‘Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen’ recap: Who scored the most runs in breakneck ‘Let’s Play Ball’ challenge? [WATCH]
“It was my first time that I was in the bottom, and it was such a bad dish that I got eliminated, so that’s definitely a punch in the gut,” says Rasika Venkatesa as she enters “Last Chance Kitchen.” “My business on ‘Top Chef’ feels unfinished.” What happened when she faced off against Kevin D’Andrea for a chance to return to the competition? Watch this week’s episode of “LCK,” titled “Let’s Play Ball,” above, or read on to find out what happened.
Rasika was one of the “Top Chef” front-runners this season. She won two Elimination Challenges and one Quickfire Challenge, and she didn’t have a single low-scoring dish … until she was done in by flavorless, slimy eggplant in “Chaos Cuisine.” But her strong track record up to that point is bound to make her a daunting opponent on “LCK.” Enter Kevin, who was eliminated from the baseball-themed “Sausage Race” for foolishly undertaking one of the hardest dishes on “Top Chef,” risotto. “I did ‘Top Chef France’ eight years ago. I came to do ‘Top Chef’ a second time because I truly love challenging myself,” he says. And indeed he did. The irony, though, is that his risotto wasn’t actually bad. It’s just that he didn’t highlight the key sausage ingredient well enough. It was arguably the best challenge of the season where the judges struggled to pick the worst of all-good dishes to eliminate.
“Rasika, you didn’t get to enjoy a day at the stadium,” says host and judge Tom Colicchio when she and Kevin enter “LCK.” “So let’s play ball.” This challenge is a sprint, even by “LCK” standards. The chefs are instructed to make as many dishes as they can in 45 minutes, up to nine (like nine innings). They will serve them to Tom as soon as they’re ready and he’ll score them on a scale from zero to four. The chef with the most points wins.
Rasika has the more ambitious game plan going in: she wants to make a five-course Indian meal in the allotted time. Kevin sets a more modest goal of three dishes. But by the end of the time limit it’s Kevin who ends up serving the most food, five dishes to four. Does that mean he was able to rack up enough points to beat Rasika, though? After all, it’s not just about quantity, it’s about quality.
Ultimately, Rasika serves Tom rice payasam, berbere eggplant, rice and lentils with roasted potato curry, and a final sea bass to earn a grand total of six points. Kevin serves roasted lamb, scallop with butternut puree, poireaux vinaigrette with chive and parsley salad, charred butter lettuce with salmon, and a last minute smoked salmon with dill cream. His score: eight points. So Kevin achieves a major upset victory against one of this season’s heavyweights. But of course he still has a while to go before he can return to the main “Top Chef” kitchen.
“I got striked out. It’s disappointing. I’m upset,” says Rasika in her final exit interview. “One bad dish got me eliminated from ‘Top Chef.’ That’s what makes it so cutthroat. But at the same time I’m going out on a great note. I made my food, which is what I wanted to do. I’m proud of that.”
“Right now, I’m the king of the kitchen!” Kevin celebrates. “It feels good. I’m back with my ‘Top Chef’ jacket. I’m off to a good start, but this is not done. ‘Last Chance Kitchen’ is a long journey. I’m going to make it, and I’m going to work hard to do it.”
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