19x14 - The Final Plate

[bunniefuu]

Tonight is
the finale of
Top Chef.

You're officially
in the finale.

Evelyn Garcia,

the hometown
hero who packs a punch

with her unique
blend of Southeast Asian

and Latin cuisines.

If I didn't have
ten other things to eat,

I would
ask for seconds.

Where have you
been all my life?

In Houston, apparently.

I've been hustling.

It was always a goal
of mine and a dream to open

a restaurant in my own city.

If you put this on a menu,
this becomes a signature.

This is, like, destination food.

Having to close it due to
COVID was definitely very rough.

Now, the opportunity to be on Top Chef is like--

Pfft.

I won a Quickfire!

Took me a minute.

Oh, my God, Daddy.

Evelyn.

Evelyn.

- Evelyn.
- Yeah!

I could feel the love there.

And it flowed
into her dish completely.

Just gotta kick some butt.

To the brisket gods.

Sarah Welch,
the eclectic chef from Detroit

who dominated
Last Chance Kitchen.

Oh, sure. Just stick your
fingers in the fryer there.

- Go ahead.
- Oh, come on.

You're watching so closely.

- Sarah.
- No way.

This is just exceptional.

So the winner of Last Chance Kitchen, Sarah.

When I first
walked into
Top Chef,

I didn't think it was
going to change my life.

And I didn't think
it was going to change who I am.

I'm supposed to know
what I'm doing right now?

But it did all those things.

I came back from
so many failures in ways

that I never imagined.

Oh, God damn it.

And it did
make me more confident.

- I hate lamb.
- Oh, no.

But it was by far my
favorite dish of the evening.

Nobody's watching. Oh.

I'm gonna bust
my ass to win this.

Sarah.

Sarah.

- Bravo.
- Sarah's was on par

with any three-star Michelin
dish that I've ever had.

Yes!

Buddha Lo.

The super fan from down under.

Known for his
over-the-top technique.

Let's do it.

When the plate was
dropped in front of me I was

angry and jealous that
I hadn't thought of that myself.

Very delicate. And the cuisson was perfect.

Since I was 15 years old
cooking's something I love.

It's my passion.

It was the best bread
I've ever had on
Top Chef.

Oh, whoa.

I wanted to
go into the competition

so my dad can watch me on TV.

But he passed away
and the goal's changed.

And the goal
is that I want to win it now.

I want to win it for him.

That is so good. Buddha!

That might be
the best dessert we've had.

This looks amazing.

There's a lot
of little details to discover.

- Yes.
- Yes.

Wow.

The one thing I want
to see is you moonwalk.

I got some techniques,
but not that one yet.

Three chefs will duke
it out to take home the title.

At stake for the winner,

a feature
in Food and Wine magazine,

an appearance at the Food
& Wine Classic in Aspen.

$250,000,
furnished by San Pellegrino.

And the coveted
title of
Top Chef.

You've made
it to the end,

but there is
still a lot left to do.

So you'll each get
the help of one sous chef.

All of your former competitors
are on standby as we speak.

And ready
to fly here if you choose them.

Tom and I will
see you in the morning.

And congratulations again.

Oh, it's gorgeous outside.

I know immediately
the person that I need to call.

Hi.

I'm still here, man.

- Congratulations.
- Oh, whatever.

Will you be my sous chef?

I would love
to be your sous chef.

Oh, hell yeah.

Honestly, I'm so excited
at the prospect of cooking

with somebody like you
that I'm comfortable with.

- I'm ready.
- Hell yeah.

Oh, my God.

You're coming
to Arizona, girl.

- I'm so happy for you.
- Oh, thank you.

I get Jo.
We just clicked.

She understands
food the same way I do.

We just have this energy.

We get to come
harder and stronger.

I'm ready.

This is Jackson.

G'day, mate.

All right.

It would be an honor
for you to be my sous chef.

If I can't do it myself,

there's no one
else I'd rather do it with.

To have Jackson, I feel
like I just won an advantage.

He's such a strong cook.

If I'm not b*ating him,
I want him next to me.

All right,
talk soon. Get some rest.

Thank you, man. Bye.

Looks like we're
going into the city.

Hi.

Welcome.

- How's it going?
- Good.

This is it.

We are here at the historic
Pima County Courthouse.

Many big decisions
have been made here.

And we are
about to make the biggest

decision of the season.

Because one
of the three of you standing

here will become
the next
Top Chef.

You guys get it right?
Court house, judges.

It tracks, it tracks.

Each of you will be
responsible for making

the best four course
progressive meal of your lives.

No twists, no turns.

Your food, your point of view.

And you'll be serving
a table full of amazing chefs.

Including
Top Chef
winner Stephanie Izard.

Oh!

And three-star
Michelin chef Eric Ripert.

- Oh!
- My God!

It's a pretty
impressive table, right?

- Nothing to scoff at.
- That's amazing.

For the first time ever,
we asked you

who you wanted
to be your sous chef.

And we promised to fly them in.

Hey.

Hey!

Hi.

I'm glad to be
standing on this side of it.

How's your sense of taste now?

It's actually pretty good.

Like 70, 80%.

He's back.

I'm not really
surprised to see Buddha.

He came in
with just so much confidence.

And Sarah is a survivor.

She's made that clear
through
Last Chance Kitchen.

But Evelyn's
got a lot of momentum

coming off
of being in Houston.

And I feel
super honored to be here

and ready
to fight for my girl.

First, you'll have $1500 to shop
at a variety of local markets

where your
contactless MasterCard

will allow you
to simply tap and go.

Less time, more markets.

- Wow!
- Wow-wow-wow.

After you're done shopping,
you'll head to the gorgeous

Tanque Verde Ranch to prep
and cook for five hours today.

Then, tomorrow, you'll have
two and a half hours

to prep and cook
before service begins.

One of you will be leaving here

with a cash prize
of $250,000

furnished by San Pellegrino.

And the title of
Top Chef.

Just let that sink in a little.

We will see you tomorrow.

- Good luck.
- We can't wait.

- Thank you.
- Thank you.

So crazy.

My whole thought is,
like, using this area

to inspire, like,
a hunter-gatherer menu

that feels kind of
like Michigan in the desert.

I mean, I'm honestly
hoping to find

some, like,
native ingredients here.

