07x08 - Foreign Affairs

[bunniefuu]

Previously on Top Chef...

Our next challenge is
to create a power lunch

at the Palm in D.C.

You're killin' me, Smalls.

Where's my pea puree?

Where the hell
is the pea puree?

Did somebody take it?

Alex, did you see
that pea puree?

I did not.
I didn't use any peas.

The only person that
has a pea puree on their dish

is Alex.

[Bleep]!

Alex, what I enjoyed
about your dish

is that wonderful pea puree.

The dish that I really loved.

Alex.

Thank you.

Andrea, please pack
your knives and go.

This season,
one outstanding competitor

will take the title
of Top Chef

and the grand prize.

A feature
in Food & Wine magazine

and a showcase

at the Food & Wine classic
in Aspen.

$125,000 to help turn
their culinary dreams

into reality,

furnished by Dial Nutriskin.

Top Chef, season seven.
Hail to the Chef.

[Rock music]

♪ oh, yeah, yeah, yeah ♪

Andrea ends up going home.

And it's hard.

I messed up last night.

I made a fatal error
in seasoning.

But I think it's put
some fire under me

to step it up

and, uh,
really pay attention.

I had no idea that Ed
had a pea puree.

I really don't care
what anyone else thinks.

Now I feel good.
I won the last challenge.

I want to get out there.
I want to cook.

I want to win.

I'm not angry about
the pea puree.

But I'm just more,
like, confused.

Did somebody take it
or did somebody throw it away?

I'm--I'm perplexed.

Now I'm just trying
to focus on moving forward.

There's nine of us left.
We started with 17.

It's crazy because, before
coming out here to Top Chef,

I was actually getting ready
for my wedding.

I get married
in Costa Rica.

But I need to win
some challenges, you know.

I haven't won anything yet.

I really need to show
that I can cook,

and I'm worthy of being here.

♪ Let's go ♪

good morning, Chefs.
All: Good morning.

Please welcome
a familiar face.

Marcus Samuelsson,

executive Chef and co-owner
of Red Rooster,

as well as the winner of this
season's Top Chef Masters.

Welcome.

Thank you very much
for having me.

Marcus Samuelsson

is one of the greatest Chefs
in American right now.

You know, he's known
for Ethiopian cuisine.

He's also known for
southeast Asian cuisine.

I mean, he's just--
he's an animal in the kitchen.

Washington, D.C.

Is one of the most diverse
cities in the country.

It's a mecca
for global cuisine.

But there's one country that
dominates the food scene.

Ethiopia.

Kind of had a feeling
that this challenge

might be coming up.

No matter where you go
in D.C,

you see four
Ethiopian restaurants.

Every challenge
is more difficult.

I'm just taking it
one challenge at a time.

For your quickfire challenge,

you'll be making
your own dish,

inspired by Ethiopian cuisine.

So, Marcus, can you
give our Chefs some tips

about Ethiopian food?

It's known
for its berbere.

Berbere is this wonderful
Spice blend that you have here.

The injera bread,

which is this spongy,
sourdough pancake bread.

And also, its Wat.
Its spicy stews.

It could be Wat of chickpeas.

It could be Wat of beef.
It could be Wat of lamb.

But they're all called WATS.

You sort of dip it up
and eat it with your hand.

So the injera bread
is also a utensil.

The winner
of this quickfire

will receive immunity from
tonight's elimination challenge.

To win the immunity today
would be awesome!

I've never won
a quickfire before.

So it'll be real nice
to be late in the competition

and win some immunity.

[Speaks Ethiopian]

Which means, start now.

I see the leg of goat.

And I go right for it.

And I'm going to do
a goat Wat.

I went right for the beef
tongue and the lamb tongue.

Growing up
in lower middle class,

my grandmother
would go shopping,

so she'd buy
lean cuts of meat

like tongue,

and she would stew them
in order to develop flavors.

I have to braise my tongue,

so I'm gonna use
a pressure cooker.

Oh ho!
Gotcha this time!

Alex gets really
sort of aggressive.

Alex won the last challenge,

and I think
it was bull[Bleep].

When you watch Alex cook,

he's like throwing darts
at a wall

and hopes it works.

And it doesn't work.

I think Alex is probably
the weakest one right now.

Ethiopian cuisine
is a spice-induced cuisine.

The challenge is not
to overdo it with the spices

to the point of where
it masks what you're eating.

