| “ | South always wins! Period. | ” |
Syann Williams was a contestant on Season 19 of Hell's Kitchen. She ranked in 11th place.
Season 19[]
Episode 1/2[]
- Main article: Episode 1901 - Welcome To Vegas
- Main article: Episode 1902 - Shrimply Spectacular
The eighteen new chefs arrived at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas as Ramsay wanted them to see the first official Hell's Kitchen Restaurant. Marino greeted the chefs at the front doors and took them inside the restaurant. As the chefs drank champagne, they got to know each other. Eventually, Ramsay came in, explained that the Hell's Kitchen Restaurant was built on the show's eighteen-season legacy, and revealed that it was one of the highest-grossing restaurants in America. Ramsay revealed that he brought them to the restaurant for inspiration because the winner of that season would become the Head Chef at the brand-new Hell's Kitchen Restaurant in Lake Tahoe. Ramsay admitted that they would not be competing in the real Hell's Kitchen restaurant due to the demand, so they would be going to Los Angeles to compete. The chefs returned to the bus to head to the airport as Marino handed out the tickets, and once arriving at the strip, they see a helicopter revving up, with Ramsay taking it and flying off. After some time, the chefs were called in for boarding, but as the chefs walked through the doors, they found themselves standing inside the restaurant. Then, Ramsay appeared in his chef jacket, revealed that for the first time in the show's history, Hell's Kitchen would take place in Las Vegas and had some performers do some shows for the chefs. As they watch them, Syann called it a culinary circus. While the chefs could not do any of the tricks they saw, they reaffirmed that they could indeed cook to Ramsay.
Before the Signature Dish Challenge, Syann said she was making a fried cauliflower steak, with Ramsay saying that doing a vegetarian dish for a signature dish was a brave move. She wanted it to knock off both Ramsay's socks and shoes, but unfortunately, she was forced to scrap it due to the changes. She was paired up against Cody, they were the fifth pair to play for their ingredients, and they landed on filet, cauliflower, and yam. She was happy as she was initially going to make cauliflower for her dish, and Ramsay jokingly suggested that she stay in Vegas due to her luck. During the cooking, she felt confident in her dish. She was the second person from the red team to have her dish judged by Ramsay, but before doing so, she revealed that she was a cruise chef and that she got her inspiration from her recently deceased grandfather, claiming he was her guardian angel. She made a scotch marinated filet mignon with deep-fried cauliflower and sweet potato mashed, but Ramsay said there were bits of raw cauliflower in the deep-fried bites. After complaining about feeling like he was in a shit creek, Ramsay gave her two points. The red team lost the challenge 27-28, and they were punished by cleaning the Caesar Palace's fountain.[1]
During the Creative Shrimp Challenge, Syann asked Sous Chef Christina if they had grits, and the latter told her to look in the back for the dry ingredients. She wanted to make shrimp and grits to adhere to her Southern roots, but she could not find grits. So, she decided to grab polenta instead. When Ramsay revealed the elimination twist, she shook in fear but was not called up. She was called up as one of the top three dishes from the red team, was the fifth person to have her dish judged by Ramsay, and presented her shrimp and polenta dish. Ramsay liked the grill marks on the shrimp, having that Southern charm to it, and told her that her dish beated Lauren 's. While that pissed Lauren, she did a small happy dance before noting that the only person left was Josh. She ended up outlasting Josh, therefore winning the challenge. She had her dish featured on opening night, and won the Punishment Pass. As she claimed the pass, she warned the others not to underestimate her because the South always wins.
During dinner service, Syann was on the dessert station. She was not seen that night, and the red team won the service.[2]
Episode 3[]
- Main article: Episode 1903 - Hell Caesar!
During the Caesar Salad Challenge, Syann went on her scooter as she knew it was a battle of balance for her but went too slow for the women's liking. As she continued to move slowly, Mary Lou complained that not only could she walk faster than her, but so could her grandma on her walker. Just as Cody was about to finish his laps, she finally got her first attempt to Ramsay, and fortunately, it was the winning point for the women as they clinched it at 10-8, and she did a happy dance in celebration. The red team was rewarded with a dune buggy experience in the Nevada desert.
