Potli Final Alex Polizzi: Chefs on Trial

Hiring a head chef can make or break a restaurant...

Service! BELL RINGS

Costing? I don't know.

When I point at a plate,

I want you to tell me how much that plate costs me.

Can I have it now?

CLATTER

It's a nightmare, trying to find a chef.

..but now, help is at hand.

Good morning.

Alex Polizzi has 25 years of experience

in the hospitality industry.

Why is the plate cold? A schoolboy error.

She will work with four restaurants who desperately need her help...

This is a real interview process.

Where and what did you cook for the Queen?

I can't actually remember what I did.

..as they hire a new head chef.

I have one word to say - which is "yummy".

It's Alex's final day in West London, helping Potli,

an Indian restaurant in dire need of a new head chef.

Old college friends, Jay Gosh and Uttam Tripathy,

have spent the past four years working tirelessly

to realise their dream of owning a successful Indian restaurant.

Service!

It was a dream of me and my business partner to serve

the flavours of Indian marketplace food

here in the streets of London - and so far,

we are blowing the taste buds off all our customers, day in, day out.

That's what we want.

Now, they hope to grow the business,

but only if Jay can step out of the kitchen.

We need a head chef to come in and replace me,

where he is running the show on a day-to-day basis

and we are then expanding the business and going forward.

But hiring the perfect chef is easier said than done.

There is a dearth of good head chefs in the market.

The talent pool is shrinking.

We're not getting in skilled chefs from India.

Now, time is of the essence, if they are to build on their success.

Every month that we do not get the head chef,

it is delaying our new projects.

To find the right head chef at this juncture is absolutely crucial.

With the help of Alex, they hope their six-month search is over.

I'm sure we'll find the right head chef to help us

to spread a bit of spice in everyone's life.

Nine candidates have been interviewed

for the head chef position.

I've never done this before.

During a fiery few days of cooking, seven got the chop.

Chapatti is a disaster. The rice is absolutely...

I can't eat it.

But two did make the grade

and have been shortlisted for the final interview.

Arbinder Dugal...

Arbinder, you are. Thank you so much.

APPLAUSE

..and Mark Robinson. Whoa, brilliant.

APPLAUSE

Congratulations, Mark.

But with no chefs on day one being picked for the job...

And the decision is...

..no-one goes through the next round.

..there is still one place up for grabs.

Jay and Uttam have decided to give one of the chefs another chance.

Chef Kuldeep, it's Jay from Potli.

We have decided to give you a second chance for our second round.

'OK.'

Kuldeep Singh has been thrown a lifeline.

I want to win. This is my main goal.

Only the best will win the position

and be the restaurant's new head chef.

This is a big day for Potli.

This could be the start of the next stage of Jay and Uttam's journey.

But the successful candidate must really step up to the mark.

What I am specifically looking in the head chef today

is basically four things.

One is that sort of chef pride... Yes. ..one is that chef passion...

Yes. ..one is that sort of personality

which would sort of exude today, when they cook,

and, also, I want a bit of panache, so that would differentiate them.

I'm looking for someone who is going to be able to

lead the team in the right direction, motivate them,

who's going to be able to coordinate with the front of house fantastically well. Yes.

When working as a team, it's not my kitchen,

it is our kitchen.

That is what I want him to talk about.

First of the three finalists to arrive is Arbinder Dugal.

In his first interview, his food did all the talking.

The passion that I saw on Arbinder's plate was more than anyone else.

That was a dish I could easily finish myself.

All right, thank you.

But with high expectations, there were worries over his inexperience.

Why couldn't you add up your different elements of the cost

and give us a final costing? What was wrong with that?

From a sous-chef, when you go to a head chef, the buck stops with you.

Arbinder was probably the standout chef, in terms of cooking.

I personally feel that he is

one of the strongest candidates we have got.

Arbinder, I think he is young, he is ambitious.

The only caveat is that he has never been a head chef.

So, to manage a restaurant which is really busy,

to hit the ground running from day one... Is he the right candidate?

That's something we have to really see.

Second candidate is Mark Robinson.

Hi. Hiya.

You all right? Yeah, I'm good. I'm Mark. Arbinder.

Arbinder? Nice to meet you, Arbinder.

He is the most experienced of the three chefs -

and the most determined.

I'm ambitious and I do want to succeed, more and more these days.

I mean, at the end of the first heat,

you could probably see it on my face, I was pretty exhausted.

His enthusiasm in his interview excited Jay and Uttam...

I think he's asked more questions than we asked him.

You are the only chef - and the only chef in quite a long time

that I've met who knows how to do a proper costing.

..but he lacked one vital ingredient.

He has very little experience with Indian cooking.

He was bashing up his cardamom pods and he was...

Your face was a picture. Yeah, I was quite amazed.

Obviously, the enormous question mark is,

however enthusiastic he is with Indian cooking,

he doesn't really have the knowledge. That's right.

I mean, with Mark, one thing really worth admiring about him

is his great attitude.

He doesn't want to be in his comfort zone,

which is very important for us.

As much as I want to discount him, not being an Indian chef...

