Previously on “Top Chef”: the Quickfire asked the chefs to cook Nigerian cuisine, which is very interesting and should have been the Elimination challenge. Real talk, wouldn't this episode have been better with the product placement in the Quickfire? Anyway, Buddha won immunity. Then everyone had to cook in teams and do dinosaur cuisine. I know. Evelyn, Nick, and Jackson had the best menu, which means Evelyn is on a roll and Jackson is not hurt at all by not being able to taste anything. Jo was eliminated for overcooking quail and having boring carrots. (click for more)
On Last Chance Kitchen, I guess Jo tried to stuff quail but overcooked it, so now you have to stuff something. Jo just roasted a squash and put stuff in it, but didn't actually cook one thing inside another thing. Sarah made dumplings and won.
Everyone has to get up early. Well, at 7am. As they all drive somewhere, they already know what is going on because they always have Restaurant Wars when eight people are left. Jae talks about how much fun the last challenge was. I guess. Anyway, she's ready to prove herself and so is Buddha.
When they walk in, there is a big open space and a big staircase, the kind that bends back and forth but is also exposed so everyone can see you walk down several flights. Tiffany Derry is also here, complaining that last season had it so easy because they only had to serve the judges. Of course this season, they have decided to have both a chef's counter AND a regular restaurant. Knives are drawn. They're doing that thing where you have a first and second choice knife, and the rest are blank. I don't think these are captains or leaders, just who gets to go first. Nick gets first choice, and he picks Damarr. Jae takes Evelyn. They keep picking, instead of the last person getting the choice, so Nick gets Ashleigh and Jae takes Jackson (with some whispered advice from Evelyn). Nick picks Buddha, so Luke is last and ends up with Jae. Jae admits in confessional that she'd rather work with Luke anyway, because she and Buddha don't click. I don't remember any drama from last week but maybe there was some? Restaurants open in 36 hours, to serve 50 guests. Also there are designers which is dumb, I hate the design part of this because it feels so arbitrary and just there to make people set up tables and not be in the kitchen. There will be some specialty shopping at different ethnic markets. Tomorrow they have five hours to set up and train the servers. That's another dumb part, because they're always catering waiters and they don't have experience with taking orders and tickets. It was so nice to not have that issue last season. Winning team gets $40,000.
Buddha tells his team that they're all strong Southern chefs, and he wants to work around them, and then he immediately volunteers for Front of House. Unlike past years they didn't specify that someone had to be FOH. But in terms of cuisine he is the odd one out. In confessional Buddha says that being FOH has sent plenty of chefs home but he's willing to take the risk. Damarr suggests the name Matriarc, because they have strong mothers. On the other side Jackson says Southeast Asian. He has come up with the name “No Nem”, like no name, but nem is a type of sausage. He takes front of house and interviews that Evelyn is probably going to be the leader because that's how she is. Luke tries to tell everyone it would be fine if one of their dishes wasn't SE Asian but no, they all have to be the same. Jae admits in confessional that she doesn't have experience cooking Asian food. She worked at Le Bernadin cooking fish. I think they are going to do some seafood. Buddha wants to do the starter, an array of snacks, and he promises it will be him still. They brainstorm seafood dishes. No Nem is discussing serving family style. Luke is skeptical, because the last time someone tried to do family style it was a disaster, but Evelyn promises that they weren't cohesive that time. Jackson is all for it because it's easier to execute. Luke is the only one who is skeptical so he's going to go with it. Of course since they have the name “nem” they need to make the sausage. Jackson is doing dessert? I think he just gets stuck with it. Damarr wants them to all be cohesive.
They all go pick out tableware and linens and chairs. Ashleigh interviews that being the executive chef is giving her confidence, because often when people come to her restaurant they complain it's too spicy or whatever. But she's going to make this one her own. They also meet with someone to make the logo and someone else about flowers.
