| “ | There ain't no "politically correct", we tryin' to win a competition. | ” |
Rahman "Rock" Harper was a contestant on Season 3 of Hell's Kitchen. He was the winner of that season and was awarded a head chef position at the Terra Verde restaurant, at the Green Valley Ranch Resort & Spa, near Las Vegas, with a $250,000 salary.
History[]
Season 3[]
Episode 1[]
- Main article: Episode 301 - 12 Chefs Compete
The twelve new aspiring chefs were heading down to Hell's Kitchen in SUVs while getting to know each other on the ride. Rock revealed that he was competing for his family and lay a foundation for them. Once they arrived at Hell's Kitchen, Jean-Philippe introduced himself. Before he could go into how he and Ramsay met, the latter appeared and told the former to cut the crap. Afterwards, Ramsay ordered the contestants to cook their signature dishes.
During the Signature Dish Challenge, Rock was the third chef to have his dish judged by Ramsay and made pan-seared scallops with potato and gnocchi. Ramsay was heavily impressed by the presentation, but he was ruined when he revealed using premade frozen gnocchi. That disappointed Ramsay as it could have been a mind-blowing dish, while he kicked himself for using frozen gnocchi and failing to execute his dish properly.
During prep, Rock had to help Aaron out when the latter struggled with the ice cream. During dinner service, he was at the fish station. He was not seen much as he did not cause any problems, although he told Vinnie that they were out of vegetable stock. During the post-mortem, he had to calm Vinnie down when the latter got angry at Ramsay but was annoyed that Vinnie was arguing with Ramsay. The blue team won the dinner service.[1]
Episode 2[]
- Main article: Episode 302 - 11 Chefs Compete
During the Dover Sole Challenge, Rock only produced one acceptable fish, much to his dismay. His team lost the challenge 8-9 and had to prep the remaining Dover Soles for the next service. He knew that the most important mission was supporting Aaron through the next dinner service during the punishment. Afterwards, the men had a group hug.
During prep, Rock believed Josh was trying too hard to be a leader as the latter was leading by speaking rather than through an example. During dinner service, he was on the garnish station. At one point, he and Brad tried to take over Eddie's work on appetizers, but this led to excess cooked spaghetti not needed. The blue team lost the service due to Ramsay kicking the blue team out of service, but because of his strong performance, he was named "Best of the Worst" and was asked to nominate two of his teammates. During deliberation, he felt things were heating up and knew he must make an intelligent decision. Eddie told him that the only choices for nominations were himself, Aaron, and Vinnie but pleaded that he was a strong prep cook. After, Aaron said to him that he wanted to stay but secretly wanted to leave. Then, Josh told him that he did not deserve to go home, leaving him to think over his choices.
Rock nominated Eddie as his first nominee, and Josh as his second.[2]
Episode 3[]
- Main article: Episode 303 - 10 Chefs Compete
Back at the dorms, Josh was not happy with Rock nominating him and felt he was trying to get rid of him, especially with Aaron's declining health. He talked to Josh and reminded him that they were not leaders yet, but the latter brushed it aside as being his opinion. That comment pissed him as doing something Josh could not do would make the latter look like an idiot.
When the army and navy gave the chefs a brutal wake-up call, Rock and Brad helped Aaron dressed as the latter was cramping. During the Army and Navy Service Challenge, he was on an unknown station. The blue team lost the challenge, and they were forced to do KP duty, which included prepping a thousand pounds of potatoes and onions. During the punishment, he told Melissa to shut the fuck up after she made a mocking comment. Then, he hoped for the day when the men walked by the women during their punishment. Later, Josh tried to make a system, but he accused the former of not knowing how to be a proper leader and wanted him to shut the fuck up.
Later that night, the men decided to discuss who should be the team leader, and Brad was chosen. However, Rock knew Josh changed his vote out of spite for nominating him, something the latter confirmed. Regardless, he knew he had to out-think them to win. During prep, he wanted to see how Brad would handle that position for that night.
During dinner service, Rock was on the appetizer station. Ramsay criticized him for cooking risotto the same way as an omelet and chewed him out for his unintentional winking due to the sweat in his eyes. Ramsay told Jean-Philippe to get Rock some tissues, but he said he did not need any. Despite that, he managed to redeem his mistakes with a good risotto and wanted to prove to Ramsay he was a leader. The blue team won the dinner service, and Ramsay praised his performance as his best one yet, urging him not to stop.[3]
Episode 4[]
- Main article: Episode 304 - 8 Chefs Compete
During the Blind Taste Test, Rock was the second person up for the blue team and went up against Melissa. He correctly guessed boiled egg yolk and potatoes. After Josh mistook pear for mango, he asked if the latter had a pear before. The blue team lost 3-5, and they were punished by prepping both kitchens for service and eat a platter of offal. During the punishment, he almost came close to puking as the meal tasted disgusting, and Brad was concerned about the domino effect it could come to. So, Brad handed him a barf bag, but he managed to hold it in until going to the bathroom.
