08x01 - History Never Repeats

[bunniefuu]

Chefs, unpack your knives.

We're giving you
a second chance.

[overlapping chatter]
Ggod!

When you say "All-Star,"
it means you're the best.

I mean,
that's a stacked lineup.

Come on.
Come on, baby, come on.

- I came this close.
- So close.

- Really close.
- That close to winning.

Make it happen.
Make it happen.

I'm back because
I should have won.

Slow down, slow down.
[Mumbling gibberish]

This is the biggest season
so far.

In the culinary capitol
of the United States,

New York City,
head judge Tom Colicchio,

Food & Wine magazine's
Gail Simmons,

and world traveler

and best-selling author
Tony Bourdain

will demand
the highest standards.

It was such a smart dish.

It was horrifying.

We know
you're talented Chefs.

That's why you were asked
to come back.

We need food!

Watch out.

We gotta move, guy
we gotta move.

What the [Bleep]?

There's a reason
why we're the All-Stars.

- The best Chefs.
- The cream of the crop.

They're putting
some high stakes out there.

The biggest prizes
we could possibly win.

With half a million dollars
in cash and prizes at stake,

they'll do whatever it takes
to stay in the game

and compete
for the grand prize--

a feature
in Food & Wine magazine,

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

$200,000 to pursue
their culinary dreams,

furnished by Buitoni,
an Italian masterpiece,

and the title
that's eluded them all...

[All cheering]

Top Chef.

[Rock music]

♪ ♪

[upbeat music]

♪ ♪

I'm Tiffani Faison.

I was neck and neck for
the finale in the first season.

Oh, wow.

I was definitely known for being
incredibly competitive,

really aggressive.

You're a snake.
Sssss!

Harold,
you are the Top Chef.

I love competition.
I'm gonna cook my nuts off.

- Hi.
- Hey, Tiffani.

I literally just got here.
How are you?

I'm Stephen Asprinio,
hospitality entrepreneur.

I have standards,
unlike you do.

You're a tool
and a douchebag.

You will not succeed,
and you will fail horribly.

After Top Chef season one,

I opened my first
namesake restaurant,

Forte di Asprinio,
which was consequently named

one of the top ten
best new restaurants.

Now I'm here,
Top Chef All-Stars.

I'm not nervous,
because I'm never nervous.

Not winning Top Chef
was really harsh,

and it made me really,
really angry.

Well, hello.

Oh, my God.
Yay!

And this time
I will win.

I'm just letting you know
right now.

- Is that Elia?
- Oh, my gosh. Hello!

I knew marcel
was gonna be here,

but I hope he matured.

- Good to see you.
- Good to see you.

When I originally,
you know,

was on Top Chef
during season two,

I was kind of seen
as a thr*at.

- You're a selfish,
self-centered,

egotistical bastard.

I will b*at you so bad

that your mother
will not recognize you.

Ilan, you are Top Chef.

I was young, capable,
talented, and creative,

and that intimidated a lot
of other contestants.

- How are you?
- 'Sup, girl?

Good to see you.
How you been?

- Awesome.
- I was impressed to see Tre.

Tre is an amazing Chef.

He's a beast, and he's probably
my biggest competition.

You like my stuff?
[Laughs]

I got eliminated from
season three of Top Chef.

Are you ready
to throw down, man?

Always.
[Laughs]

I did go home too soon,
and I've been training hard

to be a force
to be reckoned with.

I ain't playing around
this [Bleep].

[Laughs]

I'm Dale Levitski.

I'm the Executive Chef
at Sprout in Chicago.

I am Casey Thompson.

I am the Executive Chef
of Brownstone Restaurant

in Fort Worth, Texas.

- Hi.
- Hi, baby.

Casey...

You've been a fierce competitor
this entire competition.

Dale, you're cooking
with a ton of confidence.

Thank you.

Hung,
you are our Top Chef!

I made one or two little
mistakes in the finale,

and that's how tight
this game is,

so this time I don't want
to make any mistakes.

I'll sleep
in the same room with you.

- [Laughs]
- Whoa, that's what I said.

- Good to see you.
- What's going on, man?

How's it going, Dale?
Good to see you.

Hi.

- It's been a while.
- I know.

And the one who really
took the lead, I think,

that was Richard.
Richard.

- Richard.
- Richard.

I think most people
remember my season

for me losing my season.

I feel like I,
you know, choked.

Stephanie,
you are Top Chef.

What? Really?

I've decided to come back,
because just as not winning

I describe as my saddest
professional moment,

winning would be my proudest
professional moment.

[Upbeat music]

My name
is Spike Mendelsohn.

I currently live
on Capitol Hill.

I've got
two restaurants there.

I was a little kitchen rat
in New York City

before the show,
and now, like,

I've kind of bloomed,
and I have a career.

Aah!

I had a feeling
you would be here.

Spike and I have, like,
a love/hate relationship.

Well, maybe
you should be considerate

about other people's opinions.
- Did I say I would do it?

No. You said
you wouldn't do it.

Really? I did?

Just really quick--you're not
allowed in my bathtub.

- Smokey wokey foamy?
- Yeah, smokey wokey foamy.

I'm gonna b*at spike,
only because it's his karma.

I'm Dale Talde,
season four.

If you got something to say

about what I did,
then say it to me, bitch.

That's bull[Bleep]!

[Bleep]!

I hate losing.

[Laughs]

- What's going on, girl?
- Hey.

Being on Top Chef

definitely helped elevate
my career, for sure.

It was crazy.

I mean, people came
from all over the world,

actually, to meet me.

I don't remember you guys
all being so tall.

Honestly, I'm here
to kick ass this time.

Sky House.

We're going up, but it feels
like we're going to Hell.

I made it through the finale
in my season,

but this time
I'm gonna win.

I'm like the underdog,
you know?

Italian dog, a good one.

One person
that I don't want to see--

uh, I had a few issue
back in the days with Marcel.

What happened when you
got hit with the bottle?

I heard--I read it.

You're [Bleep] trying to bring
up all this, like, drama?

You want to talk
about when they shaved my head?

You want to talk
about when they pinned me down?

What else do you
want to talk about?

