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Isaac and Kwame are next. Isaac, in total Viking fashion, somehow has finagled these flat pieces of wood that he’s charred to look uber-Viking. It’s awesome. Atop those plates, he has a cumin and mustard-seared venison with caramelized onion grautr and pickled beets. The venison is cooked perfectly but Tom doesn’t like his use of walnuts.

Kwame, working in the Han dynasty in China, has a coriander-crusted duck with black sesame duck jus, eggplant, and lapsang souchong cream. Jonathan adores the use of coriander as a spice and textural element. Tom finds the duck really well cooked.

Karen and Jeremy are both scrambling at the last minute. Karen (who has Ancient Japan) is really worried that her dish is too Chinese, but ends up serving soba noodles in a dashi mushroom broth with wagyu beef. Padma notes that the broth is far more Chinese than Japanese, and Jonathan chimes in with agreement. Gail finds some beautiful notes in the dish but laments the lack of editing on Karen’s part, noting that there are just too many elements.

Meanwhile, Jeremy was rushing to put the finishing touches on his Dungeness crab chowder with sourdough halibut. It’s a beautiful dish, which is a flaw in this case. Jonathan takes him to task for not making something that California gold miners would have wanted and eaten. Tom notes that the chowder eats more like a sauce - an over-reduced one, at that.

Amar is last and has decided to give his diners a heart attack. With all the butter and cream the chefs in La Belle Epoque could have wanted, he has a roasted squab with sweetbreads, foie gras, tourné vegetables, and a truffle sauce. All the diners adore it. There doesn’t seem to be a single error in the dish.

At Judges Table, it’s no surprise that Amar, Carl, and Kwame are selected as the best of the day. Jonathan loved the sparseness of Kwame’s dish, applauding his restraint. Gail compliments the technique Amar demonstrated in putting together his dish, which required great time and care. Tom loves that every ingredient in Carl’s dish was as important as the rest, and praises the hint of sweetness that he incorporated.

The win, as should be expected, goes to Amar. Like Isaac last week, he’s totally thrilled. It’s his first win in the competition and shows that he’s a chef to be reckoned with. The road to the finale is going to be anything but straightforward.

And only six chefs will get to walk it. Up for elimination are Karen, Jeremy, and Marjorie. Tom assures them that none of them cooked bad dishes, but this is a competition and someone will be going home for making good food. Gail calls Karen out for not keeping the dish simpler. Jonathan agrees, wishing that she’d demonstrated some editing skills and just dumped her noodles into some delicious broth.

Tom typically likes lamb kabobs, but the best part of that type of dish - the char on the meat - was totally absent in Marjorie’s dish. Padma, again, criticizes the paratha, which tasted fried and ate crispy. Marjorie admits that she was rushing when she made it.

Finally, Gail laments the lack of flavor in Jeremy’s chowder. Jonathan, on the other hand, hates how “fussy” it felt, when it should have been a throwback to California mining culture.

I’m fully expecting Marjorie to go home, as she seemed like the only chef who made something that actually tasted bad (the greasy paratha), but Padma announces that it’s Karen (!!!). I’m shocked.

That shock quickly switches to sadness as Karen bids adieu to the judges and her fellow chefs. She tearfully notes that chefs rarely get the opportunity to be surrounded by other great chefs from around the country and with different experiences and styles. This cast spent a lot of time together, learned from each other, and have grown through the experience. As she expresses her gratitude, I silently hope that she’ll get to rejoin the competition through Last Chance Kitchen.

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