Top Chef

2005

4.4

917 reviews

TV-14

Rating

Eligible

Watch in a web browser or on supported devices Learn More

Season 16 episodes (27)

1 The Fastest 2 Minutes in Cooking

12/6/18

"Top Chef" Kentucky begins as fifteen of the country's finest chefs are off to the races at Churchill Downs for the ride of their lives. After a lightning fast two minute mise-en-place focused Quickfire, the Chefs are challenged to make a dish that will appeal to a crowd of two hundred at a stakes-filled Kentucky Derby party. Churchill Downs' own Chef David Danielson serves as guest judge along with returning regulars Tom Colicchio, Padma Lakshmi, and Graham Elliot.

2 Bourbon, Barrels and Burgoo

12/13/18

A very pregnant Gail Simmons asks the chefs to feed her cravings in a special Quickfire delivery. Then it's time to celebrate two iconic Kentucky mainstays: local cuisine and bourbon. The Chefs head to Makers Mark, the oldest distillery in America to put their spins on a meal full of Kentucky classics including burgoo, Benedictine, mutton, hoe cakes and dumplings. This is a true battle for Kentucky as the chefs navigate their first team challenge - and one chef makes a potentially fatal shopping error. Can they recover or will they be scraping the bottom of the barrel to make it through? Food and travel editor, Nilou Motamed joins the judges this season, and Maker's Mark's in-house Chef, Newman Miller, sits on the panel as a guest judge.

3 Naughty and Nice

12/20/18

It's holiday time for Top Chef, and Richard Blais and Brooke Williamson help spread the festive cheer by presenting a white elephant Quickfire challenge. Then, the Chefs receive an unexpected gift as Michelin starred super Chef Eric Ripert sits down with them to celebrate an elaborate traditional French Chrismas dinner. However, once the last bite is taken, Padma informs the Chefs that they're missing the final part of the tradition of Le Revillon de Noel... the presentation of 13 desserts. It's a midnight pastry free-for-all as the Chefs try to avoid being on the placed on the naughty list. Screen reader support enabled.

4 Surprise… It's Restaurant Wars

12/27/18

In a massive twist, Padma's favorite challenge Restaurant Wars comes early this year, but before the chefs gear up for battle, they must first duke it out in an amuse bouche-based Quickfire for Top Chef alum turned James Beard Award winning chefs: Karen Akunowicz and Nina Compton. Then, the gauntlet has been thrown and with twelve chefs remaining, three restaurants will be battling for victory. James Beard Award winning restaurateur Caroline Styne joins as the guest judge along with Nilou Motamed. And if this unexpected chaos isn't enough, Tom leaves the Chefs breathless with an announcement that will change the course of the competition.

5 Restaurant Wars, Pt. 2

1/3/19

The mayhem and drama continues of the biggest Restaurant Wars in the history of "Top Chef." Tom's announcement of a double elimination piles on even more pressure. "Top Chef" alum turned James Beard Award winning Chefs Karen Akunowicz and Nina Compton join the restaurant crawl along with Nilou Motamed and guest judge and James Beard Award winning restaurateur, Caroline Styne.

6 Roaring Munchies

1/10/19

The chefs walk in on an epic battle of Last Chance Kitchen and are drafted into the fight. Once Tom declares a winner, the chefs immediately begin a challenge making dishes based on Prohibition Era cocktails. Chef Ken Oringer joins Padma, Tom and Graham at a Roaring 20's party with Flappers and Dapper Dans.

7 Carne!

1/17/19

Lena Waithe surprises the chefs, by challenging them to make their best version of the trademark Kentucky dish, the Hot Brown. Then super-chef Nancy Silverton brings her internationally renowned friend, butcher Dario Cecchini to break down a whole cow for the chefs to utilize along with locally-sourced Kentucky ingredients.

8 Whatever Floats Your Boat

1/24/19

With more shoreline than Florida, Kentucky is a hotbed for houseboats. For this elimination challenge, the chefs are split into two teams and tasked with throwing raging party in Lake Cumberland. Mega-chef Emeril Lagasse joins Padma, Tom and Nilou along with Captains Sandy and Lee from Below Deck for some houseboat hysteria.

