Gordon Ramsay Calls Out ‘Control Freak’ Chef | TRIPLE Full Episode | Ramsay's Best Restaurant

for the past six months my team and I have been all over the country checking out the best of your restaurant nominations now my Nationwide competition continues this time to find the best of British British restaurants used to be all about prawn cocktails and black forest Gatto but today there are restaurants all over the UK cooking the most amazing delicious modern British food everybody's restaurant should be using the finest ingredients we have some of the best meat fish and vegetables on the planet so there's no excuse not to cook with it [Music] you nominated thousands of British restaurants and along with my best restaurant team I put them under extreme scrutiny and chosen my two favorites to do battle for placing the semi-finals from deepest Kent it's a tiny but elegant michelin-starred restaurant the west house please it's always got to be that same passion if you like to drive from the first time you made it they're going head to head with the milestone in Sheffield on the Water Crest on very last as it's going it's about Yorkshire people Yorkshire chefs producing Yorkshire food we're about to see the Battle of Britain because the west house and the Milestone must take on three extraordinary challenges the first is every restaurant's worst nightmare 30 hungry customers who'll arrive and order all at once first up the milestone in Sheffield I'm actually standing on what used to be called Pimp's Corner in the old red light district now this is an amazing location for a fantastic restaurant it's run by four local Lads front of house are the owners Mark and Matt who've sunk every penny into this business one salmon one black putty on an order the kitchen is headed by Young Guns Simon and James Simon cage fighter no one [ __ ] with you on service today these guys are real they're grafters you can see that just from the minute you shake their hands it's solid like a plate of Sheffield Steel I love the fact that they've made their name by Breaking All the Rules serving up hearty organic dishes like rolled Pig's head and Trotter sausages and what's that there are um uh pigs that we have it's a farm just outside Sheffield right wear your own pigs and it does on the menu yeah we encourage customers to actually go out there and get their hands dirty and start foreign [Music] just three years the Milestone of storm Sheffield's restaurant scene and the locals love it throughout the great restaurants especially in Sheffield that are doing food with this quality food is amazing it's a great environment man I'll go for the Nestle gnocchi [Music] nice that was made on the nettle gnocchi there's a lot of nettle in there isn't there yeah the knock is delicious pretty good indeed I think what I like more than anything is the fact that it's very seasonal very nice I thought that food was easily of a mission star standard today you've got a chance to become The Best of British show off I mean really show off people use the Delhi because I'm a youth and they did used to think I were a cocky little [ __ ] but I'm passionate I'm dedicated and I've got the drive to take it further good because my diners are expecting something incredible and they all need to be served two courses in just two hours this is a young Dynamic restaurant that's going places give that experience to my 30 diners today and they will be leaving on cloud nine any questions don't hesitate to ask starters include black pudding with Bloody Mary cucumber and gin soup with cured salmon and the Pea panna cotta representative spring it's a really nice summary option and the idea is that you're walking down a garden cup rather than choose the more adventurous options most diners are sticking to the traditional Fair yeah they are homemade Blackberry cookies a lot of black put in an order it's good that there's such a popular choice on the menu but the punters might not want it once they've been served this is neutralizer homemade chicken and black pudding to me it seems to be a lot of black pudding coming out of the kitchen popular today yeah but already starting off with that pudding as well did not anyone tell me that beforehand or not no no if they're giving away black pudding as a canopy yeah they should have said it before they took the orders there's so much back pudding going out yeah so we go the first two quarts of black pudding black pudding I don't eat black pudding twice with Sheffield people is it like really heavy dishes as well they're like they're like that meaty flavor that's not a small size of black pudding is it the man size one [Music] it's on to the mains Simon's ambitious food includes turbot poached and red wine nettle gnocchi and pan fried rabbit loin with pigtail cannoni the only is all at once in all fairness cheer all in yeah yeah Simon has made the unusual decision to operate this service like a banquet instead of Staggering the dishes he's preparing all the main courses at the same time so it's gonna go everything away the problem now is that Simon has all the rabbit dishes ready but the other main courses are lagging behind and food can't leave the pass until the order for the whole table is cooked as it sits in the window and dries out I'm just getting nervous I don't want a food coming back saying it's dry we've got one hour 10 minutes left so if you can just do one table at a time you'll see a difference in quality it's not the fastest restaurant in Britain I'm going for the best restaurant it's not good enough two hours 30 diners two courses only so stagger them like a normal service it's a shame it's just sat there disintegrating under those lights when it should be in front of the customer and they're getting that magic there and then is it possible these are my worst fears come true when food sits too long in the past it gets cold it gets dry it gets sent back so that's exactly what I was just trying to say it's not a banquet and everyone's got it in their mind that we're going to treat this today like a banquet that's a [ __ ] shame the rabbit line the player's not hot the Coldplay let's have another rabbit like you know now Simon's in trouble there's no rabbit line left so Thinking Fast he substitutes it with rabbit leg but he's starting from scratch and the leg takes longer to cook than the loin so we're short of one portion of rabbit but it's coming up now do you guys want to explain that to the customer I I just yeah the rabbit's still raw there that's what I'm trying to say [Music] oh you're welcome this one looks like they're just thrown it together yeah cook well enough for me I don't eat my meat like this you want it done a little bit more for you watch it more than done a little bit more this is all cool having tried and failed twice Matt the owner wants to make amends can I get you anything no well only because these guys who've eaten obviously your experience has been that's a bit up to scratch a bit of fishing sorry guys enjoy it's let down what was otherwise a great service combination of textures I'd rate the service probably nine out of ten minutes I absolutely amends no complaints whatsoever one little tiny bit of service just got us Stars by Boost by Mains always fine until that 1.1 table now [Music] most of the diners leave happy but I've got concerns okay all right happy mistakes are made um whose decision was it to serve my diners as a banquet never mind what all the checks came on I made a decision because all of them were having starters yeah so I was just going to try and sweep the room yep said one course second course third course that was a big mistake for me today for every 30 seconds that food is set there it's going down and down and down and down in standard but you've got a dream setup because your customers are sat two meters away from your stove and it was such a shame because then food came back because it wasn't hot enough the good news is the customers love the food and that's what I'm trying to say you're on the verge of just really popping out there you really your own pigs you make your fresh bread twice a day so you bust your balls to create that food and when it sits there and they're not benefiting God I could scream you're doing yourself an injustice and that responsibility is on your shoulder sign because you're the head chef no and I know you can do a lot better than what you did today thank you thank you well done [Music] we're always looking to improve Lessons Learned yeah we're younger ambitious want to be the best we can look at what mistakes we did and not allow them to happen again it's the British heat of my Nationwide restaurant competition and a squad of hungry diners are about to descend on my second competitor from thousands of your nominations I've chosen the west house from biddington in Kent how are you good to see you too right where is it people are in the kitchen good to see you thank you I met grain 15 years ago when he worked next door to my first London restaurant even then he showed real Flair the idea is to build dishes around the central ingredient and you know not Fanning around with it too much not Chuck too many other things on the plate and try and enhance you know bring out the flavors Graham hasn't always been a chef started out as a drummer for 80s hair rockers Yaya no I've never heard of them either [Music] still have some of the hair but happily not the shorts luckily I've done that for a long time various tours and albums and also got to see the world and eating a lot of restaurants as well which is quite good 17 years ago Graham gave up rock and roll to follow his dream of becoming a chef working in a string of Top London restaurants then eight years ago he took a huge risk he moved his family to the Kent Countryside and opened up the west house 18 months after opening he won his first mission star that's not bad for a drummer and when you won the mission style were you on your own in the kitchen wow so it is a one-man band back to play the drums again everything about this family Russian is understated Old English charm graeme's partner Jackie Works friend of house with their children Jake and Jess who's in charge it'll be me happy been in charge yeah that means at the beginning I didn't know what I was doing and uh now eight years on it it's not as bad as it was but I didn't like it at first no I'll start off with the hammered eggs it's very um it's very clean really nice flavors popular on the menu yeah yeah very I can imagine why what I like most about West house is the fact that Graeme is a is a true Chef he cooks from the heart not into Frills he's into flavor and it shows this quaint English restaurant is about to be severely tested because my diners will soon be arriving and ordering all at the same time my worst fear is you're going to tits up basically I'm just expecting the whole family to put in an amazing performance today to pull this one off just like the Milestone they have just two hours to serve everyone this little 11 Table Restaurant is going to be packed you have a mission star so myself and my diners are expecting experience there [Music] three and it's two twos now as soon as you can get the first table here I'll See You by Freddie told her I know sir that looks like air traffic control over there what is that huh I'm getting there I've never seen tickets okay what is that there that's one one ham hock and one mackerel yeah Jesus Christ tickets are confusing but the food coming out of the kitchen is simply perfect starters include warm smoke had at Carpaccio with bacon dressing and pea shoes and that delicious ham hock with Scotch egg and black pudding how's the um ham hockey absolutely good enjoying it really delicious these are amazing yeah the little Scotch eggs with black body yeah so first night course is coming up now Jake griddle's gonna be busy today isn't it it's going to be a bit in it so you're grilling Nokia as well it's the first one for me I've never seen that before just check calorie off then it gets tossed through with the artichokes for Mains there's a choice of roast chicken with herb gnocchi Brill with samphire or Lamb with sweet breads I'm nervous how many orders taken just left there why would you just dump an order there like that I'm finding the ordering system impossible to Fathom and Jackie's handwriting is more like a doctor's than a maitre d no one can read it no it's one hit one had it yeah I rewrote the ticket out and the um benswell and Gordon already sent it was my fault I left it on there because it was but he couldn't understand my writing so it's my fault today was the [ __ ] day to do it if everyone okay table ten two chickens one and five of them two lamb look the two in the middle Jackie's supposed to be in control of front of house but it doesn't feel like it something's not right the service isn't as I'd imagine for a Michelin starred restaurant I've been here about 40 minutes and um aside from the drink soda we haven't seen the staff coming to get take any orders for food there's five towels in there they still haven't had their order taken right it just it shout out