But I worked for a restaurant
in New York City.

It was an Ethiopian Concept.

So I know the flavors
in my head.

The only three people that are
really comfortable with this

is, uh, Ed,
Angelo, and myself.

Because all three of us
have cooked some kind

of version
of Ethiopian cuisine.

Angelo has
an extreme advantage

because of the fact that
he's consulted a restaurant

that was Ethiopian.

But I feel very confident
that can win this.



I'm just kind of winging it
as I go.

I've never cooked
Ethiopian food.

But I know to keep it
pretty simple

and make sure
that the flavors come through.

Have you ever seen nuts
in Ethiopian food?

I wanna say yes.
Okay.

I've never even
eaten it, so...

I have no idea what
any of these spices are.

I don't even know
the proper etiquette

for mixing them.

I mean, it's the idiot's guide
to Ethiopian cooking.

We don't have many Ethiopian
places in Dallas, Texas,

or Houston,
or definitely not Beaumont.

[Laughs]

So I want to go
for what I know,

and I want to make
a nice, hearty stew

with a whole bunch
of Ethiopian spices.

I wish I could tell you
the name of my dish.



Time's up!
Hands up!

Utensils down.

Hi, Kevin.
How are you?

What did you make for us?

Braised chicken
with a little bit of chickpeas.

A, uh, cucumber
and mint salad.

I definitely feel the heat.
It's definitely there.

Hello.

I did a little stew
with lamb meatballs.

Course, a little yogurt sauce
over the top of the lamb.

So what I have today
is a classic stew.

It has beef and lamb tongue.

I braised down some cabbage

and some potatoes.

I don't eat
a lot of spicy food,

so I don't know
how spicy I can make it.

It's not very spicy
at all.

I made a little
leg of lamb

with some roasted cauliflower,
a little yogurt.

The fact that you like heat

definitely comes through
in this dish.

I did goat.

The sauce
is the braising liquid

that I just mounted
with a little butter.

This is definitely
a modern stew.

Thank you very much.
Tastes wonderful.

I did a duo of lamb.

I made a kind of
meatloaf preparation,

incorporated a little of
the sesame seeds and hazelnuts,

along with some extra turmeric.

And there's some grilled lamb
rib eye on top.

Lots of deep flavors.

And I love how you thought
about, um, breaking it up

with something a little bit
chillier and cooler.

Thanks, Chef.

So I did my interpretation
of a traditional chicken Doro.

I ground some ginger,
garlic, onions; Blended that.

Seasoned the chicken
with berbere Spice,

seared that off,
then cooked it all together.

It's actually my top three
favorite foods.

You sure you're not
born Ethiopian?

[Laughs]

I did a stewed lamb

and beef tripe

with cauliflower, red peppers.

There's also some braised
greens in there.

It's definitely
well balanced.

I did, uh, a beef goulash

with a little bit of
some currants

and peppers, ginger, garlic.

I've never cooked
Ethiopian food,

but I put what I like
and what I know

into some of the flavors.

Had to taste each Spice.

After I've tasted
eight dishes,

I'm still standing here
tasting and eating.

Thank you very much.

Who were some of
your least favorite dishes?

Kevin. You know,
Ethiopian food to me

is very bold cooking.

And your dish
was a little bit too shy.

It wasn't bold enough.

At this point,
I've been on the top four times

and on the bottom
three times.

It's pretty inconsistent.

I just want to be on the top.
No more bottom.

Stephen, interesting dish.

You did a really good job
with the cabbage.

But on the lamb meatballs,
they were not that juicy.

Alex, I love the fact
that you picked tongue.

Bold choice, but your stew
was a little bit too dry.

Who were some
of the favorites?

And, Amanda, your combination
between goat, spices,

and potatoes--
absolutely fantastic.

I end up in the top.

Wow.

Crazy. Who knew?

Angelo, obviously you know
a lot about Ethiopian cooking.

It came through in your dish.

Your Doro Wat
was absolutely beautiful.

Tiffany, there is actually
a similarity

between goulash
and Ethiopian cooking.

Both are really
hearty flavors,

and that came out
in your dish.

Thank you.

Marcus, as our guest judge,

why don't you
announce the winner?

For me,
the best dish was...

Tiffany's.
Yes!

[Applause]

I'm the winner!
Ding, ding, ding!

So I am really happy
to win my first quickfire.

And...Immunity, baby.

