| “ | In this competition, I'm looking forward to everybody else underestimating me. I may be little, but I have big flavors. | ” |
Amanda "Manda" Palomino was a contestant on Seasons 15 and 17 of Hell's Kitchen. On Season 15, she ranked in 5th place, and on Season 17, she ranked in 11th place.
Season 15[]
Episode 1[]
- Main article: Episode 1501 - 18 Chefs Compete
When the chefs arrived at Hell's Kitchen, Manda admitted that while her competitors would underestimate her for being little, she had big flavors. Then, they found out that they had to go to Las Vegas immediately. After participating in a parade, the chefs met Ramsay at the BLT Steak, which was the prize-winning restaurant, and they were asked to cook their signature dishes there.
During the Signature Dish Challenge, Manda felt Kevin should have received zero points after the latter's dish was made using pre-made ingredients. She was the ninth and final person from the red team to have her dish judged by Ramsay and went up against Hassan. Before tasting her dish, she revealed that her three kids were her main motivation as she wanted to give them a better life. She made cornflake fried scallops, and while Ramsay said that the dish was not bad, he felt it was a little bit weird. That caused her to respond that she was weird, causing the audience to break out laughing, Ramsay even trying his best not to laugh, and she received 3 points. The red team lost the challenge 22-24, and they were punished by peeling 50 pounds of shrimp and making 1000 pounds of truffle mashed potatoes at Sterling Buffet.
During dinner service, Manda was on the fish station with Ashley. At one point, she said that she was confident on fish as she grew up near the Jersey Shore but was more concerned about Vanessa’s performance. The red team won the service.[1]
Episode 2[]
- Main article: Episode 1502 - 17 Chefs Compete
Back at the dorms, Manda comforted Vanessa after the latter was upset by her poor performance, told her to let it go, and hugged her in comfort, before admitting that she was missing her babies back home.
During the Dumplings Challenge, Manda was in a three-man team with Kristin and Meese. After the pair of Hassan and Frank scored zero points, she believed that the boobies from earlier distracted them. While Ramsay hoped that the three-man team would do well, most of their baskets had raw dumplings, and only two were accepted. The red team won the challenge 13-12, and they were rewarded with a helicopter trip to Geoffrey’s in Malibu for a seafood lunch with Ramsay.
During dinner service, Manda served a special corn chowder appetizer tableside. She was not seen much, the red team lost the service, and they were asked to nominate three people for elimination.
She was not nominated for elimination.[2]
Episode 3[]
- Main article: Episode 1503 - 16 Chefs Compete
During the Jackets Challenge, Manda was wrongly told by Dannie that her recipe was a burrito when it was taquitos. She was the third person from the red team to have her dish judged by Ramsay and went up against Eddie in the taquito round. Her dish was disqualified as the recipe was taquitos, and she got mad at Dannie for messing her up. The red team lost the challenge 3-5, and they were punished by taking in delivery of 100 pounds of sea bass, prepping it for the following service, zesting lemons, and eating a fish head soup for lunch. During the punishment, she was the only woman that was not grossed out by gutting the fish and said that she was willing to gut out anything.
During dinner service, Manda was on the garnish station. While she knew that she had to push out orders due to being on garnish, she had to tell Meese to wait for two minutes as she was not ready yet. Later, she was still slow on garnishes, and Ramsay reminded her that she was only heating two items. When she saw Meese's trashed Wellingtons, she called that insane, and that she would have eaten them caveman-style than trashing them. Eventually, she brought up her garnishes.
The red team lost the service and were asked to nominate two people for elimination. During deliberation, Manda was considered by Dannie for elimination, but she argued that while her timings were off, she did not feel she was the weakest chef, and that Meese should have never thrown her Wellingtons into the trash.
While the red team considered Manda as the second nominee for elimination, Ariel did not call her name up when asked to. So, she was not nominated for elimination.[3]
Episode 4[]
- Main article: Episode 1504 - 15 Chefs Compete
Before the Duck Challenge, Manda wondered if they were hunting due to the camo clothing. During the cooking, she was concerned about overcooking her breast as she never worked with a duck that big before and compared them to Ashley’s boob job. She was the first person from the red team to have her dish judged and went up against Joe. Her duck dish was criticized for being overcooked, with Ramsay comparing the taste to pork, much to her disappointment as she hated letting down Ramsay, and she scored 2 points. The red team lost the challenge 30-32, and they were punished by prepping ducks for the following service and eating a duck feet sandwich for dinner.
On a break from prep, Manda sternly told Jackie to never talk back to Sous Chef Christina after the latter wrote: "The Fucking List" on the prep list. During dinner service, she was on the appetizer station with Ashley. As Ramsay welcomed Kris Jenner, she was taken aback by her smile. On Jenner’s order, she felt that she had it, but her risotto was bland, and Ramsay accused her of not caring as she claimed to have tasted it before. While she called herself stupid for that, she managed to get her refire accepted. When the blue team came to help, she remarked that the men came in kamikaze style. The red team lost the service and were asked to nominate two people for elimination. During deliberation, she was considered for elimination by Jackie.
Manda was not nominated for elimination, and when Jackie believed that the red team was turned off by her jokey personality, Ramsay noticed her shaking her head by that comment, she believed that Jackie was a distraction, and made the entire team look bad for disrespecting authority. After Meese's elimination, she welcomed Hassan as a new teammate.[4]
Episode 5[]
- Main article: Episode 1505 - 14 Chefs Compete
Back at the dorms, Manda reminded Jackie that Sous Chef Christina called her the cancer of the red team, even though the latter denied it.
