, oh, my god.

each of you will
have to make an appetizer

For a tray pass
before we sit down to dinner.

And you'll be using

Some traditional
new orleans ingredients.

One of you will cook with crab,
one with redfish,

And one with alligator.

alligator.

Just a wacky meat.

It's like having kangaroo
eat [bleep] raccoon.

What's the point?

in order to determine
who cooks what protein,

We're gonna go
to new orleans tradition.

The king cake.

[laughs]

oh.

buried inside the cake,

There's a little baby
just like this.

Each of you will get a slice.

Whoever gets the baby
is king or queen for the day.

that chef will not only

Get to choose
their protein first,

But they'll also determine
which other proteins

The other chefs
are cooking with.

Come on up and get your cake.

it's a big deal because
there's alligator on the table.

All three of us
are pretty comfortable

Cooking crab and whole fish.

Um, but alligator's
probably not something

That any of us are cooking
on a regular basis.

there it goes. There it is.
oh.

there's the baby.

king hosea.
the little baby.

[high-pitched voice]
hello, everybody. I'm the baby.

[laughs]

all right. Hosea.

Your choice, and then
you assign the other two.

i'll take the redfish.

Carla's cooking crab,
stefan's taking alligator.

Stefan...

How 'bout that?

If he's gonna take the title,

He's gonna have to
really work for it.

I knew i'm picking up
the alligator.

Hosea, you're lucky.

Mother [bleep] lucky, dude.

Lucky son of a bitch, you are.

you have three hours to cook.

I'll come back
and check on you later.

Good luck. Get going.

where you at, dude?
where's my girl at?

this is all about thinking
quick, thinking on your feet.

they threw
an hors d'oeuvre on us,

So i'm gonna mainly
take care of that.

Keep you on what we were
kinda doing yesterday.

okay.

for my past hors d'oeuvre
I wanna do a griddled corn cake

With some creole remoulade

And a piece
of blackened redfish.

For me, the hors d'oeuvre is
i'm saying i'm proud to be here,

I'm proud to be cooking
at commander's palace,

And this is a dish that,
to me, represents new orleans.

I had no idea because i've
never cooked alligator before.

First thing I do,

I run around the corner
and just whack off the tail.

The only thing
I thought is, like,

I'm gonna use the tail because
it's the most meat in it.

did they pull that alligator

Out of a gutter
around here or--?

no, no.
was it in a sewer pipe?

hosea gave it to me.

He picked the crab,
he gave me the alligator, so.

it's for soup.
okay.

i'm gonna make
a crocodile soup.

I have exactly three hours

Before the first
appetizer goes out,

I make alligator soup.
[bleep] it.

What else am I gonna
make out of it? Dumplings?

[screams]

[bleep]. Pull.

Oh, my gosh. Jesus.
thank you.

poor thing. Are you okay?

yeah, it's okay.

we have a little app.

and I have crab.

We can do something
in chinese spoons

Or something like that,
you know.

Something cold 'cause we don't
have anything, like, cold.

For my appetizer
i've decided on a shiso soup

With the blue crab,

A chayote salsa on top
with asian flavors.

But honestly, the pressure
of doing this hors d'oeuvre

Is hanging me up,

And I can't even focus
on the rest of the meal.

guys, one hour and 45!

let's get
the sauces on to reduce.

can you give me some, uh,
celery root brut noir?

i've got my menu decided,

I've got it figured out
in my head.

My first plated course
is a trio of raw fish.

Sashimi style.

My second plated course
is foie gras and scallops.

And the last course is venison.

It's probably my favorite meat.

The reason I choose
not to do dessert

Is because it's not
my strong point.

Do I want the last thing I make
on top chef 5 to be a dessert?

No.

toss the cabbage in there.

In the first pot.
first pot.

uh, get the apples shredded,

Throw the apples
in there as well,

And the onion as well.

My first course
is halibut salmon carpaccio

With micro-greens, and lemon
vinaigrette, and caviar.

Second course is squab,
braised red cabbage schupfnudel,

And, like, a crepe demi-glace.

Third course is dessert.

I think when I have a dinner
and I have three courses,

I wanna have a dessert.

So i'm making stracciatella
ice cream, mousse chocolat.

Some vanilla syrup,
and, uh, some lollipops.