That dish kept me
wanting to go back

for more and more and more.

Well done.

She b*at Angelo.

That's the best part,

because Angelo cooked
with Ethiopian food.

Congratulations.

I'm a little bit nervous.

You never know
what's going on.

They tell you nothing here.
Wow.

Padma and Marcus roll in
this giant chalkboard.

You never know
what's going on.

They tell you nothing here.

Wow.
Oh, God.

They flip it around,
and it's a map

from all over the world.

A map with nine countries
highlighted.

I've spent, like, my entire
career studying French food.

I want France.

For your elimination
challenge,

you'll be taking a culinary trip
around the world.

You'll each be choosing a dish

inspired by the flavors

of the country represented
on that map.

When I see the countries,
I'm pretty excited.

There's nothing on there

that I didn't feel comfortable
about cooking.

You'll each be making


and serving them at the meridian
international center.

It's the center
of diplomatic life

and international dialogue

here in D.C.

The pressure's on,
because you'll be serving

diplomats, ambassadors,
and world dignitaries.

Jeez.

Hot damn.

And many are looking
for a taste of their homeland.

And one more thing:

You won't have use
of a kitchen.

You'll only have sternos
to heat your food.

There is no electricity.

It's only chafing dishes.

So you have to approach that
slightly differently.

You can't try and cook
anything ala minute.

Um, you've got to get your food
in the chafing dish.

And to determine in what order
you'll be choosing in,

please draw knives.

Growing up, my parents
were very big

into expanding our palates.

So I was exposed to many
different types of cuisine.

But, uh, I'm not looking forward
to necessarily picking Brazil.

Three.

Four.

Six.

Nine.

Two.

Eight.

Five.

Yes.

One.

Today is my freakin'
lucky day!

It's about time.

[Laughing]

Seven.

Okay, Tiffany,
let's start with you.

All right, Mexico.

Italy.

France.

Thailand.

I've been to Spain.

I've traveled through
Spain extensively.

So I know the cuisine.
I'm really comfortable with it.

Just joking.

[Laughter]

Japan.

There's only three choices
left:

China, India, and Brazil.

So let's go big
or go home.

India.

China.

And Stephen.

[Scattered laughter]

Ah.

As I get Brazil,
I'm like, Jesus.

But I'm telling myself
I can pull it off

if I just put out
a really cool dish

with some unique flavor.

I can do Brazil.

Marcus and I
will see you tomorrow.

Good luck.

Five--five racks of ribs.

I don't know why
I end up in the middle again.

This is a competition.
Every challenge is game time.

I've gone through more
in my life

than most people will.

I had a bout with cancer.

I went through
four surgeries.

It takes mental strength,
mental toughness.

You know, someone's
gonna win or lose.

I'm gonna win.

Yeah.

The difficulty in cooking
Brazilian food

is I don't know
that much about it.

Hello.

My wife and my two kids,

we all went
to a Brazilian steakhouse.

That's what
they're known for: Steak.

Add two pounds to that.

My game plan is to get
a nice flank steak.

God, this is an eternity.



You wanna serve it
in the husk?

'Cause I do it
in parchment sometimes.

No I want to serve it in here.
Okay.

I have no choice.
India's in Asia, right?

I don't know much
about Indian cuisine.

I don't know
anything, really.

I'm pretty sure
I want to use chicken

and build the dish
around that.

Where can I find spices?

Like I say,
I can make my own curry.

I'm absolutely nervous
that an ambassador from India

or any other country
in that area

come up and taste my food.

I'm probably the one
that's the most...

Uncomfortable
with what I have.

Did you get Brazil nuts?

Yeah, I did.

[Laughter]

Thank you so much.

Whoa!

Angelo, you got
that fenugreek?

Who took
all the veal stock?

When it gets tough

and I'm not the best
in the room,

I need to figure out how
to persevere through that.

Because whoever
sticks through it

and is consistent
is gonna win this thing.

I got a speed rack
in the back.

I end up with Italy.

I'm making a cold dish because
I won't be able

to cook
at the meridian center.

So this was strategic.

My dish is beef carpaccio

with a shaved
spring vegetable salad.

I'm going to just
roll it quickly

in some really hot oil

to infuse that flavor
of the spices into it.

I'm trying to represent China.

I'm very familiar with the--
the culture and the food.

I've had some Chinese
girlfriends in the past.

So I'm doing a tea-smoked
duck breast

with a crispy pot sticker.

