Top Chef Recap: Jammed Up

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We now know Sieger is returning to the show! The details around how everything played out with Last Chance Kitchen are a little unclear – Sieger didn’t even have to compete in it – but here’s what I believe happened. Production likely paused filming LCK when Jennifer’s health declined, waiting to see what Justin would do. Then, when Justin decided to withdraw from the main competition, they asked Sieger to return to Top Chef. Finally, when Jennifer felt better, they let Justin compete in LCK to still fulfill their episode commitment, since he’d already left the main competition. However it happened, Sieger is back, and Jennifer and Justin shared a health update on Instagram, which I thought was sweet. I’m really hoping Jennifer returns to compete in a future season, and I’ll definitely be supporting her if she does.

Restaurant Wars was a surprisingly smooth episode. It was refreshingly simple, with the only real challenge – handling takeout orders – not significantly impacting the results. The episode opened with news that Jennifer had to withdraw from the competition due to a hospital stay, and Justin chose to be with her. Sieger returned to take her place, joining Oscar, Brandon, and Jonathan’s team, who decided on a Latin-Southern fusion concept called Terra Reina. Sieger would be the executive chef and handle order expediting, while Brandon and Jonathan would cook, and Oscar would manage the front of house. The other team, opting for a broader Southern theme and naming themselves Carolina Queen, featured immunity-winning Anthony as executive chef, with Laurence and Sherry on cooking duty and Duyen handling front of house. During menu planning, Sieger volunteered to create both an appetizer and a dessert on top of his executive chef responsibilities, and Oscar planned an entree that Brandon would prepare. Brandon also took on a dessert, while Jonathan covered both an appetizer and an entree. On the Carolina Queen side, Anthony focused on an entree, Duyen on an appetizer, Sherry on both an appetizer and dessert, and Laurence on an entree and dessert. The division of labor on Carolina Queen, with each cook handling two dishes, felt more typical of past Restaurant Wars episodes, so it will be interesting to see how that approach plays out.

The teams were busy gathering decorations and ingredients – I especially loved seeing Sherry’s incredibly detailed shopping list! – when Tom and guest judge Michael Mina arrived to check on their progress. Duyen got flustered when Tom brought up her rice pudding from the previous week and questioned her pastry, but the Carolina Queen team seemed well-prepared, clearly having studied past Restaurant Wars challenges. They were creating a refreshing turmeric and yuzu tea to welcome guests, a nice detail that could impress diners. The first day went smoothly for everyone. However, on day two, Duyen realized how much work remained to get the restaurant ready, and Jonathan admitted he was behind on his preparations with only an hour left. Brandon was understandably frustrated that Jonathan hadn’t asked for help sooner – both he and Sherry playfully teased Jonathan about trying to catch up during service – and Jonathan seemed a bit ashamed to ask. Interestingly, the teams had different strategies for handling takeout orders. Terra Reina had their host take orders to the kitchen, while Carolina Queen set up a phone and Anthony volunteered to personally handle all to-go requests.

It’s time for the judges to begin their visits! Michael and guest judge Clare Reichenbach, the CEO of the James Beard Foundation (who has previously appeared on Top Chef), first visit Carolina Queen. They liked the restaurant’s gentle and elegant style, as well as the complimentary welcome drink. Duyen was attentive to the judges – and all the customers – making sure everyone felt welcome. The food came out quickly, with just a short wait between the main courses and desserts. Here’s a look at their menu and what the judges thought:

Kristen said the appetizers were a fantastic start and everyone enjoyed them. Sherry prepared a she-crab cake using coconut milk instead of aioli, served with she-crab bisque. Duyen, with Sherry handling pickup, made cheese puffs with country ham, comté cheese, and mornay sauce.

The entrees had some issues: Laurence’s pork belly skin was overly crunchy and hard to eat, while Anthony’s rice was overcooked and slimy due to the okra. Anthony prepared red rice with smoked oysters, pickled okra, crab roe, and béarnaise sauce. Laurence made pork belly served with collard greens, fried scallion cornbread, and pickles.

Desserts were a standout, with Sherry’s creation being particularly popular. Tom suggested Laurence’s dish could have benefited from a stronger sweet potato flavor, either in the crème anglaise or the baklava. Sherry made a “PB&J” panna cotta with oat crumble, compressed fruits, and Cheerwine gel. Laurence prepared pecan baklava served with sweet potato crème anglaise.

Carolina Queen is having a few minor issues during its first service – a slight delay with takeout orders and some tables waiting a bit too long for their main courses. However, overall things seem to be running smoothly, and Tom even called it “very successful,” which is high praise from him. Meanwhile, Terra Reina is struggling. Servers are having trouble with the order tickets, suggesting a lack of proper training, and dishes are being sent to the wrong tables. As Sieger tries to fix these issues and get the first customers out, the judges arrive. Surprisingly, Oscar doesn’t prioritize their orders. Instead, he focuses on getting food out for the existing diners, possibly due to a misjudgment of time. The judges’ appetizers take a shocking 40 minutes to arrive, and only come out after Kristen demands an explanation from Oscar. Tom rightfully complains about the “ridiculous” wait before the appetizers are finally served.

