Five Star Chef (2023–…): Season 1, Episode 1 - Episode #1.1 - full transcript

[Michel] Only a handful of chefs
in every generation

have what it takes to get to the top.

Somewhere out there,
there's an extraordinary, unknown chef.

A hidden gem.

I want to find that chef.

I'm Michel Roux,
Michelin-starred chef at The Langham.

I'm offering a life-changing opportunity.

The chance to win the hotel's
iconic Palm Court restaurant.

The Langham is the epitome
of luxury five-star hotels.

There is so much on the line here for me,

my reputation, and the future
of this grand hotel.



I have to make the right choice.

-Oh!
-Oh...

Come on, push.

[Michel] Working with me are industry
experts, Ravneet Gill and Mike Reid.

Head chef in the Palm Court
at The Langham,

it is an opportunity that could
start their empire and be worth millions.

This is definitely
the most expensive thing I will ever make.

I need finesse, man, I need finesse.

[Michel] We've searched the world
for the best up-and-coming chefs

and we'll be putting them through
the toughest job interview of their lives.

You trust the fishmonger?

Mate, five-star.
Get your hake on the bench and check it.

-Hang on...
-Oh...

It's a mess.



[Ravneet]
This is about more than cooking skills.

A successful restaurateur
needs vision, charisma...

Do I have to dish it out?

[laughing]

And above all, they need to make money.

This has no place
in a five-star establishment.

This is The Langham.
Perfection is expected.

It is an outstanding plate of food.

Yes!

I would pay big money for this. Beautiful.

It's cooking of the highest order.

Do I know what I'm doing?
I ask myself this question every day.

[Michel] Who will be the five-star chef?

It would be a dream
to have a restaurant in a five-star hotel.

[Lara] How we see, like,
through fine dining should be relearnt.

Get out of your comfort zone,
don't take yourself seriously.

I am going to bring the best
Caribbean food that the UK has seen.

It's not five-star, it's ten.

[narrator] Rising stars
of the restaurant industry

are gathering at The Langham Hotel

to compete for the biggest prize
in culinary history.

[Michel] The Palm Court is the restaurant
at the heart of The Langham Hotel.

Running it is a dream for any chef.

It will catapult their name worldwide.

[narrator] The Langham is one of Britain's
oldest and finest five-star hotels,

headed up by
Michelin Star Chef Michel Roux Jr.

[Michel] My family
brought gastronomy to the UK.

Now, I want to bring something
brand new to the London dining scene.

And I've asked the best brains
in the business to help me in my search.

My restaurants have generated
hundreds of millions of pounds of revenue.

I have everyone
from Beyoncé, Madonna, Idris Elba,

royalty from around the world,
they've all been to my venues.

I know what it takes
to run a successful restaurant.

I'm looking for someone with raw talent
who needs a bit of nurturing.

This is about finding the next concept
that will blow up in London.

You want people talking about it
all around the world.

-[woman] Yes, chef.
-Super.

[narrator] Today each chef

will pitch their vision
for the Palm Court restaurant...

-[man] Good luck, everyone.
-[woman] Thank you.

...along with a signature dish
that represents their concept.

Oh! Very nervous, very nervous.
Panicking, in fact. [chuckles]

They won't have tried lamb like this,
I'm bringing a lot of new flavours.

I feel that's exactly what they want,
something different, unique.

The pitch is open
to all professional chefs.

Your background doesn't matter.

Any chef with talent and passion
can present their food to me,

but only those who are
truly exceptional will make it through.

I'm all about experiences, being playful.

So I want to tell a story
throughout my food.

[narrator] At 24, Lara from Ibiza
is the youngest chef in the competition.

I'm not intimidated.
I know the value of my creativity

because I bring
something different and unique.

My restaurant concept
is an immersive and theatrical experience.

It's not just about the food.
It's about enhancing all of your senses.

[narrator] To illustrate
her theatrical fine dining concept,

Lara is making
a fairy-tale-inspired edible artwork.

A little yuzu meringue
white rabbit, coming to life.

I think my brain is an abstract puzzle.

