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1 :01x01 - Who Deserves to Be Here
The opener introduces the contestants, who battle it out in two challenges. First, they try to survive 30 minutes in the kitchen of a famed San Francisco eatery; then, their signature dish is judged.
The chefs:
Stephen Asprinio, 24 - Las Vegas, NV
Kenneth Lee, 34 - Dublin,Ireland;LA, CA
Andrea Beaman, 37 - New York, NY
Dave Martin, 40 - Los Angeles, CA
Harold Dieterle, 28 - New York, NY
Miguel Morales, 27 - New York, NY
Tiffani Faison, 28 - Las Vegas, NV
Lisa Parks, 45 - Los Angeles, CA
Brian Hill, 37 - Los Angeles, CA
Cynthia Sestito, 52 - East Hampton, NY
Candice Kumai, 23 - Carlsbad, CA
Lee Anne Wong, 28 - New York, NY
2 :01x02 - Food of Love
The remaining chef wannabes are challenged to whip up sweet dishes with erotic overtones. San Francisco pastry chef Elizabeth Falkner serves as a guest judge.
3 :01x03 - Nasty Delights
Things get a bit fishy when the aspiring chefs must create a tempting seafood plate from octopus. Then, they must prepare a menu for a group of children who prove to be quite demanding. San Francisco chef Laurent Manrique serves as guest judge.
4 :01x04 - Food on the Fly
The remaining chefs are challenged to create tempting dishes using items available in a gas-station convenience store. Later, they are asked to cook for a group of working mothers. Chef Jefferson Hill serves as guest judge.
5 :01x05 - Blind Confusion
The chef wannabes are fed ethnic fare and challenged to identify the ingredients---while blindfolded. Then it's off to the streets of San Francisco, where they serve fusion cuisine from a handcart. Chef Mike Yakura serves as guest judge.
6 :01x06 - Guess Who's Coming To Dinner?
Culinary guru Ted Allen challenges the remaining chef aspirants to whip up an inexpensive appetizer. Also: the group is tasked to cater a dinner party.
7 :01x07 - Restaurant Wars
The remaining chefs are challenged to create a gourmet sandwich. Then, drama boils over when the group must devise and execute an innovative restaurant concept.
8 :01x08 - Wedding Bell Blues
The remaining chefs are challenged to pitch a wedding-catering concept to a gay couple intending to tie the knot.
9 :01x09 - Napa's Finest
Guest star: Douglas Keane (Himself (Guest Judge)), Greg Cole (Himself (Guest Judge)), James Mcdevitt (Himself (Guest Judge)), Keith Luce (Himself (Guest Judge)), Cindy Pawlcyn (Herself (Guest Judge)), John Ash (Himself (Guest Judge)), Todd Humphries (Himself (Guest Judge)), Victor J. Scargle (Himself (guest Judge)), Philippe Jeanty (Himself (Guest Judge))
The remaining three aspiring chefs are challenged to craft a tasty recipe from junk food. Afterward, they must create a meal that features a shaving of pricey, highly valued white truffle, which they then present to a group of Napa Valley chefs, including Philippe Jeanty, Keith Luce, Greg Cole, James McDevitt, Cindy Pawlcyn, Victor J. Scargle, Douglas Keane, Todd Humphries and John Ash.
11 :01x11 - Finale
The tension boils over in Part 1 of the two-part first-season finale when the three remaining chefs journey to Las Vegas to compete in a room-service challenge. Chef Hubert Keller returns as guest judge.
12 :01x12 - Finale (2)
The winning cook is crowned in the conclusion of the two-part first-season finale, which features actress Lorraine Bracco as a guest judge. Prizes include $100,000 to help launch a culinary career.
13 :02x01 - Into the Fire
15 diverse cooks take to the kitchen to vie for culinary honors. In the first challenge, they must create a flambé dish. Then, they must whip up original cuisine using five designated ingredients found in a mystery box. Padma Lakshmi serves as the new host, and the show's new backdrop is Los Angeles. Season 1 winner Harold Dieterle is a guest judge.
14 :02x02 - Eastern Promise
The contestants endure a rude early-morning wake-up call to buy fresh produce at a fish market. They then have 30 minutes to prepare a sushi plate. Later, the group must create Korean and Vietnamese cuisine.