The judges started with appetizers. Gail noted that Sieger’s tostada looked a little too casual and Kristen felt it needed a sauce, but everyone enjoyed Jonathan’s aguachile. Sieger made a Carolina Ruby sweet potato tostada with crema and salsa negra, while Jonathan prepared a snapper aguachile with grapes, apples, and a plantain chip.

The judges loved both entrees, finding them significantly better than Carolina Queen’s. Kristen particularly praised Oscar’s dish as his most refined creation this season. Jonathan prepared cod pescado a la veracruzana, featuring stewed tomatoes, Castelvetrano olives, and capers. Oscar’s dish was tongue and cheek barbacoa, wrapped in a collard green leaf and served with two salsas. Brandon assisted Oscar with pickup.

The judges were disappointed with both desserts. Sieger’s custard was grainy and overly salty, while Brandon’s rice pudding contained uncooked rice and lacked enough cherry jelly. Sieger created a dessert called “Crémeuxso,” featuring crema Catalana (a custard he’d made before), chocolate, and a benne cracker. Brandon made Arroz con leche, or rice pudding, with Cheerwine cherry jelly.

The judges agreed that both teams performed better than many previous ones, and they appreciated both concepts. At the Judges’ Table, a winner isn’t chosen right away. Instead, the judges ask the teams for clarification and share feedback from takeout customers. With Carolina Queen, some orders were incomplete, missing dishes or utensils. Terra Reina received negative comments about their aguachile container – it was messy and made the plantain chips soggy. Additionally, Sieger, Jonathan, and Brandon were surprised to learn about a miscommunication regarding the timing of the judges’ appetizer. It’s unclear if Oscar intentionally misled his team to avoid conflict, or if he simply lost track of time – the reality likely lies somewhere in between.

The judges are having a tough time deciding, as the teams performed very closely to each other, so they’re focusing on even the smallest details. Tom praised Duyen’s service as perfect, but noted Anthony’s dish had many technical flaws, thankfully saved by his immunity. Kristen surprisingly criticized Laurence’s dish as uninspired and boring, a stark contrast to the positive feedback he received earlier. Gail found both of Sieger’s dishes to be just okay. However, Brandon received the most criticism. While he helped Jonathan and Oscar with their dishes, his own dessert was simple and undercooked. Tom suggested Sieger, as executive chef, should have had Brandon make both desserts, and while that seems unlikely, it’s a fair point – Brandon had been confident about his dessert skills all season but didn’t deliver. Interestingly, the issues with to-go orders were largely ignored, with Tom dismissing their importance. This raises the question of why the chefs were even given that challenge in the first place, and hopefully it won’t be repeated in future Restaurant Wars.

Carolina Queen is the clear winner, largely because Terra Reina’s desserts didn’t measure up. Duyen wins, but won’t have immunity for the rest of the competition – she only gets the satisfaction of winning. Meanwhile, Brandon is eliminated by Tom, who feels he didn’t contribute enough, though I disagree. Brandon’s dessert wasn’t successful, but he did help his teammates, prioritizing the team over his own dish. He’s now heading straight to the finale of Last Chance Kitchen, and his performance there will determine if he returns to the main competition next week when the chefs go to Greenville, South Carolina and meet last season’s runner-up, Shuai Wang.

Leftovers

This week, I was especially craving Sherry’s she-crab cake and soup, Laurence’s pecan baklava, and both of Jonathan’s creations. The cod dish, pescado a la veracruzana, seems easy enough to recreate for a quick and satisfying weeknight meal, especially with a side of sourdough bread.

Last week, Kristen hinted the winning team would receive a fantastic prize, and it turns out they’re all going on an exclusive vacation to Universal Orlando Resort. It’s a bit strange to send them to Florida when the season is set in the Carolinas – couldn’t they have found a great prize somewhere in North or South Carolina?

I’ve been thinking about the complaints regarding Terra Reina’s takeout containers, and something seems off. The containers we saw in the kitchen were two-part plastic, but the customers who complained described single-piece black clamshell containers. While the plantain chips would have gotten soggy in either type, I wonder if they ran out of the first container and started using the second. It just seems odd, especially since it didn’t seem like there was a huge demand for takeout.

• Very jealous of Duyen’s excellent over-the-knee boots in this episode.

Here’s what happened on the latest episode of Last Chance Kitchen, the season finale called “Last Bites”: Brandon and Rhoda faced off in a mini Restaurant Wars-style challenge, each creating a three-course meal where every dish was just one bite. They had 45 minutes to impress Tom Colicchio. Rhoda chose a California-Mediterranean theme, while Brandon focused on seafood. Brandon served a scallop crudo taco with apple, fennel, and yuzu; a hushpuppy with trout roe and Andouille aioli; and a quail egg raviolo with ricotta, ham, and caviar. Rhoda’s menu included a roasted carrot salad with goat cheese and pistachio aioli; a seared scallop with grilled leeks and romesco sauce; and roasted duck with grilled radicchio and grape jus. Tom thought all the dishes were good, with only minor critiques – Brandon’s hushpuppy was a little undercooked and Rhoda’s romesco sauce needed more seasoning. However, he felt Rhoda’s overall concept and the flow of her courses were stronger, so she won! She’ll be back on Top Chef next week, while Brandon is eliminated from the competition.

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2026-04-28 06:56