I like to not fit in
and I like to think outside the box.

So, here we've got an apple mousse
with a balsamic vinegar.

This is creamy panna cotta
to give it that creaminess.

Strawberry and rhubarb sorbet,

and a little white rabbit
that's made out of yuzu meringue.

I've had the honour
to work in incredible places

but it felt like
no one was really having fun.

And that's when I decided
to start my own business.

Lara's theatrical supper clubs
combine fine dining with performance

and sell out at £550 a head.

This strawberry powder,
as soon as it hits your palate,

it will turn to liquid.

There's a kind of like playing,
teasing your senses a little bit.

I'm going to try to blow the judges away,

but I feel like
they will see something different.

I'm just ballotining up
my rabbit at the moment,

wrapping it in bacon,
getting it ready for the water bath.

It's an ingredient that means a lot to me.

My qualifications for cooking
are chopping coleslaw with my nan,

and that's it.

Completely self-taught.
And now I own my own restaurant.

I'm award-winning.

My concept is three good things.

Not over complicating the plate,

just working with key flavours
that work together.

[narrator] Jordan has named his
signature dish Rabbit in the Woods.

[Jordan] My Rabbit in the Woods dish

with a wild mushroom fricassee
and some black truffle.

I got into a lot of trouble
when I was younger.

I left school at the age of 11.

I would get arrested
three or four times a week,

stealing cars, drugs.

I think I was 12,
I took 13 ecstasy tablets in one night.

Yeah, not good.

Essentially my own fault.
I made the wrong decisions.

Watch that pan handle.

My early twenties,
me and my partner broke up,

which left me homeless,
miles away from anybody.

My only option
was to build a shelter in some woods.

I managed to get a job as a chef.

I'd sleep in the bushes at night.

It wasn't an easy six months,
but I got through it.

Cooking 100% saved my life.

Just taking the rabbit out.

I've just finished it
on the Japanese grill,

leave it to rest and then we'll plate.

It would mean the world to me to win this.

Ooh!

[narrator] Leicestershire-born Jordan
will now present his concept

and signature dish to chefs Roux,
Rav and Mike in the Palm Court restaurant.

What I'm looking for
is culinary excellence,

of course, goes without saying,

but I'm also looking for a clear concept.

It has to be something special.

[narrator] With space for
just seven chefs in the next round,

those that fall short will be sent home.

Hi, chefs. My name is Jordan Brady.

My concept would be
"Three at The Langham."

Three key ingredients for my dishes.

The dish is Rabbit in the Woods.

Ten years ago,
I was homeless, sleeping rough,

I used to catch wild rabbits
and cook them in the ground.

This is something
that means a lot to me as a chef.

You now have
a roof over your head and a job.

I now have a roof over my head.

I own my own restaurant.

-Well done.
-Thank you.

[Michel] I think we need to taste.

Rabbit loin, lovely and moist.
Strong dish that, really enjoyed it.

Jordan, I really respect you
because your story is incredible,

and it just shows
that you have such resilience.

You're a very strong contender.

Three ingredients. Can you market that?

The concept from a business perspective,

I'm frothing over it.

It needs tuning,
but I can help him with that.

And I think that three package
is also very easy to sell to other people.

We like your food, love the concept.

See you again, Jordan.

-[Ravneet] Thank you.
-Thank you very much.

-[Michel] Thank you.
-Well done, chef.

Yes!

I'm so happy right now.

[chuckles]

-That's good cooking, huh.
-Yeah.

-It's not the finished article.
-No, it doesn't need to be.

[narrator] Lara is putting
the finishing touches to her panna cotta,

a classic Italian dessert
of thickened cream.

I did a panna cotta,
I feel I put too much gelatin in.

Worst thing to do
is serve a hard panna cotta.

So I've tried to make another batch.
We're gonna wait and see.

I'm gonna start just playing
through some of the elements.

We've got an apple gel
infused with marigold.

The panna cottas look all right.

Strawberry and rhubarb sorbet.
They're good to go.

[narrator] Lara is hoping
her theatrical dining concept

is enough to get her
through to the next round.