9 Music City USA

1/31/19

The chefs take a roadtrip to Nashville and have the honor of cooking on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry for country music sensation Hunter Hayes. Then they have to dig deep to create a dish inspired by a vibrant music memory. It's a personal and emotional cook as the chefs put their hearts on a plate for a full table of Nashville food and music giants including Kings of Leon frontman Caleb Followill, model Lily Aldridge, and Chef Jonathan Waxman.

10 Hoop Dreams

2/7/19

Kentucky based Top Chef alum Ed Lee drops by for a Quickfire that's part trivia, part culinary creativity. Then, the Chefs head to Rupp Arena where legendary basketball Coach John Calipari and the UK Wildcats host a concession stand cook-off. Food & Wine Editor-in-Chief Hunter Lewis gets a courtside seat as he joins the judges to see which chef will take center court and who will get dunked.

11 The Greatest

2/14/19

Top Chef can't go to Kentucky without taking a turn at fried chicken. Chef Art Smith guests judges a secret herbs and spices blind taste test ahead of the Quickfire fry-off. After the finger licking goodness, the Chefs turn their attention to another Kentucky legend, the Louisville Lip, boxer and philanthropist Muhammad Ali. Using his memorable fights as inspiration, the Chefs must make a progressive meal for a charity benefit at the Muhammad Ali Center for donors, the judges, and special guest Laila Ali.

12 Kentucky Farewell

2/21/19

All season the chefs have been growing gardens at their Kentucky estate. Tom ambushes the sleeping chefs and challenges them to reap what they sowed and make a dish focused on their garden harvest. Then, for the last elimination challenge in Kentucky, the chefs head to Keeneland, a thoroughbred horse auction house, to bid on luxury ingredients for dishes to show gratitude to their culinary mentors. Chefs Bryan Voltaggio, Gavin Kaysen, JD Fratzke, Kim Alter, David Posey and Chris Coombs join the judges to see how far the Chefs have come and who deserves to go to Macau for the finals.

13 Holy Macau!

2/28/19

The final five chefs travel to the Chinese territory of Macau for the remaining battles of the competition. Judge Graham Elliot, who has a restaurant in Macau, introduces the Chefs to the local market full of fascinating ingredients and challenges them to a Quickfire highlighting unique Macanese proteins. Then, the chefs throw a party celebrating Chinese New Year. Since it is the Year of the Pig, the dishes must feature pork products and be delicious enough to impress Hong Kong's super chef Jowett Yu along with Tom, Padma and Graham.

14 The Tao of Macau

3/7/19

The day has come when the final four chefs must cook with the world's smelliest fruit durian. This infamous fruit is a delicacy in Macau, but will Padma and guest judge, James Beard Award winner Abe Conlon be able to stomach their creations for the season's last Quickfire? Then, the chefs get a tutorial in the traditional cuisine of Macau, a fusion of Chinese and Portuguese flavors, and are joined by their family members from back home. For the elimination challenge, the chefs are tasked with blending their own heritage with Chinese flavors in order to impress their love ones and the judges, in order to earn their spot in the finale.

15 Finale

3/14/19

It's the final showdown and the top three chefs must create the best four course meal of their lives. And if the pressure isn't already high enough, Tom reveals in a twisted turn of events only two chefs will get the chance to serve their full menu. The internationally star-studded table of diners includes Deputy Editor of FOOD & WINE Magazine Melanie Hansche, acclaimed chefs Mitsuharu Tsumura, Alexander Smalls, Dan Hong, May Chow, and Alvin Leung, along with Tom, Padma, Nilou and Graham. In one of the most competitive contests of artistry and skill, only one chef will emerge victorious and be named Top Chef.

101 Last Chance Kitchen, Ep. 1: Three Vets and a Newbie

12/7/18

Season-only

Inspired by a challenge in episode 1601 of Top Chef, four chefs face off to see who can make the best biscuits and gravy.

102 Last Chance Kitchen, Ep. 2: When Life Gives You Lemon

12/13/18

Season-only

Based on a dish that sent a Cheftestant home from Top Chef episode 1602, four chefs battle it out with the use of one lemon.

