Noelle Myers recaps the 5th episode of season 5!

It was my favorite week on Top Chef Masters.  It was time for Restaurant Wars!  When Curtis informed the chefs that there would be no quickfire challenge, the chefs immediately knew something big was coming.  Curtis also told them that the Battle of the Sous Chefs this week was a head-to-head battle with mystery baskets.  The losing sous’ master chefs – David, Sue, Sang and Douglas – formed the blue team.  The winning sous’ master chefs – Lynn, Bryan, Neal, and Jennifer – formed the orange team.  Neal’s sous chef won the battle, so Neal had immunity for Restaurant Wars.

This year the chefs had to partner with a celebrity restaurateur, Busy Phillips, and bring her concept to life.  She wanted to see all the elements of LA’s food town life brought together in an elegant and sophisticated way.  She was also pregnant so that affected what she could eat.

The teams were each given $4,000 dollars to shop at Whole Foods and Home depot.  Each team was also given forty-five minutes to get their menu plan together.  They had 24 hours to create their restaurant, as well as, plan and prepare six dishes for 70+ guests.  The orange team was given their Sous chefs for two hours of prep time before service started.

It was pretty clear right from the get go that things would be a bit tough with all of the “Alpha” personalities on each team.  The orange team had some trouble deciding who would work front of the house, but finally Jennifer took front of the house.  She was glad to have it since she was a self proclaimed “control freak.”  During menu planning, Bryan was frustrated as the rest of the team seemed to railroad over his ideas, but he put it aside and moved on.

The blue team was a tad calmer about things.  David immediately took charge, and volunteered to take front of the house.  When the teams split up to go shopping, Jennifer was unable to trust Bryan to get her groceries and kept calling him every few minutes to check on her ingredients.

Food preparation was hurried and tense, as the chefs really knuckled down to get things done.  Douglas and Sang bounced off each other and had a lot of fun with things on the blue team.  On the orange team, Jennifer once again tried to micromanage but only managed to get on everyone’s nerves.  Bryan was concerned that his dish was too avant-garde for his team but he wanted to represent himself to the best of his abilities.  Once the wait staff arrived, the mood changed in the kitchen.  Tensions heated up, and Sang got pretty harsh with the waiters.  Tempers flared a bit, but then the guests began to arrive.

The guests arrived first at the orange team’s restaurant – Artisan.  Artisan used many of LA’s firsts for inspiration.  Sundaes and cobb salad were just two of the inspirations on Artisan’s menu.  There were several familiar faces from Hollywood in the crowd of guests as well as the judges.  Curtis, Gail, Ruth Reichl, Dana Corwin, Francis Lam and Busy Phillips were on the judging panel for the elimination challenge.

Jennifer got a little harried as she was trying to keep control of the front of the house, as well as see that both of her dishes came out to the judges perfectly.

Artisan’s Menu

Vegetarian Cauliflower and Tahini Soup  (Jennifer)

Citrus Salad with Avocado, Chevre, Endive, Radicchio and Orange Vinaigrette  (Jennifer)

Cobb Salmon, with Greens Sauce, Dehydrated Bacon and Horseradish Snow  (Bryan)

NY Strip Steak, Braised Kale, Twice Baked Fingerling Potatoes, and  Wine Reduction   (Neal)

Chocolate Brownie Sundae, Roasted Banana Ice Cream and Peanut Caramel Sauce   (Lynn)

Olive Oil Cake with Mascarpone Ice Cream  (Neal)

After finishing at Artisan, the judges and guest headed over to the blue team’s restaurant – 72 and Sunny.  David seemed completely at ease as he welcomed the guests and made sure everyone was happy.  The back of the house was a little more hectic, with Sang being harsh to the wait staff yet again.

72 And Sunny’s Menu

Slow Poached Salmon, Uzu Ginger Gellee and Salmon Caviar  (Douglas)

Quinoa Salad with Arugula, Feta, Radishes and Lemon and Mint Vinaigrette  (Sue)

Beef Striploin with Broccoli Two Ways, and Black Bean Ghee Sauce (Sang)

Snapper with Sweet Corn Puree, Garlic, Chorizo and Roasted Tomato   (Douglas and David)

Tangerine and Spiced Honey Pannacotta, with Strawberry Champagne Gellee  (David)

Chocolate Malt Semifreddo with Fudge, Marshmallow and Peanuts.  (Sue)

After the meal was finished, the judges said goodbye to Busy Phillips and moved on to the judges’ table.  Curtis called the blue team first.  72 and Sunny was the judges’ favorite restaurant.  They felt that the service at the front of the house was warm and controlled.  They really liked that Douglas took into account Busy’s pregnancy (that she could not eat raw food) when he did his take on sushi.  Busy said that Sue’s take on a s’more for dessert was her favorite dessert of the night.  They felt that 72 and Sunny really brought to life Busy’s restaurant concept.  In the end, it was Sang’s black bean and ghee sauce that put him over the top as the winner of Restaurant Wars.  Another $10,000 was given to his charity, Worldwide Orphans Foundation.

The orange team was really happy with how they did, so they were not thrilled to learn that they were the bottom team.  The judges thought that Artisan did not embody Busy’s concept very well, and there was a lack of emphasis on the foods of LA.  Jen’s soup was more like a sauce, and her salad was just ordinary.  Neal’s steak was nothing special, and definitely not in the theme of things.  His olive oil cake was bland and lackluster.  Lynn’s brownie sundae was more like a brownie a la mode, according to Gail, and was far too sweet, even for chocolate lover Curtis.  Overall, the judges felt that Artisan showed a lack of mastery, except for Bryan.  Everyone adored Bryan’s take on the LA staple, cobb salad.  No one had a single critique of Bryan’s dish.  Curtis said Bryan’s dish was his favorite of the night.

The judges decided to send Lynn home.  A donation was made to the Sunnybrooke Foundation in her name.

As the chefs bid farewell to Lynn, Douglas received a phone call that told him that his sous chef must leave the competition.  This will leave Douglas with no representation in the Battle of the Sous Chefs.

Next week – Yo Gabba Gabba and the critics are pint sized!