Hi, I'm Lara Norman,
and I'm here to introduce you

to my theatrical and immersive
perfect world of nonsense,

exploring all of your senses.

But before you go ahead and taste it,
I must call out for my assistant.

White Rabbit!

Oh! Hello, Lara.

These must be
the little lunatics you told me about.

[Lara] I know.
They're a tough crowd to please as well.

Can you please assist these characters
with the dessert?

Yes. Now would you do me a favour.
Would you take a little pin?

Most certainly.

Give it a little prick
and then we create a taste sensation.

-[Mike] Ay!
-[Ravneet] Ah! [giggles]

[Lara] So, in here,
we've got popping candy

and then we've got strawberry powder.

-Back to the rabbit hole.
-Cheery bye! See you later.

Wow.

[all laugh]

What the fuck just happened?

[Ravneet] It's ridiculous.

[Lara] I love a bit of ridiculous.

Normally I don't like gimmicks,

but this was so fun
and now I'm more excited to try it.

Tell me. Are you a pastry chef?

I'm a main chef.

So, for me, it was a bit of a risk.
I like challenging myself.

On a practical point of view,

that really is
not great for a busy kitchen,

and coming out
with a balloon and with Rabbit...

[laughs]

Have you tried this concept out elsewhere?

Well, yeah, I've got my own business.

I do pop-up events

and we take
a maximum booking of 24 guests.

Six courses at a price of £550.

-And you're successful?
-It's been going great.

We need to taste this.

[Mike] If you hit the technical elements,
it would have been outstanding.

The presentation was wow,

but the flavour profile
didn't live up to that.

The sorbet I thought
was mind-blowing. It was delicious.

Let down by the other two.

Panna cotta far too set.

And the other apple mousse
was lacking in character. Let down.

-You're a marketing person's dream.
-Absolutely.

You'd never run out
of things to say about you.

Thank you.

The fact that I have no idea
what you're going to do next terrifies me,

but also makes me
want to see what you'll do next.

How do you feel, Michel?

Because this is so far away from
the normal five-star restaurant concept.

You know what scares me?

The rabbit.

[Mike laughs]

And I'm not convinced about your cooking.

Not convinced.

I think it'd be
taking a big risk to say yes to you.

[Michel] Hmm.

But we haven't seen enough here.
I need a little bit of convincing.

So it's a maybe.

[narrator] Lara has divided the judges
with her eccentric idea.

Whew!

That was a little bit intense.

[narrator] And is sent to the locker room
until all the pitches have been heard.

-Hello.
-Hello.

-Oh, my God!
-Are you in?

Maybe. I had such a dry mouth.
I tried not to have a cardiac arrest.

I'm like... I need some water.

London is an oversaturated market.

You can find any type of food,

which is brilliant, but also difficult,

because it means people
are spoilt for choice.

You've got to think about
what makes you stand out,

what sets you apart.

-I'm rooting for you.
-Oh, thanks, babes.

I'm rooting for you.

So my concept is British tapas.
Small plates for sharing.

Concept has been done before.

To me, it's like
when you go into the fridge

and you put
whatever's in the fridge on a tray

and you go and sit down and you eat it.

I feel like this is a fridge raid.

My restaurant concept
is "Flavours of the Orient."

I love Asian cuisine.

The concept? It's just not "Wow!"

My restaurant's an all-day
afternoon tea concept.

I don't understand the difference
between this being a five-star concept

or going to my local cake shop,
ordering a few cakes and sitting down.

[Nestor] I'm making a duck a l'orange,

bringing traditional French cuisine
back again.

[Mike] Amazing technical ability,

but concept, all we're seeing
is classic French right now.

You're great. The food is fantastic,
but I just wonder about the concept.

There are so many other places doing this.

You, for example.

[Michel] We have to let you go.

-We're going to part company.
-Okay.

-Can't take you on.
-Okay.

-No.
-Okay.

The demands
of a five-star guest are exacting.

If you're gonna try
and elevate humble food,

you have to elevate the cooking,
the creativity, and the presentation.

You've got no room for error.

My concept, it being Tex-Mex...

