Cook Off (2017) - full transcript

[upbeat music]

[dramatic music]

Your time starts...

...now!

So, Mom, I mean Anesu,
what are you gonna cook for us today?

Well, today I'm making pancakes
with fruits and fresh cream.

Can you talk us through what you're doing?

Okay, right now I'm actually making
the batter for my pancakes,

and I am whisking the mixture

to make sure all the lumps are out
before--

Nine minutes remaining!



[pancakes sizzling]

Six minutes remaining.

Thirty seconds.

-Really good, Mom.
-Thanks.

Could have done with a pinch of salt.

[Anesu giggles]

Hurry up, Taps, you're gonna be late!

Your lunch!

-Bye, Mom!
-Bye, love you!

[African language]
She really is a good cook.

Ah, yes indeed, yes indeed.

Great food. You're really good, Anesu.

You are talented. You are a talented chef.

Dude, she's marriage material.
Imagine eating like this every day!



-I'd never go to a restaurant.
-You should leave it for us bachelors.

-Ah, thanks, Anesu, thank you.
-My pleasure.

Hey, you! Get that fire going! OK?

-Ah, Mai Shupi.
-Yes?

Mai Shupi, you know, your sadza
is the best. It's really fantastic.

Oh, is that so? Thank you very much.

But Anesu now, she cooks
the meat to perfection!

-Oh, really?
-Yeah!

You! Don't be happy for nothing.
You hear me?

[woman] So we're looking for 16 chefs

to take part in the new season
of "Battle of the Chefs,"

and this time there's
a cash prize of $10,000!

So if you think you've got what it takes,
call or email us on--

Have you finished your homework?

You should enter, Mom.
I really think you could win.

Hmm, ah, this is for professional chefs.
I wouldn't stand a chance.

But that Munya guy was not a professional
chef and he went to the second round!

Okay, Tapiwa, it's time for bed.
Good night.

-Good night.
-Good night!

[funky music]

Grandfather, don't you think--

Tapiwa, you don't talk
when your mouth is full.

Anesu, why don't you teach
your son some manners?

Sekuru, don't you think Anesu
should enter the cooking competition?

Tapiwa!

And she could win $10,000.

Your mother is too busy
to do such ridiculous things.

Ah well, I think you're
a fine cook, muzukuru.

I... I don't think I have the time.

So Tapiwa, muzukuru,
how's your new school?

Ah, it's okay, but the prefects
are getting us in trouble,

-because we have big balls.
-Tapiwa!

[laughter]

This child has no manners.

I had high hopes for Anesu

when she did get three As at O level.

If my church group had to see me now.

He's just a boy, you know, Amai Anesu.
He'll grow up soon enough.

If you had to throw away your education

because you were too quick
to get pregnant,

at least she should try and teach
that child of hers some manners.

She's such a disappointment.

-Oh, my dear, don't be so mean.
-I'm just telling the truth!

So, Anesu, what's this
cooking competition?

-It's a TV show.
-[scoffs]

I don't know what's wrong
with these children of nowadays.

They want to live their lives
through a television show.

They've forgotten some
important things in life

that they should teach
their children some manners.

[Anesu] She's just so critical of me
all the time.

I couldn't believe that
it was the pastor's son, Jacob.

You know every girl at church
fancied him, right?

Mmm, wasn't I lucky
that he picked me then?

Well, maybe not, since he turned out to be
a complete doggy dog. [chuckles]

Please don't tell anyone, though.
She still doesn't know.

What? You mean to tell me that you didn't
tell her who the father of the baby was?

No wonder she's always going off at you.

She probably thinks that you slept with
the whole school

and don't know who
the father of the baby is.

[laughs]

Well...

-Look, there's Tapiwa!
-Oh!

-Go, Tapiwa!
-Whoo!

-Whoo!
-Go, Tapiwa!

-[whistles]
-[laughs]

Sorry, what were you were saying?

I was saying, Anesu,
you need to put yourself out there more.

You know, get back on the dating scene.

You're still pretty,
and you're not that old.

What about my Tapiwa? Men don't like
raising kids that are not their own.

Oh, rubbish. I've got Samson,
and Kuda has no problem whatsoever

raising someone else's child.

You just don't tell them immediately.

Wait for them to fall
madly in love with you! [laughs]

I don't know. I think I missed my chance.

Life isn't fair, Charmaine.
You go to school. You have big dreams.

Next thing you know, you're selling
dollar sadza to five dollar hookers.

[Charmaine laughs]

Maybe God is punishing me
for something, I don't know.

Is that why you don't go to church?

I always thought it was because of Jacob.

Tapiwa!

-Go, Tapiwa!
-[all cheering]

[Anesu] That's my boy!

-I'm so proud of you, Tapiwa.
-[Charmaine giggles]

You were great, Auntie's little champion!

Oh, wow!

-Did you see me cheering you on?
-Yeah.

And me, did you hear me?

-Yeah.
-Yeah, good.

Mom, Gogo and I
have something to tell you.

What is it?

We've entered you into
the cooking competition!

What?

They said that
you should be there tomorrow.

No.

I can't tomorrow.

You can, Anesu.

-No.
-You can.

But aren't you supposed
to have knives or something?

He used all his pocket money.

And Gogo gave me $50.

-I don't know.
-[Gogo] It's all up to you, grandchild.

But I know you can do it.
Believe in yourself.

[Tapiwa] Go for it, Mom.

Okay.

[upbeat music]

So what are you gonna do
if you won the $10,000?

Hmm.

Well, I would love to take my darling son

to the mighty Victoria Falls,

yes,

and we'll stay at a very nice hotel.

Yeah.

Then,

I would love to open
my own catering business,

nothing too fancy.

I'll start off doing small functions,

just to build my reputation.

Yeah.

That's what I'll do. [chuckles]

Lunch!

-Good luck, Mom!
-I love you.

Argh! Hey, you!

Sorry, would you like me
to get you another one?

Ah, no, it's fine, it's fine.
Just don't do that next time.

OK, you can go.

Wait! Wait!

Driver! Driver! Wait, my friend,
there is somebody still coming, dude.

Hey, man, is this the way you drive?

She's coming. She's coming, just wait.

You're in a hurry today.

Yes?

I'm here for the auditions.

Oh. Actually we're just wrapping up.

Ah, shame.

Couldn't you just try and squeeze her in?

Okay, I'll see what I can do.