Yes!

..I can't ignore him. He's been absolutely flawless.

Final candidate is Kuldeep Singh.

It's a nice surprise there. Arbinder, nice to meet you.

My name is Kuldeep. Kuldeep, I'm Mark.

Mark, nice meeting you. And you, sir. Good to meet you.

We all felt that he was a very steady pair of hands.

If Kuldeep grabs it with both his hands,

I think it could be really great.

I've no doubt about his cooking abilities.

But having been initially caught out on costs...

Kuldeep, when you're applying for a head chef position,

you should have done your costing.

..can he now convince he's ready to step up to head chef?

It's new challenge... I want to perform like what I can do.

Shall we go meet the chefs? May the best chef win. Thanks, good.

This final interview is the last chance for the candidates

to prove they should be the new head chef.

If they can't hack it today, they won't get the job.

Good morning.

Hello, chefs.

So, you all did very well in the first round of interviews.

We're starting with a blank slate today.

Today, you guys are cooking for a group of loyal, hard-core customers.

They are one of our biggest critics and I want you guys to deliver.

To test their head chef skills, Arbinder, Mark and Kuldeep

have been asked to preplan a three course set menu.

First, they will prepare their starter

and this will be no time for mistakes.

We've decided that only two chefs are going to cook their full menu,

because you're going to cook with the team

and with the front of house, so we don't want it to be too confusing.

So what we're going to do is, give you 45 minutes to cook your starters

and then, we're going to taste them all.

In the meantime, we're going to go through your menus

and we'll go from there. Is that OK?

That's fine. Can I have your menus and your costings, please?

Thanks.

Literally, today, the destiny is in your own hands

and I just want you guys to perform today

without any inhibitions.

All the best, chefs. - Thank you.

See you in a bit, goodbye. Thank you.

Their menus should justify a set price of ?25

and take into consideration

the restaurant's ethos of authentic Indian market cuisine.

I'm ready. I will cook my three courses. It's my target.

So, I'll try my best.

I'd love to get a chance to cook my main course this afternoon

and the dessert, because I've put a lot of effort

into getting this all ready.

I'm just going with the starters and we'll see what's going to happen.

It's going to be tricky, but I think I'll just go with the flow, yeah?

As a guide, the combined ingredients for the starter dish

should total no more than ?1.50.

Anything higher would compromise the remaining courses.

I don't know what I'm up against.

I've got two obviously very talented gentlemen

either side of me.

You're the more experienced one, yeah?

Am I? Yeah. Maybe that's just because of my age.

Arbinder Dugal is currently working in London's Mayfair.

It's been ten years I've been a chef.

The journey from 2004 till now...

There's a lot of difference.

He hopes to make a virtue of his varied background,

cooking in hotels and fine dining restaurants

and sees this as his chance to step up to the plate.

I'm currently the sous-chef

and that's the highest position I've had so far.

I think I'm very calm in the kitchen -

very calm and composed.

Once you start getting cooking, you just forget about everything

and just focus on what you have to do.

So, I'm going to grab, like, half a kilo of button mushrooms.

You know, my wife, she is very much supportive.

He takes it very seriously when we go to spices and cooking -

he takes it very seriously.

I'm really proud of him,

because he worships his profession as his God,

so the food is next to excellence, I would say.

The feedback that I get from my senior chefs

which I have worked with so far in this industry is that

I'm very hard-working, good team player

and work very well under pressure.

So, I think that's the best complement you can get, for a chef.

It tastes fab.

Beyond words, because that is my husband.

LAUGHTER

For his starter,

Arbinder is preparing a Northern Indian kebab,

called a mushroom ke galawat.

It's traditionally made with meat, but by using mushroom,

Arbinder's costs are kept low, at ?1.59.

Arbinder. Hi. Very nice to see you.

So, what have you got? You've got the mushroom...

So, I've got the mushrooms,

so I'm making another classic, saffron bread.

Served with any salad?

I'm making a very simple salad,

so it's like made with cucumbers,

tomatoes, green chillies, onions, lemon juice.

So, Arbinder, do you think today is your day

and you will make it to the finals?

I don't want to be overconfident of anything.

You want actions to speak louder than words?

Yeah. Good, I like that. Great.

Thank you.

A mushroom ke galawat is a traditional Lakhnavi kebab,

which literally means, "melt in the mouth."

It's typically done with meat.

With Arbinder, I think he has got the wrong selection of mushroom.

I would have loved to see things like chestnut or Portobello,

where there is more meaty flavour in it,

because with this button mushroom, he has got...

With that high level of mushroom content, it might not

lend to this sort of meaty, vegetarian version of the kebab

that he is trying to put in the menu.

Uttam, what do you think about his costings?

I think he's got the costing absolutely spot on.

The main aspect of this is that

he understands he's been given a challenge.

A costing has been given to him and he has been absolutely close to it.

For Mark's starter, he is preparing a fish fry,

using South Coast sprat,

served with cassava chilli and garlic chips,

with a spiced yoghurt dip.

I've learnt a few things, you know?

I've been on the internet, I've watched videos, I've read books...

