Katsuji Tanabe

Sixteen chefs meet in Boston for their chance at culinary glory. The first round sees them competing in a sudden death Quick-Fire challenge, before attending the inaugural Top Chef Food Festival.

The chefs are sent back to their student days when they are challenged to create a ramen noodle dish for Andy Cohen and his university roommate, Dave Ansel. Plus, Jacques Pepin asks the chefs to make a dish inspired by Julia Child's techniques.

George Wendt stops by to judge the chef's ultimate bar snacks, and the chefs must work in teams of three to create a three-course Italian menu. Plus, Emmy Rossum challenges the chefs with her gluten free diet.

The chefs are put into two teams to open their own pop-up restaurants, where they must create menus, decorate, and train their wait staff. Plus, Barbara Lynch stops by to help the judges.

The contestants are tasked with using tea in their dishes for guest judge Ming Tsai. Later, the chefs must use ballpark snacks as ingredients for fine-dining dishes.

The chefs must create a full Thanksgiving feast using ingredients and cooking methods from the 1600s. Plus, the judges are joined by descendants of the Mayflower colonists and Wampanoag tribe.