what orders to get he's telling you when to take the orders at the moment yeah yep three I'll get two free get tons of nine on table three yeah you tell them when to take the orders right that's right people love already eaten one course I think at least so I was hoping that we might get asked what we would like to order soon so our table's there watching stars and Main Course has been served and yet the end of the order taken yeah you would normally have 30 in the restaurant at once which is so they haven't had their order taken let alone just seems a little bit I also the tip of that the dining room is controlled by the kitchen so they're rudderless they can't do anything unless the kitchen says so which is just crazy they need to function control freak it's not control freak it's trying to stay focused I'm sorry it is because you're not in the dining room control freak all right I've never seen anything so stupid in all my life chefs don't tell waiters when to take an order that's the responsibility of the dining room to give it to the chef he's trying to control [ __ ] everything there's been no other domain causes as well no not yet not yet eight months in this kitchen working alongside you and you can't do a main course yet I think as you don't want to tell them that you know that no it's so I mean there's a lot to do over there it's not about the delay for these starters just over an hour how are they lovely it's really very nice good way too far too long um drinks we ordered some drinks before they took groundwater and we haven't had them drinks and even before we started taking the order and nothing's hit the table yet drinks on through hours they're not lying but let's put it that way but they're just saying they have ordered drinks and nothing's happened to give control back to the front of house I can see a solution if you like it different I can go and get that cooked further for you place everything on it because everything's cold now okay right yeah Graham's son Jake is on top of things yeah just be a few minutes just really doing it for you yeah I will do wouldn't you be best when you're done you you seem to be the only one that actually knows how to do it properly I don't know that's not been disparaging to mum but you seem to know what you're doing it's sort of I wanted to do it mine in his way and she's got a little ways that she seem to be you won't break up you seem to know yeah and the service will be a lot smoother without somebody running it tough it's tough clean yourself food was actually delicious I think the only thing that wasn't really up to a standard was the uh the service it was worth the wait there that's that's the good thing oh look at that the diners have no complaints about the food because the cooking is inspiring but Graeme is tripping up the service and he has to understand this okay the service is nowhere near to the standard of the food you left two tables you know sat there for over an hour before we even took their order and the dining room felt short staffed food sent to the same table twice the stud's already gone Jackie across the two hours you didn't give me the impression that you were enjoying it as much as you should of are you a hundred percent happy running that dying room on a normal day yeah on a normal day but today I was a bit you know panicking right yeah Jay you were the one Shining Light out there and why you're not at the helm relieving the pressure from your mother and working closely with your father I'll never know you've sort of castrated the dying room because you're controlling them you've got to cut some of the control freak in you and allow them to do their job and you'll be surprised at the results I'm telling you because I want this place to really succeed in this competition why because the food is beautiful well done it's like any any criticism you you take it on board then you filter it through and and react so yeah I mean there's some there's some food for full I'm looking for the best restaurant not the best chef and service is crucial today customers are prepared to wait but they're not prepared to wait for an hour to get their order taken no chance [Music] by pushing both directions to extremes I've uncovered the areas they need to improve on now I've invited them both to London for a progress report but the restaurants haven't got a clue that they face one more test without telling them I sent in my secret diners because I really want to find out exactly what happens when the teams don't know they're under scrutiny sent in top food critic Simon Davis with instructions to be as difficult as possible something that comes quite naturally to him the teams don't know that I've been spying on them first to face the music is the milestone I wanted to make sure that you weren't as rolling out the red carpet for me I had a secret Diner in there and this is what he saw hello I'm gonna grab some lunch you just grab a seat yeah okay great I love that I love the fact you do dripping such a good idea the dripping you have your roast and then the dripping you'd have throughout the week spread on the bread foreign slightly nostalgic really nice and look how happy you know customer sounds really good all right this is Ox tongue corned beef nowhere near season they're not very Bland that's quite disappointing actually it's such a shame because the the diner shot up wow dripping except and then back oh [ __ ] when you've got the balls to put corned beef and also on a plate that simply it has to be seasoned perfectly we've actually changed it already because we've had the comment card that night it was essentially a lack of seasoning yeah yeah you know thanks a lot oh really well I wasn't expecting that I know I personally have to pay for I'd like to pay for it sure no I'd like to pay for it really they won't let us pay no charge nice gesture gives them no reason to complain about it I love the way he was so patient and so polite really polite on several occasions we've seen some really succinct um very focused ability in the kitchen with very well sourced food and then you get things like these this bowl of chips you know pubs not even places that claim to call themselves gastro pubs that serve better chips than that useless burnt chips it's a simple stupid mistake that shouldn't really happen ever clever with a chef there's a champion Chef around well no I want to talk to you about something I'm talking about that look at that would you eat that yeah would you eat that no so why should I eat it no I want to talk to a chef okay how about the dessert menu there yeah I'd love to see all right hi there brilliant well they're gone now but I wanted to talk like two or three pennies upstairs I'm trying to teach and sometimes [Music] [Music] you better get back up there but thanks for coming down all right bye I thought you were going to blow a gasket to be honest I could cry I could cry a chip goes out like it's on the back of an ass end of a a takeaway van there's flashes of Brilliance in there and it works in such a magical way and that you bust your balls fresh bread we're in Peaks cooking skills you know slow down and focus on what you've got the chips will burn they shouldn't have been burned they should have been absolutely fine they should have been fantastic the guy should have been picking them out of the bowl saying my God these are [ __ ] amazing chips seen a lot of problems that we do need to solve but we've also seen a lot of strengths that we know we have got so as long as we bring everything together tighten it up I think we can improve and we can make things better than they ever have the Milestone from Sheffield are battling out with the west house from Kent to become my best British restaurant Graham and his family team from the west house are about to discover that I've been spying on them I sent in undercover Diner Sarah Durden Robertson she's a cookie writer and a food consultant when I sent my 30 diners into the west house mum jacket confused everyone with her ordering system have things improved since unknown to all four of you you've actually been under two tests because after I left I sent in a secret Diner and here's what they saw how do you make the bread here yeah all the bread's laid every morning comes down about eight o'clock usually who this Chef yeah actually the Dad's side oh God he makes breast he smells delicious I'll do like especially the brown one I really like the brown fruit in that one he seems quite proud of his father or what they do because he talks about him with great affection I kind of feel like I'm sitting in the family kitchen it's made it all a lot more personal actually really good lovely start oh what is this again I think I ordered the mackerel car patches oh that's okay I thought I'd gone mad for a second oh how could you confuse the two tables I should remember what's going on damn watching your food being put down on a table in front of you is like eating second-hand food whenever that happens again the food goes back into the kitchen I forgot that how'd you feel watching that that's it that I messed it up so I could go and write those tickets for you now and show you the correct procedure and what ways could be so much easier for you it would do me a favor do that because I've been trying to do that for about eight years but I get ignored maybe you listen to you yeah so I ordered the um the interesting thing is they didn't ask me how I wanted the lamb done so I'm afraid when it arrives I may discover I've got a problem with it ah thank you I'm sorry to be a pain I didn't realize that the lamb came so pick would it be possible to have one that's a done no yeah I'm just gonna see thank you surely you must ask a customer medium pink well done no that's their prerogative It's not this old 1980s Chef mentality what I say goes and it saves the frustration doesn't it it saves that dish been done twice oh thank you so they've bought two completely new main courses rather than bringing back the half cold first plate they pulled back an entirely new main course that is very impressive great recovery wonderful recovery the fact that you took time and done two new main courses yeah apparently out of the kitchen but you did it without any hassle and left a really nice impression clearly experience phenomenal food delicious value for money spot on I want to come back here because it felt like they'll come into your house if you get up to the speed with a modern day system of taking tickets it doesn't need to be that pressurized putting those dishes down so we have to look at the disorganization that's it foreign eight years I've never made that mistake before it would be fantastic to sit there see that secret footage and there'd be absolutely not a single thing wrong sit there and pay each other on the back and we'll leave but life's not really like that is it Graham's putting a brave face on things but he must realize he's got a lot of work to do if he's going to win this competition through the ringer to test their skills as chefs and rest on tours now it's their last chance to prove themselves [Music] the place in the semi-finals they've got to cook one exceptional dish something worthy of a place on my three Michelin style menu I'd be alive I said I slept well last night because she's just running everything through over and over and over and yet it's just all the pre-match nerves and then there's so pretty much tension quite daunting never been in a place quite a lot of this it's a mixture of excitement and nerves I want to win more than anything I've got to get everything absolutely right so it all rides on this really good luck to earn the honor of representing British cuisine in the semi-finals their dish must be nothing less than exceptional [Music] of Britain and for me two of the best restaurants are going head to head for the very first time there's no undercover footage there's no coach it's just you on a plate it's 20 stunning dishes and that is it make sure as you go through the semi-final good luck I've asked them to create their dishes using a classic British ingredient venison the SE are amazing restaurants come head to head and for me the best of British is always exciting more than any other category I'm expecting crepe flavors great balance and phenomenal fireworks I've invited 20 esteemed guests to judge both teams Creations the diners include Elizabeth Carter editor of the good food guide an award-winning British farmer Wilfred Emanuel Jones and the front of house teams from both restaurants are here too so in terms of nervous and skeletal turn wide eleven eleven this is our last chance to prove ourselves I know the four covers table two West house four venison line yeah Graham's divides the dish worthy of his Michelin starred status he's using venison loin so with onion marmalade potatoes pickled cherries and finish with crispy bacon and venison liver it's hard to get because the harmless breakfast they call it my tinners I think this part it's got a great flavor you know but you need to keep it nice and rare it's a technical dish with the potential for disaster