I'd talk to you
about your season,

but I never watched it.

He was a little cocky,

a little too loud
for my taste.

- [Laughs]
- Fabio.

I open the elevator.

First two people--
Jamie and Marcel.

And I'm like,
"here we go."

I'm not gonna take
a bunk bed ever again.

I squashed my balls
on season five,

and that is not
gonna happen.

- Yeah!
- [Laughs]

- Hoody-hoo, hoody-hoo!
Hoody!

Hoody! Hoody!
Hoo.

- Hoody.
- Hoo.

Congratulations, Carla.

Come here
and get your keys.

I'm all about
harmony and peace.

My challenge
this time around

is to cook from my heart,

and I'm not gonna be intimidated
by someone else's food.

Not gonna do it,
not gonna do it.

Last time on Top Chef,
I was known

as a very strong,
confident,

aggressive female
in the kitchen.

Are we good? We can have
this conversation later.

Let's talk about food
and focus on this, all right?

Thank you.

This time I want that
to shine through again.

- I'm Elia.
- Jen.

As I look around the room,

I think it's a strong pool
of Chefs that are here.

The strongest competitor
in my eyes is Jennifer Carroll.

She's got a massive pedigree,
and she's someone

that I definitely
have my eye on.

Baby, oh, good to see you.
[Laughs]

I'm Mike Isabella,
season six.

I'm a machine.
Pull through like always, baby.

Pull through like always.

Jersey's
that small little city

that kind of
controls America.

I'm [Bleep] real, doggie.
You know what I mean?

I'm opening up my own restaurant
right in the heart of D.C.

I came back to cook, show you
what I got, so I'm ready.

I'm ready to rock and roll.
It's showtime, baby.

I'm back for redemption.

I was sick for the finals
of season seven,

and I was this close.

It just feels like somebody's
stabbing me in the stomach.

It's time to make it right.
It's time to cook my heart out.

I'm definitely ready
for this, guys.

I brought a lot
of advil this time.

- How are you?
- Nice to meet you.

- Hello!
- How are you?

I'm good.

[Laughs]

The lineup
is an All-Star cast.

I mean, I am just happy
to be among the chosen.

From Beaumont
to New York City.

- Good to see you.
- Good to see you.

[Overlapping chatter]

There's all elite Chefs
that are here--

owners and execs,
and it's a tough lineup.

So, yeah, it's gonna be tough,
but I'm tough too.

Guys, you got to get
some coat right here.

It really hits
when we put on our coats.

It just became real.

I'm kind of thinking, "oh, crap,
what did I get myself into?"

- Nice coat, yeah?
- [Laughs]

I walk
into the Top Chef kitchen,

and it's like stepping
into a ring.

Heading into the kitchen,
I feel nauseous.

Like, my ears are burning,

and I'm hoping
that I can continue to breathe,

in through my nose
and out through my mouth.

Welcome back.
[Chuckles]

You were considered
some of the best,

but none of you took home
the grand prize.

To b*at every Chef
standing in this kitchen

will be
an extraordinary achievement,

so it's fitting
that this season,

there's much more at stake
than ever before.

We're handing out

half a million dollars worth
of cash and prizes

with the Top Chef
taking home

our biggest grand prize
ever, $200,000.

Oh, my God.

Having the opportunity
to win this is huge.

We never got prize money.

I actually got second
in season two

and never won anything.

You guys ready
to get started, then?

I'm always ready to compete.
Bring it on.

I'm seeing people
freaking out.

- Tre, how's our pork?
- This is not cooking.

This fell
on the [Bleep] floor.

I gave you four.

- Come on.
- It fell on the floor.

You guys ready
to get started?

- Yes.
- Let's do it.

Chefs, every time I see you,
I hear on and on,

your season was the best,

your season
was the most challenging.

Time for talk is over.

Time for you
to prove it now.

For your
quickfire challenge,

Chefs from each season
will work as one team

to make one dish.

That dish
should represent the city

where your season took place.

This quickfire is a battle

between the seven seasons
for bragging rights.

- That's what I'm talking about.
- [Laughs]

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

There's been a lot of talk
about what season's the best,

and this day,
the food will speak on its own.

Members of the winning season
will get immunity.

I would personally be very
embarrassed to go home first.

And now that immunity
is at stake for the whole team,

it's a huge deal.

The kitchen is outfitted

with the latest
G.E. Monogram equipment.

Your time starts now.

[Overlapping chatter]

I'm gonna make
mustard ice cream.

Okay, you want to use some
of these fresh, for the relish?

- I don't think so.
- With four people,

you have so many
different voices.

You don't want to do,
like, a saute,

of something warm
on top of it?

That doesn't usually go
on a hot dog.

But you realize
that Chicago dogs

would be the best way
to represent our city.

You're making
a fresh sausage, yeah?

Yes.

To make a piece of sausage

in 25 minutes,
it's unbelievably nerve-racking.

In this competition,
you have to take a risk.

I'm thinking, okay,
D.C., Maryland,

crab cakes with old bay spice,
rockfish.

Skin crispy? Maybe just cook it
more on one side, oui?

- Of course.
- Beautiful.

I mean, 25 minutes--

it's not like
I could do an ice carving

of George Washington.

What kind of acid
are you thinking?

We got lemon in there.
What do we have?

We usually do capers
and things like that.

Beautiful. Perfect.

All right, I was thinking
about us doing, like,

a trio of apples.

Like, one of us does,
like, a little, like, soup.

And that way, we're each
doing something separate,

so we're focused
on something.

I can make, like, pasta

with caramelized apple
and crispy bacon.

I think to represent
New York,

it's apple, apple, apple,
apple, big apple, New York.

You're doing applesauce
as a garnish?

No, I might not.
No, you do it.

Our team, we really were just
kind of doing our own thing.

I just think I'm a stronger Chef
than my other two teammates,

so I really was just focusing
on what I was creating.

- Fabio?
- Yes?

- Where's the flour?
- It's over there.

Close to the vacuum sealer.

Team New York, they're doing
something with apples.

I get it. It represents
The Big Apple. Get it.

But each person
did their own dish.

It's a very bold way to go,

because all of those flavors
better go together.