They split up for shopping. Jackson and Luke call Evelyn and Jae and they all agree Evelyn will be executive chef and she says she can expedite. Luke says he doesn't want them to think he's not participating, and Evelyn says don't worry, you got shit to do, and they play the music sting like it's dramatic. But for all you know they all could have laughed right after. Also Jackson thinks they should serve the first and second courses at the same time, and then the third and fourth courses at the same time. And family style on top of that? Now I'm skeptical too. Over on the other team they call and talk about changing the menu. I think Ashleigh wants to not make tartare but salad. Buddha tries to tell her it's dumb because it's too boring. She says in interview that she's going to do what she wants, but in the car it sounds like she's agreeing to his insistence that she still make tartare and put salad on top if she really wants to make salad.
I thought they were splitting up for shopping, but I think they just split them in the cars to show off the hands-free. Buddha continues to shit on salads, so Ashleigh is now saying she's decided to do salmon tartare “with lettuce components”. Isn't she supposed to be in charge? Luke asks Nick if he needs a cutting board for “all that mincing about” which I guess is some goodnatured shittalking? Nick doesn't seem pressed. So now they are at a Vietnamese shop, or Ranch 99, depending. Love Ranch 99. Buddha and Nick are at an African market, hoping they have oxtail. They don't, but Ashleigh says they have some so they can still buy it.
So the chyron says “Prep Time, 2.5 hours”. Are you supposed to spent two and a half hours setting up tables and training waiters? Matriarc all run in and do a team yell of “Matriarc!” Heh. Ashleigh is making green gumbo in honor of Leah Chase. Jackson says he's going to start his dessert right now. We do get a breakdown of the dishes: Evelyn has pani puri, Jae has snapper summer rolls (these two dishes are listed as the first course but I'm not sure if that's right or because Jackson said they should serve two courses at a time, they're getting lumped together and they should be two different courses), Luke is making a curry with black cod, the “team dish” of nem sausage, and then third course is Jackson's dessert of shortbread cookies and curd. Pani puri is little deep fried rounds that are hollow. You fill them with things and then dip them in flavored water and eat them over the bowl so you don't drip everywhere.
Matriarc's menu has one dish per course I think as No Nem intended: Buddha's array of “Southern snacks”, Ashleigh's salmon tartare, Ashleigh's gumbo (hopefully having her back to back doesn't backfire), Nick's oxtail and potatoes, Damarr's carrot cake. Both these menus sound pretty good honestly. Jackson says he's been running FOH in his own place. He is doing his usual MO of asking other people to taste his food, and they say it needs more sweetness. And then he laughs that he forgot to put the palm sugar in, lol, oops. Luke asks Evelyn for help with the curry, because she made that great curry during the brisket challenge. So they're both working on it, and Luke says he needs to learn to do it so he can take ownership. Buddha is asking about his comeback sauce, and then I think Damarr is making chow chow? But Damarr just discovered the oven is fucked. I'm not sure if it is broken, or the temperature controls are broken, but it's too low. It's going to be a rush to get the cake baked fully, let alone cooled enough to put semi-freddo on top. Now he's flustered because he knows he has to change the dish. Everyone packs up, so I guess they just split the five hours of prep over two days.
Back in the apartment Buddha calls his mom and brother. He says his dad recently passed, and it's emotional. So having the restaurant dedicated to mothers is also making him emotional. In the morning Matriarc wants their customers to feel like they're at home. Ashleigh has a list of things for the servers to do. No Nem is talking about pacing and Luke is worried about bogging down. They seem to have him doing the two “main courses”, which is dangerous. You can't have one person responsible for two dishes that are coming out at the same time.
OK so they do still have five hours today. That's not bad. Evelyn is going to fry her pani puri like 30 minutes before service. Everyone is involved in the barbecued nem. Jae asks Jackson to taste the sauce and he just kind of shrugs that it's fine. He says in confessional that he can taste salt but that's about it. This had better result in him having a big reveal. He wants his dessert done enough so they can just plate for him. Damarr's cake is kind of uneven, so he's going to cut around those parts and then make ice cream and not semi-freddo. Ashleigh still has to do her tartare prep, as she makes buttermilk pearls. Jackson tells Luke his curry is salty, so don't season it anymore. We get a montage of “people telling Luke his seasoning is off”, which consists of one clip of Tom saying it's bland and one of Brooke saying it's too salty. Luke wonders in confessional if his palate is off or if it's everyone else, and I know you left that in because it was Jackson.
