Masterchef (2010–…): Season 11, Episode 9 - Roy Choi - Elevated Street Food - full transcript

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Gordon: Previously on
"MasterChef Legends"...

Welcome back. Top 10!

I can't believe I'm in the
top 10 of "MasterChef."

Please welcome the godfather of
California cuisine, Jonathan Waxman.

- Lift.
- a Californian-inspired mystery box...



- Go, go, go, go.
- This is gonna get you in the bottom three, for sure.

Does anyone have
any extra prawns?

Saw some home cooks
keep their cool...

The cooking of the prawn
is spot-on.

The presentation raised the bar.

Thank you very much.

Tonight's winner is Suu.

...while others felt the heat
in a shocking elimination.

It looks like a dump bucket.
What a waste.

Joseph, you dodged a bullet.

Tay, it breaks my heart
to send you home.

- Tay: Yes, Chef.
- Tonight...

Please welcome the savant
of street food, Roy Choi.

- Lexy: He's a huge inspiration to me.
- Buckle up.



It's a street food challenge...

- Let's do this [bleep].
- Okay.

...that has the home cooks
battling it out

for a single safe spot
on the balcony.

Last week, I was in the bottom,
so my ass is on the line.

- Crap.
- Roy: He's leaving his station.

- How you doing, Kelsey?
- Not good.

- You're making me nervous.
- My whole dish doesn't work.

Gordon:
You need to listen.

There can only be one
winning dish.

Restaurant quality
beyond belief.

This is an excellent dish.

- Gordon: Exquisite.
- [crunching]

Please tell me
you took the skin off.

- It's un-edible.
- Okay.

- Best plate's clear to me.
- God, it's a tough one.

- Here are are, gents.
- All right.

- What a guest we have today.
- Today is good.

Top nine. A true
legend tonight. Excited?

- Absolutely.
- Whoo, let's go!

Welcome back, everybody.

Kelsey: I made it to
the top nine. I'm ecstatic.

And it's a huge accomplishment
in itself that I've made it this far,

but I really
just want to show my kids

that I can pursue my dream
and I can accomplish it.

Now, all of you,
take one very big, deep breath.

Because you are the top nine
on "MasterChef Legends."

And if you thought this
competition was tough already,

all of you, buckle up,

because we are kicking
into a higher gear.

Joseph, last week's challenge,
you know, was rough for you.

Does that give you
a bigger focus now?

Definitely. 100%. This is
the challenge of redemption.

Good. Alejandro, we say every
week, you move like a chef,

and yet you're always
in this bottom three.

What do you need from us

to get you up
into that top tier?

When you see me going crazy,
just slow me down,

because I think my speed
is what kills me.

You need to listen.
You know, we have to listen

on a daily basis
in our businesses.

That's what we need to do.
Open up those ears.

Yeah.

We're now in the second half

of the season
of "MasterChef Legends."

If you want to make it
to the finale,

if you want to win it all,
it's time to focus

and cook
like a MasterChef legend.

- Yes.
- Speaking of legends,

the guest visiting us tonight
is so big, we had to get

a special parking permit
to fit him in here.

Our guest is a classically
trained chef

whose style
is distinctly modern.

He's won incredible awards

including "Food & Wine's"
Best New Chef

and was named
one of the "Time Magazine's"

100 Most Influential People,

all because he took
the humble food truck

and elevated it to
a total culinary experience.

Please welcome the savant
of street food,

the legendary Roy Choi!

Lexy: It's insane
to have Roy Choi here.

He is a legend.

He took something really simple

like food truck cuisine
and has elevated it

and made a name for himself
because of it.

So he's a huge
inspiration to me.

Roy, welcome to the incredible
"MasterChef Legends" kitchen.

- Oh, yeah, this is exciting.
- So exciting.

It's taken us 10 years
to get him here, so...

- I'm shy.
- Now, take us back to the beginning.

How did this journey
start for you?

Uh, I was a chef,
and then I got fired.

I lost my job, and I was broke.

And I couldn't get another job

and I started selling
tacos on the street.

That's amazing. How did
you get that truck, first off?

It was free. My partner, we both
worked at the Beverly Hilton Hotel,

and one of our clients
owned the truck lot here in LA.

And he gave us a truck
for three months for free,

and he's like,
"If you don't make it

by three months,
give the truck back."

And so it happened.

- That's a great story.
- Joseph, question?

Not a question, but I have so
many friends and family

that have you to thank to be
the OG, the king of the food truck.

- What you've done for my friends is amazing.
- Thank you.

Anne, you got super excited
when you saw Roy.

- Question for Roy?
- You're such an inspiration to me.

I love your story.
I relate to it.

I love that you got kicked down

and you just had to make
a choice in life.

And I look at you
and I just hope

that someday I can somehow make
something beautiful like you have.

Thank you.

So, tonight,
in honor of Roy's visit,

we want all of you to take
a traditional street food item

and elevate it into
a restaurant-quality dish.

Follow in this legend's
tire treads

and give us some insight
into your hometown heritage.

Now, whoever cooks the best dish
will win a great prize.

From the legend himself,
Roy Choi, dinner for two

at his hot spot Las Vegas
restaurant, Best Friend.