especially if Graham's control freakery prevents sous chef Ben from supporting him I know Eli you won't let anyone do anything what are you actually doing today apart from making green tea are you actually participating in the cooking yeah definitely garnish looking after Christian bacon potatoes Honeywell cherries and I'll help plate as well I know you love taking your time when you put these dishes together it's actually one hour for 20 not one hour per dish just in case because I know what you like when you get buried away there's no pulling you back out there is there my face of Graham is that the food is so complex there's four or five elements so he just needs to offload them open up and bring Ben with him to get that dish absolutely perfect so for more venison line away now Graham please West house on table two please Ben send one table clean your [ __ ] down send the next table clear your [ __ ] down yeah well I'll do Ben I'm gonna leave these for you to play up like the last wall I could deliver it Graham's delegating at last but with time on his hands he started cooking the delicate venison liver too early that liver is your is your danger zone you know that Graham I do danger zone how do you want to serve it I want to serve it so you cook it rare here it goes out there pink when it sits there it's firm as [ __ ] do you understand so when he's two-thirds of the plate dress and you're happy have the converse is to fry that at the last moment tell me when I'm gonna liver yeah yep you ready uh yeah go for it so who lives in yeah yeah and try and stand those Cherry stems up please they look fantastic absolutely fantastic no two ways About It Go please table two more Venezuela way now please Graeme we're Chef total four please thank you working well as a team at the moment my name is great because Ben's getting involved with stuff on the past allowing me to cook the liver and things last minute Graham's happy with his food but will the diners agree smells absolutely it smells really it's really the flavors are all there I mean exactly what we always get in the restaurant and I'm very proud of him yeah it's a good dish it looks good has set the bar seriously High to being with a chance of winning the Milestone Lads really have a battle on their hands so on all the four covers it takes Milestone four venison Wellington yeah thank you big competition day going head-to-head against the mission Star Restaurant you've got no cooking school today no downstairs no upstairs one kitchen 20 diners no excuses what's the chances I'm optimistic um yeah I think we're gonna do it obviously they've got a Michelin star we haven't so so The Underdogs but if we can do this then it'd be amazing head chef Simon is pulling out all the stops with a ballsy dish of Rose venison line and a haunch of Venison and nettle Wellington so with beetroot fondant Watercress puree and braised lettuce this could be the dish of my career if all goes well then it could change things for us drastically how far are you off Simon six minutes seven six yeah Simon's dish requires perfect timing something you messed up when he fed my coach diners [Music] I'd rather keep the customers waiting next to five minutes you're in the server beetroot that's not good proper yeah does no room for mistakes all six elements of this dish must be cooked to Perfection I thought venison up to the past now guys make every plate count yeah good puppy service yep go please put in his haste to get the food out Simon has made a terrible Schoolboy error [Music] how'd you forget that lettuce I'm [ __ ] up do you want me to come on you should know that by now get me Rob please urgently let's go uh that's the braised letters that we've got off the main course find it's not on there now they haven't finished it they're not even halfway through go please yeah yeah just apologize quickly thank you [ __ ] awesome following just behind is a braised baby gem lettuce a more experienced Chef will recover from a mistake like this quickly but Simon's rattled I missed the off the plate I saw I'm pissed off I'm pissed off on yourself one more table let's go yeah thank you 30 seconds venison will be in first right coming up on this year yep oh trap lights up at this time the letters is on the plate yeah not separate table one please yeah so this start working up another four yeah yeah somebody's bounce back and he's talking to James and more importantly they're together as a team so it's a dynamic duo as opposed to one up one down happy with that yeah so this very nice the dishes look fantastic absolutely delicious James yeah time to keep it going yeah yeah that's your last table yes by the last type of look exactly and taste exactly the same as the first pleasure Jenny okay good off you go roasted loin metal Wellington if you enjoy okay thank you it looks absolutely brilliant it smells Divine this is just spectacular incredibly succulent yeah hold on guys yeah yeah big deep breath nice one service is over my Discerning guests have tasted both restaurants food I want to find out what they thought starting with a milestone let's talk the venison with the Wellington wonderful combination of flavors the texture the taste it really worked for me Wilfred how was it the person who did the Wellington I would hear so eager to win yeah he looks like a cage fighter he looks like he's ready for action yeah a big way and you can see that in the dish there was too much going on and then the one with cherry it was a bit more laid back against his West house that was my preference and it's because it wasn't trying too hard I preferred the west house I thought the way they could be venison was perfect and I absolutely loved the liver which is something I normally don't eat and was a real treat I referred the Wellington Wellington yeah I thought it was actually fantastic I thought the pastry it's brilliant it was really light extremely difficult it's a bit like two beautiful ladies both brigades have full well but they've also come up against pressure corn doesn't miss anything because it's just eyes on everything I think overall it went really really well yeah the food looks amazing we tasted every dish that went out so hopefully that'll be the winning dish I'm hoping for the best but it's all in the eyes of Gordon at the end of there both of these restaurants have great strands but they've also both got flaws I'd love to put them both through to the semi-finals but I can't which of them has the potential to be truly great I've got to decide [Music] my top two British restaurants the mission starred West house from Kent and the Milestone from Sheffield have absolutely cooked their hearts out I'm about to tell one of them their competition Journey ends here there have been errors yet both still produce truly outstanding food to help me make my choice I need to compare both dishes both issues visually stunning I can transport these two plates and put them in any top restaurants and they wouldn't look out a place that's how excited I am about the best of British milestone braised lettuce beetroot a Wellington done with a cheap gun phenomenal and the nettle pancake mind-blowing it's delicious buttery slightly gamey loin and venison that just just melts in your mouth it's just like put a knife through butter it's that soft wonderful West house got a wow factor delicious God so hard liver very difficult to get right it's got that little touch of gamey bitterness to it that really goes well with the rich cut from the loin seasoned beautifully the cherries make it work because the acidity and it's got that side of wolf that Moorish Sumptuous richness I am really taken back by these dishes the standard is incredible I love this one love it love it love it but then there's magic in this one for me right now they're both winners [Music] two remarkable British restaurants but only one can win a place in the semi-finals [Music] okay um I invited both of you here today to blow me away for one restaurant to excel um I didn't get that no because I got both rations excelling in a big way and it's amazing to see that kind of performance in what my mind is one of the most exciting categories but the joy of watching and tasting what you've just done in there has now become a nightmare on a personal front because I have to eliminate one of you and put one of you through to the semi-final so I which dish would I put on my lunch menu tomorrow morning I came up with the decision both of the dishes would sit there that's what I'm faced with right now so the winner is not based on one dish because if it was both of you will be going through think of the journey I turn up with a coach 30 diners come swooping in causes havoc and it's the biggest pain in the ass that any restaurant could ever wish for I then film you undercover I send in an awkward secret Diner to turn the place upside down to see how you handle that kind of pressure here's my question which restaurants would I prefer to return to West us would I go to that intimate stunning family run Michelin star done with charm or would it be the Sheffield I suppose balls of steel because it is run with a heartbeat that is missing a lot of restaurants tough very tough it is so hard you've got no idea the restaurant going through to the semi-final based on everything I've seen is [Music] Milestone congratulations [Music] that was for me one of the toughest most difficult decisions I've ever made but that dish was unique and don't stop cooking like that yeah going out at this stage as far as answer makes us you know but what's the second best British restaurant in the competition so you know we carry on we do we do it we do at a restaurant and you know keep the customers happy and that's that's the main thing uh guys well done really well done yeah phenomenal you pulled out the subs there today and it worked yeah good job well done well done well done [Music] it's just amazing it's fantastic it's a dream come true it's proved a point to us for and to a lot of the people that are expecting a lot from us and thank God we've actually come through and we've we've made it with that kind of determination that's where the future of British cooking is up there in Sheffield but right now this competition is only going to get tougher and I hope they don't let me down over the last six months my team and I have been all over the country checking out your best restaurant nominations and tonight my search continues with another of the UK's favorite cuisines Thai [Music] Thai [Music] over the last 10 years Thai food has taken Britain by storm even the pubs are doing it now but really top-notch authentic Thai restaurants are so hard to find as you can have a chance please thank you I've eaten some great restaurants in Thailand and I know that secret to authentic Thai food it's all about getting that balance right between the Sweet Bitter hot sour and salty flavors tonight's contenders and they have to be at the top of the game to impress me from hundreds of Thai nominations I've hand-picked my top two to go head to head for a place in the semi-finals [Applause] Andrews is golfing capital it's Nam Jim Thai food is I just very proud they'll be fighting it out with a colossal Thai restaurant from the heart of London mango tree I'm always spider I don't need Gordon's sticker rocket up my ass I'm there I'm ready namjim and the mango tree will be battling to prove they have what it takes to be my best Thai restaurant the first of three grueling challenges of dispatched 30 fervent Foodies who'll descend on each restaurant in turn and order on Mass first stop 50 miles north of Edinburgh it's it's Andrews foreign this town is not only famous for his golf venue but also Nam Jim an amazing Thai restaurant it's run by a dynamic duo husband and wife Sandy and B and they Pride themselves on cooking authentic Thai Cuisine today I'm expecting nothing less than a hole in one hello good to see you anyone Scottish in the Brigade no or Thai sorry well husband sorry the only Scott in the village ah [Music] Thai restaurant in Saint Andrews Nam Jim's charm and authentic Cuisine has taken the town by storm went to wow the locals bees even created an inspired signature dish used in Scotland's National Fair haggis face spicing it doesn't actually taste like haggis it tastes like pork doesn't it that's delicious I love this what I love most about this place is they're Chef B she's bursting with energy she's happy in her cooking her staff are happy and it shows in the food amazingly but you had never cooked professionally until she and her husband Sandy open Nam gym eight years ago successful businesses all the detail we kind of try and be the best we can be we use the best ingredients from Thailand great service we just try and do everything as good as it can be don't we this is one the restaurants a huge following of celebrity gold fans Tiger Woods's mother Mr Sean Connery here Mr Samuel Jackson he just said thank you very much your food is wonderful I was so proud being Sandy's heartfelt reputation is about to be tested to its limits my coach full of hungry diners are just around the corner all 30 