Who Cooked What and Who Went Home on Yes, Chef! This Week? (May 5, 2025)
A cooking challenge that requires a lot of trust is going to be a hard sell for a bunch of chefs with big egos and hot tempers.
The second episode of NBC's new cooking competition Yes, Chef! began with Martha Stewart putting her famous roast chicken in the oven. The rest of the hour had the 11 remaining contestants trying to make appetizers to go with Martha's tasty poultry — and, at times, running around like headless chickens themselves.
After Chef Petrina was eliminated at the end of last week's premiere episode, the second episode had the contestants split into two teams of five for the Trust Fall Relay challenge. Each team would have 90 minutes to prepare five appetizers with the somewhat limited ingredients already in the kitchen, and only one chef from each team would be allowed in the kitchen at a time. In theory, this meant they all had 18 minutes to make their dish, but success would depend on making sure they didn't use up too much time or too many ingredients, leaving the chefs on their team who were cooking later in the lineup in the lurch.
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"This challenge is going to require a lot of team work but also a lot of trust," co-host and judge José Andrés explained. "There is plenty of time to make great dishes but only if they communicate throughout the entire challenge."
Chef Katsuji, the winner of last week's cook off, headed up the Green Team while Michelle, who was last week's Most Valuable Chef, helmed Team Blue. In a tasty twist, the two captains were responsible for drafting the other chef's team. Chef Michelle was picking contestants that she perceived as weaker for Chef Katsuji's team, while he had a different strategy.
"I’m going to create a team for her that’s strong because if we win, a strong competitor goes home," Chef Katsuji said.
Ronny, the 11th competitor, was not drafted for either team, and instead had a job tasting all the other dishes once they were done. Here's what the teams were, the order they cooked in, and the dishes they made.
Blue Team: Chef Emily, Chef T, Chef Michelle, Chef Chris, and Chef Lee
Chef Emily: White Bean & Anchovy Dip With Chips
José, admitting he was being "picky, picky," saying the texture of the dip was slightly thick, but Martha quipped that she didn't care. Both of them liked the dish a lot.
Chef T: “Loaded Baked Potato" Puff
Chef T took a lot of time in the kitchen, which had ramifications, but it paid off with her dish, which both José and Martha complimented, saying the puffs were "rich."
Chef Michelle: Grilled Cheese
As captain, Chef Michelle wanted to ensure her team had enough time to cook after Chef T went so long, so she decided to take one for the team and just make a quick, simple grilled cheese. It didn't not go well.
"That’s not your only job in this competition," Martha said of Michelle's explanation that she was being strategic. "You should be able to make a croque monsieur that’s a little better than this."
Chef Chris: Mornay Sauce & Portobello With Hedgehog Mushrooms & Aged Balsamic
Chef Chris had planned on making mushroom bruschetta, but he was forced to pivot at the last minute when Chef Michelle used most of the bread. He was mad about this, but managed to make a different mushroom dish. Martha said the flavor was good, but it was "a little chalky on the tongue."
Chef Lee: Shaved Fennel Caesar Salad With Lardons & Bacon Fat Croutons
Blue Team's final dish was Chef Lee's salad, which neither Sewart nor José loved. "The fennel is too big, too thick," José said. "I feel a little bit like I am a cow, munching and munching and it never ends."
Green Team: Chef Zain, Chef Julia, Chef Peter, Chef Jake, and Chef Katsuji
Chef Zain: Carrot Cumin Soup with Carrot Top Pesto
"If I was a rabbit in a restaurant I would be very happy with this carrot soup," José said.
Chef Julia: Shaved Celery & Mushroom Salad
An approving Martha said she thought that celery was an "underused vegetable," and José, despite saying he wasn't "a celery guy," loved it, too.
Chef Peter: Fennel Salad With Miso Vinaigrette
José said Chef Peter's fennel salad fell short and was missing "a little acidity."
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Chef Jake: Mushroom Conserve Toast With Gruyere Cheese
Chef Jake's toasts recieved a modest reception from Martha and José, with José wishing the bread were cut thinner with more cheese once it was out of the oven, and Martha wanting "a prettier mount of mushrooms."
Chef Katsuji: Charred Vidalia Onion With Salsa Matcha & Yogurt
Chef Katsuji had told his team he would need more than 18 minutes, forcing some of them to cook quicker than they might have liked, but he revealed that was just a ploy to ensure he wouldn't have too much of his time encroached on. The resulting dish was not a smashing success; while José liked the onion, he felt the sauce was a little grainy — and he was not sympathetic to Chef Katsuji's explainataiton that it was grainy on purpose because of the pecans. "The issue is I'm not enjoying it," Chef José replied.
Who went home in Yes, Chef! Episode 2, "Martha's Roast"?
Once the cooking was done, Chef Ronny, who had tasted every meal, was asked to say which team's dishes he preferred over all. He chose Team Blue, which meant he was now a member of that team — safe from elimination if they won, vulnerable if they lost. And Team Blue did lose, due largely to the inter-team fighting about communication and unfair usage of time and ingredients. Chef Michelle's grilled cheese took a lot of criticism, too. Team Green won, making them all safe from elimination.
"At the end of the day, my strategy worked," Chef Katsuji said. "The other team, there was no leadership. They were creating drama [that] was not an issue."
Chef Emily was named the week's Most Valuable Chef, meaning she was safe from elimination despite being on the losing Blue Team. She opted to compete against Chef Emily, and the pair had 60 minutes and full use of the pantry to try to make a chicken dish that could compete with Martha's famous roast chicken.
Chef Michelle made Thai Chicken With Broccoli Rabe, Cipollini Onions & Fried Potatoes, while Chef Emily made Piccata Style Chicken With Mushrooms, Chicken Jus & Artichoke Dip. Almost all the other chefs seemed to be rooting for Chef Emily — or more accurately, against Chef Michelle, and the elimination was high stakes.
Martha and José were both somewhat disappointed that neither chef tried to showcase the chicken for their meals, but they didn't dislike them, either.
Martha said she was surprised by the lack of lemon and capers in her piccata-style dish but she thought it was tasty. Michelle, upon hearing that the judges thought her chicken was "a little mushy," began to cry, assuming she was headed for elimination. Earlier in the episode, she'd explained that she was competing in part to get money for medical treatment for a rare condition her daughter had. José, ever the humanitarian, got up to hug her. And, once Chef Michelle had regained her composure, he announced that she had won — meaning she could pick which other member of Team Blue would be going home.
Although Chef Chris was concerned he'd have a target on his back because of how he'd "talked a lot of s---," Chef Michelle chose to eliminate Chef T because she perceived Chef T was one of the most talented — and therefore threatening — chefs in the competition.
"Michelle is not trying to compete agains the best chefs," Chef Zain said at the end of the episode. "She’s trying to look out for herself."
Chef T was, understandably, mad. "You are intimidated by my talent," the outgoing contestant said.
New episodes of Yes, Chef! premiere on Mondays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on NBC, following The Voice. Each episode will be available to stream on Peacock the next day.
