I'm impressed that Top Chef has stayed in New Orleans this long. It seems like in seasons they were all too quick to ditch the season's title location. I'm also impressed with Nicholas's audacity to say he cooked well enough in a Quickfire he almost lost to Shirley, to send Stephanie home. Shirley is back in the stew room, as upset as we've seen anyone on this show. Nicholas looks emotionless because he's the asshole.
Nina admits she isn't sure she'd give immunity up, either. It's down to the wire now, so someone good will go home every time. For the Quickfire, the chefs are greeted by Roy Choi. Brian tells us Roy Choi is the king of the food truck, and I believe it if his cool clothes are any indication. Padma says he's known for his "rebellious style" and Roy Choi tells the chefs about how he reinvented the whole tortilla thing in L.A. Tacos are to Los Angeles as po' boys are to New Orleans, so this challenge is all about making a po' boy.
Padma asks the chefs for their own take on a po' boy. Shockingly, immunity is still in play. The chefs start working on their ingredients as Nina tells us in an interview that it's actually quite difficult. Shirley is, of course, doing a Chinese po' boy, using catfish. Carlos is doing a Mexican po' boy. Nick gets to work on a New England fried shrimp po' boy. Brian is ready to face off against fellow Korean Roy Choi by using Korean flavors for his creation. Nina wants to represent the Caribbean.
Nicholas's overflowing fried shrimp spicy po' boy is up first and Shirley looks on, casting doubt on her own sandwich. Her Chinese catfish po' boy is first. Padma says the catfish isn't overdone and that's good, but Roy Choi is very quiet and studious. He's pretty serious for a guy wearing such a stupid looking hat. Oops, I mean cool. The hat is cool.
Nina's fried mahi po' boy offers the flavors of Saint Lucia and pickled onions. Brian is greeted happily by Roy Choi, but will his sandwich get the same reception? Carlos's Mexican po' boy is hard to read, as Roy says he's very picky about his Mexican food. In the end, Choi says the chefs missed the boat on this challenge. He's very critical for a food truck guy, and even tells them, "y'all fucked this shit up." Padma stifles a giggle. I don't know how I feel about this guy.
Roy Choi says the sandwiches lacked soul; they were thinking too much as chefs. Then he goes down the line and tears each chef a new one. Choi wants a po' boy to be more in your face. Unenthusiastically and reluctantly, Roy Choi pronounces Shirley the winner. He sulks as Padma awards her with immunity. "Hopefully my words will kick you in the ass," Choi says.
With very little time to let Choi's saucy words sink in to the bread of their attitudes, the chefs are introduced to the challenge. Padma says the guest judge is also in the food truck world … on the silver screen. Essentially, he knows nothing! It's Jon Favreau and he's the director of "Chef." He tells the chefs they'll be cooking using only what they can find in the dumpsters of the French Quarter, and after an awkward half-laugh from Padma, he admits he's kidding. Roy Choi is still unbelievably disappointed.
Favreau plugs his upcoming movie, which is about a chef who has lost his culinary voice so he opens up a food truck and finds himself on a cross-country food trip with his son. So was this the whole point of Roy Choi's lecture? To get them in the mood to promote "Chef" better? Jon Favreau says he reached out to Roy Choi for help with the movie and there's lots more talk about feeling passionate and finding your food voice.
The elimination challenge is to create a dish that represents a career turning point. They will serve the dishes at Café Reconcile, which is a local charity that teaches at-risk youth culinary skills. Jon Favreau invites the chefs to do some "research" for the film with him and join him, Emeril, and Gail on a tour of New Orleans food trucks. Roy Choi pipes in that he will change his flight, just in case we forgot that he's there and he's the food truck king.
The chefs sure get to go out and eat a lot this season. I suppose the price they have to pay are all these heavy, deep conversations they have with the judges. For instance, Brian confesses to his career "low point" when he turned to the drink and got a DUI. Shirley admits that she only recently found her culinary voice on the show in an early challenge (the Vietnamese shrimp challenge).
To blow off a little extra steam that night, the chefs draw and label a picture of Chef Roy Choi and throw darts at it. I'm torn about this reaction because while I agree it's funny, it's also a little immature and rude. But you don't get to the Top 5 being nice, maybe. Right, Stephanie?
The day, Nina shares that her turning point was working for Scott Conant, and she plans to cook aagnolotti dal plin, an elegant and simple pasta dish. Scott Conant taught her that simple is often the best way. Nicholas is making carrots like, five ways. It's a Nicholas Elmi original idea that he came up with when they were doing tasting menus at his restaurant. Typical asshole turning point.
Carlos is excited to cook Mexican food "finally" (again). He's making braised pork belly, one of the first dishes he created when he opened his restaurant. Will these dishes have enough soul, though? Did Roy Choi change his flight to find out?
The chefs arrive at Café Reconcile and Nicholas is already hopped up on adrenaline. He storms in, shouting about "no one move my three pots," and he sees that Carlos maybe moved one so he repeats, "I said don't move my pots. If someone moves my pot again they're gonna have a problem. These are my three pots. Do not move my fucking pots. I said do not move my pots; do not move my fucking pots, you understand me?" Hahaha, what a maniac.
