Suvechha Sarkar
Season 1 of NBC’s ‘Yes, Chef!’ is heating up fast, and episode 3 promises viewers another intense serving of culinary drama. With a grand prize of $250,000 on the line, the pressure inside the kitchen is mounting, and not everyone is able to handle it with grace. In episode 3, titled ‘What’s in the Box?’, judges Martha Stewart and José Andrés oversee whether the contestants can really let go of their ego. It picks up immediately after the dramatic elimination of Chef T, and even focuses on how Michelle is struggling to regain her composure following the previous round. Moreover, it comes to light that Zain is not impressed with Michelle’s moves and even considers her “insecure” before making it clear that she is not here to play games, but to cook well.
Simmering Tensions Set the Tone For the Chefs’ Next Challenge
In her confessional, Zain opens up about the fact that she began cooking after her parents got divorced. She recalls her mother’s struggle as a single mom and states that seeing her have so much on her plate led her to take her fate into her own hands. She also adds that although anger is an issue for her, she is gradually working on it. However, she concedes, Michelle’s gameplay does not sit right with her. Furthermore, she states that her motivation to win is her daughter, who has some medical issues and needs significant funds for treatments. Moving forward, the chefs return to the kitchen to face their next challenge, before which José asks them about their feelings regarding the last elimination. Michelle honestly confesses that it had put so much pressure on her that she turned emotional. Then, the judges themselves note that Chef T was understandably unhappy with the outcome of her elimination, and José adds that her empathetic nature makes him sad she was booted so early.
Martha observes that this is a cutthroat competition, and the chefs have to take full advantage of it to grow their knowledge, hone their skills, and even become better leaders. José states that if they think they belong in this kitchen, they have to prove it to themselves. Martha subsequently announces that for the day’s challenge, the contestants would be divided into two teams of five, amongst whom one of them will be the captain. They waste no time picking their team, with Chris declaring in his confessional that he does not want to be with Michelle because he saw her true colors in the previous challenge. On the other hand, from her experience, Zain remarks that although Katsuji intends to run the kitchen, she loves it too. Hence, the duo resorts to a game of rock-paper-scissors to determine the leader. Ultimately, Zain wins the game and takes the reign for the Green team. Meanwhile, the blue team’s choice to select Ronnie as the lead leaves Michelle wary since she feels he is not right for the position.
When the judges ask the teams how they chose their lead, Zain declares they decided through a game. Emily, on the other hand, explains that they chose Ronnie because he is knowledgeable and skilled. Martha then goes on to announce the challenge for the day: In each of the five boxes presented before them, there is a unique technique. One chef from each team is going to be responsible for executing the one they end up with. They are numbered from 1 to 5 based on their degree of difficulty. To add a little more spice, each box comes with a set of diners, and the tougher the box, the more people they have to feed. She announces that the name of the challenge is “Breaking egos.” After all, Martha believes this challenge is going to help them balance their ego by teaching them when to ask for help and how to stand up for themselves. That’s when the team members discuss amongst themselves to decide who will get which box.
Ingredient Battles Fuel the Competitive Spirit in the Kitchen
After serious deliberations, the green team decides that they will cook in the order of Peter, Julia, Chris, Zain, and Katsuji. However, Peter is not happy with this sequence as he feels underestimated for having the least experience, but this only strengthens his drive to prove everyone wrong. On the other hand, Katsuji confidently states that he is picked for the hardest technique because his teammates and leader know that he is the best. On the flip side, the blue team’s order is Jake, Emily, Michelle, Ronnie, and Lee. Martha then reveals that the technique of steaming is in the first box, followed by foam in the second, clarifying in the third, fresh pasta in the fourth, and spherification in the fifth. With 45 minutes on the clock, the chefs jump right into action. As all of them are selecting their ingredients, Michelle notices Katsuji walking away with all the eggs.
