Tournament of Champions Season 5 winner: The champion trend continues

For the past four seasons, four women chefs have earned the coveted Food Network title and belt. Channeling happiness and gratitude, the Tournament of Champions Season 5 winner walked away with $150,000 prize, the belt, and the title that all the Food Network chefs sought.

To determine the “Best in the West” and “Best in the East,” the final four chefs competed. For the first battle, Antonia Lofaso took on Jet Tila. After two seasons of struggle, Antonia was back to her winning form. But, she would have to take down her friend, Jet.

Since the Tournament of Champions Season 5 finale needed to make the last rounds even harder, the Randomizer had a new twist and there were five judges to impress. While the judges’ impeccable palates were hard to please, it was the new Randomizer category that was an unforeseen wrinkle.

In the semifinals, the wildcard compound added an element of molecular gastronomy. Even though many chefs add those whimsical components to a dish, using it in a Food Network competition is not normal.

For Antonia and Jet, the Randomizer offered whole halibut, name root, luau leaves, en papillote, and tapioca maltodextrin. It was definitely a tall order to handle all those items in just 45 minutes.

Antonia decided to make steamed halibut using the luau leaves as the en papillote element. The tapioca was used to make a curry dust that covered the whole plate.

Overall, the judges appreciated her nicely cooked fish. The biggest criticism was that the luau leaves could have been used as a cooked element in the dish, not just as a cooking technique.

Jet took a very different approach with a duo of halibut, both raw and cooked. Anyone who watches culinary competitions knows that a duo can be difficult because the judges are comparing the food on the plate versus comparing the plate to the other chef’s offering.

Overall, Jet’s duo was well balanced. The name root puree was similar to a creamed spinach, which the judges appreciated. The dish was impressive.

While Jet Tila had been in the final four for four seasons, he did not make the finale. And, a male chef will not be the Tournament of Champions Season 5 winner. In a score of 86 to 83, Antonia is “Best in the West” and moves into the finale.

It was redemption for Antonia LoFaso. After losing early in Seasons 3 and 4, she is back on top.

To determine who Antonia would battle for the Tournament of Champions Season 5 winner title, the “Best of the East” had to take on the Randomizer. Maneet Chauhan faced Britt Rescigno. Given that Maneet has more Tournament of Champions victories than any other chef, it was a tough task for Britt to overcome.

The Randomizer offered alligator, chayote, hay, interactive, and xanthan gum. The interactive element was the most difficult item in this ingredient combination. Making a dish interactive is rather subjective.

In addition, the use of hay and alligator was a difficult combination. While the hay can be used as a smoked element, alligator is tough. No one wanted to serve gator bites and getting that protein tender in a short amount of time is not easy. Also, it would have been nice to have a better explanation of chayote and how to use that flavor in dishes.

Britt chose to make an etouffee with chayote and smoked alligator. Overall, the judges found the dish successful. The chayote could have been used a little more predominately and interactive element was a little lacking. But, it was a good dish.

Maneet made a build your own tostada and kabob. Again, it was a dish with a duality, but this duality seemed to build on each other. The sauces brought everything together and the colors popped on the plate.

With the bold flavors and a better use of the Randomizer, Maneet bested Britt with a score of 86 to 81. Yet again, Maneet finds a way to win. It is almost as if she has the solution to that Randomizer problem. Or, maybe it is her use of spices and flavors that wins over the judges.

To determine the Tournament of Champions Season 5 winner, Maneet Chauhan, the winningest Tournament of Champions chef, battled Antonia Lofaso. It was an even match and it came down to the littlest details.

The final Randomizer was the hardest yet with the addition of a Wild Card Envelope. Instead of five elements, there were six items to address. The final battle included a side of goat, cacao pods, heating mixer, high and low, spicy component, and layered component. With just 60 minutes on the clock, it was a tall task to accomplish.

Maneet stayed true to her bold spices. The two dishes that she made were a gustaba and a sloppy joe. The difference between high and low was clear. The biggest complement that Maneet received was her use of the heating mixer to create depth of flavor in her sauces. Although her dish could have benefited from a slightly more refined presentation, the flavors won over the judges.

In contrast, Antonia did a goat tartare and a goat burger. The layered element was clear in the goat burger. Overall, that dish was very smart.

The judges thought that Antonia was brave to make a tartare given the timeframe. That technical dish was well done. The biggest criticism of her plates was that the cacao was an understated flavor.

The final battle was basically even. Both the taste and plating scores were tied. The use of the Randomizer score broke the tie and determined the winner.

Maneet Chauhan was the Tournament of Champions Season 5 winner. She is the first two-time winner and the winningest chef in the Food Network’s show’s history.

Could Maneet come back for another season or should she become part of the judging panel? Only time will tell when the popular Food Network show comes back, assuming it will come back for a Season 6.

Want to watch all the battles again? All Tournament of Champions Seasons can be streamed on MAX.