I have cilantro that we'll
pick right out of the pot.

He's doing the pork.

Mangoes, habaneros,
pork, and plantains.

That's Miami all day long.

There's only one avocado left
in house for what I need to do.

- Oh, great.
- Our season was the best.

I mean,
we hear it on the street.

We hear it
from everyone else.

Now it's time to prove it.

It's a whole new ball game.
The kitchen's ridiculous.

It's like a real kitchen.

It's not season two
anymore.

Elia and I decide
that fish tacos

with an apple wrapper are
a great way to represent L.A.

We're definitely representing
our region.

Yeah.

Not to mention it's really
easy to make in 25 minutes.

Let them just chill
for a second.

- Is this yours?
- No.

Behind you.
Here, here, here, here.

Somebody turned
my pot off.

I'm looking around
and seeing people freaking out,

like we're all
gonna die today.

Behind, behind,
behind, behind.

Back, back, back, back.
Fabio took it.

Casey, over here.

Put it back
where it goes!

- Come on.
- Yeah, they're delicious.

Try it. Like it?
[Bleep] Perfecto, no?

These we don't need,
so just save the good shrimp.

Do you have any
chili flakes here?

I'll get it for you.

Cioppino is very
representative of San Francisco.

Fresh seafood is part
of the local cuisine there.

Cucumber.

Stephen is a little rusty,
but Stephen and I

are, like,
the original gangsters in this.

Cucumber, yes.
Tomato, yes.

Three herbs, uh,
clams, and shrimp.

Top Chef season 8, 10, 14,
whatever, we got you.

Season one, b*tches.

Do you have any sock
at all?

Behind, behind.

Team Vegas, all the way.

For Vegas, you know,
there's not a lot of culture,

so we decided to go
with the old-school

Italian mobster scene

that was controlling
the casinos

with all the Italian food.

[Bleep]!

Nine minutes!

My season's the most
intimidating because of me.

That's why.

I got a little bit of butter
right here also.

So many people
have come up to me

and just said, "the Vegas season
was the best season,"

so I want all
of the other cooks here

to feel that way too.

- Take 'em out, strain 'em?
- Yep, yep.

We got 7 1/2 minutes left.


I'm making the liquid nitrogen
mustard ice cream,

and I'm really happy that
there's a nitrogen t*nk there,

but it's very,
very low pressure,

so it's taking a long time

to extract
any of the liquid nitrogen.

To no one's surprise,
you know,

Professor Blais,
what he's doing,

he's breaking out
the liquid nitrogen.

I mean, the man's a genius.

Five minutes. You have
five minutes left, everyone.

As I'm walking, I actually
get bumped by Stephen,

and I don't even think
he knows.

And the fish falls
on the floor, and I'm like--

it's like a juggling act.
I'm trying to grab for it.

This fell
on the [Bleep] floor.

I gave you four.
You have four.

It fell on the floor.

At this point in time,
there's three minutes left.

Is there another fish there
or no?

No, there's no more.

I'm destroying this fish,

but I'm just trying
to do it quick

just so I can put up
a plate.

All right, just go
for two portions, yeah?

Yes, two portions.
That's it.

At this point,
it's just advantageous

for you even to just put
anything on the plate.

I gotta get the pork
in the oven.

- Out of the oven?
- I gotta get it in the oven.

In the oven?

This semi-thick piece
of pork tenderloin--

it's just not cooking.

Tre, how's our pork?

If you can get it here with


- Getting the bowls.
- Go, go, go.

Antonia, we need the bread.
We got to plate.

- Aw, [Bleep].
- Aw, [Bleep] pain. It hurts.

Eight seconds.

I'm barely even getting
the food on the plate.

My brain is just like--

it's almost like
I'm gonna blow a gasket.

Time's up.
Hands up. Utensils down.

That mother[Bleep] dropped
the fish.

I know.

- Hi, Tiffani.
- Hi.

How's it going?

We wanted to speak
about the seasonality

of cooking in San Francisco
as well as the classics.

We made
a cioppino gazpacho.

And we did
some sourdough fettunta,

also from the region,
as a garnish,

with a little garlic
and olive oil.

- Great. Thank you.
- Very good. Thanks.

- How's it going?
- Hello.

Considering we had L.A.,
we decided to, uh,

represent
with some shrimp tacos.

We did some guacamole.
That's an apple wrapper.

Why'd you choose
to use an apple wrapper?

It's light and fresh.
Do you like it?

- You'll find out later.
- Oh, I guess so.

[Laughs]

Marcel might be 30 years old
but he's still acting

like he's 22 years old.

He still has that mentality
of a spoiled brat.

'Cause we're in Miami,

and I think one of our
seasonal themes was pork,

Tre grilled
a pork tenderloin.

I made an avocado-lime puree.

Casey made some tostones and
a mango habanero sauce as well.

- Thank you so much.
- Mm-hmm.

- Hi, guys.
- Hi.

Hey, Padma.

The dish is
a Chicago-style hot dog.

We constructed--
I made the sausage.

It's pork,
a little bit of bacon.

Whose idea was the mustard?

It was mine,
'cause I feel like

you can't do a dish
that represents Chicago

without representing
the avant garde.

- Great. Thanks.
- Thank you.

I don't know.
Hot dog with mustard gelato?

I would go back
and get my pasta again,

but that's just my opinion.

We decided to showcase
the apple,

because that's how
we started.

So that's a trio of apple.

That's a lightly curried
gingered apple soup

with spiced almonds.

I made the fresh pasta,

a little spicy sausage
with caramelized apple.

And I'm showcasing
the rib eye,

and I did an apple, walnut,
and blue cheese slaw.

- Thank you.
- Thank you.

Interesting flavors.

Hmm, "interesting"...

That's the kiss of death.

- Hello, Mike.
- How you doing, Padma?

Season six, Las Vegas.

Mike made some pasta,

and I made a little
bacon lobster carbonara.

- So you made the pasta?
- Yeah, I made the bucatini.

Great. Thanks.

- Thank you.
- Thank you.

You guys look familiar.

D.C.'s known for their crab,
their fish.

