The first episode of Season 16 of Hell's Kitchen aired on Fox on September 23, 2016. In that episode, the eighteen new chefs were put into boot camp, the Signature Dish Challenge took place, and one chef got put in their place when they tried to break the fourth wall.
Intro[]
The episode began with a recap of the previous fifteen seasons, even showcasing a few previous winners before showing a teaser of that season.
The eighteen new chefs were seen inside the Hell’s Kitchen bus, getting to know each other. Johnny said that getting yelled at by Ramsay was on his bucket list, and while he was amazed at how confident everybody else was, he felt that nobody knew what was going to happen. Gia openly wanted the men gone from the competition, but Andrew disagreed with that notion. Pat said that he would bring the experience and that he was a very young 47-year-old. While the chefs expected to arrive at the restaurant, the bus instead pulled up to an army base, which scared Andrew as he could not do a push-up to save his life, and Kimberly asked where they were. After leaving the bus, the chefs lined up in front of their own duffel bags, and Kimberly argued that she did not sign up for the army. As the Drill Sergeant was barking out orders, a tank pulled up behind him, and Ramsay came out of it, with Heidi complimenting his appearance. 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, even though Jessica whined that she was not an army person.
After changing into their uniforms, the chefs were put through an obstacle course with Gia ready to show what a leader she could be, while Jessica struggled with the hurdles. After, the chefs jogged over to Ramsay, who was in front of a giant wall, which he called the toughest challenge, but Johnny was ready as he deemed himself a monkey, while 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 restaurant's front 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.
Signature Dish Challenge[]
Both teams had 45 minutes to cook their signature dishes, but Aaron knew that he would have to prove to the chefs that he belonged in the competition due to his age and that he looked like he just came out of middle school. Eventually, both teams got their signature dishes cooked and plated on time.
Before judging their dishes, Ramsay announced that the winner would become the head chef at Yardbird Southern Table & Bar at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, which excited Pat and a salary of $250,000. Then, Ramsay announced that each dish would be scored on a 1-5 ranking, and the team with the most points would win. In the first round, Gia and Pat were the first chefs from their teams to present their dishes, and the former revealed that she started cooking in order to make her family happy. Then, Gia explained that her friends said that she could charge people for her cooking but had to clarify to Ramsay that it did not include her friends. After, Gia’s shrimp and grits with cheese and bacon were criticized for a messy presentation but praised for tasting quite nice. She scored 4 points, and Gia was happy to show up the men for their boasting on the bus. Before tasting Pat’s dish, he revealed that he was 47 years old and presented his sea bass with light citrus risotto. Ramsay deemed it not bad, Pat scored 3 points, and the score was 4-3 for the women. On the second round, Ramsay asked Aaron what he was wearing, referring to his shorts, and reminded him that it was not a golfing competition, before asking if Aaron’s parents knew he was here. After, Aaron’s schnitzel with braised cabbage scored 4 points as Ramsay struggled to find any faults in the dish, while Wendy’s roasted heirloom tomato soup was criticized for stinking of garlic. So, Wendy scored 2 points, and the men led 7-6. On the third round, Heather’s seared ribeye with brussel sprouts was deemed spot on for both looking and tasting delicious, and Ramsay awarded her the first perfect 5 of that night. However, Paulie’s biscotti-encrusted scallops with polenta cake and hollandaise also scored 5 points, he was ecstatic about that, and the score was 12-11 for the men. On the fourth round, Devin’s bacon-wrapped scallops with rice were given only one point, and before Ramsay tasted Kimberly’s dish, the latter announced she was the executive chef and catering manager of a Latin-infused sushi restaurant, much to Ramsay’s confusion. Despite Ramsay’s expectations of something Japanese-related, Kimberly instead presented pappardelle pasta with clams and red tomato sauce but revealed that she used not only pre-made pasta but also canned clams, much to everybody’s disappointment. After, Ramsay criticized the dish for being a mess, gave only one point, Johnny snarkily commented that nobody could make canned clams sound good, and the score was 13-12 for the men.