During the Holiday Platter Challenge, Manda was on a three-man team with Dannie and Hassan on the Cinco de Mayo platter. They were the second team to have their platter judged and went up against the team of Alan, Eddie, and Jared. She made chorizo tacos, they were criticized for being mushy inside, and she did not score on that dish. The red team eventually won the challenge 5-4, and they were rewarded with a trip to the Santa Barbara Sunstone Valley for wine blending lessons, and lunch.
During the Family Night dinner service, Manda was on the appetizer station with Kristin. She was not seen that night, both teams were named joint-losers, and were asked to nominate two each. During deliberation, she was considered by Dannie and Jackie for elimination, but she called it bullshit as she did awesome that night.
After Alan's elimination, Manda was named the red team's first nominee for elimination, with Kristin as the second. During her plea, she believed that she was a natural leader and a team player, even though she missed her kids. After, Ramsay asked for her jacket, but instead of eliminating her, Ramsay told her that she was in the blue team. After joining her new team, Ramsay informed her that she had another chance with a team that should believe in her. While being dismissed, she was happy to be on the blue team as she felt she could not have dealt with another day on the red team and called them batshit crazy.[5]
Episode 6[]
- Main article: Episode 1506 - 12 Chefs Compete
Back at the dorms, Manda called herself the most levelheaded women, and then, she stated that her prayers have been answered, and was glad to be out of the red team’s dysfunction.
During the Shopping Cart Challenge, Manda felt that she was a cheerleader again due to the letter calling and teamwork. During the cooking, she wanted to keep her dish simple. She was the fifth person from the blue team to have her dish judged by Ramsay and presented her pan-seared salmon with tomato fennel salad. Ramsay praised it for the salad aspect, she scored 4 points, and not only did she needed that boost in confidence, but she also showed the red team what they lost. The blue team lost the challenge after a tie at 22, and they were punished by prepping ingredients for sangrias which included peeling apples and grapes. During the punishment, she complained about how hard it was to peel grapes.
During dinner service, Manda was at the dessert station. She was not seen that night, both teams were named joint-losers, and for the blue team, Jared was named the Best of the Worst.
She was not nominated for elimination.[6]
Episode 7[]
- Main article: Episode 1507 - 11 Chefs Compete
During the Chef Andi Wedding Planning Challenge, Manda was unsure of what to make, but Jared gave her some ideas to work with on a ribeye dish. however, her dish was vetoed by Frank in favor of his dish, leading her to ask if he had a problem with her or females in general. After Frank's beef dish received poor reviews, she was more disappointed that she did not get her teammates to listen to her.
The blue team won the challenge 2-1, and they were rewarded with an overnight trip to Las Vegas which included a zip line experience, and a stay at the Caesars Palace presidential suite. While Manda was glad that the blue team won, she was still pissed at Frank for pushing her dish off. However, Frank argued that if she wanted his attention, she should scream say his name, though she refused to do it as it would make her look crazy. During the reward, she was stoked as she had never done zip lining before, and later that night, she remarked that she would have never received that treatment as she was a single mother of three on food stamps.
During the Wedding dinner service, Manda was at the dessert station. She was not seen that night, both teams were named joint losers, and were asked to nominate two each.
She was not nominated for elimination.[7]
Episode 8[]
- Main article: Episode 1508 - 10 Chefs Compete
Back at the dorms, Manda revealed to the chefs that she used to be a dancer at a go-go bar, and while she admitted that it was something she was not proud of, it was also something she was not ashamed of. Then, she showed everybody her signature moves and did some risqué moves with Dannie.
Before the Ingredient Number Challenge, Manda called Steve Vai hot. She was the first person from the blue team to have her dish judged and went up against Kristin in the sea bass round. She made a five ingredients pan-seared sea bass with sweet potato purée, crispy leeks, sautéed mushrooms, and white win glaze, Ramsay praised the dish for having a good cook on the sea bass, deemed it delicious, and she scored over Kristin.
The blue team eventually lost the challenge 1-3, and they were punished by participating in delivery day. During the punishment, Manda was aggravated as her dish was one of the best of that day, and later, she complained that she was sweating a lot. Then, she did something that hurt her back a lot, went to the bathroom without her teammate’s knowledge, was uncertain of what to do, and feared that her injury could take her out of the competition. However, she decided not to sit out as it might lead to her elimination, and decided to suck it up, before heading back to the blue kitchen.
During dinner service, Manda was on the meat station. When beginning on entrées, she told Jared not to rush her as she could not move fast that night. Then, her steaks were all raw due to her being overwhelmed on meat, Ramsay ordered one of the blue chefs to help her out, and she received help from Joe. While her refire was accepted, she got confused about the VIP's orders, and Joe discovered that her chicken was still raw. When she told Ramsay that she needed five or six minutes on the refire, he sent her to the pantry room, berated her for not communicating despite being swamped, and suggested that she leave the competition. However, she argued that she wanted to get through this and finish service, and while a very reluctant Ramsay agreed, he gave her ten minutes to use Joe and Frank for help, or else she would be eliminated on the spot. With a newfound determination, she got her refire accepted, became more vocal with Chad, and refused to go home.
The blue team lost the service and were asked to nominate two people for elimination. During deliberation, Manda considered Chad and Jared for elimination but was considered for elimination by Frank, and Jared told her that despite her back injury, she should have spoken up and asked for help. however, she argued that it was her first time on meat, broke into tears as she was trying her hardest, but was not getting respect from her teammates and believed that the blue team would be weaker without her.