103 Last Chance Kitchen, Ep. 3: Have Yourself a Merry Little Breakfast

12/20/18

Season-only

Top Chef 1603's newly eliminated chef faces off with three other Cheftestants in the ultimate breakfast battle.

104 Last Chance Kitchen, Ep. 4: Seafood Mis-En-Place Race

12/27/18

Season-only

Even though a chef didn't get eliminated from Top Chef 1604, it's still time to trim the fat! Which two chefs will move on?

105 Last Chance Kitchen, Ep. 5: Restaurant Wars Comes to LCK

1/3/19

Two chefs from Top Chef 1605 enter LCK for a "mini restaurant wars challenge"!

106 Last Chance Kitchen, Ep. 6: One More Win and You're In

1/3/19

Season-only

Coming out of Top Chef 1605, two remaining chefs continue to fight it out and receive the biggest LCK surprise yet!

107 Last Chance Kitchen, Ep. 7: The Twist

1/10/19

Season-only

This is a first in Last Chance Kitchen history! Watch a shocking turn of events come out of Top Chef 1606.

108 Last Chance Kitchen, Ep. 8: Slime Time

1/17/19

Season-only

Coming out of Top Chef 1607, two chefs try to make a slimy dish delicious enough for Tom to enjoy.

109 Last Chance Kitchen, Ep. 9: Get Cracklin'

1/24/19

Season-only

Inspired by a challenge from Top Chef 1608, two chefs take on the biggest pork challenge yet.

110 Last Chance Kitchen, Ep. 10: UFOs (Unidentified Food Objects)

2/1/19

Season-only

After Top Chef 1609, two chefs face-off in the ultimate mystery cook-off.

111 Last Chance Kitchen, Ep. 11: Shot Clock Shock

2/8/19

Season-only

Inspired by Top Chef 1610, chefs try to beat the shot clock.

112 Last Chance Kitchen, Ep. 12: The Final Knockout

2/15/19

Season-only

It's the Last Chance Kitchen finale! The winner will head into Top Chef 1612.

About this show

"Top Chef," is a hit reality competition series that celebrates the culinary arts with a fascinating window into the competitive, pressurized environment of world-class cookery and the restaurant business at the highest level. This one-hour series features fifteen aspiring chefs who will put their culinary skills to the test for the chance to earn the prestigious title of "Top Chef." The competing chefs will live and breathe the high-pressure lifestyle that comes with being a master chef, and each week the judges will tell one to "pack up their knives." In the end, only one chef will make it through the spectacular finale episode to take the title of "Top Chef." The winning chef will receive $100,000 in seed money to help encourage their culinary career, be featured in Food & Wine magazine, and most importantly, earn the prestigious title of "Top Chef."

Ratings and reviews

4.4

917 reviews

Debreta Martin

December 20, 2015

For all the purchasers of the current season 13 I suggest that you call Google Play and get a refund which is what I did. For the last 2 weeks they have been posting the after show "Last Chance Kitchen" with a thumbnail showing the eliminated contestant before posting the original episode. Huge spoiler!!! Also it takes way too long to post their episodes. The current episode from Dec 17 is still not posted as of Dec 20. Amazon, Vudu, and M-GO all have the current episodes with Vudu having the after show.

75 people found this review helpful

Laurinda Holm

June 5, 2021

Season 18 Episode 8 of Restaurant Wars is incomplete! The episode ends after the winning team is crowned and it is missing the critique of the losing team *and* the elimination. This was not a "to be continued* - part of the episode is cut off as the eliminated chef is noted in recaps. Please fix ASAP. Season 18 Episode 10 aired on 6/3/21. It's late afternoon on 6/5 and the episode still isn't available.

Ryan Eichberger

January 27, 2019

Bravo is the issue here, not Google. Episode releases are inconsistent and unreliable; thumbnails for Last Chance Kitchen spoil who got voted off before the actual episode ever drops. People have been complaining about this for years, and nothing has been done, and that's pretty inexcusable. Similar issues occur on Amazon, meaning that this isn't a Google issue but a Bravo one (Amazon indicated exactly this to me, for what it's worth). Direct irritated messages to them.

Rate this show

Tell us what you think.