I absolutely love how Chef Petrina earned her spot back on Yes, Chef!

NBC's Yes, Chef! returned with a new segment on June 2, 2025. The episode brought back the eliminated contestants, giving them a fair opportunity to retrieve their lost spots in the competition. While explaining the rules, judges Martha Stewart and José Andrés said that each eliminated chef would have a chance to cook their way back into the race for a shot at the $250,000 prize.

They further stated that two positions would be put in play, meaning two existing chefs could potentially be replaced. Martha added that the return of the evictees was important to fulfill the purpose of the show, noting that they grappled with "issues" and spiraled under stress.

Among the eliminated contestants was Chef Petrina Peart, who was the first chef removed from the contest. As the Yes, Chef! episode played out, Petrina outperformed her opponents and earned her spot back, alongside Chef Julia, replacing Chefs Chris and Ronny.

I absolutely loved watching Petrina return to the show because she was eliminated without having the chance to cook for her safety. She fell prey to Chef Katsuji and Chef Michelle's petty games and was sent home without being allowed the opportunity to prove her skills.

In an interview with NBC Insider, published on April 29, 2025, she spoke about her elimination, saying:

"I just thought it was a roundabout, sneaky, shady way to eliminate someone. I think going on any competition, the most you can ask for, or in life in general, is the opportunity to fight for yourself. Whether I win or lose, at least, it will be by my own merit."

To me, her exit seemed unfair. Consequently, I was overjoyed when she returned and proved why her opponents should not underestimate her. This time around, the Yes, Chef! alum proved her excellence, something she was previously deprived of, making her statement as to why she's a perfect candidate for the show.

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Chef Petrina's journey on Yes, Chef! is the perfect definition of a redemption story

Petrina, in episode 1 of Yes, Chef!, was sent packing despite not being part of the elimination cook-off. Katsuji and Michelle went head-to-head in the cook-off, and as the winner of the battle, Katsuji was granted the opportunity to eliminate a chef of his choice. He ultimately picked Petrina, criticizing her for serving the panelists an underwhelming plate of gazpacho earlier in the episode.

I disliked how the judges rested the power in one contestant's hands instead of deliberating the outcome themselves. Moreover, if Petrina had a subpar preparation, she should have been in the elimination cook-off, fighting for her spot, but she was not. The absurdity of the format of Yes, Chef! is beyond my understanding, as I still do not understand how Petrina went home.

While taking her exit, she told the panelists that she wished she were allowed a chance to fight for her spot. Consequently, when I saw her return in the latest segment of Yes, Chef!, I felt overjoyed. It almost felt like the NBC show brought the evictees back to make up for the unfair eliminations it conducted at the start of the show.

In the first round, the chefs had to make a sweet dish that the judges would blind taste. The two top chefs then had to choose their opponents from the existing chefs and battle to take their spots.

Petrina cooked a pastry tart—tonka bean crème anglaise with berries. José loved the taste of the dessert and complimented its presentation.

"This is a pastry tart that you’re eating like a soup," he said.

She, alongside Julia, emerged at the top of the rankings. Elsewhere, Emily, Ronny, and Chris had the least favorite dishes among the existing chefs, which meant that their positions in the race could potentially be at risk if either of the evictees chose to compete against them.

Petrina opted to battle against Chris, whereas Julia chose Ronny as her opponent. Petrina cooked a grilled curry chicken with grilled vegetables, whereas Chris prepared grilled steak with grilled vegetable risotto and red pepper coulis.

While reviewing Petrina's dish, the judges appreciated its taste, however, José wished the chicken was slightly more tender. On the other hand, Chris' "underdone" risotto disappointed the experts.

As a result, Petrina regained her spot on Yes, Chef! while Chris was sent packing. Her comeback story is nothing short of a redemption tale, where an able chef, who was unfairly ousted from the contest, returned and outperformed her opponent by serving food that reflected her identity, her roots.

"I grew up eating curry… I want to give the judges a dish for them to get to know me better," Petrina said.

The opportunity she was deprived of during her elimination, she grabbed it in the latest episode by displaying her culinary skills and competitiveness.

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Yes, Chef! episodes can be streamed on Peacock.