Hell's Kitchen Wiki
Advertisement
This page is move protected.

The first episode of Season 22 of Hell's Kitchen aired on September 28, 2023. In that episode, eighteen new chefs began their journey, cooked their signature dishes, and tensions between teammates began to show.

Intro[]

The season begins with the eighteen new chefs arriving at Hell's Kitchen, where Marino awaits them. As the chefs unloaded from the SUVs, Carmen introduced herself as a Peruvian from Miami determined to win. Then, Johnathan revealed that he lived with his parents and his five-year-old daughter, face palming at how embarrassing it sounded. The chefs entered Hell's Kitchen and noticed the past winners from each season before entering the dining room. To give the chefs some inspiration, Ramsay decided to have them walk through the famous doors and have a taste of what it felt like to win. As they did it, Sammi called it a dream to walk through the doors and become Ramsay's champion, planning to make it a reality. Then, Mattias wanted to walk through the doors to show his family that he had gone through hell to make it.

Afterwards, the chefs got to know each other, and Brad declared that the Cuban had arrived. Then, the Sous Chefs arrived, and Devon realized how real it was. Christina said that after her door opened in Season 10, her American dream came true as she was the Vice President of Culinary for Gordon Ramsay North America. And while Jason was the runner-up of Season 7, he said his exposure alone allowed him to open five restaurants in Boston. Afterwards, a guitar player appeared and played the national anthem as four other doors appeared behind the curtain. The first door belonged to Oscar De La Hoya, a World Champion Boxer and Promoter from a poor immigrant background. Seeing Hoya shocked Jermaine as it reminded him how much of a fighter he was. The second door belonged to Martina McBride, a four-time CMA vocalist of the year winner from a small Kansas town. Her appearance made Tad feel embarrassed to be wearing a Hawaiian shirt. The third door belonged to Dia Simms, the CEO of Lobos 1707, which Devon called unreal to be in her presence. The final door belonged to Ramsay, who recounted his American dream of coming from a short-lived football player to a Michelin star chef and host of a twenty-one-season-long reality cooking show. Jermaine said he got a Ramsay cookbook from his brother when he was nine and called it a dream to be in the latter's presence.

After Ramsay stepped out, he welcomed the chefs to the twenty-second season, where they were celebrating the American Dream. Ryan said his American dream only scratched the surface and hoped Hell's Kitchen propelled it. Ramsay said the three celebrities the chefs saw were proof of the American Dream and asked each of them what drove them to success. Hoya said he had determination, McBride said she had courage, and Simms said she refused to back down. Hearing that inspired Atoye, and Ramsay dismissed the celebrities. Ramsay said Hell's Kitchen was part of the American Dream as Raneisha felt that winning would solidify her story of a small-town girl making it far. Ramsay said the winner of that season would become his Head Chef at Hell's Kitchen in Caesars Las Vegas with a salary of $250,000. That made Tad ask why he would not want to be a part of that. Then, Ramsay told the chefs that their Signature Dish Challenge was about to begin, directing the women to the red kitchen and the men to the blue kitchen. Ramsay demanded the best and began the challenge.

Afterwards, a teaser mixed with footage from previous seasons and this season was shown.

Signature Dish Challenge[]

As the chefs entered their kitchens, they began cooking their signature dishes within a forty-five-minute time limit. Johnathan was pumped up, as making a good impression on Ramsay was important. Then, Johnathan said the American Dream was not about good will, it was about sacrificing everything to make a better life. In the red kitchen, Sammi said her dish was linguini and clams, which everyone who had it loved. In the blue kitchen, Dahmere made coconut curry and grilled lobster cream linguini as it was his breakout post on social media. However, Dahmere decided to use boxed pasta as he thought forty-five minutes was not enough to make fresh pasta. In contrast, Sammi made her pasta fresh, as Ryan knew that boxed pasta would not win Ramsay over. Brad tried to liven the mood by singing as he cooked, but Jason got annoyed as he thought the latter needed to shut up and cook as it was a serious situation.

Ten minutes left, Leigh said she was making an Asian-inspired salmon, adding that she recently graduated from culinary school. While Leigh was confident about searing the salmon, she got concerned when she noticed that the skin was burnt. So, Leigh trimmed off the charred skin and commented that she should turn down the burner for next time. Meanwhile, Melissa worked on her Southern lamb chops, discovering raw meat. Refusing to serve raw lamb to Ramsay, Melissa put the chops on a pan and did a quick sear to cook them further. In the blue kitchen, Tad told Sous Chef Jason he was making homemade biscuits with lemon strawberry jam and sausage. Despite knowing how crazy that sounded, Tad felt it represented his southern roots and was confident about how it would turn out. With time running out, everyone got their dishes plated, but Tad accidentally poured too much paprika onto his dish.