During dinner service, Rock was at the fish station. Ramsay called him over to take over for Josh after the latter was caught not doing anything. It was because of him that the blue team was able to get appetizers out. After Ramsay shut down the kitchens, he told his team that they needed to stop panicking on entrées, and any momentum they had at the start should continue. Both teams lost the dinner service, but he was named "Best of the Worst" for the blue team for his solid performance. He was asked to nominate one of his teammates for elimination. During deliberation, he said he already knew who to nominate but did not know who Jen would pick.
Rock nominated Josh, but his nomination was overruled after Ramsay called Vinnie down instead. While being dismissed, he said that the only person that was a threat to him was himself.[4]
Episode 5[]
- Main article: Episode 305 - 7 Chefs Compete
On their way back upstairs, Rock asked Josh if he made the wrong decision by not nominating Vinnie initially, to which an angry Josh agreed 100%. He tried to explain to Josh that his problem was that he was rushing through things. Still, Josh saw it differently, much to his annoyance as he felt the only way for the latter to win was if he and Brad fell flat. Then, he reminded the men that not only had they yet to win a challenge, they were cut in half, but Brad felt they could succeed without the excess weight.
During the Wedding Planning Challenge, Rock said he knew how to make a budget work as he grew up in the ghetto. During the cooking, he told Josh and Brad to use every ingredient they bought. Then, he overheard Hell's Bitches arguing and prayed that it would lead to their downfall. Near the end of the cooking, he was not happy about the waste they made. He presented the blue team's meat entrée, felt the pressure of the tiebreaker, and went up against Jen. He presented their pan-seared dry-aged ribeye with a wild mushroom cream sauce. Because the red team's duck breast was too rubbery to cut through, his dish automatically won it for the blue team 2-1.
The blue team was rewarded with a day of pampering and relaxation at the Exhale Spa. After hearing that, Rock was happy the men got a day of pampering after seeing the women get the first three rewards. As the blue team went up to the dorms, he felt good to beat the women for once. During the reward, he got to try acupuncture for the first time and went in and out of conscience. Later, he and Brad thought the red team would be at each other's throats during the decorating.
During prep, Melissa asked Rock for the potato dish recipe, but her overcomplicated questions frustrated him. Melissa felt that he was telling her two different things, but he said he would let loose a darker side if she was on the blue team. When Melissa's potatoes came out black, he brought his pan for reference and complained that Melissa was killing him. While Melissa tried to argue that he told her a different way, he called her crazy as he showed her the same way he did them.
During the Wedding dinner service, Rock was at the fish station. While he was not shown much in service, he expressed proudness because the blue team finally came together and wanted to hug somebody. The blue team won the dinner service.
At elimination, Rock and the blue team welcomed Melissa as a new teammate. He was not very happy about that decision. While being dismissed, he did not know what Melissa would add to the blue team because he knew she would lose regardless.[5]
Episode 6[]
- Main article: Episode 306 - 7 Chefs Compete (Again)
Back at the dorms, Rock believed that Melissa would be going home soon, and all Ramsay did was prolong her agony. The following day, Jen mentioned that she used to work at George Perrier in Philadelphia, much to his shock. Despite that, he respected her decision to hold back.
Before the Lobster Challenge, Rock made a snide comment when Bonnie admitted to being scared of the lobsters. During the cooking, he called it cool because the lobsters did not have any rubber bands on their claws and worked on his dish. After the cooking time was up, he wanted the blue team to win to build some momentum. He was the second person from the blue team to have his dish judged by Ramsay and went up against Julia. He made a buttermilk fried lobster tail tempura, and Ramsay praised it for its ambition and being perfectly cooked. He scored that round over Julia.
The blue team lost the challenge 1-2. They had to participate in Recycling Day, which meant going through the garbage and sorting out the recyclables. The news irked Rock as he never found something worth taking out of the dumpster, but Ramsay said that he would in an hour. However, he said he grew up in the ghetto and never had to go dumpster diving. As the blue team cleaned up the kitchen, Brad told the blue team to take their loss with grace, but he was furious that they lost what he felt was the stupidest decision in the competition. Seeing him flip out shocked Brad as he never saw him that angry as he claimed that any of the red team's dishes could be bought anywhere. Melissa asked Brad and Josh if he always got that mad, but neither said they did not. During the punishment, Sous Chef Scott told him that he was needed at the photoshoot. However, it turned out that he was forced to separate the trash there, which only infuriated him more. Bonnie felt bad for him and diverted her eyes from him. When he returned, Brad noticed how angrier he was than earlier as he claimed he would never force his brigade to sort through trash.
