Noelle Myers recaps the 2nd episode of season 5!

Top Chef Masters started out intense right out of the gate this week!  The 12 remaining Chefs arrived right in the middle of the Sous Chef Battle.  The Sous Chefs were in the middle of a Mise en Place race.  Each Sous chef had to dice celery root, seed and clean pomegranates, clean several baby squid and break down a side of lamb into a trimmed rack of lamb and lamb chops.

For the Quickfire Challenge, Curtis told the chefs that the Sous Chef who finished first would earn their Master Chef immunity.  The remaining Sous Chefs had to stop right where they were, and the Master Chef would have to pick up where their Sous Chef stopped.  The Master Chef then had 30 minutes to finish their Mise en Place AND create a dish using those ingredients.  The winner would receive $5,000 for their charity.  The judges least favorite would be eliminated.  The pressure immediately ratcheted up on everyone when they heard this was an Elimination Quickfire.  Several Chefs cheered on their Sous Chef.

Ted finished first, winning Chef Sang Immunity.  The Chefs switched places with their Sous.  It was immediately evident which Master Chefs still worked the line.  Several Chefs were finished in minutes, while others struggled.  Richard Sandoval was last to finish with less than 11 minutes to create his dish.  Once time was called the Master Chefs and their Sous Chefs went backstage and watched Curtis and Gail taste and judge each dish.

Gail and Curtis decided that they loved Sang’s Lamb Sausage Stuffed Squid, Sue’s Seared Lamb Loin with Pistachio Salad, and Jen’s Lamb Tartare with Fried Calamari.  Gail declared Sue the winner, saying her dish was technically perfect.  New Orleans based Sue was thrilled to bring $5,000 to the Gulf Restoration Network.

Gail did not particularly enjoy Lynn’s Rosemary Skewered Lamb Kabob, Odette’s Lamb Chop with  Ratatouille, or Sandoval’s Lamb Tartare with Uzu Broth.  Richard Sandoval just couldn’t pull it together in the time he had, and he was sent home.  A donation was given to his charity.

For the Elimination Challenge, the Chefs had to prepare food for 200 guests at one of LA’s newest culinary hotspots, the 626 Asian Night Market.  They had to take an American Classic and put an Asian twist on it.  They only had 2 hours to prep, but they had their Sous Chefs to help for this challenge.  They were also given 45 minutes to shop.  The dynamics between the Sous and Master Chefs was very intriguing to watch.

Tensions skyrocketed as the guests began to arrive.   Among the guests were the judges, Curtis, Gail, James Oseland and Francis Lam.  Also present was Kathy Lee Gifford.  The judges made their rounds and tried each cheftestant’s dishes.

Back at the Judges Table, Curtis called Bryan, Sang, and Douglas in first.  They were all three very nervous until they found out they were in the top 3.  Bryan’s interpretation of his mom’s Chicken and Dumplings was fantastic.  The broth on his Gyoza Dumplings and Crispy Chicken Feet with Green Daikon, Snap Peas and Floral Herbs impressed all of the judges.  Sang had second guessed himself when he was serving his take on Fried Shrimp and Coleslaw.  He was afraid the Fried Shrimp Head, with Poached Tail, Serrano and Garlic Aoli and Burmese Cabbage Slaw might have scared off too many tasters.  Kathy Lee was certainly intimidated by the Shrimp Head.  Douglas had also second guessed his choice to do a take on Cookies and Cream.  James Oselund was making faces at the Coconut and Green Cardamom Cream over Black Sesame Oil and Rice Krispy Treat when Douglas served him.  Back at the table however, James was shocked to find he loved it.

It was a tough choice, but in the end, Sang was made this week’s winner and he was awarded $10,000 to the Worldwide Orphan’s Foundation.  He had a personal connection to the charity as he found out that his father had built many orphanages as Sang was growing up.

Sang was given the unenviable task of sending Sue, Odette, and Jen to the judges table.  Sue’s Lobster Roll with Asian Aoli was just not Asian enough, and several judges found bits of lobster shell in their salad.  Odette felt she was at a disadvantage having never cooked American food OR Asian food.  The judges found her take on Spaghetti and Meatballs quite inventive. They loved the Rice noodles with the Tomato Sauce, but the Fish meatballs served with it were just too gluey for the judge’s tastes.  Jen’s take on a Meatball Sub also disappointed the judges.  They loved the Pork Meatball filling for her Bahn Mi but the poor quality bread just overwhelmed the sandwich, and it was Jen that ended up being sent home.  A donation was given in her name to A City of Hope.

Next week promises even more dramatic as the Cheftestants cook for the cast of Days of Our Lives.