of them will expect a faultless meal in just two hours [Music] I'm gonna be over everything not just the dining room but in the kitchen as well thank you and as you know I miss nothing I'll be spotting everything manager Sandy is in charge of keeping all my 30 diners happy Haney's team must explain B's unique Thai Dishes one of the house Specialties is the Thai Scottish haggis you can also make that with a vegetarian haggis which is essentially pulses and nuts and oatmeal see the orders are starting to roll now yeah yeah as well as the Haggis bees menu includes vegetarian jungle Curry and Tamarind duck with pakjoy tamarinda to lamb to prawns as fast as front of house send the orders through be in her efficient type Brigade on knocking out amazing food it's quick it's not a long-winded style of cooking it's done in a very fresh and sort of Rapid Way [Music] Sandy the only Brit on the team is the all-important link between the dining room and the kitchen are you at your weakest in here when they're speaking fluential I just kind of ignore what they're talking about and I can see kind of what they're doing more than anything they've been working together for so long it's a really well-oiled machine it's not a race to me the stand is far more important you know okay if the starters are anything to go by the standards don't seem to be a problem it's exceptional it's absolutely beautiful Brigade are on fire but at this hectic pace it's vital that every member of the team is on top of every detail s Sandy stop stop stop coconut cream there's no coconut cream on there as well before you take anything you've got to tell her yeah say let's have a control here isn't it so you're taking dishes she doesn't know it's gone that's one lamb cutlets as well guys and that's all the start has done for everybody then Sandy thinks all the starters are out but a quick scan of the dining room reveals he's missed a whole table however spicy haggis Sandy are we missing an order we don't we don't have something all the tables are taken yeah no that's all gone really yes at last the missing table get their food okay okay man Cosby tool please whilst B's kitchen ramps up for the mains Sandy's front of house team seemed to see more waiters in here now than we have [Music] is that one more lamps here do you know where you're going Sunday looks a little bit sort of lost there yeah you know what he comes in a little bit Yeah pressure like this we just like you like to be out so you handle pressure better than he does despite his confusion Stanley's got nearly all the main courses and desserts out with 45 minutes to spare and it's soon clear how he's done it it's a bit weird that she's eating her dessert while I'm having my main Court I don't think we expected that when we ordered it you know when he ordered I thought I'd be watching the year started and then we'd have our meal together I'm sure it's best to serve a starter yeah Gap main course Gap and then dessert we thought rather than somebody sit there eating while the partner has nothing for 20 minutes it was less rude for somebody to be eating at the same time I know that's personally how I would prefer it it doesn't make sense no I agree we haven't seen that so far in the competition [Music] okay last table got out guys [Music] [Applause] today being a kitchen team really have scored a hole in one I went for the Thai vegetarian Tigers which was really Exquisite the food was fantastic start to finish it was delicious really not the socks off after the food really I'm but it was good worth waiting for yeah pretty much it with such fantastic food the wheat link here is clearly front of house I've spoken to the diners and not everybody enjoyed having their dessert and the main course at the same time dessert is a sort of sweet Grand Finale not to be eaten opposite a duck the Saving Grace today is that everyone loved the food that's for me the most important tying up get the service as good as the food in 99 of the way there [Music] my best restaurant here Squad of 30 diners are on their way to the second Thai restaurant battling for a semi-final place in my Nationwide competition Palace is one of the most popular Thai restaurants in the capital it's mango tree hello [Music] knock has been front of house manager of this huge 160 seat restaurant since it opened 10 years ago that's my baby this is as well how are you very nice to meet you so nice to see a Englishman heading a Thai Kitchen where you from I'm Thailand you're from Thailand thank God for that HF Mark's passion for Asian Cuisine led him to work in Vietnamese and Japanese kitchens before coming to the mango tree what we're trying to create is that essence of the Thai street food served in an eloquent way his accomplished take on Thai Cuisine attracts 350 diners a night on a busy weekend one of my favorite restaurants I feel like you're in a five-star restaurant I really enjoy coming here it's one of those places that you can really trust [Music] for Mark controlling such a vast operation is made Harder by a less than ideal restaurant layout with the kitchen and dining room on different floors all the food is sent by Lyft [Music] with all these ear pieces and it's like someone from the secret police who coordinate food and service the staff use radio headsets and it all else fails there's always the phone yeah it's coming right now when a customer happy when a staff happy I am very proud what I'm doing Knox Battalion of waiters and Mars revered food this huge restaurant should find my first test at Doddle but every restaurant I've tested so far has struggled with my coachload of 30 diners arriving and ordering all at once they'll expect every dish to be cooked to perfection [Music] IST to leave tonight you know on cloud nine I want their jaws on the floor really push it out yeah and good luck we got a new order two me income one chicken satay we're just gonna do what we do best and that's the quality and the consistency of the food you don't want to be complacent if there's dirty Pad Thai there'll be 30 great Pad Thai that simple Mark has hand-picked a small selection of his most popular dishes for my guests tonight including shrimp tom yum chicken satay and tiger prawn pad thai he's taking these Thai Classics to a new level of sophistication with truly authentic flavors and exquisite presentation but upstairs in front of house I discovered he's made a big mistake with his menu for vegetarian option we can speak to Chef they can prepare whatever you like I think we actually would like to speak to the manager find out why there's not a vegetarian option six meals here and not even one of them are vegetarians completely unacceptable I can help you man um I do apologize for this time but all of the dish in here can be substituted to vegetarian that's not a problem so you don't need to worry about it Knox professionalism has calmed a potential mutiny meanwhile the fish and meat eaters are loving the starters beautiful flavors and complement each other amazing I would definitely recommend but there's a serious problem with one Diner's chicken satay it's a chicken cooked it seems quite fleshy inside and quite big it's absolutely yeah sorry excuse me I don't mind taking that back because that'll be great thank you yeah we'll take another five ten minutes [Music] you don't expect it from the top restaurant to ask for my food to be sent back to the kitchen new order one chicken satay well done a raw you'll eat them both the chicken satay starter and the baby chicken main course are half cooked free service and finished up to order by commie Chef Nielsen on this occasion he's got it badly wrong every part Cooks a chicken you won't expect it to go out to paint no what'd you get that down he's very annoying when we're dealing with the people that we are dealing with tonight there's no excuse for it Mark's been quick to send up a replacement dish but I want to see how well this lift system works in my restaurant I can bark orders at my waiters over the pass but here every dish that leaves the kitchen must travel up to two flights of stairs by dumb waiter to Mikey it's his job to send the food to the right table well they should tell you what table it is before they send the [ __ ] thing though yeah huh I actually don't know never what is coming in the late I can only guess seeing the food and Parry to the ticket okay no it's selling food but no one's told him what table in terms of you haven't got the chicken for this one yeah so it's just sat there done it please 300 everything in the lift send it and service ramps up the system is falling apart oh this is the main it is yes we wait while they finish the start and then bring our main meal [Music] but most of the mistakes I've picked up by the waiting staff before they hit the dining room what's wrong with that down make a new one he sent out wrong so I need I need this instead okay send it down it's not missing I don't got a ticket for a guyang uh but I go what table is it send it down to you [Music] because he's crazy what a mess lots of great food go nowhere fast so hold on if you send me again table 38 they will tell they got the main cause already that list is busier than [ __ ] Paris Hilton's knickers yes huh this lift to be a nemesis you have to give an absolute total pain in the ass he doesn't know what he's sending up there it leaves here immaculate it goes up in the lift they grab it out it pisses down the side those diners are going to get pissed off without Jimmy this thing is nothing short of a miracle that all 30 diners eventually received the correct food it's nice really nice though it's beautiful worth waiting for I'm in heaven I'm in heaven but it seems once again this table's got a problem with their food lock up with the undercooked chicken starter unbelievably it's happened again this is little all right so let me just take it back I'm always afraid of course could kill you yes now we're looking just there yeah it's on the bone just in the bone [ __ ] damn Diane come back walk Mark is on the war path how's it possible huh you're not check any of them I mean look you're [ __ ] pre-cooking them is it that hard nobody wants to eat raw chicken you huh to my horror the true scale of the chicken scandal is only just unfolding let's just have one more problems [Music] two more portion of grilled chicken so they take a make sure it's well done this time what's wrong with that one again same table same table yeah 36. he's right a little pink yeah the thighs roll yeah this is the last thing I expected from this incredible restaurant and Chef Mark looks as shocked as me this is what we're talking about quality and the consistency I'm the one who looks the crap come on something that felt like 300 dead huh well it's applying there's two two tables that kind of messed it up [Music] yeah fingers crossed for this one this piece is okay it's stunning it's really really good it's it's a very big difference from the last place I got it's a credit to knock in a front of house team that the majority of my Diner seem unaffected by the chaos really really nice really tasty the service is amazing today really really good they're really accommodating when I said that I didn't like spicy food and stuff the pad thai was really really nice and Mild goodness because there was a problem with the menu the vegetarian our particular waiter has been absolutely wonderful with us really attentive so it took a great interest into our experience here at the mango tree in the end most of my diners seem happy but for Mark it's been one of the toughest nights of his career uh right where should we start I know what you're capable of you don't have to read the comments to why this Russian is in this competition and the support you've got from customers is phenomenal totally then my diners arrive and unfortunately they haven't had that same experience that's where it hurts for me come back and come back strong absolutely [Music] nice [Music] let me throw that away and fat all the way sick of looking at it every time something isn't right you know I do take it very personally it's no reflection that our team can't cook but situations do happen sometimes it's how you Rectify them is the most important thing and and hopefully they um they don't happen again [Music] [Music] no I'm Jim and the mango tree have survived the coast trip now I want to meet up to review their performances also they think they have no idea of being spying on them with the help of undercover diners who've been filming secretly Simon Davis is a professional secret diner with an Eagle Eye for weak spots in restaurant food and service Sarah Durden Robertson is a top food consultant who's been expertly dissecting menus food and service for years I've asked them both to be demanding to see how the restaurants respond too spicy for me could I order the chicken I'd really like to have that but I ordered this one first up is nam Jim and I'm about to show them a friend of house Fiasco that no one is prepared for unknown to both of you I sent in a secret Diner that's very cool and this is what he saw good evening how are you have