I'm definitely pulling
inspiration of just kind of how

my food has changed
throughout the competition.

So basically there's only three
people in my family, right?

There's my brother, there's
my mom and there's my dad

and there's four courses.

And the last one
I want to do a tribute

to pretty much America.

I brought from home
this miso from a local company

that turns spent product
into really incredible misos.

So, like, I want to
talk about, like, food waste.

I'm trying
to get people to think

about where food comes from.

And the more we can use
the entire product,

the healthier
our food system becomes.

The second course, I was hoping
that I could utilize

your pasta skill set
to make tortellini.

Okay.
I can do that.

The entrée course,
I want to do a rabbit ballotine.

The whole dish
is basically about

the rabbit
and what the rabbit eats.

And then the final course is
an acorn cake.

And smoked buttermilk ice cream.

The sour-sweet,
I really love.

What you've told me,
I loved.

Oh, great. Okay, yay!
That makes me super excited.

So I'm thinking of starting
with a tiradito ceviche.

Like, a lot of why
my food is very sour,

is because I thoroughly
enjoy Peruvian food.

- Right.
- Through this journey

of
Top Chef,
I've definitely realized

my style of cooking is really

cooking from memory
and things I enjoy and love.

And I can bring all
those flavors and techniques

together to create
something very harmonious.

For my main,
I'm thinking a curry mole.

Just going to say it together.

- What's four? Oh, Lord.
- Dessert?

I kind of want to bring
back the buñuelo--

Listen, it's you.

I'm not trying
to be anything I'm not.

I try to really show them
who I am.

And I think that
that works really well.

Yes.

My brother's favorite fish
to eat is Hamachi.

And we're going to slice it
until we can do

these delicate,
thin petals of it.

The third dish
is called Mongolian Lamb.

This dish is an ode to my dad.

He's taught me how
to do this dish.

For this menu,
I'm really digging deep

and finding
an emotional connection.

It can't just be because
you like it and tastes good.

It's not authentically Chinese,
but it is Australian Chinese.

But that's what I am.
And then the final dish

we're going to do is,
I wanna do pumpkin pie.

I love it.

Thanksgiving is very important.

Just being able to say
thank you to people here

for letting me into
this country.

Going into this,
I was a little worried that

Buddha's menu would be some
classic French boring whatever.

But he's really telling
a story through his food.

And I'm just jealous
that I can't

be there doing it myself.

- Yeah, let's do it.
- I'm excited for this.

I'm so proud of you.

Let's go shop.

Let's grab a decent amount

because we have
a lot of money to spend.

Let's go
find some

Let's do it.

All right,
let's see what we've got.

- Let's go veg first.
- That looks fun.

- Medallions.
- Yeah.

That's what we want.
I'd like to start

the meal with a venison tartare.

And venison
is an ingredient

that has a place both
in Michigan and in Tucson.

It's beef heart.

Are you going to pick that?

It wouldn't be me
if I didn't cook organs.

Lemongrass is going
to be for the laksa paste.

And the galangal.

My second course is a dish
that I learned from my mother.

She makes this Penang Laksa.

It's almost
like a curry soup.

Coconut milk we need.

But I'm going
to do my own variation of it

and turn it into a sauce.

Thank you very much.

Trying to get all
the chilies for the curry mole.

I feel like this menu
definitely shows my journey

learning about
Southeast Asian food,

learning about
my culture,

and really
tying all that together.

Getting goosebumps.

I never actually used it.

I want
to just try it.

Would Tom k*ll me
for using canned hominy?

No,
but they have fresh hominy.

I'm really
glad we came here.

Do we need cowboy hats?

I want my meal to feel
like a couple of cowboys

went out into
the Sonoran Desert,

happened upon
a Michelin Star kitchen,

and then Eric Ripert
was also lost in that desert

and he came to eat it.

That actually-- that suits you.

Very, very excited
for this menu.

I think the menu is great.

I mean, overall,
like, me and Buddha

have been consistent,
you know?

Yeah, like,
Sarah is such a wild card.

Yeah.

I do believe that I worked
really hard to get here.

Yeah.
You know, Sarah and I

got eliminated together,
but I'm so proud of her.

I think she's still
kind of in a bit of disbelief

that she's top three.

I lost and then I've
just been winning constantly.

Yeah. You guys all
have very different styles.

A hundred percent.

From the butcher,
I wouldn't mind getting

live lobster.

Lee's Oriental Market, girl.

It's my store.

We need sesame seeds,

we need cardamom,
cumin and fennel.

$202.41.

Yay.

Have you got
lobster tails?

I'm taking a risk
using frozen lobster tail.

Sometimes it can
get a little bit mushy,

and we're just going
to have to roll with it

and test it out.

- Thank you.
- There we go.

Now, that we're buying
all these ingredients,

it feels like
there's a lot of sh-- to do.

There is a lot
of sh-- to do.

- Oh, Lord.
- Lord, have mercy.

Oh, run, run, run.

Got a lot
of sh-- to do, girl.

Bunnies!

All right, Sarah,
let's go through our game plan.

You hop
into pasta trench,

and I'll hop
into bunny trench.

Buddha, tell me a little
bit about what you're doing.

My menu is pretty
much dedicated to my family.

My brother loves yellowtail.

My first dish
is Hamachi with caviar.

We're going
to brine this Hamachi

and we're going to do
little petals

that are going to go
around this dish of caviar.

The second course
is going to be Lobster Laksa.

My third course
is going to be Mongolian Lamb.

I've learned
all of the marinations

and the sauce work
from my father.

The fourth course is dedicated
to my time in America.

My fourth course
is going to be

be a pumpkin pie
mille-feuille.

- Squash at 70 C?
- Yeah.

What are
you doing, Evelyn?

I got all the chilies.

Hell, yeah.

For
my first course today,

I'm making
Scallop Crudo.

My second course
will be crystal dumplings

with an aromatic broth.

- There's the curry mole.
- Curry mole.

It has ginger, galangal,
pumpkin seeds, almonds.

Some good-ass
frickin' chocolate.

So, I'm, like,
kind of taking technique

from, like, curry and mole
and blending them together.

Next, I have
a goat curry mole.

I love goat, dude.

It's something
that I would go to the farm

with my dad and pick a goat.