Waiters show up and Buddha and Jackson make them set up tables and flowers and whatever. Buddha wants the chairs all facing the kitchen. Jackson changes into his suit and almost spills something on himself. Jackson seems much more casual than Buddha. It's not that Buddha is a jerk or stuck up or anything, it's just that he's more professional about interacting with the waiters and Jackson is more “hey dude” about it.
Everyone starts arriving and getting served. Jackson serves some courses and doesn't explain anything, which a guest comments on. The judges come down the staircase to Matriarc and it's very cinematic. Buddha greets them and escorts them to the counter right in front of the kitchen. He explains they are Southern-inspired, and he's not Southern, but is “resignated” from the Southern Hemisphere. He gets them wine, and of course it is product placement. There are white tablecloths but it's not stuffy. They have arranged all the tables and chairs so every diner is facing the kitchen. The judges seem really excited with this concept. Buddha: Parker House rolls with ham butter, smoked fish and crab tarts, fried oysters with comeback sauce. Tom raves about the roll. The crab is great and the oyster is still hot and crispy.
Damarr is plating the tartare, and he says it's going more slowly than he would like. There are a lot of moving parts. I think it's also that from what we saw, all the guests arrived at the same time. Padma and Gail get really dramatic about how they need more bread. I get that Damarr is plating but Ashleigh and Nick don't have time to help him plate? See, Ashleigh is just standing at the pass instead of helping plate. The judges at least admit they're all calm. Ashleigh: salmon tartare with buttermilk pearls and peaches. It seems to be good? Hard to say. Meanwhile over at No Nem, Jackson is schmoozing and telling the kitchen everyone loves everything.
Ashleigh: gumbo z'herbes with red rice and seasoning meat. Gumbo z'herbes is vegetarian gumbo. Delicious. I think Tom says the rice is a little underdone, but Tiffany says she's tilting her bowl to get every drop so it's a good dish.
The pace has improved. Nick: BBQ strip loin with potatoes and oxtail marmalade. Also Nick's 26 spice blend which is not in stores yet. The marmalade is amazing and the beef is cooked well. Tom says the only thing that could make this better is bone marrow. You don't need it, but he would like some.
Jackson's cookies are so hard no one can cut them. I guess they all are trying to cut them with spoons? But pieces are flying off, so Jackson goes to tell the servers that they're going to have everyone eat the cookies with their hands.
Damarr: carrot cake with carrot caramel, coconut and candied ginger. The caramel is delicious. It's different enough to make it special. Tom says this feels more like a real restaurant than anything else. Buddha is a great host. As they are talking, Damarr appears to interrupt them and thank them for coming, and Ashleigh too. That was weird. It legit felt like he interrupted them, like he was supposed to wait to talk to them but he's off-script. They don't seem that mad.
Jackson is schmoozing everyone. Evelyn tells Luke to fire something immediately, as soon as the judges come in. Luke tries to argue that he doesn't want fish sitting around for twenty minutes, and Evelyn is like, “...OK but when you see them come in, fire it”. She says she's running her line.
The judges appear and Padma pretends they are checking reservations and she made one like a pleb. Someone made little signs saying “Welcome Judges!” for the table and Tom is immediately irritated. There is a shot of Jackson wandering the floor, but not going over to the judges. Instead a random server welcomes them and explains the concept of the restaurant. I will also point out Luke went to fire things. Tom calls Jackson over and tells him his sign is dumb. Heh. The first two courses get served, and Jackson is...somewhere. Dude. This is Restaurant Wars 101. This is basic shit. Someone has to explain the courses to the judges. Padma is all, screw this I'm eating. Evelyn: pani puri with shrimp, passion fruit, Thai basil. It's crispy but as Padma points out, you're supposed to have liquid in pani puri and this is dry. Guys even I know that. Now they have a shot where Evelyn is complaining to Jackson that she's happy about what they put out, but it sucks to have to hear the judges complain, because they're right there. Does this shot actually go here? Because that means that Evelyn heard them complain about not having the food explained to them, and then she didn't do it, and then Jackson was in the kitchen and she didn't tell him to do it.