15 :02x03 - Food for the People
16 :02x04 - Less Is More
17 :02x05 - Social Service
Talents are truly tested when the chefs must create delectable fare from disgusting leftover animal parts, including chicken feet, pigs' blood and lamb hearts. Chef Michelle Bernstein serves as guest judge.
18 :02x06 - Thanksgiving
19 :02x07 - The Raw and the Cooked
20 :02x08 - Holiday Spirit
21 :02x09 - Seven
22 :02x10 - Unhappy Customers
23 :02x11 - Sense and Sensuality
24 :02x12 - Finale Part 1
25 :02x13 - Finale Part 2
4-Star All-Stars
Guest star: Harold Dieterle (Himself), Tiffani Faison (Herself), Dave Martin (Himself), Stephen Asprinio (Himself), Elia L. Aboumrad (Herself), Ilan Hall (Himself), Sam Talbot (Himself), Marcel Vigneron (Himself)
Culinary competititors from seasons 1 & 2 gather to have a cook off. Harold Dieterle, Stephen Asprinio, Tiffani Faision and Dave Martin are pitted against Ilan Hall, Sam Talbot, Elia Aboumrad and Marcel Vigneron. The two teams then serve their fare to the Season 3 cast.
26 :03x01 - First Impressions
The fifteen contestants arrive in Miami and almost immediately engage in the first Quickfire Challenge. They are instructed to create an amuse-bouche using the food at the buffet table. For the Elimination Challenge, the contestants must make a surf-and-turf entrée using the provided exotic proteins. Chef Anthony Bourdain guest judges.
27 :03x02 - Sunny Delights
For the Quickfire Challenge, the contestants must make a dish using the various provided citrus fruits. However, many falter as they try to deal with working in an overcrowded kitchen. In the Elimination Challenge, the chefs must create food for an upscale barbecue party. Chef Norman Van Aken guest judges.
28 :03x03 - Family Favorites
The Quickfire Challenge calls for the contestants to scoop out various shellfish from a giant tank and to create a dish using what they have collected. In the Elimination Challenge, they must reinvent traditional dishes, including tuna casserole, pork chops and applesauce, and meatloaf. Besides creating something modern, the dish must also be healthy. Alfred Portale and Ted Allen guest judge.
29 :03x04 - Cooking by the Numbers
The remaining chefs are challenged to whip up an appetizer to complement a popular mixed drink. Their culinary prowess must then impress members of Chaine des Rotisseurs, a prestigious gastronomic society. Mixologist Jamie Walker and restaurateur Barton G. Weiss serve as guest judges.
30 :03x05 - Latin Lunch
It's a dessert storm when the chefs are challenged to create a sublime pie crust, after which they must cook up tasty fare for personalities of the Telemundo television network. Chef Maria Frumkin serves as guest judge.
31 :03x06 - Freezer Burn
The “chef-testants” are brought to their senses when they must identify ingredients by sight or taste. Afterward, they must work their culinary magic on frozen foods. Celeb chef Rocco DiSpirito (“The Restaurant”) is the guest judge.
Watch What Happens
Andy Cohen presides over a reunion featuring series host Padma Lakshmi, judges Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons and Ted Allen, plus past and present culinary contestants. Included: previously unseen footage and comments from contestants, including Harold Dieterle, Lee Anne Wong, Dave Martin and Ilan Hall.
32 :03x07 - Guilty Pleasure
It's a dessert storm when the culinary contestants work with ice cream and toppings. Then, they whip up quintessential snacks for hangovers. Chef Govind Armstrong is the guest judge.
33 :03x08 - Restaurant Wars
There will likely be big beefs when the chefs are challenged to cook up bold burgers. Then, the gang must create a restaurant concept, complete with menu and meals. Chef Daniel Boulud is the guest judge.
34 :03x09 - Second Helping
The chefs must shuck, chop and whip in a culinary-based relay race. Chef Geoffrey Zakarian is the guest judge.
35 :03x10 - Chef Overboard
The cooks showcase their creative culinary aptitude in a supermarket-based challenge. They then plunge into a contest on the high seas and arrange a buffet. Chef Michael Schwartz is the guest judge.