I'm excited for it.

I gotta take
the ingredients I've got

and come up with Brazil.

My dish
is marinated flank steak

and pork beans and rice.

I marinate it in coffee
and peppers.

Hot in the hot tub!

I've only developed two
Brazilian components.

So I really
have to make a mark.

I'm watching Stephen,

and I'm just
immediately thinking, like,

"man, how is he gonna
make this hot?

We only have chafers."

I'm wondering what
he's gonna do.

[Sizzling]

I'm from Beaumont, Texas.

So, picking Mexico, I know
exactly what I want to do.

When I go down to Mexico,

I just love, like,
the bold flavors.

I do chicken tamales.

And I leave it
just that simple.

Tamales on the bottom,
chicken on the top,

a radish pico De gallo.

The ultimate to me is have
immunity, but still win.

Stevie.

[Laughs]

That's awesome, bro.

I'm doing sashimi
tuna ribbons

served with avocado
and candied wasabi.

Selecting Japan
was definitely a big break.

It's definitely flavors
I love.

You'll only need


This is exactly 107.

I'm making a boeuf bourguignon

with pomme forchettes

and horseradish mousse.

Something that's so simple

and often done poorly,

when done properly
can really shine.

Ooh, very hot.
Very heavy.

I picked Spain.

I'm doing a three-part dish.

I'm doing braised veal

with a red wine sauce.

Olive salad with
a little bit of baby tomatoes.

And then I'm making a torta.

I'm making a very,
very difficult menu.

Behind.

Alex is a
fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants

type of Chef.

Ah, [Bleep]!

Alex, he's just a spaz.

He has no technique.

One hour, guys.

Behind.

My style is very simple.

American
with French technique.

The biggest challenge
with Indian food

is really just understanding
the use of the spices

and how to balance it out
and blend it all.

My dish is stewed chicken
flavored with curry.

Parsnip and leek puree.

Can you taste the curry?

I taste curry.
You taste the ginger in there?

I taste ginger.

Hey, Chefs,
how's it going?

All: Hi, Chef.

Hey, Alex.
Hey, Chef, how are you?

Good. Spain, huh?

Yeah, I love Spain.

I've traveled through Spain.

I thought of tapas right away.

I couldn't get veal cheeks,
so I got veal shank.

So it should be good.
Good luck.

Thank you, Chef.

How's it going?
Good. How are you?

I'm good.

The one thing about tamales
that just gets on my nerves

is there's not enough meat.

Okay.
So...

I'm going to kind of
deconstruct it, I guess.

You're gonna turn it around?

Yeah, yeah,
yeah, yeah, yeah.

Well, it sounds good.

Thank you, Chef.
I'll see you later.

So Indian cooking, huh?
Yeah.

I have a stewed chicken.

Uh, I made my own
curry blend.

Okay.
And, uh,

I flavored it with that.

You spent a little bit
of time with Padma now.

Do you think she's gonna be
extra-tough on you

because she's Indian?
Oh, absolutely.

Absol--
[Both laugh]

Okay, Chefs,
see you tomorrow.

Good luck.

I'm a little nervous.

How familiar are you
with Indian food?

Hot, incoming.

Our elimination challenge

is to cook a dish

inspired by the country
we choose.

[Sizzling]

I'm pretty excited
about Thailand.

I opened a Thai pan-Asian
restaurant.

My dish is tamarind-braised
pork spareribs,

Thai green curry sauce,

uh, a rice and noodle salad.

Whoa, homes! Sorry.
It's okay.

The flavors are gonna
be full-flavor,

powerful, delicious.

It's very hot.

Behind you.

Coming over.
Behind you.

I'm really trying
to push myself to the Max.

Time is--is dwindling down.

My biggest concern
was not being able to finish.



That's a hot pot.

Chug, chug, chug,
chug, chug.

My bad!

Five minutes
and 37 seconds!

Does anybody have, uh,
room in their hot box?

There's actually not room
in my hot box.

Just throw my name on here.
Yep.

Just says ed all over it.

Where's the speed rack at?

Come on.
Let's go, guys.

Daddy, what are you
doing up?

Daddy's always
awake this time.

Why--why aren't
you sleeping?

I think
my biggest challenge

will be to stay focused.

I can be short-tempered
sometimes.

That's something
that I feel like

I might need to work on.

That ain't me.
I didn't put pepper in anything.