Anyway, the second course (which they served with the pani puri) is from Jae: snapper “summer rolls” with papaya, citrus and avocado. It's in quotes because she wrapped it in fish instead of rice paper. They love the flavors and I think the fish is cooked well. However they are really not happy with Jackson, who is everywhere but the judges' table. He interviews that he's trying to touch every table and not hover. Yeah but there's not hovering and there's not explaining the dishes to the judges. Evelyn can hear everything, so they have to get a server to get Jackson so Evelyn and Luke can yell at him to go talk to the judges. I think people are not leaving Matriarc quickly.
The family style has backfired because no one knows how to eat anything. Luke: choo chee curry with black cod and coconut rice. Team dish: BBQ nem sausage wrap with Brussels sprouts, lettuce and spicy bean sauce. The sausage is a lettuce wrap, but with separate components so you just get a big plate of items that you have to assemble yourself. I guess the curry is obvious. Hilariously as Gail is asking Jackson to explain how to eat the sausage wraps, you can see Tom lifting a whole strip of banana leaf off the plate in annoyance. As he's about to walk off, she demands that he tell them who made what. Jackson is admitting to some random table that he can't taste anything and his team doesn't know. The curry is sweet, and Tiffany thinks the fish needs salt but it's perfectly cooked. It's not spicy curry. The sausage wraps are amazing and Gail would come here for that dish.
Tom points out that doubling up the courses is confusing. The curry has nothing to do with the sausage so serving them together doesn't make any sense. Jackson: shortbread with mandarin orange citrus curd and whipped coconut. He gives them the plates and says they must have “fun” and eat with their hands and then walks away. Evelyn has to stop him and specifically tell him to explain the dish. It's fine, but it doesn't feel “restauranty”. Ashleigh is relieved it's over.
Judges' Table. They talk to Matriarc first, because they are clearly the winners. Buddha says he volunteered to do FOH, and Tom says he did a really great job. It seemed like this was a real restaurant that they'd had months to plan. Tom wonders about the bread, and Damarr says Buddha told them “I got this”, and when Buddha says he's got it, he usually really does so they trusted him. The Parker House rolls were, according to Padma, the best bread she has had on this show ever. Nick's sauces all came together and the oxtail marmalade made the dish. Damarr made an amazing carrot caramel. Tom says it's the best he's ever had. And that's out of everything, not just on the show. Ashleigh claims she made salmon tartare because it's what got her back on the show from Last Chance Kitchen. No, she made it because Buddha practically ordered her to, but whatever. It was a great idea, the gumbo was delicious and the greens were perfectly cooked. They are going to declare a winner (even though they all win money) and that's Ashleigh. She says it's the first time she hasn't watered down her food.
Time for No Nem. Jae says she picked the members of the team, but Jackson decided on the concept and serving two courses at once. Even though Evelyn ran the kitchen. Hey, at least he admits it. Apparently it was because the two bites were small. Tom thinks he was unsure when to engage with them. Sure, treating them like any other table is fine, but a good FOH person knows when to engage. You know, like when you serve dishes you could engage by telling them what the dishes are. Padma says the pani puri didn't have enough liquid. Jae's dish seems to be just fine. But Luke didn't season his fish. They all say they tried the dish all together, and when asked if they thought it was seasoned, Jackson volunteers that he thought it was overseasoned. Sadly they move on instead of quizzing Jackson on his sense of taste. The sausage was very successful, the sauce was delicious and the sausage was well-cooked. The dessert was sort of boring. Tom says their restaurant wasn't a complete disaster, but the other team was near perfect.