After the punishment, Brad decided to leave Rock alone and have his space. He managed to calm down and do what he did best. During dinner service, he was on the meat station. He told Melissa to lean on the blue team if needed, but he was only concerned with bouncing back. After Josh made sloppy mashed potatoes, he accused the former of being scattered. Later, he saw how nervous Melissa was and said that pressure burst pipes. After Melissa revealed that she only had one more monkfish left, a desperate Ramsay had him move from the garnish station over to the fish station, hoping that he could save the blue team’s disastrous service. His efforts were not enough as Ramsay shut down the kitchen after a six-top was sent back for being overcooked.
The blue team lost the service, and Rock felt there was a lot of pressure in the blue team, and not all of them could handle it. During deliberation, he asked if anyone wanted to volunteer for elimination. Brad asked him if they were basing it on that night only or overall.
When the blue team was lined up for elimination and Ramsay asked them if their decision was difficult, the team answered that it was, with Rock shaking his head in disagreement. After Melissa was eliminated immediately, he was not surprised that Ramsay did that as it was an obvious choice. He was not nominated for elimination.[6]
Episode 7[]
- Main article: Episode 307 - 6 Chefs Compete
Back at the dorms, Rock expressed relief about Melissa's elimination as it meant one less person for him to compete against and was happy to see her go home.
During the Leftovers Challenge, Rock decided to make a surf n turf with the leftovers. He was the final person from the blue team to have his dish judged by Ramsay and went up against Julia. He made a surf and turf dish that consisted of a petit ribeye and a pan-seared bass. Not only did Ramsay call it delicious, but he also praised him for cooking it with finesse. He scored that round over Julia, and the blue team won the challenge 2-1. He smiled as the men put the women away in the challenge.
The blue team was rewarded with a paintball excursion and would compete against Ramsay in a three against one game. During the reward, Rock wanted one shot at Ramsay but ended up being the last person the latter eliminated. When the blue team saw the red team struggle with their delivery reward, he was happy.
Before service, Ramsay announced that both teams would create their own menus. Rock inputted a macaroni and cheese dish but was not happy when Brad renamed it a cassoulet. He felt Brad should have kept it simple. He was on the garnish station during dinner service and had his truffled cassoulet featured on the menu. He noticed that Josh’s pan was not hot enough for the lamb entrée, even though the latter argued that it was. However, Brad told the two not to snap and wanted to get through service. Still, he retorted that he did not wish the lamb to bleed out. After Josh served raw lamb, he believed that the former could not handle Vegas if he could not handle that night, which was what he said all season. Ramsay ordered him and Brad for at least one of them to help Josh out, but neither wanted to help him as he wanted Brad to help.
Both teams were named joint losers, and Ramsay was disappointed in Rock and Brad for not even attempting to help Josh as the people who suffered the most were the customers. The blue team was asked to nominate one person for elimination. During deliberation, he felt he should not be nominated. When Josh vented how he was the whipping boy of the men for too long, he thought that the former would not be nominated constantly if he cooked better. He left the team for a bit, but the three seriously discussed who to send up when he came back.
Rock was not nominated for elimination. When Brad said he was nominated for creating their menu, he argued that the latter tried to take the leadership role that night, but it led them to fail. When Brad claimed that he tried to do everything when others waited too long, he told the former to say his name because that was where he was going. Brad argued that he wanted to be politically correct about it, but he reminded him that this was a competition, leading Ramsay to sarcastically liking the team spirit. While being dismissed, he said he had to be cutthroat to win and believed he could.[7]
Episode 8[]
- Main article: Episode 308 - 5 Chefs Compete
Back at the dorms, Bonnie told Rock he could be surprised that she survived over Brad, and Julia asked the men if Brad was a good cook. However, he was pleased to see Brad go as the latter was his most formidable competition and thought he could easily beat Josh. He went as far as to tell that to Josh personally as he did not believe the latter's energy could dictate a kitchen. Still, Josh told Rock that was his opinion because he was still here to win.
The following day, Ramsay announced that the red and blue teams were now the black team, and Rock received his black jacket in the dorms. He said they came a long way since the beginning and that this was when things got cutthroat.
During the Alhambra High School Lunch Challenge, Rock made a Kobe beef burger on ciabatta rolls and was ready to tear up Sin City. When he served his dish to the students, he used a political way to sell it. When Ramsay told them to speed up the gridlock, he tried to argue that the students were coming from both sides but was shut down by Ramsay. Still, he called it a fun experience. Despite expressing confidence in winning, he lost the challenge to Julia. He was punished by cleaning the dining room. During the punishment, he got amused when Josh struggled to turn on a device. Later, he and Bonnie argued over ironing the tablecloths as the latter said he had an explosive temper.
