On the Next Level Chef Season 4 premiere, the social media chefs were the first group to try for a spot in the draft. Facing challenges that put their skills viral dish making ability to the test, the final five chefs proved that their ingenuity will serve them well on the FOX culinary competition.
Going into the fourth season, Next Level Chef is looking to balance what makes this food television show unique with a dash of excitement. It is more than Richard Blais’ assertion that the set is a unique cast member or Nyesha Arrington’s mentorship approach. The competing chefs need to connect with an audience.
With the social media chefs, that ability to get them to watch the screen is high. It is more than just another video. Those moments get people to stop scrolling and tune in. This first episode of Season 4 was no different.
Starting in the basement, Gordon Ramsay tasked the chefs to create a midnight snack. While much has been said about the lackluster conditions in the basement, it is more than warped pans and dull knives. But, this challenge is not the usual basement scenario. This platform has a wide array of ingredients, just not the best ones.
This task gave the judges a glimpse into how the social media chefs handle the pressure. There is no second take or re-do for better lightning. They need to think on their feet and deliver.
While Bobby made a splash with his first impression, Ilena was not as successful. Her inability to come up with a sauce was a big downfall. Her momentary breakdown showed that she was not ready to take on the Next Level Chef gauntlet and she was eliminated.
In the middle kitchen, Richard Blais offered his challenge, make a visually impressive dish. While that concept is key for any social media chef, the visual is only one component. These chefs need to deliver on flavor and properly execute a concept.
Jeff’s dish was quite interesting. While it had great visual appeal with its fried noodles and bacon wrapped shrimp, it might not be restaurant worthy. It captures the eye, but it needed some editing. Still, he proved to be very innovative.
The more interesting part of the middle kitchen was Bobby’s ability to think on his feet. After dropping the majority of his chicken tenders, he came up with a smashing success with the schnitzel. Based on this one dish, Bobby is a chef to watch.
Unfortunately, the dish eliminated was Jake’s Mediterranean dish. Although Mistie’s dish looked like it had a Pepto Bismol puree, Jake’s Mediterranean dish had too many execution flaws. In addition to a rather brown plate, the eggplant was not cooked properly. This dish needed a few more rewrites to make it a hit.
For the final challenge, Nyesha Arrington asked the chefs to make their best Next Level Chef dish. It was more than putting their culinary life on the line. The dish needed to show their ability to execute, be creative, and stand out in the crowd.
Becca nailed that idea. Her scallops were not only beautifully executed, but the flavor profiles were exciting. Those seared scallops could have given a Hell’s Kitchen chef a run for their money.
The final social media spot in the draft came down to a battle between Mistie and Keith. Both chefs struggled in this challenge as well as the previous two. Keith’s poor choice to make an omelet without a non-stick pan in the basement and Mistie’s improperly seared steak in the middle kitchen prove they have a lot to learn.
In the last challenge, both the dishes were ok, but nothing spectacular. Truthfully, Keith’s pork chop probably was the better dish, but it was nothing special. It appears that the judges wanted a chef who had more potential to grow, learn, and adapt than one who couldn’t swing for the fences with bold flavors.
Mistie earned the final spot in the draft and Keith was eliminated. Could another social media chef earn the Next Level Chef title like last season. Bobby, Becca, and Meg seem to be strong contenders. But, the culinary gauntlet that is Next Level Chef has more twists and turns coming, and there is no take-two for this video posting.
Want more Next Level Chef Season 4? New episodes air Thursday night at 8 p.m. ET/PT on FOX. Episodes can be streamed the next day on Hulu.