Inside nail-biting final of Michel Roux Jr’s Five Star Kitchen – as one contender says they are ‘deathly afraid’
MICHEL Roux Junior is set to pick the winner of the first series of Five Star Chef tonight as they cook up at storm at London’s The Langham.
The Michelin starred restaurateur will present his toughest challenge yet to Jordan Brady, Dominic Taylor and Adria Wu in the kitchen of the hotel’s Palm Court.
The trio will be tasking with serving up a three-course meal following their own restaurant concepts for friends, family and judges Ravneet Gill and Mike Reid.
The winner will be awarded the top spot in the restaurant kitchen, and bring their concept to life for paying guests – and with the competition getting tougher, the chefs have reached boiling point.
Jordan says in the final episode of Five Star Kitchen: “It’s the biggest day of my life.
“I left school when I was 11, and I was told I wouldn’t be anything in life.
“I was homeless and I’d sleep in the woods at night, but this just proves if you’ve got the right ethic and you believe in yourself then you can do it.”
He exclusively tells us: “It’s always been my dream to be a chef. It’s in my veins and while I’ve had several difficulties along my journey – it’s made me who I am today.
“Being on the show has changed my life. It has allowed me to find who I am and gave me the power to believe in myself. Never did I think I would reach the final.
“My cooking is all about flavour. Evoking memories. Classical cooking.”
While Adria continues: “To be in the final is a mixture of excitement, stress and anxiety – I am deathly afraid.
“I quit my career as an engineer to do this – I sacrificed so much, but I never had this chance and I really believe making plants the star of the menu will work.”
She exclusively adds: “I definitely didn’t plan it, but I’ve ended up putting all my insecurities out to the world in this competition – at times I felt like everyone was a ‘real chef’ and rocking with so much confidence and I kinda felt like “What am I even doing here?”
“This has really been an opportunity to wow people with my cooking.
“I always think I can work harder than the person next to me. I am always driven for perfection. I have a continuous drive for excellence.”
Dom says: “When I first arrived, I had imposter syndrome – I couldn’t see how my food was going to fit in.
“There are a lot of stereotypes and stigma around Caribbean food – and I wanted to run away from that, I wasn’t proud to cook Caribbean food.
What's on the menu tonight?
THE three chefs will each serve up a three-course meal for guests, with three options for each course.
Jordan’s menu ‘3’:
Starters: Mackerel, rhubarb & fennel; Beetroot, dill & buttermilk; Pig’s cheek, lobster & prawn
Mains: Hake, vichyssoise & caviar; Wagyu, onion & thyme; Lamb, samphire & red pepper
Dessert: Rum baba, pineapple & lime; Chocolate cake, cherry & anise; Strawberry Eton mess, basil & pink peppercorn
Adria’s menu ‘Verdure’:
Starters: Gazpacho; Wild mushroom & bok choy salad; Barbecued tempeh biscuit sliders
Mains: Hen of the woods mushroom; Chickpea panisse; Saffron cavatelli
Desserts: Poached rhubarb; Ginger loaf; Dark chocolate ganache tart
Dom’s menu ‘The Good Front Room’:
Starters: Jerk chicken; Ackee & saltfish cakes; Gungo pea daal hummus
Mains: Curried goat chops; Banana leaf baked sea bream; Roast baby cauliflower
Dessert: Bakewell tart with sorrel jam; Guinness punch panna cotta; ‘Fruit bun & blue cheese
“It’s only in the last five years that dream was re-ignited again. Now, I cook from the soul.
He exclusively adds: “I grew up in London in a single parent family with five siblings – cooking came out of necessity. I was interested from a young age.
“I’ve had to make a lot of sacrifices to make it in hospitality. When I was in my 30s and starting out as a head chef, I had to give up on friend’s birthday and family events to be in the kitchen working.
“Now, on the show, I’ve really been able to champion Caribbean food and ingredients on a platform I haven’t seen in my time as a chef or in my life.
“I want people to get absorbed into what I’ve tried to create. I want people to think “Wow, I didn’t think Caribbean food could be so opulent and upscale.
“The UK is the food capital of the world and I want Caribbean food to have a platform it has not had before and for me to be the chef who leads that.”
The trio will face the judges this evening for the final time before the winner is crowned.
Five Star Kitchen airs tonight at 8pm on Channel 4