When Emily approaches him to ask for eggs, Katsuji immediately denies her. This angers her since four chefs on her team initially planned to make egg-based recipes. Emily informs Michelle that she has no choice but to change her idea owing to the situation. When Ronnie asks her if she knows any recipe for eggless pasta, as it would help him out, she notes that he needs to get over his insecurity quickly. Then, although Michelle also tries to ask for eggs from her fellow competitors, she reveals in a confessional that she is okay with Katsuji deciding to play dirty as long as her team still wins in the end. On seeing Ronnie struggle to figure out how to make pasta without eggs, Katsuji quickly helps him out with a way. In the meantime, Michelle once again makes an attempt to ask for eggs, only for the latter to cut her off, claiming he needs them for his egg salad.
This prompts Emily to let go of her stubbornness and move on. Amid these complaints, Zain declares that although she trusts the chefs, she wants to taste everything personally. If she believes something is not up to the mark, she will put her foot down. Ronnie discloses that he has been a chef for 24 years and is a professor at the Culinary Institute of America. However, he has never taken the reins since he lacks confidence. He decides to make Semolina but notes it is a tough choice. As the judges discuss among themselves on what the contestants have to prepare with the steaming technique, Peter loses his temper. As he raises his voice in frustration at not finding boiling water, José observes that this is the first time he has heard him raise his voice. Katsuji quickly steps in and offers his boiling water to Peter.
Technical Mishaps During the Cook Highlight the Importance of Teamwork
Peter eventually opens up and admits that he is a perfectionist, so when something is not up to his standards, he loses his temper. As the first set of diners arrive, Zain steps in to help him out. This makes the judges very happy as they observe that this is the first time she has showcased that she can be a team player. Then, with their time being up, Peter and Jake bring their dishes before Martha and José for tasting. José points out that they missed a big chance to use a basket to steam their dishes. They find Peter’s stuffed Swiss chard to be undercooked, and note that Jake’s steamed cabbage could have also been steamed a bit longer. Meanwhile, Julia is struggling since she has never used the Foam technique. As Zain guides her through the process, she expresses her confidence in her leader. Julia decides to set aside her ego and listen to her team lead.
José observes that Ronnie is not interacting much with his team. With 3 minutes left for her serving time, Emily makes the horrific discovery that she has been using the wrong cartridge. Her stubborn nature takes over, preventing her from asking for help. She fails to make a foam and gives up, noting that no time is left on her hands. As both she and Julia present their preparations before the judges, Emily clarifies her situation. The judges observe that while Julia’s dish is undercooked, she has used the technique unlike her competitor. Meanwhile, Katsuji provides Chris with valuable insights for his broth. Chris admits that the old him would have struggled to accept the suggestion, but he is now happy to get help. However, things are a little dire for Michelle, who is frustrated that she does not have egg whites to clear her stock.
Since Ronnie has not been helping Michelle, Jake steps in to be of assistance before the challenge concludes for her. While tasting her and Chris’ preparations, Martha points out that the former’s broth is not clear. José remarks that Michelle does not taste her own food, resulting in her dish lacking flavor. With just 12 minutes left, Zain declares that she still has no pasta. Since time is not on her side because she has been helping others on her team, she decides to adjust her recipe based on the situation. When Michelle notices Ronnie leaving the sauce-making to Emily, she notes that he is not a good captain. After tasting the fourth round of dishes, Martha compliments Zain’s preparation, while José is unsatisfied with the taste of Ronnie’s food. The focus then shifts to Lee, who is seamlessly using his technique for his dish. However, Katsuji is visibly struggling, which makes Zain irritable.