And then,
for dessert,

a buñuelo
with Cajeta Panna Cotta,

cardamom whipped cream
and basil.

My menu is like inspired by
the hunter-gatherer mentality.

So, I'm trying
to just use products

that would be in Tucson.

For the first course
I'm making Sonoran Focaccia

with smoked butter
and a venison tartare.

We're going to save the cobs
and just make corn broth

from what would
have hit the trash.

My second course,
I am making a squash tortellini

in corn broth
with a three sisters salad.

That's enough.

My entrée will be
a rabbit ballotine

over a salad of grains,
nuts and greens.

And for
my fourth course,

I am making smoked
buttermilk ice cream

with an acorn cake.

He's a chubby little bunny.

He's like me
if I were a bunny.

A little thick
in the middle.

These ballotines are
going to take a while.

So, that's
my big project for today.

Sarah, what are
you thinking about,

other than my face,
when you smash the rabbit?

You nailed it, Chef,
you nailed it.

For the rabbit ballotines,

I want to roast off
all of the bones

to create a jus.
Bunny broth!

And then stuff it with
a mousse made from its legs.

Rabbits are really lean
and when people cook them,

they're like, "Oh my god, this
is like really dry chicken."

But it's just
because they're harder to cook.

Can you keep your lobster stink
on your side?

Sorry.

Curry mole's tasting good.

It obviously
just needs time.

It just needs
to all mell and become one.

- Does that look good?
- Looks great.

I feel like
that guy looks perfect.

Good.
Two hours.

Two already?

Time flies when you're
in like good company, right?

- Hey, chefs.
- Hi, guys.

You all remember
Stephanie Izard.

And I want to introduce
Chef Eric Ripert.

Holy,
that's Eric Ripert.

I just sh-- myself.

How you doing right now?

- Menu is all squared away?
- Yeah, it is.

So, the first
course is very funny,

I actually learned
this from Chef Ripert.

- Uh-oh.
- Online.

I'm going
to be doing a Hamachi

with a Sauce Vin Jaune,
some pickled radish.

And I'm also going
to be decorating

with some bees
made out of potatoes.

There's so many things
going on in all the dishes

so much that I couldn't--

I have to wait till tomorrow
to see it all.

- Good luck.
- It's a lot of technique.

He is using a lot.

- Hey, Sarah.
- Hi, Chefs.

This menu is kind
of like if my fiancé

and I were
trapped in the outback

with a Michelin star kitchen.

We're going
to celebrate

local Sonoran ingredients,

but I also brought
with me from Detroit misos

made by my friends that
take food going bad in the field

and turn it into misos.

And each course
is inspired by a Miso.

Anything that you're
cautious about right now?

- Anything--
- All of the things.

All of it.
Sounds good.

Thank you. It was
a pleasure to meet you both.

Evelyn, Jo, how's it going?

- Good.
- What are you making?

For my first course,

I'm making
these crystal dumplings.

You see them
in, like, dim sum.

It's the really
clear ones that you see,

like, the farce inside.

And then,
for my third course,

I'm making,
what I'm calling curry mole.

I'm just combining
those two.

And served
with goat neck,

which is one
of my favorite proteins.

- Goat.
- I do love them.

I thoroughly
enjoy your restaurant.

When it's goat neck day,

we're like--
it's our favorite part.

Goat neck day?
I like that.

How are you cooking the goat?

I'm braising it

and then I'll have
the curry mole on top.

Looking forward to it.
Thank you.

Thanks, guys.

There's about
two hours left in the cook.

After it's done,
say goodbye to your sous chefs.

Saddle up and meet me
at Cottonwood Grove.

Oh, my God,
are we riding horses?

- You think we're riding horses?
- No, I hope not.

I hope
we're riding horses,

so, I can Evelyn
ride a horse.

We start quail eggs,
then we do fava beans

- then we do the greens.
- Cool.

- You already done the pasta?
- Yep.

Dough is done.

- Let's get on to--
- Tuiles.

- Tuiles.
- 36 bees?

Yeah, 36 for the bees
and 24 for the leaves.


one color of the leaves?

Yeah.

I have to make
about 16,000 tuiles,

which I've never done before.

Keep going with it.

The leaves are
changing color on the plate

just like Central Park
in New York.



Oh la la,
hope I don't burn myself.

You crushed it.
Nah, dude.

So good.
Thank you.

- Thank you so much.
- I love you so much.

- I'll see you tomorrow.
- Thank you so much.

All right, guys,
shall we do it?

Let's go get drunk
with Eric Ripert. You know?

- Howdy.
- Howdy, folks.

I'm Mardy, I'm going
to be your guide today.

- Hey, Mardy.
- Welcome to Tanque Verde Ranch.

Holy sh--,
I'm about to ride a horse.

- You guys ready to ride?
- Yes, absolutely.

Evelyn, I'm going
to put you up first

and I'm going
to put you on this horse.

If I get you to stand up right
there on that mounting block.

Yeah, I was just
like, I've never done this.

- You got this, gal.
- Oh, my god.

- Wow.
- Yeah, girl.

Stop. Thank you.

Okay, ladies and gentlemen,
are we ready to ride?

- I think so.
- Yes, I think.

Oh, my Lord.

I love horseback riding.

So I'm jazzed.

It's just beautiful.

It's
like a fricking postcard.

Yee-haw!

Evelyn,
what would you do

for a sick cowboy hat
in this moment?

I'm good.

Look at this.

Oh, yeah.

Oh, Lord.

Stephanie?

Oh god.
Chef Eric Ripert.

Are they all there?

Hey, Chef.

Look at this!

What we got cooking, Chefs?

Oh, we've got--
we've got some lamb,

we've got some potatoes,
we have ratatouille.

Since you guys have been cooking
for us all season long,

we thought we would cook
something for you.

You deserve it.

Hey, what are you sticking
your hands in there?

- Some figs.
- Oh, those are my figs.

- They're delicious.
- Those are my topping.

- Cheers.
- Cheers.

Whoo!

Got
your name all over it.

Evelyn, red or white?

Padma, here's your piece
right here that you requested.

Thank you.

The judges are,
like, cooking us a feast.

So surreal to just
be here in this moment.

Like, pinch me.

I feel like it doesn't set in.

Like, Padma sitting
right next to me, y'all.

Everything
I had to live through

to be here
is totally worth it.

