| “ | I did this for my 4-year-old daughter, I want to show her that you don't have to work at a job that you hate, you can find what you love to do. | ” |
Kimberly-Ann Ryan was a contestant on Season 16 of Hell's Kitchen. She was the winner of that season and was awarded a Head Chef position at Yardbird Southern Table & Bar, at The Venetian Las Vegas, with a $250,000 salary.
Season 16[]
Episode 1[]
- Main article: Episode 1601 - When the Wall Comes Tumbling Down
On the bus ride to Hell's Kitchen, the chefs were expecting to arrive at the restaurant, but it instead pulled up to an army base. After leaving the bus, the chefs lined up in front of their own duffel bags, and as the Drill Sargent was barking out orders, a tank pulled up behind him, and Ramsay came out of it. Then, Ramsay explained that before the chefs could enter Hell’s Kitchen, he wanted to make sure that they all had the discipline to survive, noting that the army was the perfect example to prepare them. After, Ramsay said that if they could survive boot camp, then he will be convinced that they were worthy of competing. After changing into their uniforms, the chefs were put through an obstacle course and jogged over to Ramsay who was in front of a giant wall, which he called the toughest challenge, but Ryan got concerned that they would have to lift Pat over the wall. After the chefs claimed that they were ready, Ramsay was happy to hear it as the wall fell on him, revealing the front of the restaurant, and a large crowd waiting for them. Now that he saw the chef’s commitment and desire to compete, Ramsay announced that it was time for them to cook their signature dishes.
During the Signature Dish Challenge, Ryan was the sixth person from the red team to have her dish judged by Ramsay and went up against Genaro. Before tasting her dish, she revealed that she chose to compete for her four-year-old daughter, and wanted to show her to follow her true passion. She made seared scallops with seasoned rice Krispies, Ramsay deemed it delicious, and she scored a perfect five. The red team won the challenge 28-25, and they were rewarded with a ride on a stretch Hummer limousine, dinner at the Takami Restaurant with Ramsay, and a chance to meet Christina (Season 4) and Scott (Season 12).
During dinner service, Ryan served linguine and clams appetizer tableside with Kimberly. She was not seen that night, and the red team won service by a mile.[1]
Episode 2[]
- Main article: Episode 1602 - Crepe Grand Prix
During the Crepe Grand Prix Challenge, Ryan was paired up with Wendy, and they were seen getting two of their attempts accepted. However, they were unable to get their third attempt accepted because the pair of Johnny and Koop beat them to it. The red team lost the challenge 9-10, and they were punished by participating in fish delivery day which included taking in seafood, prepping them for the following service, and drinking a fish guts milkshake.
During dinner service, Ryan was on the garnish station. At one point, she got angry after Kimberly served raw lamb as that mistake made the entire team look stupid. The red team eventually won the service after completing the blue team's orders.[2]
Episode 3[]
- Main article: Episode 1603 - The Yolks on Them
During the Ostrich Meat Challenge, Ryan was not seen during the first part, and after seeing the guest judges, she called it awesome to have two renowned chefs taste her food. She was paired up with Shaina on the ground meat, they were the first pair from the red team to have their dishes judged, and went up against Johnny. She made Indian spiced ostrich meatballs with whiskey sauce, they were deemed beautiful along with it being praised for having flavors that worked well, despite David McMillan feeling that there could have been more sauce. She scored that round for the red team, and they won the challenge 3-1. They were rewarded with a zip lining experience at Big Bear Lake and got to fly in a private jet.
During dinner service, Ryan was at the appetizer station with Wendy. She was not seen that night, the red team lost the service, and were asked to nominate two people for elimination.
She was not nominated for elimination.[3]
Episode 4[]
- Main article: Episode 1604 - Surf Riding & Turf Fighting
During the Protein Identification Challenge, Ryan was paired up with Heidi, they were the first pair from the red team to compete, and they randomly picked shrimp and guinea fowl. While Heidi immediately thought of crab cake, she thought it was shrimp instead. Shaina told the two to start with the simple proteins first, and while the two grabbed shrimp and chicken as their first choices, the latter was the incorrect protein. Then, they failed on turkey, and their third paired attempt on shrimp and Cornish hen was incorrect. Eventually, they got their fourth attempt, shrimp and guinea fowl, correct.