When people hear Tex-Mex,
they hear sloppy tacos,

I want to bring anything but.

My name is Travis Quinn Catfish Olfers.

We lived on Lake Travis,

most the fish that you
pull out of Lake Travis are catfish,

so that's why
my legal middle name is Catfish.

So I've got a chicken tortilla soup,

tomato broth base
with two whole chicken legs in it,

pork empanadas,
and then I've got some crab legs going,

and I'm gonna do
some crunchy bitter greens.

I was raised in Texas.

I've been cooking for 20-plus years
all over the planet and I love Tex-Mex.

I'm just cooling off
my second bit of tortilla.

I'd be very lucky
to have my name on this hotel,

and to be part of this team.

Second dish, pork empanadas.

I'm gonna fill it with
pork cheeks and some tomatillo relish.

If I checked into this beautiful hotel

and there's a place doing 12-hour brisket
and handmade corn tortillas,

I would drop my bag
and be down there in ten minutes.

Five-star guests can be
anybody and everybody,

but everybody likes comfort food.

Fryer is up. It's quite high.

[narrator] Like Travis,
39-year-old Londoner Dom

is hoping to elevate
his heritage food from the Caribbean.

My style can be quite rustic,

but we've got a five-star environment
going on here,

I'm going to bring
a little bit of precision,

but not lose me in the dish.

I feel like I've been
preparing for this my whole life,

starting in my mum's kitchen.

I grew up one of five kids
to a single parent mum

and she worked quite a lot.

So I was kind of the chef of the house.

I'm making
a little bit of jerk sauce here.

My mum said to me,
"Don't cook with too much spice."

If he says that it's too spicy,
she'll be like, "I told you, son."

So, I've got some boneless jerk chicken.

Gonna have some plantain crisp and jam.

And the mac and cheese arancini balls.

The sweet corn is for my dressing.

So, this is my plantain jam,
some sugar in there.

We need that sweetness and acidity
to balance the heat of the jerk chicken.

I'm going to be running to the end,
but I wouldn't have it any other way.

So these are tortilla.

That one just fell apart.
I'll have to make another one.

[Dom] Oh, Dominic!

Lost all my sauce.

It was in a plastic jug.
The jug melted on there.

You don't want to
fall down in front of Chef Roux.

I'm sad about that.

[Travis] Little bit
of creme fraiche, lime.

Need a spoon though.

[grunts]

[Michel] Mmm!

Hi, guys, my name is Travis.

I want to change the conception of Tex-Mex
with some slow-smoked barbecue

and Latin-American flavours.

I really want to bring
approachable food to luxury.

[Mike] It's comforting. It's inviting.

[Ravneet] I think the star
of all of this was the soup.

The depth of flavour in that soup,
when I ate it, my shoulders just dropped.

I do think you've really got something.

General ingredients, not too expensive

so then you can really dial it up
with lobster, the cuts of pork.

In terms of profitability, it could work.

Love the colour.

I like your crab salad as well.

The concept, I'm okay with,

but I'm not 100% sold
that it would work here.

-The empanada I found very dry.
-Okay.

Doesn't taste good.
And it doesn't look good.

For me, this is almost unforgivable.

I understand.

I'm really struggling with this.

Travis.

The story ends here.

Fair enough.

-Thank you, Travis.
-Thanks, Travis.

I gotta take the good with the bad.

I'm gonna perfect empanadas,

do them again and again
until they're perfect,

until I bring them back to him.
I'm not scared of a challenge.

[man] Looking good, looking good,
slice it down, and we're good to go.

[Dom] I think
that Caribbean food can do this.

To finally be cooking food that I love

from my heart and soul on this stage,

I haven't come to just take part.

I've come here to win.

Huh.

My name is Dom

and my concept is reimagined
and elevated Caribbean food.

My concept is authentic.

It's the kind of food
that my grandmother would still recognise,

but trendy enough that my little sister
will want to Instagram it.

[Michel] Hmm.

This whole presentation,

it's not five-star.

Making it five-star,

that's not a step, that's a leap.

It's got a real punch to it.

Looks delicious.