Manda was named the blue team's first nominee for elimination, with Jared as the second. During her plea, Ramsay told her that she had a rough night, and while she admitted that it was not her best night, she stated that she cooked her heart and soul and that cooking was everything for her, before restating that she came into the competition to make her family’s life better. She survived elimination, and later, said goodbye to Chad as the latter was reassigned to the red team, and welcomed Dannie as a new teammate. While being dismissed, she knew that she could be a good cook and a strong leader, and while her back might slow her down, it would not slow her determination down.[8]
Episode 9[]
- Main article: Episode 1509 - 10 Chefs Again
Before the Bison Cut Challenge, Manda complained that Marino would have fit after Jack the bison had an accident on the carpet. She was paired against Chadon the flank steak, she won the shootout, and chose Italy. She was the first person from the blue team to have her dish judged and went up against Chad. She made grilled flank steak with pappardelle pasta and tomato cream sauce, it was criticized for the choice of garnish used, and she lost that round to Chad. The blue team lost the challenge after a tie at 4, and they were punished by making bread by hand, churning butter for a special Cowboy Steak Night, and cleaning the carpet from Jack’s accident early on, which she sarcastically thanked the bison for.
During the Cowboy Steak Night dinner service, Manda was on the appetizer station with Jared. She was not seen much, but when everybody was helping Joe out on garnish, she called it bananas but said that they had to do something or else they would get kicked out of the kitchen. The blue team won the service.
At elimination, Manda was shocked when Joe was eliminated from the winning team. While being dismissed, she called it crazy now that the fat has been trimmed off, and that the strong people were about to go home.[9]
Episode 10[]
- Main article: Episode 1510 - 9 Chefs Compete
While going back to the dorms, Manda was shocked how everybody was mind fucked over Joe’s elimination and said that nobody was ready for that. Later, she told a recently arriving Ariel to stay far away from Kristin and Jackie's argument.
During the Breakfast Challenge, Manda was working on the sweet dish but needed Jared's help on picking a bread as she was gluten-free. She was the first person from the blue team to have her dish judged and went up against Ashley. She made a stuffed French toast with mixed berry coulee, it was criticized for being raw on the inside, and she scored 3 points. The blue team eventually won the challenge 25-23, and they were rewarded with a trip to Palm Springs in a private jet and got to ride in ATV’s. During the reward, she compared herself to Britney Spears on the jet ride.
During the Brunch service, Manda was on the meat station. At one point, Frank asked her to watch his French toast, but she left her steaks alone because of it until Ramsay reminded her, and the French toast was burnt, When Ramsay asked who was responsible, she said that Frank asked her to watch it, but he argued that she took over it. Then, Ramsay kicked her out of the kitchen, and she was pissed that Frank threw her under a Mac Truck. Back at the dorms, she and Jared argued over who made the most mistakes that day. Both teams were named joint-losers and were asked to come up with an explanation over what happened. During deliberation, she was still pissed about getting kicked off over watching Frank’s French toast, but the latter argued that her watching over it meant that she was taking responsibility.
At elimination, Manda said that chicken went down and pulled them down. She voted for Frank for elimination, while receiving a vote from Frank. She survived elimination.[10]
Episode 11[]
- Main article: Episode 1511 - 8 Chefs Compete
During the Relay Challenge, Manda got concerned when the pot for the purée boiled over as they would be screwed if the purée was ruined. On the fourth round, she called cooking three different dishes at once insane, despite being a mom of three kids. On the eighth and final round, she was able to get the blue team's dishes plated on time. She presented the blue team’s panko and herbed crusted rack of lamb, and while it was praised for being seasoned beautifully, they lost that round to the red ream. The blue team won the challenge after a tie at 2, and they were rewarded with a VIP day at the Santa Anita Park Racetrack. During the reward, she deemed Frank a party pooper for not enjoying the reward, and later, she called it awesome that the entire race was named after the restaurant.
During prep, Manda threatened to hit Frank with the cutting board due to his poor attitude. During dinner service, she was at the fish station. When Frank did not communicate with her, she annoyingly stated that he had no concept of teamwork, despite being a Marine. Near the end of service, she managed to get her Arctic Char accepted, and the blue team won the service.[11]
Episode 12[]
- Main article: Episode 1512 - 7 Chefs Compete
Before the Blind Taste Test, Manda did not believe Ramsay's claim that he wanted to give them a break as he had two smiles, a “genuine” smile, and a “you're about to get fucked” smile. On Frank's round, she got splattered twice and spitefully hugged him afterward. She was the third chef from the blue team to compete and went up against Kristin. She only managed to get coffee and strawberry correct, and Frank was not shot at. The blue team lost the challenge 3-10, and they were punished by prepping durian fruit for a dessert in the following service. Back at the dorms, she was pissed as she was the only one that scored any points, and that the rest of her teammates sucked. During the punishment, she called durian fruit coconuts from hell and called Frank annoying and a brown noser for talking with Sous Chef Aaron.
During dinner service, Manda was on the garnish station. At one point, she checked on Frank’s snappers and explained that she wanted to do anything for the blue team to win. however, it was raw and was blamed by Frank for it. Later, she kept calling out times for their fourth attempt but claimed that she was not ready for Jared’s steak garnish. Then, her spinach was heavily criticized for having a terrible presentation and tasting bland, with Ramsay accusing the blue team of giving up and rushing food out. Then, she chewed Frank out for his attitude, as, despite being a Marine, he laughed at her face.
The blue team lost the service and were asked to nominate two people for elimination. During deliberation, Manda was upset as she was let down by her team again and hoped that one of the idiots went home instead of herself. She was considered for elimination by Jared, but she argued that she only had issues due to the multiple refires from meat and that Frank laughed at her when she tied communicating with him. However, Frank accused her of having an attitude, but while she argued against it, Jared claimed that he felt it.