During dinner service, Syann was on the fish station with Mary Lou. She was not seen much, except for being forced to hold off on her salmon due to Jordan 's poor timings. The red team lost the service, and they were asked to nominate two people for elimination. During deliberation, she struggled to say a name until naming Lauren before asking who the second nominee was. She ended up nominating Fabiola due to the flatbreads.
Syann was not nominated for elimination, but after announcing Nikki as the second nominee, Ramsay asked her why they nominated the latter when she made no mistakes that night. She explained that the women felt that Nikki would not be a strong chef for them in the long run, but Ramsay was not happy that they were basing it on that, and not for the fact they left half of their diners hungry. Nikki felt that it was not a fair judgment, and she admitted that the former performed 1000% better compared to last night when asked by Ramsay.[3]
Episode 4[]
- Main article: Episode 1904 - Wedding Bells In Hell
While going back to the dorms, Syann said she knew Ramsay would not accept Nikki as a nominee because, even though the latter only had two years of experience, she kicked ass that night.
During the Wedding Brunch Service Challenge, Syann was on the avocado toast station. She was not seen at all, and the red team won the challenge. They were rewarded with an overnight trip to Lake Tahoe, where they would ride snowmobiles in the mountains and stay at the Harrah's Hotel and Casino. During the reward, she was amazed by the sunset they witnessed. When the women reached their hotel suite, she called the women bad bitches, apologizing to her grandmother in response.
Before dinner service, Syann said goodbye to Amber as the latter was reassigned to the blue team. During dinner service, she was on the appetizer station with Jordan. She said she made flatbreads before and had her stomach growl, but while she thought it was a good sign, Ramsay saw that the flatbreads were burnt in the pizza oven. She trashed it and made a new one hoping it was good, but it came out raw. Jordan told Ramsay that her risottos were ready, but she had to make a third flatbread on the first order, dismaying Ramsay. Ramsay asked her if she was trying to screw her team up, but while she apologized, Ramsay asked the red team if their mess of performance is due to Amber's departure. Both teams were named joint losers, and they were asked to nominate two each. During deliberation, she knew that herself, Kori, and Brittani all had problems that night, but while she admitted to dropping the ball that night, she did not think she was the weakest chef on the red team.
Syann was named the red team's second nominee for elimination, with Brittani as the first, and they joined Marc and Peter from the blue team. During her plea, she deemed herself a fighter that could cook fish. She survived elimination, and while being dismissed, she said it was hard to see Brittani go home but knew it needed to be done as she was not done yet.[4]
Episode 5[]
- Main article: Episode 1905 - Hell Starts Taking Its Toll
During the Mexican Cuisine Challenge, Syann paired up with Nikki, and they managed to collect ingredients for their chicken taco. Afterwards, she found humor in seeing Marc run after his duck. The red team won the first part of the challenge, and they received 45 minutes of cooking time. She and Nikki were the second pair from the red team to have their dish judged and went up against the pair of Peter and Josh. They made braised chicken taco with jicama and whole grain mustard slaw, she felt confident about their chances, and Aarón praised them for thinking through on their taco's flavors as everything paid out. So, they scored that round over the pair of Peter and Josh. When the score was tied at two each, her and Nikki's tacos went up against Adam's enchilada as Ramsay said that both dishes were elevated in the right way. However, they lost the tiebreaker to Adam, and the red team lost the challenge.
The red team was punished by cleaning the animals in the pen, scoop up the manure, and clean up the hay bales before that night's dinner service. Before sending both teams off, Ramsay offered Syann a chance to use her Punishment Pass, and Sous Chef Christina brought the pass up to her, still encased in ice, before handing her a hammer. She decided to use the pass and broke open the ice to claim her pass before deciding to switch places with Cody. With that, she joined the blue team on their reward, a spa day at the Voie, located at the Paris Hotel. Before leaving for the reward, she commented that it would be an awkward spa day after hearing Marc and Amber argue. During the reward, she knew Amber could not help herself after the latter tried to talk about service.