I can see this slotting quite easily

into a five-star
dining environment already.

I think Caribbean food
on the London food scene

has done a lot in the last ten years,
and I think we're in the perfect time now.

I would like to see
a little bit more finesse.

It was a good plate of food.

It wasn't amazing for me,

but I really want to see
what else you have in your locker.

And, Dom, you're so likeable.

You've got a great story,
an incredible background,

you've proven yourself
in terms of skill set.

But is it five-star?

In terms of a business,
like, absolute no-brainer.

I'm not sure.

Michel, I liken Caribbean cuisine
to traditional French.

It's very homey, but you can
take those concepts and then refine it.

Can this be refined
and can Dom take it to that level?

I personally,
would travel to the other side of London,

I'd probably go even
to the other side of the UK,

just for the chicken.

-Wow.
-That alone.

But it certainly wasn't
five-star luxury dining.

However...

we want to see a lot more of you, Dom.

You're through.

Amazing. [chuckles]

Oh, wow.

Good chicken.

I'm still finishing.

[all laugh]

I was gonna be a gentleman,
but not with this one.

Oh, man. It's crazy.

[chuckles]

[narrator] Next to pitch
is Russian-born Igor

with his Nordic inspired concept.

All I do is by my passion. Simple as that.

Without any passion,
I shouldn't be a chef.

Now, I'm doing
the fillet of the char fish.

I'm gonna smoke it later with the caviar,

and we'll have
a skewer with carrots and potatoes

and the egg and asparagus salad.

This is my passion.

This is a part of the Nordic cuisine

which I want to show to the judge
because this is a part of my story.

Who am I? My name is Igor Sapega.

I became deaf when I was eight months old.

Because I became sick with my lungs,

Doctor gave me an antibiotic.

But that antibiotic was banned in Europe.

In Russia we still had it

and that antibiotic
destroyed both my ears.

My mum was looking
to raise me in the correct way.

So she left everything in Russia.

We moved to Sweden.

I have been told that
for my first years as a chef,

I should go and work in McDonald's
because I don't fit for the kitchen.

But after, I understood,
now I need to step up.

Don't show your weakness.
Keep pushing yourself until the top.

Whipped creme fraiche.

Carrots and potatoes.

Caviar.

Always plating up, I'm shaking.
It's very normal.

Egg and asparagus salad.

The main point is,
let the food work for you,

it's all the quality of the food.

Then I will just take care of it
with my technical skill

and plate it up.

Hello, my name is Igor Sapega.

I'm a deaf chef.

[Michel] How would you explain
your style of cuisine?

It's very Nordic
and it's all about the flavours.

Because me as a deaf,

I have so much strong senses,

which is great for you to taste.

[Ravneet] I really want to try this.

[Mike] Yeah. Visually, it's stunning.

It's the most five-star
luxury dish we've seen yet.

Very, very tasty.

You seem so determined and I'm impressed.

I'm 100% yes.

We want to see you again.

Yes.

[Mike] Over half of restaurants in the UK
close their doors in the first year.

So, if you're going to open
a restaurant of five-star level,

it has to be unique and profitable.

Otherwise, your chances
of survival are zero.

Hi, it's nice to meet you guys.
I've come from California.

[Ravneet chuckles]

My concept is Puerto Rican food.

Simple ingredients,

but with my background as a chef
I've been able to elevate that.

Kind of make it five-stars.

I just had my head down
and I was eating and I was enjoying it.

There are Puerto Rican places
to eat in London.

However, they haven't
broken out yet into mainstream.

But I think if anyone tried that,
they'd love it.

[Adria] I am Adria Wu.

And I want to become the trailblazer

of making vegetables the star
in fine dining and downsizing the meat.

[Mike] I love it. The concept.
It's very much on trend.

Strong dish,
"Chicken of the Woods" as well,

a play on words too, strong cooking.

Hello, my name is Anne

and my concept is
nose-to-tail, root-to-leaf,

fine and glamorous dining.

People are turning towards
nose-to-tail eating much more.

Perhaps something more edgy to make it
stand out. Love the concept.