That's coming from
your Au jus, you [Bleep].

Staying rooted.

I definitely get strength
from my family.

You feel the baby moving?

Yeah, I can.
Oh, wow.

Keep praying for me.
I love you guys.

We love you too.

All right, bye.

I wonder what it is.

I got a care package
from my husband.

Oh, it's a Bernie.
That's what my dog is.

[Laughing] Aww.

I haven't gotten
a care package

since I was in, like,
summer camp.

But I really need this.

Both: Ohh ho ho ho!

It's the little things
that remind me

of home and him
and our life there.

And it reminds me to keep
my eye on the prize.

So, um, I feel good.

Thank you.
Thank you, Kelly.

Cheers.
Here's to Rick.

To Rick!

The Meridian
International Center

is one of the most beautiful
places I've ever been.

for the elimination challenge,

we had to each cook a dish

that represents
a different country

and cook for ambassadors
from all over the world,

representing that country
that we chose.

We walk in and...

There's beautiful
marble stairs

that, you know,
as you walk up,

there's flags of
the representative countries

that we'll be serving.

It's a gorgeous space.


to be ready by.



My beef's really dry,
and I'm not happy about it.

It was a little bit dry
when it came out yesterday.

I'm gonna fix it
by cutting it smaller,

making sure
my sauce is delicious.

Is anybody's Sterno
getting hot yet?

Anybody have the time?

What do you want?

I go grab my tortas.
I bring them out.

I take them out
of the flexi-molds.

They look beautiful.
I try one; It's delicious.

I'm hungry,
so I have another one.

In order to be
ready for service,

I need to make sure
everything's hot

and that my steak
remains moist

and that my rice
remains dry.

The problem becomes--
when heating up my rice.

As I heat it up and add
a little stock to it,

it's overcooked.

I'm praying that the Brazilian
national minister

doesn't walk up to my table.

I'm chopping like crazy.

Cucumbers, radish,
habaneros.

I mean, I am down
to the wire.

People are already starting
to put out their plates.

I haven't even cut
the tamales yet.

So I am just far behind.

Guys, three minutes
and 30 seconds.

That's time.

What do we have today?

So I'm representing Japan.

We have a beautiful
sashimi of tuna.

What was your country?
India.

India.
Yes, ma'am.

Are you familiar
with Indian cooking?

No, first time.

When the diners enter,

I'm gonna be sure
to tell everyone today

that I'm making stewed chicken
with the flavors of India,

and not curried chicken.

Just trying to make
my own interpretation of it.

This is not quite finished.

If you can give me
just a moment.

[Laughter]

Hi, Ed.
Well, hello.

I'd like to introduce you
to Jose Andres.

How are you?

The Chef and owner
of minibar and jaleo.

The special guest judge
is Jose Andres.

He's a great Chef.

He hails from Spain.

And he has some really
kick-ass restaurants.

So you had China?
I did.

I had an old Chef instructor
back in culinary school.

He taught me this tea-smoked
duck breast.

So I have a nice little
duck and pork potsticker

underneath that.

And here you go.

Bon appetit.
Thanks a lot.

I recognize this flag.

Well, obviously,
I have Spain.

Alex has Spain.

If I had Spain,
I'd definitely be nervous

cooking for Jose Andres.

So what I did
was Spanish tapas.

So what I have is a traditional
Spanish torta.

Next to that is a little
olive salad,

and next that, veal cheeks.

Bon appetit.
Thanks, Alex.

Thank you.

I feel pretty confident.

I think he'll be impressed
with my dish.

How's Brazil treating you?

Uh, Brazil's all right.
You know.

I came up with
some nice flavors.

First off,
I have some rice.

Black beans, pork.

Some Brazil nuts,
of course.

I'm gonna sauce it with
a little chimichurri sauce.

I marinated the steak
with coffee.

Hi, Kelly.

Tell us about your dish.

So I'm representing Italy.

And I have some beautiful
Virginia beef carpaccio.

I'm serving it with a salad
of spring vegetables.

Did you know exactly what
you wanted to make

when you chose Italy?

Um, I actually
initially thought

that I would make mutti.

When I found out we didn't
have any electricity

and we couldn't cook here,

I sort of changed my plan.

Thank you.
Thanks.

Thanks a lot.

I'm very excited to try
your Indian food.

I'm a little nervous.

I've made a stewed chicken.

It's flavored with curry.