And I'm just really
happy for this experience.

Buddha,
did your dad name you

or your mom,
do you know?

My real name
is actually Kawai.

- Oh.
- Yeah.

I got Buddha
because I was eating too much

of my dad's food.

You look like a Buddha.

Yeah, the funny story,

because when
my dad was growing up,

he had a nickname,
but his name was Spare Rib,

and that was
because he was so skinny.

So, he didn't want me
to end up like that

so he fed me so much
and so much

that I got the nickname Buddha.

Is your dad still working?

My dad was working
seven days

until about
August this year,

he actually passed away.

Oh, I'm sorry to hear that.

Two days
after he passed,

I actually got
the call to come on the show

and I was telling him every day
I'm gonna be on
Top Chef.

And I feel like
him passing away

was his
like departure gift.

- Right.
- Wow, what a story.

Yeah, it was
a lot of turn of events

that happened
that was very spiritual.

Did Top Chef make you understand your gifts more

by doing the competition?

I think so.

Yeah. I mean...

I think
what you learn here is

like how
to distill who you are

to the purest form of you
and the best form of you.

But the bones
have to be there.

I knew, being from Houston,

I was going
to be able to see Houston

in a different way.

And I think
Top Chef
definitely did that.

Like, I learned so much
about my own city.

For me,
it's been almost 15 years

and I can still remember,
like, the feelings I had

at every moment.

Go back to the moment you won,
how did it feel?

You saw my face,
I went, "What?"

I mean, because
my dessert wasn't that great.

Oh, yeah, there's dessert.

Oh, yeah.
You guys are ready for dessert?

- Is everyone done?
- Flip it.

Whoo! Yes!

Wow.

Beauty.

That is a healthy
slice of cake.

- Cowboy slice.
- Seriously.

No matter
what happens tomorrow,

we're all incredibly
supportive of your careers

and what you do
and who you are as cooks,

and we respect how far
you've been able to come

and what you guys
have accomplished,

it's pretty remarkable.

Cook your hearts out tomorrow

and cheers
to a wonderful season.

Thank you for
all the wonderful food.

Thank you guys
for feeding us.

Let's get it.

Whoo!

Go,
two and a half hours.

Let's do it.

- Hi.
- Hi.

Baked bread is the big project
for right now,

and then I just
want to be really comfortable

on tartare set-up.

Where are you, girl?

Hi. I am not only
cooking for myself,

I'm cooking for my family.

I wanted to be a chef
since I was very, very young.

And I know that
wouldn't have been possible

if it wasn't for them.

My win
is their win.

I'm just one cook away
and I am just so excited.

I want to make
the best food I can today.

This is the rabbit.
I'm going to throw it in.

I dropped
the rabbits in the circulator

to give me time
to do all of my other work

while my protein cooks.

What are you working on, Sarah?

A yolk curd to go
on top of my tartare.

This is fresh scallop
and then pickled radish.

It's like
a little trail of that.

And then we can
put the mole back on.

I've come this far
to cook this food

and this is my chance.

You know, it's the finale.
This is it.

All right, let's do it.

I think I want to teach
you how to roll these dumplings,

because I have a bunch of
little things I have to finish.

Man, we still
have a lot to do.

So I just hope
we get through all of it.

Trimming down
a bit of fat from our lamb,

I don't want too much
fat cap on them.

What is your next project?

I would like
to smoke this cream.

I will make the butter
from the first course

by smoking cream
and churning it.

And what's left is buttermilk.

And that is going
to turn into ice cream

for my final course.

So, bookend
the meal by smoke.

My first course
is basically

like a cowboy
breakfast tartare,

even though a cowboy
would never eat that.

In my head, they do.

I'm starting
to roll out dumplings.

I'm waiting
for this to heat up.

- Wanna show me how you do it?
- Yeah.

These crystal dumplings
are really gonna

just show being able
to work with delicate flavors.

- Beautiful.
- Listen, tiny hands.

I've never made
crystal dumplings before.

It's the final cook.

At this point, everything
feels like an emergency.

We need that quinoa.

I'll check that as soon
as I finish this.

How much
pasta do you need, boss?

You only need enough
for like four cannellonis.

I've got
a massive arsenal

that still hasn't
been touched yet.

All these different,
exciting things.

Lobster,
king crab, carrot,

two different
forms of cannelloni.

One is a vegetable cannelloni,
one's a pasta cannelloni.

- And then wrap it up?
- Yeah.

It's gorgeous.

I envisioned
this dish to be

a little bit busy
on the plate,

but that's what it is.

That looks amazing.


to first course.

Behind, behind.

- Oh, I'm so sorry.
- Hug!

I just want to see what
the inside of this looks like.

When I slice
into the first ballotine,

they still feel raw.
I would have liked for them

to be circulated more.

We'll have two either
pan roast or oven roast.

But we don't have
enough time.



I'm going
to throw them in the oven.

Hot. Corner.

This is gorgeous.

Look how beautiful it is.

You all look very handsome.

Aw.

Welcome, everybody,

to this glorious
finale dinner.

I'm really looking forward
to sharing this meal

with all of you
and also seeing what the chefs

are going to give us.
Happy finale.

And welcome
all of you to Tucson.

- Yes.
- Thank you.

Thank you for joining us here.

I'm glad you got the view.

My view is amazing.
It's a dream.

My view is of Eric
so I have the best view.

Two minutes, 15 seconds.

How does that look, Sarah?

Perfect. Is this a good vessel
for tartare?

Oh, my God,
that's a hefty amount.

It's the only way
to eat caviar, you know?

This one's missing
Chiltepin oil.

Bread is--
Is it cut in half?

I'm about to cut it.

No, no, no.
We're not finishing these.

One more.
Ew, I don't want that one.

That sh-- is spicy.

Make sure everything's
got pine nuts.

- Good luck, man.
- Thank you.

Slight angle. Watch
the broth when you're moving.

Here is
our first course.

Wow. Beautiful.

This is incredible.

- Hello.
- Hello.

All right, Evelyn,
tell us about your menu

and your first course.

A bit about my menu.

I definitely
cook from memory.

You know, growing up in
a Mexican-Salvadoran household

to going to culinary school
and going to Thailand.