You know,
I tried to kind of play off

of that crab-cake essence.

Thank you.

I really want immunity.

I'm ready. Bring it on.
God darn it, bring it on.

Let's tell them
how they did.

All I'm thinking is,
"what is inside of that tray?"

[Bleep].

Wow.
Are we really gonna do this?

Tom, let's tell them
how they did.

Bad news first.

Marcel and Elia, the shrimp
needed more seasoning.

It was really bland.

The apple was
just a hair too thin.

What you really wanted was
to pick it up like a taco,

but it was very hard to do.

Tiffani and Stephen,
the flavors were good,

except way, way too much
raw garlic.

Season five, you gave us
three different dishes.

They weren't really tied in
together very well.

Two of the three were so-so.

The curried soup
I thought was very good.

But you're only batting .333.

Not in this competition.

I know my soup
is damn good.

My dish was better
than the two of theirs.

Season seven,
a tiny bit too much salt.

And now our favorites.

Tre, Casey, and Dale,

the pork dish represented
Miami really well.

The habaneros
came through nicely,

really great flavors.
Thank you.

Chicago,
really inventive.

I was also happy to see
the mustard ice cream.

Nice work.

Season six,
the flavors were great.

The pasta was really well made,
cooked perfectly.

Great dishes
all the way around.

But I have to say,
the dish that won

clearly presented
their city very well,

had a ton of flavor.

The dish for me that won it...
Goes to Chicago.

Whoo!
[Applause]

Whenever you win
the first challenge,

it says, "catch up."

It was amazing. I'm back, son.
This is how we do it.

I was surprised
when we lost.

[Sighs]
[Bleep], [Bleep].

So they did a sausage
with mustard.

[Whistles]
Big whoop.

Congratulations,
season four.

All of you win immunity,

and none of you
will be going home tomorrow.

So are you starting to get
that competitive edge again?

- It's been there.
- Yes.

Good, because it's time
for your elimination challenge.

Thank you, guys.
You bought us dinner.

How nice.

All I'm thinking to myself is,
"what is inside of that tray?"

You all know
what it's like

to hear me say,
"pack your knives and go."

And I'm sure none of you

want to be the first
to hear it this season.

Go ahead.
Lift them up.

[Bleep].

Wow.
Are we really gonna do this?

Ay yi yi yi yi.

I see the reason I did not win
season three of Top Chef

staring me in the face.

In front of you are the
ingredients that sent you home.

Your challenge--make the dish
that sent you packing,

but this time make it great.

You can improve
upon the dish,

but you can't stray too far
from the original dish.

This is your opportunity
to redeem yourself

and prove to us
that you're an all-star Chef.

You'll have
three hours tonight.

Then tomorrow
you'll have two hours

at the historic
Russian tea room

before the guests
and judges arrive.

Joining us
at judges' table this season

will be Tony Bourdain...
Oh, good.

Anthony Bourdain,
he will tear you a new one.

He takes no prisoners.

Your time starts now.

Got it, got it,
got it.

Good, good, good.

I can't believe
I have frozen scallops again.

I'm reliving this nightmare.

It's the great scallop-gate
with Rick Tramonto.

Well, with all due respect,
they were in your walk-in.

It should never make it
in the walk-in

if it's not high quality.

I'll take the sh*t,
but you better take the sh*t

that you used 'em.

I'm a man of many tricks.

I'm going to try to mask
the flavor of the scallop

in every which way possible.

Ah-ah!
I'm good, I'm good.

The dish I got kicked off for
was miso butterscotch scallops.

Anthony Bourdain was right.

It's one of the worst dishes
on Top Chef.

Butterscotch scallops--
who came up with this dish?

That's me.

It looked like
a melted candy bar.

But when the concept's bad
just from the jump,

there's no saving it.

This time I just need
to make less butterscotch.

Don't undercook your peas.

No, no, no, no.

Fabio, do you have lobster
in your dish?

Uh, I have two.
How many you need?

I had to re-create
some caserecci

with crawfish
and crab stew.

If I can have two,
that will be perfect.

I don't think there was
nothing wrong with that dish.

But I guess it were,
because I went home.

To be eliminated twice
for the same dish,

you gotta be stupid, then.

Anybody have chicken jus?

Does anybody have cilantro?

My biggest challenge is,
there are three dishes

that I have to do instead of one
that aren't my own.

I was eliminated

for not spending
enough time in the kitchen

and focusing on wine service.

This glass right here
will be a Rose.

And we're gonna
get it done

with or without Stephen
right now.

I am cooking a dish
that I have never really done,

but you have to really deal with
the cards that you're dealt,

and I'm gonna go with the flow
and do my best.

Stephen is a great
front-of-the-house guy.

He's a great dresser.

But I don't think
he came out of no trenches.

I think he just came out of...

Macy's Day Parade or something.

Two hours!

Hot down the line.
Behind.

I have to re-create
a red snapper

that's been steamed
inside a tea leaf.

And I strongly believe

that I shouldn't have been
eliminated.

It was almost
a little overpowering

in the mediterranean flavors.

Really? I didn't want you
to say, "this is Hawaiian."

I wanted you to say,
"this is Elia's dish."

Okay.

I thought I did
a great job the first time.

I decided to be be very true
to the ingredients

and modify them
as little bit as possible.

This time, I am stuffing
my piece of red snapper

with cured bacon,
so when it gets steamed,

that flavor's gonna get
into the fish.

Hey, Blais, I'm sorry
to bother you.

Do you know how to make
this thing actually vacuum...

Yes.

Instead of it doing
what it's doing?

My dreading this dish
is a little different.

I went home for making
Eric Ripert's dish,

black bass
with braised celery, badly.

I hated the dish
in the first place.

The braised celery
was way oversalted.

I mean, that wasn't
my favorite dish

that we had over lunch.

I decided to take the celery

and sort of turn it
into a celery hash.

It would really suck
to go home

for cooking Eric Ripert's food
bad twice.

It's weird. It just doesn't
taste like anything.

Like there's no depth?

Agave nectar?

- Is it all right now or more?
- A little bit more.

Right there. Perfect.
Thank you.

Angelo is impressing me.

He's making these noodles.

