With both the home cooks and social media chefs ready to enter the draft, the Next Level Chef Season 4 professional chefs are ready to show that they will snatch the title from the other groups. These three challenges appeared harder than the previous episodes. Luckily, these professional chefs can handle anything that the judges throw at them.
For the first challenge, the professional chefs had to create a staff meal with scrap ingredients. While the staff meal, or family meal, is an essential part of creating a community within the restaurant, this challenge was about resourcefulness.
Looking at the ingredients, it was more than just scraps. The various ingredients were items that often find their way straight into the bin. How these chefs were able to transform them into sophisticated dishes was impressive.
The majority of dishes were elevated and deserving of being in a top kitchen. These professional chefs captured what many Next Level Chef participants have learned, the basement is a place to shine.
Unfortunately, the worst dish had Gordon Ramsay coughing, almost choking, after one bite. Ashley’s pork ribs were incredibly dry. Making that protein tender in the limited time was almost impossible. There was not enough spicy cream sauce to hide the mistake. She was sent home first.
In the middle kitchen, the professional chefs were challenged to make a perfect restaurant special that used low cost ingredients. This challenge is something that might be part of a Hell’s Kitchen challenge. Professional chefs think beyond just the perfectly executed meal. They must see the dollars and cents on every plate that leaves the kitchen.
The middle kitchen seemed to cause almost everyone to go into a tailspin. The lack of focus was clear. Chefs were undercooking proteins, dropping pans, and making other silly mistakes.
Unfortunately, Ash’s mistakes were the most confusing. The Chinese Italian pasta dish was beyond strange. Additionally, the red wine was not cooked out. It was a rookie mistake that the judges would not overlook. She did not move onto the final cook.
In the top kitchen, the Next Level Chef professional chefs had one more opportunity to impress Gordon Ramsay, Nyesha Arrington, and Richard Blais. Challenged to make a Michelin Star worthy dish, the chefs delivered and then some with these entrees.
From a perfectly cooked filet to a delicate duck, the top dishes were clear. Even the less successful dishes were not complete failures. The lack of a sauce on the venison dish was a product of not adapting in the moment. But, the peas with the tiger shrimp were not two peas in a pod.
Unfortunately, the last chef eliminated was Brennan. This yacht chef’s tiger shrimp dish lacked direction. A well-cooked protein could not overshine other ingredients that had no connection on the plate.
Looking at the professional chefs, Austin and Ryan seem to be the chefs to beat. Austin nailed every dish in this round. A dark horse candidate could be Beatriz. The youngest chef in Next Level Chef history has youthful exuberance on her side, but she needs to focus.
The next episode is the draft. Could Season 4 finally be Team Blais’ time? Be sure to watch a new episode of Next Level Chef Thursday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT on FOX. Episodes can be streamed the next day on Hulu.