SLIDESHOW NEXT »
Spirits soar and views clash on the bus ride to Las Vegas for the next set of challenges.
SLIDESHOW NEXT »
Chef Michael Mina demonstrates how to make his signature dish, Dover sole, which the finalists must reproduce.
SLIDESHOW NEXT »
To the relief of his co-competitors, "Miracle Mike" Duronsolet goes bust in Vegas, and heads home broke-but for a brand new pan.
| THE FINALISTS' JOURNALS Read more about this episode in the finalists' own words. | |
 |
John Paul Abernathy |
 |
Michael Duronslet 86'd in this episode |
 |
Katie Hagan-Whelchel |
 |
Sara Lawson |
 |
Matthew Leeper |
 |
Autumn Maddox |
 |
Yannick Marchand |
 |
Russell Moore |
 |
Katsuji Tanabe |
Guest Chef Judge: Michael Mina, Michael Mina's restaurant in Las Vegas
Our nine remaining finalists hit the road for Las Vegas, the next stop on our contest tour. The four-hour bus ride could have been relaxing, but Katsuji's arrogance flares tempers as cooking philosophies clash. In a professional kitchen there's not always room for a line cook's personal opinions. And after arriving to a warm reception in the Voodoo Lounge, Katsuji finds himself in hot water as the judges remind him of the competition's stakes — that he's here to cook for Todd English, not just for himself.
Guest Chef Michael Mina joins the whole crew in the kitchen of his Vegas restaurant in the Bellagio Hotel and Casino to demonstrate one of his signature dishes. Chef Mina takes the finalists step by step through his Phyllo-Crusted Dover Sole, then the finalists are challenged to perform exact reproductions of the master's original. By threes they step up to the line and get cooking, then present their dishes. Sara's concentration pays off again: her plate is the only one Chef Mina says he would serve in his restaurant. In fact, Lady Luck seems to favor the ladies, who win this week's contest and a special tasting at Martin Heierling's restaurant Sensi. On the flip side, crucial mistakes land the men's dishes well below the judges' expectations — soggy, lukewarm, and executed out of sequence. Katsuji is chastised for being unprofessional and messy, and, better yet, Yannick has the audacity to tell Chef Mina his sole is too salty! But luckily for him it was too late to get 86'd, as this week's victim turns out to be "Miracle Mike" Duronslet.