Suvechha Sarkar
The heat is officially back on with Fox’s ‘Next Level Chef’ returning with season 5. It sets the stage for another adrenaline-fueled culinary showdown where talent alone isn’t enough to survive. Each contestant must thrive under wildly different conditions, from the incredible Top Kitchen to a bare-bones basement setup. Leading the panel once again are the three renowned chefs and judges/mentors: Gordon Ramsay, Nyesha Arrington, and Richard Blais. By the end of the show, the winner is set to walk away with a $250,000 grand prize, a one-year mentorship from one of the judges, and the coveted title of Next Level Chef. The premiere episode, titled ‘Auditions – Pro Chefs’, kicks off with the highly anticipated audition of the professional chefs.
Audition Officially Begins as 24 Elite Chefs Enter the Competition
As the contestants enter the premises, the judges/mentors welcome them and announce that all 24 of them have been handpicked from the best professional chefs, social media chefs, and home chefs. After informing them of the prize at stake, Gordon announces that, out of the 24 chefs standing before them, only 15 will make it through the auditions into the incredible draft. There will be five chefs selected from each category of chefs. Richard then reveals that eight of them must cook first, but only seven can make it out of the Basement to the Middle Kitchen. After another cook-off, just six chefs will move to the Top Kitchen, but following the final cook, only five of them will be left standing to go into the draft. The competition officially begins as the eight professional chefs head to the Basement Kitchen.
The eight professional chefs are: Belinda Vu, Connor Caine, Darian Bryan, Gabrielle Coniglio, Hunter Gentry, Kevin Hill, Nicole “Cole” Lawson, and Trinidad “Machete” Gonzalez. As soon as Kevin reaches the kitchen, he remarks that its condition is terrible and he wants to clean up and organize everything immediately. Shortly after, Richard joins the contestants to oversee the round. Wasting no time, he declares that they must prepare the first dish within 20 minutes to prove their resourcefulness by taking scraps and bits. Then they must turn it into something worthy of presentation before the judges. In her confessional, Cole reveals that she always tries to be resourceful in her kitchen, so she is used to repurposing.
Richard notes that all three mentors are inspecting each contestant closely to scout them for their team. Meanwhile, Gordon and Nyesha are watching the cook-off from the lounge. The platform with the ingredients finally arrives in the Basement, giving the eight professional chefs just 30 seconds to grab what they need. In the chaos, Gabrielle tries to pick up the tuna-carcass, but Cole also grabs it at the same time, leading to a tug-of-war situation. Ultimately, Cole succeeds in taking away the component for herself, while her opponent settles for pig ears. Once the 20 minutes on the clock begin ticking, Gabrielle suddenly notices something wet around her ear. Upon checking, she finds a red substance, prompting Richard to call the medics immediately. However, it is soon discovered that it is actually sauce.
The Chefs Race the Clock With Risky Ingredient Choices in the Basement
Since Gabrielle has chosen pig’s ears, a tricky ingredient, Richard advises her to treat them like bacon. The focus then shifts to Kevin, who opens up that he has been cooking since he was 7 years old and often makes dishes from scraps, making it easier for him to face the challenge. With 5 minutes already gone, Richard arrives at Darian’s station, where Darian is trying to infuse Caribbean flavors into his dish since he is from Jamaica. He has been a professional chef for 13 years and used to work day and night after relocating from his home country. Darian discloses that his family means everything to him. He is not just a private chef but also owns two restaurants, where his mother, wife, and sisters work diligently. The attention then shifts to Belinda, who opens up that she grew up in Westminster, California.
Belinda reveals that she was raised by her grandparents, while her uncles and aunts also helped as a team. They used to live together in a three-bedroom apartment, making dinner time quite chaotic. Now, the contestant has her own catering and pop-up company. As Richard moves on to Hunter’s station, the competitor divulges that he is from Honolulu, Hawaii, and will make a simple dinner that his mother often makes. While growing up, Hunter has always surfed, making him pretty competitive. He was born with a 10% chance of living, and after undergoing surgery, he turned out to be deaf and hence has to wear hearing aids. After understanding Hunter’s dish, Richard quickly asks him to elevate his dish.