Thanks.

-Thanks.
-My pleasure.

Here, fill out a form.

[Anesu] Thank you.

Okay, quickly. The director has agreed to
audition you, but we have to go right now!

Now, come on, let's go!

[suspenseful music]

-What's your name?
-Anesu.

Hey, just relax. You'll be fine.

Okay, Anesu. This is your audition
for the Battle of the Chefs.

You have just ten minutes
to prepare something

that's going to impress me and our judge.

You can use any of the ingredients
you find in the kitchen,

but whatever you cook must include an egg.

Any questions?

-Where can I wash my hands?
-[director] The sink is right behind you.

-Okay, are you ready?
-I'm ready.

Right then. Your time starts...

Now!

[suspenseful music]

So you have eight minutes to go.
What are you making for us today, Anesu?

Um, salmon, egg...

It's going to be tasty.

Okay, so what made you
enter the competition?

[Anesu] Actually, I didn't.
My son, he entered me.

[director] Oh, he must
really love your cooking!

Just over five minutes to go.

Four minutes remaining. Don't forget, if
it's not on the plate, we can't judge it.

Thirty seconds.

Five seconds.

Three, two, one...

Stop cooking!

[suspenseful music]

Anesu, that was a really good performance.

-Where do you work?
-Um, I work at Mai Shupi's.

It's a sadza dollar stall in town.

Where did you learn to cook like this?

My son. Well, actually, but...

We play a game
where he times me when I'm cooking.

Anyway let me just give you
some... some comments.

You should have blanched the tomato

to remove the skin and the seeds.

These are indigestible parts
of the... of the tomato.

And secondly, you made
a very nice crispy rocket,

but why did you spoil it
by putting the vinaigrette on top?

Then finally, why on Earth
did you use the same spoon

to taste the vinaigrette and to serve it?

I'm sorry, I didn't know that I had--

Okay, thanks, Anesu. We'll let you know.

That's a wrap for today, guys!
Thanks, everyone!

[lively music]

[Tapiwa] Mom, Mom!

I'm in the kitchen.

-How did it go? What happened?
-I think it went well.

-So are you in?
-I don't know yet.

They said they would let me know.

And then they left.

I guess they do that for everybody.

One of the judges said
my tomatoes were indigestible.

-Indigestible?
-Mmm.

I mean come on, you made
salmon and that crispy,

what did you call it?

And you made your own vinegar.

-Vinaigrette.
-That.

I guess, but it's been two weeks.

They'll call. Don't worry about it.

Tapiwa really has his hopes up.

Hmm.

Hey, sister. Let's hope you won't spill
anything on me today.

[chuckles] I'm sorry about the other day.

Ah, no, your cooking is the best,
so I'll let it off.

Thanks.

-Thank you.
-Alright.

[phone vibrating]

-Can you give me a hand?
-[server] It's okay.

-[Anesu] Hello?
-[woman] Is this Anesu?

Yes, this is Anesu.

I'm calling you from
"Battle of the Chefs."

Okay.

[knocking on door]

[man on TV] Who is it?
Tawanda! Open up! Who?

-[knocking on door]
-Mmm!

-[knocking on door]
-Coming!

The show called.

Oh.

Oh no, was it?

I'm in, I'm in the show!

[they laugh]

♪ Congratulations, and jubilations ♪

♪ We want the world
to know Anesu is the best ♪

♪ Congratulations, and celebrations ♪

-Congratulations, congratulations!
-Ah, thank you.

My grandchild!

Thank you, thank you so much.

-[Tapiwa ululates]
-[all laugh]

Alright, Anesu, I need you
to look straight into the camera

and tell us your name, age,
and where you live.

Hi, my name is Anesu.
I'm 31 years old, and I live in Budiriro

and I'm here on Battle of the Chefs

to just show what single mothers
are capable of.

Let's end with the shot of her son.

I like her. She's my favorite.

She's an amateur.

Only professional chefs have ever made it
past the second round.

Okay, that's it.
Can you show me all of them again?

My name is Prince, I'm 35 years old.
I come from Mabelreign.

And my name may be Prince,

but on this show,
I'm going to be crowned king.

Hi, I am Milly-Ann,
all the way from Chisipite.

I am here to show that
Zimbabweans have class.

Hi, I'm JJ from Christon Bank.

I'm no spring chicken, but I won't be
the one with egg on my face

in this competition.

My name is Nhamo,
and I'm 42 years old from Greendale.

I'm back here to defend my title

and also to prove that I'm
still the best chef in Zimbabwe.

You have been warned.

Hi, I'm Ophelia and I'm from Braeside.

I'm doing this in memory of my mother.

And those are all of our 16 chefs
who will be competing from next week

for the title of best chef in Zimbabwe.

Join us after the break
as we show you highlights

from our auditions
over the last few weeks.

I'm Zihlo, you're watching
"Battle of the Chefs".

So have you met the others yet?

Actually, I met one of them
at the auditions.

But I think we'll meet everyone tomorrow.
It's our first elimination tomorrow.

So are you competing tomorrow?

No, no, not tomorrow, I don't think so.

I think tomorrow we're being
introduced to the other chefs,

-and then my first round is on Thursday.
-[Gogo] Mmm, yeah.

I really hope that you beat
that Milly-Ann.

I really think she's fake.

You don't just go judging everyone around,

according to their appearances, Tapiwa.

Remember what we spoke about
judging a book by its cover?

You can even read on the back of the cover

and you can tell if the book
is going to be boring or not.

Mm-mm, okay, Tapiwa, that's enough.

It's actually time for bed right now.
Go brush your teeth.

-But, Mom!
-Teeth!

[Tapiwa groans]

[Gogo chuckles]

He's such a wonderful boy.

He's just a little rascal!

Whatever your mother tells you,
she's always been the one complaining.

Don't mind her.

Thanks, Gogo.

I guess I do try.

He's the only thing I managed
to do right in this life.

Nonsense.

You are too hard on yourself.
Anesu, muzukuru.

We all encounter difficulties,

and sometimes,

often, things don't exactly go
the way we had planned,

but we have to do our best
with the life that God gave us,

and you do, muzukuru.

You do your best and Gogo sees it,

and even if your mother
doesn't say it, she sees it too.

Oh.

Good luck for tomorrow,
and for Thursday as well. Okay?

-Thank you, Gogo.
-Okay, goodnight.

