SLIDESHOW NEXT »
The five pairs of finalists march off to the Farmers Market for a lightening round of shopping.
SLIDESHOW NEXT »
Guest chef Govind Armstrong, of Table 8, joins the panel to judge the team-cooking competition.
SLIDESHOW NEXT »
Bearing the brunt of the blame for his team's fiasco of a dish, Blair gets to take home this week's 86
| THE FINALISTS' JOURNALS Read more about this episode in the finalists' own words. | |
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John Paul Abernathy |
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Michael Duronslet |
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Katie Hagan-Whelchel |
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Blair King 86'd in this episode |
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Sara Lawson |
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Matthew Leeper |
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Autumn Maddox |
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Yannick Marchand |
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Russell Moore |
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Katsuji Tanabe |
Guest Chef Judge: Govind Armstrong, Table 8
Winner's Prize: Dinner with Robert Gadsby, Noe
In the kitchens of the Art Institute of California-Los Angeles, our budding chefs are schooled in food costs, communication, and collaborative cooking. Paired up and given $40 and a few hints by guest chef Govind Armstrong of Table 8 restaurant, each team has 30 minutes to scour the bounty of L.A.'s historic Farmer's Market for the freshest ingredients.
Big egos and differing tastes make for a spicy mix as the finalists return for a team cook-off. Some pairs work well together while others clash. Without strong communication skills and an ability to draw inspiration from one another, you can't run a great kitchen, and during presentation the judges grill the duos on their creations. Sarah and Matt are singled out as the strongest team, with a selection of refreshing, well-seasoned dishes. They are rewarded with a tour and dinner hosted by chef Robert Gadsby, of Noe restaurant. But the praise stops there. After every team receives an exacting review, Blair and Michael are asked to confess their culinary sins — oily risotto, lumpy sauce, and worst of all: an inedible crown containing garnish atop their over-stacked concoction. In the end, Blair bears the brunt of the blame and gets served with the dreaded 86 pan.