Top Chef season 22 episode 11 recap – Contestants prepare unique pancakes while the elimination challenge introduces another guest judge

Episode 11 of Top Chef season 22, titled Calgary, Yahoo!, aired on May 22, 2025. It saw the final six contestants head to Calgary, Alberta, Canada, for a set of culinary challenges that tested speed, creativity, and adaptability. The Top Chef episode opened with a brief recap of the previous installment, where César returned from the final Last Chance Kitchen of the season.

Shuai had previously won the Elimination Challenge, and Vinny was sent home after his dish failed to impress the judges. With the competition narrowing and the finale looming, only six chefs remained in Top Chef: Massimo, Shuai, Lana, César, Tristen, and Bailey.

This episode featured a pancake-themed Quickfire Challenge, followed by a berry-and-beef-based Elimination Challenge. Chef Denia Baltzer, the new guest judge, also joined the panel for the elimination round.

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What happened in the Top Chef episode? Details explored

The episode began with the contestants arriving in Calgary and meeting host Kristen Kish, along with judges Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons, at the Calgary Olympic Plaza. Top Chef Canada alum Connie DeSousa joined as a guest judge.

Kristen informed the chefs that the Quickfire Challenge would involve feeding 50 diners pancakes in 45 minutes. Tom clarified that the pancakes had to be handheld and show each chef’s personal style. Gail emphasized that utensils would not be allowed.

Each chef prepared a unique take on the pancake. Shuai created a cornmeal pancake filled with scrambled eggs, lap cheong, cheddar, and a chili crisp avocado aioli. Meanwhile, Massimo served mini buttermilk pancakes with plum sauce, bacon marmalade, and peach purée. Bailey crafted a buckwheat crespelle with brown butter pecan, roasted mushrooms, spinach, and plum maple syrup.

Lana prepared a creamed corn hoecake with sausage, poached peaches, and hibiscus peach syrup. César offered an XO pancake with basil, Chinese sausage, brûléed tomato, and candied mushrooms. Tristen cooked a cachapa with berbere chorizo, cheese, and charred pepper bacon syrup.

After tasting the dishes on Top Chef, Connie DeSousa praised Bailey’s crespelle, while Tom commended Shuai’s flavors. Gail highlighted the strength of Tristen’s roasted pepper salsa. In the end, Shuai was declared the winner of the Quickfire Challenge.

Gail said César’s pancake lacked cohesion, while Connie found Massimo’s pancakes too small and overly sauced. Tom critiqued Lana’s entry for leaning too heavily on sausage over pancake.

Next on Top Chef, Kristen introduced another guest judge, Chef Denia Baltzer. The Elimination Challenge required each chef to cook a dish using beef and berries. Contestants pulled knives to determine their assigned berries and selected beef cuts via cards.

Tristen was given flat iron steak and gooseberries. César had ribeye and chokeberries. Lana received strip loin and haskap berries. Bailey worked with beef cheek and Saskatoon berries. Shuai was given short ribs and blackcurrants. Massimo drew beef tenderloin and elderberries.

Kristen informed the chefs that they would serve their dishes the next day at Rouge, a Calgary restaurant. Shuai, as the Quickfire winner, was granted three hours of prep time, while the rest were given two and a half.

Before cooking, Kristen invited the contestants to Class Clown for a burger and downtime, assuring them there would be no twist. The chefs remained cautious, but no surprise challenge followed.

At Rouge, the chefs served their dishes to the judges—Tom, Gail, Kristen, Denia, and Connie—along with local culinary guests including Rouge co-owner Paul Rogalski, Amber Big Plume of the Tsuu T’ina Nation, and Charcut co-owner John Jackson. Lana presented a grilled steak with Pommes Anna and smoked haskap berry.

Connie appreciated the smoked and savory elements, but Kristen criticized the sage for being too dominant. Massimo offered beef tenderloin with elderberry sauce, smoked kohlrabi, and umeboshi. Paul described it as well-balanced, and Gail said the berry-beef combination worked effectively. Amber noted the creative use of berry leather.

Bailey plated Saskatoon-braised beef cheeks with creamy polenta, roasted walnuts, and brûléed blue cheese. Denia questioned her approach to the berries, and Kristen again found the sage overpowering.

Tristen’s flat iron steak with gooseberries, kohlrabi, and bone marrow pemmican earned praise for highlighting gooseberries. Paul called it a tribute, and Gail remarked that the end cut of meat was overcooked, despite good overall flavor.

César’s ribeye with chokeberry reduction, rutabaga cream, and bone marrow cornbread was well-cooked, but Amber said the chokeberry flavor was too subtle. Shuai presented a stuffed cabbage with braised short ribs, wild rice congee, and blackcurrant pepper sauce. Denia said the dish reminded her of meals her mother made, and both Tom and Gail expressed their admiration for his creation.

At the Judges Table on Top Chef, Tom remarked that while all the dishes were well-executed, a few chefs appeared to be intimidated by working with the berries. The top three were Massimo, Shuai, and Tristen. Gail praised Massimo’s effective elderberry use.

Tom said Shuai’s dish stood apart in a good way. Paul appreciated Tristen’s gooseberry incorporation, but Gail noted texture issues with the steak. Massimo was named the winner of the Elimination Challenge.

Tom then called Bailey, César, and Lana forward as the bottom three. Tom criticized Bailey’s use of sweetness, and Kristen echoed her earlier concern about sage. Denia felt the berry was lost in César’s dish. Ultimately, Lana was eliminated.

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Top Chef season 22 continues to air on Thursdays on Bravo.