Back in the Stew Room Jackson is really fidgety and then tells the room about him getting Covid and not being able to taste anything. I paused it on the most perfect shot of Evelyn in the middle of a full body eye-roll. She is so done. Luke I think is actually really pissed because he didn't season the fish that much, because Jackson said it was overseasoned. And Jackson just admitted he can't taste anything. The other team just thinks it's funny, so Buddha is like, plot twist, and Luke responds that it's a plot twist he's going to have to live with because he's not going home. Jackson of course thinks it's him, I guess that's why we are even having this conversation. But Luke has a point.
Tom hates the serving choices. Serving family style and also two courses at once ruined things. Evelyn was the executive chef, so they did have a leader, but Jackson had control over a lot of things. Gail knows the poor decisions were all Jackson, plus the bad FOH, plus a boring dessert. Padma insists Jae is safe and everyone seems to agree. Tom wants to send Luke home, because he only did one thing and it was bad.
Jackson is sent home, which is good because if Luke had been eliminated, the fans would be furious. He seems mostly OK with the decision, but he of course thinks he's going to win Last Chance Kitchen. But no one can taste anything for him.
Next week: block party, cooking outside. Probably some drama associated with cooking outside.
Last Chance Kitchen: Jackson won a lot, but then had a textbook terrible Restaurant Wars FOH performance. He knows, though, that he made some poor choices. He arrives at LCK and there's just Sarah and the peanut gallery and no Tom. They all stand there awkwardly until a cell phone under a cloche rings. Oh, it's Tom and Gail on FaceTime. Jackson did a bad job at Restaurant Wars, and Sarah didn't get to compete in that challenge. So now they're going to run a ghost kitchen where they have to make three dishes. Oh and when time is up they'll get in the car and deliver it to Tom's house. PS you have 45 minutes.
Sarah usually takes time to come up with concepts, and multiple people. She says “Jamasian”, Jamaican and Asian. Her restaurant did takeout during Covid so she's got experience in that at least. She's just worried about the time. Jackson is thinking casual Italian. He is already thinking about how the food will look when the judges open the containers. He is going to make fresh pasta? But he uses white wine for some reason? As he tells the peanut gallery that he's an idiot for making pasta. Sarah is making larb, but with jerk sauce instead of fish sauce. That sounds interesting. Jackson is still constantly talking to himself about how he's dumb for making fresh pasta. At least pesto is quick. Sarah is frying chicken, which could be dangerous because fried chicken doesn't generally travel that well. But she says she's making lime water? Not the fruit but the chemicals. You can put it in the dredge and it keeps things crispy. Jackson is also frying things, but eggplant this time. It's going to be covered in sauce too. There's no Parmesan, so he's using “cheese” and he says he doesn't know what it is. Or what it tastes like of course. Sarah interviews that Jackson always freaks out and then does well. Sarah's last dish is going to be mango sticky rice with other fruits. Jackson isn't making dessert. He's also got all his sauces on the side. I think they both actually get done, and then Jackson tries to joke it was super easy.
Now Sarah and Jackson have to make small talk in the car. It's awkward. Jackson: causal Italian. Mandilli di seta (apparently means “silk handkerchief”, it's just big sheets) with almond manchego pesto, eggplant with tomato and fonduta, chicken with salsa verde. Sarah: Jamaican/Asian fusion. Jerk shrimp larb, Korean “style” fried chicken with curry powder, and pineapple, mango and dragon fruit with sticky rice salad. The eggplant is good, and the fonduta turned out fine even though it's not the right cheese. The pasta did clump up a little bit, but Tom says it's fine. Sarah's blend of flavors both came through. Everything traveled well. Tom and Gail walk to the other side of the room and then come back. Both of them were consistent, and they both traveled well. However one was a bit better and that was Sarah's. She immediately curses and walks around. She can't believe she beat Jackson. Jackson says you learn more from failures that successes so eventually he'll learn from this.
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