The chefs on Around the World in 80 Plates found themselves in Lyon, France on last night’s episode.
Chaz Brown won first place last week, and while he has immunity, he is able to pick his fellow black teammates to travel with him in first class. I’m excited as some part of me thought the teams would stay the same throughout. Chaz chooses Cheven (Chef Kevin), Avery Pursell, Mrs. Garrett Gary Walker, and Nookie Postal. So two of the red team are heading to Lyon in style. The black team castoffs aren’t too upset to not be on Chaz’s team. On the red team, Sai Pituk is upset that her Asian training won’t be helping out her team yet again.
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The race for this episode grants two SUVs for the team, and Cheven for the black team wants to prove himself as a French driver. Did they get special licenses for this? The red team creates a ‘three-honk rule’ in the event their two cars get separated. Cheven is upset to be following Chaz who misses their exit. Nookie may not be very excited to have made the team switch. The revamped red team navigates the ride with no issues. They arrive at a farm where they learn that cheese is a major player. Two teammates must correctly identify six sheep cheeses. Jenna Johansen is first to volunteer herself as she is a luvah of fromage.
The red team is struggling with dairy issues, while the black team is struggling with map-reading. The black team arrives, and Nick, new to the red team, is distraught at Jenna’s knowledge of sheep cheeses. Jenna is starting to doubt her sheep cheese knowledge, but the red team finally moves forward before the black team starts their challenge. The red team is now herding sheep, as the black team correctly guesses the sheep fromage on their first go-round. It’s time for dueling sheep herding. Each team must herd four sheep into a pen without touching the animals. It reminds me of a rodeo I once attended, only at the rodeo, the animals did what the cowboys wanted. Not so much here. Cheven may be the worst sheep herder I’ve ever seen. Hell, let’s be honest, he’s the only sheep herder I’ve ever seen. Gary speaks beautiful French to the sheep, and the black team is able to pull ahead.
Jenna is the leader motivator of the red team, and John is beyond annoyed. He needs to get his hands on that exceptional ingredient. The black team arrives at a boat helmed by the lovely and hot Curtis Stone. The final challenge is to taste wines and match them up to their ingredients. Cheven fancies himself as a master sommelier…of box wine? Nookie isn’t worried about the wine so much as the Rubick’s cube that determines which vinos have been paired with what earlier. He’s able to figure out, due to process of elimination, what goes with what. The black team wins the challenge as the red team arrives. Curtis reveals that each team will be taking over a restaurant, making four dishes a piece. The kicker? Both teams must craft a quenelle to be served. The red team is beyond worried as they have lost the opportunity to learn how to make one.
The black team collaborates with Chef Joseph who walks the team through a traditional Lyonnese menu. As for the red team, Jenna is grating on her team’s nerves, but she’s the only one who understands French, so what can you do? Without the tutorial of a master French chef, the red team is struggling and just taste testing at random bistros. Back at the black team, the charming Chef Joseph is flirting with Avery. Chaz is less than impressed. The team is concerned about recreating the quenelle, but Avery is confident that she can do it.
During the restaurant take-over, the red team’s Jenna is taking over the front of the restaurant, as she’s the only one who can speak the language. Sai is struggling with this challenge as she’s never had to poach an egg in this manner. She does Thai food, people, or have you not been paying attention? On the black team, Gary, the only French speaker, finds himself at the front of the house yet again.
At the red team’s restaurant, Nicole is schooling the fish (see what I did there? Fish? Schools? Terrible pun, I apologize) while her teammates micromanage. Curtis and Cat find two local French chefs to join them as they sample the chefs’ foods. Jenna is beyond humbled to be serving such revered Lyon cooking royalty. In the kitchen Sai is worried they are serving a dumpling wrapped in quinelle’s clothing. That’s never a good. The quinelle is a swing and a miss among the judges. The red team is struggling, as orders are coming in faster then they can be filled. The red team is a discombobulated mess. The patrons, however, find the food to be extremely delicious. The Lyon chefs dining with Curtis and Cat are singing the menu’s praises. Jenna scolds her kitchen without knowing how well they were received.
It’s time to dine with the black team which had the benefit of Chef Joseph. The black team’s quinelles are a huge hit. Their individual menu items don’t seem to please nearly as much. Gary makes the executive decision to serve all plates at once. Chaz is failing wildly, both in the kitchen and in the dining room…good thing he has immunity. He feels like picking Cheven to be on his team was a huge mistake. However, the patrons really liked that Chaz came around to introduce himself to the diners. Perhaps that redeemed the black team.
At elimination, the red team’s quinelle is critiqued. Nicole tries to throw John under the bus. Sai gains praise for her salad, which is surprising seeing as she purports herself as being useless until the challenge heads to Asia. As for the black team, Curtis criticizes them for bringing out all the courses at once. While Gary knows that was his decision he’s mum, and then tries to turn the challenge into a “tasting.” Chaz and Avery argue about who fought for portion control. The red team’s quinelle is revisited, and Curtis applauds Avery’s effort. The black team wins once again….I didn’t see that coming, to be honest. Avery wins immunity for her quinelle. Her teammate Chaz believes she is less than deserving.
The red team is forced to deliberate to find out which one will be sent home. John is targeting Sai, who once again falls back on the fact she has yet to be in her element. Nicole is chastised for running out of protein. The red team must reveal their votes to the judges. Sai receives the first vote, and she is quick to bestow her vote on Nicole, the bad fish counter. Sadly for Sai, she’s racking up votes and is the second sent home. I hate that she never made it to her cooking comfort zone! At least she got to half-hug Curtis, which is more than I’ll ever get in my lifetime!
Next week the chefs head to Barcelona. There are multiple arguments with Chaz and some major fish mutilation.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK SAI NEEDED TO GO?
