Eric Adjepong

A challenge at the Griffith Observatory kicks off the fierce battle, where the Chefs compare each other to see how everyone has progressed since last competing and then, the first elimination challenge brings them to the beach to cook a seafood meal.

The chefs honour the late, great Pulitzer-Prize winning food critic Jonathan Gold. Using Gold's last guide list, the chefs fan out all over Los Angeles to sample the unique food trucks, mom-and-pop cafes, and ethnic cuisine.

Comedic superstars Ali Wong and Randall Park swing by the Top Chef kitchen for a Quickfire Challenge tasking the chefs to make the wackiest fried rice they can. Then, the chefs head to the famed Getty Museum to seek inspiration from the art.

It's Restaurant Wars and this season Padma takes all the limitations off the table as the chefs can make as much food as they want and shop wherever they choose. Two chefs are given 48 hours to pick their teams and create the restaurants.

In the Quickfire, the chefs play a game of telephone with their loved ones as they try to reproduce the dish their family member is eating at a nearby restaurant. The chefs create a signature product that they will bottle and sell at a food festival.