There ya go.

building flavor!

My first course,

We have the seared red snapper
over a saffron aioli

With, uh, a brioche crouton.

For my next dish,
I chose meat and potatoes.

It's also my thinking
to focus on the sauces.

The sauces are what brings
french food together.

Then I have the cheese course.

In a typical french menu,

You'll go fish,
beef, cheese course.

The tart plate,
i've got the custard...

do we wanna think on--on a
different vehicle than a tart?

Like the souffle, or like the...

I had already come here
with the idea that I want to do

Kind of a cheese tart thing,
and casey suggested,

Instead of doing the tart,

We go down a path
of the bleu cheese souffle.

so ours is kinda like
a dessert, our souffle.

cheese.
yeah.

so we could do, like,
a little marmalade

Or something kinda cool.
uh-huh.

I think it fits in perfectly
with the french menu.

my first course is I made
a halibut salmon carpaccio.

For me to slice a fish
very thin, I have to freeze it.

stefan has
this idea about this,

Like, frozen carpaccio
that he wants to do.

If you wanna take,

Like, a nice piece
of, like, fresh fish

And freeze it,

That's your decision,
that's not mine.

hey, who's got the time?
20 minutes.

oh, [bleep].

it's been a long road
to get to this point.

I mean, the big win
is at stake here.

It's like that last


That last push.

I mean, carla, you can do it.
Girl, you can do it!

aw, so good.
good.

looks like this is done.

my hands are shaky right now.

to define yourself
in one last meal,

It's just maddening.

this is probably
what I would order again.

I can't stop eating it.

it's like a little eh...

[when the saints
go marching plays]

♪ ♪

thank you.

thank you, sir.

16 minutes!

The challenge is to make
the best three-course meal

Of our lives.

perfect.

here's the twist...

We also have to make
a little hors doeuvre.

The pressure is really on.

Not to mention
the star-studded guests

That we're cooking for.

i'd like to thank everyone
for joining us here

For the finale
in new orleans.

And I would like
to especially thank ti martin

For hosting us
at commander's palace.

Thank you so much.

I hope you all have
a lovely meal.

Cheers.

cheers.

i'm nervous.

I'm stressed.

My hands are shaky
right now.

do you want me
to dress the pancake?

yeah, that would be great.

For a chef
to define yourself

In one last meal
just is maddening.

It's the last thing that
america gets to see you cook.

All right, let's go.

It's a hell of a weight
on your shoulders.

When I walk out
to greet everyone,

I see susan spicer;
she's legendary.

John besh,
total badass.

We've got the judges.
We've got rocco.

We've got hubert keller.
So i'm nervous as hell.

I can feel my heart
pumping out of my rib cage

Because you only have one chance
to make a first impression.

What i'm passing around
is a little red fish.

It's been lightly blackened.

It's on a corn cake.

There's a little
creole remoulade underneath.

On top is some micro cilantro
and corn sh**t.

Thank you.

mmm, wow.

nailed it.

everything complimented
the red fish,

And it really jumped out.

great presentation.

Lots of imagination,
and, yeah, I loved it.

I still have two minutes,
right?

Hosea is gunning for me.

He might think he's gonna
throw me a curveball

With the alligator.

But I have
a beautiful soup.

Hosea, see?
Still b*at your ass.

My $100,000, dude.

Thank you very much.
Done, out.

Thank you, buddy.

alligator soup.

good evening.

It's an alligator soup

With celeriac
and parsley leaves.

Enjoy.

this is fantastic.
Really good.

the consistency's great.

And I think I really like
the last little touch

With just a little puff pastry
instead of a croissant,

But I think it really
added something.

fabio?

I think he did
a great job.

Very smart the way that
he did use the alligator.

it's lovely.
it is.

yeah, well done.

hi.
How are you?

What I have
is a little spoon

With a shiso soup,
fresh blue crap,

And a chayote salsa
on top.

So enjoy.

this crab dish
was a nice

Sort of concentrated flavor.

I thought the crab
was well cooked.

you could taste the crab.

I mean, the crab hits you,
and then all of the flavors

And then all of the flavors
that accompany it.

it was a good dish.

appetizer goes out.
I'm feeling great.