Sussex-based Mark has 30 years' experience as a chef -

ten as head chef.

He's looking for the next big challenge in his career.

Being back in the, sort of, foodie metropolis of London,

amongst that melting pot of chefs and food -

would help lift this part of my career.

I think it would be important.

He currently works as head chef in an established country food pub,

where he's able to practise his passion for produce

and love of foreign food.

I love to be outdoors.

I love the foraging, because it gets you out of the kitchen, as well.

You spend a lot of time in the same four walls of the kitchen

and on your days off, you want to get out as much as you can.

I get tired of doing just British food.

I've travelled in India.

I've always loved it

and I've joked with the boss here,

saying that one day I'll turn it into an Indian restaurant.

It's a huge country, with influences from everywhere -

and the cooking varies so, so much,

in the way they use their spices from one region to the other.

Family back it, 100%.

We've got Emily, she's 16 years old -

He's five and George is ten.

LAUGHTER

Aiming his menu at the lunchtime diner,

Mark's sprat starter is as rustic as Indian cuisine gets -

and it shows, with a cost of just 56p to plate.

So, what made you select sprat, in terms of your starter,

rather than any other standard...?

Well, I know that Indians use similar fish

and I know that you like to use local ingredients.

You use English lamb, et cetera,

so I've gone for some local South Coast sprat.

But will Mark's lighter bite fulfil expectations?

He's trying to put it into an Indian marinade,

but for a ?25 three course menu,

I'm feeling very...

Kuldeep believes this head chef position

I'm feeling good, sir. Feeling good?

It's about three years ago I met Kuldeep for the first time.

My cuisine has always been about being out there

and using the local produce and I saw that in Kuldeep from day one.

He learnt my ethos pretty quickly, working beside me.

He is master of his kitchen.

I'm born with the spices.

When I see those spices, my senses start working,

creating things.

Beautifully done. Well done. Very happy with it.

Thank you very much, sir. Good luck. Thank you.

Of course, but I know I did a very, very good job. I don't know why...

Like, Arbinder - he's a talented chef.

and the competition there, so we want that -

that passion and determination to succeed. Brilliant.

from the other two chefs?

He's got quite a few components in there.

I would have loved to just keep it simple.

Butter crab and rasam really goes well,

but getting the asparagus korma in there, which is heavy,

and with your tangy rasam, it might be a bit too confusing,

in terms of the flavour profile.

He has made another mistake, hasn't he?

He's done a huge mistake.

By using expensive ingredients, his costs have spiralled.

By making his costing to up to ?12 initially...

You know, once he understood that he has made a mistake,

he has changed it and he has brought down his cost by a third.

But despite streamlining his starter,

it's still the most expensive to produce, at ?4.

Jay is concerned about

Arbinder's choice of button mushrooms for his starter,

but Arbinder is using a method that he hopes

will make up for any shortfall in flavour.

So, I'm burning a charcoal.

I just want to give a smoke flavour to the mushroom kebab, yeah?

I haven't got any cooking smells coming from you yet, mate.

Kuldeep, looking good.

I'm interested to see how yours is going to be dished up.

Having been pulled up on presentation in his first interview,

Mark hopes to add a certain wow factor this time round.

I've brought a little carved coconut bowl.

It's an antique, circa 1880,

so I've gone a bit Bollywood.

I think after the comment from the boys, about a signature dish I did

and it not being colourful enough, I've...

I've taken it on board, somewhat.

Owners Jay and Uttam have a very clear concept -

they will be expecting Indian market cuisine

that looks and tastes authentic.

You ready, Arbi? Yeah, go, go.

Are you plating up? Yeah.

Go, go, go.

I'm good to go.

Looks cracking, mate.

Time is up.

Mine has already gone cold.

Little bit of...

Come quickly, yeah?

Do you want to set your plates down?

Well, a feast for the eyes as well as stomach, I believe. Yeah.

For his vegetarian starter,

Arbinder has prepared a mushroom ke galawat

served on a saffron bread.

It costs ?1.59 to put on the plate,

making his calculations near-perfect.

I've done what I feel like doing from my heart.

I'm not too much into poncey food, yeah?

I don't like too much playing around on the plate.

It might make good business sense, but does it deliver on taste?

Well, I don't know anything about the technicalities,

but I could eat that whole dish.

Delicious.

I think the starter, in itself...

..has delivered in all respects

and I was concerned with the mushroom choice,

but you have delivered it just right.

It has that meaty after-effect,

it has got the smoky aroma, not overpowering your spices.

And that is a dish which you have got every element of it perfect.

Well done.

So, on to Mark. On to Mark, now.

Mark's starter is South Coast sprat fish fry,

served with cassava chilli and garlic chips,

accompanied with a spiced yoghurt dip.

Mark has targeted his set menu at the cheaper lunchtime diner,

so his dish works out at a cost of just 56p.

It's gone exactly as I wanted it to go, in how it's gone out,

so we'll see what happens.

I'm confident I've done what I was going to do.

But will his bold departure from the brief pay off?

I love your bowl. It's very pretty.