With just 5 minutes remaining on the clock, Richard informs Belinda that another chef is also making an open-faced sandwich. Despite the threat it poses, Belinda admits she can’t pivot at this point because the time is now down to the final few minutes. Once the 20 minutes pass, the contestants finish plating their dishes. Gordon and Nyesha also arrive in the Basement since it is finally time to taste the dishes. First up is Connor’s fried cod head, which Gordon finds to be cooked beautifully, noting that it sure represents New Orleans, Louisiana, and the chef’s vision very well. Following him is Belinda’s shrimp head sandwich. Nyesha remarks that the shrimp’s flavor truly comes through, but it lacks aioli or something to blend with the bread.
Strong Dishes and Tough Calls Shape the Tasting Round as Belinda is Eliminated
The tasting continues with Kevin’s beef meatballs and Machete’s lamb leg curry, both of which earn great praise from the judges. Nyesha then compliments the flavor of Darian’s crispy Jamaican fried chicken, but Gordon remarks that it is indeed spicy. Next up is Hunter’s creamy sausage pasta, which Gordon finds undercooked because two different types of pasta are used. While Richard is left impressed by Cole’s tuna-carcass meatballs and broth, Gabrielle’s handmade crispy pig-ear tortilla receives immense praise from Gordon. The judges quickly excuse themselves to discuss the prepared dishes. Shortly after, they return, and Richard announces that the first three people moving on to the Middle Kitchen are Connor, Kevin, and Gabrielle. The next three people to move on are Darian, Cole, and Machete.
The choice now comes down to Belinda and Hunter, and unfortunately, Belinda is eliminated while Hunter moves forward. In her exit interview, she becomes emotional, expressing that she still has so much more to show. In the meantime, Nyesha arrives with the remaining seven professional chefs in the Middle Kitchen. The mentor then announces that for their next challenge, the chefs must prepare the dish that helped them start their culinary journey within 20 minutes. Once the ingredient grab begins, Gabrielle takes a hard fall, but luckily, she quickly gets back on her feet. The time for cooking finally begins once every contestant returns to their stations with their components. Nyesha first visits Connor’s station, where he reveals he is adapting California beach-style cooking for this challenge.
It turns out that Connor grew up in Manhattan Beach, enjoying surfing, skating, and playing water polo until he moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, and finally learned what real food culture is. He is currently a chef who focuses mainly on creativity. The focus next shifts to Machete, who describes himself as a self-taught chef who learned most of his techniques from the CIA cookbook that he bought from a bargain bookstore. While growing up, he used to sell tacos for $1 at his father’s mechanic shop. Luckily, Machete now has his own restaurant, which has received the Best Tacos in Houston People’s Choice 5 years in a row. Kevin is preparing a steak today, inspired by his grandmother’s preparation. He is a restaurant and food truck owner and cooks for Regina King, Tom Brady, and several other renowned celebrities.
Sharp Critiques and Last-Minute Pivots Define the Middle Kitchen Tasting
Kevin has been building his own path since his food truck was lost on September 1, 2024, and stolen on September 7. With just 12 minutes left on the clock, Gabrielle reveals that she grew up as the youngest of eight siblings in an Italian family. In her confessional, she reveals that her parents are restaurateurs and have owned and operated a restaurant open for over 4 decades. Although Gabrielle worked in some of the best restaurants, her father was never happy about her career path. Sadly, he passed away five years prior, but her partner and two children always bring joy to her life. Gabrielle admits there is a part of her that wants to prove to her parents she deserves this. As ten minutes have already passed, Hunter remarks that the atmosphere in the kitchen is intense, but he will draft in Team Gordon.
As two more minutes tick by, Kevin realizes he still hasn’t cooked the steak and has been focusing on his Brussels sprouts and potatoes. He begins panicking since the time is running out, because the steak needs at least 5 to 7 minutes to rest. Once the final few seconds begin passing, Gordon points out in the lounge that Kevin’s way of cutting the steak has brought out all the meat’s juice. Meanwhile, Gordon and Richard also notice that the skin of Gabrielle’s fish has come off as she tries to flip it in the pan. Nyesha quickly steps in and asks her to pivot in the last minute. When the time comes to an end, Gordon and Richard arrive in the Middle Kitchen, as it is now time for the tasting. First up is Cole’s seared salmon, which receives praise from Gordon.