Before dinner service, Rock told Bonnie that Julia succeeded in what she knew best after hearing her vent about the latter getting Ramsay's favoritism. When Julia and Jen came back from their reward, he gave them a fake smile. During dinner service, he was at the fish station. His first order of scallops came up burnt at the bottom. He later forgot an order of turbot and snapped at Bonnie when she told Ramsay about it. He called Bonnie a Teacher's Pet, but Ramsay stated that he had hit rock bottom. Later, Jen tried to communicate with him on appetizers, but he ignored her and sent up his scallops before her spaghetti was ready. Jen managed to catch up, but his attitude in service pissed her. That led to an argument between them where Jen called him out on his behavior, and Bonnie accused him of closing upon them. He said he did not work with Hell's Bitches, and Ramsay called him out for tossing his order on the hot plate. On desserts, another argument between him and Jen occurred when he put the ice cream base on the counter where Bonnie worked instead of the sink. That led Jen to call him an asshole. However, Ramsay overheard it and reminded them that he had gotten rid of Josh, and they should start working as a team. More arguing between the two occurred despite Bonnie telling them to stop, which led Ramsay to bang the overhead to get them to stop. Even though he and Jen continued to argue, desserts were all served.
After service, Bonnie was named the "Best of the Worst." As they walked out of the kitchen, Rock continued to snap at Jen and broke away from the women. While alone, he reflected on his poor attitude in service and realized that he should have talked with Jen after service instead of arguing with her, which severely disappointed him.
Rock was Bonnie's first nominee for elimination, with Julia being the second. During his plea, he admitted that his performance was uncharacteristic of what he could do and wanted another opportunity to do better. While being dismissed, he was excited to make it to the final three as it meant Ramsay saw something in him.[8]
Episode 9[]
- Main article: Episode 309 - 3 Chefs Compete
On their way back upstairs, Rock approached Jen and apologized to her for his behavior in service. The two made up by hugging each other and said he was a firm believer in clearing up any disputes thanks to his wife. Back at the dorms, he was upset to see Julia go home because the latter was an inspiration to him, and he was proud of her accomplishments.
Before the American Classics Challenge, Ramsay brought his mother in, and Rock was told to never swear in front of his mom nor his mom. When he learned about the challenge, he was stoked because his restaurant was a Southern-Creole- Cajun theme, and he took traditional Southern dishes to the gourmet level. He got Spaghetti and Meatballs, and during the cooking, he saw Bonnie struggle again and mocked her whining in the confessional. He decided to make three dishes out of his spaghetti because he wanted depth out of it. He made spaghetti three ways, cream sauce, veal, and spicy chorizo and pork. Ramsay invited his mom to help judge the three dishes, and she was joined by Bonnie and Jen's moms. The mom tasted his dish first, and he felt reassured when he saw his mother nodding her head.
He lost the challenge to Jen and was punished by cleaning the dorms with Bonnie. During the punishment, he got annoyed by Bonnie's bossy attitude and complaints, while shocked when he found out she had never cleaned before despite being a nanny. Still, he did not mind it too much, even though it was a long day. He ended up telling Bonnie to stop complaining as it would conserve her energy into cleaning. When Jen came back from her reward, she caught up with Bonnie as he watched from afar. He knew the two had a close friendship and wanted to see each other in the finale. However, he said he did not mind being alone as the isolation kept him focused. As the final three went to bed, he said that while Jen won today, she would not tomorrow.
Rock said it would be a hell of a night during prep as he only had two chefs to beat. When Ramsay announced that the final three would be running the pass, he called it another curveball. He overheard Bonnie's training and got a little happy to hear her swear at Ramsay. When he did the training, his first attempt was weak, but he managed to pick it up on his second attempt.
During dinner service, Rock was at the fish station. When Jen's assertiveness started confusing everyone, he got confused about what was going out. He was the second person who had a turn at the pass. He called out his first ticket well but proved to be slow when plating food. Sous Chef Scott sent up another quality test: monkfish without ham, but he was able to catch it. Despite passing the test, he was still slow on plating and not being vocal enough. Bonnie took notice of that as she expected better of him due to being an Executive Chef. He thought Ramsay gave him a hard time plating, but he wanted to be efficient and prevent mistakes. During Bonnie's turn, he called her scattered as it made it hard to focus on what was going on.
After service, Ramsay asked the final three to explain why one of them should be in the finals. Back at the dorms, Rock took a look at some family photos he brought with him and reflected on how winning this competition would change his family’s life.