Gordon: And more importantly,
that winner is the only cook

who will earn immunity
in the upcoming challenge.

Which means no one
is going home tonight.

So take some risks, guys.

Now, as always,
the pantry will be open,

so take advantage of that.

Make it work, okay?
Everybody ready?

- All: Yes, Chef.
- Your 60 minutes start...

- Now!
- Let's go!

Aarón: Come on!

Kelsey: Autumn!

Let's... cheddar.
Here we go!

- English mustard.
- Papaya.

Pomegranate. Whoa!

Um, crema, crema, crema.

Vanilla, cooking spray.

Joseph:
I want this immunity so bad.

Last challenge
was a very low point for me.

And I'm going to perform
on a level

that not many people
have seen in this competition.

I really need to succeed
and get my confidence back

by putting it
on the plate today.

- Whoo-whoo.
- Okay, let's go.

- Let's go, Kelsey.
- Got it.

I'm all the way in the back.
This is far!

- Oops.
- [squeals]

Here we go.

So, growing up in Boston,

every summer
there's lobster bakes,

and lobster rolls are
a big street food over there,

so I'm making
a deconstructed lobster roll

with butter
and tarragon-poached lobster,

some celery root puree,

and some pickled
pearl red onions.

I've never cooked
lobster before,

but I want to push myself
a little bit.

You know, everyone's expecting
something big from me today

because I've been on top before,

so I'm just trying not
to let anybody down right now.

You can do this, girl. Okay.

I'm doing a take
on a Philly cheese steak.

I haven't been to Philly,

but I go to Greek Town
in Chicago all the time,

so that's where
I've gotten these from,

and I love them so much.

It's literally
my favorite thing to eat.

So, I've got
some New York strips

and I'm going to put
some shaved bell peppers,

onions, and mushrooms on top,
with cheese sauce on the side.

I have to be really resourceful.

We don't have a lot of money
to spend on groceries each week,

which means that
I need to be creative.

I feel like all of my food
is just things that I enjoy

and done really well.

And so hopefully the judges
see that, appreciate that.

Lemons.

So, I'm making a tantalizing
take on a fish taco

with a crab hash
and a spicy slaw.

I used to love fish tacos
before I went vegan,

so I figured I'm gonna go
to my roots

and what I loved,
and that's why I'm making it.

- Doing good, Abe.
- You, too, you, too. You got this.

Now, Roy, what are you
looking for this evening,

street food phenomenon into that
elevated restaurant style?

Yeah, I'm excited to see
what their food tastes like.

With street food, it comes
down to the first bite.

You have one chance to really
connect with your guest,

because if you don't get
someone in there first bite,

they're gonna walk to the next
truck or they'll walk somewhere else.

- Absolutely.
- And also when you devise dishes,

you have to think about
what are those bites?

How is it gonna progress
the whole experience?

When I go to a food truck,
the food needs to be

- a little bit punchier, spicier.
- Roy: Yeah.

It needs to be 30% more than
restaurant food in its impact.

Tonight, without elimination on
the line, they can risk a lot more.

So we expect to see dishes that
are on the edge, really punchy food.

Whoo, that's hot.

Ten minutes gone,
50 minutes remaining.

- Come on, guys.
- Okay.

Anne, focus.

Mm, so good.

- Kelsey, how are you feeling?
- Hello.

- I'm doing okay.
- All right.

It is such an honor
to have you here.

I'm a "Chef Show"
superfan, so...

- Oh, nice.
- Gordon: Ever been to Vegas?

It's been a while,
since I've had kids,

but I have a couple memories

or non-memories
from being in Vegas.

- Non-memories.
- Things that I forget.

- Tell us, what's the dish?
- I am making kind of a riff

on those old strawberry
shortcake ice cream bars.

That was my first memory of
getting something from a truck.

- Okay.
- So I am doing a buttermilk and white chocolate cake

with a strawberry coulis,
macerated strawberries,

and then a pistachio brittle.

Why are you making a dessert?

I knew everyone
was gonna do tacos

or a play on, you know,
all the usual street foods.

- I don't want to do that.
- No ice cream?

No, I'm not doing ice cream. With 60
minutes, to make a cake and ice cream?

You can make an ice cream
in 15 minutes.

Yes, you could,
but I want to make sure

that I get something plated
that's wonderful for you guys.

I don't want
to mess this one up.

It's gonna be tough
because you're giving us

the memory of an ice cream bar,

but you're not making ice cream,

so it's gonna be a lot
on your shoulders.

Yes, I'm gonna get all of the
flavors in there for you guys.

- Good luck.
- Yep, cake's gotta be in in three minutes.

Gordon: Oh, boy.

Gotta move fast. I gotta
move faster. Get in there.

Right, Alejandro,
tell us what you're doing.

Chefs, I'm doing an upscale
version of loaded potatoes.

- Like a...
- Half-baked potato?

- Like a poutine type style...
- Poutine, okay.

...like we have in Georgia
on a food truck.

- Okay.
- I'm parboiling them,

cutting them to medium dice,

then I want to make
one in the oven

so it's a little bit mushy
and soft.

And the ones on top
are gonna be fried and crispy

so we have two different
textures.

- They're gonna be seasoned...
- But they're not fries.

- You said they're diced.
- They're not fries, yeah.