Jason and Melissa were up first to present their dishes to Ramsay. Melissa said she began cooking during her undergraduate years and fell in love with cooking to nourish people away from home. Melissa's lamb with sweet potatoes and Swiss chard had a good presentation, but Ramsay said he got concerned seeing her flash fry the chops during the cooking. That made Melissa tremble in fear, but thankfully, Ramsay enjoyed the flavors and gave her four points. Melissa felt her American Dream began, while Jason gave Ramsay a lengthy description of his culinary career. When Jason mentioned that he worked with a chef Ramsay knew, the latter said they were his Head Chef with Guy Savoy. Jason's citrus and chilli-infused Maine lobster with charred lemon had a good cook, but Ramsay felt the seasoning did not work as it was too sweet. Jason said he added some honey, but Ramsay thought it was unneeded as lobsters were already sweet and called it an injustice. While Jason thought he had done nothing wrong, Ramsay gave him a three. The women led 4-3, but Jason argued that his dish was worth a four.

When Ryan and Raneisha went up, the latter wanted to pinch herself as Ramsay asked what her inspiration was. Raneisha said her six children inspired her, as did her sister's three kids, as she adopted them after she passed away from Covid. Also, Raneisha said she learned cooking from her grandmother before presenting her shrimp and grits with a dill sauce. The grits were undercooked, but Ramsay gave Raneisha three points because they tasted good. Then, Ryan revealed he was from Ireland and came from a family of chefs, and he watched Ramsay on television since he was five years old. After Brad was mesmerized by Ryan's accent, the latter presented his veal tenderloin with veal and rose Ju. After tasting it, Ramsay said something was missing, making Ryan fearful of what it was. It turned out that what Ryan missed was that his father was not around to see the review, giving the latter a perfect five. As the men led 8-7, Ryan knew his strong dish put him on the map for the other chefs. The next pair up was Carmen and Dahmere, the former revealing she got her cooking skills from her grandmother and traveled to Peru. Carmen's Peruvian cilantro grain rice and pan-seared duck were praised for having a well-cooked duck and rice, and Ramsay felt that she did her background right. Carmen scored four points, while Dahmere said his dream was to get some security as his father was getting older. Dahmere's grilled lobster and coconut curry linguini was immediately brought down by the use of boxed pasta, disappointing Devon as he knew the former could do better. Then, Ramsay said the lobster tasted bland and had Carmen taste it to confirm it. While Carmen said Dahmere's dish was worthy of a two, Ramsay said she was generous and gave it a one instead. The women led 11-9, and Dahmere regretted using boxed pasta.

When Sammi got up, she explained that she worked at the Nomad hotel in Los Angeles, revealing that she met Ramsay during MasterChef Junior and how he praised her steaks back then. Although Ramsay did not remember that moment, he still believed Sammi. Sammi presented her linguini and clams, immediately telling Ramsay that she made fresh pasta, and the latter said he would remember her perfect five dish. Sammi felt like a rock star, while Devon's smoked pork tenderloin was praised for a good cook despite tasting too sweet. So, Devon scored three points, and the women led 16-12. In the fifth round, Claudia revealed that she was from Switzerland and could speak four and a half languages. Claudia presented her schnatzlitz, but Ramsay said it was overcooked. When Claudia began giggling, Raneisha feared that the former would be a problem as Ramsay gave her two points. Then, Johnathan said his dream was to open a family restaurant and said he bought his daughter her first knife set. Johnathan said he was competing for his daughter, which was hard as it was the longest he had been away from her. Johnathan's gnocchi with clam cream sauce, bacon, and vegetables were deemed a good dish, and Ramsay felt that the former had been cooked since he was five. So, Johnathan scored a perfect five, much to his excitement, and the women led 18-17.

Afterwards, Atoye presented her habanero-infused cod, which was too hot for Ramsay to handle as there were too many scotch bonnet peppers in the sauce. Atoye scored two points, and Tad was asked where he started cooking. Tad said he began in a pizzeria and said he was a competitive person, revealing that he was a professional quidditch player. That made everyone stare in disbelief, and Ramsay asked if anyone else played quidditch, to which they said no. Tad's homemade biscuits with sausage gravy and lemon jam made Ramsay question the concept of the dish and said it did not look appetizing. Ramsay compared it to vomit, and Ryan could not believe Tad would make that for Ramsay. After tasting the dish, Ramsay wished he had a broom so he could sweep it away, giving Tad a generous one. The women led 20-18 as Jermaine and Leigh went up. Leigh revealed that she got married two years ago, and since her husband worked in the military, she took up cooking for her own interests. Leigh's Asian-inspired salmon with coconut rice was criticized for lacking skin, and she admitted to still getting used to the flat top. Ramsay found the salmon overcooked, but he gave Leigh a three as the rice was cooked perfectly. Then, Jermaine's lobster mac and cheese scored four points for a unique taste, only losing out on a five as the presentation did not sit well with Ramsay. The women led 23-22.