MARK: Very Bollywood, isn't it?

What have you put in the yoghurt, sorry?

I put some of the marinade, some that I didn't put on the fish. Wow.

Some of the paste went into the yoghurt

and I think that's given it a lovely kick.

Delicious. Really, really enjoyed that.

The fish and that dip together was... You know?

And your spicing was spot on.

Cassava chips, again, thinking out of the box.

Nice addition, but whether it is going well with the fish,

I am not very sure.

That's my British tilt on it. Fish and chips, mate.

I'm sorry. I can't help myself.

I think, Mark, you have done a fantastic job with this one.

Thinking from that angle was completely...

It took me by surprise. Well done, Mark.

Kuldeep has prepared butter crab with an asparagus korma

and chosen a tomato rasam, instead of crab, to reduce his costs.

But at ?4, it's still the most expensive starter.

So, will it be worth it?

I think I chose the right appetisers for them.

I'm not going to go, because I know I'm good.

The butter crab that you have got... Yeah? How did you make it?

Well, I cooked with a shallot onion and garlic and butter.

To me, that buttery flavour is not coming through.

OK. I mean, when you say butter crab in the menu,

I would really like to see that nutty,

almost buttered to a smoking point and with the crab tossed up,

so you get this buttery back note.

That's something it's missing.

The rasam is great.

Visually, it looks great, Kuldeep -

but it doesn't look like an Indian dish to me.

Presentation-wise, we can always change a bit here and there.

That's not going to make or break your day today.

As far as your cooking is concerned, Kuldeep, you have done fantastic.

Alex, Jay and Uttam must now decide which chef to let go.

We're going to go and discuss and we'll see you in a minute. Thank you.

So, what did we think of those dishes?

As I said to Arbinder, it hit the spot right on the dot.

Any day I would happily chomp away the entire plate,

without even thinking twice.

The way he got the regional flavours in the three course menu

and yet, keeping the cost well in terms of the target price -

I think he did a fantastic job.

I really like Mark's dish, I have to say. I loved the fish.

I didn't think it was a great selection of fish.

This is something we would serve in an Indian roadside place,

but whether it goes as a starter on its own,

or whether it's more of a bar snack

is something we've got to understand.

Because at the end of the day,

if we are selling a starter which is priced at 56p,

in terms of the cost price...

percentage-wise, it might look good, but we can't sell this many at ?25.

If that was on a ?25 set menu, I would look at that starter

and I would think, gosh, I'm doing pretty well with this.

Yes, it's true.

The customers would happily eat that particular dish as a starter here.

I don't think, for ?25, that starter really did justice.

So, now to Kuldeep, who presents us with, I think, a bit of a problem.

I think it was too posh a dish.

It was too much of a Western presentation.

It wasn't a dish that would go in our restaurant, I think.

So, do you think you know enough from all of these chefs

to make your decision, or would you like a few more words with them?

I think sometimes, the pressure gets a bit too much

and you don't deliver as you expect,

so I would love to have a one-to-one chat.

With the new head chef appointment

being such a key part of the restaurant's future,

it's vital expectations are clear -

starting with Arbinder.

How interested are you in taking this job, Arbinder?

You can be as honest and as open as you want.

I just want to be very honest, here.

I'm getting my mortgage done right now.

I've seen a house, offer has already been made, offer is accepted.

And I'm just on edge, right now,

cos I don't want to hide anything from you guys,

because it doesn't make any sense for me to hide from anyone.

For me, work is very important, but family will always come first.

We agree with that, but how does that translate in cold terms?

Is it a salary question? Yes. OK.

What is your expectation?

Is it more than they're offering here?

That's all I need to know. Yeah, a lot.

We all understand the realities of life.

I'm just interested, because the salary here was posted,

so you knew before you came - more or less -

before you came for your first round of interviews.

I didn't expect the situation to change so quickly.

We really appreciate your honesty, darling. It's so much better to know.

Cheers, bye. Thank you.

Oh, well.

Mark's dishes have inspired...

Hi, darling.

..but is he a flash in the pan, or in it for the long run?

The biggest question that we have got is,

how far can you take your Indian cooking skills?

How far can you take them?

It's got to depend on support and backup

and teaching me the way you want it.

For you to learn will obviously take some time

and I would definitely back you up,

in terms of providing my 100% support,

but believe you me, it would be

a very, very steep learning curve for you. Of course.

I totally understand that.

Are you aware of the number of hours that you have to put in every week?

No, is it long hours, is it(?)

I've never cooked before(!) LAUGHTER

To be very honest, it is in the region of around 60 hours a week,

six days a week.

Six days a week? Six days a week. Six days a week? That's right.

One day off a week? That's right.

That's what you expect your chefs to do? That's right.

I wouldn't be happy with that. No? No, I can't do six days a week.

Right.

I'm 47. I would burn out.

I would last six months and that would be it.

If you have to work for five days a week,

are you willing to work for longer hours those five days?

I mean, I already do up to 14-hour-days and sometimes more.

Totally normal to work from 8.00 in the morning

till 10.00, 10.30, 11.00 at night, without stopping at all.