Poutine is a dirty fry.
Finish with goose fat there.

- Cheese curds with gravy.
- There you go.

Yes, this is gonna be like that,
but instead of using gravy,

I'm gonna do a hollandaise sauce
with a poached egg on top.

You're making it more
difficult for yourself.

Do you hear what Roy said?
You need to listen.

Alejandro: The judges think that I
put too many elements in the dish.

I hope my ambition
doesn't backfire on me.

Edit yourself, okay?
Don't over complicate it.

But if you pull it off, you've
done something spectacular.

- Yes.
- But your margin of error is very small.

Chefs, I'm doing an upscale
version of loaded potatoes.

- Half-baked potato?
- Like a poutine.

You're making it
more difficult for yourself.

Gordon: You need to listen.
Don't over complicate it.

But if you pull it off, you've
done something spectacular.

- Yes.
- But your margin of error is very small.

There's a lot going on here.
Edit yourself, okay?

- Good luck. Get that in marinade.
- Thank you.

Anne, what do we have
going on here, young lady?

What I'm making today
is a shrimp spring roll

and fried rice noodles.
It's gonna be delicious.

My inspiration is a restaurant
by me up in Michigan

that I literally get these
for lunch three times a week.

- It's like Asian fusion.
- Have you ever tried this dish before?

It sounds a little bit
challenging.

You know what? I need to
challenge myself some more.

So I'm elevating them
and I'm gonna make it

into a fine dining experience
for you guys.

So, Anne, you've told us that you
actually aspire to own a food truck.

Yeah, so in Kalamazoo, we have,
like, food trucks that have burgers.

And I want...
the Asian fusion style...

like, what I'm doing today
is what I want to have.

So, to win this would be
a big thing for you, right?

Really huge. And, I mean, it
would mean everything to me.

- You think you can do it?
- I'm gonna do it today.

- Joe: Good luck.
- Thank you.

Gordon:
40 minutes remaining.

And remember,
immunity on the line,

and an amazing dinner for
the best dish this evening.

Aarón: Come on, guys.

- Abe, you doing great?
- Yeah, you?

- Awesome!
- Hello, Miss Suu.

- Talk to us about your dish.
- I'm making a New York strip

marinated in
a kabob-style marinade.

So you're capturing
the spirit of the kabob.

Yes, when I came
to the United States,

there's kabobs
on the streets of New York.

I love that aromatic spices that
will tantalize your tongue.

You've had success cooking outside
of your traditional Burmese culture.

Yes, Chef. Thank you, Joe.

I think today what we're really
looking for is punchy flavors.

It has to be like
love at first bite.

- Yes.
- Is this love at first bite?

It is going to be a love
at first bite and every bite.

And how good would it feel,
Suu, to be up on that balcony?

Oh, so right now,
I'm eyeing that immunity prize.

I want to be at the front
and on the top.

- Nice!
- Yes.

- Good luck, Suu.
- Thank you so much, Joe.

Slaw. Slaw, hash. I'm good.

This challenge is my life.
I love street food.

I am a street food connoisseur.

I could tell you every block,
every food truck,

where they're at,
and the best ones.

And all I want to do
is make the judges proud

and show them why I'm here.

Here we go. About to sear.

Joseph, how are you doing?
What's the dish?

Great, Chef. Deconstructed
bánh mi thit nguoi,

which is a chargrilled pork
inside a Vietnamese sandwich.

Street food. Growing up,
popular in your end?

Bánh mi. I mean, Houston has
the biggest Vietnamese population.

I grew up eating them,
especially this one.

I think this pork chop could
be really good if done correctly.

Now, Joseph had
a tough week last week,

literally on the verge
of leaving the competition.

However, tonight we're hoping,
not just redemption,

- but bounce back beyond belief.
- Yes, Chef.

Today is my day of redemption.

I am 100% ready to win immunity.

Good, good, good. So, I like the
idea of a deconstructed bánh mi.

- Just think of fragrance.
- Yeah.

Think of help that is needed
there. It's very dry in there, okay?

Use that marinade to the effect.

Get the marinade,
maybe even chop up some more

lemongrass and garlic, crush it.

- Yes, Chef.
- Yeah, good luck.

Lexy: It's a lot
of pressure to know

that you're cooking
for immunity.

And I feel like,
of all the cooks,

I'm the one that has, like,
the least experience,

the least amount of knowledge
of just food in general.

And so it's definitely
more stressful,

but my family is definitely
pushing me to be my best.

That's what my brains look like
after this challenge.

Now I gotta cut
his body in half.

Oh, gross!

Just don't look at it, dude.

Ooh! I did it, I did it!

- Good job, girl.
- [laughs]

Made this lobster
my [bleep], dude.

All right, Autumn.

Working with lobster for
the first time. Look at me.

You're in Boston and you've
never worked with a lobster before?

No, I don't like working with
anything that has an eyeball.

You have been very adamant
about not liking seafood.

- Yes.
- And why choose this dish

if it's something that
you have an aversion to?

Being from Boston,

everybody eats lobster rolls
all the time,

so I just wanted to do something
that represents my home.

You are in very good shape
here to do a good dish.

- I need to impress you guys.
- Good luck.

[whispering]
Sugar and lime juice.

Sugar and lime juice.

