The Guy Fieri driven Food Network competition is back for a sixth season. Before the 32 chef main bracket begins, the eight remaining spots in the tournament are up for grabs. 16 qualifier chefs want a spot in Tournament of Champions VI but several will be gone after just one cook.
As the first episode of the Tournament of Championship Season 6, the qualifying rounds have tons of excitement but also a lot of nervousness. While most of these chefs have competed on various food television competitions, TOC is unlike other battles.
To determine the head to head battles, the chefs were randomly paired via a bingo wheel pull. Just like the beloved Randomizer, a little luck always plays into Tournament of Champions success.
For the first battle, Maria Mazon took on Bruce Kalman. For their required elements, the Randomizer offered 28 minutes, poached, waffle iron, red onions and rockfish. This combination was not overly difficult. The two chefs had different approaches.
Chef Maria stayed within her Mexican flavor comfort zone. Overall, the judges appreciated the dual use of red onion and all the vibrant colors. Although the masa waffle was a little dense and she could have amplified the spices, it was a successful dish.
Chef Bruce made a poached rockfish with a couscous agrodolce. While he used the waffle iron to cook the onions, the judges believed that the dish lacked texture. If the dish had some crunch and the fish was cooked a little less, it would have been a home run.
In the end, Chef Maria Mazon beat Chef Bruce Kalman by one point. It was an emotional win for Chef Maria, and she is ready to continue her momentum into the main round.
For the second battle of the Tournament of Champions Season VI Qualifiers round, a newcomer was ready to knock off a seasoned pro. Jacob Town, the greenest chef amongst the qualified, took on Jonathon Sawyer. While the experience might be totally one-sided, TOC is never predictable.
The Randomizer offered chicken legs, curly kale, microwave, pickled and 28 minutes. The short timeframe and chicken legs was a tough order. Ensuring that the meat on the bone was cooked through was as big as a challenge as building flavor.
Additionally, professional chefs are not fans of using the microwave in a competition. Both chefs used the requirement well, but it does not have the wow factor like some other equipment challenges.
Chef Jonathon make a green curry chicken with kale and a pickled salad. The judges commended the chef for depth of flavor in such a short amount of time. Overall, the kale used in several ways was smart. Also, the kale chili crunch was a bold move and huge positive. The dynamic dish received high praise, but one piece of chicken was slightly undercooked.
Chef Jacob stuck to his Southern roots and made fried chicken. While the judges appreciated the well-cooked chicken and pickled curly kale, the gravy was a huge miss. The sauce was gummy, grainy, and should have been left off the plate.
Winning the second battle was Chef Jonathon Sawyer. He returns to the main bracket, but can he have some better luck in the main bracket.
In the third battle, Carlos Anthony took on Dawn Burrell. The high energy Chef Carlos has come close to winning Food Network shows, but he often comes up just short. Dawn Burrell had good runs on Top Chef, but missed out on the highest praise.
For their battle, the requirements were bacon, button mushrooms, mandoline, fried and 32 minutes. Overall, this combination was a gift, especially the 32 minutes.
Chef Carlos made a bacon soup with a bacon croquette. His dish had a lot of textures and played to the randomizer very well. But, the soup was not really a soup and it needed a better presentation. Basically, the dish needed a few more edits to make it on point.
Chef Dawn had the potential to win the battle, but she made a big mistake. Her dish did not highlight the button mushrooms. They barely made it on the plate. For anyone who is a Top Chef fan, this scenario felt like a flashback to Chef Dawn’s seasons.
The button mushroom issue was a big let down because Chef Dawn’s dish could have won. Her dish had an inviting presentation and the crispy braised bacon was delicious. Unfortunately, there is no room for errors on TOC.
Chef Carlos Anthony earned his spot in the main bracket. Could he go far? If he can edit his dishes better, it is possible.
For the final battle of this round of Tournament of Champions VI Qualifier rounds, Chef Chris Oh took on Mika Leon. Fans of 24 in 24 might feel this cook is a rematch from that Food Network show.
The Randomizer offered a less than idea set of required items. Combining ground chicken, green cabbage, brick, blanched and 32 minutes, it seemed clear that the chefs would stay in their preferred flavor profiles.
Chef Chris played into Asian flavors with a thai green curry cabbage with a chicken larb. Although the chicken was a little dry, he used the Randomizer well. Plus, the char on the cabbage was well played.
In contrast, Chef Mika took big risk but a key element was missing. Magical flavors cannot make the cabbage more apparent. The plantains took over and the cabbage did not stand out.
With his ability to better utilize the Randomizer, Chris Oh moved into the main bracket. He seems more confident in this season.
Could one of these chefs earn the Tournament of Champions Season VI title? Be sure to watch new TOC episodes on Food Network every Sunday night at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Episodes can be streamed the next day on MAX.