36 :03x11 - Snacks On A Plane
It's attitudes and altitudes when the chefs take off for a challenge on a plane. Culinary personality Jimmy Canora is the guest judge.
36 :03x12 - Manhattan Project
The remaining cooks attempt to re-create a signature dish by guest judge Sirio Maccioni. Afterward, they try to please the precise palates of various noted chefs. André Soltner is also a guest judge.
37 :03x13 - Finale Pt.1
The heat is on when the final four chefs square off in Part 1 of the two-part Season 3 finale.
38 :03x14 - Finale Pt.2
The winning chef is revealed in the conclusion of the two-part Season 3 finale.
39 :03x15 - Reunion
Andy Cohen presides over this reunion clip show, in which the Season 3 chefs gather with series host Padma Lakshmi, plus “Top Chef” figures Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons and Ted Allen, to dish on the season's highs and woes.
Holiday Special
41 :04x01 - Chicago: Anything You Can Cook I Can Cook Better
Sixteen rising chefs arrive in Chicago for the competition and are challenged to put their own spin on a Chicago culinary staple.
42 :04x02 - Zoo Food
The culinary crew participate in a quick fire working with fresh fare from the farmer's market, and create a swanky meal for the people at a zoo.
43 :04x03 - Block Party
The chefs dish up food meant for a neighborhood party, as master chef Rick Bayless overseas the proceedings.
44 :04x04 - Film Food
The chefs are challenged to make art from vegetables. Then, they are assigned to make a film inspired dinner party thrown by film critic Richard Roeper.
45 :04x05 - The Elements
46 :04x06 - Tailgating
The chefs face a challenge of creating a complimentary dinner for a drink. Next, they are asked to cook up a meal suitable for a tailgating party.
47 :04x07 - Improv
The chefs are challenged to create desserts. Then, the comedians from the Chicago Second City troupe teach the cooks about improvisation.
48 :04x08 - Common Threads
The challenge this week is for the chefs to add a single ingredient into a healthy meal, and they can only use a microwave to cook with.
49 :04x09 - Wedding Wars
It's a cuisine themed relay race as the chefs shuck, chop, cut and whip, requiring skill, speed and execution. Their cuisine delicacies will be served up at a dream wedding.
50 :04x10 - Serve and Protect
The chefs are challenged to create a modern twist to a leafy dish. Also, the group is challenge to give an unhealthy meal a healthy twist.
51 :04x11 - Restaurant Wars
This episodes challenge for the chefs involves creating breakfast at rush hour for a greasy spoon diner.
52 :04x12 - High Steaks
The chefs are challenged to clean and butcher their own steaks, overseen by chef and guest judge Rick Tramonto.
53 :04x13 - Puerto Rico
Part one of the season finale finds the four remaining chefs headed to Puerto Rico where they will compete for the final three spots.
54 :04x14 - Top Chef Miami Finale Live!
The final chef is put on the chopping block as chef Ramsey chooses the winner of season four, who will receive $100,000 and a dream gourmet vacation.
55 :04x15 - Watch What Happens Reunion
The chefs of season four reunite to dish out the drama and answer questions from the audience. Also, the fan favorite chef is revealed.
56 :05x01 - Melting Pot
Season 5 finds 17 new chefs heading to New York City. There they receive the first challenge which is serving up dishes which covers the ethnic flavors of the cities districts. Toby Young joins the crew as the new guest judge.
57 :05x02 - Show Your Craft
The contestants head to a restaurant owned by head judge Tom Colicchio, where they are challenged to create and serve lunch to real customers.
58 :05x03 - Foo Fighters Thanksgiving
The chef's to be are challenged to create a special Thanksgiving meal for the rock band The Foo Fighters.
59 :05x04 - Today Show
This episodes challenge has a reward of appearing on the Today Show in which the remaining 14 foodies must speed to win. Guest judge is chef Rocco Di Spirito.
60 :05x05 - Gail's Bridal Shower
Series judge Gail Simmons is having a wedding and the chefs are asked to prepare her a bridal shower and prepare a course for the event. Dana Cowin, from Culinary magazine is the guest judge.