The red team lost the challenge 13 minutes and 41 seconds to 9 minutes and 46 seconds, and they were punished by making sausages from scratch and eating unknown proteins for lunch. Back at the dorms, Shaina confronted Ryan for not listening to her about splitting her and Heidi up, but she argued that she did not know that palates would be a big factor, felt that it was more about speed, and was pissed that the red team was angry at her after giving them a strong head start. During the punishment, she found out that her lunch was a big tarantula that she had a fear of.
During dinner service, Ryan was at the dessert station. After Gia continued to struggle on garnishes, she decided to help the latter out, and it was thanks to her that the red team was finally able to serve their half of the twelve top. The red team won the service.[4]
Episode 5[]
- Main article: Episode 1605 - Walking the Plank
During the Seven Seas Seafood Challenge, Ryan decided to go up against Aaron, and their fish was cod. She was the fifth person from the red team to have her dish judged by Ramsay and presented her pan-seared cod with tequila butter sauce and potato red pepper hash. It was praised for having a beautifully cooked fish, she won that round over Aaron, and said that despite being humble throughout most of the competition, she felt that people were beginning to realize how much of a threat she was. The red team eventually lost the challenge 4-5, and they were punished by taking in deliveries of vegetables, and prep them for a special seafood chowder appetizer the following service along with both kitchens. During the punishment, she wondered why Kimberly would make something she never attempted before and asked why she did not ask.
During dinner service, Ryan was on the meat station. At one point, Ramsay noticed that she was speaking very meekly, and while she admitted that her voice was not suitable for the kitchen, she also did not want to yell. Then, Ramsay asked her for a time, but when she asked if it was for the steak, he sarcastically said the time for a bus, before reminding her that she had to take control and that she had the voice of a quiet little mouse. That irked her as she was called that by her first employer, and she managed to get her New York striploin accepted along with Heidi’s salmon. The red team won the service.[5]
Episode 6[]
- Main article: Episode 1606 - Let the Catfights Begin
During the Ingredient Crossword Challenge, Ryan spelled out carrot. After the blue team's turn ended, she felt that it should not be a difficult task for the red team to beat a score of 17. She was the final person from the red team to have her dish judged by Ramsay, and she presented her Asian inspired chicken breast. While she hated her teammates for leaving it all up to her, Ramsay praised the dish for being tasty. In the end, while Ramsay deemed her dish the best of the red team, he gave her only 4 points, which was not enough for the red team to win. The red team lost the challenge 16-17, and they were punished by helping Marino prep for Family Night which included inflating balloons, resetting the dining room, baking a special batch of cookies for the kids, and organizing crayons. During the punishment, she and Heather shared their hatred of baking.
During the Family Night dinner service, Ryan was on the fish station with Heather. She was not seen much, but after Wendy sent up raw lamb, she annoyingly felt that they were falling apart. Both teams were named joint losers and were asked to nominate two people each. During deliberation, she called the previous two days a frustrating experience, claimed that her teammates were not pulling their own weight, and felt that their poor performance that night was the icing on a shit cookie, before bluntly saying that every station went down that night. Then, she reminded Aziza that she was not consistent that night.
Ryan was not nominated for elimination, and while being dismissed, she was unsure of where the red team was heading as they should be getting stronger and not worst.[6]
Episode 7[]
- Main article: Episode 1607 - Don't Tell My Fiancé
During the Southern Cuisine Challenge, Ryan was paired up against Matt from the blue team, and their dish was fried chicken. She was the third person from the red team to have her dish judged and presented her fried chicken with creamy white cheddar grits and Swiss chard. It was praised for having a well-seasoned chicken, having delicious grits, and she scored that round over Matt. When Heather and Andrew competed, she jokingly called it their lover's quarrel: pork addition. The red team won the challenge 3-2, and they were rewarded with a horseback riding experience at Gibson Ranch and lunch from the Wings and Waffles food truck. During the reward, she felt that Wendy was enjoying the horseback ride too much, before feeling that the latter missed her husband a lot.
Before dinner service, Ryan admitted that watching The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills her guilty pleasures when it was revealed that Adrienne Maloof would be eating at the red chef's table. During dinner service, she served a special shrimp and grits appetizer tableside. She was not seen that night, the red team lost the service, and were asked to nominate two people for elimination. During deliberation, she argued that Wendy had the best dish in the challenge, before considering Shaina and Kimberly as she felt the latter was the weakest chef on their team.