It's right into
the next course.

behind you.

one minute.
oh, one minute, okay.

three, two, one.

Out.

good evening, everybody.

hello, chefs.
hello, padma.

chefs, i'd like
to introduce you

To our guests this evening.

Award-winning chef
rocco dispirito.

Executive chef
and owner of fleur de lys

In san francisco,
chef hubert keller.

Jazz legend
branford marsalis.

Of course you know
fabio viviani.

ciao bello.

susan spicer,
executive chef and owner

Of bayona restaurant
here in new orleans.

good luck, chefs.

executive chef
of August restaurant

Here in new orleans,
john besh.

Executive chef
of the commander's palace,

Tory mcphail.

And ti martin,

The proprietor
of commander's palace.

great to have you
at commander's.

the lovely and delightful
miss gail simmons

Of food & wine magazine.

hi again.

author and restaurant critic
toby young.

And of course
your head judge,

Chef tom colicchio.

chefs.

so, stefan,
why don't you start

And tell us
what you've made.

yes, I made a smoked salmon
and halibut carpaccio

With micro green salad,
citrus vinaigrette,

American caviar,

And a little fennel salad
underneath.

I have red fish
over a saffron aioli.

Braised fennel with
a little bit of fennel salt.

And a little clam
on top of a crouton

With rouille.

on mine,
it's a trio of raw fish--

Tuna, hamachi, and black bass,

Dressed with some
smoking hot fennel oil

Just to cook it
just a little bit.

There's some citrus segments,
some candied kumquat,

Shaved fennel salad,

And some fried bits
of tempura batter.

Thank you.
Enjoy.

thank you.

uh, they're eating.

carla's dish was
something special, I thought.

All the flavors
of a great [indistinct].

carla's dish I liked.
I liked the idea.

it tasted great to me.

I think that
the combinations were great.

you know what,
it reminded me

Of the first time I went to
France and I had fish soup.

And it's just a fabulous
taste memory for me.

And this is probably
what I would order again.

And I was dying
to love hosea's dish,

But it didn't pop.

You were looking at it.
It popped to the eye.

But it didn't
pop in the mouth.

hosea was good,

But it was missing
seasoning for me.

yeah,
a little bit of salt--

would have gone
a long way.

stefan's dish, there are two
things I didn't like about it.

You can't taste the halibut

Because the salmon's
just overpowering it.

And number two,
to create this he froze it

And then shaved it thin.

And in doing that,
it's almost watery.

I personally,
I must say,

I liked stefan's dish.

I think there was
a technique used.

There was lots of work in it.

I thought they all
did pretty well.

I thought that both
stefan and hosea's dishes

Were perfectly ex*cuted

But both a little bit bland.

Whereas carla's dish

Had real personality.

it's really cool

Sitting around
listening to chef's talk

Because they talk
just like musicians.

[chuckles]

hey, who's got the time?

seven minutes, guys.

all right,
we need to go.

yeah, all right.

I need two more
of those legs.

yeah,
coming right now.

there's lemon juice
on the apples, okay?

done, out.
Thank you very much.

See you later.

yeah, I think
it's really slow when--

here we go.

I have a pan seared squab

With braised cabbage

With schupfnudel, it's
little hand-rolled dumplings.

And then I have a piece
of foie gras

And a grape jus.

um, the inspiration
for my dish is comfort food

Rethought and refined.

So this dish is my version
of meat and potatoes.

It's a sous-vide sirloin
and grilled with seared potato

And a merlot sauce.

my dish is seared scallop
with foie gras.

It's on a piece
of pan perdu

With a little cardimom
and star anise.

There's some apple preserves,
some candied pecans,

And a little foie gras foam.

is anyone finding carla's
sirloin as tough as I am?

this is my problem
with sous-vide cooking.

It loses any kind
of spontaneity

Of actually cooking
that meat.

the lady can make a sauce.

I think it's a lovely,
lovely sauce.

but this doesn't
remind me of her.

when carla said
that she was giving us

Her version
of meat and potatoes,

The last thing
I expected her to produce

Was what we saw
in front of us.

to me,
as a former contestant,

That was not
a hundred grand dish.

I thought
she lost the soul

That she had
in the first dish.

This course just didn't hit
the nail on the head.