61 :05x06 - 12 Days of Christmas
Domestic guru Martha Stewart oversees the quick fire challenge in this holiday-themed edition. Then, actress Natasha Richardson is the guest judge when the cooks cater a Christmas cocktail party in which the proceeds go to the AIDS research.
62 :05x07 - Focus Group
The chef's are challenged to create a sweet dish without the use of sugar.
63 :05x08 - Down on the Farm
The chefs journey to the country where they pick up some fresh ingredients. Then they prepare a feast for the farm workers.
64 :05x09 - Restaurant Wars
The chefs still remaining will compete in the traditional and all encompassing "restaurant wars" challenge, in which they have 24 hours to create all aspects of an eatery.
65 :05x10 - Super Bowl Chef Showdown
With the Super Bowl coming up the chefs are challenged to created some football-themed goodies against past series players, including Spike and Andrew from season 4, season 3's Camille and Josie from season 2.
66 :05x11 - Le Bernardin
The chefs head to an acclaimed New York eatery where they will be challenged to show off their skills.
67 :05x12 - The Last Supper
The remaining chef's work on their last culinary challenge before the finals, with guest judges Chef Wylie Dufresne and celebrity cook Jacques Pepin.
68 :05x13 - Finale, Part 1
The season finale finds the chefs traveling from New York to New Orleans. While in the "Big Easy" they will be challenged to kick it up a notch when celebrity judge/chef Emeril Lagasse stops by to appraise their culinary skills.
69 :05x14 - Finale, Part 2
Set in New Orleans, season 5 ends as the winning chef is revealed.
70 :05x15 - Watch What Happens Reunion
The chefs of season five and the series principals Padma Lakshmi, Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons and Toby Young reunite to give the dish on what happened behind the scenes during the past season.
71 :06x01 - Sin City Vice
17 fresh chefs infiltrate sin city to take on culinary challenges in the season six premier.
72 :06x02 - Bachelor/Ette Party
The male chefs and the female chefs compete in a battle of the sexes in catering a poolside bachelor and bachelorette party.
73 :06x03 - Thunderbirds
The chefs will be creating meals for the US Air Force Thunderbirds, the most renowned aircraft demonstration squadron.
74 :06x04 - Vivre Las Vegas
A touch of France hits the kitchen when the chefs pair up to whip up some French cuisine.
75 :06x05 - Camping
This weeks challenge finds the chefs visiting a campsite to create a menu worthy of a group of Las Vegas cowboys. One item on the menu is cactus.
76 :06x06 - Penn & Teller
The chefs deconstruct a classic meal especially for magicians Penn & Teller.
77 :06x07 - Dinner Party
78 :06x08 - Pigs and Pinot
The chefs head to guest judge Charlie Palmer's Aureole restaurant to host a ``Pig and Pinot'' event.
78 :06x09 - Restaurant Wars
Chef Rick Moonen's restaurant is taken over by the contestants and then he serves as their guest judge.
79 :06x10 - Meat Natalie
The chefs head to Las Vegas to visit "Craft Steak" and cook for actress Natalie Portman and friends.
80 :06x11 - All Stars Dinner
81 :06x12 - Strip Around the World
82 :06x13 - Culinary Olympics
83 :06x14 - Season Finale, Part 1
84 :06x15 - Season Finale, Part 2
Bryan, Kevin, and Michael compete for the ultimate title
85 :06x16 - Watch What Happens Reunion
86 :07x01 - What's Your Constituency?
87 :07x02 - Outside the Lunch Box
88 :07x03 - Capitol Grill
89 :07x04 - Room Service
Tonight's challenges: Whip up a day of room service meals for hotel guests and make tasty baby food for host Padma's newborn.