- Alejandro?
- Chef?

You feeling good
about what you're doing, buddy?

Yes, Chef, 100%.

So, Alejandro, he's doing
a classic take on a poutine,

which as we all know
is French fries

topped with cheese curds
and gravy.

But he's doing like
a dice of potato.

- That's not a poutine then.
- That's what Roy said.

On top of that, he's doing
the potato two ways.

He's doing the mash
underneath as well.

Joe:
It's a lot to do in an hour.

Aarón:
I think that's a huge risk.

It'll be interesting to see
if he can pull it off.

Now, Kelsey's doing a cake
on a strawberry shortcake,

- based on that...
- Strawberry ice cream bar.

Gordon: And she's the only one
attempting a dessert in just one hour.

Like, everyone who's eaten a
strawberry shortcake bar knows that flavor.

- But there's no ice cream.
- Even more difficult then...

- Even more difficult.
- ...to try to get that flavor.

Damn it.

Guys, 30 minutes gone,
30 minutes remaining.

Halfway, guys. Come on.

Speed up, all of you.
Let's move.

I gotta start this over.

Oh, my God, I can't believe
I completely burned my caramel.

- How you doing, Kelsey?
- Not good.

I am very stressed that I have
to restart my caramel sauce.

The cake I'm making
is super complicated.

There's a lot
of different components.

I have a ton of stuff
still to do.

I am making
the biggest mess today.

This is definitely a setback.

I'm really worried
that I'm not gonna get

my whole composed dish
on the plate.

Damn.

- How you doing, Kelsey?
- Not good.

I burnt my caramel sauce
and I had to start that over.

And that definitely
throws me off my game.

Damn it.

I really have to buckle down
and just focus

because there's so much
on the line.

Immunity is everything to me.

I'm doing this for my kids,

so I need to win this challenge.

Let's do this [bleep].

Sorry. [laughs]

Gordon: Guys, we're coming
down to just under 20 minutes to go,

elevating street food
for an amazing immunity.

I gotta move faster.

Whew.

I was fortunate enough
to actually move around

all throughout Eastern Europe
with my family,

so I'm making this Eastern
European street food.

I'm hoping that I can stay true
to the culture

that is formed around this dish.

- Gordon: Abe?
- Yes, Chef?

- Right, how are you doing?
- Good, Chef.

Tell us about the dish.
What are you doing?

So, here I'm doing
an Eastern European cevapi,

or in Romania,
we call them mici.

And then I'm gonna have
the two mici

in between these two
brioche buns and coleslaw.

Nice, and this is a street food
phenomenon in Eastern Europe.

Yes, it is. I used to eat
this when I lived in Romania

with my family.
It's awesome.

I'm not familiar with this.
How do you normally eat it?

So, normally, it's just mustard

and then you have
some bread to go with it,

or some French fries,
depending on what you want.

I'm excited for this because
I've never had it before.

- Oh, very excited.
- I'm really excited.

- Good luck, bud.
- Thank you, thank you.

Oh, jeez.

Michael: My biggest food
inspiration comes from my family.

Growing up in Jersey,
my father and I,

we'd go fishing
when I was younger.

So I'm hoping this dish

could take my game
to another level

- and get that immunity.
- Michael!

- How are you doing?
- What's going on, buddy?

Talk to us about your dish.

We got a tantalizing
fish taco going here,

with a harmonious crab hash
and a sexy slaw.

- Okay.
- He's doing double duty.

I want to kick it up
a notch for you guys.

It's time, you know what I mean?

You gotta bring my flavor
to this game.

So, what is that flavor
that you're doing, buddy?

I'm going with spice, you know?

- What's the protein?
- Cod.

- You gonna fry it?
- Yeah, deep fry it with some panko.

You already battered them?

I had them soaking
in buttermilk.

All right, so we're
in the top nine.

- Yes.
- Where do you see yourself in the pack?

Um, I see myself
flowing through the middle,

but now it's time
to kick up my game,

and show you guys
what I really got,

- know what I mean?
- Good luck.

Thank you, gentlemen.

It is smoking in here.

Lexy, tell us about the
dish. What are you doing?

It's my version of a Chicago
Philly cheese steak.

How are you gonna modernize
this? How are you gonna elevate it?

So, these are
my typical toppings

to go on the cheese steak.

I'm gonna sauté them
in a little bit of butter,

just place them on top.

This is my cheese sauce
I'm working on,

and then I have some
smashed potatoes

that I'm gonna put underneath.

- Nice.
- This is your cheese sauce?

- Yeah.
- It seems a little thin.

- Okay.
- Because that's your glue, right?

That's the bit that needs
to be nice, thick, and rich.

Yes, yes.

Lexy: I'm a little bit
nervous about my sauce.

Roy Choi told me
it's just too runny.

I need to make sure that the
cheese can be more incorporated.

Immunity is on the line,

and so I really hope
it doesn't hurt me in the end.

- Lexy, good luck.
- Thank you.

Good luck.

All right.

Back on track, guys.
Back on track.

Fire.

Gordon: Just under
10 minutes remaining.

- Start thinking about your execution, guys.
- Oh, this is great.

- Are you surprised at the standards?
- I am.

I don't know what
I was expecting,

but I wasn't expecting
this level of cooking.