Ryan was not nominated for elimination, and later, she said goodbye to Shaina and Wendy as they were reassigned to the blue team while welcoming Andrew and Matt as new teammates.[7]
Episode 8[]
- Main article: Episode 1608 - Dancing with the Chefs
During the International Ballroom Planning Challenge, Ryan had no idea what Andrew or Matt wanted, but she immediately wanted beef as it was a protein she had yet to work with. During the cooking, Sous Chef Andi suggesting to her to start cooking her steaks for a proper rest. She was paired up with Andrew on the beef entrée, they were the final pair to have their dishes judged, and went up against Johnny and Paulie. She made an Indian inspired pan-seared filet, it was deemed lovely, and she won that round for the red team. The red team won the challenge 2-1, and they were rewarded with a kayak trip at the Santa Barbara Mountains, and a seafood lunch at The Lark. During the reward, she deemed Andrew a man-child trapped in a large body after a splash fight, and during lunch, she told Andrew and Heather to keep their flirting G rated.
During prep, Ryan gave Andrew and Heidi directions on how to cook her dish, but she got annoyed by Andrew’s attitude, even when Matt suggested that they get rid of it before service began. However, she reminded Matt that he was about to do something he wanted to do instead of what the red team has done before, and was still mad about the attitudes from the men. During the International Ballroom dinner service, she was on the appetizer station with Heidi. While she was trying to help Kimberly out on meat, the latter annoyingly said that she did not need her holding her hand, and was told not to talk down. The red team won the challenge by a mile after completing the blue team's orders.[8]
Episode 9[]
- Main article: Episode 1609 - Spoon Fed
During the Blind Taste Test, Ryan was the third person from the red team to compete and went up against Koop. Despite feeling that it was her challenge as she had a great palate, she could only get apple correct, resulting in Kimberly getting splattered. During Matt's turn, she did not get splattered once. The red team lost the challenge after a tie at 13, and they were punished by participating in delivery day, and prep both kitchens for that night’s service. During the punishment, she did not want to carry the ice back into the truck after it was discovered that they took too much ice than needed.
During dinner service, Ryan was at the dessert station. She was not seen that night, and the red team won the service. After Koop's elimination, Ramsay told the red team that he would need a volunteer to move over into the blue team to even up the numbers the next day.[9]
Episode 10[]
- Main article: Episode 1610 - Dancing in the Grotto
Back at the dorms, Ryan said that she did not want to be on the blue team, but Andrew persuaded her as she could look fucking good if she led them strongly. The next day, she announced that she would be moving over into the blue team, and after receiving her new blue jacket, she believed that if she could lead a weak team into one dinner service, she would look good.
During the Creative Sliders Challenge, Ryan was seen during the first part and was seen collecting pancetta. She was responsible for the lamb sliders, she was the final person from the blue team to have her dish judged, and went up against Andrew. She made a spicy lamb slider, it was praised for having a cucumber element, despite being criticized for lacking a yogurt element, and she scored that round over Andrew. The blue team lost the service after a tie at 3, and they were punished by cleaning up trash at the LA River. After hearing that, she was immediately regretting her decision about joining the blue team, before saying that it fucking sucked. During the punishment, she got annoyed by Wendy's constant chatter.
During prep, Ryan asked everybody how they were doing on prepping, but that annoyed Paulie. During dinner service, she was on the appetizer station with Paulie. After receiving their first order, she wanted to make her first night with the blue team to go well as she wanted to show Ramsay what she was capable of, but her slow performance on the crab cakes annoyed Wendy. Then, her crab cakes turned out to be stone cold, but she got the refire accepted. After Wendy was not responding on times, she accused the former of getting frazzled easy, before asking how the former could go far in the culinary industry without multi-tasking. Both teams were named joint losers and were asked to nominate two people each. During deliberation, she told Paulie that he could have focused more that night, before reminding Wendy on how she did not respond to anybody’s questions, and reminding Shaina about her slow performance on garnish. Then, Paulie reminded her about her cold crab cakes earlier that night, but she argued that it was not a good enough reason for her to be nominated.
She was not nominated for elimination.[10]
Episode 11[]
- Main article: Episode 1611 - Aerial Maneuvers
During the Taste It Now Make It Challenge, Ryan paired up with Wendy as she trusted the latter's palate, and she was responsible for cooking the dish. During the judging, she got concerned as they were the only ones that used veal, and everybody else used pork. They used pork, persimmon, and spinach to recreate Ramsay's dish. They got everything but the greens correct, and the blue team won the challenge. They were rewarded with trapeze lessons at the Santa Monica Pier, and she and Wendy each received a Vitamix blender.