The final three made it downstairs to meet Ramsay, who asked each of them why they deserved to be in the finals. Rock said he grew in both as a chef and as a leader. Ramsay called up his name and told him that he was the first finalist, much to his pleasure. Bonnie joined him as the second After Jen's elimination, Ramsay congratulated him and Bonnie for being the final two and how they were very close to winning the grand prize. Then, Ramsay surprised the two of them by revealing that their loved ones were standing behind them, and he reunited with his wife. Ramsay told the final two that they had come a long way since the beginning, and they both deserved to be here. However, Ramsay announced that their biggest challenge was about to start, soon as a giant curtain dropped down separating the dining room, ending the episode on a cliffhanger.[9]
Episode 10/11[]
- Main article: Episode 310 - 2 Chefs Compete
- Main article: Episode 311 - Winner Announced
Continuing from the previous episode, Ramsay revealed their most significant challenge after the curtain dropped between Rock and Bonnie. They both had to create new restaurants on their half of Hell’s Kitchen, with him cooking out of the blue kitchen. He realized that it was the real deal. Ramsay said that both could become the head chef at the Green Valley Ranch Resort in Las Vegas and allowed them time with their families. Also, Ramsay told him that his children were there as well, with him picking them up as they revealed themselves. He reconnected with his children and called them his good luck charms because they were the reason he was there. Eventually, the loved ones left even though he asked if he could take his daughter to the dorms with him.
Before dismissing them for the evening, Ramsay told the finalists to start imagining what their restaurant should look like, from design to the menu. Back at the dorms, Rock and Bonnie celebrated their biggest milestone and congratulated each other. He wanted to relax and take time to celebrate and admitted he thought he and Melissa would be the final two chefs left. Still, Bonnie told him that the other chefs underestimated her, which was their downfall. That shook him a bit, and he even feared that he might lose to her, while Bonnie was determined to beat him.
The following morning, Rock began working on his restaurant ideas. He felt he was on top of the world and said nothing was to stop him. When speaking with Jon Janavs, he wanted a more contemporary theme to his restaurant that had matching décor. When talking to Jean-Philippe about the wardrobe, his idea for the waiters to wear jeans was rejected, and he called the latter a French poodle due to his regal look. When working on the menu with Sous Chef Scott, he struggled to get his vision to the latter as he was unprepared for his menu. He felt nervous.
Later, Rock went to Las Vegas with Ramsay and Bonnie. As the final two excitedly went up to packed their bags, he said he could smell the prize. During the flight in the private jet, Ramsay said he never saw him that happy. Ramsay recalled the time he had an angry outburst after losing the Lobster Challenge, the time he served frozen gnocchi for his signature dish, and the time he put up Brad for elimination instead of Josh after the last team service. He said he nominated Brad because the latter was his biggest competition, and Ramsay compared his gameplay to chess. He said he came to win, and everything thing he did was all based on strategy. They landed in Las Vegas and made their way to the Green Valley Ranch Resort & Spa, the grand prize for the winner. The final two made it to their room and saw a promo clip of their time in Hell’s Kitchen on the Television, which excited them. He called it the best part of the trip. Later that evening, Ramsay took Rock and Bonnie outside and told them they would be getting drinks. When they went through the VIP area, they saw a huge crowd of people.
During the Final Signature Dish Challenge, Rock made his surf and turf dish that had fried chicken and crab cakes. He knew he took a chance with a combination people did not know about, but he wanted to create his own identity. During the second round, he accused Bonnie of strategizing during the challenge when she talked to Gerald Chin. He scored that round. On the fourth round, he tried to make small talk with Michael, but Ramsay told him not to manipulate the judges when he asked to vote for his dish. Bonnie deemed him a great smoocher for the fact he tried to sell his dish. Michael tasted both dishes and decided on his dish. In the sixth round, he scored as well. When Chris Fearnow and Bob Finch tasted both dishes on the final round, he saw the latter like his dish. He lost the challenge 3-4, but he said it was not over yet as he would rather win the service.
After the challenge, Ramsay took Rock and Bonnie to a skyscraper and celebrated with champagne. As they looked over the strip, Ramsay invited them to New York City and eat at the chef's table at Gordon Ramsay New London NYC while spending a few days in the city, which they accepted. He said he only ate at a couple of chef tables before and called it cool to eat at Ramsay's chef table. Later that night, the final two returned to Hell’s Kitchen, and while the crew was working on their restaurants, they shared one last meal. He wanted to win as it would be the biggest career move, and he wanted it his entire life. As the two ate, he admitted that he changed a lot in the competition and sometimes doubted his skills. However, Bonnie knew he was trying to use psychological warfare against her and did not want to waste her time on that.