Stefan, very few
american chefs that I know

Can cook a game bird
this well.

the squab was cooked
so beautifully.

I love cabbage
prepared this way.

I think it gave us

A really good sense
of stefan.

I think it was very true

To exactly who he is
as a chef.

There was an element
of classicism that I liked.

Hosea's dish,
I can't stop eating it.

I love the pan perdu
because I think it adds

A sweetness
and a butteryness.

it's well done.

I mean, i've seen this dish
before, foie gras and scallops.

I have to say,
I don't know if it's only me,

But i'm tired
of eating foie gras.

But it was a very good dish.

I agree
with just about everything

That everyone else
has said.

do you agree
with the foie gras?

first of all,
I didn't agree with that.

Rocco's crazy.

I could eat foie gras all day.

I could eat foie gras all day.

we need to get these in.

This is
a blue cheese souffle.

stefan, that guy
is my nemesis here.

And I know
that he's gonna give me

A hell of a competition.

The fact that he did
do a dessert

And it looked beautiful,
is that gonna be his edge?

I don't know.

hosea doesn't know
how to do dessert.

He's making venison
because it's more easy to do.

That's [bleep].

I love to make desserts,

But time's going by
like lightning.

It's just, boom,
it's gone.

seven minutes, guys.

we can go ahead
and get that on the plate.

Oh, this is bubbling.

Oh, this is not
going to work.

It's too hot.

It's bubbling.
It's too hot.

This is gonna be
a disaster.

I forgot to turn
the oven down,

So the souffle
boils and curdles.

And i'm like,
"oh, my god," you know?

"carla, get it together."

What time is it?

Three minutes.
We have three minutes, [bleep].

I decide not to serve it.

I would give a half a dish
before I served that.

All right, I just have
to go with this.

It's not very loverly.

The main part of the dish
that brings everything together

Doesn't make it
on the dish.

I am just like, "oh."

I'm disappointed.

first, my course
is a stracciatella ice cream.

Then the second one
is a mousse chocolat.

A little bit
of vanilla syrup.

And then I have
a banana lillipop

With a little chocolate
ice cream.

I have, um,
a little apple tartlet coin

With a blue cheese
and walnut crumble,

A little crushed salad
tossed with lime and olive oil,

A little blue cheese,

Kumquat marmalade.

And unfortunately my, um,
blue cheese souffle

Didn't souffle.

But enjoy.

following that
is pan-roasted venison.

It's on a chestnut
and celery root puree,

Wild mushrooms,
blackberry demi-glace.

And because I have
the world-famous richard blaise

As my sous chef,
we have carbonated blackberries

As the garnish on there.

thank you, sir.

where was the souffle
supposed to be?

on this plate.

Well, I have to say
i'm sort of relieved to know

That that's why this plate
looks the way it looks.

'cause if anyone could have
made a good dessert tonight,

It would have been carla.

So i'm incredibly disappointed
that whatever happened

In the kitchen
didn't make it to the plate.

I do like the fact
that we're finishing

Stefan's three-course meal.

We had some seafood.

We had some wild game
with the squab.

And now we're finishing
with chocolate.

And I think that really
goes well together.

I thought it was probably
the best dish in the series.

the mousse is fine.
The ice cream's fine.

But it's like a little...
Eh.

It's not, like,
a complete thought.

to me, it's so completely
dated in presentation.

This sings 1982.

hosea's dish
I liked a lot.

Technically the venison
was perfectly cooked.

Mushrooms were nicely done,
nicely seasoned.

I really enjoyed
the venison dish.

He played to his strengths,

And I think he did
a good job here.

the question that I have
for stefan is,

"that's the last things
you want to give to us?"

I know that these guys
can do a lot.

And between these two,
the strongest one

Is not the dessert for sure.

as much as you'd
like it to be?

as much as I would
like it to be.

fabio,
between hosea and stefan,

Who do you think
had the better overall meal?

I think for the way that
they decided to end it is--

It hurt me to say it
'cause I would like

The title in europe,

But I think hosea
closed the meal

In a much better way.

but I must have to come
backwards and say

Since they're all running
for the title of top chef,

I think trying
to get away from dessert

Because you're not
that good at it,

I think, is not an excuse
because i've been a chef.

You should also be able
to turn out a great dessert.