For my first course,
I did a scallop crudo

with pickled radish,
a prickly pear in citrus broth,

sweet potato
and crispy quinoa

And there's a Chiltepin
chili oil as well.

What did
you make here, Buddha?

So main menu is
basically inspired by my family.

This one
is dedicated to my brother.

He loves Hamachi or kingfish
that we have in Australia.

It's Hamachi with sauce
Vin Jaune, caviar, apple,

radish and pine nuts,
then bees.

The bees are made
out of sweet potato.

Sarah?

I think a big part
of the problem with food

these days is we throw
so much of it in the trash.

So my meal will
kind of focus on utilizing

every single aspect
I put my hands on.

So I prepared a venison
and beef heart tartare,

a little bit of miso
made from sourdough bread butts.

And the butter
I churned after smoking

and a little bit of toast.

Really beautiful.

You have three
more courses to go.

Only.

- We'll see you in a bit.
- Thank you.

Thank you, Chefs.

Buddha, don't run, come on.

I'm really being
att*cked by bees.

It's funny that Buddha
put the bees in there.

What do you think of
this first course by our chefs?

I thought
Evelyn's dish was light,

everything you want
when you start a meal.

I thought it was
a beautiful starter,

very classic
in the presentation.

That prickly pear
and the Chiltepin oil,

really impressed
with how quickly

she understood and
integrated local ingredients.

But I think
that Evelyn's scallops

- are under-seasoned.
- I agree with you, Tom.

But the overall feeling

that I was left with
was just delicious.

- How was it?
- Good. It went good.

Buddha's dish
is pretty perfect.

This is a three-star Michelin
first course.

This is flawless,

Wow,
what a way to start.

Caviar is very delicate

and it's very easy
to overwhelm.

But everything
elevates the caviar.

I'm really loving
Buddha's dish.

But the other ones
are delicious as well,

So, it's going to be
an interesting debate.

- Yeah.
- How'd it go?

I think Eric Ripert liked it.

Sarah fit
the environment perfectly

The colors
and the flavors of the desert.

I'm blown away
by Sarah's philosophy.

The idea of no waste
is so impressive.

I love Sarah's dish,
I just felt

the tartare
was under-seasoned for me.

And that miso was
so powerful and so flavorful,

her misstep
was that she only put

one tiny dot of that miso.

It's kind
of a quirky dish

that you wouldn't find
except for right here,

because she was
so inspired by the landscape.

I have your first batch
of tortellini.

I'm ready.
They look beautiful.

Just do a perfect spoon
right in the middle.

Like twice that amount.
And then quinoa.

- Three minutes.
- That looks amazing.

You have a lot of sh--.

Just put
four on each one.

Yeah, yeah,
yeah. I got you.

- Yeah, tuiles.
- Where?

- Put it on the crab.
- Just one?

Yep.

Will you help me
just a little

- directly on top?
- Just like that, yeah?

I'll finish with oil.
Really fast, really fast.

- Mm, oh wow.
- Now we get the butterfly.

Hello. Welcome back.

Evelyn, tell us about
your second course.

What I've prepared
for you all

is shrimp
and corn crystal dumplings

with an aromatic corn broth,
hoja santa herb oil

charred corn
and crispy garlic.

- Buddha?
- I always like to spoil Mom

with the best seafood
I can get.

So, it's a penang laksa
with cannelloni wrapped in nori

and pasta,
lobster, king crab,

and lots of broth.

Is there a butterfly
in my dish?

That was from a carrot.

Every single tuile
that I'll be doing today

is made from
a different vegetable.

- Sarah?
- The corn that you saw

in your first course,
I saved the husks

and made
a broth out of that.

Inside the dumpling
is a squash stuffing

made with miso
from squash.

At the very bottom of the bowl
is a huitlacoche puree

and it's topped
with a three sisters salad.

- Two courses to go!
- Thank you.

My pants are coming off!

Bricia,
what did you think?

For Sarah, I thought,

"Oh, this is
a very smart corn dish,"

because she's using every
element that you could use.

But as the dish progressed,
I was confused.

She's very passionate,

but flavors were
just fighting with each other.

Her dish would benefit
from some editing.

I think there's
some components on there

that are truly delicious.

But they don't
all need to be there.

- How'd it go?
- Eh, I don't know.

I never know,
if that's any consolation.

What do you think
of Evelyn's dumplings?

She's masterful at restraint.

It was very simple
and unique.

I loved the dish.

I love that she edits
the dish down to the essence.

And I loved her dumplings.

Teeny tiny dumplings, there's
a lot of work that goes into it.

Making them so delicate.

I thought
there was quite a bit

of flavor in the broth.
I love the Hoja Santa.

That dish
really made me smile.

Jo, taste it again.

It's spicy now.
But it's like there.

- Yeah.
- Buddha,

his seafood cookery,

and all those different
preparations

was pretty perfect.

If you are
not seduced by the visuals,

some things worked
better than others.

Caviar did not work.

Buddha's dish reminded me
the '80s and the '90s.

A lot of technique.
It's very elaborate.

I will tell you,
the '80s and '90s are back.

That's good news.

The laksa broth
was rich and sweet and spicy.

The flavor was great, I thought
the lobster was nicely cooked.

Maybe a little show off.

I like that he's showing off.
It's the finale!

I think they're
all telling beautiful stories

and they all
have a lot to say.

The energy from the chefs

seems like
something's been unleashed,

and they're
just giving it all

- 13 minutes.
- Aye-aye-aye.

Got
some eggplant puree.

Eggplant rolled in squash.

Do you
have eyes on your lamb?

As much as it's
inspiration from my father,

it's still my dish, but I know
that he'd be super proud.

- Four minutes.
- Hot bunnies.

Pull the goat.

Chef Stephanie Izard,

all her restaurants
have goat in the name.

Like she is the goat chef.

I really want
to showcase the best version

that I can make.

It's delicious,
but a little messy.

You just have to wipe the
sh-- out of them, okay?

I just want to check it.

The rabbit,
some of them are more cooked

and some of them
are less cooked

and there's no time
to fix it.

Grab the apricots
and dice some.

Little bit of butter,
a little bit of orange juice.

- What's our time?
- One minute.

Girl, is it possible
to make mole and be clean?

No, just keep wiping.

We look organic,
but not a mess.

Too organic.

Nice and steady, guys.

Wow.

