Next Level Chef Episode 6: Next Level Brunch

Last week Next Level Chef saw Devonnie head out the door and leave Team Ramsay with three chefs. Gordon Ramsay may have been full of bluster at the time, but you know he has to be getting worried his team might be gone before the finale.

So heading into this week there was a lot on the line. Both Nyesha Arrington, and Richard Blais want to keep their respective teams strong at four chefs each and would love nothing more then to send another member of Team Ramsay packing.

For Episode 6 the chefs weren’t given a specific ingredient or style of cooking. Instead they were told to make brunch, which sounds simple enough but like the burgers last week, proved more difficult then anyone imagined.

Once the key cards were chosen Team Arrington ended up on the Top Level, Team Ramsay in the Middle and Team Blais in The Basement. And once again for many of the chefs the Ingredient Platform proved to be the biggest battle they would fight all day.

Which chef was eliminated on Episode 6 of Next Level Chef?

Reuel in particular went at the Platform with a vengeance, elbowing his teammate Tricia out of the way to get at a lobster. While you have to respect the fact he is taking the kid gloves off, you have to wonder if putting yourself at odds with your teammates is such a good idea this early in the competition.

Somehow a fillet mignon made it all the way to the Basement and was grabbed by Ae, who transformed it into a play on a steak and eggs dish. It didn’t go unnoticed by Ramsay and Arrington, who both wondered out loud, not for the first time, if some of the chefs ever would get the hang of the Ingredient Platform.

Speaking of the Platform, this week something finally happened that everyone knew was coming at some point. A chef’s dish didn’t make it on to the Platform before it continued on its way.

It was Mariah of Team Blais who didn’t have her brunch plated in time and as a result her dish wasn’t able to be included in the judging. Which was ironic because once the judges tried her take on a breakfast sandwich they all agreed it would have won the night.

Instead it was Reuel and his fried lobster that was named the winner, narrowly beating out Pyet and her scratch made fry bread and eggs. Which meant Team Ramsay was safe and either Team Arrington or Team Blais would be saying goodbye to someone.

To no one’s surprise Blais sent Mariah up for Elimination for missing the platform. Arrington decided to send up Amber, whose English Muffin French Toast was way too sweet and overpowered everything else.

For the Elimination Challenge the chefs had to make coffee the star of their dish. Both Mariah and Amber decided to make a variation on a steak with a coffee rub. The chefs remained cool and collected (for the most part) during the challenge and for once the other cooks kept their mouths shut and the yelling to a minimum.

In the end both judges decided that while the coffee flavor wasn’t as strong as they might like, Mariah’s dish worked better. Amber’s brought too much heat and that took over all the flavor of her steak, obliterating the coffee.

Which means that Team Arrington is now down to three chefs, even with Team Ramsay while Team Blais sits strong at four. However, that may all be changing next week as Next Level Chef will have its first double elimination and the Top 10 will be down to the Elite 8.

What do you think Guilty Eats Nation? Can Mariah bounce back and still win the whole thing? Leave a comment below and let us know or join the conversation on our Twitter and Facebook pages.