In the eighth round, Sandra listed off the multiple bands she catered for before presenting her vegan scallops made from king oyster mushrooms. Ramsay asked Sandra if she was vegan, but she said she was not. While the dish had the potential for something unique, the mushrooms were undercooked in the center, and Ramsay gave Sandra two points. Then, Brad's veal cutlet with spaetzle was deemed good and scored four points. The men led 26-25, and Brad was pleased. For the final round, Donya felt the pressure of going last as she felt Ramsay was staring into her soul. Donya revealed that she was born addicted to drugs but wanted to prove that her urban fusion could be global. Ramsay saw that Donya could bounce back from adversity, and she presented her take on catfish and grits. While Ramsay liked the catfish, he felt the grits needed work and gave Donya four points. Still, Donya was okay with a four, as she compared it to getting a 90% on a math test. Lastly, Mattias felt nervous going up last as his dish could either win it for the men or lose it. Mattias presented his filet mignon with purple carrot chorizo and poblano hash. The steak had a perfect medium rare cook and sear, but Ramsay noticed burned chorizo on the plate. After tasting the dish, Ramsay told Mattias that while the dish had the makings of four, he was getting three points for the burned garnish. With the score tied at 29 each, Ramsay called Ryan and Sammi to bring their dishes back for a second look. While Ramsay deemed both dishes excellent, he declared Sammi's the best of the day, and the women won the challenge.

Scoring[]

Red Team Blue Team
Chef Score Total Chef Score Total
Melissa 4/5 4 Jason 3/5 3
Raneisha 3/5 7 Ryan 5/5 8
Carmen 4/5 11 Dahmere 1/5 9
Sammi 5/5 16 Devon 3/5 12
Claudia 2/5 18 Johnathan 5/5 17
Atoye 2/5 20 Tad 1/5 18
Leigh 3/5 23 Jermaine 4/5 22
Sandra 2/5 25 Brad 4/5 26
Donya 4/5 29 Mattias 3/5 29
Results 29*-29
* Best dish named by Ramsay broke the tie in the challenge and won it for their team.

Reward[]

The women were rewarded with a day at a Beverly Hills Mansion, and after explaining the reward, Ramsay said he was joining them. During the reward, Raneisha was stoked to enter a mansion, and the women took in the sight from the backyard. Sammi thought the women were bonding well, and Sandra thought the positive female energy was thriving. Carmen called it priceless, and as the women sat down for dinner, Ramsay joined them at the table. Ramsay wanted the women's energy to continue, and Raneisha asked him what he was looking for in a head chef. Ramsay said that he was looking for someone who was prepared to learn and focused, making Raneisha stunned that he answered her question. Carmen asked Ramsay what he would tell himself twenty years ago, and the latter said he would have wanted to travel more and experience more cultures. Afterwards, the women and Ramsay toasted.

Punishment[]

The men were punished by participating in delivery day and cleaning up both kitchens. Ramsay jokingly told Tad to sweep up the mess with his broomstick. During the punishment, the women walked past them, but Ryan told them to enjoy being wined and dined as it would be their last. As the men cleaned the kitchens, Sous Chef Jason tried to spark some conversations with the group, warning them that people with egos tended to leave early due to poor mistakes. However, to Brad's annoyance, Jason told the men to work and talk while Ryan was trying to converse with Sous Chef Jason. Ryan felt Jason was rude, but the latter felt the men were not taking the competition seriously.

Individual challenge[]

Later that evening, the chefs were at the dorms when the Sous Chefs came up with the cookbooks. As the chefs studied the recipes, Tad explained how he got into Quidditch despite never reading Harry Potter. Sandra called Tad a character, and Johnathan gave the latter a giant feather to use as a makeshift broom so he could show off his skills. Tad showed off what real-life Quidditch was, which involved running like normal and explaining the rules. Donya was in awe as she did not know it was a real sport.

Later that evening, the chefs continued to study as Sammi hoped they did well that night. While Tad felt they bonded with everybody, Brad brought up Jason's rude attitude during the punishment and felt the latter was unpleasant. Meanwhile, Melissa took Jason aside and encouraged him not to be a jerk around everyone. However, Jason refused to change his attitude as he considered himself confident rather than arrogant.

The following morning, the chefs changed into their jackets and came downstairs to see Ramsay next to two big colored boxes. Ramsay reminded the chefs that Hell's Kitchen was proud to use fresh ingredients and had the Sous Chefs open the boxes to reveal their contents. The episode ended as a cliffhanger as the chefs reacted to the contents.

Trivia[]

  • Title Reference: The title refers to the start of Season 22.
  • This marks the fourth time the Signature Dish Challenge ended in a tie, and the third time the red team won the tiebreaker.
Hell's Kitchen Season 22 Episodes
The Dream BeginsTad OverwhelmingCitizens of Hell's KitchenGimme an H!Just Bring the DARN Fish!Fusion ConfusionAll Up in Your GrillsCooking For Your LifeMore Bang For Your BuckThe Pastabilities Are EndlessA Hellish Food FightA Hell's Kitchen Special Delivery#HellishHangoverDon't Be FooledAnd Then There Were TwoOne Hell of An American Dream
Advertisement