Top Chef Season 16 Episodes
Season 16 Episode Guide
Episode 1 - The Fastest 2 Minutes in Cooking"Top Chef" Kentucky begins as fifteen of the country’s finest chefs are off to the races at Churchill Downs for the ride of their lives. After a lightning fast two minute mise-en-place focused Quickfire, the Chefs are challenged to make a dish that will appeal to a crowd of two hundred at a stakes-filled Kentucky Derby party. Churchill Downs’ own Chef David Danielson serves as guest judge along with returning regulars Tom Colicchio, Padma Lakshmi, and Graham Elliot.
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Episode 3 - Bourbon, Barrels and BurgooA very pregnant Gail Simmons asks the chefs to feed her cravings in a special Quickfire delivery. Then it's time to celebrate two iconic Kentucky mainstays: local cuisine and bourbon. The Chefs head to Makers Mark, the oldest distillery in America to put their spins on a meal full of Kentucky classics including burgoo, Benedictine, mutton, hoe cakes and dumplings. This is a true battle for Kentucky as the chefs navigate their first team challenge - and one chef makes a potentially fatal shopping error. Can they recover or will they be scraping the bottom of the barrel to make it through? Food and travel editor, Nilou Motamed joins the judges this season, and Maker's Mark's in-house Chef, Newman Miller, sits on the panel as a guest judge.
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Episode 5 - Naughty and NiceIt's holiday time for Top Chef, and Richard Blais and Brooke Williamson help spread the festive cheer by presenting a white elephant Quickfire challenge. Then, the Chefs receive an unexpected gift as Michelin starred super Chef Eric Ripert sits down with them to celebrate an elaborate traditional French Chrismas dinner. However, once the last bite is taken, Padma informs the Chefs that they're missing the final part of the tradition of Le Revillon de Noel... the presentation of 13 desserts. It's a midnight pastry free-for-all as the Chefs try to avoid being on the placed on the naughty list. Screen reader support enabled.
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Episode 7 - Surprise… It's Restaurant WarsIn a massive twist, Padma's favorite challenge Restaurant Wars comes early this year, but before the chefs gear up for battle, they must first duke it out in an amuse bouche-based Quickfire for Top Chef alum turned James Beard Award winning chefs: Karen Akunowicz and Nina Compton. Then, the gauntlet has been thrown and with twelve chefs remaining, three restaurants will be battling for victory. James Beard Award winning restaurateur Caroline Styne joins as the guest judge along with Nilou Motamed. And if this unexpected chaos isn't enough, Tom leaves the Chefs breathless with an announcement that will change the course of the competition.
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Episode 9 - Restaurant Wars, Pt. 2The mayhem and drama continues of the biggest Restaurant Wars in the history of "Top Chef." Tom's announcement of a double elimination piles on even more pressure. "Top Chef" alum turned James Beard Award winning Chefs Karen Akunowicz and Nina Compton join the restaurant crawl along with Nilou Motamed and guest judge and James Beard Award winning restaurateur, Caroline Styne.
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Episode 12 - Roaring MunchiesThe chefs walk in on an epic battle of Last Chance Kitchen and are drafted into the fight. Once Tom declares a winner, the chefs immediately begin a challenge making dishes based on Prohibition Era cocktails. Chef Ken Oringer joins Padma, Tom and Graham at a Roaring 20’s party with Flappers and Dapper Dans.
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Episode 14 - Carne!Lena Waithe surprises the chefs, by challenging them to make their best version of the trademark Kentucky dish, the Hot Brown. Then super-chef Nancy Silverton brings her internationally renowned friend, butcher Dario Cecchini to break down a whole cow for the chefs to utilize along with locally-sourced Kentucky ingredients.