During the Charity Night dinner service, Ryan was seen cooking Wendy's risottos but was blamed when they turned out to have different colors. During Devin's course, she was seen cooking backup scallops after Wendy found out most of them did not look good. During Paulie's course, she felt that the former could not lead a restaurant, let alone a restaurant in Las Vegas due to his frantic performance. She oversaw the 12-ounce New York striploin with truffles, and while she told Devin to start picking out the steaks that looked poor, Ramsay was wondering why he was not slicing them instead. After Devin cut himself while slicing them, she took over and told him to grow some balls over one cut. After completing the course, she felt good as she led her course well, the blue team did not get kicked out of the kitchen that time and hoped that Ramsay would not send one of them home.
The blue team lost the service and were asked to nominate two people for elimination. During deliberation, Paulie accused the blue team of keeping Ryan because she was a strong link, but she told Paulie that he was her first nominee, before struggling over who her second choice was, and berated him for his poor attitude in both the kitchen and the dorms. However, Paulie arrogantly told her to shut the fuck up, accused her of being a weak chef that hid behind other chefs, but she reminded Paulie on how he took over the entire kitchen due to his salmon. Then, when Paulie accused her of caring more about herself than the team, she brushed it off and told Paulie to send himself home.
Ryan was not nominated for elimination, and after Paulie accused her of not helping anybody on their courses, she argued that Paulie’s claim was not true and that she helped her team out. While being dismissed, she was nervous about the future of the blue team as she could not perform with a team that hated each other, before asking if she could go back to the red team.[11]
Episode 12[]
- Main article: Episode 1612 - Fusion Confusion
Back at the dorms, Ryan told Kimberly on how many fires were being lit off in the blue team, and that she was trying not to light one.
During the Fusion Cuisine Challenge, Ryan went up against Heather and Heidi, and their countries were French and Japanese, much to her dismay as she did not want those countries. During the cooking, she had no idea what to make as she never cooked with Japanese or French food before, and when there was one minute left, Devin told her that her lamb was raw, and she decided to pan sear it with little time left. After plating her dish, she was still concerned over the cook on her lamb. She was the second person from the blue team to have her dish judged, she was concerned that things could get ugly after the poor performance in the first round, and presented her Japanese rack of lamb with French lentils. It was praised for a nice presentation, and for a perfectly cooked lamb, she scored that round over Heather and Heidi, and she felt great winning over two dishes from the red team.
When the score was tied at one each, Ryan's dish was easily picked as the best dish overall, and the blue team won the challenge. They were rewarded with a $2000 shopping spree at Surfas for kitchen supplies and a seven-course lunch at Providence, which excited her as she never ate a two Michelin star restaurant before. During the reward, she said that she has never spent that amount of money for herself, before calling it a great day. At lunch, Paulie told her that he did not have an ego problem in the kitchen, but she said that he did as he liked to talk a lot, before hoping that they could start over.
During dinner service, Ryan was on the appetizer and garnish stations. On their first ticket, she asked Devin for some help on the kale salads, and after delivering their first order of appetizers, she felt that the blue team was off to a strong start as her risottos were deemed great. But, on the next ticket, she failed to hear an order of one risotto, put the pan in the wash bin, and sent up three orders o capellini without the risotto. She berated herself up for that mistake and knew that with only three chefs left in the blue kitchen, there was nowhere to hide as the men would notice her mistakes. Later, she struggled on the refire but managed to get it accepted. After they were forced to start over on their first order of entrées, she annoyingly asked why Paulie and Devin were not communicating with each other, and when the latter failed to repeat an order, she felt disappointed as it was Devin's time to take control. After Paulie ran out of sea bass portions and went into the red kitchen for more, she said that he was not as great as he said he was due to his frantic performance that night.
The blue team lost the service and were asked to nominate one person for elimination. During deliberation, Ryan reminded Devin about how he could not remember an order and felt that the latter has not been as consistent as herself throughout the competition, before nominating him for elimination.
Ryan was not nominated for elimination, even though Devin told Ramsay that he would have nominated her for her poor start that night. During her pleas, she said that she was consistent and solid on the line and that she could lead a kitchen. While being dismissed after Devin's elimination, she declared that she was there to win it.[12]
Episode 13[]
- Main article: Episode 1613 - Black Jacket Lounge
Back at the dorms, Ryan mocked Andrew and Heather's cuddling and flirting. The next day, she received a visit from her daughter and mother, and after, she reaffirmed that she was doing the competition for her daughter.