Manda was not nominated for elimination but was blamed by Jared for poor communication skills. Then, when Ramsay asked the blue team if Frank's statement was true, she explained that she checked the tail end but not the middle. While being dismissed, she believed that the blue team would become stronger without Frank and believed that they could reach the same results with three chefs like the red team accomplished that night.[12]
Episode 13[]
- Main article: Episode 1513 - 6 Chefs Compete
The next day, Manda received a visit from her brother. Before the Cooking School Challenge, she said that it would not be easy to direct her brother on the cooking while wearing a straight jacket. During the cooking, her brother was slow on the beans. They were the second pair from the blue team to have their branzino dish judged, and while it was praised for a beautifully cooked fish, it criticized for having undercooked beans and was not chosen as the best dish of the blue team. The blue team lost the challenge and were punished by participating in a cleaning day which included cleaning up the dorms. During the punishment, she commented that it could have been worse with all male chefs remaining, but Jared disagreed with that idea.
Before service began, Manda called that night to be a three-by-three race for the black jackets. During dinner service, she was at the fish station. After tasting Jared's salty carbonara, she compared the taste to seawater and annoyingly told Jared to get it together as it was a race. Later that night, she did not know if the red team was flying through their dishes, and when Jared blamed her for having hair in the mashed potatoes, she denied it as her hair was brown. Then, her snapper turned out to be burnt as well, and Ramsay commented that she should have a stronger prescription for being unable to see it. Later, she was determined to bounce back no matter what, but when Dannie was slow on meat, she got impatient. After completing the service, she deflatingly wondered who was going home beside her.
The blue team lost the service, and both teams were asked to nominate two people from the blue team. During deliberation, Manda still argued that the black hair was not her’s, and felt Jared was trying to save his ass, only for him to remind her about her burnt fish.
Manda was named the blue team's second nominee, with Dannie as the first. During her plea, she said that she never gave up and that she grew stronger every day. After Jared received a black jacket, Ramsay had her and Dannie take off their jacket and told her that while she missed her family, she showed every day that she was passionate about cooking, received the final black jacket, and survived elimination. While being dismissed, she was happy to have stayed over Dannie and knew that she had it.[13]
Episode 14[]
- Main article: Episode 1514 - 5 Chefs Compete
While heading back to the dorms, Manda was ecstatic to have been in the top five.
During the 100 Animo Venice High School Portions Challenge, Manda decided to make taco Tuesday and knew that she had to stop doubting herself as she felt she was the strongest chef of the final five. While serving her dishes, she commented that serving to her kids was easier. She lost the challenge to Jared as her dish was ranked last, which she deemed that it sucked. She was punished by participating in recycling day, which included sorting through the trash from the Animo Venice Charter High School’s trash from last week. During the punishment, she admitted that while she did not like football or Jared, she also did not like garbage, and she and Ashley mockingly compared a skinned fish to him. Later that night, she annoyingly said that Jared won the award for the best drama queen award in reality TV after he tried apologizing to Ashley.
During dinner service, Manda was on the meat station. She got annoyed by Jared's raw scallops, but later, she did not respond to Ramsay’s order for a New York striploin until being urged by Ashley, and the steaks were blue. Despite arguing that she said that she was not ready, Ariel told her that she did not speak loud enough, and her refire was accepted. She was the fourth person to act as Ramsay's Sous Chef, and she knew she had to prove to her she was not a mess up. While she was vocal, she was slow on plating but went through her time with no problems. Later, she did not respond for her New York striploin and sent up raw striploin. Then, her second attempt was raw, and a pissed Ramsay brought the final five into the back pantry, reminded the chefs what color of jackets they were wearing, Ramsay had them feel the raw steak and ordered them to get a grip. Kristin told her to sear her steaks off more, and her third attempt was accepted.
After service, Ramsay asked the final five to nominate one chef for elimination. During deliberation, Manda was infuriated by their poor performance and was considered by Kristin and Ashley for elimination based on her poor performance on meat. However, she argued that most of her steaks went out perfectly, but an annoyed Kristin asked what service that happened in. Then, she announced that her nominee would be Jared, and remind him about his raw fishes that night.
Manda was not nominated for elimination, but Ramsay decided to call her down to the front, and she joined Jared. During her plea, Ramsay reminded her that she did not have a great performance that night, and she admitted that her performance made her angry. She was eliminated for her poor performance on meat, but before leaving, Ramsay praised her determination. She received a retrospective montage during her exit interview.
Ramsay's comment: "I can't deny Manda's passion nor Jared's commitment, but it was painfully obvious that they just couldn't measure up to my final three." [14]
Episode 16[]
- Main article: Episode 1516 - Winner Chosen
Manda was one of the eight chefs that returned for the final dinner service. She was Ariel's second pick, after Jackie, and followed by Dannie and Jared. After Ariel read off her menu too quickly, she mocked it with gibberish.
During dinner service, Manda was on the appetizer station. At one point, she was caught prepping four lobster salads when it was supposed to be two lobster salads and two octopus salads, but Ariel reminded her what was on order and told her to stay focus. After Dannie walked out of the blue kitchen, she was upset that the latter did that as it was Ariel’s career on the line. Ariel eventually won the finals over Kristin.[15]
Nomination history[]
| Week 1 | Win |
|---|---|
| Week 2 | Safe |
| Week 3 | Safe |
| Week 4 | Safe |
| Week 5 | Nominated |
| Week 6 | Safe |
| Week 7 | Safe |
| Week 8 | Nominated |
| Week 9 | Win |
| Week 10 | Nominated |
| Week 11 | Win |
| Week 12 | Safe |
| Week 13 | Nominated |
| Week 14 | Nominated |
Season 17[]
Episode 1/2[]
- Main article: Episode 1701 - All-Stars Arrive
- Main article: Episide 1702 - Raising the Bar
During the opening, Manda was one of the five chefs that Ramsay called for another chance, and she excitedly accepted. She was the eleventh All-Star to arrive at Hell's Kitchen, reunited with Ashley and Jared, and asked if this was a Season 15 reunion.