Evelyn, tell us
about your third course.

My curry mole.

Curry and mole
are two sauces

that are
very important to me.

So I essentially
combined both techniques.

It's braised goat,
but the sauce itself

has Mexican chocolate,
a mixture of chilies,

sweetened with raisins
on top, nopales,

and spiced squash seeds.

- Buddha.
- So, I made Mongolian lamb.

It's an Australian-Chinese dish.

My dad is the king of it.

I'm serving it
with eggplant purée,

with some brown butter
and asparagus

and an eggplant
that's been roasted in miso

in a squash blossom.

The leaves are actually
made from eggplant.

- Sarah.
- I roasted you some bunny.

So this dish utilizes every
single piece of the rabbit.

The ballotine
has been deboned

and stuffed with a farce
made from the legs.

And then the broth
is the livers and the hearts.

It's served on top of a salad
of what the bunny eats.

Okay.
One course left.

Okay. Thank you.

One more.

Wow.

They keep bringing these
layered flavors and textures.

I'm finding it
very satisfying.

Buddha's lamb
was perfectly cooked.

I mean, it was unbelievable.

I love lamb,
yet my favorite piece

of this
was that little eggplant.

The eggplant was the star.

I mean, give me an
eggplant dish and call it a day.

Let's go! Last one.

Evelyn's dish,
I cook a lot of goat.

A lot of fat's on goat.

But I was excited
she did goat.

I just think it needed
more flavor throughout.

But cooked well,
it was very nice and tender.

But the presentation
was almost too simple.

But the mole
I thought was great.

I love the way
that she was able

to marry both cultures
together so beautifully.

But the sauce read
a little bit top note.

It wasn't a curry
where the goat

is actually cooking
in the sauce.

- Right.
- You've been pumping them out?

- Yeah.
- Okay.

What do you
think of Sarah's rabbit?

There's a lot going on here.

I like everything
that was in the herb salad,

but there was
more garnish than the rabbit.

My rabbit was
almost raw in some parts

and then overcooked
in some parts.

I've never had liver
and spinach together,

and I thought it was wild.

And I know
the rabbit was overcooked

or undercooked
or whatever.

At the same time.

But, damn,
it has got personality.

How close do
we think this finale is?

All three courses,
they gave us

the most personal dishes
that we've ever seen

- on a finale.
- Open your mouth more.

Yeah, there you go.

Make me
a maple-like butterscotch.

- Maple butterscotch?
- Yeah.

Put it in the center
of the pumpkin.

- Come on, kid.
- Go ahead, do it again?

Oh, yeah, we need more milk.

The buñuelos,
a little bit off.

Oh, my heart is pounding.

We keep cranking them out
till we get the perfect ones.

Grandma, you know
you're out there.

This buñuelo better
turn out, Grandma.

All bets
on that buñuelo right now.

Hot coming out.
Hot, hot, hot.

Ah, they feel perfect.

Acorn flour tastes
like gingerbread.

I love it.
It's nice to end on something

that I'm really proud
and confident in.

Oh, this maple caramel
is exceptional.

I'll be putting a little
bit of maple caramel,

a little surprise in the middle
like a lava cake.

Then my leaves on top.

This sounds like leaves.

One minute.
This is the last dish

that I'll be serving in
Top Chef.

That looks
really, really good.

- It feels incredible.
- 18 seconds.

We've got to get
two more that look sexy.

I'll take that one.

Ten seconds, ten seconds.

That's it.

- That's all she wrote.
- I love you so much.

Oh, thank you so much.

- It's insane.
- Wow.

All the desserts
are really beautiful.

They're stunning.

Whoo!

Evelyn,
what did you make for us?

For my dessert,
I made something

inspired
by my childhood.

A buñuelo with
cajeta panna cotta,

cardamom whipped cream,
fresh fruit,

pitaya and persimmon.

Buddha.

This one is dedicated
to America.

So I made a pumpkin pie
mille-feuille.

We have a pumpkin custard,
a crème Chantilly

and maple caramel,
pumpkin spice cake

and leaves
made out of pumpkin.

It's capturing a specific time,
which is fall and Thanksgiving.

I want to give thanks
for the opportunities

that this country
gave me.

Thank you, Buddha.
Sarah.

The buttermilk
on your first course

is turned into ice cream
for this last course,

atop acorn cake,
pickled some pears

and made a caramel
from calypso bean miso.

That's it.
You're done. You're finished.

You could not cook
anything more.

Let's not let go
for a while.

I'm not going
to run this time.

No, please don't,
can we walk?

- It's emotional.
- It's very emotional.

Guys, I'm so proud of you.

Yeah,
you guys did great.

I love the palette in front
of us from all the chefs.

Clearly were prepared
with their best dessert.

Evelyn's, I tasted buñuelos
through my childhood as well,

but that was probably
the best I've ever had.

It's so delicious.

It's so savory and sweet.

And that caramel
just drizzled over it.

I mean, come on,
it's so good.

I wanted a little less gelatin
in the panna cotta,

but I think I'm splitting
hairs on that dessert.

I'm taking
my buñuelo home for later.

God, I hope they really like
everything.

Aye-aye-aye, no!

Oh, God!

Buddha's dessert was beautiful.

This is a wild dessert.

These leaves,
this is incredible.

And also, mille-feuille,
and it's a play

on the word leaves,
I thought was just brilliant.

The leaves actually
rustled on my plate.

Buddha's dessert was
thoughtful and heartfelt

and almost brought
a tear to my eye.

A little subtle in flavor.

The maple caramel on the bottom,
there needs to be more

because that actually,
when you got a bite of that,

and that was really good.

Thank you so much,
thank you a million.

- Of course, man. Any time.
- Thank you.

One that knocked
me out the most

that my spoon kept on
going over to

was the acorn cake.

Sarah's cake is beautiful
and warm and comforting.

I never thought I would
like acorns in my life.

I liked it.

The dish was personal
and I felt like

I was going on a journey
with her and I enjoyed that.

Best on the table.

I couldn't
have done it without you.

They were all very exuberant,
happy desserts.

I feel like all three chefs
really brought themselves

and really
just kind of tied up

their finale meal
in a really beautiful way.

Thank you all for being here
and I'm incredibly proud

of all our chefs
have achieved,

and now we need to make
this very big decision.