During the first Black Jackets Challenge, Ryan grabbed hanger steak, quinoa, carrots, mushrooms, and an unknown dish. During the cooking, she said that she wanted to win that challenge for her family. She was the fifth person to have her dish judged by Ramsay and presented grilled hanger steak with quinoa. While it was praised for a beautifully done protein, Ramsay criticized it for the presentation of the garnish, even comparing it as bad as Andrew’s couscous. She lost the challenge to Heather and Heidi and had to compete in the second challenge.
During the second Black Jackets Challenge, Ryan knew that she could not fuck up, but had no idea what to do with the eggplant as she hated it. She was the second person to have her dish judged and presented her seared salmon with crispy skin, roasted eggplant and mushrooms, and garlic shallots. They were praised for a fantastic presentation, a beautiful cook on the salmon, and a delicious purée, with the only criticism being that the eggplant was soggy. She was rewarded with the third black jacket, with Ramsay praising her massive upgrade from the previous challenge, and she felt amazing that she got it together after seeing her family earlier that day. Then, she went to the black jackets lounge to meet up with Heather and Heidi and told them how Andrew screwed up that round.
During the third challenge, Ryan felt that it would be a close battle between Andrew and Kimberly, she was the third person to judge their dishes, and she voted for Andrew.[13]
Episode 14[]
- Main article: Episode 1614 - Playing Your Cards Right
Before the King of The Hill Challenge, Ryan called herself a poker shark but was seen not getting the earlier ingredients with her complaining that she was in slow motion, and got nervous over getting the ridiculous ingredients. She buzzed in for breadcrumbs, spinach, and leeks, before complaining that lady luck was not on her side. During the cooking, she knew that the vibe was weird as it was every man for themselves now, before bickering with Kimberly over counter space. After Heidi's dish received mixed reviews for the poor presentation, she said that the former's dish looked like blobs. She was the fourth person to have her dish judged and presented her breadcrumb crusted chicken over a bed of potatoes, spinach, leeks, and bacon. While the dish was praised for being well seasoned, the chicken was criticized for being on the verge of dryness, and she did not beat out Paulie. She lost the challenge to Heather and was punished by participating in recycling day which involved separating all the trash from the dumpsters. During the punishment, she complained that once again, she was stuck picking through the trash.
During dinner service, Ryan was on the garnish station. After Paulie's tangent over his mistakes on fish, she felt that he was freaking out, before saying that Paulie’s fish emporium would be going out of business quickly. Then, when the black jackets continued to struggle, she said that they could not start failing now. She was the fourth and final person to work as Ramsay's Sous Chef that night, told Paulie what was happening on the garnish station, and was excited over being at the pass as she wanted to get them back to order. After Kimberly got confused about orders, she was disappointed and commented that their situation was not what she wanted Ramsay to see. Then, she asked Kimberly for a time on the carbonara, but the latter was so overwhelmed that she wanted to quit, and she decided to jump onto appetizers to help Kimberly and serve the customers.
The black jackets got kicked out of service after multiple mistakes, and they were asked to nominate two people for elimination. During deliberation, Ryan called Paulie delusional after he claimed to have not had one fish sent back, deemed him a crybaby, and knew that he was not going to take responsibility for his own mistakes due to working with him before. Then, she considered Paulie for elimination and reminded him of the raw pancetta that got them kicked out of service.
Ryan was not nominated for elimination, and after Kimberly and Paulie's elimination, Ramsay told the final three that their next challenge began immediately, ending the episode on a cliffhanger.[14]
Episode 15[]
- Main article: Episode 1615 - Tequila Shots?
Continuing from the previous episode, Ramsay announced the Tableside Portions Challenge, which dismayed Ryan as tableside was not her strong suit and knew that she had to be on her game. During the cooking, she knew that she wanted scallops, before deciding to grab tequila as well for her dish. She made pan-seared scallops with a mango avocado salsa, and during round one, she explained to Bruce Kalman and his table how she worked professionally as a chef for the past nine years, but that nobody wanted to hire her other than a waitress, and that she was the worst waitress in the world. Despite feeling nervous, she felt that she was doing well, and offered tequila shots to her table, and poured tequila shots to her table. During round two, everybody but Steve Samson wanted tequila as the latter had to take the kids to preschool, and during round three, she once again offered tequila shots.