[upbeat music]

Okay, so I need this whole area here lit

for the 16 contestants
for the beginning of the show.

There's 16 of them,

so I'm thinking eight at the back
and eight at the front, based on height.

Okay, everyone.

For the actual cooking today,

we'll need Nhamo, Prince,
Veronica, and Simba M,

um, but I'll brief you separately
after the introductions,

so you'll have enough time to prepare.

Is everyone here?

Well, everyone important is here.

I haven't seen Milly-Ann yet.

Anesu hasn't arrived yet either.

Oh, okay.
Well, start shooting in half an hour,

so Ophelia and Tsitsi,
go straight into make-up.

Um, today is the first episode,
so we need high energy, everyone, okay?

Oh, my gosh. Be a darling. Fetch
the Japanese knife set and bring them.

Is that you, Anesu?

I can see you behind that tree, you know?

I knew it was you!

Hello, Jacob, I was just...

what are you doing here?

Oh, I'm with my wife, Milly-Ann.
She's in the competition too.

I saw you on TV.
You've started cooking again.

- Yes, I--

It's been a long time!
I haven't seen you since...

How is, uh?

Tapiwa. His name is Tapiwa.

He's fine.

-Jacob, let's go!
-Coming, darling!

I gotta go. It was...

It was really great.

[melancholy music]

Hey! Are you okay?

What's up? You seem kind of upset.

I don't know. I guess it's just the camera
and the lights and everything.

I heard you really aced
the egg challenge, though.

-Am I gonna regret helping you?
-Maybe.

-Am I going to regret borrowing your pen?
-Maybe.

[giggles]

Okay, can you move Nhamo to the middle

and swap Anesu and Ophelia.

Hey, relax. I've got your back.

Out of more than 50 hopefuls
from the hundreds that auditioned,

you are the lucky 16 that have been chosen
to prove yourselves in this competition.

Over the next ten weeks, we'll be
eliminating the weakest each week.

Weakest weak in weeks,
who wrote this script?

-I mean, does this make sense to you?
-Cut!

-Do you think I have time...
-Somebody show me the script.

-...to talk about unsolicited scripts!
-Take five, everyone.

[host yelling]

You're making me mad!

Okay, everyone. We're gonna be
a bit longer just finalizing the script.

So relax, have a cup of tea,
and I'll call you when we're ready.

Yeah.

Oh my God, what the hell
is wrong with you?

Can't you see where you're going?
Are you stupid or something?

Here, let me help you.

That was totally not your fault.
I saw the whole thing.

If anything, she bumped into you.

I didn't like her as soon as I saw her,

swanning around like she owns the place!

What's her problem?

Do you two know each other?

I've never spoken to her
before in my life.

Anyway, I have to go.

Nhamo, you came to do business today
and you really impressed the judges.

You wanted to stamp your authority
on the competition at an early stage

and you did just that.

Well done. You are the first chef through
to the next round. Please step back.

Prince, your experimental
appetizer let you down,

but the judges really liked your technique
for your five-layer trifle dessert,

and together with your main course,
that was enough to keep you safe.

Well done. You are the second chef
through to the next round.

Please step back.

Veronica and Simba M.

One of you is going home today. Judges.

Ah, Veronica, you know cooking is an art,

but here you are like a child
bringing crayons

to this level of the competition.

Simba M,

I love your guts, I really like your guts.

Yes, I agree, Simba, very ambitious,

possibly too ambitious.

You forgot to watch the stove, Simba.

You burnt that chicken.

Look, at the end of the day,
this is a competition,

not a church social.

Simba, you gave us a piece
of charcoal on a plate

masquerading as chicken.

You are the weakest chef, bye bye.

Simba M, I'm sorry, brother.

You have 30 seconds to leave
the Battle of the Chefs kitchen.

In this final round
you will have 45 minutes

to prepare your main course fish dish.

Your time starts now!

At the start of the challenge,
the first thing I do is I cut my onions,

my pepper, as well as courgettes.

[Anesu] I'm thinking about my mash,

so I'm peeling my potatoes,
chopping them up,

and putting them on the stove to boil.

[Munya] I have decided
to make pan fried tilapia

with salmon and ginger butter.

[Ophelia] Well, today, I'm going to be
making some battered fish,

and then I'm going to make salmon
with a bit of a Mexican twist in it.

Put some chips on the side and voila.

[Simba T] I'm going to poach my tilapia,

and I'm going to mix it up
with my basil and cream sauce.

I'm cutting my fish in half
and then I'm taking off the dark parts,

you know, which are a bit bitter,

so I keep that original
fish taste to my dish.

[Anesu] I'm thinking of actually just

putting layers of puff pastry
and fish together

to just make a big stack,

and I'm just gonna call it a fish stack.

Ten minutes remaining.

[Ophelia] I'm gonna put some flour,

and then I'll mix that up with
some bicarb and some vinegar.

that will give it that
carbonated and crispy feel.

You know the fish and chips
that you then gonna go out and buy,

but mine will be so much better.

[Munya] I could see others were
busy running around but...

I'm good, I'm confident.

I think I've nailed it, yeah.

[dramatic music]

[Simba T] The last 30 seconds are
very tricky because I didn't, you know,

realize I don't have my salads
on my work station,

so I run to Ophelia's workstation

and I grab a little bit from her

and I come and finish off.

[Zihlo] Ten, nine, eight, seven,

six, five, four,

three, two, one.

Step away from your battle stations!

[Munya] In the last seconds I realize
that I missed my coriander,

so I just hope that, you know,
judges won't notice it.

[Anesu] When time's up
I'm looking at the other chefs

and I'm a bit worried
about my presentation.

But I think I've done enough.

[suspenseful music]

Oh, Anesu,

you know your...
your dish was amateur at best

and then, and then
you tried to throw it at me.

Really it's just.. I'm disappointed,
seriously disappointed.

This is not the sort of thing we expect.

Anesu, when I watched your audition tape,

I was expecting to see
so much more from you.

But this?

I'm afraid you're not cut out for this.
Seriously.

I'm sorry, Anesu, this just does not work.

Thank you, Anesu.

Chef Munya, can you please
present your dish to the judges?

[suspenseful music]

Hmm.

Chef Munya, this I would be happy
to serve in my restaurant.

Thank you.

So, great meal, great flavors,

but where's the coriander?

Ah, well...

I don't know what happened,
but I kind of forgot. I'm sorry, chef.