On the fifth round, Matt presented his dove breast spaghetti bolognese and revealed that it was his first time making that dish. Not only was Ramsay not impressed about being Matt’s guinea pig, but the dish itself was criticized for messing up the word bolognese before giving him one out of five. After, Aziza’s salmon was praised for tasting good, but Ramsay called the presentation dreadful, even calling it something that you would want to eat in the dark. So, Aziza scored 2 points, and the score was tied at 14. On the sixth round, Genaro’s duck breast with couscous was criticized for being "ducked up," and he scored only one point. Before tasting Ryan’s dish, she revealed that she chose to compete for her four-year-old daughter and wanted to show her to follow her true passion, which Kimberly could relate to as she was a mother herself. After Ryan presented her seared scallops with seasoned Rice Krispies, Ramsay deemed it delicious, she scored a perfect five, and the score was 19-15 for the women. However, an annoyed Johnny asked what just happened and said that he hated when cute girls cooked better dishes. Shaina’s salmon en croute scored 3 points for being a good dish on the seventh round. Koop’s scallops with pork cheek, the latter claiming that it was a new twist on a classic, received 4 points for being a strong effort, and the score was 22-18 for the women. On the eighth round, Jessica’s chicken and pepper risotto dish was spat out by Ramsay, the audience laughed over that, and she scored only one point. Before tasting Andrew’s dish, the latter revealed that he trained at the Cordon Bleu, which Ramsay deemed an expensive school. However, Andrew’s pan-roasted halibut with mushrooms, butter-poached leeks and shellfish broth scored 2 points for having terrible mushrooms, and the score was 23-21 for the women. On the ninth and final round, Johnny and Heidi were up, and the former revealed that he was the only chef at his restaurant, therefore being the head chef by default. Then, Johnny’s steak and farro with green beans and tomatoes were praised for having the best protein of the men, and he scored 4 points. Then, Heidi presented her ricotta gnocchi with ham. While Ramsay felt there was too much arugula on the plate, the gnocchi was praised for having a nice sear. She scored 4 points, and the women won the challenge 27-25.
Scoring[]
| Red Team | Blue Team | ||||
| Chef | Score | Total | Chef | Score | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gia | 4/5 | 4 | Pat | 3/5 | 3 |
| Wendy | 2/5 | 6 | Aaron | 4/5 | 7 |
| Heather | 5/5 | 11 | Paulie | 5/5 | 12 |
| Kimberly | 1/5 | 12 | Devin | 1/5 | 13 |
| Aziza | 2/5 | 14 | Matt | 1/5 | 14 |
| Ryan | 5/5 | 19 | Genaro | 1/5 | 15 |
| Shaina | 3/5 | 22 | Koop | 4/5 | 19 |
| Jessica | 1/5 | 23 | Andrew | 2/5 | 21 |
| Heidi | 4/5 | 27 | Johnny | 4/5 | 25 |
| Results | 27-25 | ||||
Reward[]
The women were rewarded with a ride on a stretch Hummer limousine and dinner at the Takami Restaurant with Ramsay. After hearing their reward, an excited Heather deemed it her best first night of the competition. After, both teams came up to the dorms to find their chef jackets and knife sets waiting for them. While Heather was excited about getting Henkel’s, Kimberly was excited that she got to eat dinner with Ramsay. During the reward, Gia was happy to spend the reward chilling with the women and felt that it was things to come for them. At Takami’s, Ramsay led them to their table, and Heidi felt like she was a VIP. Then, Ramsay told the women to remain focus and toasted to their victory.
Later that night, Ramsay revealed that he invited some talented chefs from the past seasons to help them out and called up Season 4 winner Christina, and Season 12 winner Scott before making his departure. Christina reminded the women that the winner of the signature dish challenge did not always win the competition, with her and Scott recalling how their dishes went poorly, and the latter reminded them that it was all about how they finished. That made Jessica feel better as she could still win despite a poor dish.
Punishment[]
The men were punished by resetting the dining room and setting up the tables for the following service, and packing up the risers the audience sat at. After hearing their punishment, a dismayed Paulie called it an incremental amount of work. During the punishment, Marino gave out directions on setting up the tables and chairs, and while Andrew complained that they lost the challenge, Marino reminded him that they lost because Matt decided to make pigeon Bolognese. When Johnny and Andrew joked about eating pigeon-related meals, Matt was pissed as he knew that it was a risky move. Later, Pat decided to take a break due to his age, but that annoyed Andrew as he busted his ass and declared that Pat might not be hanging with the men any longer.
Before service[]
The next day, both teams began prepping for the opening service, with Heidi said that she was ready for anything Ramsay wanted. In the blue kitchen, Johnny declared that the men were going to kill service that night. After prep, Ramsay had both teams lined up and told them that they would complete service no matter what before urging them to fight back. After, Ramsay asked Marino to open Hell’s Kitchen.
Dinner service[]
Erica Ash and Nolan Gould were in attendance that night, and a linguini and clams appetizer was served tableside by Ryan and Kimberly from the women and Aaron and Koop from the men. On their first ticket, Pat boasted that he could cook risotto in his sleep, but despite claiming that it was in his blood, his risotto looked like vomit dipped in oil, much to Ramsay’s confusion. That dismayed Paulie as Pat was a culinary instructor and could not even cook a risotto before deciding to do the refire himself. In the red kitchen, Heidi and Jessica communicated on appetizers, and the latter wanted to redeem herself from her poor performance on the Signature Dish Challenge. The effort showed as Ramsay praised Jessica’s sear, and the women served their first order. In the blue kitchen, Paulie’s refire on the risotto was accepted, and the men were able to send out their first order as well. While Paulie said that he was stressed out, he felt he had the appetizers under control despite Pat’s micromanagement. Then Paulie’s risotto was too salty due to Pat adding salt, and they were forced to start over. In the red kitchen, the women were pushing out appetizers and were now moving onto entrées.