So I think the venison
was, like, a safe way out

Instead of saying,
"okay, I do something

In the domain
where i'm not the best at it."

i'd like
to thank all of you

For joining us
for this wonderful meal.

And of course, judges,
we have a lot to discuss.

So i'll see you guys
back at judges' table.

thank you.

come here, girlie.
Thank you so much.

You were just too great.

It's done.

Service is up.
I'm feeling pretty low.

I do not feel like this
is the meal of my life.

I, um--i'm worried.

But I know the parts
that my heart and soul were in

Were really good.

And I need to be confident
in who I am as a chef.

really appreciate
your help, sir.

Thank you so much, buddy.

you're welcome.

good job, buddy.
I appreciate it.

yeah, no problem.

you're the [bleep] man.

Whether or not--
top, middle, bottom, I owe you.

I'm pretty happy
with my dishes,

So I--you know,
throughout the season

There's been times when
I thought I really kicked ass

And I didn't.

And there's been times
where I wasn't so sure

How I was gonna do,
and I did fine.

But I know that I can
face the judges

With my head on high
and say,

"you know what, I did something
that i'm really proud of."

do you have
some cabbage left?

yeah.
that's my thing, man.

it's over there.
all right.

you just don't know
who is going to win.

You don't know.
It could be anything.

It's always
the judges' choice.

cheers.
Great job.

great job.
Thank you, I appreciate it.

Who knows, man?
You just don't know.

good job, guys.
thank you.

nice work.

what compelled you
to finish up with a dessert?

did it taste good
or not?

it was sort of
a throwaway to me.

right.

and i'm not quite sure
I understand that.

[suspenseful music]

♪ ♪

first I want
to congratulate you

For making it to the finale.

And I want
to also thank you

For a wonderful meal
this evening.

thank you.

carla, I thought
your appetizer course

Was really well done.

I wanted to do something
kind of bold and spicy.

And then this trio de squash,

Which i've been dying to use
since i've been here.

So I was like, "oh, this is
the perfect opportunity."

carla, your first course
was the bouillabaisse.

I enjoyed the flavors.

I thought the fennel
was well done.

I thought the sauces
were well done.

I liked the clam on it.

I loved all your flavors.

I thought
they were spot-on.

what did you think of
her meat and potatoes course?

the sauce was good.

and everyone
at the table noticed that.

The major problem I had was
the texture of your meat.

I thought the problem
was that it was far too...

Refined,
as we say in britain.

It was a kind of
rather polite, rather fussy,

Rather anemic little dish.

I wanted something much bolder,
much bigger from you.

That's what
I was expecting from you.

And that's what i've come
to expect from you.

mm-hmm.

how much influence
did casey have?

And what kind
of suggestions did she make?

she--she made
a lot of suggestions.

I know, for instance,
the sous-vide.

And I was like, "okay, i'll--
i'll try that," you know.

I know about it,
I don't do it.

let's talk about
the cheese course, and the--

aah!

missing souffle.

I could not
put that souffle on.

What I did, I forgot
to turn the oven down.

When I
put the souffle's in,

I looked in
and they were bubbling,

I was like,
"they're curdled."

There was--
there was no recovery.

but why a souffle?

casey said, "well,
what about doing a souffle?"

I was like, "well,
that'll be really cool,"

Because the--the custard
souffles when you bake it.

so originally, your
plan was to make the tart.

right.

but casey suggested
that a souffle

Was more appropriate,
perhaps.

well, she said,
"oh," you know,

"let's--" you know,
"let's jazz it up a little bit."

it seems that you let your
sous chef talk you out

Of cooking the food
that got you to the finale.

And i'm not quite sure
I understand that.

right.

so, hosea...

I thought your
hors d'oeuvre was excellent.

thank you.

have you
cooked red fish before?

maybe once.

it's an
interesting flavor.

It's very strong.

yeah, it definitely
is strong.

You know,
I wanted bold flavors--

The whole idea--my menu tonight
was "cook big flavors."

I like strong flavors
and something you remember.

You know,
I had a slight advantage,

Being able to pick the protein
for the past hors d'oeuvre.

And honestly, I would've been
happy with any of the three.