Chef Munya. I saw you standing there
for over five minutes

and the coriander was right there
and you still did not put it in.

This is unacceptable.

[Zihlo] Anesu and Chef Munya.

One of you is about to go home today.

So today's challenge has been about
including all the ingredients.

Anesu,

what you produced was rubbish.

Way below the standard of
what we expect on this show.

But Chef Munya,
you left out the coriander,

so you failed on a technical fault.

You will be leaving the show.

Anesu, that means you have
been saved by a technicality.

I don't know. I just...

It's just so much harder than I imagined.

I just feel like I'm
way, way out of my depth.

It was just so embarrassing!

You can do this.

You do have natural ability,
you just lack experience,

and you could probably do with
a few new techniques here and there,

but I could help you.

Thank you, but...

You know, I didn't think
you were a quitter.

Rumor has it that you wanna quit the show?

Just as well, really.

I think you bring the whole thing
down to a pathetic level.

I don't know why this year they let
any old loser into the competition.

It spoils it for us proper chefs.

And just so you know,
I think it's a good thing

when people like you know their place.

Anesu? I heard you want to quit the show?
Is this true?

I just, I...

Take a moment.

[distant men laughing]

So, I'm going to need you to
fill out and sign these forms.

Actually...

I've changed my mind.

Are you sure?

Yeah.

I want to continue with the competition
and see how far I'll go.

Wait!

Wait up.

-Can I walk with you?
-Sure.

So, if I didn't quit the competition

would you help me learn some new stuff?

Wait, wait.

So, you didn't quit?

-Yes, definitely, I'll help you.
-Thank you, thank you so much!

♪ Open your heart, you'll see me ♪

♪ Close your eyes, you'll see me ♪

♪ Open you mind ♪

-Just cooking, though.
-Mm-hmm.

I'm serious.

Just cooking. This is not a thing,
it's purely professional.

Yeah, just cooking.

[upbeat music]

[distant generator rumbles]

[upbeat music]

♪ When they shout out nasty things ♪

♪ You must smile ♪

♪ You must smile ♪

♪ I know ♪

♪ How hard it is ♪

♪ It's a ruse ♪

♪ And that's what it is ♪

♪ I know ♪

♪ How hard it is ♪

♪ It's all new ♪

♪ And that's what it is ♪

♪ What it is ♪

♪ What it is ♪

♪ What it is ♪

♪ Is ♪

-♪ Hey ♪
-♪ Ah ha ha ♪

He's not my boyfriend!

He's just a friend.

It's not, um... It's not anything.

Yes, that's much better.
Thank you for the towel.

Hi, young man. So you must be Tapiwa.

I guess I should really be going now.

Okay.

-Tomorrow?
-Tomorrow I can't.

-Wednesday?
-That works.

-See you Wednesday.
-Okay.

Nice to meet you, Tapiwa.

Just stop it.

-What time is this, Anesu?
-I'm sorry I'm late.

I'm trying to be understanding.

And if you keep on taking your days off,

and then when you come,
you come late, honestly.

-Huh?
-You are right. I'm sorry I'm late.

The presentation is, okay, I guess.

I hope there's nothing too
experimental in this dish

'cause you know we like our sadza
the way we like it!

Ha ha, don't mind her, Anesu!
She's jealous: can't even cook herself!

Thank you.

[woman] Jealous? Me?

[man] You are just jealous
because you can't cook.

You! This food is great!

Dude, avoid those light-skinned girls.

They don't know how to cook,
all they know is how to put on makeup.

Oh, how are you, Amai Anesu?

-Ladies. How are you?
-We're fine.

I saw your Anesu is now in the TV

Well, I hope it will be for the best.

She's a good girl, she might go far.

Eh, but those judges!

Hmm, the judges.

I don't know why they are so rough.

Ah, did you see? One said
"The big guns have arrived!"

about the carrots!

About carrots? Save us!

-And there's Chef Nhamo...
-Oh, yes?

He makes what he calls
his famous "frittata"...

-Okay?
-Isn't that just an omelette?

Frittata? It's an omelette!
Isn't that right, Mai Anesu? Ah!

Where did Mai Anesu go?

Okay. Now, a hollandaise sauce
is one of the basics

every chef should know.

It's simple, and yet...

difficult to master at the same time.

First, let's separate our
egg whites from our yolks.

That's it.

That's it.

So, when am I going to meet
this Prince Charming of yours?

I mean you guys have been
going at it for weeks now!

Oh, we haven't been going
at it for weeks, Charmaine!

-And why ever not?
-Because it's strictly professional.

-Mm-hmm.
-He's just helping me learn

-some new techniques.
-Techniques, huh?

-Cooking techniques!
-Okay, okay, okay, but...

I just can't believe that you've had
some man coming over to your house

for three weeks now and I haven't met him.

[Anesu] It's not like
he's coming everyday.

[Charmaine] Uh-huh, right.

[Prince] Oh, hello.

[Tapiwa] We're making hollandaise sauce!

[Charmaine giggles]

I don't think you can just
come to my house like this.

Look, I only came over
to wish you luck before tomorrow.

And then Tapiwa insisted
that I shouldn't wait outside

-so I figured that maybe you know, I--
-Maybe this was all a mistake!

Look, I'm sorry if I offended you,

or if I overstepped any mark.

I...

Fine.

I still think you should go, though.

Okay, fine.

Like I said, came by to wish you luck,
and give you this.

Please.

It's just an ice cream scoop,
a sharp peeler,

stuff I had two of,
and thought might be useful.

Thank you.

Okay, go, now go already!

[Prince] I'm gone, I'm gone,
I'm gone, I'm gone.

Good luck tomorrow, break an egg!

Hmm, yeah.

He seems nice. [giggles]

You, homework!

And you, home, now!

I'm just saying, jeez.

Ah.

Today the battle hots up as JJ, Milly-Ann,

Simba T, and Anesu move into round two.

One of them will be going home today,
but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Today there will be
a three course challenge.

Find out what it is after the break!

Tough break, Anesu,

up against three professionals.

I guess it's the last time I'm going
to have to see that ugly face of yours!

[producer]
Quiet, everyone, we're going for a take.

Everyone, please make sure
your phones are switched off!

Contestants, have you all
given me your phones?

Oh, sorry, sorry, I've still got mine.
Sorry, forgot, sorry.

-Sound ready?
-Ready!