I know a lot of them aren't
trained chefs, so it's amazing.

Yeah, there's an immunity
on the line,

so therefore no one's leaving.

But there's jeopardy there
because whoever wins this

will be safe from elimination
in the next challenge.

So, Joseph's deconstructed
bánh mi, it looks great.

The flavors are incredible.
Lot of intensity.

Yeah, as long as he's
marinating, he chops it up,

and it's incorporated
within the bite.

Joe:
And he needs redemption,

so let's see if he
can nail the flavor.

Yep.

Yeah, buddy.
All right, that's perfect.

Aarón: Anne is conjuring
up this restaurant

that she loves
in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

It's an Asian restaurant,
so she's gonna take some shrimp,

marinate them
in some strong aromatics,

and then she's gonna
skewer them with lemongrass.

But the end product that she wants
to make is a Vietnamese spring roll.

I love the idea of spearing
those shrimp with that lemongrass.

Yay! It's coming together.

Kelsey's sponge mix has just come
out there. It looks beautiful, doesn't it?

- Oh, yeah.
- Oh, my goodness, me.

Perfect.

Michael, he's doing
this fish taco-inspired dish.

Michael has
a nice big chunk of cod

that he's marinated
in buttermilk

with a very seasoned
flour and breadcrumb mixture.

Yeah, I was anxious
to see the frying

because a lot of fried fish,
we don't use breadcrumbs on.

The risk of that,
it becomes too clunky...

- Yes.
- ...and I think he might be there already.

- Aarón: We'll see.
- We're coming down for the last five minutes.

You've got to start plating.
Here we go.

Oh, my gosh.

- Whoo-hoo!
- Okay, I think this is done.

- Crap.
- Gordon: Lexy is super worried

about the consistency
of that cheese sauce.

- It needs a bit more depth.
- It was too thin, yeah.

- It hadn't cooked out properly.
- Lexy: I'm kind of stressed.

I put a little bit too much
cheese in my sauce

- and now it's way too thick.
- Oh, my gosh.

And I'm trying to, like, incorporate
more milk into it to kind of loosen it up,

but the texture is not
what I would like.

- I feel like a mess.
- Look at that.

Yeah. Oh.

We're coming down for
the last five minutes.

You've got to start plating!
Here we go.

My sauce is a little thick
and runny at the same time.

And I feel like if the sauce
doesn't work,

then my whole dish doesn't work,

so I kind of
need it to work out.

- Yeah.
- Come on, Alejandro.

Alejandro, start thinking about what
could be taken off if you don't make it.

Everything's
gonna be done, Chef.

Two minutes! Finishing
touches. Let's go.

Come on, Anne.

Good, Michael.
Give it precision.

- Here we go.
- Come on, Lexy.

Wow, it really does come down
to the final seconds.

- Oh, down to the wire.
- Yes.

- Man, I'm worried about Alejandro.
- Need some acid in there.

He's leaving his station!
Oh, my gosh.

We're coming down to
one minute to go. Come on!

- Come on, open up!
- Let's go, Alejandro.

Let's go, Alejandro.
You're making me nervous.

Lord, help me out here.

- Whoa. Beautiful!
- Butter, Autumn.

- Roy: Come on, Alejandro.
- Oh, no!

- Gordon: Ten.
- Judges: Nine, eight, seven,

six, five, four,

three, two, one.

- Gordon: And stop. Well done!
- Aarón: Hands in the air.

Roy: Wow.

Gordon: Unbelievable.

- How'd you do?
- I feel good.

- Good job.
- Good job, good job.

I got all my components
on the plate,

but I didn't get it plated
as beautifully as I wanted to.

But I think the judges
will appreciate my craziness

and the flavor
the my cooking and...

fingers crossed now.

That looks really good, Abe.

- Thank you.
- It looks freaking amazing!

I look at everybody else's
dishes, I'm like,

"Man, you guys are putting out
really, really great stuff."

- Are you happy?
- No.

- Why? What's wrong?
- My sauce is too runny.

- Everything I have is runny.
- When I look down at my plate,

I'm thinking of all these different
ways that I could have made it better.

Now, tonight we asked you all
to elevate that street food

into a restaurant-quality dish.

Ultimately, as you know,
it all comes down to flavor.

So, tonight we're gonna taste
every single one of your dishes

before deciding who gets immunity
out of the next elimination challenge,

and of course, an amazing dinner

from the beautiful restaurant
of Roy Choi's.

Let's start off with Kelsey.
Thank you.

- Whoo-hoo! Come on, Kelsey!
- Go, Kelsey.

I am a huge fan of Roy Choi.
I'm, like, the superfan.

So to be able to go to Roy Choi's
restaurant in Vegas would be awesome.

- Aarón: Kelsey, please describe your dish.
- Kelsey: All right.

So it is a white chocolate
and buttermilk cake

with a strawberry coulis,
some whipped cream,

macerated strawberries, and
then a pistachio brittle on top.

This is all inspired
by those old school

strawberry shortcake bars
that you used to eat on a stick.

- And what's in the cream?
- So the cream actually is just a little vanilla

and a touch of sugar.

Again, everything else
on the plate is very sweet,

so I wanted the cream to kind
of step back a little bit from that.