But it was fun
being able to dole out

The, you know, the order.

so it was fun
to stick it to stefan,

Is that what you're saying?

it was a--
you know, he would've done

The exact same thing to me,
I guarantee it.

you were sashimi.

Were you happy with the
seasoning and the way it tasted?

raw fish is something
that I do in my restaurant.

I like a lot of acid.
I like heat.

I was really happy
with the presentation.

I thought all the colors
looked great on the plate.

it was very fresh,
very light,

But I didn't
feel as though there

Were enough
citrus flavors in there

To really bring out
the best in the dish.

What about
in the next course?

I wanted to give
a little nod to new orleans.

The pan pardieu
was a way to do that.

I thought it
was all very nicely done.

And I thought
that the apple compote

Was the perfect counterpoint
to the foie gras.

I thought that
really tied together nicely.

I enjoyed the dish.

I loved it.
I thought it was great.

I thought it was
the best dish you did all night.

yeah, it was delicious.

thank you.

how did you decide
to do venison?

it's one
of my favorite meats.

I wanted to end the meal
with something big and robust.

it was nicely cooked.

I thought the mushrooms
were well done.

I really loved all of
the different earthy components.

The blackberry didn't
really add anything for me.

I couldn't really taste it
in the sauce.

So the garnish was
sort of a throwaway to me.

right.

clearly, you had the
option of not doing a dessert.

That was completely allowable.

But typically, a meal has a
beginning, a middle, and an end.

Your meal had a beginning,
and two middles.

You didn't think
that was a bit of a risk?

not really, I mean,
for three courses...

For me, I don't
think a dessert is necessary.

I'd rather showcase
my flavor combinations,

My cooking
through savory dishes,

Than through dessert.

stefan...

have you cooked
with alligator before?

no.

It's a really weird texture.

I don't--
I don't know what it is.

I thought you appetizer
was very well ex*cuted.

the soup was
flavored really well,

I thought it was seasoned well.

I actually thought
that was a very nice dish.

your first course...

Your carpaccio,
when I tasted it,

It tasted watered-down.

taking a piece of fish,
and freezing it

To create something
you can slice very thin

And put on a plate--

I don't get that.

but did it--
did it taste good, or not?

I found it
to be somewhat--somewhat bland.

gail, how did
you like stefan's squab?

I really
enjoyed stefan's squab.

I thought it
was cooked beautifully.

The parsnip was a little
sweet, tart--which I liked.

I thought that was
really your strongest suit.

it was a very strong dish.

It was a very flavorful dish.

And I thought it was
the strongest dish of the night.

okay.

what compelled you
to finish up with a dessert,

When you didn't have to?

I think when
you have a proper menu,

You need appetizer,
first course,

Second course, dessert.

I think it's an end to a menu
to have the dessert.

do you think that
that dessert was a note

That you would want
as the last thing

We taste from stefan?

yes.

stefan, can you
tell me why you think

You should win top chef?

I just think I deserve it.

Overall.

I've been very consistent.

Produced always good food.

I think I deserve
to be top chef this season, so.

hosea?

tonight, I put
a piece of me out there.

All my food looked great.
It tasted great.

Overall, I thought
I did a great job--

Bold flavors, delicious food.

carla, why do you deserve
to be top chef?

i've proven
that when I cook my food,

It's really delicious.

When I cook my food,
there's a lot of heart,

There's a lot of flavor.

Do I think I am a top chef?

Yes.

Do I think that um...

My food is good?

Yes.

When I make it?

Yes.

[indistinct talking]

don't cry.
it's okay.

[indistinct talking]

obviously, we have
a really big decision to make.

And we'll call you back
in a little while.

Thank you.

don't cry, carla.

Girl, don't cry.

I think we can all agree

That carla's
probably out of the running.

I think carla would agree
that she's out of the running.

so leaving carla aside,

How do these two chefs
compare?

i'm balanced looking
at the two chefs.

They come from
very different places.

There's different
sensibilities.

Stefan is probably
more of a classical background.

but while hosea may

Not be as technically
skilled as stefan,

I do find a thoughtfulness
to hosea's food.

hosea didn't win as
many challenges as some others,

But you know, he's strong.
He got here, and in the end,

I think he gave us
a cohesive menu.

who's meal
did we like the best?