The following morning, Rock and Bonnie were relaxing in the dorms when the six previous eliminated chefs came in. Everybody was excited to see each other again and caught up. Rock was happy to see the eliminated chefs again and hoped there was no animosity from them. As Bonnie was checking out the gift basket, Julia ended up breaking into tears, much to Brad and his concern. He knew Julia was only eliminated a few days ago. He felt she was hurting from the fact she was so close to winning but ended up losing. Because he lost the challenge, he was forced to have the final pick. He chose Brad as his first for being the strongest of the five remaining. Then, he chose Vinnie as his second because he thought the latter would do well under good direction. He was left with Josh as his last pick. However, he admitted that he would rather have the latter because of Julia's emotional state. As the chefs went back upstairs, he said he would do anything to win, even if it meant micromanaging his team and being an asshole. [10]
Back upstairs, Rock made his team catch up fast on the menu and where he was placing them for service based on their strengths and weaknesses. While Vinnie was willing to be led by him, he was a little concerned about the menu as he had not made it before. Brad knew that they had to cram a lot of stuff in if they were to help him succeed and suggested making a prep list immediately.
During prep, Rock got his team motivated and focused but admitted that his challenge was to get them to listen to him. He knew his fate rested on the three men he picked for his brigade, but he also knew he could control them to win. Later, Josh sent over a piece of spaghetti to him which was too soft for him and had half of the supply the same. He told Josh to toss the batch away and admitted he would have to pay close attention to Josh for that night. He took Josh aside and gave him a pep talk, where he told him that he could be a good cook but needed to trust himself. One hour before service, he had his dishes from his menu ready for Ramsay. These included a crispy chicken breast with crab cakes over jasmine rice appetizer, a pan-roasted ribeye entrée, and a vanilla bean milkshake with double chocolate chunk cookies dessert. Ramsay noted that the rice had too much garlic and suggested serving the milkshake in a martini glass. After his review, he was not disappointed as he knew they were fixable mistakes. Thirty minutes before opening, his construction workers were rushing to get his restaurant finished. Fortunately, they were finished in time for him to show Ramsay his Homestyle Bistro. It was praised for looking elegant and smart. He was delighted with how it turned out and called it a confidence booster. With five minutes left, Ramsay called him and Bonnie over for one last meeting. He reminded them that their service would test how well they would run their own restaurant, and afterwards, he gave them head chef jackets. After they got changed, he said he had always wanted one.
During dinner service, Rock got the first ticket from Jean-Philippe and called the order out with authority. However, he admitted that it felt weird doing it. He got their first appetizers out together and received positive reviews from the customers. On the next order, Josh served crab cakes, but they were burnt. Josh said he needed one minute to refire them but argued with his order to get them up by thirty seconds. Josh argued he was trying his best and did not want him to push him too much. Due to Josh's poor performance, appetizers were stalled. Josh was caught cooking six crab cakes not on order, forcing Ramsay to warn him about it. Ramsay reminded him to work under his standards as Brad accused Josh of losing it as it brought down the team. Later, he noticed that Josh burned another crab cake and reminded him that only one order of appetizers left the kitchen in the last thirty minutes. Ramsay pulled him to the backroom, warned him that Josh was sinking his service and ordered him to make a decision. He refused to let anyone get in the way of his dream and wanted every food to be perfect. Then, Josh burned another order of crab cakes and frustratingly admitted he could not cook one after Ramsay got on his case. He had enough and had Josh and Vinnie switch stations, a decision Ramsay approved. Despite being concerned about not knowing how to prepare the fish entrées, Vinnie managed to get acceptable snapper out, and the food finally left his kitchen. Three hours into service, his team finally found a good rhythm. He was cooking some of the dishes, and they were almost caught up on their entrées. His leadership continued to be strong as he fired appetizers and entrées simultaneously. He knew there was no tomorrow and redemption after that night before claiming it was do or die. After service ended, he admitted that he now knew how Ramsay felt during almost every service and was frustrated with how Josh performed terribly. He feared that Josh could ruin his chances of winning. His family came over to the hot plate, and he happily greeted them thanks to Vinnie. He called it a great refresher to see them as they were his biggest supporters, and it reminded him of why he came.
When the teams were lined up, Rock admitted that if he were to change one thing, it would be winning the last challenge, and his first pick would have been Jen, as he thought she was the strongest chef throughout the competition. That answer shocked but honored Jen. He added that he would not have had Josh on his team due to his poor performance that night. Hearing that pissed Josh off because he wanted to do his best but brushed off his criticisms because he knew how to cook. Despite knowing he could not celebrate until he won, he said he was born to lead a kitchen and proud of everyone who helped him. He and Bonnie hugged each other for a job well done back in the dorms while admitting that they both had a rough night and could have done better. He wished he had time back and admitted that Bonnie probably won as the two were waiting. Still, Bonnie knew he was a strong competitor.