you got a table booked the name of Duncan Ah that's the Thai haggis thank you very much that hang is it's a creative idea to farm it's invented the spice levels perfectly pitched it's the sort of thing that could set this restaurant a cart from other Thai restaurants in the country absolutely loved it and that kind of wow factor my God could I try glass of the white Thai wine oh do you can I just try a little bit okay I've never had Taiwan before I don't know what it's going to be like if you don't like it you know what am I gonna do with the bottle yeah thanks you have to have it it's not very nice wine I won't want to drink it wow that's not how we offer why services Sunday no that's a bit of shock to it yeah okay if you don't like it you don't have to have it okay yeah [Music] I don't do like that I don't think I do like that actually yeah I know but I told you that I didn't like it I wouldn't have it can't wait to actually looked looked at me I went would he behave like that if you were there Sunday I think not what he's more likely to do would be probably to come and ask what to do about the situation damn it's not ideal it is appalling I'm just shocked in all honesty Les call the police basically I told you before hold on a minute I asked for a glass of Thai wine uh okay are you gonna let me speak okay and you give me the evil eye and you say to me I'm gonna you have to pay for that wine and then and then you say to me if you don't pay for that one I'm gonna go and call the police search you call that decent service to you I'll pay for it but I mean that's just absurd that ranks as about the most aggressive service I've ever seen in my life oh my God I'll call the police I'm lost for words incredible what I would love to happen is I put out the knowledge Branch to the manager he takes it we kind of kiss and make up figuratively speaking excuse me hi there hi there um what's happening with the [ __ ] up the line to be honest I'm not going to charge you for a place but I have to chat you have places okay all right I didn't you know I did all this business with the police I thought it was very strange I don't want to act okay just seeing his face he knew he shouldn't threat to call the police how does it make you feel what you see that style of service been running your business yeah I'm both shocked very embarrassed and uh not more than a little bit angry overall that's been a very energizing experience on many levels I'm enthusiastic and excited about the quality of the food the service has been smiling and courteous apart from the one blip and I'm leaving here thinking I would definitely come back here and I would tell people about it and the other two things that when you're a restaurant owner you really want your diners to leave some night yeah well it will be corrected that will never happen again obviously the gentleman has Has Come Away with a decent experience apart from that one lip as you call it but to be honest it's difficult for me to look beyond that blip everything you did was perfect [Music] uh it's I'm I'm upset and I think it's a combination of being very excited and very happy and then one minute and then go in the complete opposite end of the spectrum the next and you know so at the minute I think I'm just a little bit lost for words I'm just very you know been angry for someone to point out of this you know because of the bad service and then the thing it's not it's not that not what we want our customers come first and everything I hope we haven't blown our chances within the competition [Music] um we're gonna have to work hard [Music] tonight two amazing restaurants are going head to head in a competition to find my best restaurant in Britain [Music] [Applause] now it's the turn of London's Thai culinary giant mango tree to get the Spy treatment how are you are you well good welcome we've actually been tested twice because since I've left the mango tree I sent in my secret Diners right yeah and here's what they saw on the coach trip head chef Mark was crestfallen when undercooked chicken was sent back to the kitchen manager knock supervision get them on side but how do they do when I'm not watching small plank on my table that is filthy they've got all these plastic white clean covers but they never wipe them clean it's got food cakes all over it it's revolting nothing more disappointing first touch of the menu dirty that glass noodle salad is so spicy is there any way I could have it but just a bit less spicy I would say thank you thank you wow wow fantastic that was really quick as well they've bought some of the sauce separately in case I want to control my own measures that's exactly what you should do exactly uh well handled great when somebody says they want something a certain way we don't understand what their less spicy is sure so it gives them the opportunity to to do that themselves well it was 100 brilliantly it's not very relaxing on the back tables pulling this serving mats from under the cutlery so every table he does every time they do it I feel like I've overstayed my work and they're trying to clear the tables would you please get out now I feel like saying I'm terribly sorry am I in your way what a shame when they feel that awkward and the noise is ridiculous especially when you're trying to eat dinner food was a fantastic hopeless loved it complained about a couple of things sent them back and they completely dealt with it but their customer care is pretty shockingly bad it's a bizarre place it's neither one thing nor the other they care and they don't care uh food delicious second to none but that attention detail with the service it has to be worked out for everybody you forget that sometimes when you're doing such big numbers so don't take it personally take it professionally absolutely [Music] it was interesting yeah it was a bit of an eye-opener what we saw on the film it is upsetting if I work the service be speaking of a team we take the Pats on the back together but we take the knocks together as well and we will fix it there is more to the competition and we don't want this to be the end for us both restaurants have been left reeling by these Revelations but there's still everything to play for for their final battle I'm bringing the chefs face to face in my Flagship restaurant I've challenged each Chef to create one amazing dish for 20 guests but to guarantee a place in the semi-finals it'll have to be the finest dish of their lives [Laughter] so we both really very proud if we win that would be brilliant it was our customers that have put us where we are it speaks volumes that they're proud of what we're doing everything is focused on today in winning right choose pressure test this one to cook 20 stunning dishes make them taste absolutely delicious create that level of perfection sadly one of you believe in competition and one of you will be going through to semi-final make sure it's you good luck yeah thank you both Russians will be attempting to impress me with a dish made from chicken the perfect meat to complement the heady aromatic herbs and spices used in Thai cooking both omega-3 and Nam Jim have had their ups and downs and I'm hoping that they put all that aside and they focus on those 20 dishes and use that as they come back outside a dining room full of VIPs all with a passion for Thai food will help me judge both dishes tonight including Thai cookie writer oi cheap chai Sarah and one of my all-time favorite Thai chefs Patria wearapan all the frontal house teams can do is wait and Hope unorder two covers away Table Three the mango tree two baby chicken yes chef for mango tree headshot Mark is sticking his neck out with a new complex dish made from the baby chickens that almost flawed him on the coach trip he was gutted when undercooked chicken was sent out three times cooked enough I just hope he knows what he's doing today I'm happy with that lovely flavor beautiful smell you're quite fond of baby chicken aren't you I am we've changed it from obviously when we've done it in the restaurant we've learned from our mistakes of um you know making sure it Cooks it's why I wanted to do it because I'm not going to run away from anything good very bold to put that baby chicken back on the menu again masks pose there's only two of them him or not so it's pure Focus I'm worried that b is still shaken by my secret Diner's bombshell I don't want this to affect the quality of our dish first of all I want to clear something really important that's gone the wine I want you to set that completely behind you today is about you and your food and show me that passion yeah tonight be sticking to what she does best authentic food packed with flavor marinated chicken with pan-fried oyster mushrooms and a Punchy basil puree but to elevate this dish to my restaurant's three Mission star standards she needs to be completely on the ball a full rise please Pete service please Table Six come on guys the food's hanging around too long he's making simple mistakes away now please now I'm Jim two chicken feet you're not even listening to me after that is two more not four more you've got four chicken in there okay so do you want to take two chicken outs oh this is not all right after this it's only two more okay you got four in the pan so why don't you take two outs before B's lack of focus is beginning to worry me I need to see her really step up to the mark it's doing okay this is messy at the moment I'm rushing let's focus on the service V yeah let's focus on these yeah B she's had a rocky ride up into this stage I want that to be put behind her and just focus on the 20 plates and come back but come back strong service please level six as quick as you can please yeah thank you oh I'm so nervous about me me getting there let's go let's go let's go let's go it's been a struggle but she's got the food out so this place is much better yeah well done beat good job thank you go please the first dish we try will be from nanjin enjoy the chicken is very subtle and the sauce is beautiful it's lovely Aroma but presentation I'm not quite I'm quite confident I thought bees dish was excellent after his chicken disaster Mark has determined every piece will be cooked to Perfection today please mark table two in three minutes his final touch is to grill it to turn the skin a delicious golden brown Mark your dishes it's supposed to be crispy the skin I don't want it to come across as burn okay first table table five please yeah happy with that Mark no no what is that fragrance again Jasmine yes very nice Mark has gone the extra mile and his food looks wonderful go feed double five thank you it looks beautiful I am happy I'm so happy I'm so excited about it from the mango tree you can see from my face this is wow factor for me the finishing line is within sight when the unthinkable happens excuse me um I'm just a bit disappointed because actually as you can see this is not really cooked let me show it to the the chef okay so thank you very much let me take it away for you [Music] chicken is undercooked where's it under oh [ __ ] it is like coming off the bone there you can see it clear as day [ __ ] me [ __ ] damn I'm so pissed off picking chicken comes back again and if there was ever a time not to serve it it's right now not good enough for more Mark please how long just give me times I can tell the dining room three minutes three minutes to table one please tell Rob don't worry about the leg yeah [ __ ] the leg foreign words I'm not happy we checked all them I see them underneath as well yeah yeah go double one pleasure even I could never have guessed service would end like this for mango tree [Music] it's been a challenging night for everyone but it's time to find out what my diners thought of both dishes starting with mango tree let's talk chicken well ours wasn't cooked no well that was a ridiculous mistake yeah my apologies it just it wasn't even leaving the bone wasn't it it was probably still clucking fortunately not all my diners had the same experience I prefer the mango tree because I love the chicken on the bone it kept it really moist very very tasty and the broth with it just worked loved it all I had to go for 19. because I like this so much so much it's beautifully marinated subtle and then you've got the sauces compliment the combination from namjoon yes and the chicken lovely but the rice is with too much water and when you know your rice I'm sorry now I face a very difficult Choice which one of these two restaurants should go through to the semi-finals [Music] neither restaurant has been without fault but even good restaurants have their bad days I'm obviously hoping that the other 19 dishes make a bigger impact and impression than the one but can I forgive Mark for undercooking chicken again my two Top Thai contenders Nam Jim and mango tree have completed a nail-biting service in my Flagship restaurant both Jessa produce an incredible dish but both have fallen short of perfection now I have to choose which restaurant is truly deserving of a place in the semi-final but first I need to make my own judgment on both dishes [Music] now I'm Jim it looks