I think structurally,
stefan's menu

Was better thought out.

the alligator soup--
it was a smart thing to do,

Given that the ingredient
was tough to work with.

that soup was fantastic.

but stefan's carpaccio--

Take a frozen piece of fish, and
let it thaw on a plate,

And you get a puddle of water?

Come on, not so good.
right.

But I think that stefan
undoubtedly won with his squab.

I agree with you.

I thought stefan's squab was the
best thing i've had all night.

not only was
it ex*cuted beautifully,

But it told me so much
about him, and his history,

And exactly how he wants us
to perceive him as a chef.

I can't get past
that dessert.

It was a chocolate mousse
ice cream,

With a raspberry
and a half on a plate.

I didn't think
it was so bad.

We've argued about the dessert.

it was pedestrian, at best.

you know what?
If i'm judged for one meal

For this competition,
then so be it.

Then whatever outcome
is the outcome.

I think the arc
of hosea's courses--

The first, little spicy bite
of the red dish,

Moving
into the carpaccio polenta,

Was still a nice progression
from one to the other.

Then moving into
a scallop with foie gras,

And then transitioned right
into a heavier meat.

I thought that was
a very nice progression of food.

the venison, compared
to all the other finales,

That each of the chef's
produced,

Was undoubtedly the best.

But typically, a meal has a
beginning, a middle, and an end.

And it lacked the last 25%.

but that's a moot point,

Because they didn't
have to do a dessert.

and hosea gave me a meal

That I would be completely
satisfied with.

I wanted a progression
from light to heavy.

I wanted to all feel balanced
and build on each other.

And I don't think stefan
did that as well as hosea.

Because I do think he sort
of was so high with that soup,

Went down with the seafood,
back way up with the squab,

And then dropped right off
with the dessert.

I don't see
any soul in his work.

you might be right.

That the
precision might be there--

That the execution is there, but
perhaps the soul isn't there.

if we're gonna give it
to the most soulful chef,

Then we should give it to carla.

as much as I got help
from richard,

'cause he was busting ass.

I did my food tonight.

yeah.

so I think
it's safe to say

That we know who
the next top chef is.

Right, gail?

we do.

tom?

yeah.

one of you is top chef.

One of you will win $100,000,

Furnished by the makers
of the glad family products.

first I want to thank you
for an exceptional finale.

The season has started
in new york,

Brought us to new orleans,

From broadway
to bourbon street.

We've had some tasty food
along the way.

Tonight's challenge
was simply to cook

The best meal you can cook us.

Carla, you were
really strong along the way.

But when we see your food
that comes from your soul,

And your heart,
we love what we see.

Hosea, you put together
a nice meal.

You're very steady
across the board.

Stefan, you had
some amazing highs,

But you also had a few lows.

Ultimately,
we made our decision based on

How well the meal had tasted
overall, from start to finish.

congratulations, hosea.

You are top chef.

[grunt]

[cheers and applause]

congrats, buddy.
thank you.

congrats.

yeah!

[applause]

wow!

nice job.
congratulations.

thank you, padma.

Who just won top chef?

Um...

Hosea just won top chef!
Yeah, he did!

[laughing]

I'm kind of in shock
right now.

I'm so happy,
i'm just like...

It feels pretty,
pretty damn cool.

bello!

if I would've made
a different dessert today,

I would've won.

They expected more from me, so.

you came really close.
I get it.

and you--
I got it, hosea.

and you were the guy to b*at.
i'm happy for you, buddy.

I'm happy for you.

Would I love the title?

Absolutely,
no doubt about that.

But I don't turn around,
look back,

"oh, god, i'm bitter.
Oh, I didn't get 100 grand.

"i'm not top chef..."

I'm second runner-up, man!

I'm happy, dude.

unbelievable.

I should've done my food.

And I will not
make that mistake again.

But when I came here,
I wanted to show people

A different way of competing.

To compete with love.

So I did one of the things
that I wanted to do here.

cheers, man.

Cheers, cheers.

It felt amazing to win.

But to have it come down
neck-and-neck with stefan

Just made it all that sweeter.

That was the icing on the cake.

It felt really good.

This is one of the biggest
accomplishments of my life.

I know a lot of people are
gonna be proud of me for this.

I couldn't be happier.

[overlapping chatter]

Things are gonna change
for sure.