Thank you all.

Thank you, sir.

We got three entirely,

completely different meals
from three different chefs.

You told your story.

And across the board,
just fantastic work.

Thank you
for doing what you do.

Sarah, your food was
a real conversation starter.

So, let's start with you.

Tell me
why you decided to start

with a tartare
as your first course.

I wanted to show protein
in its kind of raw form

where not a 100%
of the tartare was meat.

The tartare had the funkiness
that I loved.

And I think it's another level

of thinking not only
where our food comes from,

- but where it needs to go.
- Thank you.

I love that you made
your own butter, you made bread.

It was a really thoughtful,
very good first course.

It was
a very bold decision

to give us
a tartare of heart.

I just wanted more
seasoning on the tartare.

Okay.

Buddha, let's talk about
your first course.

One of my favorite dishes
is oysters and pearls

from The French Laundry.

And it was heavily influenced,
especially the sauce

by chef Eric Ripert.

The Vin Jaune
completely makes the dish.

This is
a very mature dish.

There are dishes
that I've carried around,

like a security blanket
for 30 years.

I have a feeling this dish
will be with you for 30 years.

It was a very luxurious,
very decadent dish,

prepared with subtle
techniques.

- It was a great dish.
- Thank you.

You put beautiful caviar
in the middle of the plate,

but it was all the little
details around it

where each bite
was a little bit different.

My favorite bite was
when I got a little bit of

the apple where you get that
nice brightness and acidity.

Thank you.

You know,
you are really reaching

for some
very lofty touchstones

when you're talking about
Eric or Thomas Keller.

And I think you stood on par
with these great titans today.

It was flawless
and immaculately ex*cuted.

It was one of my favorite dishes
of the whole meal.

Thank you, Padma.

Evelyn.

I really wanted
to take inspiration

from our surrounding
and also embracing

that I am Mexican.

I make a lot of tiradito and
I think one of the tricky bits

is getting the balance
in the broth.

But the way that
you worked the prickly pear

with the key limes
and just that little bit

of fattiness that you
get from adding the chili oil

on top just had
the perfect balance.

A little bit
more salt on the scallop

would have been welcome.

I think it would
bring more of the sweetness

of the scallops,
but I loved

the apparent
simplicity of your dish.

This dish,
it just woke us up.

It made us smile.

Let's talk about
all of your second courses.

Sarah, were you happy with
your tortellini?

I thought that
the firmness of the pasta

itself was delightful,
in contrast

to all the other soft things.

The pasta was definitely
a little on the thick side.

And a pasta dish definitely
should be a little more simple.

I think the three sisters
brought along some cousins.

Dad jokes.

It got a little crowded.

That broth
was so beautiful.

It had such depth of flavor
that I didn't want

the huitlacoche
to muddle it up.

The ideas of your dish
were too big for the bowl.

And that's not
because they weren't good,

it's because you had,
like, too much to say.

Story of my life.

Buddha, you had this luxurious,
soulful, yummy laksa

that was a beautiful harmony

of your background
and your skill.

- Thank you.
- Everything else was

the icing on the cake.

The only thing
that I didn't love

was the salmon roe
with a pickled carrot.

It seemed to not fit
in the exact same way

that the other components did.

Okay.

Evelyn, your food has just

over the season,
it has just started to become

much lighter,
much more bright.

It was a very joyful dish.

Big fan
of the dumplings.

Just beautiful,
beautifully ex*cuted.

They were like little jewels.

Sarah, talk to us
about your third course.

I wanted to prepare rabbit

because I think
it's really underutilized.

I thought the dish
was very beautiful.

And when I saw the rabbit,

I thought about all
the work that it requires

and mastering the technique.

- Yeah, it's hard.
- To cook on it maybe it was

a little too fast,
so parts were a little bit over

and parts were
a little bit under.

But I mean,
the work that went into

the rabbit
was truly amazing.

I loved that you really carried

the narrative
that you were trying to tell us

- through your whole meal.
- Thanks.

Buddha.
I thought the eggplant

was the star of the show.

It was out of this world.

It's all technically
flawless,

but maybe the dish
was cleaned up

- a little too much.
- Okay.

You'll take that?

Yeah, I'll take that, yeah.

I liked the dish a lot.

The lamb was perfectly cooked
and I ate it very quickly.

I enjoyed it very much.

Thank you.

Evelyn.

This was
a punch-you-in-the-face,

full-of-flavor sauce and dish
and I love that.

Of course,
I work with a lot of goat,

and I think the texture
was amazing.

Thank you.

I'm not sure
why you didn't cook

the goat in the sauce.

For the sauce itself,

it was literally
on longer than the goat.

Also the texture
of the goat,

I really wanted
to make sure it could

still stick together and you
could still see the neck

and it wouldn't just fall off.

- Right.
- But you missed

an opportunity in bringing
the mole and curry flavors

in the meat of the goat.

And now we have dessert.

Sarah,
I loved your dessert.

The cake was so moist.

It was so comforting

and it made me feel like
a child again.

It's the first time
I eat acorn in my life.

I love it very, very much.

Putting miso into caramel,
I love that.

And when you
put it over that cake,

it made it taste
like a sticky cake.

The best cake,
yeah, I know.

Especially in autumn,
like, it's the perfect dessert.

The cake was really delicious.

I loved
the use of acorn flour.

You're staying true
to yourself.

Buddha, the leaves.

I've never seen anything
like it and the maple caramel

was the golden egg
at the center

and I wish there
had been more of it.

But you made me
appreciate pumpkin pie.

You really changed
how I'll ever

- look at it again.
- Thank you.

The only issue
I had with the dessert,

the maple was
kind of like the sauce

that held everything
together.

And so I just thought it was
too much cake, not enough maple.

The balance between the
ingredients was a little off.

- Evelyn.
- I made a buñuelo

which is something
I grew up eating.

It was just crazy good.

The crunch, the caramel,

the sesame,
all those flavors

just were
so delicious together.

Everybody wanted
to shove it in their purse.

Ed Lee did,

which I don't know
what state it's in now, but--

Yes, I loved the dessert
very, very much.

The panna cotta was
the tiniest bit too firm,

but the flavor of it
was fantastic.

Thank you.

I will say
it's been a pleasure to get

to know you through your food.
It really has.

