S04.E06: Shoyu My Ramen

[KeithJ]

Quote

The mentors challenge the chefs to make the most impressive ramen dish while reaching from a fast moving platform that moves up and down each level throughout the entire challenge.

Airs: Thu, Mar 20, 2025

[mertensia]

What I wouldn't give for them to do German or Scandinavian instead of Japanese. Like, other cuisines exist. Be brave and risky and try them.

Beatrice continues to irritate.

Is it me or are more people almost missing the platform this season?

[DanaK]

Meg dropped out for a health reason. I hope she’s ok

[KeithJ]

31 minutes ago, DanaK said:

Meg dropped out for a health reason. I hope she’s ok

https://www.startribune.com/minneapolis-cook-megan-sheley-explains-her-shocking-departure-from-foxs-next-level-chef/601241000

[DanaK]

3 hours ago, mertensia said:

What I wouldn't give for them to do German or Scandinavian instead of Japanese. Like, other cuisines exist. Be brave and risky and try them.

Beatrice continues to irritate.

Is it me or are more people almost missing the platform this season?

 I don’t think I’ve noticed a rise, or much of one, of people almost missing the platform. But then the show probably likes to play that up

I too would like to see other cuisines represented. As for this episode, I’ve made ramen dishes a small number of times and I’ve found I don’t really like ramen. I’m not sure if it’s the noodles or the broth

Not having the platform stop this episode was insane.

[KeithJ]

1 hour ago, DanaK said:

 I don’t think I’ve noticed a rise, or much of one, of people almost missing the platform. But then the show probably likes to play that up

Yeah, they do seem to play it up but Blais was really screaming at his team this week like they were really really late.

It's also interesting how Blais abandoned his "put the best chef up" strategy when it was his turn to lose a chef.

[milkyaqua]

Agree that Beatrice is still being annoying.

I know the eliminated chef was gone when she announced her dish.  I mean I can't remember if they said, the dish had to be Japanese in flavor profile or if it was Asian in general.  Vietnamese and French is a pretty standard duo so not sure why she didn't go that way.

The platform not stopping was something else.  They couldn't have at least given them less time like 10 seconds instead of 30 seconds?  And has Blais realized his strategy isn't working?  Also, why do they seem stuck on the same handful of cuisines?

[KeithJ]

10 minutes ago, milkyaqua said:

The platform not stopping was something else.  They couldn't have at least given them less time like 10 seconds instead of 30 seconds? 

Unless it was the way it was edited, it really seemed like it stayed in the basement a little too long. I know they should have gotten extra time since they are at the reversal but it seemed to linger there a little too long.

[blackwing]

I really can’t stand Beatrice, so cocky and not as cute as she thinks she is.  Not sure if the way she speaks and giggles is supposed to play up the “I’m 18” angle and if she does it on purpose, or if she is naturally that irritating.  Ugh.  She can leave yesterday. 
 

5 hours ago, DanaK said:

Not having the platform stop this episode was insane.

This isn’t new, they’ve done it in past seasons at least once. 

2 hours ago, milkyaqua said:

I know the eliminated chef was gone when she announced her dish.  I mean I can't remember if they said, the dish had to be Japanese in flavor profile or if it was Asian in general.  Vietnamese and French is a pretty standard duo so not sure why she didn't go that way.

It specifically had to be Japanese fusion.  Not Asian in general.  Japanese, Gordon said they were staying in Japan.  
 

She needed to make it more French.  Some kind of sauce, maybe a cognac sauce.  

2 hours ago, KeithJ said:

Unless it was the way it was edited, it really seemed like it stayed in the basement a little too long. I know they should have gotten extra time since they are at the reversal but it seemed to linger there a little too long.

Because they are at the bottom.  It pauses slightly to mimic the time the platform would be scrolling on by the middle and top levels.  And they only get one shot when it moves as opposed to two for the other floors. 

