With four spots remaining in the bracket, the Tournament of Champions Season VI Qualifiers were ready to take on the Randomizer. Experience and accolades did not matter during these rounds. Creativity and application of the required elements earned the chefs a place in the big dance.
For the first battle, Brittanny Anderson took on Demetrio Zavala. Unfortunately, Chef Demetrio tempted fate when he said an ingredient that he did not want. Anyone who has watched this Food Network competition knows that a chef should never utter that ingredient out loud.
The first Randomizer spin offered chicken wings, spinach, potato masher, cheesy, and 30 minutes. Unfortunately, Chef Demetrio did not want chicken wings. His dish was not the typical interpretation of that ingredient.
Chef Demetrio made a coq au vin inspired chicken wing. While that flavor was present, the chicken did need to braise more. The judges raved about the cheesy mashed potatoes, but the spinach was an afterthought. As judge Chef Tiffani Faison said, it felt as if she was being told to eat some veggies. That ingredient needed more transformation.
Chef Brittanny took a more classic chicken wing approach by frying the protein. The crispy texture was good, but there was a lot of fried on the plate. Her concept was a spin on the flavors of a Caesar salad. The vibrant color was enticing and the fried spinach offered some crunch. But, the judges wanted a little more cheesy elements.
In a final score of 78 to 76, Chef Brittanny Anderson won and earned her spot. Will she be as fortunate in the main bracket?
With only three more spots available in Tournament of Champions Season VI, the next battle saw Next Level Chef Season 1 champion Pyet DeSpain take on Top Chef’s Ashleigh Shanti. The Randomizer offered ground beef, cherry tomatoes, spiralizer, peppery, and 28 minutes.
This battle was a little off. Both chefs struggled to get the dishes finished and all the components on the plate. Based on the final scores, this battle's winner needs to up her game for the main bracket.
Pyet DeSpain created a ground beef kibbeh with a saffron stewed tomato. The judges felt that the dish was conceptually good but it needed more time to come together. From dry beef to the hidden spiralized onions, Chef Pyet needed to play the game better.
Chef Ashleigh Shanti had a good concept with her Salisbury steak, but it was clear that she ran out of time. The judges appreciated her tomato gravy and its luscious mouth feel due to the roux. Unfortunately, the lack of spiralized potatoes and her own “kitchen pepper” seasoning was a major downfall.
As the scores reflected, 67 to 60, this round had major issues. Chef Pyet squeaked by and will move into the main bracket.
For the second to last battle, Stephanie Boswell took on Andriana Urbina. Many people know Stephanie Boswell from the pastry world (including Halloween Baking Championship), but she is well-versed as a savory chef. Chef Andriana has Tournament of Champions experience which is always helpful in this competition.
The Randomizer offered tilapia, wax beans, ricer, buttery and 28 minutes. Buttery helped the tilapia’s bland flavor. In the end, it came down to how the chefs showcased the required elements best.
Stephanie Boswell felt that her dish needed a touch of editing, but the judges appreciated the dish overall. The “churched up” fish sandwich was craveable. The wax bean salad had great acid, but the ricer could have been used more creatively. That slight error cannot happen in Tournament of Champions.
Chef Andriana impressed the judges tremendously with her dish. They felt that the dish was constructed intentionally regardless of the Randomizer requirements. Although the dish could have used more brown butter, the fried tilapia was a great plate and quite impressive.
With the highest score of the qualifying rounds, 84 to 77, Chef Andriana earned her spot into the main round. Based on this dish, she could go far in the competition. She knows how to play the Randomizer game.
In the final qualifying round, MasterChef’s Dara Yu took on David Viana. While both chefs are successful, they have vastly different backgrounds.
The Randomizer offered ground pork, white cauliflower, panini press, sauteed and 32 minutes. These requirements might have been the best combination of the episode.
Chef David offered another first on Tournament of Champions; he made a tortilla from scratch. That element was a smart use of the panini press. Additionally, he used the cauliflower two ways. Overall, it was clear to the judges that he used the 32 minutes well.
Dara made sauteed pork lettuce wrap. While the judges appreciated the thai curry with the cauliflower, the dish had too many pre-made elements. Impressing on Tournament of Champions is different than MasterChef.
With a score of 76 to 72, Chef David Viana won. If he can keep up the level of making homemade tortillas in each round, he could go far.
Could one of the qualifiers cause chaos in Tournament of Champions Season VI? Be sure to tune into new episodes every Sunday night on Food Network. Episodes can be streamed the next day on Max.