Kelsey, it's delicious.

The texture on the sponge
is absolutely spot-on.

Love the pistachios. I think of fresh
mint running through the middle there,

lemongrass scented flavor, so that's how
you just take that a little notch further.

- But it's delicious.
- Thank you.

This is an excellent dish.

The only issue I have
is some of the proportions.

- Okay.
- The sponges are a little too thick.

- Okay.
- But each component themselves is amazing.

- Okay, okay.
- Look, trying to replicate nostalgic flavors

is a very difficult thing to do.

Chefs know that.
And you nailed that.

Yeah, I love the way you were
able to lighten this up.

I think that's the most
impressive part of it.

- Good job. Thank you.
- Thank you, thank you.

Right, next up,
Lexy, please. Let's go.

Come on, Lexy-loo!

As I'm walking up to the judges
with this plate of food,

I hope that they appreciate it, but everything
in my head is saying that they won't.

It's my take
on a Philly cheesesteak.

I've got a New York strip with bell
pepper, onion, mushroom on top

and a cheese sauce on the side.

I will say before you eat it,

I'm not proud
of this dish at all.

I was having some difficulties
with my sauce.

At first it was too thin, and
then it was, like, way too thick.

- It looks good though.
- I don't know what you're beating yourself up for.

- Oh, I just don't like it.
- I mean, this looks like

any steak dish at any great
steak house, so it looks wonderful.

- And what cheese did you use for that?
- Lexy: Mozzarella.

- Why is it so lumpy?
- Probably the cheese didn't melt in all the way.

- Okay, now, the temperature on the steak?
- Medium rare. Should be pink.

- My lord. That's cooked beautifully.
- Wow.

- Whoa.
- That for me is absolute utter perfection.

So, let's get one thing clear.

Steak nailed beautifully.
I mean, really beautifully.

Potatoes, crisp,
delicious, starchy.

Green peppers, onions,
actually delicious.

The letdown here is the sauce.

But the actual Parmesan tuile
and that salty crispiness

goes so well with the steak.

- Delicious.
- Thank you.

Man, you... can you sell
those tuiles in a bag?

Because those are delicious.
It's a really great dish.

I understand you wanting
to be hard on yourself,

but you gotta have confidence
in your food.

Especially when you cook it
like this, so great job.

- Thank you.
- You know, for me, I just think the potatoes

are kind of out of place, but
everything else is delicious.

I would say my compliments
are the contrary to your criticisms,

so be confident about what
you cook. You do it well.

You have every reason to
want to own it and to sell it.

- Good job.
- Thank you, guys.

- Gordon: Well done.
- Whoo!

It's an incredible feeling to have Roy Choi
tell me that I need to have more confidence.

I am going to start
believing in myself more.

The next dish that we would
like to taste

is from Anne.

Go, Anne! Go, girl.

Good job, Anne.

Go up there and kill it, girl.

So I gave you guys my version
of a shrimp spring roll

elevated to
an Asian-fusion style.

- Did you eat those fried glass noodles?
- I did.

And was it like eating
a Brillo pad when you ate it?

- Did you eat those fried glass noodles?
- I did.

And was it like eating
a Brillo pad when you ate it?

- No, Joe.
- Well, it's unedible.

- Okay.
- Which is always a difficult thing when you present

something that you literally
want to spit out. So, difficult.

- Fair.
- The technique on the shrimp was good...

the lemongrass, the char,
it had good flavor.

- But it's just not enough. Not enough.
- Okay. Understand.

So, let's make one thing clear.
Shrimp cooked beautifully.

It goes deliciously well with
that cucumber, that papaya.

- You've got the cooking techniques right.
- Okay.

But you've destroyed it with
the textures of the garnish,

- especially that fried stuff.
- Roy: Yeah, I agree.

If I could merge the two ideas
of a lettuce cup with a sauce

with an extra dipping sauce
to pour in.

Crunch all the stuff in the middle,
roll it up, and pop it in my mouth...

- Smart.
- ...it would have been amazing.

Right now, the dish is just
a little too hard to eat.

- Okay.
- Thank you, Anne.

- Thank you.
- All right, thank you.

Next up, Alejandro,
please bring your dish forward.

- Let's go, Alejandro!
- Alejandro: I've been in the bottom three three times.

I don't want to be
at the bottom again,

so once I present this,
I hope they love it.

Young man,
describe the dish please.

Chefs, today I present to you
a take on street loaded fries.

They're cooked two ways,
comes with a poached egg,

hollandaise sauce,
and a hanger steak,

and couple of slices
of truffle on top, Chef.

- How did you cook this steak?
- Pan sear, Chef.

- And what was the temperature on there?
- Should be medium.

That's mid-rare,
but it's cooked beautifully.

Alejandro, it's delicious.

Yeah, it definitely is elevated.

I love what you've done
with the steak.

Hollandaise needs a touch more
acid at the end.

Fresh tarragon goes beautifully
well in that hollandaise.

- Tarragon, okay.
- Fries could have been a little bit crispier.

- Okay.
- But this has been one of your best creations.

Because I had the poutine
stuck in my mind,

I didn't think that it would
eat well together like that,

but you proved me wrong,
actually.

- Great job.
- Thank you, Chef.

