Tonight on FOX MASTERCHEF JUNIOR continues with a new episode called “Restaurant Takeovers.” On tonight’s show the the kids take over a fine dining restaurant. Did you watch last week’s episode? We did and we recapped it right here for you!
On last week’s episode the junior chefs were tasked to create meals using ingredients that weretypically unpalatable to kids, including liver, sardines and blue cheese. The young chefs were not pleased to find items such as liver, kidneys, snails and sardines. Later, they baked layered cakes in an elimination round.
On tonight’s show the Top 6 junior chefs compete in their first field challenge, in which they take over the kitchen of a fine-dining establishment in downtown L.A. and create a three-course meal for a group of diners who are unaware that the chefs are children.
Don’t forget to join us for our live recap tonight at 8:00pm when MasterChef Junior Season One episode 5 airs on Fox. While you wait for the recap, let us know how your enjoying this season of MasterChef.
Tonight’s episode begins now – Refresh Page for Updates
Gordon welcomes the top six junior Master Chefs into the kitchen. He tells them they are the best young home cooks in the country and that one will make history when they win. He tells the kids they’re taking a field trip for a test in the real world. The kids are scared to be taken out of the comfort zone. Troy wonders if it will be a field trip or a business trip.
They bring the kids into a restaurant in downtown LA and Jack says it makes him want to own one of his own one day. They tell the kids they will be running lunch service at Drago Centro in two teams of three battling head to head. Troy wonders what they’re thinking and says they’re just kids not professionals.
Dara and Gavin are team captains. Dara picks the red team colors and Gavin puts on the blue. Dara picks Alexander and Gordon tells her it’s a good choice. Gavin chooses Troy and he’s not happy about it but says he’ll pretend. Dara chooses Jack and that means Sarah goes to Gavin’s team.
Sarah says she expected to be picked last since she’s the youngest but says she’s been cooking since she was three and knows what she’s doing.
Joe says the ritzy customers will have no idea that kids are cooking their pricey lunches for them. Graham tells them to head back into the kitchen. They line them up and introduce them to the executive chef. The kids must make two appetizers and two entrees. The chef demonstrates to the kids how to make each of the items.
The kids all take furious notes on how to prepare the four complicated gourmet dishes. Sarah says she’s most nervous about the very precise plating specifications. Gordon asks Sarah is she knows who their expediter will be and he says it will be him and nothing substandard will go out. Dara worries that they will finally see the mean side of Gordon on this challenge.
The kids scramble to do their prep work. Sarah is annoyed that Troy is giving orders when Gavin is the team captain. Alexander, Dara and Jack divvy up the tasks in a democratic fashion and there’s no drama like there is over on the red team.
Joe says the stress on because they are cooking several dishes at once and Graham says the prep time is crucial. Troy keeps coaching Sarah and she’s getting annoyed. She forgets a step on the ravioli and Troy is all over her. Gordon pushes at the kids to pick up their pace.
Gordon wonders if the kids will be able to deal with the pressure and heat in the kitchen. Troy trash talks the red team but Alexander isn’t worried and says theirs’ isn’t done to his level of perfection. The red team is struggling to get the ravioli filling consistent. Gordon steps in and coaches them and tells Dara to get it together and keep her eyes open.
The dining room is filling up and the kids have just 75 minutes to feed the packed room. Gordon calls for the kids’ attention and says service is starting. Gordon starts yelling out the orders and the kids struggle to keep up with what he says. Troy says he can’t believe how tense the kitchen is.
Gordon is rapid firing orders at the kids and Alexander says it’s so fast he’s struggling to keep up. Jack is struggling with the fancy stamp used to plate and Dara has to step in and help. Gordon grabs up the first order from the red team and tells them job well done. He sees the red team is struggling to get a rhythm. Gordon stops the blue team and calls them over to look at the tuna and says it’s too thin and looks like a dog’s dinner. He tells them it’s embarrassing and to get rid of it. They rush to comply.
Dara is snapping at her team and Gordon has his hands on his face when Jack starts yelling at the others to get their act together. Alexander says he’s getting ready to pack his bags. The kids are all nitpicking each other and Gordon has to call Dara and Alexander aside and tells them they can’t engage in a power struggle and need to work together. He tells them the youngest on their team – Jack – is far ahead of them and is putting them to shame.
The guests have started on their appetizers and are giving overall good feedback but there are some negatives. Gordon calls in a special order to each team – for the chef of the restaurant’s meal. Troy is freaking out and says Sarah is going to mess it up. She insists that she’s plating and Troy gets bossy with her.
