Buddha Lo

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.

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.

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

The competition reaches new heights as the chefs voyage to the Houston Space Center; they'll have to create a stellar new menu item that they would crave if they were on a multiyear mission to Mars.

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.

For their last Quickfire Challenge, the chefs make the trip to El Charro in Tucson, Ariz., the oldest family-run Mexican restaurant in the country, where chef Carlotta Flores challenges them to create a dish featuring her carne seca.