Underneath is a leek
and parsnip puree,

mango and cucumber salad,

and crispy fried lentils.

How familiar are you
with Indian food?

I'm not familiar at all.
This is my first time at it.

Thank you.

It's very pretty.

And I like the fact

that Kelly
simplified her dish...

Mm-hmm.
Based on the location.

Cold dishes are so difficult.

I mean, they are the most
difficult dishes

to make them taste
really good.

I think
that today's carpaccio

represents Italy
better than I do.

Grazie.

There's a lot of flavor
in Ed's dish.

You know, the scallions there,
and the plum sauce.

It's very inventive.

Uh, he had a theme.

I don't feel the Chinese
being well represented.

The duck meat prepared
very authentic.

Very good taste.

I think Kevin has done
a great job

on the aroma already.

The smell of this dish

already is taking me
to India.

The lentils were great
on top.

And I love the salad too.

I really like
the curry flavor.

It has a lot
of nice textures.

I like that Stephen used
coffee in his marinade.

The problem I have
with this dish

is there's only a few
things going on here.

You have rice and beans
and u have steak.

Cook the rice properly.

When I think about
Brazilian food,

there's many places
you can go.

You can go Portuguese.

You can go the African way.

But, um...

I don't--I don't sense
Brazilian here.

Actually, I don't.

Well, I would think
it was a good buy

if I bought it
in a food stand, um,

for five bucks.

What do you think
about Alex's dish?

You know, he's trying to do
the tortilla espanola.

Uh...Doesn't work.

I think Alex needs
more focus in the dish.

I was just hoping
for a bit of a punch.

And I think everything
was a little bit...Muted.

Gentlemen, the last three.

The last three.

Bonjour.

Bonjour!

What did you make for us?

I've made beef bourguignon

with plum fourchette

and a horseradish mousse.

I don't feel like my dish
is representing France

the way I want it to.

Feeling like I want to crawl
under the table

and cry.

So you had Japan?

Correct.

Today,
we have sashimi of tuna.

Cut it into ribbons,
marinated it

in a Chile oil.

And it's served with
candied wasabi.

I was very excited
to get Mexico.

I've made tamales.

What I've done is braise
the meat and put it on t top.

And I'm going to finish it off

with a little queso fresco

and a fresh tomatillo sauce.

You had Thailand.

Yes, I did.

I decided to make
a cold salad.

Then I took pork spareribs

and then braised them
really slow with tamarind juice,

lemon grass,
and, um, ginger.

Thank you very much.

Please enjoy.

I think Amanda's
beef bourguignon needs beef.

Why did she choose to cut

her pieces of meat
so, so small?

And, actually, if she
will put the meat on the side,

and she will only
use the sauce,

I think it will be
a perfect dish.

Hmm, I like
the flavors overall,

but, like you said, the beef
was a little bit dry.

Angelo seemed pretty excited
to get Japan.

I love the color
of this tuna!

If it tastes
as good as it looks...

When you think about Japan,

you think of clean flavors.

You think about the fish.

I mean, it's a nice dish.

There's some good flavor.

But...All this does
is cover up the fish.

Japanese sashimi
was authentic.

It was really the way you
would have, uh,

your--it would have
been presented

in one of the best restaurants
in Japan.

Where are you from?

I'm from New York City.
Okay.

The look of Tiffany's dish

tells you "Mexico."

And once you eat it,
keeps telling you "mexic"

so...It's a great dish.

You know, this is one of
the first tamales I've had

where you can actually taste
the husk that it's cooked in.

The chicken tamales
that Tiffany made from Mexico,

those were amazing.

This one just, like,
pops in your mouth.

Yeah.
Thank you.

Ooh, I like the flavors
in Kenny's dish a lot.

I like the green curry.

It's not too coconutty
or rich.

Like it had a lovely
subtle flavor to it.

Some Thai food,
you're, like, crying

because it's so hot.

Others, it's so bland
you don't taste anything.

And this is like
the perfect in-between.

I used the wrong cut.

It's awful.
I'm...Going home.

Unless somebody else's
is terrible.

Do you think I might not
go home, then?

I don't think you'll go--

I didn't taste the rice
and the beans,

but you won't go home
for that beef.

I want to thank you
for joining us.

Thank you.
Thank you so much for having me.

Always a pleasure.

And for the rest of us,

let's head out
to judges table.

You set us up for a different
experience.

Wow, it was like
a little nightmare.