-Camera?
-Speed.

- And, action!

Welcome back. Our chefs are ready
and waiting to find out

what the first challenge for the day is.

Now, some of our chefs attempted this
at audition phase,

but it was only Simba T who completed
his task in under 10 minutes.

The dish was supposedly invented in 1894,

when Mr. Lemuel Benedict
walked in to the Waldorf Hotel in New York

and asked for
"buttered toast, poached eggs,

crisp bacon, and a hooker of hollandaise"
to cure his hangover.

That's right. For today you're going
to make a classic Eggs Benedict.

We'd also like you to add a bit of your
own personality to give it a little twist.

Chefs, your time starts now!

Basically this is a classic dish,
so I'm going to add a hint of chili,

just, but just to maintain a balance.

I'm not going to overpower
the other flavors.

What I'm thinking is that Eggs Benedict
is normally on the breakfast menu.

That's normally where it's served,
so essentially so I'm gonna take mine

and I'm gonna add some mushroom
and some tomato into it

to try and turn it into a mini breakfast.

[Milly-Ann] This dish really is a classic,

so I'm not gonna change it up too much.

I mean there is a professional
technique to this dish

that not many amateurs can master.

I look over at Anesu
and she's only just starting her sauce.

[Anesu] This is a dish
I've been practicing every day,

so I'm really excited about it.

Ten minutes is a push, it really is,

but I'm hoping that if I can do this,

then everyone will look at me
in a different way.

Well, I'm having just a little trouble
with my egg, just a little,

but I'm not too worried at this stage.

[Anesu] I've decided to do
a crispy Parma ham as the twist,

and I'm actually doing that
instead of the bacon.

I'm not really buying this
whole hangover cure thing,

because I've actually tried
Eggs Benedict on a hangover

and it's not good on an iffy stomach.
It's too rich, I don't get it.

Are you up to the challenge?
Come on, chefs, ten seconds to go!

Nine, eight, seven,

six, five, four,

three, two, one!

Step away from your battle stations!

[Zihlo] Judges,
your final verdicts please.

The foods I have just tasted today,

I'm just emotional that I have no words.

Yes, yes, some really
impressive dishes today.

Not perfect, always room
for improvement, huh?

And it's gonna be close,
very close indeed.

I agree, yes, it has been
a very tough call.

You're all very good, but...

after much deliberation
with my colleagues here,

the first chef that's going through is...

Anesu!

[majestic music]

I couldn't believe it,
I still can't believe it actually.

And it just feels like I'm in a dream.
[giggles]

Milly-Ann, that means you have been
eliminated from Battle of the Chefs.

You have 30 seconds to leave the kitchen.

Wait, me?

[scoffs] There's some
kind of mistake here.

Is this... Is this for Candid Camera?
I'm being 'Punk'd' here.

[giggles] Okay, you got me, you got me.

No, don't touch me.

Don't touch me, man.

You guys got me, you guys got me.

Don't touch me, man! You! This is you!

You, you!

-You didn't even see the best part on TV!
-Tell me, what happened?

She started going crazy, really crazy.

Uh-huh?

-She started swearing at me.
-Ah, no!

They had to restrain her.

[Charmaine giggles]

And then she starting breaking things,
plates, cups, glasses.

[laughs]

Oh my gosh, I heard they even
want to upload it on their website

unless she pays for damages!

Well, it couldn't have happened
to a nastier piece of work!

-Exactly.
-That is what I call karma, baby!

-Karma police!
-Karma police!

[blues music]

Charmaine, Charmaine, I'm late!

Charmaine, I'm late.

[Charmaine] Buttered toast,
crispy bacon, poached eggs--

Come through to my house later, okay? Bye!

Uh, uh!

Anesu, how could you?

What time is this?
And you're drunk as well?

No, Mai Shupi. I'm not drunk.

You're drunk! Wait, wait, wait,
here, take your money.

There's your money!

[Charmaine] She fired you?

[Anesu] She fired me.

Oh, jeez, I need another Disprin.

I'm not sure about this.

$5,000.

Half now, half when the job is done.

If you're not sure, I can always get
someone else that can do it.

No. I'll do it.

[phone ringing]

Tapiwa, please get the phone!

[Tapiwa] Hello, this is Anesu's phone,
how may I assist you?

No, she's not busy.

Okay. Mom, you'd better finish bathing,

the radio wants to interview you
in two minutes!

[splashing]

What?

[announcer] Capitalk 100.4 FM
leading the conversation.

Now I did say that I've got
an amazing surprise for you

about the conversation
that everyone has been having.

That's the conversation that
happened this past weekend

on Battle of the Chefs when
Anesu won the second round.

I know a lot of you have
burning questions on this.

I have Anesu from "Battle of the Chefs"
on the line right now.

Anesu, how are you doing?

I'm feeling great, thank you.

So Anesu, you have been
the talk of the town lately.

How does it feel to be joint favorite?

Um, joint favorite, really?

Modest she is, modest she is.

But I can see your questions
that are coming through.

We'll definitely continue
the conversation there.

Keep them coming of course
on our WhatsApp platform

and our Facebook platform
as well at Capitalk FM,

and we'll continue with the conversation
with Anesu right after this.

[upbeat music]

Hmm, I can get used to this

What?

I'm sorry, I said I can get used to this.

Uh-uh, well, don't.

This is only because I'm practicing
my desserts for the next round.

Then it will be back to normal breakfast
for you, young man.

[Tapiwa laughs]

[phone ringing]

Hello, this is Anesu's phone,
how may I assist you?

Yes?

Certainly.

It's Prince.

Hello?

[giggles] How are you doing, yeah?

Yes. Tomorrow?

Yes, it's my best friend's birthday

and his uncle takes us all out
for dinner every year,

but it's become a bit of a running joke

that I always come alone,

so I was wondering
if you would like to accompany me?

Yeah, okay.

Yeah, see you tomorrow then.

Yeah, it's a date! [giggles] Okay, bye.

So, it's a date?

You're going to be late.

Hi, Aunty Charmaine, Mom has got a date!

Oh, uhn-uhn! Looks like I got here
not a moment too soon. When is it?

Tomorrow, Friday,
but it's not a "date" date!

Hmm... 36 hours?

I can work my magic in that time.

-And honey, it's always a "date" date.
-Charmaine!

Come on, let's go.

[upbeat music]

Knock, knock...

Hello, Tapiwa.

