Next Level Chef Season 5 Episode 12 Recap: Use Your Noodle

Season 5 of Fox’s ‘Next Level Chef’ returns with another high-pressure showdown in episode 12, appropriately titled ‘Use Your Noodle.’ The culinary competition continues to test talented chefs as they cook across three kitchens stacked on top of one another. Guiding the action are the show’s mentors/judges: Gordon Ramsay, Richard Blais, and Nyesha Arrington. Following Jared’s emotional departure in the previous episode, only 7 contestants now remain in the competition. Tonight, the pressure intensifies as the chefs create a standout noodle dish featuring an incredible protein.

The Noodle Challenge Begins With Frantic Platform Grabs and Unexpected Proteins

Once the chefs take their positions in the welcoming area, Gordon wastes no time in announcing the day’s challenge. The judge explains that they must work with one of the oldest foods in existence, dating back thousands of years, and still loved all over the world: noodles. Today’s challenge is to create a next-level noodle dish that honors tradition while elevating the humble, simple noodle. Richard adds that contestants must also pick a beautiful protein as the centerpiece. Gordon continues that the chefs will have 30 minutes to prepare the dish, and the person to create the best dish will not only move to the Top Level but also earn the next level Time Token. It allows the winner to add a 10-second head start to their grab and take 10 seconds away from one of their fellow competitors.

While Andy and Gabrielle will cook in the Top Kitchen today under the supervision of Nyesha, Christian, Darian, and Connor will take their spots in the Middle Kitchen with Gordon. Lastly, Cole and Danielle will battle their way out of the Basement Kitchen with Richard. As all the competitors finally arrive at their respective kitchens, they get prepared for the ingredient grab. The platform first arrives in the Top Kitchen, where Andy tries to find spaghetti but sadly settles for egg noodles when she can’t find her original choice. In the Middle Kitchen, Christian tries to take the pork belly, but Connor snatches it first. It prompts Christian to grab the duck as his protein, although he knows Darian wanted it. As the platform descends to the Basement, Danielle grabs ox tongue as her protein, while Cole gets the hot dogs.

However, Danielle’s grab truly makes her nervous because of the unusual protein. As the 30-minute countdown on the clock begins, Gordon approaches Darian, who admits he is stepping out of his comfort zone with the black cod. The mentor then moves on to Christian and learns about his dish idea. However, when Darian also hears about it, he realizes that his opponent has chosen to go with the idea that Darian originally thought of. The attention then shifts to the Top Kitchen, where Nyesha arrives at Gabrielle’s station and notes that choosing the ramen was a bold choice made by the contestant. Gabrielle reveals that she wants to think outside the box and showcase her ability to create something incredible with everyday ingredients.

Contestants Pour Personal Meaning Into Their Plates While Racing Against Time

As Nyesha turns her attention to Andy, the latter discloses that she actually grew up eating egg noodles. Hence, the chef aims to bring her heritage to the forefront through her dish. Once 5 minutes on the clock have passed, Danielle divulges that she has never made ox tongue stir-fry before and did not expect to do so at all. Richard then arrives at Cole’s station, where he discovers that she is preparing a dish from Thailand, which she and her partner had during their trip there. In her confessional, the contestant shares that her partner always supports her and pushes her to become her best self. In the Middle Kitchen, Gordon asks Christian to ensure he has a clear narrative for his dish. Shortly after, the judge cautions Darian to keep his attention on the noodles, which are the “hero” of the night.

In the Basement, Richard checks Cole’s noodles and informs her that it is still undercooked. As he approaches Danielle, he learns that she usually cooks a lot of noodles at home for her 14-year-old son, Noah. She shares that today, she is channeling her son’s energy into her dish. Meanwhile, Andy is completely focused on preparing her omelet, but she realizes she hasn’t yet put the prawns on the grill. She confesses that there is very little time available for the vast number of her components. She begins struggling to cut open the shells of her tiger prawns, prompting her to state that she needs to stop grabbing things that she has never cooked before. When Andy finally seeks help from Nyesha, the mentor quickly jumps in to instruct the contestant on how to cut the shrimp easily.

Andy then decides that, from now on, she will stay in her safe space. With just 12 and a half minutes left on the clock, Richard tastes Cole’s curry and highly praises its taste. In the meantime, Gordon asks Christian to focus on the flavors of his dish and ensure the noodles are cooked perfectly. In the final 5 minutes, Andy finds herself getting stressed as she juggles too many elements of her dish. Although she finishes cooking her noodles, Andy feels she is falling behind. Nyesha promptly advises her to ensure the noodles don’t have too much water on them. In the final few minutes, every contestant rushes to plate their dishes. As the platform begins arriving, Andy realizes she has forgotten to get her shrimp off the grill and manages to put it on her plate in the last few seconds.