Before the Signature Dish Challenge, Manda said that she was making mussels Jersey style, which included bacon and beer, and warned the other chefs that since last time, she went back to school, ran her own restaurant, and was still taking care of her kids. However, she received pork as her main protein instead. During Ashley and Jared's turn, she feared that the two would distract each other again, and that would lead them to fall apart again, before reacting in disgust when they complimented each other. She was the fifth person from the red team to have her dish judged by Ramsay and went up against Milly. She made a southern-style pork chop, and she scored 3 points. The red team lost the challenge 27-28, and they were punished by cleaning up the front of the entrance, tear down the risers and red carpets, and clean up the confetti on the ground. During the punishment, she felt that they were in Elise’s world after the latter refused to help with the risers, before asking who the bitch thought she was.[16]
During the Bar Menu Challenge, Manda felt that Sous Chef Christina was hard to read when judging the dishes and hoped that she loved her dish. She lost the challenge as her dish was not called as the top four of the red team. Back at the dorms, she noticed that Ben’s color was off and asked him if he was okay, leading the latter to reveal his diabetes.
During dinner service, Manda was on the fish station with Barbie. At one point, she brought up her salmon and pork dishes, but Ramsay saw that it was raw, and was more confused when she admitted that she had no idea how it could happen. While working on the refire, Ashley told her that the skin looked burnt, but she was getting pissed off as she felt everybody was not giving her space. When Ramsay saw her cooking a raw salmon, Ashley told Ramsay about the burnt salmon, and after seeing it, Ramsay yelled at the red team that they got no stars despite being All-Stars and kicked them out of the kitchen.
The red team lost the service and were asked to nominate two people for elimination. During deliberation, Manda felt that Ashley should be nominated for messing up on appetizers from the start of service as carbonara should be muscle memory by that point, but the latter argued against that. Then, she was considered by the red team as she struggled on the salmon that night, with Michelle pointing out that she had to cook the same ticket three times. But, while she argued that she had everything else sent out perfectly, Michelle told her that she failed to bounce back on the salmon that got them kicked out of service.
Manda was named the red team's second nominee for elimination, with Elise as the first. During her plea, she said that she took in Ramsay’s criticisms from last season, that she worked on them, and that she got flustered on the red team’s last ticket. Despite receiving votes from most of the red team, she survived elimination, and while being dismissed, she knew that the red team had to work together, before saying that anybody who was not being a team player should go home.[17]
Episode 3[]
- Main article: Episode 1703 - Tower of Terror
Back at the dorms, Manda annoyingly called Elise and Robyn's argument crazy and crazier going at each other, and eventually ended it when she took the latter away from the room.
During the Seafood Tower Challenge, Manda was paired up with Ashley, and they were the first pair to compete. During the challenge, she knew that there was a lot of pressure going first as they had to maintain the red team’s advantage over the blue team. Their first attempt was rejected for lacking any seaweed, but they got their second attempt accepted. After the pair of Benjamin and Jared got their attempt accepted first, she got angry as they lost their lead. On the final round, she was hoping that Barbie and Robyn would win as the red team could not afford to lose again. The red team lost the challenge, and they were punished by taking deliveries of 100 pounds of seafood, prep them for that night’s service along with both kitchens, and eat a bowl of disgusting fish soup. During the punishment, she got annoyed by Barbie's dictatorship, and it led to a minor argument until Elise shut it down. During lunch, she complained about the texture.
During dinner service, Manda was on the garnish station. At one point, was not ready with her garnishes, with Ramsay accused her of dragging the red team. When the blue team was called into the red kitchen just before they got kicked out, she got dismayed by it. The red team lost the service and were asked to nominate two people for elimination. During deliberation, she was considered for elimination by Barbie and Ashley as she was flustered on garnish, but she argued that she did not start dragging until the mistakes happened and felt that Barbie’s poor performance on meat hurt them that night.
Manda was not nominated for elimination but was called up by Ramsay as she received a few votes, and joined Robyn, Barbie, and Ashley. During her plea, she said that she was organized from the start until the refires happened. She survived elimination.[18]
Episode 4[]
- Main article: Episode 1704 - Just Letter Cook
While going back to the dorms, a relieved Manda thought that she would be going home that night, called it nerve-wracking, awful, and gut-wrenching, before knowing that she could not fuck up any longer as Robyn comforted her on the way up.
During the Chance Challenge, Manda called out Mascarpone cheese, and when Michelle struggled on a C letter ingredient, she listed off several C letter ingredients. She was the second person from the red team to have her dish judged by Ramsay and presented her rib cap and cantaloupe infused rice. It was criticized for tasting bland, and she scored two points. The red team won the challenge, and they were rewarded with a private jet trip to Santa Barbara and had an overnight stay at the Belmond El Encanto resort.
During dinner service, Manda was at the fish station with Elise. She was not seen that night, and the red team won the service. At elimination, she said goodbye to Robyn as the latter was reassigned to the blue team and welcomed Josh as a new teammate, much to her dismay.[19]
Episode 5[]
- Main article: Episode 1705 - Josh Josh Josh
Before the Wood Plank Cooking Challenge, Manda said that she wanted to cook with the cow before Ramsay revealed the challenge. During the challenge, she got annoyed when Elise wanted to work with salmon alone. When Ben Ford was revealed as a guest judge, she was ecstatic as he was Harrison Ford’s son from Star Wars. She was paired up with Barbie on the wahoo, they were the second pair from the red team to have their dish judged and went up against the pair of Benjamin and Jared. They made a cedar smoked wahoo with leek ash, it was praised for a perfectly cooked fish and the idea of using the leek ash, said that the force was with her, and they tied that round with the pair of Benjamin and Jared.