We need to taste
more of your food. Thank you.

Well done.
We want to see a lot more of you.

I'm bringing it.

[squeals]

[narrator] With six out of seven chefs
through to the next round,

just one pitch remains.

[Joyce] I feel very confident.

I haven't seen anyone
that is a threat to me, per se.

I am making smoked lamb cutlets

with a cassava purée
stacked with aubergines.

Aubergines that have been
lightly fried in my fragrance oil

and is perfect.

So right now,
I'm making my wood-smoked lamb cutlets.

I feel like Congolese food
is completely under-represented

we don't know much about it.

And in the food industry,

everyone just wants
to discover a new thing.

So my concept is a Congolese Fusion.

The story I want to tell
is about cultures coming together.

Born in England. Having parents that
migrated from Congo to the United Kingdom,

it's always been
combining different flavours.

For me, it's really
introducing people to new things.

My cassava chips.

So, this is what it looks like, a crisp.

This will sit on top.

It's very savoury,
it's, like, parsnips, potatoes.

I feel it's really underrated.

It's good for me to represent
and put this out there.

To be able to turn
any food from any continent

into a five-star luxury is very hard.

You have to know the cuisine inside out

and approach
the ingredients and presentation

in a way that's never been done before.

You see, still pink.

Perfect.

It's come out exactly how I wanted.
Melted in my mouth.

It's a winner, I'm not gonna lie.

This is different
from how I usually plate.

I thought, "I'm going to Chef Michel Roux,
I'll challenge myself,"

and that's what I'm gonna do.

My name is Joyce Kudia.
My concept is modern Congolese cooking.

It's all about discovery,
history and culture.

Good. Okay.

Well, I think it looks
genuinely appetising.

It looks delicious.

For me, it is just
a little bit too simple, too rustic.

It eats really well.

The spices, the flavour.

I definitely think you need
some help with the finessing.

It wasn't an elegant plate of food.

[Ravneet] I agree.

You clearly understand flavour
because the lamb was so beautiful

and African food
is really having its moment...

-Yeah.
-...in London especially,

so I think there is a place.

You really understand flavours.

Serious lack of elegance
in the dish though.

And little things like throwing
a few micro leaves on top at the end

is not gonna embellish it.

You would need
a lot of guidance and a lot of help.

I think a plate of food
with this much flavour in it,

we've got an incredible opportunity
to be able to refine it.

I think, you know,
what we're going to say is maybe.

-Okay? Just maybe.
-Thank you so much.

So I'm a maybe,
but I'm taking 100% more positives

because they didn't doubt my food.

To have Michel Roux, the top of the top,
tell you that you have flavours.

My mind is literally racing right now
because I'm like, "I need to deliver."

The flavour that
she got into it was incredible.

-Needs massive refinement.
-Hmm. Yeah.

[narrator] Joyce joins Lara in
the locker room to await a final decision.

He goes, "The flavour is crazy."

"You need some help with
elegance and plating to refine it."

Yeah.

This looks good.
Why can't my food look like this?

[narrator] With just one place left
in the next round,

they're summoned back to the kitchen.

[Michel] Hmm. Right.

Lara your concept has potential,
but your food let you down.

Joyce, the amazing flavours
you packed into your last dish,

but just a little bit too simple.

To make it any further, I need convincing.

I want you to prove
that you have the vision and the ability

to cook at five-star luxury level.

For me, the litmus test
is knowing how to cook a steak

that has the potential
to become a signature dish.

You've got 75 minutes to deliver a steak,

a side and a complimentary sauce.

Just one of you is gonna make it through.

-Off you go.
-Thank you, chef.

Every great hotel, anywhere in the world,

serves a perfect steak.
And we are no different here.

-What are you thinking?
-This looks so good.

I think fillet for me

because I feel like
it's in line with my concept.

Yeah, I'm going for this one.

[narrator] Joyce has opted for a fillet,
widely regarded as the premium cut,

while Lara has chosen
a Galician rib-eye from Northern Spain.

Cooking a steak is the ultimate test.

I want them to cook the steak

where I can see
and understand their concept.