[milkyaqua]

The other thing about this challenge, I get that the platform was going to keep moving but you know going into this challenge you need two things, a protein and noodles.  I understand the anxiety and I'm armchair quarterbacking here but why not focus on those two things first?

Also, I keep seeing this fresh ginger on the platform.  Not one person wanted to use ginger for the flavor boost?  And the young chef who was unhappy with the imitation crab made me scratch my head.  I get he's young so maybe doesn't have that much exposure to different ingredients but imitation crab is used in Japanese cooking.  Just like pressed fish cake.  I've seen both in ramen.

[MsNewsradio]

I don't understand all the Beatrice hate.  She clearly is having a ball competing and is excited to be on the show. She has back to back wins - I don't think it's arrogance for her to acknowledge that she is very good at what she does, especially since she's proven to have the skills to back her up. She's only 18, and she is showing she has cooking abilities on par with or better than people twice her age. I'm honestly surprised so many people seem to dislike her. 

[mlp]

6 hours ago, DanaK said:

As for this episode, I’ve made ramen dishes a small number of times and I’ve found I don’t really like ramen. I’m not sure if it’s the noodles or the broth

I've never really understood all the raving about ramen that I've seen on more than a few shows.  However, I have to admit that the only ramen I've ever had is the kind that comes dried in little packages three for a dollar.  I imagine I'd have a different opinion if I tried the real thing.  Still, it's noodles in broth.  How marvelous can that be?

10 minutes ago, MsNewsradio said:

I don't understand all the Beatrice hate.

I don't dislike her.  I just find her effervescence a bit tiresome.  She'll calm down as she gets older.  Right now, she clearly knows what she's doing and is good at what she does.  The other contestants seem to like her.

[cameron]

3 hours ago, KeithJ said:

Unless it was the way it was edited, it really seemed like it stayed in the basement a little too long. I know they should have gotten extra time since they are at the reversal but it seemed to linger there a little too long.

 

4 hours ago, milkyaqua said:

Agree that Beatrice is still being annoying.

I know the eliminated chef was gone when she announced her dish.  I mean I can't remember if they said, the dish had to be Japanese in flavor profile or if it was Asian in general.  Vietnamese and French is a pretty standard duo so not sure why she didn't go that way.

The platform not stopping was something else.  They couldn't have at least given them less time like 10 seconds instead of 30 seconds?  And has Blais realized his strategy isn't working?  Also, why do they seem stuck on the same handful of cuisines?

I thought the same thing about the platform in the basement.

[DanaK]

9 minutes ago, mlp said:

I've never really understood all the raving about ramen that I've seen on more than a few shows.  However, I have to admit that the only ramen I've ever had is the kind that comes dried in little packages three for a dollar.  I imagine I'd have a different opinion if I tried the real thing.  Still, it's noodles in broth.  How marvelous can that be?

As I said, I don’t like actual ramen noodle, but the dishes I’ve cooked were more than just noodles in broth. They included chicken or another protein and some vegetables and maybe other things, similar to what we saw in this episode. The rest of the ingredients can be good even if one doesn’t like the ramen itself. Clearly it can get fancy. Though I personally wouldn’t rave about it, so I can’t help you there

Edited March 21 by DanaK

[jackjill89]

I thought it was interesting that Beatrice asked Gordon's opinion on her broth and he said "needs acid." Then a guy his advice to a guy on the team was that he needed to cook with more assertiveness or something like that. Very specific support v. very vague. How much help are mentors supposed to give?

Beatrice reminds me a little of Tini. I think Gordon likes the young, blonde contestants because they remind them of his daughter.  I like Beatrice more than Tini, but B did say something about how the blood, sweat and tears she's put in to get where she is today and I just had to roll my eyes -- girl, you are 18!

[unclekth]

Maybe I'm being picky, but I distinctly saw Gordon take items off of the platform. And according to the rules, only the contestants are allowed to do that. I think his whole team should have been penalized for that round. I've been noticing a partiality to the members of his team.