Okay, let's get one thing straight.

I want her back by midnight, no excuses.

And if you hurt her feelings,

let's just say I know some bad people.

-Okay?
-Okay.

-[Anesu] What's he saying, Prince?
-Oh, nothing, just, he's just, uh...

♪ Your eyes ♪

♪ Your nose ♪

Wow.

♪ The way you smile
when you're smiling at me ♪

♪ You hair ♪

Don't worry about us, have fun!

♪ Your toes ♪

♪ The way you walk
when you're walking towards me ♪

♪ I could never run out
of things to explain ♪

♪ How you've got me feeling this way ♪

♪ I have a million reasons ♪

♪ Why it's easy to love you ♪

♪ To love you ♪

♪ A million reasons ♪

♪ Why it's easy to love you ♪

♪ To love you ♪

♪ I have a million reasons ♪

♪ Why it's easy to love you ♪

♪ I have a million reasons ♪

♪ Why it's easy to love you ♪

-Thanks for coming with me.
-It was a pleasure.

I had a lovely evening.

I, um...

Okay, uh, goodnight.

Hello, girls, how are you today?

Hi, Amai Anesu.
We are very fine, thank you.

You are busy with your tea again.

Anesu is doing so well.
You must be so proud of her.

Yes, my dear, I'm very proud of her.

I know that some of my hard work
will pay at the end. [laughs]

Where is she? Is she around?

Yeah, she's busy.

Right now at the moment,
she's preparing for the next round.

And what will she cook for her next dish?

Well, girls, I'm not allowed to say.
It must come as a surprise to everyone.

Yes, Amai Anesu, not even a clue.

-Yes, my dear.
-We won't tell anyone.

Wow,
I may have done my job a little too well.

Huh?

Oh, nothing.

-It smells good.
-Mm-hmm?

Right, last pointers
before the final round.

The food generally looks better

if there's less of it on the plate.

So, really watch your portion sizes.

Also, there's one more round
before the final round.

And normally, they'll try and throw
some curveball at us,

some really weird dish.

This is not the time to go all out.

Keep your head down and focus on
getting into the final. Got it?

Got it.

One last thing, I'm in this too.

And if it comes down to me versus you,
I won't hold back.

And neither should you.

Sounds like it's a little challenge
in there.

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,
and welcome to

a very special edition of
Battle of the Chefs,

coming to you live from
our studio in Harare.

Okay, positions, everyone.

We're back from commercials
in three minutes.

Alright, everyone, today is high drama.

There will be no recipes, so you'll just
have to work with your gut instinct.

This is like an exam, so once
the secret ingredients are revealed,

there will be no conferring
and no assistance.

Go big or go home!

You ready for this?

I'm gonna kick your butt!

Quiet, please.

Right, we're live in five, four...

Welcome back to Battle of the Chefs.

Please bring in the ingredients.

For your first challenge you are to use
all the ingredients in your basket

in whichever way you please.

Okay, chefs, is everyone ready?

Your time starts now!

[dramatic music]

I need to go to the toilet.

What?

I need to go to the toilet.

-Now?
-Now.

Our chefs have just 35 minutes remaining

in tonight's live elimination show.

We'll be back after these words
from our sponsor.

Go now with Pez!
And please, I'm sorry, but hurry!

Okay, okay.

It's okay, sonny, you can run along.
I'll find my way back.

[suspenseful music]

-Where's Ophelia?
-She said she was fine.

Go and get her now!

[director] 30 seconds!

[suspenseful music]

Yes?

They need you back right now.

Well, I guess we'd better hurry back.

[Zihlo]
Welcome back to "Battle of the Chefs,"

coming to you live
from our studio in Harare.

Judges, you've set a particularly
difficult challenge today.

Tell us, what are you hoping to achieve?

[judge] We want to test their skill.

We want to test their
mental and physical stamina.

We want to test their power of creativity.

[dramatic music]

-Hey, it's all very exciting!
-Uh-huh.

Yeah, but she might not make it.

And if she doesn't, you're gonna have
to be really strong for her.

I will.

Ah, she's already a success.

I tell you, yeah.

And even if she doesn't make it today,
we will all be very proud of her.

Yeah.

She'll make it to the final.
You wait and see.

Why, does she have some secret weapon
that we don't know about?

[Zihlo] And the second chef
to be eliminated tonight.

Judges, your decision, please?

There have been some difficult
decisions on this show,

but on this, we all agree.

Ophelia, I think you know that today
was not your best day in the kitchen.

You seem to be distracted today.

I feel like your heart is not
in this competition anymore.

I didn't manage to give you my best today.

I've had a great experience.
I'm so sad to go.

But I can't say I wasn't expecting it.

Ophelia, you have been eliminated.

You have 30 seconds to leave
the Battle of the Chefs kitchen.

[ominous music]

Are you sure?
That's a very serious accusation.

I don't wanna get anyone in trouble.

But are you certain that's what you saw?

I'm certain.

You're watching "Battle of the Chefs"!

Now, ladies and gentlemen,
we here at Battle of the Chefs

do strive to bring you a show
that is fair and honest.

And while measures have been taken,
there is no easy way to say this.

There have been some allegations
of cheating on tonight's show,

and although they might
turn out not to be true,

we must take these allegations
very seriously.

Now, chefs, one of you
was spotted looking online

for help with tonight's challenges.

Now this is totally against the rules,

so I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you
to empty your pockets.

[ominous music]

Wait I didn't cheat.
I didn't cheat, I promise you, I didn't.

I didn't have my phone.
I didn't have my phone.

I didn't have my phone, I promise you.

You have to believe me.

Prince.

Let me go, you don't understand.

There must be some kind of mistake.

But she wouldn't cheat, Gogo, I know it.

Sometimes, people do
unexpected things, you know?

Prince, you have to help me.

I didn't cheat.
I didn't even have my phone.

I don't know, I can't explain,
but please, you have to believe me!

I don't even know what's more pathetic,

that you cheated
and now can't even own up,

or that I fell for your lies.

I thought, I thought that we...

Sorry, I can't even...
I can't even talk to you right now!

Prince.

Please don't go.

Hey, what's the time?

[serene music]

♪ Well, I leave a seed as I go ♪

♪ And I leave it somewhere
that I know you'll find it ♪

♪ So how I miss your soul ♪

♪ Oh, how I miss your soul ♪

♪ Honey, sometimes I can't believe ♪

Oh, Anesu, muzukuru.