-Good luck, man.
-Good luck. Let's go.

I lived in Galicia,
it's all about their flavours,

trying to keep it simple.

Serve it with a potato roulade,
roasted red peppers,

because in Galicia you have
usually roasted red peppers as a garnish.

I'm going to make a sauce out of it.

I put my whole soul into whatever I do

and I cook with a good energy.

I feel like if you're angry and you cook,
you're disrespecting the produce you have.

You're going to taste that.

How you doing?

Rushing. I look crazy right now.
That's what I want.

Have to put pressure on yourself.
It is what it is.

I'm making spiced beef fillet.

I'm making yam dauphinoise with truffle.

And I'm also making spinach
that has been fried in panko

with a spinach purée.

Obviously, everyone knows
potato dauphinoise.

To make it with yam,
which is like a Congolese potato,

it works, it's really nice,

and so different from
what Chef Roux knows, probably.

I just need to actually execute
this differently, on another level.

[Lara] I never thought a steak
would give me so much stress.

So you've gone for the rib?

Yes.

In honour to Galicia,
I used to live there as a kid for a while.

-I've noticed you salted the beef as well.
-Yes.

You're not worried it will
extract some of the moisture?

No, because I won't cook it
hopefully that long.

Let me move on to my spice mix.

[Michel] Whoa!

-And is that the flavour of Congo?
-[Joyce] Yes.

-Are you smoking it?
-Yeah, using the wood pieces.

Because that's how we cook in Congo.

-We don't use charcoal, we use wood.
-What have we got here?

So this is spinach
with garlic and shallots, nothing else.

Here we go.

[Joyce] We use Dijon mustard a lot,
it's such a great marinade.

I'm competing with chefs
who are classically trained,

who have gone to culinary school,

but I know that all of the talent I have,
with the hard work,

the judges won't see the difference.

At the end,
it's about seeing the end results.

Good food. Good quality presentation.

You've got 45 minutes left.

[Joyce] Time is literally flying,
not running.

This place makes me happiest.

Sweating, make-up falling off my face.

I don't care, I'm here to win
so I don't care what that looks like,

but if I look a hot mess,
honestly, I don't care.

[Lara] When I was younger,
I was a big rebel.

Even on my yearbook,
they said I'm most likely to go to prison.

I think a lot of people underestimated me
in my career and they gave me that push,

that push to prove them wrong.

So, with my cooking,
I like to be very precise.

I like to be very organised.

There's so much chaos in my mind
that I need to see all straight,

having everything in order,
have my timings right.

It's definitely like a military operation.

If you want to see what a chef is made of,
you have to see them in the kitchen.

People think it's all about
passion, flair and vision.

You also need to be calm,
organised and incredibly disciplined

to be able to deliver
to the highest standards.

Oh!

We're good, we're good.

Oh, my God!

Right now, I'm making my yam dauphinoise.

I like making noises
and doing the most when I'm cooking.

It makes me feel like I'm doing something.

Potato roulade getting some colour.

Wow, wow, wow!

Now they're getting to me.

Just wasting truffle!

Joyce's workbench is pandemonium.

You can't run a kitchen like that.

-[Michel] Yeah, ten minutes to go, chefs.
-[Joyce] Yes, chef.

Steak, this is perfect.
This is how I wanted it.

I'm really happy with this.

Muy bien?

Bit too salty, chef.

We're good.

I always forget...

Yes, chef.

How many minutes have I got? One?

-You've got a minute, chefs.
-[Joyce] Yes, chef!

I need to meditate.

Whoa.

[gasps]

I'm definitely going to finish.
That's one thing about me.

It will look crazy.

But we'll finish.

Okay... Wait, where's the sieve?

Careful, careful Joyce. Careful.

Thirty seconds, chefs.

[exhales]

Well done. Yeah, that's good. Come on.

-Oh, my gosh.
-Give me a hug.

Well done.
No, seriously, that looks amazing.

Well done.

[Michel] Tell us what you've cooked?

I've made a beef fillet
which has been wood-smoked with spices.

And I made yam into a dauphinoise
with truffle infused inside it.