Alejandro, I think for
the first time we see you

coming through in a plate,
and your skills are up to speed

with the food that
you're presenting, finally.

- It's been a long road.
- Thank you.

- Good job.
- Thank you.

Good job.

Next up, Autumn, please.
Let's go.

Go, Autumn.
Come on, girl!

Autumn: Walking up to
the judges, I want immunity

and this prize for winning
the challenge

going to Roy Choi's
restaurant in Vegas,

so I hope that
I can win this thing.

So I did my take on
a New England lobster roll.

So I did a butter
and tarragon poached lobster

with some celery root puree,
lemon zest croutons and pearl onions.

How long did you cook
the lobster for?

So I blanched it
for three minutes,

and then I poached it in the butter
for about maybe another three minutes.

So you can see there it needs at least
another minute and a half to two minutes.

Okay. It's my first time cooking
lobster, so I was a little nervous.

The claw that I ate
was delicious.

I love that acidity with the
onions and the tarragon.

It's like this elevated
lobster roll.

Just a few techniques
we need to hone in on.

- Okay.
- It eats so beautifully in the dish.

Yeah, just some technique
things, small things,

and a little pepper goes
a long way, too.

So you took a risk,
didn't nail it.

It's slightly undercooked,
but the flavor is really good.

- Excellent.
- Thank you.

Good job, Autumn.

The next dish we'd like
to taste is from Abe.

Whoo! Come on, Abe!

So this is something I like
to call the Balkan Delight,

and it's three different types
of meat with beer, panko crumbs,

and a coleslaw vinaigrette
with that.

Gordon:
What's the drizzle on the end?

Abe: That's an English mustard
with a little bit of honey.

And then underneath,
I have roasted red peppers,

eggplant, and some olive oil.

The flavors pop, let me tell
you. I love the seasoning.

That eggplant underneath,
I want more of that.

- Yes, Chef.
- The Balkan Delight, right?

- Yes, Chef.
- Delicious.

I'm delighted, I'm delighted.

You eat with your eyes, too,
so the beauty of the dish

made the flavors taste
even better.

- Thank you, Chef.
- It was a little dense on the meat,

- but the dish is amazing.
- Thank you.

I think maybe take that brioche,
soak it in a little bit of milk,

and throw that into your mix, and that
would have lightened it up a little bit.

- Mm-hmm. Yeah.
- But the sauce and the slaw is just delicious.

- Good dish.
- Gordon: Well done.

Thank you, Chefs.
Thank you.

- Good job, Abe.
- Way to go, kid.

Next dish we want to try
is from Suu.

Come on, Suu!

So this is my take on kabobs.

So it is a New York strip steak
in kabob marinade

with pan seared mushrooms,
asparagus, onions,

and mint cucumber chutney.

- Joe: What is a kabob marinade?
- So it has yogurt in it.

It has honey. It has
cilantro, cumin, coriander.

Aarón: When people put spices in marinades,
a lot of times they don't toast them prior.

But the fact that you put in the
marinade, then you seared it really hard,

that allowed those spices
to really impart their flavor.

- So I loved that part of it.
- Thank you very much, Chef.

I really love this dish. It makes me
feel as good as it looks when I eat it.

I would have loved to see
a little more of the marinade.

And each element is beautiful,
but still looking for the spine

that pulls it together
as one dish.

- Yes, Chef. Thank you very much.
- Well done.

- [cheering]
- Yeah, Suu!

- Yeah, girl.
- The next dish we want to try is Michael's.

- Come on, Mike.
- Jersey style.

Let's do this. I feel like
my plate looks really good.

I believe this is
an immunity-winning dish.

- I just hope that they feel the same way.
- Joe: All right, Michael,

- tell us about this dish.
- So I have a tantalizing take

on a fish taco with a lump
crab hash and a spicy slaw.

So, you marinated for how long?

- About 20 minutes.
- And then you deep fried it?

Yes. Bread crumbs also have the
same seasonings as the marinade.

Please tell me you took
the skin off.

Oh, my goodness, me. Aah!

- So, you deep fried it?
- Yes.

Please tell me you took
the skin off.

Oh, my goodness, me. Aah!

I did not take the skin off,
Chef. I'll tell you why.

- Okay.
- Growing up, my father would take me fishing all the time.

We would catch fish, and we
would deep fry it with the skin on.

I appreciate that,
but Dad didn't just have a bag

of panko crumbs then, probably.
He was frying it in the skin.

It's easy to take off,

and hard to get crispy
when you coat it

because it holds so much fat.

So this whole side
is gonna be soggy

- because that skin's left on.
- Right.

But, as always,
let's get in there.

- I want to see how the... Oh, look at that.
- Joe: Beautiful. Wow.

It's glistening.
So, skin on or skin off,

the fish is cooked beautifully,
let's understand that.

Thank you.

Getting fish glistening
like that, that thick,

cooked beautifully
is a tall order.

That's not a fluke.
So you've nailed that,

because it's just brimming
with juice and flavor.

Really good indeed. Good job.

I could see myself sitting
in shorts and slippers

by the ocean eating this dish.

I just didn't understand
the crab...

- Okay. Gotcha.
- ...in the whole composition of this dish.