The red team lost the service after a tie at 3, and they were punished by cleaning up a stable at Apex Ranch. Back at the dorms, Manda blamed Josh for being the reason they lost after he screwed up the fire pit and groaned that they were stuck with him until they lost, before reminding Josh on how he dumped cold coals over a hot fire. During the punishment, she asked Josh to help her move some buckets up to the trailer as she was getting tired, but when he accused her of not doing it properly, she angrily snapped at Josh, and that led to an argument over Josh’s condescending attitude which ended when she called him the stupidest person she had ever met.
During dinner service, Manda was at the dessert station. At one point, she told Josh not to put the fish & chips in the same fryer as he would get batter all over the place and said that if he could not fry anything by that point, then he should get a job as a receptionist at a law office. When Elise was seen not doing anything, she got pissed by that. Later, she decided to help Josh out as she refused to let him sink them that night, called him a buffoon, and felt that he was rude to her, but he argued with her when she tried to help him out on garnish. After Josh got kicked out of the kitchen, she called his departure the greatest thing Ramsay has done for them and felt that the red team was a strong female group. Both teams were named joint-winners, and while being dismissed, she said that the red team’s mission now was to get rid of the remaining male chefs.[20]
Episode 6[]
- Main article: Episode 1706 - A Little Slice of Hell
During the Pizza Fusion Challenge, Manda decided to go up against Van due to the latter giving her the creepy eye, and they landed on Vietnam. During the cooking, she got annoyed by Elise's struggle to get her pizza off her paddle as she needed the space. She was the third person from the red team to have her dish judged and presented her Vietnamese Pho pizza. While it was criticized for being undercooked, it praised for reminding Samson of an actual Pho, she won that round over Van, and she was happy to beat the latter after he gave her the creepy eye.
The red team won the challenge 3-2, and they were rewarded with a tour around Hollywood in a double-decker bus, and a trip to the Hollywood Magic Castle. During the reward, Manda complained that Elise looked like the Oscar statue due to wearing a ball gown for the reward. At the magic show, she called it her best day ever to see Elise panic.
During prep, Manda asked Barbie to taste her pasta as she had Celiac Disease and was unable to taste her own food. During the Italian Night dinner service, she was on the appetizer station with Barbie. At the start, she asked for somebody to taste her pasta, and while Michelle told her that it was good, Ramsay discovered that the pasta was raw and crunchy. She was pissed at Michelle for letting her down, and on their second attempt, the latter thought that her pasta was good, but Elise said that it tasted raw. After some more cooking, she finally got her refire accepted. When Michelle slipped and fell, she called it karma. The red team won the service.[21]
Episode 7[]
- Main article: Episode 1707 - Trimming Fat
During the Last Chef Standing Challenge, Manda felt that the challenge was an easy one as they cooked those entrées countless times, only for Ramsay to announce the true purpose of the challenge. She was the fourth person from the red team to leave the red kitchen. The red team lost the challenge 3-5, and they were punished by helping Marino clean the dining room, clean the latter’s shirts ahead of the following service, and clean both kitchens. After hearing that, she complained that it would be a long day, sarcastically told Marino that he was welcome, and asked if he wanted a sandwich. During the punishment, she wondered how long it would take Elise to wipe down the shelves due to the latter’s slow pace, before accusing the latter of skating through punishment as she did for the other ones, despite being a physical person.
Manda was Michelle's second nominee to compete in the Cook For Your Life Challenge, but she said that all that challenge would do was make her stronger. She was after Barbie, followed by Elise, and they were joined by Robyn, Giovanni, and Milly from the blue team. During the cooking, she commented how crazy it was to be recreating a dish she just saw in that amount of time, and then, she commented how intense the red kitchen’s mood was as neither of them was talking, and that it was everybody for themselves. She was the first person to have her dish judged and knew how important that dish was. While Ramsay praised the sauce, he wanted her to be a little more generous with it, before calling it a strong effort. While she lost to Milly, she beat Barbie and was the second person safe. She came back to the dorms and told the red team how Elise was crying during the challenge.[22]
Episode 8[]
- Main article: Episode 1708 - Welcome to the Jungle
Back at the dorms, Manda tried to break up the argument between Michelle and Elise, but the latter shut her up.
During the Cave Meat Challenge, Manda was paired up with Jennifer on the boar, but she admitted that she never cooked with boar before and asked if that type of animal had rabies. Near the end of the cooking, she was forced to flash sear her boar as it was still raw. She and Jennifer were the first pair from the red team to have their dishes judged, and they went up against the pair of Milly and Van. She made a boar chop with apple and fennel, it was criticized for being dry as it was the result of her quick flash sear, and she lost that round to the blue team. The red team lost the challenge 1-2, and they were punished by participating in Spring Cleaning day, which included clearing the bathrooms and bedrooms of the dorms and ironing the wait staff’s aprons. During the punishment, she hoped that they would get out of dinner service alive after Michelle's failed attempt of apologizing to Elise occurred.
During dinner service, Manda was on the fish station. At one point, she was slow on the lobster tail, which had Jennifer, Elise, and Dana come to help her, and when Ramsay commented about there being four people at fish, he asked if they would like John Rzeznik to join them. Later, Dana asked her how the pork was doing, but she said that she had none firing as she did not hear the order due to the noisy atmosphere. When she said that the pork would take 10 minutes due to her forgetfulness, Ramsay decided to salvage a duck breast and a halibut for a two-top table. Later, she said that she needed to let her pork rest, and Ramsay dismayingly asked where the confidence has gone. After, she sent up raw pork, and it was one of the dishes that got the red team kicked out of the kitchen.
The red team lost the service, and they were asked to nominate two people. During deliberation, Elise said that Manda’s raw pork set the red team back that night, with Michelle adding on to how she failed to hear the pork order earlier. While she admitted to her mistakes, she argued that the red team was stronger with her than without her, before calling out Barbie on micromanaging her from the start. However, Barbie asked why she did not say anything.