They look really great.

Of all the people
in the kitchen,

Angelo has spiked my curiosity,
so to speak.

Ramen, like Spanish ramen
or like dry ramen?

Japanese ramen.

It's so important
that the texture

just really has
a nice bite to it,

because within the ramen,
you have the chilies, the salt,

and the spice.

I think it's
a pretty solid dish.

Now I want to win.
I want to win.

[Whistling whine]

Yo, don't [Bleep]
Blow us up over here, okay?

[Whistling whine]

How did you know
how much to put in?

I didn't. When it got crazy,
I just turned it off.

[Both laugh]

He's just making stuff.
Must be nice.

Dale is kind of
playing around, basically.

You hungry?
I got some right here.

They're looking pretty good.

Baking off with muffins
and just doing some crazy stuff

because he has immunity.

Want some cornbread?

Mike, are you gonna use
all of these leeks?

- No, you can have some.
- Can I just have some?

I'd say a couple.

I went home because I made
a vegetarian dish.

I tried to do braised leeks.

I got
the toughest challenge.

I mean, I'm competing
against people

who got sent home
for pork belly and fish.

I'm just debating on
right now

if I should smoke this [Bleep]
Or just let it be.

[Bleep], I knew I forgot
to do something today,

and that was smoke my leeks.
[Laughing]

You know, when you have
carrots, potatoes, and leeks,

it's--you know, there's only
so much you can do.

You know, roast a leek,
grill a leek, braise a leek,

but it's still a leek.

Coming out hot, guys.
Hot.

I was thinking if I should

sous vide
the duck breast tomorrow.

The first time around,
the dish was too salty.

This time around, it is not
gonna be over-seasoned.

Looking around,
I feel pretty confident

that I'm gonna be on the top
of this challenge.

- Do you have
malt-vinegar powder?

- Yes.
- 26:08.

In the moment
of the finale,

Casey encouraged me
to do sous vide meat,

which was just way off
of my game.

How much influence
did Casey have?

She made a lot of suggestions,
for instance, the sous vide.

I was like,
"okay, I'll try that."

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

Well, I don't blame Casey
at all.

This time, you will see me
cooking my food.

Hot!

Sesame seeds--
anybody got those on?

Marcel,
those look really cool.

Thanks.

This is what fresh
pigeon peas look like.

That's what
fresh pigeon peas look like?

Spike, he's lucky.

He has immunity,
so he's taking his scallop

and trying to have it
disappear

so that nobody knows
that they are frozen.

I just soaked it in,
like, a lime vinaigrette.

He is so sneaky
and devious.

- Oh, right.
- [Laughs]

I'll just carry these
into the fridge.

Everyone here thinks they're
gonna make it to top five.

Somebody's going home.
I'm hoping it's not me.

I don't think it'll be me,
but, uh, somebody's going home.

Time's up!

The fish was kind of raw.

It feels like a dish
that someone gave up on.

- It looks like
an inside-out animal.

I hated the whole dish.
That's a little harsh.

I mean, someone's
gotta go home first.

You went home
on the finale?

- Mm-hmm.
- Me too.

Yeah, I know.
I saw you with your shaved head.

You had a good head
for that, though.

- Yeah, it just is round, right?
- Yeah.

We don't think you have
the balls to shave your head.

- You don't--
you guys don't know me at all.

You're gonna look good.

They're like,
"we want to shave marcel's head.

What do you think?"

Cliff wrestled him
down to the floor.

So he didn't allow it.

[Bleep] Outta here, dude.
What's your [Bleep] Problem?

I was a lot younger.
I was 23 years old.

So I shaved it.

Aah!

And I think
in these past four years,

I've really come
into my own.

I really did mature.

I want to show the judges
I'm here to bring

a much more mature level
to this competition.

Two hours to prep
at the Russian Tea Room.

I have immunity,
but I have to prove to myself

that I can conquer
these frozen scallops.

Hey, Chefs.

How's it going?
Hey, Tom.

The kitchen's a little tight,
so what we're gonna do is,

we're gonna split you
into two groups.

That's nine right there.
We have nine right here.

Okay? First group will be
cooking first, serving first.

Second group
will be cooking second.

So we figured by now,

you probably know each other
fairly well,

but you still haven't tasted
each other's food.

So today we're gonna give you
an opportunity

to really size up
the competition.

When you're not cooking,

you're gonna be dining
with the judges,

get a chance to have
each other's food.

You can comment if you like
or not, okay?

To actually taste
a composed dish

of the competitors
is priceless.

To give you
an extra incentive,

the winner of this challenge
will receive $10,000.

- Wow.
- Whoo!

$10,000 for me is a large
chunk of my yearly salary.

That really does add much more
pressure. I'm gonna win.

So, group one, you're cooking.
Group two, come with me.

I have three dishes
to execute.

I have three dishes to plate.
That's a lot.

I gotta make--uh, do this,
make a sabayon,

make a lobster salad.

Dale, you using the fryer?

- I'm in it right now, yeah.
- Oh, when you gonna be done?

The flavors are spot on.

I love the dish
that I'm cooking,

and I'm ready
to come out victorious.



Did anybody grab
that blowtorch?

Oh, never mind.

My new train of thought

coming back into the game
this time

is to push up until the end,
so I'm gonna be plating

all the way to the end
of the challenge.

You all remember
Anthony Bourdain.

Host of Travel Channel's
No Reservations,

and author
of Medium Raw.

And, of course,
back with us as usual,

Gail Simmons
of Food & Wine magazine.

Great to see you all.

Man, this is the first time
I've actually had

the opportunity
to dine with you guys,

out of, like, all
the different seasons, yeah.

It's a steamed fish.

It has to be in a very simple,
old-school presentation.

And I think everything
is coming together beautifully.

Two minutes, guys,
two minutes.

- Oh, you've got to be--
- 2:09. 2:09.

I'm concerned about Stephen,
for sure.

Stephen, what do you need?
You have to be in the window.

I know. Oh, it has to be
in the window?

We're down to, like,


and Stephen is still putting
major components on his plate.

Yeah, [Bleep] It.
You have seven seconds.

Let's go.