During dinner service, Syann was on the fish station with Jordan. She was not seen that night, and while both teams were named joint winners, Ramsay asked them to nominate one each. During deliberation, she did not want any bullshit and considered Lauren for elimination.
She was not nominated for elimination.[5]
Episode 6[]
- Main article: Episode 1906 - Metal & Marina
During the Modern Italian Cuisine Challenge, Syann went up against Amber, and she smashed a guitar to reveal tortellini. During the cooking, she was not used to making pasta from scratch, even though she had premade dough on her station. Instead, she grabbed wonton wrappers and hoped it would be to her advantage. She was the third person from the red team to have her dish judged and presented her seafood wontonlini. However, saying the word wonton shocked Ramsay as he had made fresh pasta dough for her and was asked why she did not use pasta. She explained that she wanted to bring some flair to the dish, but the judges were confused by the dish as it was not a tortellini dish, and all Jon Shook could taste was melted cheese. So, she scored three guitars, with Ramsay telling her that she was lucky there were no zeros on a guitar pedal, and she regretted her decision to use the wonton wrapper. The red team lost the challenge 28-33, and they were punished by making hand-made pasta, prepping tomatoes, and making pesto.
While cleaning up for prep, Syann reminded Jordan that they were the top six chefs of the red team in hopes it would make the latter feel better. Then, she was one of the women that promised to kick Jordan's ass if the latter broke sobriety. During the Italian Night dinner service, she was on the meat station with Mary Lou. At one point, Mary Lou told her to make love to their lamb, causing her to start flirting with the protein. After Mary Lou got the refire accepted, she thanked God for the refire before trying to hug the former. However, Mary Lou told her not to do that in front of Ramsay. The red team won the service.[6]
Episode 7[]
- Main article: Episode 1907 - A Pair Of Aces
Back at the dorms, Syann gave Cody a back massage before moving onto Amber. When Amber commented on how she knew how to use her hands, Jordan remarked that she used to be a lesbian, which the latter did not understand how she could convert back. Later, she jokingly flirted with both Lauren and Mary Lou as they went to the hot tub.
Before the Protein Identification Challenge, Syann loved surf and turf, and during Kori and Nikki's turn, she suggested to them to grab bison and king crab legs. She was paired up with Jordan, and they were the final pair from the red team to compete, grabbing a taco dish that contained squab and snapper. She discovered that one of them had a white fish component but felt the other taco tasted gamey, and she and Jordan grabbed venison and snapper for their first attempt, only to get it half right. She and Jordan tried snapper and elk for their second attempt, but the results stayed the same, and again for veal and snapper. After four failed attempts, she and Jordan ended up grabbing random meat proteins to pair up with the snapper, only to fail each time. Eventually, she and Jordan finally grabbed squab, and it was correct after ten attempts. The red team ended with 8 minutes and 46 seconds, although she complained that she could not get the gamey taste out of her mouth.
The red team won the challenge as the blue team failed to beat their time, and they were rewarded with a flow riding experience on top of the Planet Hollywood roof. During the reward, Syann went up first, only to wipe out. When the red team came back from their reward, she flirted with Adam, with him remarking that big black women liked him.
During dinner service, Syann was on the fish station. She got her appetizers accepted, and on entrées, she talked with Nikki about timings so she could drop her salmon. She felt good about her chances and hoped to keep the momentum going, but Mary Lou told her not to sell it as the skin looked burnt. That led her to look for more acceptable pieces of salmon, but that confused Nikki as salmon was an easy fish to cook. While most of the red team had their entrées ready, she said she needed two minutes on the salmon and told meat about it. However, Jordan said that happened two minutes ago, leading Ramsay to ask her where the salmon was. She walked the salmon up, and despite her teammates' concern, she got it accepted. Later, when Jordan accidentally walked up a ticket order that was not up yet, she said she was not ready for that, but her salmon for the current ticket was burnt, forcing Ramsay to redo the order while she had no idea why Jordan was sending up the wrong meat as she was already in the weeds. As the red team worked on their third attempt on the ticket, she felt they were getting frantic as their smooth ride was getting bumpy. While the dishes were walked up to the pass, she presented an ice-cold salmon, and it was one of the three mistakes that got the red team kicked out of the kitchen.