So I just take that
plastic wrap,

and make sure
it's beautifully tight

over the toilet.

Alex comes in, I'm like...

Don't use the bathroom.

There's something
for Stephen.

Okay?

Stephen comes in.

He's a little tipsy.

He walks into the bathroom.

[Water trickling]

And then he starts laughing!

[Laughing]

What is your [Bleep]
Malfunction, bro?

[Laughing]
Did it splatter all over?

[Laughter]

I was like,
"what's on my nads?"

[Laughter]

Hit his balls!

[Laughing]

His nuts are on the
[Indistinct].

[Laughter]

It's on the floor.

That's funny stuff
right there.

[Laughing]

I don't think there's
anything on my dish

that I didn't eat, okay?

It was all combined.

Maybe it didn't
scream Spain.

We'd like to see Kelly...

Kevin...

And Tiffany.

At your earliest convenience,

Stephen's gonna
need some Tums.

[Ominous music]

♪ ♪

the three of you
had our most favorite dishes

this evening.

Thank you.
Thank you.

Tiffany,
it seemed like you

were enjoying
this challenge a lot.

[Laughs] Yes, I was.

I treated this like
I didn't have immunity.

I want to win;
I don't want to just stay

just to get by.

Sometime, tamales can be
a little dry for me,

and I'm always looking
for condiments

or I'm looking for more meat.

And I think you did
such a great job

of combining
all of it together.

The dish
was really delicious,

and it made perfect sense.

Thank you.

Kevin...

I don't know anything
about Indian cuisine.

Uh, it's my first time
cooking something

inspired by India.

The fact of the matter is

you knew how to braise
the chicken to make it tender.

Knowing that you needed
something to cool it down,

but didn't just do a straight
cucumber raita.

You did your own thing
with it.

I thought that was
brilliant as well

where you don't have to do
authentic food

for it to be good.

Nice work.

Kevin, I love the way
you layer the entire dish.

Very nice homage to India.

Thank you.
I appreciate that.

Kelly.
This is a good example

of why local food works.

Because you don't have to do
a lot to it.

You can just present it,
beautiful as it is,

and you have great results.

So nice job.

I just came back
from Venice, Italy,

and I was able to enjoy
a great carpaccio.

And you honor that carpaccio.

Honoring a tradition,
but at the same time,

bringing your personal touch.

That's what you did today.

Thank you.

Jose, as our guest judge,

please announce the winner.

The person
that did the best

representing the integrity

of those ingredients

of those countries...

Is Tiffany.

[Whispers] Yes!

[Applause]

Good job.

Yes! [laughing]

I win! Yay!

And we have
a surprise for you.

You will be
receiving $10,000,

furnished by Dial Nutriskin.

Wow!

A $10,000 tamale.

Whoa!

[Laughing]

My wedding is paid for.

So I'm really excited to see
what my fiance's gonna say.

[Laughing]

We'll have a clean start,
you know.

It's not--not starting
in debt.

That's awesome.

We're also matching
that $10,000

with a donation in your name

to a charity near
to Chef Andres' heart,

D.C. central kitchen.

So wonderful.

Wow. I'm very touched.

Really, thank you very much.
And thank you.

Please send back
some of your colleagues.

[Applause]
Way to go!

Good job.

Unfortunately,
they want to see Alex...

Stephen...

And Ed.

Good luck, guys.
Good luck.

Oh, that's me.

Stephen, Alex, and Ed,

you had the three least-favorite
dishes of tonight's party.

Stephen, let's start with you.

I think the idea for your rice
was perfectly fine.

But it was broken.

It was mealy.

It was overcooked.

And then there was
the chimichurri.

When you use that word,
chimichurri,

you set us up
for a different experience.

I mean, instinctively,

I go to Argentina.

Regardless of whether
it was Brazil

or Argentina,

if your rice
was cooked correctly,

the flavor was right,

and the steak was nice
and moist and juicy,

you probably wouldn't be here.

These are basic things.

Cook the steak right.

Make the rice right.
That's it.

So, Alex, you won
the last challenge,

and now you find yourself
at the bottom.

When I saw the flag
of my country,

I was like,
"no matter what,

I'm gonna enjoy this dish."

But, wow.

It was like
a little nightmare.

Uh, I, uh...

I screwed up.

I mean, I'm really
upset with myself.

I got really excited
when I heard

I was gonna do Spain.

