- The still-standing chefs fashion a challenge for their fellow contestants in Season 8's final Quickfire. Then, they dish up a "last supper" for celebrity chefs Masaharu Morimoto, Wolfgang Puck and Michelle Bernstein.
- Mike says Tiffany should be proud of what she did, but the three best competitors are left.
Richard isn't worried about Mike's streak. He notes that Mike has won two challenges in both of his seasons and Richard has won eight.
They arrive in the kitchen the next morning to see Padma and Wolfgang Puck waiting for them. It's time for one more Quickfire.
Padma tells them today will be different. They've picked seven Quickfires from past seasons and they get to assign their competitors the challenge.
Mike gives Antonia canned goods. She gives Richard hot dogs and Richard gives Mike "one pot" -- because he remembers Mike using six or seven sautee pans in a recent challenge.
Antonia thinks this was a bad move because it means Mike gets access to all the ingredients.
They start cooking.
Mike wants to make braised pork in a pressure cooker within the 45 minute time limit.
Richard makes his own hot dog buns and makes a spicy ketchup sauce.
Padma walks in. They know something is up.
They get to assign challenges to their competitors: cooking with one hand, finishing the dish without knives or hand tools (Antonia would be screwed not being able to open cans), or the double apron challenge. Carla comes out to fill the other side of the apron.
Richard assigns Mike no hand tools, Antonia gives Richard cook with one hand and she takes Carla.
Mike starts using the counter top to crush things and doesn't have any difficulties. Antonia and Carla struggle to open cans as Mike cackles at them.
Richard realizes he made a mistake giving Mike no tools because with his food already in the pot, he doesn't have to do much but wait.
Richard struggles to slice lime with one hand.
Antonia appreciates having Carla's input. Mike checks his meat, but it's not done yet.
Richard isn't totally happy with his dish. Mike thinks his pork is tough. Time's up.
Antonia made curry coconut soup with shrimp, andouille sausage, peanuts and fish sauce. Padma and Wolfgang say it has strong flavors.
Richard made hot dog on handmade roti bread with curry ketchup, mayo and mint leaves. Wolfgang says his kids would like it.
Mike made pork shoulder with black beans, chili paste, ginger and cabbage salad.
Wolfgang gives his thoughts. He thought Richard's was "too ketchupy". He thought Antonia's soup was delicious but a little too concentrated. He thought Mike's was good, but the pork could have been a little more cooked.
The winner is: Mike. He gets $5,000. Padma notes he's on a roll.
Padma tells them there are special guests waiting for them at the Cloisters at the Ocean Club.
The arrive to see famous chefs waiting for them. Along with Wolfgang, Michelle Bernstein and "Iron Chef" Masaharu Murimoto are there.
Elimination Challenge They have to prepare and serve each chef's last supper.
Mike picks Michelle. She was a judge on his season in Vegas and he wants a chance to redeem himself from her over-seasoning comment. He gets to assign the other two. He gives Antonia Murimoto, leaving Wolfgang to Richard.
But of course, there's a twist.
Padma brings out an envelope -- to be opened later. Richard tells us the final will include only two of them.
They discuss with their chefs. Wolfgang wants spaetzle and goulash. He also wants strudel, which Richard doesn't have a recipe for.
Michelle wants fried chicken, biscuits and gravy. She tells Mike she thinks he got it easy.
Morimoto wants miso soup and some sort of sashimi. Antonia's totally intimidated.
Later back at the hotel, Mike tries to claim he has the hardest dish. He says he's not making the biscuits Michelle asked for, and will make and empanada instead.
The next morning, they're all wracked with anxiety. Richard thinks he's about to throw up and Antonia can't stop nervous laughing.
They head to the kitchen. Tom drops by.
Mike is sous vide-ing the chicken. Tom thinks Mike picked the easiest dish.
Richard tells Tom he thinks Mike is on a roll, but he's not worried.
Tom tells Antonia she has a tough one. Morimoto told Antonia his mom used to sort through each individual rice grain.
Antonia opens up the hamachi and finds the fish is spoiled.
Richard tries to unlock the pressure cooker but can't get it open. They watch him struggle with it. He's worried about choking again. He finally gets it open.
The diners arrive, along with Melanie Dunea, who wrote a book about last suppers. Michelle was in the book -- which included 50 chefs.
Antonia ends up using tuna she finds in the fridge and hopes it'll be flavorful enough.
She's up first. She made tuna sashimi with pickled daikon, mushrooms and eggplant, miso soup and rice.
Morimoto thinks the soup is to salty. There's scotch bonnet on the tuna that's too strong. Melanie thinks the rice was perfect. Tom thinks the meal lacks subtlety.
Mike serves fried chicken with pea puree, egg yolk empanada and mustard gravy.
Michelle tells them she encouraged Mike to have fun with it. She says she was surprised by the egg empanada idea, but she really likes it. Morimoto says his chicken was dry. Gail's batter didn't adhere. Tom says that's because of the sous vide.
Richard actually feels good about his dishes. He made beef goulash, spaetzle with sour cream and apple strudel with tarragon cream.
There are "mmms" all around.
Tom wishes his food was hotter. Gail thinks the strudel is "outstanding". Michelle feels like he kept the integrity of the dish but added his own spin.
Wolfgang thinks Mike tried to be too creative. Morimoto knows Antonia had a big challenge, but wasn't the best. Gail raves about Richard's.
The chefs come back out to the dining table -- they're starting Judges Table now. Padma reminds them only two of them are going onto the finale.
Michelle tells Mike his chicken wasn't juicy enough. Wolfgang tells Richard his goulash flavors were right on, but the spaetzle was tough. Morimoto says Antonia's food was a little different than what he expected and the soup was a little salty.
Tom looks at Richard and tells him he's in the finale. That leaves Antonia and Mike. Padma brings out the envelope.
It's twist time!
Padma gives the envelope to Antonia. She reads it. There will be one more challenge to determine who goes on. They have 45 minutes to make one bite that will determine who advances.
Back in the kitchen, Mike goes for beef tenderloin and lobster tails. He thinks he'll have Antonia on creativity.
Antonia makes coconut broth and grouper. She's trying to make an aggressive dish that represents her. Mike is sweating profusely.
Time's up. They hug and serve.
Antonia made seared grouper on top of a relish of yam, apple, dill pollen in coconut lobster broth. Mike made tempura lobster tail over beef tartare with caramelized olives, red chili potatoes and chimichurri sauce.
Gail loves the idea of Antonia's dish, but thinks the sauce was strong. Morimoto wants more. Michelle liked Mike's, but it didn't wow her with flavor. They're interested in his caramelized olives.
Gail and Michelle like Mike's. Morimoto and Padma like Antonia's. So does Melanie. Tom likes Mike's. Wolfgang breaks the tie -- he says Antonia's was more memorable, but Mike's tartare was prepared perfectly.
In the back, Mike says it's execution versus creativity -- and he's right. They're practically vibrating with nerves.
Verdict time.
Tom tells Antonia hers was very aggressive and had a great use of vegetables. Tom tells Mike his tartare was a little bland, but the sauces added punch. He tells them the vote was 3-4. He tells them he hates to see either of them go.
Padma reveals the knife packer is Antonia.
Antonia is in tears. "I've been here before. It feels worse this time," she says. Tom thinks it was the right decision.
"So much work to get so close and then to just have it go away is really hard. My daughter is probably the only thing that would make me feel better now. She's proud no matter what," she says. "Doing this ignites the passion of cooking. It reminds me how much I love what I do. I just wanna be a chef."
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content