slightly clumsy hmm chicken's delicious it's got that nice crisp texture of the outside you spare that sauce on top of that chicken the whole thing just comes alive not eye-catching but mouth-watering and taste mango tree have gone the extra mile and it looks like it's been done with great finesse flare lovely the broth is almost like a sort of Tom Yum it's like two dishes in one rice soft fluffy and Incredibly fragrant nice little spray at the end with that Jasmine really nice chicken's delicious but I'm just slightly nervous about that soft chewy skin should be crispy [Music] [Applause] two remarkable Thai restaurants only one can continue through to the next round okay right I brought both Russians here to give you an opportunity a unique opportunity to really cook like you've never cooked before now I'm Jim I saw the dish it didn't look the most appetizing having been to your restaurant and seen the style in which you've delivered food it was a little bit of a surprise to see something so basic as that I tasted the chicken and bang it was just yeah it was amazing however at this stage in the competition this round is not one on a single dish namjim secret diners no experienced food like that absolutely love that food haggis in a Thai restaurant doesn't even sound right but for you to turn into something that good very few Russians can do that anywhere mango tree the fascinating thing with you Mark is you're not even you're not even from Thailand you seem to have this magic with Tycoon that is a is a gift and my mango tree's at its best it's untouchable sending a secret Diner absolutely blown away with that food I mean really blown away with that food again at this stage in the competition I admire the balls [Music] it was sweet it was delicious and authentic how could I criticize that how could I look at that dish and tell you how to do it better I didn't have to for the first time this competition I just came back [Music] you've left with a very tough decision [Music] the restaurant going through to the semi-final is [Music] Nam Jim congratulations well done yes oh good job more than you with your touch and the amount of experience you have with type Museum I know you've got more coming very disappointed you know I'm safe letting hard enough and the team and our customers down but you know that's the way it goes you know I wish nam-jim all the luck but I'm pretty pissed off at the moment someone never told me before I'm I'm good and I'm into this competition so it's meant so much for me it's a bit mind-boggling for us we're all very very proud and a little bit shocked and stunned I think I'm so happy what an amazing day and two great restaurants I'll be sorry to say goodbye to the mango tree but the same hand we've opened the door to something quite magical in St Andrews because they are a force to be reckoned with but for namjim now the competition really starts because the next stage of this competition it's gonna be even tougher [Music] my Nationwide restaurant competition and so far I found my best Italian restaurant Casimir from Bristol my best Indian prashard from Bradford my best Chinese you and you in Blackburn my best British the milestone in Sheffield and my best Thai restaurant namjim from Saint Andrews tonight we'll see who will be joining them in the semi-finals from your favorite French restaurants I spent years learning how to cook in France and I know just how good French restaurants can be I'm expecting tonight's contenders to deliver something really special remember the peace please Lisa thank you talk to any Frenchman he'll tell you they have the best restaurants in the world but there are lots of British restaurants serving great French food for centuries French restaurants have set the standards in the dining room as well as in the kitchen a good French restaurant will wow you with the elegance and the sophistication of its Service as well as its food from nearly a thousand nominations I've chosen two brilliant French restaurants to battle out for placing my semi-finals winchingham fields in Lincolnshire serves stunningly complex fine dining dishes so beautifully presented it takes your breath away okay two Dory away please wait we know wintering fields we we live it we breathe it and it is that nice place where you can sit down and be treated like a king for a night batting against them edinburgh's headed up by a gallic gastronome who Wows these diners with simple rustic dishes bursting with flavor second two goat cheese two micro two bath two beef wait make it snappy please I'm not cooking for Kings I'm cooking for simple guys like me for Country Boys both my French restaurants are about to face three formidable challenges designed to put them under extreme pressure first off I've deployed an army of 30 hungry customers who'll invade each restaurant in turn and all order at once they're on their way to sample the food on offer at the 16th century manor house and estate at winchingen fields in Lincolnshire what I like most about this place is it's it's quaint and it's like a little mini Oasis and also they depend on the local ingredients stuff produced on their doorstep and they turn that into the most amazing food hi guys I've forgotten how beautiful this place is amazing amazing amazing five years ago husband and wife team Colin and Beck put everything that they had into this stunning restaurant so much so stay really and I don't want to go run fast while Beck takes care of front of house Colin heads up the kitchen space two minutes he creates exciting modern dishes capturing all the Fantastic flavors of great French cuisine without the heaviness loves risotto I'm excited about this delicious Colin's pulling out all the stops to put this place on the map the restaurant boasts a five grand champagne on the menu one waiter for every two customers and even has its own helicopter pad this is the The Landing facilities for the restaurant we give them the coordinates and then we just pick them up yeah they've got all the staff all the gear the most amazing kitchen there's obviously a lot of riding on this you can see it in Colin's face he's under pressure big time I'm just under five minutes from now then my diners will be here and they are so excited about walking into winter fields and being blown away you have dedicated your life to get this place right really make this count big test today two hours 30 of my diners two courses make sure they leave on cloud nine good luck my 30 guests are all looking forward to being treated and fed like royalty it should be uh especially together on the path you know we are 18. they're cool we're cool assumptuous dining room screams luxury a very nice menu for you Colin quickly serves and the News Bush not only will it prepare my guests for the meal ahead but it also shows off Colin's expansive approach to cooking but it's not the only thing that's expansive after he left the appetizers he didn't collect the menu which are quite big you can't really place it anywhere Jesus what is that tell us like this is your life huh we need Asian Andrews to pop out from the [ __ ] fireplace we're away the first amuse Bush comes another carrot moose with coriander ice cream a little Amish Bush bloody hell will you have time to get two appetizers and two courses in Jesus you don't do things by half do you there's a lot going on you know honestly sometimes less is more they were delicious but it was quite a lot of flavors to be served before you've actually eaten your main meal perhaps maybe just one would have been enough admire Collins Eiffel Tower sized Ambitions to provide a stunning gatronomic experience but the minutes are ticking by and the theatrics show no sign of giving way to proper food I've never seen a bread trolley outside the Humber Bridge this is only big enough for trolling for a bit yeah it does work very well really yeah I just watched the way to push it by it was like banging left and right so 30 minutes of gone and we haven't even taken orders yet I'm not a Fufu man I'm a flavors man and I want this food to get out of the kitchen because when they get to taste this food they'll be blown away at last orders have been taken Colin's menu will do any french Gourmet proud that includes paper fried Cornish breed with muscle and saffron fricassee a beautiful ham hock and fogart terrine and one of my favorites John Dory Sir with a beerco ham and a nollipop sauce the food's going down a storm but it's overshadowed by the service oh one two three four five six seven eight nine ten eleven boo anymore look at all you guys there seems to be an awful lot of people I don't think it'd want any more than the resin here just check there's no one in here I don't know I haven't seen the same person twice yeah there are three front of house managers and 12 other waiting staff what are you doing there I'm just making sure I just calling for service yeah this is in Heathrow unfortunately just for the staff Colin that's one hour gone one hour to go yes okay how long on that lamp for his Mains Colin is showcasing his unique take on the Glorious French tradition of fine dining he's serving a delicious rolled saddle of lamb with polenta chicken cannelloni with foie gras and an opulent Lobster risotto accompanied by a Parmesan twill and lobster bisque [Music] system is chaotic with too many people involved it would be so much better if just one person took responsibility the status means desserts and then we have a little appetizer tick basically the chef can see it from where he is and everybody up here knows where they are up here I'm not convinced despite all the waiting staff this restaurant's letting my diners down we went through my course yes I think we've got confused and left us out guys so it's just one hour 20 minutes with nothing in front of them all these waiters are flying around no starters you're better than that too Dory too brave it's away now thankfully ready service please as time ticks on everything started to get muddled up um which table did you want last table four and the full scale of the mess is only just becoming clear hello I've got terminal four here right are you sure that's 10 before are you still waiting on starters a little over an hour and a half now I'll start it wants to play with no starters we keep watching everybody else how far is that away exactly a minute okay come on come on come on come on come on unfortunately someone crossed it off at the top how can you have so many management out there and they cross it off and they haven't even sent them yet huh they've got more managers here they've got in Batman Palace keep going keep going keep going time running out fast and some guests still not served I'm starting to feel the worst I say that's it 20 minutes to go Colleen 20 minutes to go I'm getting there about a skin on my last name chicken sauce Amy chicken sauce about five minutes it says [ __ ] people just get it out three waiters guys last table [Music] if you want to someone help him do the ice cream puts garnish on it you know but I said the problem is she probably she's given me that which is table four and table six right that's it time out two hours gone [Music] incredibly for the first time in this competition not all my diners have been fed two courses for a restaurant this good it's embarrassing do I want to be judged on a vicious word or do I want to have that served in front of me it's a no-brainer it's beautiful I mean just stunning they can't tell everybody how [ __ ] delicious it is because it's gone past two hours oh the only comfort for Colin is the fact that the diners that did receive their food loved it it was nice it was well worth waiting for well worth waiting for we did wait a little longer than expected uh and when it came yeah well worth he wants food has arrived we have forgotten how long we've been waiting because it was delicious end of service and time for me to tell winching feels whether I thought things were bong or not feedback from the dining room service claustrophobic that's when I pulled some of the waiters out and get rid of some of the drapes I think you know that kind of the stayed you know winching and fields-esque service can look very I mean everybody direct feedback back from the customer experience the service being too claustrophobic no I appreciate you listened you ignore it no no ignore it are you peril if my diners felt that your service was claustrophobic please listen to it because it's valuable information we're looking for the best restaurant in Britain not just for the best food but the best service and it goes hand in glove the customers love the food which was great news sadly didn't get a chance to taste it all because we ran out of time don't worry about the Fufu I think you guys try too hard and I just think you guys just need to chill the minute you match the service with a level of attention to detail on the food you've got something unique here I'm looking for the nation's best French restaurant and your nominations have led me to a fantastic place in Edinburgh one of the best French restaurants in Scotland are definitely a contender in this