The red team lost the service, and they were asked to nominate two people for elimination. During deliberation, Syann noted the cold salmon, soggy fries, and overcooked steak that got them kicked out and took accountability for that before asking who was joining her. However, nobody was volunteering, upsetting her as everybody had their hand in the fuck up pile. When Jordan thought she did well that night, she reminded the former she sent up meat for the next ticket and accused her of not taking accountability for it.
Syann was the red team's first nominee for elimination, with Kori as the second, but she was joined by Jordan instead as Ramsay voided Kori's nomination. During her plea, Ramsay reminded her that she got backed up after a strong start, but while she admitted to doing that, she felt she kept fighting. While Ramsay reminded her that the secret to a great chef was getting back up and having the back up of their brigade, he asked her if she was better than Jordan, to which she said yes. Despite that, she was eliminated for her poor performance on fish, but before leaving, Ramsay praised her for her energy and urged her to keep her head up. She thanked Ramsay along with the other chefs for the experience, and during her exit interview, she called her journey amazing before wanting to keep true to Ramsay's word to keep her head up high.
Ramsay's comment: "Sy's winning personality and determination were enough to take her far. But her lack of experience made me say 'Sy-onara.'" [7]
Nomination History[]
| Week 1 | Safe |
|---|---|
| Win | |
| Week 2 | Safe |
| Week 3 | Nominated |
| Week 4 | Win |
| Week 5 | Win |
| Week 6 | Nominated |
Post Hell's Kitchen[]
- After her appearance on the show, Syann launched a catering company named Kravee Kitchens.
Trivia[]
- She is the second contestant and the first female contestant to receive a punishment pass, following Bret (Season 18). She is also the first contestant to swap places with someone from the winning team with the punishment pass.
- She is the first person to win a punishment pass and failed to make it to black jackets.
- She is the first contestant who won an individual challenge during the team phase without making it to the black jackets.
- At 11th place, she is the lowest ranking contestant to win an individual challenge during the team phase. That record would hold until Melissa (Season 22) beat her.
Quotes[]
- "I'm shaking. I'm shaking."
- "Sy gets a get-out-of-jail-free card!"
- "South always wins! Period."
- "Punishment Pass! (clap) No Donkey Ass! (clap)"
- (To Adam) "Hey, big booty. How you doin'? I missed you. I like how you cut that, uh, that scallion. You know what I'm sayin'?"
- (After being eliminated) "Although I may not be ready right now for Lake Tahoe, my journey was amazing. I fought every day, Chef Ramsay told me to keep my head up, and that's exactly what I'm gonna do. Period."
Gallery[]
.png "Nikki and Syann's Mexican Dish (Tacos).png (1.14 MB)")
.png "Syann's Modern Italian Dish (Tortellini).png (2.37 MB)")
External links[]
Syann Williams on Twitter
References[]
|
| Hell's Kitchen Season 19 |
|---|
| Staff |
| Gordon Ramsay (Head Chef) • Jay Santos (Blue Team Sous Chef) • Christina Wilson (Red Team Sous Chef) • Marino Monferrato (Maître d'hôtel) |
| Contestants |
| Cody Candelario • Mary Lou Davis • Fabiola Fuentes • Nikki Hanna • Declan Horgan • Amber Lancaster • Lauren Lawless • Peter Martinez • Kenneth McDuffie • Josh Oakley • Adam Pawlak • Marc Quinones • Brittani Ratcliff • Eliott Sanchez • Jordan Savell • Kori Sutton • Drew Tingley • Syann Williams |