Things are about to go out
to the diners,

and they're not at the level
that I'm used to serving.

That's time.

No, that's time.
Come on.

Richard is finishing his dish
with a few last drizzles.

Time's up, dude.

[Alarm beeping]

Blais is over there
foaming his dish to order.

You have to be
ready to go.

This is gonna be a bit
of a trip down memory lane

for all of us...

For better or worse, right?
Hopefully for better.

- We're hoping better.
- Hoping better, yeah.

- I'm hoping better.
- Oh, I remember that dish.

Oh, we can hear them?

Without any notice
or warning,

there's a big-ass television

with some really loud voices
coming through on that tv.

Oh, we're watching?
That's nerve-racking.

Everyone was eating
our dishes,

and I'm sure
they did not know

that we were standing there,
watching them.

I want to
try Elia's dish.

- What is this?
- It's a scale.

Oh, yeah.
Yeah, I know.

- It's definitely a scale.
- It's a big scale.

That's bad.

I can't do this.

I don't want to hear them

talking bad
about anybody else's dish.

I don't want to hear them talk
about my dish.

Tom, what was Richard Blais'
original dish?

It was braised pork belly.

It had a very light,
thin broth.

You don't ever see that
on pork bellies.

None of the other dishes
I tasted after it

even came close to it.

To sort of eavesdrop
on a table eating your food

and to hear them say
great things,

it was probably one
of the most gratifying moments

I've ever had
iny career.

- Angelo's.
- His pork belly was solid.

The flavors wereeally there.

I think it was really
in balance and harmonious.

I liked it a lot.
It's damn good.

It's very tasty,
really good flavors.

I liked it a lot.
One of my favorites.

Dale's scallops.

The scallops
were nicely cooked.

They're well-seasoned.

To me, there's this great
expression in the Marine Corps--

get yourself un[Bleep].

He un[Bleep] this dish.

[Laughter]

Scallops
and butterscotch, okay?

That--that--
that's a problem.

[Laughs]

Carla, what do you think
of Tiffany's halibut?

I think the fish
is a little overcooked.

It's actually, like,
one of my favorite sauces

or broths to have,
and I thought it could have used

just, like, a little bit
of sugar.

Tre's dish.

I wasn't a huge fan.

The almond-macadamian toast,
when you eat it with the salmon,

I feel it overpowers it
completely.

Tiffani's.

I think Tiffani's dish
is very mediterranean,

and I like the flavors.

It looked pretty.

She kind of did, like,
a kimchi marinade,

which kind of threw me off.

A little bit different,
and I wasn't expecting that.

Stephen had to improve
upon the appetizers.

It was just very swampy
and muddled,

and it just was really just
kind of all over the board.

The way it looks, everything
about it, it's just not for me.

There are people
in the kitchen

and there are people
at this table

who could have solved
this problem.

He did not solve
this problem.

Some of the diners are talking
about their personal disdain

for the dish,
and it hurts a little bit.

Fabio's pasta.

I liked the basil.

I just don't get it sometimes
when, like, it's fried on top.

It's like, "do you really
want to eat it,

or do you just want
to push it aside?"

And I don't get
the paper, but--

It's there just in case you
want to roll it up and smoke it.

[Laughter]

I hated the whole dish.
I keep tasting it.

I keep poking it

just to make sure
that I actually hate it

as much as I think I do,

and I really, really,
really hate it.

It looks like
an inside-out animal.

It's--it's--it's--
it's appalling.

Wow.

Bourdain say
some stupid comment,

so I make sure that after,

I will let him know what
I'm really thinking about it.

You all right?
Yeah.

What's going on?

Bourdain said he never had
such a bad plate of pasta.

Stop it.

What did you think
of Elia's dish?

- And me? My dish?
- They're doing it right now.

Come watch it.
No, I can't.

- Why?
- I can't deal with it.

The fish was kind of raw.

I honestly just
didn't really get it.

It feels like a dish
that someone gave up on.

And to have something
so watered down

with no personality is--

is really disconcerting
for me as a Chef.

That's a little harsh.

Elia's a friend of mine,
and hearing the comments

around her fish,
I'm worried.

I can feel my palms getting
a little bit sweaty.

We'll need you
to go back to the kitchen.

Thank you very much.

Put my coat on
and go back into the kitchen.

It's like, let the games
begin--everybody's pumped.

Full Rocky soundtrack
playing in my head.

Let's go.

Where are
the cutting boards?

Ooh, this is nice.

Scallops.

Yeah,
they're still frozen.

After tasting
the other Chefs' dishes,

I'm a little nervous.

Their food was really good.

The first time around,
my pork belly was overcooked.

I can cook pork belly, and
here's my chance to prove it.

I think all of the flavors
are there.

It's gonna taste good.
It looks good.

I am more than happy with it.
I think I'm on the top.



Oh, I've never cooked fish
like this.

Are you making fun
of my dish?

- It's gonna look great.
- It's very good, Jamie.

Yeah?
It's not too salty?

My biggest concern is being
the first person eliminated,

obviously.

That is definitely

the thing freaking me out
the most right now.

I still hate this dish.

I don't like my dish.

But that's what's going.
You don't?

No, I'm just in my head.
I'm in my head.

Yeah, don't do that.

It's weird to sit
with the judges now.

There's a lot
of feelings hurt.

And then you know
that the other contestants,

they're gonna watch you talk
about their dishes.

It's just a bad situation
all around.

What did you guys think

about hearing all the feedback
in the kitchen?

I know he hated it.

Oh, right for it.

[Fabio groans]

This is like the beginning

of the most uncomfortable
Thanksgiving dinner ever.

Truly, like, it's hard.

[Laughs]

Can't make everybody happy,
can we?

Underneath you.
Coming through.




[Indistinct chatter]

- Cheers.
- Salud.

- Yeah!
- Family-meal time.

- Oh, they do have--
- oh, no.

- Told you.
- They do watch? [Gasps]

My stomach just drops
to my feet.

These Chefs
were able to see us

talking about their food.

They are gonna just rip us
to shreds.

Everybody's working
their ass off and I won't let

anybody make fun of me because
it's a very serious matter.