- But it's delicious.
- You were not afraid to kick the spice up and the acid,

but take that crab meat and
take some of that aioli and dress it,

- put tons of herbs in there.
- Yeah.

Yeah, I agree. It's like
a beautiful upscale taco.

- The potatoes and crab are superfluous.
- Thank you, Michael.

Pretty good.

The next dish
we want to try is Joseph's.

- Come on, Joseph!
- Yeah, Joseph!

- Go, Joe.
- Joseph: I really need to win today's challenge.

Last week I was in the bottom.
I should have been eliminated.

So my ass is on the line.

I just pray and hope that this
dish is gonna be my redemption.

Okay, Joseph,
tell us about this dish.

This is my take on a bánh mi,
deconstructed and elevated.

So I did a pork chop, pickled
some vegetables, fried onions,

and the cilantro, jalapeño,
and mayo, I turned into an aioli.

So, what temp have you gone for
in the middle?

- Medium.
- Medium?

- Yeah?
- Mmm. Looks good.

Yeah. Done beautifully.
Really beautifully.

- What did you marinate it in?
- Oyster sauce, soy sauce,

brown sugar, and lemongrass
and garlic powder.

What you've done with that
marinade and that caramelization

is absolutely spot-on.

I love what you've done
with the onions.

That crunchy texture
is beautiful.

I think what this dish
needs just for me

is some shredded Napa cabbage

with some Granny Smith
apples in there.

And all of a sudden, you've
got those wonderful contrast.

- But well done.
- Thank you, Chef.

Really great dish.
This is a restaurant dish.

The onions were just as good as
I wanted them to be, so great job.

- Only criticism I may have is more sauce.
- Got it.

Aarón: I love the fact that
that marinade made a statement.

Just more chile.
It just needs that heat.

- But you should feel good about yourself.
- Thank you, Chef.

I'm gonna give a compliment I rarely give,
and it's rarely given in "MasterChef."

This is very clean. It's
very precise in its flavor.

- An excellent dish.
- Thank you all.

Thank you, Joseph.
Welcome back.

Good job, Joseph!

What a night,
and a perfect night to shine

in front of
this incredible legend.

We need a moment because

we got some serious
discussing to do.

Please excuse us.

- Okay.
- God, it's a tough one.

- Yeah.
- We have three good ones.

- Joe: Yep.
- Who's your favorite dish?

- [Roy groans]
- Aarón: Just the layering and the acid.

- Yeah.
- Just a lot of lightness.

- Best plate's clear to me.
- Me, too.

Joe: Let's go.

Right, first of all,
all of you, well done.

Now, there were three dishes
that really stood out

a slight cut above the rest.

First, this dish belongs to...

- Kelsey.
- Oh!

The sponge was exquisite,

and the macerated strawberries
were beautiful.

Restaurant quality
beyond belief. Well done.

The second dish belonged to...

Joseph.

The execution across
that pork chop was exquisite.

Well done.
The third and final dish,

that dish belongs to...

Lexy. Well done.

Yeah, girl! Lexy!

However, there can only be
one winning dish,

and that individual
will get immunity,

and of course, an amazing dinner

from the beautiful
restaurant of Roy Choi's,

Best Friend in Las Vegas.

Congratulations...

- Joseph. Well done.
- [cheering]

- Good job, Joseph.
- Way to go, Joseph.

- How do you feel?
- Amazing.

After what happened
last challenge,

this is a breath of fresh air
that I really needed.

Joseph, head up to
the safety of the balcony.

- Well done.
- Bye, Joseph.

Joseph: Coming off of the
worst challenge of my life,

I can't believe I turned it
around 180 degrees

and I pulled this off.

Winning this immunity
puts me in the top eight,

so I'm going all the way
and win this thing.

Now, this season
of "MasterChef Legends"

can only come alive
because of this example,

tonight's legend, Roy Choi.

- Thank you.
- If there's any advice you'd like to give

to these amateur cooks tonight,
what would it be?

Wow, I learned
so much from you guys.

So just remember,
believe in yourself

and cooking is about technique,

but it's also about
your own confidence.

Gordon: The amazing
Roy Choi. God bless, sir.

- Thank you.
- I'll see you soon, bud.

- Thank you. Bye, guys!
- Thank you, Roy.

Gordon: Take care.
What an amazing man.

Now, I hope you eight are ready
for your next big challenge.

And, Joseph, enjoy the safety
of the balcony from up there.

Everyone,
the next time we see you,

you will be wearing
those notorious black aprons,

and someone will be eliminated.

Gordon: Next time
on "MasterChef Legends"...

You'll need to cook an amazing
dish inspired by your personal legend.

- Go!
- Who's your legend?

- My grandmother.
- My husband.

Gordon Ramsay,
and I hope I don't mess it up.

Well, that's what he's doing.

It's an elimination challenge...

- This is go time!
- Whoo!

- Pray for me that it sets.
- What are you gonna do?

- [bleep]
- ...that will be the last

- for one home cook.
- Make sure it's not you.

- Both: Michael.
- It's right on the edge.

- Oh, boy.
- That is exceptional.

Professionally executed.

I think this is your worst dish.

It's kind of a mess.
The worst one was obvious.

- I'm going home.
- I agree.

"MasterChef" is back
with the season of legends.

Wednesdays on Fox.