[blackwing]

17 hours ago, mlp said:

I've never really understood all the raving about ramen that I've seen on more than a few shows.  However, I have to admit that the only ramen I've ever had is the kind that comes dried in little packages three for a dollar.  I imagine I'd have a different opinion if I tried the real thing.  Still, it's noodles in broth.  How marvelous can that be?

 

It's more than just noodles in broth.  It's about the combination of flavours in the broth with the flavours and textures of the proteins and vegetables.  For this challenge, there was an array of proteins and many things to add to make a great combination. 

I personally would have sent in [woman with her own cast iron cookbook, I still don't know her name] to the elimination instead of Mariam.  Mariam seemed to make a proper ramen, she just had too many noodles in relation to her broth.  The other woman basically boiled noodles, added some garnishes and an entire piece of salmon.  She didn't understand ramen at all, that salmon didn't add any flavor to the dish, it was just a piece of cooked salmon that happened to be in a bowl of noodles.

17 hours ago, MsNewsradio said:

I don't understand all the Beatrice hate.  She clearly is having a ball competing and is excited to be on the show. She has back to back wins - I don't think it's arrogance for her to acknowledge that she is very good at what she does, especially since she's proven to have the skills to back her up. She's only 18, and she is showing she has cooking abilities on par with or better than people twice her age. I'm honestly surprised so many people seem to dislike her. 

She was arrogant even before she had two wins.  From the moment she appeared in the first episode, she had that "I'm 18 and I'm better than you all" attitude that is a real turnoff to me.

14 hours ago, jackjill89 said:

Beatrice reminds me a little of Tini. I think Gordon likes the young, blonde contestants because they remind them of his daughter.  I like Beatrice more than Tini, but B did say something about how the blood, sweat and tears she's put in to get where she is today and I just had to roll my eyes -- girl, you are 18!

This.  I like that she is confident of her ability and cooks well, I would probably like her if she didn't brag so much in the confessionals and if she stopped giggling.

[snarts]

Beatrice is confident, maybe even a bit cocky. That's not at all surprising at her age. What's endearing is that she's open to advice & criticism so she's not arrogant.

If she were a man, most wouldn't bat an eye but because she's a woman, some people find the confidence irksome...

It's the double standard annoys me. So I find myself rooting for her, especially after her sing along to Eminem. 

 

[GHScorpiosRule]

5 minutes ago, blackwing said:

I personally would have sent in [woman with her own cast iron cookbook, I still don't know her name] to the elimination instead of Mariam.  Mariam seemed to make a proper ramen, she just had too many noodles in relation to her broth.  The other woman basically boiled noodles, added some garnishes and an entire piece of salmon

Megan. And it’s Maryam. Meg was the one who left due to a medical emergency.

And I agree-Megan should have been put in the elimination.

Frankly, neither of Maryam or Iman’s dishes looked like Japanese fusion or whatever. But I’m a plebeian so what do I know?

And really, Maryam-Pakistan doesn’t need to be put on the map. 

As for next week? What I wouldn’t give to have Gordon be my team mate, let alone a mentor! Hands down, it’s Gordon for me each and every time! @seacliffsal will attest!

[blackwing]

21 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

Frankly, neither of Maryam or Iman’s dishes looked like Japanese fusion or whatever. But I’m a plebeian so what do I know?

And really, Maryam-Pakistan doesn’t need to be put on the map. 

I agree.  If Maryam got criticised for not making it fusion enough, why not Iman?  What was so fusion about her dish?  It was wagyu beef in a taco.  I didn't see any particular Japanese elements, except for the fact that it was wagyu beef.

I think Maryam said she was from Kashmir, which is a disputed region between Pakistan and India.  So I thought when she talked about representing her culture, she meant Kashmir.  But I think in an earlier episode she definitely referred to herself as being Pakistani.  I agree with you, most people know Pakistan.  Now if it was Azerbaijan or Moldova or Uzbekistan, I would agree those countries are places that more Americans are less familiar with.

