Damarr Brown

After saying goodbye to their loved ones and another fellow competitor, the chefs receive an ominous gift from Tom, who tells them to get up early and meet him at the docks.

The chefs are put to the ultimate test: to build restaurants from the ground up. The signature challenge levels up yet again, requiring the chefs to satisfy their VIP counter and a dining room full of guests.

The Chefs head to the Gulf of Mexico in Galveston Texas; Chef Shota Nakajima is here to present them with their next Quickfire Challenge: using the freshest gulf shellfish to create a seafood tower with one hot and one cold dish.

The chefs are tasked with creating a monochromatic plant-based dish for their Quickfire Challenge; for the Elimination Challenge, the chefs are tasked with creating dishes that speak to their souls for a block party fundraiser.

Fifteen of the country's best chefs arrive in Houston, Texas, ready to fight for the title of Top Chef.

The finalists prepare themselves for the most important cook of their lives; they'll have to leave it all on the plate in order to wow Padma, Tom, Gail, and guest judges Stephanie Izard and Eric Ripert.