♪ All of the things that
we've seen together ♪

♪ 'Cause we've been
through hell and ecstasy ♪

♪ Living out our most ridiculous dreams ♪

I know you didn't cheat, Mom.

Thank you, my darling Tapiwa.

I really appreciate that.

Run along now, you're gonna be late.

♪ Just lose one thing as I go ♪

♪ Honey, I bless your soul ♪

[man] Anesu, hi.

Amai Anesu, Amai Anesu!

Look, now she's avoiding us!

I don't know how I am going to face
those women at the church on Sunday.

I should get used to
disappointment, though.

-Mom didn't cheat.
-Tapiwa.

Tapiwa is still on your side, though,

and I think that's
the most important thing.

Your mom, well,
we all know what she's like.

I just feel like I let everybody down.

-Did you cheat?
-What?

Did you cheat?

How can you ask me that, Charmaine?
You know I didn't cheat.

Or are you starting to doubt me too?

No, it's just that
I wanna hear you say it.

Yes or no. Did you cheat?

No, I didn't cheat.

So how can you think that, you know,
you've let everybody down?

It's not your fault, Anesu.
Somebody set you up.

[suspenseful music]

-Oh, young man.
-Sorry, I'm so sorry.

It's okay, really, I'm fine.

I'm not injured, don't worry,
I won't tell your mom.

-Hey, what's up?
-It's kind of a long story.

And now she's sad because
everyone thinks that she cheated.

But I know she didn't.

That's a tough one.

Okay, my advice, Tapiwa, is this.

Your mom just needs your support right now

because my guess is you're
the man of the house, right?

You know, in life, not everything is fair.

People don't always do the right thing
and we don't always get what we want.

But what matters is how we act,

no, how we react
to the challenges in life, you know?

And even if we know we can't win,

we still have to finish the race.

It's not the end yet.

Yo, Shingi, we're gonna
be late for sound check.

Don't give up, Tapiwa.

-Come on, let's go!
-Alright?

And Tapiwa?

♪ Don't give up, don't give up ♪

Something good is gonna happen.
I can feel it!

Hey, where've you been?

They're looking for you, your race
is about to start. Come on.

Wait, was that?

Come on.

Can you use Google to cheat on a race?

I'm scared about Tapiwa.

Set.

♪ Don't give up, don't give up ♪

-♪ Don't give up, don't give up ♪
-[whistle chirps]

♪ Down, down, down, don't give up ♪

Oh, no, Tapiwa!

Oh, he's up again.

Where's the ref, where's the umpire?
What do they have in athletics?

Did no one see that?

There's an extra $1,000 in there,
because it was better

than I could possibly have hoped for.

I feel bad, though.

You should have seen the look on her face.
She was devastated.

Don't start developing a conscience now.
You did the deed.

There's no trace to me.
It's your word against mine.

Take the money and go
and don't ever contact me again.

[upbeat music]

Did you get it?

[Milly-Ann]
Don't start developing a conscience now.

You did the deed.

There's no trace to me.
It's your word against mine.

Take the money, and go.

I'm so proud of you.

Uh, I could have won
if that boy hadn't tripped me.

I thought that's what happened.

Yeah, but you got up and you carried on!

I mean, what were you thinking?

I have to go back and finish the race.

Oh. [laughs]

Ugh, what do you want?

I came to speak with Anesu.

Well, anything you wanna say to Anesu,
you can say it in front of me.

-And me!
-[Charmaine] Mm-hmm.

Okay. Anesu, I'm sorry I doubted you.

I thought about it after the show

and the only person who could
have framed you was Ophelia,

so I went and I confronted her
and she admitted to everything.

Milly-Ann paid her to have
you kicked off the show as revenge.

Ophelia made a written statement

and the show wants you back in the final.

I don't know.

I was beginning to think it
was all luck to begin with.

Come on, Mom,
you've got to finish the race!

Well, I guess maybe I...

It would mean a lot to me.

And your story's not over yet.

Come on, Mom.

She'll be in the final!

She already lost her job anyway
so she's got plenty of free time.

Okay, I'll be at the final!

Fantastic.

You're listening to Capitalk 100.4FM,
and I'm Karen Paida, your host,

and I have got all of the scoop for you.

Okay, a lot of talk has been going on
about Battle of the Chefs

and Anesu being kicked off
and accused of cheating.

But what if I told you that
it was all a plan of a fellow contestant?

[phone buzzing]

Hello?

Hello, hello, hi, is this Milly-Ann?

Yes, this is Milly-Ann.

Hi, Milly-Ann, you are
live on Capitalk FM.

So, Milly-Ann, what would you say
if I told you

that you're being accused of being the one
who was responsible for Anesu

being kicked off Battle of the Chefs?

That's absolutely preposterous!
Who am I speaking to?

Okay, so what would you say if I told you
that I have a recording

and the evidence
that has you confessing to it?

Hello?

-[Milly-Ann gasps]
-Hello, Milly-Ann?

Well, there, silence does speak volumes.

But don't worry, I'm going to be playing
that confession for you

right here on Capitalk 100.4 FM

Are you listening? Anesu!
Did you hear? Anesu!

Dude. Dude! She cheated,
and probably paid them off, man!

Ah, but did you hear what
they said on the radio?

-Ah!
-Did I say it?

-Ah, you just--
-There it is!

-You just fancy her, dude!
-No, I don't.

You're bigging her up,
but she cheated, dude!

My friend... There it is!
You heard for yourself.

OK, whatever, bro.

[car engine starts]

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen
and welcome to the two-hour live special

for the grand final of
Battle of the Chefs!

I don't know if I can do this.
My hands are shaking.

You'll be fine.

[Zihlo] And so let's welcome our
four finalists into tonight's competition.

Okay, go inside, everyone!

Four? But there's five of us.

They could only have
four chefs in the final.

Our first finalist is Nhamo,
winner of last season.

Will he maintain his crown tonight?

So what? You gave up your place for me?

[Zihlo] Our second finalist is Kuda.

He struggled a bit in the early stages,

but he dramatically won the semi-final.

No, you can't. I don't want it,
it's already too much pressure.

You go!

I already arranged everything.

It's up to you now!

[Zihlo] And our third finalist is JJ.

He's been in it to win it
since the beginning.

JJ, ladies and gentlemen.

But why?