Manda was named the red team's first nominee for elimination, with Barbie as the second. During her plea, Ramsay asked her if she plateaued, but the latter said that she has not was a better chef than Barbie as she grew since Season 15 and that she was a fighter. However, Ramsay pointed out to her that she said nothing when she was in the weeds that night. She was eliminated as her forgetting the pork order destroyed any momentum the red team might have had that night, but before leaving, Ramsay praised her for being a hard worker. During her exit interview, she admitted that she never thought it was not the outcome she wanted and that she still wanted to give her babies a better life.
Ramsay's comment: "Manda said she never heard the ticket that sunk her team. Sadly, she's not going to hear her name being called as the winner of Hell's Kitchen either." [23]
Nomination history[]
| Week 1 | Nominated |
|---|---|
| Week 2 | Nominated |
| Week 3 | Win |
| Week 4 | Win |
| Week 5 | Win |
| Week 6 | Nominated |
| Week 7 | Nominated |
Post Hell's Kitchen[]
- After her first appearance on the show, Manda became manager at 2Good2B, a gluten-free bakery in Rancho Bernardo, California, alongside Anthony (Season 11), before returning to Hell's Kitchen for the first All-Star edition, one year later.
- After her second appearance on the show, she returned to her position as manager of CupKing Cafe, but later moved into virtual chef services.
- She took part in Reality Rally 2018, a charity cookery event.
- She is currently a Chef Instructor at Kitchens for Good.
Trivia[]
- She is the first and currently the only contestant in the history of Hell's Kitchen that suffers from celiac disease.
Season 15[]
- She is the eleventh female contestant who switched teams and made it to the black jackets, following Heather (Season 2), Jen (Season 4), Suzanne (Season 6), Autumn (Season 7), Robyn (Season 10), Ja'Nel (Season 11), Rochelle, Melanie (both from Season 12), Sade (Season 13), and Meghan (Season 14). She was also the only contestant of that season to make it to the black jackets after switching teams.
- She participated in the second elimination where two contestants were eliminated instead of one, along with Jared.
- She is the second black jacket contestant to get eliminated after Ramsay overruled formal nominations, following Van (Season 6).
- She is the sixth black jacket contestant to be eliminated after being nominated by Ramsay, following Elsie (Season 1), Ben (Season 5), Van (Season 6), Clemenza (Season 10), and Susan (Season 11).
Season 17[]
- She is the fourth contestant who received fewer nominations during their second run on the show, following Robert (Season 6), Josh, and Jared (both also from Season 17).
Quotes[]
Season 15[]
- "In this competition, I'm looking forward to everybody else underestimating me. I may be little, but I have big flavors."
- (To Chef Ramsay after he told her that her signature dish was weird) “I'm a little bit weird!”
- "Obviously, those boobies were in too many faces. We should've just stocked the fucking boys' stations with fucking dollar bills."
- (About Kristin forgetting order) "Kristin, stop standing there like...oh, dudududuu..."
- "I would tear into that meat, caveman style like arrrrggggh fucking starving!"
- (About Jackie) "If four out of the seven people on your team are telling you take it down a notch, it's probably for a reason."
- (After switching to the blue team) "I'm just so happy to be on the blue team. I don't think I would have been able to deal with another couple days with that red team. They literally are out of their mind, they are...they're batshit crazy!"
- Frank: "You wanna speak to me? You say, FRANK." Manda: "FRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANK!!!!"
- "Great, put a diaper on that thing, or something, before you bring it in here. Marino's gonna have a fit now."
- "I'm pissed the fuck off! They didn't even throw me under a bus, they threw me under a fucking Mack truck!"
- (To Jared) "Just cook another one, and we just all wait for Jared to get his shit together."
- (To Frank) "Well, I'm gonna hit you with this cutting board before I do it."
- (Before the blind taste test challenge) "Chef Ramsay has two smiles, a very genuine, like happy smile and a...you're about to get fucked up smile!"
- "I look like I just got fucking murdered."
- "Thanks a lot, Frank. You're getting a hug, whether you like it or not!"
- (To Frank) "Frank! ENOUGH WITH THE ATTITUDE!!!"
- (About Frank) "I'm over Frank. He's got such a fucking attitude, and you'd think that because he's a fucking Marine that he'd be all about teamwork. But instead, he's just like...hehehehe. Are you gonna fucking laugh at me? Like, fuck you, dude."
- (About Jared) "Best drama queen in a reality show goes to...Jared."
- "Good job, girls, you've finally used that lump three feet above your fucking ass."
- (After being eliminated) "Walking into Hell's Kitchen, I didn't think I was gonna make it past the first week. I was not confident in myself at all, bad things happen. But then great things happen, too. Did some things while I was here that I would've never have been able to do any other time in my life. You can make it in Hell's Kitchen, you can make it absolutely anywhere, and I've grown up throughout this competition. I can't wait to go home and show my kids this new and improved mommy. Jack, Dylan, Audrey, mommy is coming home! Get ready!"
- (About Dannie walking out during finale) "You can't just leave. What is wrong with you? Who does that? This is now Ariel's career on the line, and unless you're dying, get over it."
Season 17[]
- "Is this a season 15 reunion? Did I bring my yearbook? Should I go get my cheerleading uniform?"
- "I'm like a wizard."
- (After Ben's sudden elimination) "Hell's Kitchen All-Stars is definitely not for the faint of heart."
- (About Robyn and Elise) "Crazy and crazier...at each other."
- "I think Barbie is the blame for dinner service. Every single protein came back tonight."
- "I am so excited. This is the son of...Han Solo...voom, voom."
- "I can't believe we lost, but Ben Ford as our guest judge was awesome...voom, voom. I love my lightsabers."
- (About Josh after losing cook with woods challenge) "I'm pissed off at Josh. He totally bombed us with our fire, and we gonna be stuck with him until we lose! Fucking Josh, man."
