By Arthur Perkins
 
We always have a lot to learn in the first episode of any Hell's Kitchen season (or Top Chef season or probability many other reality shows). The cast we will invite into our homes via our TV sets is vital to the success of a reality show and much time and effort goes into casting the chefs for HK5. So, who did Gordon Ramsay select for HK5. It is a cast he calls the best ever:
 
Andrea - 30, Reading PA, CIA (Culinary Institute of America for those who thought this was the international espionage agency of the U.S. government)
 
Ben - 26, Chicago IL, Kendall College
 
Carol - 30, Knoxville TN, Cordon Bleu of Las Vegas
 
Charlie - 24, Las Vegas NV, Western Culinary Institute
 
Coi, 22 -Houston TX, Art Institute of Houston (I didn't know they offer a culinary program; silly me)
 
Colleen - 41, Papillon NE, self-taught
 
Danny - 23, Sarasota FL, Sarasota Technical Institute
 
Giovanni - 37, Destin FL, CIA
 
J - 32, Clifton Park NY, Johnson & Wales University
 
Ji - 33, Palisades Park NJ, CIA
 
LA - 22, Las Vegas NV, California Culinary Academy
 
Lacey - 24, Charlotte NC, Johnson & Wales University
 
Paula - 31, Coconut Creek FL, Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale (I didn't know they offer a culinary program either)
 
Robert - 29, Quoque NY, American Culinary Academy
 
Seth, 27, New York NY, Lorenzo de Medici
 
Wil - 26, Elgin IL, Elgin Community College and Kendall College
 
The first challenge is for each chef to cook their signature dish. Ramsay says that a signature dish is how chefs establish a reputation. He will sample and comment on all 16 chefs, sometimes with their dishes identified:
 
Carol - veal and caramelized onions
Wil - no presentation skills
Ji - marinated Chilean sea bass; the work of a 15 year chef rather than only a 4 year chef
Robert - potato and white truffle wrapped Chilean sea bass; big problems with sauce plus portions huge
Lacey - definitely corporate food, "I may vomit" (said as he spits it out)
Danny -  "lightning gone bananas"; "It looks like you've gone slightly bananas"; Ramsay asks where he got the idea and Danny tells him he pulled it out of his ass; Ramsay tells him to put it back in there
Giovanni - you must be the only executive chef in America who can't cook rice
Charlie - that is a joke
LA - fish and chips; screwed up
J- "F" is for failed to impress
Colleen - chicken enchiladas w/poblano cream sauce; you charge $300 for 3 to 4 hours of your instruction; he spits it out with some derogatory remark; she says "I teach manners to chefs;" Ramsay says say that again, but lets it go
Andrea - flavor is spot on
Coi - tastes delicious and perfectly cooked
Paula - well-seasoned
Seth - aubergine ratatouille w/honey and cinnamon encrusted rack of lamb; Ramsay spits it out and asks why it is sweet; Seth says it's the honey in the ratatouille; Ramsay says "Honey in the ratatouille" and continues with "that's the worst dish I've ever tasted;" he tells Seth he could make history as the fastest exit form Hell's Kitchen
Ben - pan-seared Peking duck breast; attractive and tasty, by far the best dish on the Men's team
 
Ramsay tells the teams that the winner of the competition will receive $250,000 plus a job at the Borgata Casino, the premiere property in Atlantic City. He is disappointed in the performance of his new chefs. He tells the men and women to separately go and develop a name for their team. It is now the next morning at 8am and prep starts with 10 hours until the doors of Hell's Kitchen open. Lacey has a problem with a machine that looked like a syrup dispenser. She gets all upset and leaves the kitchen for a brief period to regain her wits and eat a snack. Giovanni finds that Seth is useless and does not pay attention to details. The women will be known as Team Saffron. The men will be known as the Blues Brothers. The teams are told that there is one too many person for the kitchen capacity, so one from each team will be the waiters. Giovanni is picked by Ramsay for the men's side and Carol for the women's side. Giovanni is pissed because he wants to demonstrate what he can do in the kitchen. Carol is hesitant because she doesn't know how to do it. Charlie has too much facial hair and is asked by Ramsay to trim some off his beard. There is a moment of conflict just before Ramsey tells Jean-Philippe to open the doors. Lacey has angered Coi and so Ramsay tells them to compose themselves and get on with things.
 
Robert talks while Ramsay is giving orders. Ramsay is very clear in his feedback to Robert to never do that. Normally, you can figure out who is doing what station, but tonight there was little opportunity for that. LA is doing meat for Red, Lacey is doing fish, and Ben and Robert are doing pasta for Blue. Lacey screws up scallops by serving it raw. Ben and Robert demonstrate that they can't cook pasta.  There is a power outage about 45 minutes into the service. It is restored about 20 minutes later. In the interim, Carol is giving free wine to diners to keep them satisfied. Colleen cooks fresh pasta in a dirty pan because she can't find a new one. Ramsay easily finds one. She also is vulnerable because she adds mascarpone cheese on spaghetti to be put on lobster. Seth didn't cook  properly. Giovanni does not remember who gets what at a table. Colleen put too much spaghetti in pots. Ramsay says that she should take some out and it will cook faster. Seth did not cook lamb chops right when he burned them. Colleen has a lot to learn about risotto, which Ramsay says is too sweet. Colleen admits that she put sugar in but thought it was salt. Ramsay asks Wil if he knows what he is doing. Robert and Charlie are on garnish station to help Wil out. Ramsay exclaims disappointment that Wil doesn't appear to know what he is doing. After 2.5 hours tables are starting to leave. Ramsay closes the kitchen. Ramsay decides that both teams are equally weak, so he is doing something original. He will let the diner comments on service decide which team wins. Carol ahs 88% favorable rating and Giovanni has a 90% less than average rating. The Men lose and must nominate 2 from their team to be considered by Ramsay for elimination. Wil thinks he did poorly, but hopes to stick around. Seth is the focus of many on the Men's team. Seth wants Giovanni to be considered because of this poor performance on service. Seth is the first nominee and Seth is the second. The Men's team is squarely behind Wil as they don't like Seth. Robert is willing to take Wil's place to save Wil. However, Ramsay chooses Wil for elimination. Ramsay's final comment on it is Wil didn't have the will to succeed; he clearly didn't belong in Hell's Kitchen. Ramsay tells the 15 remaining chefs that they must raise their game for the next service.
 
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