OK, that's realistic. That's not...

I'm glad we brought it up to you and I'm glad you clarified that for us.

All right Mark, thank you. Thank you. Thanks very much. Thank you.

All my chefs work five days a week, I have to say, nowadays.

As much as possible.

I mean, I think the way that you lose staff

is that they then have no work-life balance.

I don't mind having someone for five days a week,

if he's working for longer hours.

Kuldeep has the experience, but does he have the style?

One concern that I've got, Chef, is whether you are going to be able

to come out of the mode of a fine-dining restaurant or not.

That's a very big concern for me.

Well, I'll try my best.

I can, so it's not a problem.

Anywhere you go, you have to adapt to things.

I can fit myself anywhere, actually, so it's not a problem for me.

I've been doing this for ten years, so it's not in just one country.

All right, Chef. Thank you. Thank you very much, thank you, Kuldeep.

I feel slightly disappointed about this whole thing,

because we have really interviewed each of the chefs

and given them a chance to ask us

any questions that they thought were essential

in their decision-making process,

as to whether they wanted to go forward.

No-one brought up salary, no-one brought up hours.

All of a sudden, it has reared its ugly head today.

Really sorry to have kept you waiting.

In terms of our expectations,

I think there was a mismatch with one particular chef.

And I think that chef, who is going out today, is...

..Arbinder. I wish you all the best.

Thank you.

We're really sorry.

I've enjoyed your food so much and I wish you luck in the future.

No worries, I wish you the best of luck for your business.

Thank you. Best of luck.

Ultimately, all our cards were thrown up in the air somewhat,

because Arbinder made it clear that actually, his salary expectation

was much higher than Jay and Uttam were prepared to pay.

I'm disappointed - not on the cooking part - but sadly,

I'm not fitting into their criteria of the business,

what they're looking for.

It has given me a lot of motivation

to learn more things in the future

and to perform better in the kitchen where I'm working right now.

Me and you, mate.

So...

Well done, both of you. Thank you.

And so now, onto the last part of this.

I'm really looking forward to seeing more of your food

and to seeing what responses their loyal customers have.

Good luck to both of you. Thank you. Thank you.

If Mark and Kuldeep are to prove

that they are the right head chef material for Jay and Uttam's vision,

they must now pull out all the stops

and deliver the remainder of their three course market cuisine menu.

I'm not nervous. Nervousness is not in my book.

I mean, even after they said in the first heat

to be more traditional and what they want,

I've just kind of stuck to what I do, in a way,

and put my twist on it.

For Jay and Uttam,

finding the perfect head chef is all part of the bigger picture.

It's come to a point where we want to really upscale

and grow the restaurant into a chain

and we need a head chef to come in and take us through.

Throughout the week, Alex has advised Jay and Uttam

on how to make their restaurant chain dream a reality,

starting with creating a signature style.

I think that white, as a colour, should be banned in this restaurant.

I want this to be contemporary, sexy Indian eating.

To help add wow factor

and establish a template for future restaurants,

Alex sent along some expertise.

What we're thinking is, it's more about introducing colour

and interest and texture into the restaurant.

Using your cushions,

I've selected lots of paint samples that we can try on the walls.

If we're able to get it right,

I think it would make our restaurant take the next step forward,

which we really want.

Inspired by the new vision,

Jay and Uttam instantly began to transform their cold colour zone

into a setting to reflect their ethos of Indian market cuisine.

A few days back, we were scared about the colours.

On this wall is what we call pistachio green.

It matches with our chairs.

The red and green, which are symbols of Indian spices and colours...

The Indian marketplace is all madness.

It's about - whatever you feel, do it, sort of a thing.

It goes with the flow.

Creating a signature style

will not only establish a template for future restaurants,

it will also send a strong message to the new head chef -

that this is a business with big ambitions.

What Alex and Claire did

is to take the fear away from our thought process.

We wanted to play it safe, but the more I'm getting to see this,

I feel...just delighted.

I think it's an amazing change.

It was a bit bland - and it's certainly not bland.

Your food is not bland, so it's a much better match to your food.

We are moving in the right direction towards achieving it.

The use of bold colours is certainly in the right direction.

What we need to do is to keep on moving in that direction,

not to stop there.

It makes it much more appealing for a new head chef,

because it's clear that he's coming somewhere where

you are moving on with the project -

where it now becomes evident that the next stages to your dream

are that little bit closer.

But that dream demands a head chef

who can deliver on every element of the job.

The ultimate head chef for us

is going to be someone who is going to be leading by example.

Someone who would understand the concept,

someone who's going to be customer-focused.

Someone who is going to bring out the best in their team -

and this is the ultimate head chef we are looking for.

Will Mark and Kuldeep be able to live up to expectations,

as they prepare for their final challenge -

cooking their remaining courses in a full service?

Good evening, guys.

Kuldeep.

Krishna. Krishna, nice meeting you.

They have 90 minutes to prepare their mains and desserts.

Two junior members of the brigade will be on hand to work with them.

Right, so I'm working with you two today. Yeah. You're helping me out?