Strong Flavors and Smart Choices Help Cole Earn the Valuable Time Token

Fortunately, all the chefs succeed in placing their dishes on the platform in time. The tasting round finally begins with Danielle’s rice noodle stir-fry featuring ox tongue. Although Gordon loves the cook on the noodles, he points out that the ox tongue is quite dry. Nyesha further adds that she would have loved some beautiful herbs to play against the richness of the tongue. Next up is the northern Thai curry noodle dish prepared by Cole, which impresses both Gordon and Richard with its depth of flavor. The next dish is Christian’s noodles with duck breast. Nyesha compliments the dish’s incredible depth of flavor but notes that there is no contrast, as the entire dish is quite rich and fatty. Similarly, Gordon observes that the dish is significantly rich, making it hard to finish the bowl.

The mentors next proceed to taste Connor’s marinated curry pork belly over noodles. While Richard praises the fresh herbs and pickled radish for balancing the dish’s richness, Gordon compliments its deliciousness. Upon tasting Darian’s spicy black cod over Peruvian-inspired udon noodles, Nyesha and Richard become thoroughly impressed with the vibrant flavors. Next up is Andy’s grilled tiger prawn over fine egg noodles. Richard quickly points out that the dish has too much prawn flavor. Although Nyesha compliments the preparation, Gordon states that the prawn is a little too firm. Lastly, the judges taste the steak-and-egg rock broth, prepared by Gabrielle. Richard feels that there is not enough broth in the dish, while Gordon truly loves how it is elevated.

The judges quickly excuse themselves to discuss the dishes they have just tasted. After an intense discussion, Gordon announces that the two dishes that have truly stood out were prepared by Darian and Cole. The judge then reveals that the person winning the Time Token tonight is none other than Cole. Both Darian and Cole will be cooking in the Top Kitchen next time around. Richard then chimes in to declare that three dishes have failed to meet the mark, and all three chefs will head to elimination. These include the ones made by Danielle, Andy, and Christian. In this elimination challenge, they must create a next-level entrée that is completely starch-free. Tonight, the chefs must let their protein shine and focus entirely on flavor, balance, and technique.

Confidence Clashes With Desperation During the Intense Elimination Round

Andy, Danielle, and Christian arrive in the Top Kitchen for the Elimination cook-off round. They finally get ready for the ingredient grab after Richard enters the kitchen and announces that the chefs will receive 25 minutes to complete their dishes. During the grab, Christian pushes past everyone to pick the components he wants. Once the allotted time begins ticking, the contestants rush to their stations to start preparing their proteins. Richard first approaches Christian and reminds him to make a sauce. The mentor then arrives at Danielle’s station and suggests that she prepare her dish, as she is exceptional with herbs. Richard further advises her to prepare some onions and sour cream.

Richard then shifts his attention to Andy, who is locked in on cooking her cod dish. Meanwhile, the mentor is interrupted by Christian, who is celebrating while using the liquor in his dish. Richard asks the contestant not to act too “cocky” because one of them may be going home today. With just 10 minutes remaining, Danielle realizes that one of the components of her dish is salty. She decides to salvage the situation by making a roux quickly, but Richard cautions her to cook the flour out of it. Despite the nervousness, Danielle manages to complete her dish on time. As the time comes to an end, the contestants finish plating their dishes.

Critical Missteps in Danielle’s Dish Lead to Her Exit From the Competition

Once Nyesha and Gordon arrive in the kitchen, the tasting begins with Christian’s seared pork chop. Although Nyesha praises the preparation, she points out that the broccoli sauce has an interesting composition. Similarly, Gordon feels the broccoli sauce is grainy and not a puree, but rather something in the middle. Next up is the crispy-skinned cod prepared by Andy, which receives compliments from both Nyesha and Gordon for its vibrant colors and flavor. Lastly, upon tasting Danielle’s pan-seared scallops, Gordon remarks that a component of the dish is lost in translation because it’s not powerful enough.

Similarly, Nyesha feels that there is a bit of graininess in the soubise, mainly a floury texture. After much deliberation, Nyesha and Gordon select Danielle’s dish for elimination, ending her journey in the competition. While Nyesha expresses joy at having Danielle on her team, Gordon remarks that the chef is a powerhouse. In her exit interview, Danielle says she feels this is just the beginning and is proud of herself. After she bids an emotional goodbye, Gordon bluntly tells Christian that if there weren’t three of them in the Elimination cook-off, the judges would have eliminated him. The judge then tells the Top 6 contestants to be ready because next time, they will be celebrating a birthday like no other, something 250 years in the making.