Ryan won the challenge as 62.5% of the chefs voted her dish as the best, which made her happy as she won the challenge that she was the most afraid of. She was rewarded with a helicopter tour around Los Angeles with Sous Chef Andi, and lunch at Firefly with Ramsay. After hearing that, she called it great, before saying that she had to go brush her teeth and clean her nose hairs. During the reward, she said that she and Sous Chef Andi were experiencing their first helicopter tour together, and the latter gave her a Hell’s Kitchen jacket as a gift. During the tour, the two took in the sights, and when she asked Sous Chef Andi for advice on what to do in order not to get eliminated at that point in the competition, the latter told her to find her voice. At lunch, she was happy that it was a solo reward, and Ramsay reminded her that she has proven time and time again that she could cook. After, Ramsay told her that no matter what happens that night, she should be leaving proud of her accomplishments.
Before service began, Ryan deemed Sharknado as one of Tara Reid's best projects after it was announced she was eating at the chef's table. During dinner service, she was on the meat station. When Heidi was slow as her flat-top was not hot enough, she asked the former what happened as that was a stupid mistake. After Heather failed to notice the arctic char instead of the salmon needed, she commented that she would have caught that mistake. She was the final person to run the pass, and after Ramsay urged her to be assertive, Marino gave her two tickets to read out. However, she struggled to read it out properly, which Heidi deemed confusing. Then, her quality test came as the black bean purée was swapped out for black garlic, but she struggled to identify the taste after she plated them, Ramsay reminded her to taste everything, and she felt that she just forgot all the previous sabotages that night, before calling herself an idiot. Despite that, she rejected Heidi’s risotto for being undercooked, and then, Sous Chef Aaron brought up celery root purée instead of potato purée, but that time, she caught that mistake.
After service, Ramsay asked the final three to name one person that did not deserve to be in the finals. During deliberation, a nervous Ryan said that she wanted to be in the finale very badly, and then, said that she saw herself and Heidi at Yardbird as she felt that Heather was too young to become the head chef there. However, Heather accused her of shutting down during services, but when she tried to argue against it, Heidi agreed with her, especially when the two were on the pass.
At elimination, Ryan said that she belonged in the finals because of her consistency in services and challenges and that Heather did not deserve to be in the finals due to her inexperience while receiving a vote from the latter. She was named the second finalist, the first being Heather, and while being dismissed, she knew that she has been working her ass off her entire night, and felt beyond words to be in the finals.[15]
Episode 16[]
- Main article: Episode 1616 - Leaving It on the Line
Back at the dorms, Ryan called being in the finals her biggest moment. The next day, she received breakfast from the Sous Chefs, and later, she and Sous Chef Aaron discussed her menu, as she wanted to show her heart and passion in it. After, the two received makeovers and a new wardrobe at the Ken Paves Salon, and later that night, take them to a musical. On the drive there, she felt excited that she was going to get her mop head of hair done by Paves, who she called the biggest name in salons. After getting their makeover and clothes, Ramsay joined them and said that they would get a chance to meet Rob Morrow, the star of the musical, backstage. Arriving at the venue, Ramsay took Heather and her straight to the backstage area and introduced them to Morrow. After Morrow left to do some stuff, Ramsay knocked on the dressing room door, and it was revealed that they were on a stage in front of a live audience, which included her loved ones. After, Ramsay admitted that there was no musical, thanked Morrow for his help, and announced that it was time for their final challenge, but she asked why they got pampered if it meant sweating their asses off later, even though she felt comfortable in her chef clothes.
During the Final Tasting Challenge, Ryan admitted how mad she was at Ramsay for lying to her. On the appetizer round, she presented her creamy orzo risotto with a bit asparagus, herb goat cheese and shrimp, and while it was praised for being clean and a properly cooked shrimp, Walter Manzke felt that the kale could have been cooked a little more. She lost that round to Heather, and after the latter picked Andrew as her first pick, she felt that Heather just picked her boyfriend, before calling her stupid. On the fish entrée round, she presented her seared freshwater salmon with pearl couscous and fennel apple slaw, the dish was praised for having a crispy skin and being a successful dish. She won that round over Heather, and she picked Heidi. During the beef entrée round, she presented her filet with morels, kale, and curry cauliflower purée, and while it was praised for the perfectly cooked meat and kale, it criticized for a strong garlic taste. She lost that round to Heather. After meeting the Founder and CEO of Yardbird, John Kunkel, she said that she had to win that round to impress her future boss. During the chicken entrée round, she presented her pan-seared crispy chicken breast with tomatillo salsa, micro herbs, and caramelized apples, Kunkel praised the dish for being bold and tasty and having a nice combination of flavors. She lost that round to Heather, and soon after, she picked Paulie as her second pick and was left with Koop and Wendy. However, she was happy with her team as she did not want Shaina or Devin.