Troy is still all over Sarah and she’s frustrated because she thinks he’s not accepting that it’s a team challenge. They’re done with appetizers and switch to the entrees. Chef Ian is served the appetizers from the kids. He says they look good and says the blue team’s plating looks a little better. The blue team wins for the chef because the red team forgot the vinegar on the salad. He says it’s neck and neck on the appetizers.
Dara works with Jack and tells Alexander to work on his own since he’s better that way. Gavin tells Troy that he has to calm down and stop pushing on Sarah. Troy insists that he be in charge of all the plating. Gordon tells them to finish strong and starts calling entrée orders.
Troy is chewing Sarah out and Graham marvels that the kids are doing well. The chefs talk about how Troy is overexerting and is running over his team captain. The red team seems to be working well together.
The blue team is struggling with the seasoning and Troy tells her she’s overdone it. He throws her work in the trash. Gordon freaks when he hears they have to redo the veg because Sarah overseasoned it. Troy chews Sarah out and Gavin can’t control them. They are two tables behind the red team. Troy and Sarah are screaming at each other and Troy is being terribly controlling and won’t let Sarah touch anything.
Gordon yells for the kids to speed up and asks why Troy and Sarah can’t work together. He calls the blue team around asks what’s wrong and why Sarah is crying. Gordon tells Troy to stop trying to take over. He tells Gavin to keep control of his team. He gives them a short pep talk and sends them back to regroup.
The red team is delegating but there are issues. Gordon asks why they’ve put such a burden on Jack. He tells them to step up and tells Jack he’s doing great work. The customers are giving feedback to Joe. He asks how they are and gets good feedback. There are some complaints about the blue team’s ravioli not having enough seasoning.
Gordon calls out the VIP order for the executive chef and tells the kids to make these the best dishes they’ve cooked all night. Sarah says Gavin is in his own little world and struggling so she steps up to help him and he thanks her. The red team is struggling on the most important order of the night. Dara is surprised at how frazzled Alexander got under pressure.
Gordon is chewing out the red team because they are behind on their last dish for the chef. The blue team has their entrees up and then the red team finally gets theirs’ done. The kids are exhausted but pleased. Joe tells them the diners had no idea that kids were cooking for them. No dishes were sent back and that’s a first for a Master Chef takeover. WOW! The kids outdid the adults.
Gordon lets them toast with apple cider. Jack says he feels confident because he had a strong performance. The chef is giving his final evaluation. He thinks the red team’s ravioli presentation is better and says it tastes good also. The blue team’s says the ravioli is good but doesn’t have enough sauce. He next tastes the fish. He says the red team’s presentation is again better but says they don’t have quite enough salt. The blue team’s tasted better. He says it’s really close on taste.
The diners fill out their comment cards. The judges will decide based on feedback from Chef Ian, the diners and their performance in the kitchen. At least two kids are going home tonight.
Gordon asks if the diners want to meet their chefs and he brings out the kids. The diners go wild with applause as the kids stream out of the kitchen. They give them a standing ovation. He asks the kids what they thought and Dara says it was probably a lot more enjoyable out front than in the back. Gavin says he now knows how Gordon got on Hell’s Kitchen.
Dara feels good about their chances as does Gavin so it looks like it’s anyone’s game. Back at the MC kitchen Gordon tells the blue team their seasoning needed work but their speed was outstanding. He tells the red team their apps were slow but their determination paid off and they had a very strong finish. He tells them the team going to the semi-finals is the… red team.
The blue team (I think) was just arguing too much and the kids weren’t team players. So Dara, Alexander and Jack are safe and he sends them up into the gallery to watch. Joe says the other cook that’s safe is… Troy. Wow. He’s the best cook of the three but lost his mind in the kitchen.
Sarah starts to cry and Gavin puts his arm around her. Joe comes down and tells her not to cry. He tells her to think of all the kids who will want to cook because of what’s she’s done there. Gordon tells them they’ve done their parents proud and every 9 and 10 year old in America proud. Gordon hugs and kisses Sarah. Gavin says he could have done better as captain and that’s he’s definitely grown as a cook by being there.
Gordon asks Sarah who will win and she says Troy because he’s a strong chef and a strong competitor but tells the others no offense. Gavin says he think Jack is going to win it because of his strong heart. Sarah says she’s proud of herself for making it that far even though she didn’t win. She says we haven’t seen the last of her.