I know I didn't cheat,
but you qualified fair and square.

I did it for you, Anesu.

But why?

[Zihlo] And our fourth
and final finalist tonight is Anesu!

Anesu, you have to go in now!

Why?

[Prince] Because I love you.

She was the people's favorite

before she was wrongly
accused of cheating,

but now she's back to prove a point.

Um...

Um...

♪ I just wanna make you mine ♪

♪ I'm scared of you ♪

♪ I'm scared of you
I'm scared of loving you ♪

I love you too, Prince.

-They need you!
-♪ Scared of you loving me ♪

-♪ You loving me ♪
-Go win this thing!

[dramatic music]

[Zihlo] This is it!
This is what it's all been about.

It's winner takes all tonight

and there's $10,000 at stake,

plus the honor of being crowned
best chef in Zimbabwe!

Tonight's cook off has two challenges:

an originality challenge
and a set recipe challenge.

For your first challenge,
you are to present yourself on a plate.

Your time starts now.

Change it! Put the football on!
You think we came here to watch this?

-Put the football on!
-No, man, football!

Cooking in a bar?

-[football whistle]
-Hey, barman! What's this?

-Dude, dude, dude!
-What's going on?

Put the cooking show back on!

-Anesu is on there!
-Put Anesu on!

[chanting] Anesu! Anesu, Anesu, Anesu!

[cheering]

♪ How did you butt in? ♪

♪ With your "never take a no
for an answer" eyes ♪

♪ And your "never let me go"
little smile ♪

She's quite something, isn't she?

Yeah, I just love watching her cook.

I could watch her all day.

[dramatic music]

[Zihlo]
Just about 10 minutes to go, Chefs!

Nhamo, you're looking very relaxed

whilst the other chefs
are looking flustered.

What is it you know
that the others don't know?

Well, as you know,
I've been working hard behind the scenes

trying to start my own restaurant
since I won the competition last season,

and there's this particular dish
I've decided

would be my signature dish

and I've been really working hard,
like really hard.

-Do you know the name of the dish?
-[Zihlo] "Flame On The Iceberg"?

Exactly, "Flame On The Iceberg."

Well, it seems like this final
has played straight into your hands.

But tell me something, are you not
worried about the other competition?

[Nhamo] As you can see,
Kuda is out of the game.

He didn't get his sponge cake
to cook completely.

Yeah, JJ is coming up with a sponge,
but if you look closely,

you'd see that his ice cream
has almost completely melted.

Yeah, and Anesu, her dish looks perfect,

like mine, I mean like mine
looked like five minutes ago.

And I'll go out on a limb and say that
she might not possibly finish in time.

Are you sure, though?
Because, she has done wonders

in five minutes in previous rounds.

Yeah, I must admit,
she got some lucky breaks before,

but this time,

she's way out of her league.

[dramatic music]

Thirty seconds, chefs.

Twenty seconds remaining.

Ten seconds, chefs.

Nine, eight, seven,

six, five, four,

three, two, one.

[suspenseful music]

And the winner is...

Anesu!

[cheering]

[majestic music]

[all cheering]

What are you talking about?

I mean Tapiwa.
Tapiwa is going to be overjoyed.

And Gogo, and Baba, and Charmaine.

Everybody except...

my mother.

My mom will probably say,

"On the other hand,
you should have finished school,

gotten a good job, married a nice husband.

"Then you wouldn't have to go on a TV show
to get some money."

Anesu, listen to me.

You're amazing.

Do you hear me?

You're brilliant.

You're not like any other girl I've met.

Clever, you're funny and diligent.

-And beautiful.
-Hmm.

So if your mother can't see it, then...

I don't know.

- Say it again.

Say what?

I'm brilliant.

You're brilliant.

You are brilliant.

Anesu, you are brilliant.

[Anesu giggles]

Amai, you must be very proud of Anesu
for winning the competition.

I am, of course.

But a good daughter always remains humble.

I'm sorry, Amai, but...
Anesu is not praising herself.

I am praising you for having
such an amazing daughter.

My mom is the best cook in the world

and I told you that she would enter
the competition, and she did.

and then she won the competition
just like I said she would!

[laughter]

[Mai Anesu] I am very glad

-that you all think--
-Yes, darling.

Before we get to there,
let me speak as the man of the house.

I must confess I was not exactly overjoyed

when my daughter decided to
make a spectacle of herself on TV.

But as it turned out, you know...

A lot of things happened.

But fortunately she was exonerated
and she went on to win the final.

I must confess, I'm the happiest father
in Budiriro right now.

I think everybody raise your glasses.
I would like to make a toast.

Our champion, our daughter, Anesu.

[all] Anesu.

I don't know what you want from me.
I try my best.

Remember who you're talking to.
I'm your mother.

You try your best to humiliate me by
bringing your son and that man of yours,

trained and ready to poke at me
and mock me in front of everyone!

-I didn't train anyone.
-You did!

I didn't! They're just trying
to make me feel special.

Dad is trying to make me feel special!

Everyone is trying to make me feel
special, except for you, Mama.

Why can't you just be proud of me?

Anesu, you think that
I'm not proud of you?

No.

What did I do?

Is it because I got pregnant
and dropped out of school?

Is that it, Mama? There, I said it.

Why won't you forgive me for that?

I don't blame you for that.
I would be a hypocrite if I do that.

-I was 16 when I had you.
-Then what?

You never told me who he... who he was.

What does it matter?

It matters most.

I told my mother.

That's when Gogo went to your
father's house and talked about it.

Eventually we did manage to get married.

Look at us, we are happy.

Not everyone is like Dad, Mama.

I could have helped.

We're not the same.

You should have trusted me.
I'm supposed to help you.

I love you.

I'm so proud of you.

Mama, I love you too!

[upbeat music]

♪ Don't give up, don't give up ♪

♪ Don't give up, don't give up ♪

♪ Don't give up, don't give up ♪

♪ Don't give up, don't give up ♪

This is brilliant.

I could lie here with you forever.

Forever? Forever-ever?

Forever-ever.

[upbeat music]

It's nice that you're here, Prince.

You know Anesu,
well, it's all thanks to me...

I groomed her and now she's
the best chef in Zimbabwe!

Huh? Look what I did!

-I am proud of you, Anesu.
-Thank you.

So enjoy this food...

This was her first dish!

So, enjoy yourselves!

-[both] Thank you.
-Alright.