- (To Josh) "Don't talk to me like that! I will tell you right now: I might be little, but I am not the person that you talk to like that! You will respect me."
- (About Van during the Pizza Challenge) "Van is, like, giving me this super-creepy look, and I just want to beat him down right now."
- (To Michelle) "MICHELLE!! YOU TOLD ME IT WAS COOKED!!!"
- (About Michelle) "This is karma for the raw pasta. Michelle's gonna have a bruise on her ass HUGE!"
- "You're welcome, Marino. Should I make you a sandwich too?"
- (After surviving the Cook for Your Life challenge) "In other news, Elise is crying!"
- (To Michelle and Elise after her elimination) "Be good to each other!"
- (After being eliminated) "This did not end the way I would thought it would end. I weeded our kitchen, and I'm pissed as hell about it. At the end of the day, like, I want a better life for my babies. I hope that they know that I'm better because of this, but I'm mostly better because of them. So I can't...I just can't wait to go see them."
Gallery[]
%27s_Intro_Spot.png "Manda (S15)'s Intro Spot.png (1.29 MB)")
_in_Red_Jacket.png "Manda (S15) in Red Jacket.png (1.45 MB)")
%27s_Confessional_(Red_Jacket).png "Manda (S15)'s Confessional (Red Jacket).png (1.61 MB)")
_in_Blue_Jacket.png "Manda (S15) in Blue Jacket.png (1.53 MB)")
%27s_Confessional_(Blue_Jacket).png "Manda (S15)'s Confessional (Blue Jacket).png (1.47 MB)")
.png "Jared and Manda Nominated (Episode 8).png (993 KB)")
_in_Black_Jacket.png "Manda (S15) in Black Jacket.png (215 KB)")
%27s_Confessional_(Black_Jacket).png "Manda (S15)'s Confessional (Black Jacket).png (247 KB)")
.png "Jared and Manda Nominated (Episode 14).png (958 KB)")
_Eliminated.png "Manda (S15) Eliminated.png (200 KB)")
.png "Manda's Confessional (Returning Chef).png (1.07 MB)")
%27s_Signature_Dish.png "Manda (S15)'s Signature Dish.png (1.2 MB)")
_and_Eddie_(S15)%27s_Jacket_Dish_(Taquitos).png "Manda (S15) and Eddie (S15)'s Jacket Dish (Taquitos).png (1.54 MB)")
%27s_Duck_Dish.png "Manda (S15)'s Duck Dish.png (1.17 MB)")
,_and_Dannie%27s_Holiday_Platter.png "Hassan, Manda (S15), and Dannie's Holiday Platter.png (883 KB)")
%27s_Shopping_Cart_Dish.png "Manda (S15)'s Shopping Cart Dish.png (1.17 MB)")
%27s_Chef_Andi%27s_Wedding_Beef_Entr%C3%A9e_(Not_Judged).png "Manda (S15)'s Chef Andi's Wedding Beef Entrée (Not Judged).png (2.06 MB)")
%27s_Ingredient_Number_Dish_(Sea_Bass).png "Manda (S15)'s Ingredient Number Dish (Sea Bass).png (684 KB)")
%27s_Bison_Meat_Dish_(Flank_Steak).png "Manda (S15)'s Bison Meat Dish (Flank Steak).png (693 KB)")
%27s_Breakfast_Dish_(Sweet).png "Manda (S15)'s Breakfast Dish (Sweet).png (1.41 MB)")
%27s_100_Animo_Venice_High_School_Portions_Dish.png "Manda (S15)'s 100 Animo Venice High School Portions Dish.png (1.38 MB)")
%27s_Signature_Dish.png "Manda (S17)'s Signature Dish.png (1.52 MB)")
_in_Red_Jacket.png "Manda (S17) in Red Jacket.png (1.06 MB)")
%27s_Confessional.png "Manda (S17)'s Confessional.png (1.57 MB)")
,_Robyn_(S17),_Ashley_(S17),_and_Manda_(S17)_Nominated.png "Barbie (S17), Robyn (S17), Ashley (S17), and Manda (S17) Nominated.png (1.68 MB)")
,_Barbie_(S17),_Elise_(S17),_Milly_(S17),_Robyn_(S17),_and_Giovanni_(S17)_Nominated_in_Cook_For_Your_Life_Challenge.png "Manda (S17), Barbie (S17), Elise (S17), Milly (S17), Robyn (S17), and Giovanni (S17) Nominated in Cook For Your Life Challenge.png (1.16 MB)")
_and_Barbie_(S17)_Nominated.png "Manda (S17) and Barbie (S17) Nominated.png (865 KB)")
_Eliminated.png "Manda (S17) Eliminated.png (1.05 MB)")
%27s_Bar_Dish_(Not_Judged).png "Manda (S17)'s Bar Dish (Not Judged).png (555 KB)")
%27s_Chance_Dish.png "Manda (S17)'s Chance Dish.png (1.43 MB)")
_and_Barbie_(S17)%27s_Wood_Plank_Cooking_Dish_(Wahoo).png "Manda (S17) and Barbie (S17)'s Wood Plank Cooking Dish (Wahoo).png (1.34 MB)")
%27s_Pizza_Fusion_Dish_(Vietnam).png "Manda (S17)'s Pizza Fusion Dish (Vietnam).png (1.3 MB)")
%27s_Cook_For_Your_Life_Dish.png "Manda (17)'s Cook For Your Life Dish.png (961 KB)")
%27s_Cave_Meat_Dish_(Boar).png "Manda (S17)'s Cave Meat Dish (Boar).png (1.77 MB)")
External links[]
Amanda "Manda" Palomino on Instagram- Amanda "Manda" Palomino on Twitter
References[]
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