Thank you for your heart.

Thank you for your effort.

We have a big decision
to make, the biggest.

We'll call you back
in a bit.

- Thank you so much.
- Thank you.

Do you know
the number of times

I almost fainted just now?

Seven.

The answer is seven.

All right. This is it.

This is the moment
we've all been waiting for.

Let's go course by course.

Sarah's first course.

I love the fact
that it had venison

and beef heart
in a tartare.

This is something new,
something different.

An ambitious course.

Now, you compare that
to the other two,

it just falls a little short.

And Evelyn's,
it was really good.

But we've seen it,
we've seen it.

To me there was nothing
wrong with Evelyn's dish.

It was bright,
it was beautiful.

It just was sitting
next to Buddha's first course.

Yeah, it was just wasn't
as good as Buddha's.

And Buddha's, dare I say,

it was as good
as Oyster and Pearls.

Knowing how to construct
those ingredients

and put them together
was mature

- way beyond his years.
- Absolutely.

- I agree.
- Regardless of the result,

I'm really happy to be cooking
the food that I served today

with chefs that
we don't normally cook for.

You don't cook for Eric Ripert
every day?

Nope.

So then let's talk about
the second course.

Sarah's dish.

There was
a lot of confusion

because too many elements.

It's a shame, too,
because that cornbread

was so flavorful.

And that's
what's great about food.

You can have four people
that like it

and then one person
that doesn't like it.

Or four people
that don't like it.

Those little dumplings

that Evelyn gave us,
I did love how glassy,

translucent
and miniature they were.

And the hoja santa.

The hoja santa oil on top
of the broth was beautiful,

but just the dumplings
themselves,

they were like jewels.
They were perfect.

So, Eric, the laksa,
you liked it,

but you thought
it was a little dated, right?

In the '80s,
we were prisoners

of those techniques.

This dish was beautiful.

But I want him to, like,

be expressing himself
with the techniques.

He loves mastering
those techniques.

To him, that is play.

And now comes
the third course.

Evelyn's curry mole.

There was beautiful goat
with a sauce draped on top,

but they weren't
really harmonious.

But it was really interesting.

The meat was succulent
and cooked deliciously.

Sarah's main course was nice
to use the whole animal.

It just didn't need
to be on that dish.

There was already
a lot going on.

All those things
could have worked.

I just think the portions
of them were off.

There was way too many greens,
way too much green sauce.

How were both of them

in comparison
to Buddha's lamb?

That demi-glace,
it was delicious and shiny

and so deep in flavor,
I loved it.

He got really far
from the inspiration,

but you cannot
find flaw in his dish.

Curry mole sounds
so interesting.

I don't know,
I'm sure

if I would have named it
something else.

- A Murray?
- Yeah, a Murray.

So that brings us to dessert.

The dessert course
across the board

was the strongest course
for everyone.

If I think
of the dessert that I want

to eat again and again,
it's Evelyn's.

Yeah, I was seduced
by buñuelo too,

but the panna cotta was
a big part of the dessert.

It had
too much gelatin in it.

Yeah, the panna cotta
was a bit harder.

It was not, like,
a deal breaker in a sense.

I absolutely loved
Evelyn's dessert.

I'm just happy that

we got to the point
where we could cook

whatever the we wanted.

Buddha's dessert impressed me
a lot with the aesthetic.

It was like, "Wow!"

But maybe less leaves,

maybe changing
the proportions.

- I think just less cake.
- Less cake.

I was really impressed
with Sarah's work.

I thought
it was really delicious.

That acorn cake
that Sarah made

was truly innovative
and wonderful.

Her caramel sauce,
I love a miso caramel,

I would like literally
want to just drink

a whole another
cup of it.

Sarah, I couldn't be
more happier

that you're in the final.

Thanks, man.

All three of our chefs

really accomplished what
they set out to do.

For Sarah,
the ideas were there,

it was just
a matter of execution.

Evelyn and Buddha were much
more technically successful.

Buddha showed us a dazzling
fireworks display

of technical skill and really
took us on a journey.

And Evelyn
truly showed us

how she blends beautifully

Asian and Latin flavors.

If I wasn't feeling
nerves before,

I'm feeling nerves now.

I think we have
our next
Top Chef.

- Agreed.
- Agreed.

- Yes?
- Yes.

Let's get them out here.

Chefs, what you gave us tonight
was absolutely extraordinary.

But, more importantly,
is you're realizing

what's really important
about what we do.

It's about
the connection to family,

but also the community
of people you work with

and the community
of people who you serve.

And so if you are
the future of our industry,

we're in really good hands.

Buddha.

You are
Top Chef!

Oh, my God.

Congratulations.

Congratulations, nice work.

I just--
I just can't believe it.

- Well done.
- Thank you so much.

Today a 15-year-old boy
in regional Australia

has lived his dream.

- Congratulations.
- Thank you so much.

Oh, well deserved.

I didn't dream
to be an astronaut.

I didn't
dream to be anything else.

Oh, Padma.

Oh, my gosh,
I'm so happy for you.

I dreamt to be right here.

- Wish my dad was here, you know?
- I know.

- I feel he is here.
- I know, I know.

This was--
this was for him.

I think his story
is a beautiful story.

He loved cooking.

Trained one of his sons

and lived his gift
and lived his legacy.

And I want people to know it.

Truly, it was
a beautiful tribute to him.

He would be
so proud of you today.

Bring it in.
Come over here.

Thank you for
whipping me into shape.

People had kind
of counted me out.

And to think,
like, that I got this far.

Thanks
for having me.

I'm proud of myself.

I think
I handled it with grace.

It was such a pleasure
to feed you.

Not a ton of class,
but with a lot of grace.

You impressed us so much.

Thank you so much.
Thank you.

Coming this far
and seeing myself

evolve and change,
I can walk away saying,

I gave it my all every single
time, that I'm proud of.

I had so much pleasure
watching you cook

with this smile
on your face.

It's been amazing.

Just work hard
and love what you do

because it shows.

Buddha, congratulations.

I'm still dreaming.
I'm actually--

Here, let me pinch you.

Yeah. I know.

I just won
Top Chef.

Oh, my God.

Yeah.
I can hear it.

To Buddha, our new
Top Chef,
and $250,000.

Congratulations.

Thank you so much.

To Buddha!