Carlos is either oblivious, doesn't care, or both. The chefs get to work on their personal turning point dishes. Nina struggles with her homemade pasta because the kitchen is too hot and her pasta is breaking and sticking. It's "make it work" time. Shirley's crispy skin snapper with a crustacean broth is something new to show off her newfound voice from this show. Isn't that nice that she's at a point where she can really cook whatever she wants? Nina changes her dish to fettuccine with calamari because the heat is destroying her larger pasta.
Tom and Jon Favreau walk into the kitchen, just to add two more big dudes into the mix. Tom notices the kitchen is hot, but everyone is determined to take the heat. Brian is working on a Korean barbeque sauce inspired by a chef he's been working under in L.A. Nina looks to Jon Favreau for his inspirational speech from "Rudy" because she is really struggling. He does not supply any lines or gimmicks.
Nicholas and his three pots and his five carrot dishes fuck up the quinoa. He blames the oven temperature at 500 on someone else, but the camera caught him putting his quinoa in the oven at 500. Great, now he has a lot of carrot and no texture. Shirley notes that she would never use boneless, skinless chicken breast like Brian is doing.
Diners, at-risk youths, and the judges sit down at Café Reconcile and Emeril tells Padma/everyone a little more about this charity. Over 2000 kids have graduated the program, and a couple of them are even working for Emeril. In what capacity, he does not say.
Today, the at-risk youths of Café Reconcile will be acting as servers. One of them puts her thumb in Tom's soup.
Shirley presents her dish first. She says her inspiration was being on Top Chef, like a total suck-up. Her dish is seared snapper with a crustacean broth, silken tofu and cabbage. The judges love this dish and agree the fish is cooked perfectly. Gail claims to be drooling on herself.
Nina freaks out to finish her revamped dish and rolls it out second. She presents to the judges a homemade fettuccine with charred calamari, pine nut gremolata and crab meat. She says it represents the moment she realized that it doesn't have to involve 10,000 flavors and simplicity is the best way to go. The judges concur that the calamari is right and the pasta is cooked perfectly. Yay, Nina!
Brian is up ; telling all the judges this time about how he got burnt out four years ago then got re-inspired by these flavors. He wisely omits the info about the DUI. He offers his chicken anticucho with twice cooked potatoes and feta walnut pesto. The judges are none too thrilled with the chicken breast featured in Brian's dish. They say it's heavy and boring. Someone finds a raw potato, not even cooked once.
Carlos goes fourth, telling the judges about his braised pork belly with sweet potato puree and a chipotle tamarind glaze. He says it's from when he first opened up his restaurant. All that matters is the flavor. The judges definitely like this one better than that damn chicken breast.
Nicholas whines about not being able to execute the dish he wanted (with quinoa that was not burnt to shit.) He shares his approach to modern carrot cuisine and yellowfin tuna to the judges, mentioning that his crispy quinoa didn't work out. Padma says the sauces are great and the dish is sophisticated, but Emeril and Tom agree that the dish is under-seasoned. Even the Café Reconcile at-risk youths don't like this dish. One of them says, "I mean, it's not nasty or nothin' but … it's too gooey." I'm thinking Nicholas may be at-risk .
The chefs don't get to watch the monitor in the stew room this time. Padma brings them all to the judges' table. After Emeril thanks them for inspiring these kids, the first chef under fire is Nina. Nina talks about how she had to adapt because of the kitchen heat. They tell her it worked out; the pasta was perfectly cooked. Brian's dish, however, was too heavy and inconsistent. Also, why boneless skinless chicken breast?
Shirley's dish was great—if this is her voice, they like the sound of it. Gail calls the broth breathtaking. Nicholas shifts his weight anxiously. Carlos tells the judges proudly about his pork belly and how it's his signature dish. He also has some choice sass for Jon Favreau saying, "you're doing a movie but my life is real." The judges liked Carlos's signature dish, fortunately for his real life.
Nicholas admits that he had a few hiccups like that stupid hot oven. Padma asks him what happened and at least he doesn't try to cry sabotage. Tom points out that Nicholas keeps having these mishaps. His dish is clearly one of the bottom two. As they leave, Emeril whispers, "Nicholas was pissed off," with a grin on his face.
In the privacy of their chambers, the judges praise Shirley and Carlos, and also have nice things to say about Nina's dish. Padma tries to say something positive about Brian's dish, but Tom can't see past that damn chicken. Emeril pipes in about his raw potato. They try to be understanding of Nicholas's hard day in the kitchen, but I feel like they've already soured on him because of the last challenge, when he should have gone home.
The chefs return, and Shirley is awarded the win. She, Carlos, and Nina are safe. To my shock, and that of the viewers and Nicholas, Brian is sent packing. Tom and Emeril hope this makes Nicholas realize he's been given a second chance. It's like they know he's the villain.