I've got a spinach croquette,
as well as a purée of spinach.

Thank you.

All right, so here we've got Galician cut.

With red pepper sauce and potato roulade.

We've got the fire element.

Little bit scared
you're gonna get the tablecloth.

-Well done, guys.
-[Ravneet] Well done.

-Yeah.
-Whatever happens, it happens.

-Oh, God.
-Thank you.

First impressions?

Lara's theatrics.
It's her on a plate. Again.

Funnily enough,
this is appealing to me more.

More refined than earlier.

So she's definitely listened to us.

Interesting.
This is appealing to me way more.

Looks like she's still managed
to make a good steak,

but still bring the theatre.

-If you get ten of them on order...
-Take you down.

Yep. Yeah, forget it. You're gone.

So are we gonna try Lara's first?

I find it quite salty.

So, Lara seasoned it almost like a cure.

It hasn't dried the meat out, thankfully.

The edge of mine is quite salty,
but the flavours are great.

[Michel] I think the sweet pepper sauce
works beautifully with the beef.

Take it with the sauce,
it's super sweet. Works well.

We asked Joyce to up her game.

Hmm.

A sweet sauce with smoky, spicy food.
Yep. I get it. It kind of works.

What she's done with it, is quite clever.

She's introducing lots of flavour.
The pinkness of the fillet is good.

It's really well cooked, it's well rested.

The sauce is really flavoursome,

but the smokiness of her spice rub
added onto how she's cooked the beef then,

it's really in your face.

The steak was nice
and it was heavily spiced, very smoky,

but the croquette was like kind of watery,
very garlicky spinach...

-Very.
-...that was not tasty.

I still think it's an improvement
on what she did earlier.

-I don't.
-Abs... No?

-I do. My God.
-I absolutely don't.

But would you come back for that?
Versus this one.

Which one are you coming back for
with all of your friends?

I don't think we should
give up on her just yet.

It was still true to her concept,
which I think is an amazing concept.

Congolese food. What is this concept?

Theatre and fun!

It's a crazy rabbit
running around your restaurant.

It's just so difficult.

Well done. Both of you. Seriously.

Yeah, we could taste the love,

both of your concepts
and your character in the plate of food,

which is what we asked for.

Joyce.

Lara.

It's a tough decision. Really tough.

One of those steaks
could have the potential

to be a signature steak dish
in a five-star establishment.

Lara.

I want to see you again tomorrow.

Which means, Joyce,
I'm sorry, but it's the end of the road.

Thank you.

Guys, thank you. Both of you.

Well done.

[Joyce] I'd say I'm super resilient.

I literally do not give up.

I've always believed
if something's for me,

I just need to go at it 100%

and just not give up
until it's yours basically.

[Lara] I'm really happy.
I'm absolutely honoured.

It's tough to see people go,

but it is one of
the most special days of my life.

[chuckles]

-Hey.
-They loved it!

[narrator] Lara joins the six other chefs

who will compete
to win the Palm Court restaurant.

[Mike] The pitch is just the first step.

If you think the pitch is hard,

it compares to nothing
when you're in there every day,

trying to bring that concept to life.

That's when the real work begins.

Time to switch off and reset,
ready for the next.

[narrator] This season on Five Star Chef...

Oh!

No problem. No drama.

[narrator]
The chefs are tested to their limits.

I'm having a nightmare.

[Adria] If you send me home,
I'm going to find you.

[narrator] Can they handle
the pressure of live service?

Mine's raw, whereas that's overcooked.

This is definitely
below what I was expecting.

[narrator] Turn a profit?

If this was on your menu for £400,

your restaurant
would be shut within three months.

Three weeks.

[narrator] Meet the exacting demands
of VIP guests?

Adria, what are you doing? Quick.

This is pretty spectacular.

[narrator] And cook up
the finest food money can buy?

A lot of taste in this dish.

I would come back
again and again for this.

In the battle
to win the keys to the Palm Court.

You are fighting for a place in the final.

-Chef!
-You can do better.

I have to say, this is a first.

Not the last, I hope.

And the winner is...

[theme music playing]