Owing to Strategic Decisions, Two Talented Chefs End Up in the Cook-off
Although Katsuji reveals that no one on his team can help him with his technique, he does not lose hope. In the end, he fails to save the day, which only boosts Lee’s confidence. The judges unanimously agree that Lee’s dish is exceptional. However, they are disappointed seeing Katsuji’s dish. Martha points out that he could have easily not only given eggs to the other team but also asked for help from Lee. He is then on the hot seat as both Michelle and Emily also come forward to openly accuse him of playing dirty. The latter even goes as far as to claim that she believes he went down this path because he knows the blue team is better. As the judges deliberate on their decision, the latter team discusses what their next step is going to be if they win. Once the chefs reenter the kitchen, Martha states that egos got the best of most of them, putting their team at risk. José explains that the team that wins the most rounds will gain the victory.
Ultimately, it is revealed that while the judges loved Julia, Christopher, and Zain’s dishes the most from the green team, they only loved Jake and Lee’s preparations from the blue team. Martha and José elaborate on their feedback further on each dish and declare the green team to be the winner. When Michelle promptly points out how her team did not have any eggs, José bluntly states that they must learn to adapt to such situations. This upsets Ronnie since he feels he should’ve fought more for the ingredient. In the end, Zain becomes the Most Valuable Chef (MVC) of the day’s challenge, and it is now up to her to select someone from the other team for the cook-off. She returns to the lounge with her team and notes that she can choose Michelle because she feels the latter has a bad attitude.
After hearing opinions from her teammates, she notes that she wants to win against a stronger chef rather than someone weak. When the time for choosing eventually arrives, she announces that she wants to challenge Ronnie since he did not perform well in the last challenge. In her confessional, Zain reveals that it is the leader’s responsibility to ensure their team wins. However, Ronnie failed to do so, which made him responsible for the blue team’s loss. When Martha notices Ronnie’s confidence wavering, she asks him to “buck up.” This statement does the trick for him, and his determination is renewed. For this round, Zain and Ronnnie will draw two cards, each with assigned numbers. The combined numbers are going to determine the number of ingredients they can use. If the choice is not up to mark, Zain can pass the cards to Ronnie and pick two new cards for herself.
The Cook-off Proves to be Redemption for One Chef and Disappointment for the Other
Zain picks a total of 16 but chooses to pass it to Ronnie since she feels he easily gets overwhelmed. Although the latter starts panicking, he soon realizes the easiest way to incorporate all these ingredients is to make a soup. As the 30 minutes on the clock start ticking, the judges find that Zain has one more ingredient compared to her combined card number of 13. She discards her rice vinegar and shifts her entire focus to her dish. Watching Ronnie get into action, Michelle states she does not feel he is going to choose her to be eliminated if he wins. This is because she has always supported Ronnie, and they lost the day’s challenge because of Emily. With 15 minutes already gone, Ronnie notices that the clams are dirty, which now requires him to give the stock a rinse. He controls his emotions and calmly takes the next step.
As the time comes to an end, Zain and Ronnie present their dishes before the judges. After tasting their carefully prepared asian cuisines, Martha and José ask for time to discuss their decision. In the end, Martha compliments Ronnie for executing his 16-ingredient soup exceptionally. She notes it is flavorful before José chimes in to add that the clams in the dish were still a bit chewy for his taste. He then states that while Zain’s ingredients were all very well-cooked, the dressing of her salad was watery for Martha. Finally, they announce that the winner of the round is none other than Ronnie. This much-needed victory serves as an extra boost to his confidence. The decision to send someone home from his team now falls on him.
Ronnie decides to judge his team member based on their last dish and chooses Michelle for elimination. She becomes emotional and expresses that she is good and must keep moving forward. As her team consoles her, José remarks that her daughter is going to be proud of her. She tearfully bids goodbye to everyone, and the judge wishes her the best. In her exit interview, Michelle states that she is still a work in progress and is trying to change her ways. The episode comes to a close with Zain saying in her confessional that this elimination is going to reduce the complaining in the kitchen. As the heat goes up a notch, all eyes are now turned to the next episode to see what the judges have in store for the contestants.
Read More: Yes Chef Episode 2 Recap: Martha’s Roast