competition I fell in love with French food from a very early age so my standards already high and tonight I'm hoping to be inspired by this amazing little Bistro where's the French man where's he hiding he's hiding as usual and he's little dungeons what's up Chef hey girl dude are you well yeah yeah good to see you yeah and this is good to see you too hi chef Sean Michelle has spent his whole life cooking in high-end French restaurants but a decade ago he turned his back on the world of exclusive oat Cuisine to open his own restaurant serving No Nonsense no frails French rustic fair that remain your home definitely the style of cooking I wanted to do was totally different there's nothing to do with what's being done actually in restaurant nowadays that's they come from here come from Australian I'm not cooking for Kings I'm cooking for poppers I'm forgive us simple guys like me for Country Boys Jean-Michel and sous chef Yani serve at favors like delicious pan-fired scallops The Bistro classic twice baked Rock 4 souffle and rabbit riettes this award-winning Bistro has earned its loyal following yeah that's nice I've got the texture there it's delicious the minute you walk through the door and the guy you really feel like you're back in France and that's one of the biggest compliments I can pay a Frenchman with food this good combined with jean-michel's bonami surely my coach diners can't fail to be seduced all right Drive the key the kick run the dining room give some French charm to the service some of the guests will come in and think that the rabbit is a little bit intimidating explain jean-michel's in love with lapan and he adores rabbit and more importantly sell it here we go [Music] Julie under all French front of house team waste no time in laying on the charm a little English push for you it's cheese funny can I get that for you thank you how's the menu sound um absolutely enticing enticing yeah if you have any question about the rabbit the cook no problem okay so much two rabbits one meringue one brioche orders are starting to come in thick and fast thank you very much Julie and a team have done a great job of selling the rabbit so I got three rabbit already yeah six gas I'll be over there everyone happy always happy Jean-Michel and Julie have a unique system of communicating service Judy you want me to tell you when you're ready for the starters in the main course no just fine just bang what we really she comes when you bang she comes it's like a porn movie how's everybody up there Julie yeah the atmosphere upstairs is Buzzy and relaxed and my diners love the food [Music] but the kitchen is far too relaxed from my liking and there are some silly mistakes occurring Michelle is that hot enough is that it was cold out on top [Music] the rabbit's flying out playing ah let's go for those two right [ __ ] I see another miniature the most popular dish tonight is the saddle of rabbit with black pudding and apple that's good to go yeah the meat's wrapped in fat to baste the rabbit as it Cooks that's really nice really good it's all nice it's great to see Jean-Michel using such a traditional technique but I'm worried about how he's running his kitchen the board is full of checks you're halfway there yes this is where we're right up against it right now Jean-Michel doesn't seem to be taking the lead in the kitchen leaving both his Brigade and front of house team rudderless can't get away from the stove this one can you no he loves it once he gets going that's him I know he loves cooking but with so many orders on at the same time someone needs to be taking control are you supposed to read his mind because he doesn't talk to you [Music] the rabbit's been left under the lights on the hot plate for two minutes while Jean-Michel plates up the lamb a rabbit goes dry within 30 seconds such a shame so this is what hurts for me you've gone from a chef into a cook and the lamb not ready the rabbit's standing there look at me two seconds he's gone silent he's a voice in here now otherwise it'll be the [ __ ] [ __ ] huh foreign [Music] it's not my kitchen so when the rabbit sits there for two minutes and yannick's looking at you waiting for a call I just it needs it needs a leader two three minutes on a palm door thing please such a shame jean-michel's gone from the owner now into a cook because he's not talking to anybody next to go pole chef One Fish Two lamb one rabbit thankfully Yannick has found his voice and sort of started holding the reins because this place needs an organizer and someone as a front runner I love the way Yanni is tasting everything he's proven to be the rock in the Kitchen Tonight hold on two seconds Audrey Audrey bring that back please I'm not asking you to [ __ ] on your boss yeah but when you're standing there slicing the [ __ ] rabbit it's gone dry there's two lamb to be plated up and he's not saying anything to you [ __ ] amazing Foods yeah but I don't understand why you disappear in service when you you don't talk to anybody yeah so I'm just struggling to identify who is the leader tonight yeah yeah I want to find the best restaurant in Britain and the best restaurant in Britain doesn't have food that sits on the hot plate for two and a half three minutes we're on to desserts always a highlight of great French cuisine true to form jean-michel's created simple Rusty desserts including brioche pan Purdue with apricots Julie I'm so sorry but the chef check the desserts would you just run out with them well when he's busy like that okay he's not busy he's only two tickets left please show him the dessert cursory glance just doesn't do it he should have tasted them it was quite tired it was lovely the brioch today it was absolutely delicious that the apricots were just too tired okay the apricots aren't ripe and they should never been used in the first place um [Music] has a chef seen them an hour ago we missed nothing going out of the kitchen whether you're running a bistro fine dining or a burger store you watch everything damn what a shame I'm a bit disappointed with the with a dessert I think that got separicose could have been much better there have been serious mistakes in the Kitchen tonight but what's the verdict front of house it's delicious yeah it's the first time I've ever tried rabbit and so it's lovely fish was a really meaty wholesome party yeah I loved it it was fantastic cheers time for me to tell legally exactly what I think tough night very tough every restaurant in every category is going under that level of scrutiny it's a pressure test we know as chefs that food shouldn't hang for a long time on the hot plate I know I have to take the blade for it I should have stayed at the past and and they didn't because I know they can do the job well I did love downstairs was how often everyone was tasting stuff so when you run upstairs with apricots that the chef hasn't tasted I'm gonna ask you to come back down and if you tasted those apricots before they left the hot plate I guarantee you have said stop we're not serving the pampered with apricots apart from that friendly service bloody good food thank you thanks very much like Eric's got great potential but it has to be consistent on every plate whether it's the most amazing starter or a phenomenal dessert it has to be that exact standard across every plate and Jean-Michel has to decide if he wants to cook all night long then pass the leadership qualities to his number two and if he wants to lead then lead he wants to cook then cook foreign [Music] trip was a massive challenge for winterfields and legere now I'm inviting both teams to London to discuss how they're getting on in the competition but what they don't know is that secret diners sent by me have been to the restaurants the first is restaurant critic Simon Davis I've rigged in with secret cameras and asked him to be demanding and difficult I'm allergic to those I can't eat sultanas now we'll really see how these restaurants perform when I'm not there watching and so will they first to see the evidence is Colin from wintingham fields and his sous chef Slavic guys how are you big test for you wasn't it yeah I've never done something like that before so yeah a bit about your comfort zone unknown to you you've actually been tested twice I sent in my secret Diner and this is what happened on the coach trip they lit my diners down with over fussy food and service but have they learned from their mistakes hi there thank you very much thank you thank you they just came to us first off great welcome and these Bush arrives at the table didn't ask them gets put down and bang they start eating uh you'll find three different menus but only two are available you have the very first one which is the lunch menu and then if you turn the page over you'll see a red ribbon on the right of the red we're going to see them when you surprise that's the one that we only do in the evening uh yeah okay it will be screws we have to come back on the left hand side however you'll find the yellow cut which is fully available as well we started the main courses and then you're trying to do desserts at the back of the manuscript using the following page all right exhausted the menu is Big imposing huge descriptions it's long-winded it's getting heavier and heavier and heavier and they just want to be left alone [Music] right so we get another uh there's three things we've had so far that we haven't ordered you know beginning to feel like I've really started to eat now and we haven't had the first of our three courses I hope one is a really nice gesture great opener sets the tone for what's happening next but any more than one and it looks like you're trying too hard roasted Lobster that's when the lobster Resort and certainly was a sorted models so it was a lobster bisque and the side the chocolate they have the parmesan cheese thank you I was so annoying when he pointed out that Morale Mushroom I swear his finger virtually touched the mushroom if not touched it I don't know I don't want someone coming in and pointing their finger over my feet [ __ ] her off food is exquisite you need to look at your service you need to really just bring that in and bring a breath of fresh air in there and you'll surprise yourself and more importantly attract a different clientele which you've been slightly nervous of going for let's go [Music] it was great to get feedback from Gordon it was great for him to say to me you know it's Gordon Ramsey telling you what's great about your cooking what's not so good about it and and what to fix about it and anyone who can say negative things about it is great because that means we can analyze it work it do we need to change it it's great feedback you know it is priceless foreign French restaurant winchingham field from Lincolnshire service please it's been waiting two minutes is battling out with edinburgh's charming Bistro La garage to become my best French restaurant [Music] Jean-Michel Yani and Julie are about to discover that one of my spines has been checking them out I sent in expert food consultant and cookie writer Sarah Durden Robertson she knows what makes a great restaurant thank you so much for coming that was a tough test it was what you didn't know is that you've actually been tested twice when I left the garlic I sent in a secret Diner let's watch it shall we my 30 diners love legariq's rustic charm but the service and food suffers from jean-michel's lack of leadership in the kitchen are things running more smoothly now to Duncan what would you recommend that's very good nice liaison between the kitchen and the restaurants good it's actually very hot in here even the butter is beginning to melt and go soft it's not that hot outside so I don't understand why it's so hot [Music] oh my goodness thank you oh I'd be delighted it's so hot ah the man with the power we should have just asked you if only I'd known I've got sent it on are we not allowed to have that on in the morning to get the restaurant nice and cool when butter starts melting on the table are you cutting back on the electricity bill no no no no no I don't know what happened just forget to put it on or it's a bit of a school boy error when we can't have the air conditioning on what a shame is it too little could I just haven't boiled new potatoes just please hold just a bit fatter just boiled new potatoes okay thank you beans are delicious is that yeah that is that's okay yeah it's okay okay yeah thank you she's bought me my placement potatoes [Music] I'm talking about the horrible greasy Sergeant potatoes that came out swimming in fat they look Dreadful in the kitchen we have to be able to be more [Music] um you can't do everything you can't do everything no you can't but when you cook a stunning main course the garnish is even as important it boils down to the consistency again doesn't it what a shame I'm a bit worried we're not going to make it to the airport is there any way we could take these in a doggy bag oh yes not the ice cream obviously but yeah yeah because I just think we're not going to make the flight in time otherwise sorry that's my fault on the plane questions they