Later that night, Rock and Bonnie made their way to Ramsay’s office. Ramsay called him rock solid for his strength in the kitchen. Then, Ramsay had both of them stand in front of one door and revealed that only the winner's door would open. After they nervously waited for Ramsay’s countdown, both turned their door handles, but only his door opened. He became the winner of Hell’s Kitchen and won his own restaurant at the Green Valley Ranch Resort & Spa in Las Vegas, with a salary of $250,000. He was in tears when he won, calling it a big opportunity for his family and said the fact he completed Hell's Kitchen showed his children not to give up. As everyone celebrated, he said it was good to come back with the prize money and embraced his wife.
Ramsay's comment: "Rock deserved to win Hell's Kitchen because he's a very confident cook, and he has become a really good leader. He can motivate staff, he can create, all those qualities are not easy to find in one chef. Rock holds all of them." [11]
Nomination History[]
| Week 1 | Win |
|---|---|
| Week 2 | BoW |
| Week 3 | Win |
| Week 4 | BoW |
| Week 5 | Win |
| Week 6 | Safe |
| Week 7 | Safe |
| Week 8 | Nominated |
| Week 9 | Safe |
| Finale | Winner |
Season 4[]
Episode 10[]
- Main article: Episode 410 - 6 Chefs Compete
Rock greeted Jen and Corey, who were visiting the Green Valley Ranch Resort & Spa after a challenge win at his restaurant, the Terra Verde. He revealed that if they were that far in the competition, they deserved it and urged them to continue what they were doing. Then, Jen said that every time Ramsay was yelling at her was because of her personality. Still, he reminded the two women that Ramsay was not looking for a great cook and looking for a future chef. Then, the three of them clinked their glasses and drank them.[12]
Season 5[]
Episode 15[]
- Main article: Episode 515 - Winner Announced
Rock came back for the finale of that season, along with Michael (Season 1 winner), Heather (Season 2 winner), and Christina (Season 4 winner). He was seen when Ramsay introduced the recently crowned winner Danny to them, and he saw the unveiling of the Hell's Kitchen "Wall of Fame".[13]
Season 6[]
Episode 15[]
- Main article: Episode 615 - Winner Announced
Aside from Heather, who was a sous chef that season, Rock came back for the finale of that season, along with Michael (Season 1 winner), Christina (Season 4 winner) and Danny (Season 5 winner). He was seen when Ramsay introduced the recently crowned winner Dave to them and saw the unveiling of the Hell's Kitchen "Wall of Fame." [14]
Season 8[]
Episode 8[]
- Main article: Episode 808 - 9 Chefs Compete Part 2
Rock returned for the 100th Hell's Kitchen dinner service as a VIP guest, along with Christina (Season 4), Danny (Season 5), and Holli (Season 7). He was at the blue kitchen's chefs table, with Christina.[15]
Season 10[]
Episode 1[]
- Main article: Episode 1001 - 18 Chefs Compete
Rock, along with Season 6 winner Dave, greeted the red team after winning the Signature Dish Challenge and ate dinner with them on the patio. He said that girls were smarter than guys, despite being one himself.[16]
Season 11[]
Episode 17/18[]
- Main article: Episode 1118 - 5 Chefs Compete Part 2
Rock returned as part of a team of returning champions, and was joined by Christina (Season 4), Dave (Season 6), Nona (Season 8), and Paul (Season 9). He was the first returning champion to reveal himself, and Jon knew it would be tough as he was a beast in the kitchen. While Susan was confident the black jackets were better than the previous winners, he was not intimidated by her due to her towel on top of her head. As the champions worked on their menu ideas, he did not have a worry in his body as he felt they were the dream team.
During prep, Rock felt the black jackets had no chance against them as they were that good. He was at the garnish station during dinner service, and Ramsay told him to remain solid at the start of service. When a backlog on appetizers occurred, he decided to step up as a leader by calming people down and seeing what was going on. However, Christina felt he was more lost, and despite Dave giving him a clear explanation of what was going on, he was still lost. The champions won the service as they had a 95% approval rating over the black jackets 93%, and while he admitted it was not a perfect service, he was honored to be there with the other chefs.[17]
Season 12[]
Episode 15/16[]
- Main article: Episode 1215 - 7 Chefs Compete
- Main article: Episode 1216 - 7 Chefs Again
Rock returned to Hell's Kitchen along with Dana (Season 10) and Paul (Season 9) as their dishes were featured in the first-ever Hell's Kitchen Calendar. Later, they were called to help Ramsay judge the Black Jackets Challenge. Joy ended up winning the challenge and ate a meal with the three returning chefs, prepared by the losers of the challenge. Kashia flirted with him when she served him his meal and even shook his hand.[18][19]
Season 13[]
Episode 15[]
- Main article: Episode 1315 - 4 Chefs Compete
Post Hell's Kitchen[]
- After his appearance on the show, Rock left the Green Valley Ranch Resort after a year. He later became an executive chef at Ben's Next Door.