Back at the dorms, Ryan told everybody to be on their A-game the next day, but Paulie felt that she was not listening to his input. During prep, she tried to get an uncooperative Paulie to focus. During dinner service, her menu featured a chicken breast with salsa verde, braised pork belly with crispy Brussel sprouts, and a grilled filet mignon with curried cauliflower. She stumbled on the first order as she misread a two-top for a four-top, and when Paulie was unresponsive on times, she frustratingly reminded him that he was working for her that night. Then, she and Ramsay discovered that Paulie’s meatballs were ice-cold, she felt embarrassed by that, and the two had Paulie feel them. Despite that, she managed to find some good meatballs to use. After learning that she and Heather were neck and neck, she did not feel comfortable about that situation as she wanted to blow the latter out of the water. After Wendy sent up a raw salmon, Ramsay pointed out to her that she had a major problem going on at fish, and after having Wendy work on it again, she reminded her that service that night meant a lot to her. When Wendy continued to struggle, she finally refused to be sent up imperfect proteins any longer, relocated Koop on fish and Wendy onto meat, and the switch worked as Koop’s salmon was accepted.
Back at the dorms, Ryan said that she was happy despite the mistakes that night, and while waiting for the results, she said that she would force her door open even if it did not open. At Ramsay's office, he praised her for her creativity, along with her dishes being the best in the previous challenges, and called her a tough cookie to beat. Then, both she and Heather stood in front of a door each, both knowing that it would open if they were the winner. After Ramsay’s countdown, both turned their handles, but only her door opened. She became the winner of Hell’s Kitchen and won a head chef position at Yardbird Southern Bar & Grill at the Venetian in Las Vegas with a salary of $250,000. She was excited that she won, and called the experience worth it, before reuniting with her daughter and mother and remembering how hard she pushed herself to get to that point as she hung her portrait on the Wall of Fame. During the celebration, her daughter told her how much she loved her, and Heidi and Wendy expressed pride in her victory.
Ramsay's comment: "Early on, I challenged Ryan to find her voice. Once she proved to me she could command a kitchen, there was no stopping her. She has the tenacity, drive, and skill that will make her a great head chef at Yardbird Southern Table and Bar at the Venetian Las Vegas." [16]
Nomination history[]
| Week 1 | Win |
|---|---|
| Week 2 | Win |
| Week 3 | Safe |
| Week 4 | Win |
| Week 5 | Win |
| Week 6 | Safe |
| Week 7 | Safe |
| Week 8 | Win |
| Week 9 | Win |
| Week 10 | Safe |
| Week 11 | Safe |
| Week 12 | Safe |
| Week 13 | Safe |
| Week 14 | Safe |
| Week 15 | Safe |
| Week 16 | Winner |
Post Hell's Kitchen[]
- After her appearance on the show, Ryan took up the Head Chef position at Yardbird Southern Table & Bar at The Venetian Las Vegas, but was given the Sous Chef position instead.
- On September 2, 2019, she was assaulted by her long time on and off again boyfriend.[17]
- On March 2020, Ryan contracted Covid-19, and while she survived, she suffered from long term Covid, eventually developing a patent foramen ovale in her heart.
- She eventually underwent heart surgery, and survived.
Trivia[]
- She was part of the third, overall and consecutive, all-female final three of Hell's Kitchen, along with Heather and Heidi.
- She participated in the fifth overall, and third consecutive, all-female finals of Hell's Kitchen.
- She is the sixteenth winner, fourth consecutive, following La Tasha (Season 13), Meghan (Season 14), and Ariel (Season 15), and the tenth female winner of Hell's Kitchen.
- She is the ninth winner to not be traditionally nominated for elimination after dinner service. She was originally nominated by another contestant, but she was dismissed and remained safe.
- She and Heather are the fourth pair of finalists to completely avoid being nominated throughout the season, following Dave and Kevin (Season 6), Holli and Jay (Season 7), and Meghan and T (Season 14).
- She is the second winner to score a perfect 5 on the new format of the Signature Dish Challenge, following Meghan (Season 14).