However, while tasting steak and potatoes, Gordon points out that the protein’s goodness is lost due to improper slicing. Similarly, Nyesha notes that the sauce still contains a little bit of raw wine flavor. Following that, Darian’s curried cube steak and Gabrielle’s haddock over hand-cooked pasta receive compliments from the judges. Unfortunately, Gordon calls out Machete for overcooked meatballs in his dish and says he must never take shortcuts. While Gordon and Nyesha praise Connor’s seared pork and herb salad, Hunter’s chicken over noodles gets some criticism. Gordon feels that Hunter’s dish needs more sauce and acid. Following an intensive discussion by the judges, Nyesha reveals that the people moving to the Top Kitchen are Cole, Gabrielle, Connor, Darian, and Machete.
Six Chefs Enter the Top Kitchen For a Final Cook-Off After Kevin’s Elimination
The final choice comes down between Kevin and Hunter, but ultimately, Kevin is eliminated while his opponent moves on to the Top Kitchen. In his exit interview, Kevin divulges that despite being disappointed to lose this opportunity, he is proud of himself. He continues that he feels he will get another chance and by then, he will be ready. The remaining six competitors finally reach the Top Kitchen alongside Gordon for the final cook-off of their audition. The judge then explains that, for their last challenge, they must create a dish they will be proud to put on their own menu, to be completed within 25 minutes. After the ingredient grab, the contestants rush to their stations to begin preparing their dishes.
After learning about Machete’s dish for the challenge, Gordon arrives at Hunter’s station and points out that he has grabbed the easiest protein, scallops, since they only take 2 minutes to cook. When the mentor learns that Hunter is creating a puree and a beurre blanc, he asks the chef to just focus on one, but the latter is ready to take the risk. During Gabrielle’s turn, she acknowledges that she isn’t sure about what to make. So, Gordon asks her to ensure she doesn’t take long to figure out her vision. Back at the lounge, Nyesha admits to Richard that she has eyes on Connor because of his California-style cooking. With just 12 and a half minutes remaining, Gordon arrives before Cole, who confesses that she has never cooked a halibut before.
The Last Intense Cook-Off Culminates in the Elimination of Hunter
In her confessional, Cole admits it’s a huge gamble to select a protein she’s never cooked, but she feels this is what the competition is all about. She then divulges that she is always the life of the party, but grew up in a strict black household. Cole first began her career in the military, which helped her start her journey to become a chef. She shares about the adversity she has faced as a black and queer woman. As the last 2 minutes on the clock begin clicking, Gordon urges everyone to finish plating their dishes. After the final few seconds pass, Richard and Nyesha arrive in the kitchen for the dish tasting.
The judges start the tasting with Gabrielle’s shrimp, pistachio-crusted. While Richard notes that the presentation is nice, but the flavors are scattered, Gordon points out that the sauce around the shrimp ruins the crust. Next up is Machete’s pan-roasted chicken breast, which Richard quickly describes as refined. Both Darian’s seared loin venison and Cole’s pan-roasted halibut receive great praise from the judges. Gordon specifically praises Cole for being courageous enough to pick a protein she has never cooked before. Lastly, while tasting Hunter’s pan-roasted scallops, Gordon points out that if a dish has a puree, it doesn’t need a sauce and vice versa.
After the judges discuss their impression of the dishes, Gordon reveals the coveted chef’s jackets for the draft before announcing who is moving on to the next part of the competition. He then announces that the chefs who are moving on are Darian, Cole, Machete, and Connor. The last choice ultimately comes down to Gabrielle and Hunter, and thankfully, the former is revealed to be safe. It only means that Hunter now has to bid goodbye to the competition. Following that, Gordon congratulates the five professional chefs who are now a part of the draft and asks them to grab their jackets. It is now only a matter of time before we see which of the social media chefs and home chefs are selected.