do know we're in a rush now we're ready to go waiting for to come and take the money she's answered the phone she's gone off to the kitchen she still hasn't come to take the money what a shame right at the very end yeah dying to catch the flight it's a nursery request and it's just been blatantly ignored so it was like sort of small little niggling facts that you put them all together it's like a bit of a blow power performance when I know when that rations on song it's the best Bistro in the country what's up in a way I'm disappointed by the the potato Saga that's something that's a lack of concentration or a lack of supervision with the service this thing we can change the cooking the potatoes the communication with the chefs of this kind of thing can easily be resolved [Music] both restaurants have struggled this is their last chance to impress me I'm taking the chefs out of their kitchens and into mine and three Michigan starred restaurant in London where I'm challenging them to create one mind-blowing dish I feel very confident we're a very very strong team so we are going to work our bollocks off and it's going to be you know hopefully a three Mission star result [Music] wow I'd be in this restaurant in this kitchen today is a hell of an experience we're here to Win It I want them to raise their game and cook like they've never cooked before [Music] the battle of the French within these four walls is everything I've ever wanted ever worked for and I suppose my dream come true there's no greater platform for both these restaurants today to show off only one restaurant going through the semi-final make sure it's you and every time you put food onto that plate think semi-final and good luck all the best guys French cuisine is close to my heart so I can't wait to see what Jean-Michel and Colin create using fish as their main ingredient first table on they're going four cups away table five four John Dory please thank you but it's not just me they'll have to impress 20 distinguished guests will also help me judge both restaurants dishes including gilquillo head chef at the French Embassy and food writer novelist Joanne Harris author of chocolate and two popular French cookbooks both restaurants front of house teams are dining here today and Colin's dad but they can only sit and wait while their chefs battle it out and Yannick give me a time for the first table please six or seven minutes to the pasture let's go seven minutes thank you Yannick great love the information [Music] have made their names with simple rustic food but today they're going Hot Cuisine with poached John Dory so with polenta cake and longest teens a lightly battered oyster and a longer steam bisque [Music] so you run one of the best beach shows in the country this doesn't sound like a bistro Classic this sounds like you've we're cooking in your kitchen today we don't want to do special cooking we're trying to raise our camera so you're going uh you're up there under Europe so Michelle turn this back 10 years ago I'm trying dining because he wanted to become a little bit more rustic but today he's going back to that fine dining style and he's really pushed the boat out what he had for breakfast this morning I don't know it must have been a [ __ ] strong pot of porridge Only Hope Jean-Michel and sous chef Yani aren't over stretching themselves Winton Fields four red mullet please me [Music] Colin give me a time please on the first table one please okay three minutes Sunday four fish please three minutes to the window thank you on the other side of the kitchen calling from winchingham Fields usually has the opposite problem creating food that's just too fussy Colin Slavic um exposed because they haven't got their Entourage of 25 chefs and 15 gardeners and four you know individuals to wash their cars so today they are on their own tonight Collins pan fried red mullet and serving it with a bully based sauce and a Mediterranean salad the whole idea about this dish is that it's a nisswas it's a salad so each part has to be perfect and that's what makes the dish it's not just the flavors you can show off you know you can show off courgettes and green beans so that's good okay how integral is it on a scale of one to ten see the garnish is going to be about seven out of ten the rest of it four wow it's not bad for you is it I know yeah listening listening because d constructing a nicoise salad in this way is a bold move now he's got rid of all the distraction Thrills Colin's gonna have to really focus on flavors to make this work I thought Colin on Winston Phil's doesn't go more complicated over the top yeah he's reigned it in he's he's gone simpler it's a chance to concentrate and really really show off over at legarig the timing of their polenta and deep-fried oyster must be perfect to disappear in your mouth it's precise cooking just check your place a little bit of water there work together just trying to drain that fish next time in the cloth when you dry that fish a little bit like that when you come to Sauce it the sauce will glaze and stick exactly that yeah wait what's the sauce in the middle of the plates as they plate up the pressure is clearly taking its toll sauce in the plate like he's shaking hands of the queen it's going all over the place it's a shame because he looks nervous which I didn't expect especially if I'm a Frenchman start to shaking it'll be shaking my life you know even when I got married there was no shaking you know it's really golden made me shake it looks incredible that's absolutely beautiful Chef yeah perfect jean-michel's hour of need I'm delighted to say that sous chef Yani is stepping up to the plate again I love the way you're tasting as well yes yeah what you're tasting yeah is what they're eating yes let's go go last table now please yeah two John Dory away double three please fish good to go good to go this is good to go let's go Jean-Michel and Yani are really working as a team sending out plate after plate of exquisite looking food John Michelle they look great fantastic very nice go please a little time to the plate well done excellent go temple four please [Music] thank you coach John Dory and langoustein Cake oyster Beignet on top and a lobster bisque whatever table four four more away please on table five yes and keep that momentum going guys please yes Colin's gone for a simple dish so his cooking must rely on flavors not frails and I'm not sure he's nailed it before you pass that it tasted fragrant and like a light blue base although it's almost like it's Luster's fishiness and it's done more veggies you want it to taste but what's on there I'll fish exactly yeah fine okay today about to make sure that dish is all about Flavor not how things look let's have a how long please 10 seconds fish 10 seconds work together come on guys jelly check your plates nice come on wait work together work together work together yeah vibrant colors love the idea of the egg yolk on there let's go yep they look fantastic go table one please go beautiful I love that level of creativity and the confidence to be that simple with that red mullet brilliant last hour let's make it look absolutely perfect like the first hour yes okay great table three please let's go oh sorry sorry sorry thank you very much Colin get over every one of your dishes yes come on wait a little bit good okay thank you good excellent okay pan fried red mullet you have tomato fondue courgettes I finished with potato on top presentation is brilliant and I'd expect nothing less but I hope his dish is as successful as leguiz beautiful that involves a little bit of skill to get something out that's still sizzlingly crispy service is over and it's time to find out which of these two incredible dishes my guests preferred starting with wintringham Fields nice to see you thank you excellent now let's talk fish um red mullet how was it really nice sauce I love the is one of my favorite things also exactly summer time and yeah it's really simple and I really like it I thought the red Malik was absolutely fantastic and when it came out that the skin was really nice and crispy and it was still very fresh and hot from the pan it was like being in the Mediterranean you know on a sunny day sunshine on a play the fish was slightly overcooked for me but overall uh it was a really good dish ladies let's talk don't worry that was it on the whole I think it was very nice the whole balance of the dish was beautiful and the flavors were very complementary to each other we all found I think that the oyster was a slightly odd thing because we couldn't quite tell what it was yeah interesting Johnny Dory I loved the um love the fish and really delighted by the oyster I thought that was a real treat [Music] French teams have excelled themselves in my kitchen serving up Exquisite food worthy of their reputations and mine I think to go through the semi-finals would be it would be excellent for the restaurant for everyone back in Edinburgh all the staff we've worked with I think it would be a dream come true for us all we're actually about the printers are thinking and then we take it from there I was happy with everything that went out there was nothing I wasn't happy with each individual part was cooked that I wanted to be cooked so everything went out I'm happy now I must decide which team has that all important je ne sais quoi to take them through to the semi-final [Music] the chefs from my top two French restaurants Colin from winching fields in Lincolnshire and Jean-Michel from legaric and Edinburgh have just finished the service of their lives two exceptional restaurants but only one can stay in the competition help me choose I'm going to taste each team's dish [Music] visiting both cities look attractive great finesse so let's read first this guy surprised me today polenta lined inside with longest team ambitious and dangerous tastes very good John Dory sauce is delicious Rich robust and a really nice sort of shellfish bisque really good doesn't need the oyster fried at the end not really no the sauce is the is the key there a lot of Hearts true French passion all over that plate woodringham Fields red mullet crisp you can hear it as we cut across beautiful hmm delicious packed full of flavor I thinking part there is the sauce it's like a sort of tomato bully base bisque very clever and it looks intricate but it is very very simple and bloody delicious this is a tough call because they've really surprised me and I'm more surprised with Jean-Michel because I didn't think he had the capabilities of doing that and I didn't think that Colin could Reign it in to outstanding French restaurants but only one can win a place in the semi-finals [Music] okay the winner today is based on everything we've experienced Colin you pulled it back you sort of rained it in which I didn't expect to see today that dish delicious excelling is difficult under pressure but you push the boat out think of the journey when we started off with 30 diners turning up unexpectedly for any restaurant anywhere in the country that is immense pressure I mean really immense pressure both thresholders handled it brilliantly well after that I then secretly filmed your restaurants in operation unknown to any of you to make sure that you weren't just rolling out the red carpet because it was me and that told me a lot so based on everything I've seen everything I've eaten and everything I've experienced the winner is going to come down to this the restaurant that I want to go back to is it the legary that French charm that real come in sit in my front room with an Ambiance that is electric or is it the Sumptuous wrestling with rooms that you walk in and you're sort of Blown Away with that charm tough the winner of the French category foreign [Music] congratulations John Michelle you surprised me today and you are a credit not just to your restaurant but your country because you showed flashes of brilliance don't stop well done well done well done I'll be disappointed that at the same time very pleased with what we've done today we're going to take it back to ragarig and take it from there and start again [Applause] high five great result for us which I'm really chuffed to bits with Gordon Ramsay one of the most famous chefs in the world um telling me that you know he likes my food and he wants to go back to my restaurant so yeah how big do you get on top of that you know it's fabulous so yeah really really just a bit [Music] cheers [Music] I've been on the most amazing journey of these two French restaurants and it's quite sad to say goodbye to the garage however the journey Starts Now for Winston Fields they so deserve their place in the semi-final

Channel: All In The Kitchen

Views: 376,729

Keywords: Gordon Ramsay, Gordon Ramsay chef, Gordon Ramsay recipe, Gordon Ramsay cooking, Gordon Ramsay teaching, Gordon Ramsay best of, Gordon Ramsay funny, Gordon Ramsay argument, Gordon Ramsay tv show, Gordon Ramsay full episodes, Gordon Ramsay cooking show, full episodes, cooking, cooking show, full episodes cooking

Id: 5vNn8RjxwWM

Length: 130min 25sec (7825 seconds)

Published: Tue Apr 18 2023