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Episode 16 - Whatever Floats Your BoatWith more shoreline than Florida, Kentucky is a hotbed for houseboats. For this elimination challenge, the chefs are split into two teams and tasked with throwing raging party in Lake Cumberland. Mega-chef Emeril Lagasse joins Padma, Tom and Nilou along with Captains Sandy and Lee from Below Deck for some houseboat hysteria.
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Episode 18 - Music City USAThe chefs take a roadtrip to Nashville and have the honor of cooking on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry for country music sensation Hunter Hayes. Then they have to dig deep to create a dish inspired by a vibrant music memory. It’s a personal and emotional cook as the chefs put their hearts on a plate for a full table of Nashville food and music giants including Kings of Leon frontman Caleb Followill, model Lily Aldridge, and Chef Jonathan Waxman.
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Episode 20 - Hoop DreamsKentucky based Top Chef alum Ed Lee drops by for a Quickfire that’s part trivia, part culinary creativity. Then, the Chefs head to Rupp Arena where legendary basketball Coach John Calipari and the UK Wildcats host a concession stand cook-off. Food & Wine Editor-in-Chief Hunter Lewis gets a courtside seat as he joins the judges to see which chef will take center court and who will get dunked.
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Episode 22 - The GreatestTop Chef can’t go to Kentucky without taking a turn at fried chicken. Chef Art Smith guests judges a secret herbs and spices blind taste test ahead of the Quickfire fry-off. After the finger licking goodness, the Chefs turn their attention to another Kentucky legend, the Louisville Lip, boxer and philanthropist Muhammad Ali. Using his memorable fights as inspiration, the Chefs must make a progressive meal for a charity benefit at the Muhammad Ali Center for donors, the judges, and special guest Laila Ali.
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Episode 24 - Kentucky FarewellAll season the chefs have been growing gardens at their Kentucky estate. Tom ambushes the sleeping chefs and challenges them to reap what they sowed and make a dish focused on their garden harvest. Then, for the last elimination challenge in Kentucky, the chefs head to Keeneland, a thoroughbred horse auction house, to bid on luxury ingredients for dishes to show gratitude to their culinary mentors. Chefs Bryan Voltaggio, Gavin Kaysen, JD Fratzke, Kim Alter, David Posey and Chris Coombs join the judges to see how far the Chefs have come and who deserves to go to Macau for the finals.
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Episode 25 - Holy Macau!The final five chefs travel to the Chinese territory of Macau for the remaining battles of the competition. Judge Graham Elliot, who has a restaurant in Macau, introduces the Chefs to the local market full of fascinating ingredients and challenges them to a Quickfire highlighting unique Macanese proteins. Then, the chefs throw a party celebrating Chinese New Year. Since it is the Year of the Pig, the dishes must feature pork products and be delicious enough to impress Hong Kong’s super chef Jowett Yu along with Tom, Padma and Graham.
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Episode 26 - The Tao of MacauThe day has come when the final four chefs must cook with the world's smelliest fruit durian. This infamous fruit is a delicacy in Macau, but will Padma and guest judge, James Beard Award winner Abe Conlon be able to stomach their creations for the season's last Quickfire? Then, the chefs get a tutorial in the traditional cuisine of Macau, a fusion of Chinese and Portuguese flavors, and are joined by their family members from back home. For the elimination challenge, the chefs are tasked with blending their own heritage with Chinese flavors in order to impress their love ones and the judges, in order to earn their spot in the finale.
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Episode 27 - FinaleIt’s the final showdown and the top three chefs must create the best four course meal of their lives. And if the pressure isn't already high enough, Tom reveals in a twisted turn of events only two chefs will get the chance to serve their full menu. The internationally star-studded table of diners includes Deputy Editor of FOOD & WINE Magazine Melanie Hansche, acclaimed chefs Mitsuharu Tsumura, Alexander Smalls, Dan Hong, May Chow, and Alvin Leung, along with Tom, Padma, Nilou and Graham. In one of the most competitive contests of artistry and skill, only one chef will emerge victorious and be named Top Chef.
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