What were you thinking?
It was horrifying.

Now it's your turn
to do the roasting.

- What is this?
- Bass.

Nobody's shy
about the flavors so far.

- No, these flavors are great.
- I mean, they're strong.

Antonia's dish.

I thought it was fresh
and tasty,

and I loved the grind.

You know, I could have ate it
all by myself.

Damn, girl.

I'm wondering,
"did I have the same dish?"

For me, it was
a little incomplete.

I just--it wasn't one
of my favorites.

- Scallops.
- Mm-hmm.

Spike's scallop ceviche.

It was a good-tasting dish,

but I could have lived
without the scallops.

- That was the point.
- Oh, right.

This is the famous
frozen-scallop dish, isn't it?

He just robbed the bank.
It's perfect. It's really smart.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

Is this the craftiest [Bleep]
Who's ever been on this show?

[Laughter]

I threw the bait in the ocean,
and they bit.

The dish that Jamie
gave us--

she really wanted
to make this her own.

And I think she was
very successful at doing that.

Thank God.

I mean, I thought
it was excellent.

I enjoyed it.

I thought Mike's dish
was a good revamp.

The colors are nice.

The leeks were very nice.
They almost melted in my mouth.

I thought it really showed

a lot of finesse
and elegance to it.

I thought it was visually
the prettiest dish.

Dale's lobster.

I honestly just could not
get past that dumpling.

It was just pasty,

and I couldn't get it
out of my head.

The flavors on the plate
were very nice.

The dumplings
I didn't like at all.

Carla's dish6

I thought the flavor
of the steak was nice,

and the potato, I mean,
it has this sort of thing

that you know you want.

My first bite of the meat
was at the nerve ending,

so that was
an unpleasant experience.

Oh.

Oh, my gosh,
the dagger in the heart.

There is no doubt that Casey
improved on this dish,

and I hope she's breathing
a little easier now.

She redeemed herself here.

Marcel's dish,
it threw me off

that it was that strong,
the vanilla.

It's like taking
a vanilla bean and...

[Makes sucking sound]

He's really got balls to put
something like this out.

Yeah.

The only thing wrong with
Jen's duck dish was the duck.

It wasn't--
it wasn't there.

I was just surprised.

Like, I was waiting to be,
like, schooled by Jen,

like--like, completely,
like, blown.

And there were just maybe
a uple technical errors

that I was surprised by.

I am shocked. I can't believe
this is happening.

This sucks.

We'll see you all
and your colleagues

at judges' table.

Thank you.
Thank you.

Thanks.
Great to see you.

All right, guys,
let's get out of here.

Let's go back.
Come on, dirty south.

Let's get out of here.

I hate--
I hated doing that.

- It's just--I don't even
like being on that side.

I don't like being
on the judging side.

- It was uncomfortable.
- It was very uncomfortable.

If you cook something
in the oven

and start to spill oil,

the plate gets all dirty.

Papers just look nicer
than the dirty plate.

This is the part that
I'm not looking forward to--

the waiting
and the heart racing.

What happened with Richard?
I don't even know.

He was plating
after the time limit.

Richard went over time.

It's time.
[Alarm beeping]

He was so focused,

I don't think he necessarily
heard "time is up" all the way.

Good evening.

We would like to see...

Spike, Jamie,

Richard, and Angelo.

Thank you.

Richard,
we brought you out here

because we wanted to acknowledge
that you made a great dish,

but you've gone over

your allotted
two-hour cook time.

I'm not aware of that.

I actually saw the tapes at
the very end of the cook time,

and you clearly were plating
after the clock ran out.

And to keep this fair, you are
not eligible for the win.

- Okay, thanks.
- Sorry.

I'm back.

No, they, uh--they said
that I was finishing plating

past the beeper
on the, uh, cooking time.

- Get the [Bleep] out of here.
- I'm very serious.

Tom said he looked
at the tape

and that I was finishing
a dish past the time.

So rules are rules,
and that's fine.

But I'm a little--

obviously, I'm pissed off
about it, you know?

Congratulations.

The three of you
did a great job.

Jamie, that fish
was beautiful--

super-crispy skin.

The celery tasted great.

Is this something you think
you'll serve now?

Absolutely not.
[Laughter]

Angelo.

Thinking back to Singapore,

what you really fell in love
with was the watermelon tea,

and you had to k*ll it
to make the dish better.

- I applaud you for doing that.
- Thank you so much.

Spike.

Dude, your main ingredient
was basically crap,

and yet you pulled it out.

It was a really smart way
to deal

with a seemingly
insurmountable problem.

- Nice job.
- Thank you. Thank you.

Tom, who's the winner
of tonight's challenge?

The dish that we all agreed
was the best dish--

it was close enough
to the original,

but also, it was new.

It was fresh.
It was exciting.

Most importantly,
it was delicious.

And we all agree
the winner is...

- Angelo.
- Me?

Congratulations, Angelo.

You've won $10,000,
furnished by Buitoni.

Thank you very much.
Wow.

I'm feeling really honored
that I won.

Look at the talent here.

I mean, some of these Chefs
are the best in the country.

I need you to send back
some of your colleagues.

Thanks.

- Thank you.
- Thank you.

- Yeah?
- What's up, guys?

Yeah, I won this one.

[Applause]

You know what? I disagree
with the judges' decision.

I feel Richard being
disqualified was bull[Bleep].

He obviously had
the best dish.

I'm sorry to be the bearer
of bad news.

The judges want to see Fabio,

Stephen, Elia.

- Here we go.
- Good luck, guys.

Chefs, the dishes
you prepared tonight

have put you up for elimination
a second time.

Stephen, walk us
through your dish.

The first time it was done,

I wasn't really
around that much.

I was more involved
with the management team

in the front of house.

I'm curious about it.

Was it a riff
on a soup dumpling?

The colors there were
kind of monochromatic.

- That's, in my mind, fine.
- And texturally?

It was what
it was supposed to be--

a little crunchy scallion,
soft noodle, and the broth.

- Ever had a good soup dumpling?
- Second dish.

I made an excellent sabayon,
in my mind.

Nice amount of ouzo, soy,
balance it.