I love Spanish cuisine.

And I got too excited,
and I couldn't edit myself.

I met with Chef Tom,
and Tom said,

"you know, it doesn't have
to be a Spanish dish.

Just needs to be
inspired by Spain."

So it's my fault?

No, no. I was not trying
to imply that at all.

The cooking was the problem.

I had dried out meat.

The sauce was so
thin and watery.

It wasn't strained
it wasn't reduced.

There was nothing that
reminded me of Spain.

Nothing at all.

Ed...

Actually, I enjoyed
the clam sauce.

I think your main problem was

that you overpromised
and under-delivered.

You began the description
of your dish

with sweet and sour.

Sweet and sour
were nowhere to be found.

The duck part of it would have
been much more successful

if you had rendered some of the
fat out of it first.

I mean, you're shaking
your head--you know.

It would have clearly
been a lot better

if you had that nice,
thin, crackling duck skin.

It's obvious--you see
that translucent piece of fat,

and then you got a little
crispiness on top.

I hate--I hate that.

We hate it too.

We'll call you back
in a bit.

It's Ed.
He's going home.

[Laughter]

I just keep k*lling myself.

Like, I could have
done something else.

This is a touch challenge.

Because you're a Chef doesn't
mean you know the world.

Stephen, uh, cold
chimichurri--do a sauce

that, you know,
is not Brazilian.

The garlic was so pungent,

and that rice was mushy,
it was mealy.

It was not done well.

You know, I [Bleep]
Up a rice dish, dude.

Ed's dish disappointed me

mostly because the description,
of it sounded so delicious.

What I can't understand

is why he didn't
render the fat earlier.

Let it sit there and get
all that fat out of it

at the beginning.

Tell me tea-smoked duck,

I want smoke.

I want to get some smoke.
I want to get some flavor.

You think of Chinese food,
you think of flavorful food.

Really seasoned food.

There wasn't much flavor.

There wasn't even enough salt.

For me, Alex dish...

Not because he didn't represent
the country of Spain well.

His techniques,
the ingredients he chose,

quite frankly, the way
he presented the plate

didn't live up
to expectations.

I think you can take
beef cheeks and red wine

and olives and egg
and bone marrow

and give that to somebody
and get a great dish.

The mistake was,
he's not a g--

he wasn't good enough to make
those flavors work together.

That was my first time
on the bottom.

And I think I'm done.

I'm a little bit surprised
that Ed is on the bottom.

Ed's a very strong Chef.

Definitely hits home
that we're all vulnerable.

I ended up on the bottom.

It's [Bleep], because...
It's with Alex.

It sucks, I mean, uh...

I'm embarrassed, actually.

It was a touch decision,

but I think we have
our answer.

Sure.

[Ominous music]

♪ ♪

Chefs, our challenge tonight

was to create dishes
using inspirations

from various countries.

In most cases, we saw
inspiration.

It was the cooking technique

that fell short
in all these dishes.

Stephen, the rice was just
an absolute mess.

The chimichurri
was overpowering.

The dish just fell apart.

Alex...

The cooking techniques
were sloppy.

We didn't see cooking skill
at all.

Ed, you offered us
a tea-smoked duck.

Didn't get enough smoke.

There was a lot of fat
in the duck.

A technique
that you should have

been able
to accomplish easily.

Stephen, please pack
your knives and go.

It was an honor to be a part
of the process.

Thank you very much.

I'm disappointed
of my fatal errors.

And to go home
on cooking techniques

is probably the--
the hardest thing.

Looks like I won
a trip to Vegas, guys.

Ohh.
Going home.

Bye.
Love you.

I love you too.

I really enjoyed being
on Top Chef.

Ha ha, buddy.
Take care, bro.

Just the overall experience
of it.

Bye, guys.
Chef!

People don't know how hard

and how intense
this competition is

until they come here.

There could have been


that would have d*ed
for my spot.

Top Chef chose me.

And that was a victory
in itself.

But somebody's gotta go,

and tonight, I was the guy
that fell short.

Next, on Top Chef...

Restaurant wars is the reason
that we're all here.

I'm concerned about Alex.

It's like everything
done over today.

To see Angelo get
this ramped up is crazy.

It's not gonna work. Please.
No talking in the kitchen.

'Cause I'm gonna blast somebody
and you don't wanna see me mad.

Overcooked.

Amanda, it's a recook.

It's because I was resting
them underneath here.