With the grand finale now just one cook away, the pressure inside the Next Level Chef kitchen has never been higher.
Thursday’s semifinal episode, aptly titled “Building a Legacy,” challenged the remaining four chefs — Cole, Connor, Darian, and Gabrielle — to look inward and create the one dish they’d want to be remembered for. But in Gordon Ramsay’s three-level kitchen, nothing comes easy.
“Create a dish that defines you as a chef,” Nyesha Arrington tells the contestants. “A dish that you would want to be remembered by.”
There was just one major twist: for the first time in the show’s history, the chefs had no idea what protein they’d be cooking until the platform started moving.
Waiting beneath a series of mystery domes were surprise proteins that could either elevate a chef straight into the finale — or completely derail their shot at the title. With only 30 minutes on the clock, adaptability became just as important as talent.
The Teams
Below are the 15 contestants drafted to compete this season, with previously eliminated chefs crossed out.
| Name | Age | Hometown | Chef Category | Team |
| Connor | 30 | Manhattan Beach, Calif. | Pro Chef | Arrington |
| Darian | 34 | Buffalo, N.Y. | Pro Chef | Blais |
| Cole | 31 | Los Angeles | Pro Chef | Ramsay |
| Gabrielle | 34 | Palm Beach, Fla. | Pro Chef | Ramsay |
The Challenge
As the winner of last week’s best dish, Darian decided to cash in his coveted Time Token advantage — giving himself 10 extra seconds at the platform. With a finale spot on the line, he hoped the advantage would help him lock down the best ingredients and avoid the elimination cook-off.
Turns out, manifestation works.
Darian had spent the entire lead-up hoping for a beef filet, and somehow that’s exactly what was waiting under his mystery dome. On the Middle Level, Connor grabbed a pork chop while Gabrielle landed lobster … but immediately lost part of it when an entire claw went crashing down into the basement. Down in that Basement Level, Cole grabbed turbot as her main protein.
Midway through the cook, the chefs got an emotional surprise when video messages from their family members appeared in the kitchen — and suddenly everyone was trying not to cry over their cutting boards.
Top 2
As the dishes hit the judges table, it quickly became clear who thrived under the semifinal pressure — and who didn’t.
Cole served a pan-seared turbot with hot pancetta vinaigrette over parsnip puree. Gordon praised the perfectly cooked fish and called the vinaigrette a strong addition, though Richard said he would have liked to see a little more color on the sear.
Gabrielle went with butter-poached lobster topped with caviar. Gordon said the lobster was beautifully cooked and visually stunning, but noted the dish needed some lemon or citrus to cut through the richness. Nyesha loved the presentation and praised the “oceanic” flavors.
Connor’s miso-glazed pork chop with butternut-coconut puree ran into bigger problems. Gordon immediately called the pork “very, very tough,” while Nyesha said the dish leaned too sweet and the protein was overcooked.
Then came Darian’s peppercorn-crusted filet with potatoes, glazed carrots, and a bourbon-mushroom cream sauce — and the judges absolutely lost it.
Nyesha called the beef filet a “Rolls Royce grab” and described the dish as “incredible.” Richard said it felt “festive,” while Gordon declared the filet was cooked perfectly and said he’d still be thinking about the dish “for months” after eating it.
In the end, the top two dishes of the night belonged to Darian and Cole, officially securing both chefs a spot in the Next Level Chef finale.
Elimination
With the final spot in the finale on the line, Connor and Gabrielle headed into the elimination cook-off.
No theme, no twists — the chefs had just 25 minutes to create a dish worthy of the Next Level Chef finale. The better plate survives.
Gabrielle served veal schnitzel with tahini-minted pea puree and caramelized figs. Richard called it “a study in beautiful colors and lightness” and praised the schnitzel as “absolutely textbook.” Nyesha loved the sweetness from the peas, though she said the tahini was slightly overpowering.
Connor countered with pan-roasted veal chops, asparagus, and mushrooms. Richard praised the dish as “another perfect execution,” while Nyesha called it “an incredible expression” of veal cookery — though she wanted a bit more mushroom on the plate.
In the end, Connor claimed the final spot in the Next Level Chef finale, sending Gabrielle home just short of the finish line. Gordon praised the Florida chef as a “star pupil,” while Gabrielle reflected on the experience by saying it felt “unreal.”
“I feel like I defied all odds,” she said.
Next Time
Cole, Connor, and Darian battle it out in the grand finale, with Team Ramsay, Team Arrington, and Team Blais all represented in the fight for the Next Level Chef title and the $250,000 grand prize.