- She is the second winner to hold the record for the most dinner services won, with six and is tied with Meghan (Season 14) and Ariel (Season 18).
- She is the twelfth 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), Meghan (Season 14), and Manda (Season 15). She was also the only contestant of that season to make it to the black jackets after switching teams.
- She is the sixth contestant, last one to day, to have wore all four jackets (red, blue, black, and chef's) and win the season, following Michael (Season 1), Heather (Season 2), Ja'Nel (Season 11), Scott (Season 12), and Meghan (Season 14).
- She is the seventh contestant, and first female contestant, whose show name was her surname. She is also the second finalist, following Petrozza (Season 4), and the first winner with this detail.
- She is the fifth winner who was not awarded their promised position, following Dave (Season 6), Holli (Season 7), Ja'Nel (Season 11), and Scott (Season 12).
Quotes[]
- (To Ramsay) "I did this for my 4-year-old daughter, I want to show her that you don't have to work at a job that you hate, you can find what you love to do."
- (To Paulie and Devin on reward) "Lucky lady, I got two guys here. It's like I'm on a dating show, which one am I gonna pick?" (Long Pause) "Neither."
- "I want to sit on that chair, but I just blew it!!"
- "Paulie is freaking out!! He gets mad and then he screws something up and then he gets even more mad and he screws more stuff up!!! Paulie's fish emporiums is gonna be out of business REAAAL quickly here!!"
- "I've been pretty humble throughout this whole competition so far, but I think people are starting to realize that I AM a force to be reckoned with."
- (When Chef Ramsay revealed the Final Menu Challenge instead of going out) "I'm mad at Chef Ramsay for lying to me and telling me he's taking me to a musical. Why, Chef Ramsay?!"
- (About Heather choosing Andrew as the first pick for her brigade) "I feel like she chose her boyfriend, so... Heather's stupid."
- (After being named winner) "I just won Hell's Kitchen! I won! Everything was worth it!” “I came so far, I've worked so hard to push myself through culinary school, to be a single mom, and now to be sitting here as the winner of Hell's Kitchen. Yeah, this is unreal. This is absolutely incredible, to see Sophie celebrating and to see her face and see how proud of me she is, it means more than words can ever say."
Gallery[]
.png "Ryan's Confessional (Red Jacket).png (1.47 MB)")
.png "Ryan's Confessional (Blue Jacket).png (1.83 MB)")
.png "Ryan's Confessional (Black Jacket).png (1.48 MB)")
.png "Ryan's Confessional (Head Chef Jacket).png (1.22 MB)")
.png "Ryan's Ostrich Meat Dish (Ground Meat).png (1.33 MB)")
%27s_Seven_Seas_Seafood_Dishes_(Cod).png "Ryan and Aaron (S16)'s Seven Seas Seafood Dishes (Cod).png (1 MB)")
.png "Ryan's Southern Dish (Fried Chicken).png (1.38 MB)")
.png "Ryan's Black Jacket Dish (Round 1).png (917 KB)")
.png "Ryan's Black Jacket Dish (Round 2).png (888 KB)")
.png "Ryan's Final Tasting Dish (Appetizer).png (1,021 KB)")
_and_Ryan%27s_Final_Tasting_Dishes_(Fish_Entr%C3%A9e).png "Heather (S16) and Ryan's Final Tasting Dishes (Fish Entrée).png (953 KB)")
.png "Ryan's Final Tasting Dish (Beef Entrée).png (835 KB)")
.png "Ryan's Final Tasting Dish (Chicken Entrée).png (786 KB)")
External links[]
Kimberly-Ann Ryan on Instagram- Kimberly-Ann Ryan on Twitter
References[]
| Hell's Kitchen Season 16 |
|---|
| Staff |
| Gordon Ramsay (Head Chef) • Aaron Mitrano (Blue Team Sous Chef) • Andi Van Willigan-Cutspec (Red Team Sous Chef) • Marino Monferrato (Maître d'hôtel) |
| Contestants |
| Jessica Boynton • Genaro Delillo • Paulie Giganti • Shaina Hayden • Matt Hearn • Johnny McDevitt • Wendy Mendez • Heidi Parent • Andrew Pearce • Kimberly Roth • Kimberly-Ann Ryan • Devin Simpson • Aaron Smock • Pat Tortorello • Heather Williams • Koop Wynkoop • Aziza Young • Gia Young |