90 :07x05 - Farm Policy
91 :07x06 - Cold War
92 :07x07 - Power Lunch
93 :07x08 - Foreign Affairs
94 :07x09 - Restaurant Wars
95 :07x10 - Covert Cuisine
96 :07x11 - Making Consessions
97 :07x12 - Gastro-nauts
98 :07x13 - Finale, Part 1
99 :07x14 - Finale, Part 2
100 :07x15 - Reunion Special
101 :08x01 - History Never Repeats
102 :08x02 - Night at the Museum
103 :08x03 - New York's Finest
104 :08x04 - Advantage Chef
105 :08x05 - Dim Sum Lose Sum
106 :08x06 - We're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat
107 :08x07 - Restaurant Wars: One Night Only
108 :08x08 - An Offer They Can't Refuse
109 :08x09 - Feeding Fallon
110 :08x10 - Lock Down
111 :08x11 - For the Gulf
112 :08x12 - Give Me Your Huddled Masses
113 :08x13 - Fit for a King
114 :08x14 - Island Fever
115 :08x15 - Last Supper
116 :08x16 - Finale
117 :08x17 - Reunion Special
118 :09x01 - Everything's Bigger in Texas
Season 9 opens with 29 chef-testants invading the Lone Star State to prove their culinary worth, but only 16 of them will advance in the competition.
119 :09x02 - The Heat Is On
Aspiring culinary contestants try to win a coveted slot in the final 16.
120 :09x03 - Quinceanera
In a Quickfire with bite, the chef-testants must whip up a savory meal using rattlesnakes in the recipe. Later, they create a feast for a coming-of-age celebration. Johnny Hernandez is the guest judge.
121 :09x04 - Red Hot Chili Cook Off
The heat is on when the chef-testants use hot peppers to create a spicy dish. Later, they visit a rodeo and participate in a chili cook-off. Chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger are the guest judges.
122 :09x05 - Don't Be Tardy for the Dinner Party
The culinarians cook a meal using ingredients found inside a basic survival kit. Then, they visit an affluent Dallas neighborhood to serve up a sophisticated spread at a high-society dinner party. Guest judge: restaurateur and chef John Besh.
123 :09x06 - Higher Steaks
The chefs get saucy when creating a dish using a distinct sauce. Later, they sizzle and try not to fizzle when preparing steak and a four-course beef menu at an annual cattle-theme ball. Guest judge: chef Dean Fearing.
124 :09x07 - Game On
The chefs cook up a dish that can nicely accompany tequila. Then, in a hunting-based test, they team up with famous culinarians and work with game. Guest judge: Tim Love.
125 :09x08 - Tribute Dinner
The chefs concoct dishes based on fans' Twitter instructions. Then, the chefs honor their culinary teachers by creating a tribute meal. Singer Patti LaBelle serves as guest judge.
126 :09x09 - BBQ Pit Wars
The chefs are charged with creating innovative fare that will impress precise palates. Later, the heat is on when they square off in an old-fashioned Texas-barbecue showdown. Technology maven and culinary author Nathan Myhrvold is the guest judge.
127 :09x10 - Restaurant Wars
The still-standing chefs sharpen their knives for the time-honored fan-favorite "Restaurant Wars" test. The all-encompassing culinary challenge tasks them to create an eatery, from its signage and logos to its menus and meals.
128 :09x11 - Fit for an Evil Queen
The chefs try not to go off the rails when they use various ingredients delivered to them by a train. Later, they create a gothic dish fit for a queen, yet the plate must embody the very essence of evil. Guest judge: Charlize Theron.
129 :09x12 - Block Party
The chefs race against time to finish prep work for a meal. Later, they serve up cuisine at a food-drive block party. Guest judge: Cat Cora.
130 :09x13 - Bike, Borrow & Steal
The chefs are charged with creating imaginative pancakes for Pee-wee Herman. Later, they hit the streets of San Antonio with a bike to gather ingredients for Pee-wee's big dinner party.
131 :09x14 - Mentors
The blindfolded chefs must use senses other than sight to gather ingredients for a dish. In a twist, an eliminated cook then reenters the competition and does culinary battle with the remaining four chefs. Here, their cuisine must impress their mentors.
132 :09x15 - Culinary Games
The remaining four chefs arrive in British Columbia and wage culinary battle in Olympic-theme games. Cooking on a speeding gondola and grabbing ingredients in a biathlon are included.
133 :09x16 - Fire and Ice
Asian Masters lend a hand in a tag-team-style Quickfire. The final three chefs must create a dish and cocktail that fuses the concept of fire and ice into one cohesive dish, a culinary testament of their journey from blazing Texas heat to blistering Vancouver cold.
134 :09x17 - Finale
Season 9 comes to a close with the final chefs commandeering a Vancouver restaurant, where they must cook up a four-course meal for the judges and some surprise guests.