Recaps
Episode 103
After another brutal dinner service, the teams retreat to the dorms. The Red team tries to make sense of consecutive losses and Dewberry's abandoning them. In the bathroom, Jeff finally passes the kidney stone he's been struggling with. The next morning, the teams are summoned back to the kitchen. Chef Ramsay announces that Michael will be joining the Red team to balance out the sides.Chef Ramsay then gives the teams their next challenge. After explaining that restaurants have to deal with sudden, unexpected VIP arrivals and still deliver a surprising and fantastic dining experience, he tells the team that they'll be cooking a five-course meal for Chef Ramsay themselves. The teams are sent to a nearby grocery store and given $100 to shop for the meal. But it's not quite that simple. They only have ten minutes to make all of their purchases, and the entire team must be together at all times.
The teams rush through the store grabbing items for the menus they planned on the trip over. Searching for bread, Jeff holds up the works, frustrating his team. With time running out, the Blue team is scrambling to finish. Ralph tosses bacon into the cart as time expires.
Back in Hell's Kitchen, the teams are given one hour to prepare their meals. Jeff is making a soup that he claims is loved by everybody that tries it. The Red team is skeptical. In the other kitchen, Ralph is taking control of his team. The hour expires and it's time for the team to present their offerings to Chef Ramsay.
Blue team first. Jessica presents her cold starter -- grilled pineapples with yucca potatoes. Chef Ramsay calls it tasteless. For the Red team, Elsie gets good marks for her salad. The Blue team's hot starter, a roasted corn chowder also gets a good review. Jeff then presents his pureed white onion soup. Chef Ramsay finds it to be delicious. The Blue team presents their fish course -- pan-roasted salmon with bok choy. Chef Ramsay is impressed. Chris then offers up poached sole over cauliflower, which does not please Chef Ramsay. Onto the meat course. Andrew presents a grilled ribeye with an oxtail mushroom sauce and white peaches. Chef Ramsay couldn't believe Andrew would put a peach with a ribeye. Andrew tells us that this was Ralph's idea. After a sample, Chef Ramsay flatly rejects the experiment, calling it disgusting. Michael then presents his grilled porterhouse. Chef Ramsay loves it. Time for desserts. Mary Ellen offers a trio of crème brulees, which Chef Ramsay greatly enjoys. Jimmy caps things off with a poached pear in a port wine reduction and feta cheese. Chef Ramsay finds it to be dull.
Having liked three dishes from each team, Chef Ramsay will have to base his decision on how well the individual dishes complemented each other. After some deliberation, he pronounces the Red team as the winners. As a reward, the Red team will enjoy a night out at a British pub with Chef Ramsay while the Blue team scrubs the dorms clean. When the Red team returns from their night out, the Blue team is still hard at work.
The next morning, the teams are summoned to the kitchen at 7:35am. They get an early start on preparing for the third dinner service. The Blue team is showing teamwork, but when Jeff leaves a hot pan on a counter and Elsie grabs it, the Red team starts tiring of Jeff. During a break, the Red team begins discussing their problems with Jeff. Elsie pulls him out of the dorms to join the chat, which quickly turns into a shouting match between Chris and Jeff.
Moments before the restaurant opens, Jeff is still struggling to get it together. The Blue team, meanwhile, has their dinner prep under control. Diners begin to file in and the first orders come to the kitchen. Before any work starts, Chef Ramsay informs the teams that two top food critics are here tonight, and their experience tonight may influence Chef Ramsay's decision. The critics, Melissa Clark and Kate Krader, are dining with friends at adjacent tables. They'll be sampling the same menu from both kitchens. Chef Ramsay instructs the teams to treat each ticket as a critic's. Jeff delivers his first starters -- two lobster spaghettis. But he puts all of the lobster in one dish. Michael helps him fix it. Sous chef Mary Ann orders Jeff to thank Michael and Jeff snaps at her.
Over in the Blue kitchen, Wendy is behind on her spaghetti dish because her water isn't boiling yet. She added cold water to the pot, thinking that cold water boiled faster. Thirty minutes into service, the Red team delivers two starters to the critics. Melissa likes Jeff's spaghetti, but Kate isn't a fan of Michael's crab risotto. The Blue team follows with their own critic starters. Melissa thinks Wendy's spaghetti is off and Kate thinks Andrew's risotto is a mess. Andrew's risotto is then delivered to a customer who vomits after sampling it. Jean Philippe brings the risotto back to the kitchen and Chef Ramsay chews out Andrew for making a diner ill. But Andrew refuses to believe that it was his fault.
Ninety minutes into service, Chef Ramsay is losing his patience. He asks Jeff for a lamb and a bass, and when Jeff says it'll take five minutes, Chef Ramsay demands it in four. He screams at Jeff to get moving. Over in the Blue kitchen, Ralph is taking complete control. Later, Chef Ramsay again asks Jeff for some entrees and wonders if Michael is doing Jeff's job for him. Jeff tries to explain, but Chef Ramsay cuts him short, telling Jeff that he hasn't done anything right yet. Chef Ramsay barks out more orders to Jeff, but they go past him. Jeff has checked out, but says he'll complete the service because he's not a quitter. Chef Ramsay says that he's not a cook either, and Jeff mutters, "You're an ******* ." Which, unfortunately for Jeff, was overheard by Mary Ann. She explodes, demanding that Jeff repeat the comment. Chef Ramsay calls Jeff to the front. He repeats his comment before ripping off his jacket and walking out.
Things aren't going any better in the Blue kitchen, with only five main courses served. Wendy is struggling with the meat service until Ralph pitches in. The critics receive their lamb entrees. Kate declares hers to be overcooked, but Melissa thinks hers is done perfectly medium rare. In the Red kitchen, Michael has taken over the meat section for Jeff. Both Kate and Melissa prefer Michael's lamb to Wendy's.
Although they had a quick spurt of entrees served after Jeff's departure, the Red kitchen has only sent out 15 entrees for the evening. Even worse, the Blue kitchen has only shipped eight. Customers begin walking out. Things begin falling apart. Once again, Chef Ramsay orders the kitchens closed.
With so few diners served, Chef Ramsay is going to heavily rely on the comments from the two critics. Chef Ramsay informs the teams that neither risotto was liked, and the Red team's spaghetti was preferred. The Red's lamb was also preferred. The Red team wins. Chef Ramsay asks Ralph to nominate two teammates for elimination. After a break, the teams return to the dining room. Ralph nominates Wendy and Andrew. Chef Ramsay agrees with the nominations and Ralph's explanations for each. Chef Ramsay decides to eliminate...Wendy