[blackwing]

On 3/22/2025 at 9:51 AM, snarts said:

Beatrice is confident, maybe even a bit cocky. That's not at all surprising at her age. What's endearing is that she's open to advice & criticism so she's not arrogant.

If she were a man, most wouldn't bat an eye but because she's a woman, some people find the confidence irksome...

It's the double standard annoys me. So I find myself rooting for her, especially after her sing along to Eminem. 

For me, I find arrogance unattractive, regardless of whether it's a man or a woman.  And irritating behaviour is unattractive, regardless of whether it's a man or a woman.  One of the people I hated the most last season was Jordan because of his extremely irritating and pervasive "LET'S GOOOOO"

[GHScorpiosRule]

On 3/23/2025 at 8:16 AM, blackwing said:

I think Maryam said she was from Kashmir, which is a disputed region between Pakistan and India.  So I thought when she talked about representing her culture, she meant Kashmir. 

I don't recall her saying that. I do recall her saying she was Punjabi, and I assumed she was from the Punjab. Then her dish or something she said she wanted to represent Pakistan. And kept bringing it up, as if Pakistan is some unknown country. Once okay, but she kept saying it and that got annoying.

[CrazyTrain]

I don't really get this Beatrice is 18, she's so young, fascination - there is a guy who is 19 so why is nobody fawning over his age?

[blackwing]

On 3/29/2025 at 5:27 PM, CrazyTrain said:

I don't really get this Beatrice is 18, she's so young, fascination - there is a guy who is 19 so why is nobody fawning over his age?

Because he doesn't throw it in everyone's faces like Beatrice does.  He is competent without the need to tell everyone about it.  She is overly pleased with herself, giggles too much, and kisses up too much to Gordon.  She is a showboat, he is not.  Many people get turned off by showboats on reality shows.

But given the amount of attention the show has given her, it seems like the producers are fixated on her.  She probably makes it to the finals and possibly wins.

[jackjill89]

15 hours ago, blackwing said:

Because he doesn't throw it in everyone's faces like Beatrice does.  He is competent without the need to tell everyone about it.  She is overly pleased with herself, giggles too much, and kisses up too much to Gordon.  She is a showboat, he is not.  Many people get turned off by showboats on reality shows.

But given the amount of attention the show has given her, it seems like the producers are fixated on her.  She probably makes it to the finals and possibly wins.

Perfectly stated. 

Good thing she has skills or she would be insufferable. And yes, I'd say the same about a guy behaving the way she does. Arrogance is not attractive. 

[Sir RaiderDuck OMS]

On 3/21/2025 at 3:53 AM, mertensia said:

What I wouldn't give for them to do German or Scandinavian instead of Japanese. Like, other cuisines exist. Be brave and risky and try them.

My guess: You're asking chefs to come up with a professional-quality dish in 30 minutes using a haphazard set of ingredients that often come down to pure luck, both in terms of what's physically on the platform and what they can see in the limited amount of time the platform is there with a bunch of people swarming around them, shouting, etc.

French, German and Scandinavian dishes can often involve complex sauces and cooking methods that can take a lot longer than 30 minutes and, especially in the basement, involve specialized pans and cooking equipment that are simply not present.

But a stir-fry is something you can basically do with anything: it takes skill and a knowledge of what taste and texture profiles go together, but it lends itself to flexibility and can easily be done in 30 minutes even if you have to manually prepare everything.

 

On 3/22/2025 at 7:51 AM, snarts said:

Beatrice is confident, maybe even a bit cocky. That's not at all surprising at her age. What's endearing is that she's open to advice & criticism so she's not arrogant.

Beatrice is one of my and Mrs. RaiderDuck's two favorites this season (Brandon being the other). Yeah, she's kind of cocky, but so were we when we were 18. C'est la vie.