The journey begins in London, England where the 12 chefs take over a Gastropub and serve food to Nigella Lawson; the chefs race in a pub crawl to win the Exceptional Ingredient.
The eleven remaining chefs run bistros and serve traditional Lyonnais dishes and one chef gets a traditional recipe.
There's a scavenger hunt in Florence, Italy; Tuscan cuisine is featured; one chef causes a disaster in the middle of the night.
One contestant is thrown by Thai markets and rice paddies; convincing Thai locals the chefs' food is authentic.
The chefs work alongside local fishermen in Barcelona and serve some Mediterranean cuisine; Jose Andres is the local food expert.