I added a little bit
of sweetness to it as well.

The proportion of egg roll
to the stuffing,

sabayon to oyster,
broth to mushroom and egg--

I think the proportions
were all just off on the dish.

Elia.

I just kept it simple with
the cards like I did last time,

and I added fennel.

I felt good with the flavor

of my sweet-pea puree.

And I felt very, very well
about my snapper jus.

My piece of fish
was quite raw.

- Raw or medium?
- In the center.

No, not medium--
rare, very rare.

You didn't think
it was raw?

I was pushing for medium.

That's not what I asked.

When you opened it up, did you
think it was cooked properly?

I didn't put my Kn*fe
in the middle of all of them.

Yeah, well, see,
it wasn't inside the fish.

It was actually the top of it
that wasn't cooked at all.

- Really?
- Yes, really.

The leaf that I had here
is thicker.

It took longer in the steamer.

You didn't have to
steam it.

There's many ways
of doing this.

Did you test one out
before you--

I got a sense
of a talented Chef

who saw an obstacle
and never got off the ground.

You were your own
worst enemy.

Fabio.

When we were, all of us,
in New Orleans,

the only thing
that you guys pointed out

was that it was too light
of a stew.

I--honestly, I was happy
with the outcome of the dish.

To me, it was
just exactly overdressed,

you know, overdone.

The presentation--
what were you thinking?

I mean, it was brown.
It was wet.

It was horrifying-looking.

Sir, I'm telling you
something.

I agree to be criticized
in a constructive way.

And that's what you did
through the meal.

Some comment that you did
about my food,

if we weren't
in this situation,

we would have
a different problem.

But if this dish
was in a humble,

chipped, China bowl,

I would have been
a lot happier than the paper.

That wouldn't make
any sense.

It's a peasant food.

It was not meant
to be fine dining.

It was meant to be
with the paper.

Even when you make
a dish like that,

you still want to be able
to pick out

individual flavors
and nuances.

And that wasn't there.

All right, we'll call you back
when we have a decision.

Don't eliminate me.
I have a lot more to do.

I mean it.

- What are we, uh--
- what are we doing?

You guys get in a fight?

I may be the worst Chef
in here,

but I won't let anybody
make fun of me,

because it's
a very serious matter.

You know, everybody's
working their ass off,

and everybody
has a bad day.

Elia's dish--there's so much
that you could do with the dish,

but she decided to do

almost the exact same dish
she did before

and not improve upon it.

I mean, you sit there and
"improve upon the dish."

She refused.
She shut down.

Didn't look good.
Didn't taste good.

It wasn't cooked right.

Yeah. I should have tasted
several of the dishes.

Yeah, I should have.

Fabio--I don't know
what the problem there was.

He made some
very bad decisions.

That dish,
which I hated so much,

he didn't make a decision.

Is it gonna be a gumbo,
or is it gonna be a pasta dish?

It's too muddled.

You know, you could have
made the sauce

and then still kept
all the ingredients separate.

At the end,
put them together.

There was no nuance
in the dish at all.

You can criticize my job
as much as you want to.

That doesn't take away
that I'm still very successful

in what I'm doing.

What about Stephen?

I thought
the oyster sabayon,

proportionally, it was a--
it was a mess.

That could have been handled
a different way.

He didn't have a grasp
on what it was supposed to be,

so he couldn't change it
to make it better.

You know, I'm sorry
you're reminding me of this.

As I'm eating it, I was--

my mind was drifting back fondly
to my last colonoscopy.

- [Laughs]
- It was that bad.

Well, I think we've made
our decision.

Agreed.

All right, let's get them
out here.

[Suspenseful music]

♪ ♪

Chefs, the challenge
was to take a dish

that you were sent home for
in your respective season

and improve upon it.

It was a chance
at redemption.

And, unfortunately,
we felt that these dishes

were not improvements.

Fabio, even though the pasta
was well-made,

we felt that the presentation
was a little clunky.

The sauce was too thick
and heavy.

Elia, the tea leaves that
you used to wrap the fish,

it may have been a little thick,
but a Chef of your caliber

should be able to deal with
a variation of the ingredients.

Stephen, all the dishes
were out of balance.

They lacked a certain focus.

There was just a murkiness
to them all.

We know
you're talented Chefs.

But, unfortunately,
we had a decision to make.

Elia, please pack
your knives and go.

Okay.

Thank you.

I'm really, really upset.

I came here sure I was
gonna make it really far,

and this is
a huge slap in the face.

I'm going home.

Are you [Bleep] me?

The first to go home,

it's almost not worth
that you came.

Good luck.
You know what?

None of us doubt you.

[Applause]

I'm just humiliated,
that's all.

No, you're not.

As much as you say,

"I don't care
what people think,"

you take it to heart.

And I'm just
really disappointed.

- This season
on Top Chef All-Stars...

Behind! It's not called
"Top Chef mediocre."

No, it's "All-Stars."

You better bring the best.

- [Laughs]
- Watch your back.

Whoo!

The challenges
are brilliant.

- Match point.
- Yeah!

Did you bring
your sleeping bags?

I could whip
your cute little ass.

You guys can't believe
how excited I am for this lunch.

[All screaming]
No!

This is me kind of place.

We have to cook head to head
against Hung.

I don't know if it's
the pressure of the challenge.

Sorry, Padma.

I love it.

I don't know if it's the
pressure of the challenge.

People just start to break down.

She had to go
to the hospital.

Nobody knows how to [Bleep]
hustle all of a sudden?

- Bang it out!
- Fire everything.

I'm against you.
You're against me.

We're all
against each other.

We are going down
like a sinking ship.

There's people up there
ready to walk out.

You just want to
choke the guy.

You're putting [Bleep] words
in my mouth right now,

and I don't appreciate that.

It's your ass on the line
if I mess up your dish--

end of the story.

This was
a terrible thing to do

to a beautiful piece
of veal.

You did a poor job.

No one wants to say anything
because you're a time b*mb.

It wasn't appealing.

- It spiraled out of control.
- I completely blew it.

Why would you do that?

You guys are smart enough.
You're the judges.

Oh, wow.

For more about the recipes
seen tonight,