- He eventually left Ben's Next Door and became an instructor at Stratford University.
- He wrote a cookbook titled "44 Things Parents Should Know about Healthy Cooking for Kids."
- He appeared on Chef Wanted and won an Executive Chef position at The Precinct but did not take the position.
- He also has been involved with many businesses in an advisory capacity.
- He made an appearance on Gordon Ramsay's 24 Hours to Hell and Back as a decoy/expert at Seafarer's Family Restaurant (Season 3 Episode 5), which was later renamed as Halterman's Eatery, and was brought on board as a mentor for the restaurant's young head chef.
- He now owns his own restaurant called Queen Mother's Fried Chicken, named after his mother, Carole, in Washington D.C.
- He was named as a James Beard Semifinalist for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic in 2023.
Trivia[]
- He is the first contestant from Virginia.
- He participated in the first-ever different-gender finals of Hell's Kitchen.
- He is the first African-American male winner of Hell's Kitchen.
- He is the first contestant ever who used premade food for his signature dish and the only one to date who did so and went on to win the competition afterward.
- He is the first winner with the most instances of calling the nominees in their season, with two, tying with Jen, having been named "Best of the Worst" twice.
- He is the first winner to have been nominated for elimination.
- He is the first winner who never switched teams.
- Out of all of the winners that came back as guests, he is the one who returned as a guest the most, with eight seasons in total.
- He is the winner with the least challenges won with only two.
Quotes[]
- (About Vinnie after confronting to Ramsay) "All I could think to myself was, "Please shut up! Who are you talking to? Are you serious?" I just couldn't, I couldn't believe it!"
- (About the red team arguing during the Wedding Planning Challenge) "Argue. Argue. Hell's Bitches, Hell's Bitches. Yes!"
- "The only threat to Rock is Rock"
- (About Melissa) "This bitch is crazy."
- "Lobster bisque. Get that shit at motherfucking corner bakery!"
- "WHAT THE FUCK IS ORIGINAL ABOUT A CRAB AND LOBSTER BISQUE?! NOTHING!!"
- (During the blue team's punishment) "That was bullshit! Gotta go through trash, what der'o motherfucking trash! What do I look like! I don't ask any of my cooks to go through damn trash! If you don't like what I'm putting in the trash, FIRE ME THEN!"
- (About Bonnie during the cleaning the dorm punishment) "She says she's a nanny. And you don't clean this, you don't clean that, what do you do?!"
- (After Vinnie served the raw scallops) "Slammed that shit right in Vinnie's chest, and Vinnie tensed stopped, and he was about to bust. All I can think was, oh my god, do not lose your head."
- (To Brad during the elimination) "Say my name. You should just say my name, that's all. If you're talking about me waiting in the wings, say "Rock". (Brad: "I thought I'd be "politically correct" about it.") There ain't no "politically correct", we tryin' to win a competition. Say my name!"
- (About Jen) "Who the fuck are you talking to? My chef told me to get up there!"
- Jen: "Big man. Big man." Rock: "Big man shit." Gordon: "SHUT THE FUCK UP! Enough's enough."
- Rock: "Simple ass broad." Jen: "You're crazy."
- (After being named winner) "This is just so big for me and my family. I JUST WON!! THANK GOD, I just won!! I over everything I do for my family. The fact that I finished and I completed shows my son, shows my daughter, that if you really stick your mind to something, you can do it."
Gallery[]
.png "Rock's Confessional (Blue Jacket).png (283 KB)")
.png "Rock's Confessional (Black Jacket).png (289 KB)")
.png "Rock's Confessional (Head chef Jacket).png (271 KB)")
References[]
External links[]
Rock Harper on Instagram- Rock Harper on Twitter
| Hell's Kitchen Season 3 |
|---|
| Staff |
| Gordon Ramsay (Head Chef) • Scott Leibfried (Blue Team Sous Chef) • Mary-Ann Salcedo (Red Team Sous Chef) • Jean-Philippe Susilovic (Maître d'hôtel) |
| Contestants |
| Joanna Dunn • Vinnie Fama • Melissa Firpo • Rock Harper • Eddie Langley • Brad Miller • Bonnie Muirhead • Tiffany Nagel • Aaron Song • Josh Wahler • Julia Williams • Jen Yemola |