That's fantastic. I'm going to write your names down.

In a highly charged kitchen,

thorough briefing and supervision of the team

are essential to the role of a good head chef.

Slice the onion and brown it. Just golden brown, not colour it, OK?

We've got powa in the main course, we've got a coriander relish.

Very simple - and then, we've got the Alexander bhaji.

This is the Alexander.

This is a wild English plant, called Alexander.

Can we start now, yeah? Yeah, we can start now.

Why don't you...? Why don't I assign you a job?

How's that sound?

JAY: Chef Kuldeep? Yes?

If you get time, can you just brief the team on the menu

and what they're making, so that at least they're aware... OK.

..of all the dishes they're making? This one that we're making...

What was your impression of how the chefs were interacting

with their teams downstairs?

Mark is a step ahead,

where he has properly briefed the team as to what is their plan,

how they work and what is the process flow,

so that in service time, you don't have any margin of error.

But I would have loved if Kuldeep had done an entire briefing

for the team, to bring them all up to the same speed.

This is the moment where we really see what a chef is made of -

what their character is like under pressure,

how they lead a team, whether they lead by example, or by threats(!)

Just a little bit, yeah? Just a little bit.

The chefs need to communicate with each other,

as well as with their teams.

Other way, other way. That way.

Do it that way. Open it that way.

I really like Mark as a potential head chef for here.

He's very upfront.

Lemon juice, nine tablespoons.

Yeah. Yeah? So, put the juice into something and then measure.

He is clearly capable, he's very good at leading a team.

All of that - very positive.

Kuldeep is a really charming character.

He's got a lot of knowledge about Indian cooking.

He's shown flashes of sheer genius.

He's gone from being on the back burner

to playing a very important part in this process.

Take it out, put it in there.

He doesn't seem like as much of a team leader as Mark does,

but I'm prepared to be surprised.

Mark will be cooking powa rice, with fried wild Alexander,

hot coriander chutney, date sauce and a paratha and mango salad.

For dessert, he will serve kesari -

a saffron semolina pudding with pistachios, cashews and raisins.

But does he have time to prepare?

I pushed myself and I've given myself probably too much to do.

But if I'd played it safe, where's the fun in that?

For Kuldeep's main, he is making kundan kaliya -

a pan-seared lamb cannon with lamb samosa,

artichoke pickle and gravy.

This will be followed by a yoghurt-based dessert

called "bhapa doi", made with rose and raspberry.

I'm not nervous. I'm here to just cook good food.

In the preparation of their menus,

it's imperative our chefs take into consideration

Jay's recommended costings.

Going over budget will lose any chance of making a profit.

So, just to be clear,

you would expect, for a ?25 set menu,

the cost element of that - about ?3.50 on a main course

and about ?1.50 for a dessert. Is that right? Yes, that's about right.

That's absolutely right. Right.

Mark's is about half the cost you'd expect on the main course

at ?1.52 and still under on the dessert, as well.

I think he is trying to pitch his three course

more towards the lunch three course menu.

But Kuldeep has again misjudged his costs,

having to adapt the ingredients of his ?6.50 main dish.

So, we think that this will go down per portion

to ?5, approximately, which is still rather too expensive

for what we're expecting.

His costing has been in the region of around 38, 39 persons,

hich is a bit worrying.

'But his figures aren't the only thing failing to add up.

My worry is that none of the dishes that he has cooked so far

prove that he can cook market-style food.

He has chosen a dish which is quite posh, for the royals.

But you never know, as I say.

If he is creating a dish which is absolutely a blinder,

let's see, let's wait for it.

Well, we've got a very interesting combination.

We've got one chef who's doing the "cheap as chips" version,

and we've got one chef who's doing the rather too expensive version...

That's the beauty of cooking.

MARK: What's that you're doing there, Kuldeep?

I'm making British samosa.

British? You mean it's originated in Indian restaurants in the UK?

Yeah, mate.

Just for you guys.

For his lamb sauce, Kuldeep first marinates his meat.

Chilli, salt and ginger garlic paste - that's it.

Very simple.

Chef, you would not necessarily use

the prime cuts of meat for this sauce.

In Lakhnau, you would use mostly the tougher cuts of meat

and then slowly braise for a long time. Yes.

But you're using a decent cut of meat and then you will roast it,

slice it up and then pour the sauce on top.

Is that the idea? That's the idea.

I'm very excited.

I'm going to put British magic on it.

Yeah, butter.

LAUGHTER

Hurray for butter!

All the best. Thank you.

How the chefs manage their brigade

is an essential part of this interview process.

You're not being serious, are you?

You're not taking this seriously, are you? Yeah... Huh?

LAUGHTER

Mark's experience clearly shows,

with his confident instructions to his team.

The sauce is finished, so...

Great, put it with the coriander there and then we know where it is.

And you're going to move onto the raita now. Yeah. Yeah?

Actually, can you make the dough first? OK.

Such detailed communication will be vital

if Mark is to impress once again and pull off his ambitious menu.

Put it like that, take a few at a time...

..then it won't take so long. How are you doing?