Forty-five minutes into service, Ramsay impatiently asked for the scallops, but Matt and Andrew argued over the scallops as the former felt that they were still raw, but the latter dumped them on the tray anyway. When Matt did send up the scallops, they were raw, and Ramsay demanded to know who was responsible for them, even threatening to kick the two out if they did not answer. Matt claimed that Andrew was the one that forced him to serve them and even suggested looking back at the camera footage for proof. However, Pat said that Matt must be out of his mind, and Ramsay sternly lectured Matt to forget the cameras, never send him a scallop unless it was perfectly cooked, and to lay off the attitude, before threatening to shove a Go Pro up Matt’s ass if he ever used the cameras as an excuse ever again. In the red kitchen, Wendy and Heather’s entrées were accepted, the former was happy that they were not getting yelled at and was ready to get through service. In the blue kitchen, the men were beginning to work with entrées, and Matt deemed the competition a way to test his own skills. However, Matt’s sea bass was raw, much to Devin’s dismay, and when neither Matt nor Genaro took the blame for it, Pat called the two dumb and dumber. Eventually, Matt claimed that he would have never serve raw sea bass, but an angry Johnny called the former the biggest douche ever, and Genaro took the blame for sending it up. However, when Genaro walked back to the fish station with no signs of passion, a frustrated Ramsay kicked him and Matt out of the blue kitchen, commenting that he has never heard something so stupid in his life. After, Ramsay gathered the rest of the men to the front and warned them that if either of them made one more mistake, they would be kicked out. In the red kitchen, the women were pushing out entrées at a blistering pace, and Gia was proud of Jessica for her perfect salmon.
Two hours into service, Johnny refused to mess up any longer, but Paulie’s sea bass was raw. That was the final straw for Ramsay, who made good on his warning and kicked the remaining men out of the blue kitchen before calling them useless. While going back to the dorms, a pissed Andrew accused his team of cooking like it was the first time in their lives. In the red kitchen, the women were firing their final ticket and got their final entrées accepted. As the women celebrated their strong performance, Ramsay congratulated them for a job well done.
Post-mortem[]
Back at the patio, Sous Chef Aaron ordered the men back into the kitchen, only to be stopped by Ramsay in the back hallway. After calling the men’s performance pathetic, Ramsay informed them that the women performed like an actual team compared to them and named them the clear losers. While Pat stated that they would regroup, Ramsay asked the men to nominate two people for elimination.
During deliberation, Koop knew that they had to cut the dead weight out of the men, and both Andrew and Devin considered Paulie and Pat for elimination. Matt criticized Pat for cooking poor food that night, but the latter considered Genaro and Matt for elimination as he knew that the fish station was their downfall that night. Then, Paulie nominated himself for elimination for his subpar performance, but Johnny did not like that and felt that they would be weaker without Paulie as he deemed him the strongest chef. While Devin asked if everybody was in agreement for Paulie and Pat for elimination, Johnny asked why they were not nominating Matt for his rude attitude that night. However, Matt argued that he was talking to Ramsay liked he did in the military and claimed that he would still be around despite people not liking him, but Johnny angrily yelled that Matt was a disrespectful punk towards Ramsay. However, Devin got annoyed as they just came to an agreement over nominees, but Johnny argued that they never agreed to a decision.
Elimination[]
Andrew announced Pat as the men’s first nominee and Matt as the second. During their pleas, Ramsay asked Pat what he was doing that night, and while the latter admitted to some missteps at the start of service, he argued that the fish station destroyed the men’s service. Then, Ramsay once again asked Matt who was responsible for the raw scallops, and while he called it a joint mistake by himself and Genaro, Ramsay retorted that there was no such thing as two people cooking the same dish. After, Ramsay asked Matt if he was the weakest chef on the men, but he responded that he was not, and that Pat was the weakest as his age should have matched his experience, and that he did his best that night. However, Ramsay criticized that comment and reminded Matt that he screwed up the fish station and that Pat fried the risottos. In the end, Pat was eliminated for his poor performance on appetizers. During his exit interview, Pat was angry that he was eliminated, felt that the men had a poor performance altogether. He felt the hardest thing was to face his students before considering taking a vacation to hide out for a couple of weeks.
After Pat left, Ramsay told the chefs to grow up if they would use the first night jitters as an excuse. While being dismissed, Paulie believed that he messed up his reputation with Ramsay over his poor performance before declaring that it was never happening again. Then, Heather compared the men to little bitches, and loved that she would dominate them, while Matt planned on stepping up his own game and leaving the others behind.
Ramsay's comment: "Pat is Italian and couldn't even cook risotto. What a meatball. Ciao, Pat."
Trivia[]
- This is the first episode to have its own title rather than "X Chefs Compete", which the previous 15 seasons have used.
- Title Reference: The supposed last obstacle in the chef's boot camp was a wall to climb over. However, it literally fell on Ramsay after everybody wanted to do it.
- Until Season 20, this was the last episode where everyone was allowed to cook their original Signature Dishes.
- This marks the final season premiere where the Signature Dish Challenge and the Opening Service are done in the same episode. Beginning with the following season, the two aspects are split between two episodes with an individual challenge set in between.