Doing good, I think. Getting there.

We've got the powa, which is the flattened rice. Yeah.

I kind of think of it like kedgeree without the fish.

So, the whole idea of this dish was a healthy lunch menu?

Healthy, light lunch,

reasonably priced...

Help bring people in, bums on seats, fill the restaurant.

We like bums on seats. Of course we do. Fill the restaurant.

So, perfect for the occasion that he's catering to.

All right, darling. Thank you very much.

I think, with Mark's dish, I'm particularly worried about

the uptake of moisture on the flattened rice,

but I really don't want that kedgeree texture in that powa.

With Kuldeep's dish, again, it's all about the lamb.

If he overcooks the lamb...

Because he's not cooking the sauce, then it might be very dry.

The restaurant doors are about to open for a select group of diners...

..regular customers, whose opinions will matter most.

I'm longing to see how the chefs handle the pressures of service,

how the dishes present and how the customers like them.

Hello there. Good afternoon, welcome to Potli.

CUSTOMERS ALL TALK AT ONCE

Glad you made it. Thank you.

Silver leaf? I'm dying to find out what the Alexander is.

Before any orders can be taken,

chefs must first brief the front of house team.

OK, I want to go first. Chef Kuldeep.

Clear instructions are key to a seamless service

and how to sell a dish to the diner.

So, my main course is going to be a kundan kaliya, with lamb rump.

And how is the lamb cooked, if the customer asks about it?

Rare to medium, but you can ask the customer as well.

So, what are you giving to our customer today?

We've got the powa, which is the flattened rice

and the deep-fried bhaji, which is...

This is an English wild herb. I mean, you need to taste it, guys,

so you can get the flavour.

Sort of a celery, parsley, perfumey flavour...

It'll taste strong raw, but it won't taste so strong when it's cooked.

Thank you, Mark. Thank you.

I'm worried about communication between the chefs.

A service is rather like a ballet performance.

Unless the corps de ballet have had a chance to do

a hell of a lot of rehearsing, it can all be a disaster on the night.

I'm hoping this ain't one of them.

This must be their best performance,

as everything now rides on the service.

So, we're going to have two and two.

We're going to share them and taste them and tell you what we think.

One of each? Yeah. Thank you.

To keep diners happy, both chefs must work together

to produce their dishes at the same time.

Good evening, Chef. Got two orders already, two tables.

One is for four people, one table is for two people.

With Kuldeep cooking his lamb to order,

it will be up to him to take the lead.

I'm relying on him to tell me when he wants it, and then I'll go.

Table for three is going two vegetable and one lamb.

And table for two is going one each - one vegetable and one lamb.

We're going to give both tables together.

OK, I'm happy with that. Serve both tables together.

Yeah, so two.. Three powa, yeah? Yeah.

Within the confines of a busy kitchen,

clear communication is critical.

Now I'm bringing my plates for my...

My plates? They are coming from upstairs, aren't they?

Service! Where are they? I need three... Where are they all?

I've got a lot of main courses to dish up, mate.

One plate is no good for me.

Thank you.

Service!

OK, first table going out now. Second table is working, is it?

Yeah, we're go.

Thank you. What do you want?

Next up, table three and table two, we're going to go together again.

How are we doing, time-wise?

Come on, guys - we've got a table waiting.

Yeah, go on. That's first table. Ready?

JAY: Which table number are we serving now?

It is the usual confusion of two chefs,

two commis each,

but enough briefing, plates not in the right place,

chefs haven't asked for plates before they needed them,

as if they miraculously appear.

You know, the communication between kitchen and front of house

is key to any successful restaurant -

and I actually don't think either of those chefs

communicated very well with their front of houses.

To help restore order, it's all hands on deck.

Do you want to me to take this, so that we don't have it sitting here?

Please. Thank you.

You now know what's happening, so let's make it smoother. Yes.

Now the front of house are better aware of what's happening,

I expect that things will go a bit more smoothly.

Table number two. Two, Mark.

One potli and one kundan kaliya.

OK. One kundan kaliya.

Yes, Chef.

Here is your potli powa. Wow.

29 is done, 24 is done.

Perfect. 23 and 27. Perfect.

Chefs have been asked to create a three course menu,

based on the restaurant's ethos of Indian market cuisine.

Alex, Jay and Uttam will be judging the dishes

on being the right fit for the current menu,

from presentation to spicing.

Good. Here, my darling.

'For Mark's main course, he's served powa rice with peas,

'pomegranate, fennel and lemon.

It's accompanied by fried wild Alexander,

hot coriander chutney, date sauce and a paratha and mango salad.

Will Mark's lunch-inspired dish fulfil expectations?

Look at the colour and presentation. It's like a celebration, isn't it?

That's been his trademark so far.

I think that's what really impresses me.

Oh, amazing chutney.

The best part of this is

taking that effort of making this chutney in-house.

Amazing.

This is exactly how powa is...

You know, how my mother would cook powa at home.

And the way he has layered his parathas is quite unbelievable.

He's a clever chef, isn't he? Yes.

Kuldeep's main course is kundan kaliya,

a pan-seared lamb cannon with lamb samosa,

served with artichoke pickle and kundan kaliya gravy.

But will the style be too fine a touch?

What he has achieved out of the sauce and the potatoes is amazing.

And also, the samosa - the texture, the crunch -

it is a delicious thing and I would happily have that for my main.

So would I. I'm not too sure how many people will appreciate

in this part of the world having silver foil.

Many customers of ours were asking

whether it is edible or not, as well.

I think this is how we push boundaries,

because silver foil is very much part of marketplace dining

and I think this is how we should educate and work with diners

to let them know. And they're quite happy.

So, at the moment, do you think they're neck and neck, the chefs?

I think they are very evenly matched.

With such an important decision to make, Jay and Uttam will value

the opinions of the people who matter most -

their loyal, regular diners.

The lamb was extraordinarily good.

That was the highest excitement.

I was expecting something a little bit more tame.

In actual fact, it was very different, very, very exciting.

OK, chefs - dessert orders are here.

First table, this table - 27, for two people.

One each, for everyone.

With everything to play for, will one of these desserts

be enough to help decide who should be the new head chef?

And here they come.

Thank you.

For his dessert, Mark has prepared a kesari -

a saffron semolina pudding with pistachio, cashews and raisins.

It's a very traditional Indian dessert with a twist

and again, it works for me.

I think it has got everything right,

right from the crunchy almonds here,

to using a lot of raisins and cashew nuts.

I think with Mark, at every stage,

he has surprised me in some way or the other.

Similar in texture to a creme caramel,

Kuldeep's dessert is a rose and raspberry bhapa doi.

But will it be enough to sweeten the deal?

I'm dying to try it, looking at your face.

I think what he has got is the texture right

and it's based on yoghurt.

It's stunning. The taste can become very, very heavy.

Oh, my God! Traditionally, the way it is made is very heavy.

The way he has come up with this is absolutely stunning.

Darling, I'm not a dessert person

and I have to say, that gets my ten out of ten.

I just love that.

Yeah, this is one of the dishes that I would happily...

LAUGHTER

Greedy guts! Good.

Kuldeep, well done, mate. That was good.

He tried too hard with the lamb. With the lamb? He tried too hard.

Jay and Uttam must now take all into consideration.

Thank you, bye.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much.

Which finalist has demonstrated

they have what it takes to be the new head chef?

Very, very proud of what I've done, what I did.

So, everything is good. I'm very proud of my cooking today.

I think that went quite well.

I did give myself a lot of work to do, but hopefully,

the overriding flavours and everything

will make the customers happy.

Four testing days of cooking and interviews from nine candidates

now boil down to one final decision.

This is a critical moment for your restaurant.

I mean, I was just adding up. I was marking them out of ten.

In terms of the scores, they are pretty much neck and neck.

There's not much to differentiate, in terms of the actual skill level.

What are you going to do? Eh?

We really need to put our thoughts together,

because there was so many things happening,

we need to just take five minutes and think about it. Yeah.

I think so.

I'm just...

..very confused about what they should do here.

I mean, I don't know what I would do in their position.

Good points about Mark -

he's clearly an incredibly able chef,

he's very good at leading a team,

he can turn his hand to pretty much anything.

Kuldeep has a good knowledge of Indian cooking

and I think his dessert is the one standout dish for me today.

But I'm not convinced necessarily of his leadership abilities.

I think it's really open-ended at the moment.

You know, I'm glad I don't have to make the decision.

Have you made up your mind, Jay?

I think, on balance,

if you look at his skill, his expectations

and his attitude and his experience...

I think so. I'm thinking the same lines.

Chefs, good evening.

Thank you very much for being so patient. I'll leave it to you two.

Both of you chefs are deserving in their own right.

We had the diners feedback in, we had our thoughts in,

and also, we had the team's feedback in, with whom you worked.

So, taking everything into account, we have come to a decision.

It has really gone down to the wire

and for us, it was not at all an easy job.

So, the person who's going to be employed as head chef at Potli is...

..Kuldeep.

Fantastic. Thank you. Well done. Well done.

APPLAUSE

Well done. Thank you.

MARK: Kuldeep, he's a talented chef.

Jay and Uttam have definitely made the right decision.

For me, from here, I hopefully will just carry on where I am.

I've enjoyed it immensely.

JAY: Sometimes, second chance in life probably changes somebody's life

and I think today, it has again been proven.

Chef Kuldeep, I really can't wait to work with you,

as it is going to be a fantastic journey together,

I can assure you that.

Yes, I'm very proud of myself. I'm really happy.

I'm looking forward to my new life.

So, very exciting.

Actually, I think they made a good decision.

I hope Kuldeep is as happy as he deserves to be

and that it allows Jay and Uttam to take great strides

in the direction they want to go.

It was a tough decision, to be very honest.

To leave our personal thoughts on the side

and that was the best course of action for our company.

We found a head chef, so yeah -

it's all good news.

# Can you feel it?

# Can you feel it?

# Can you feel it? #

I'm actually tingling with the excitement.