‘Top Chef Seattle,’ Ep. 11: Outlaw Josie Wails

Bouillabaisse (Josie): halibut, Dungeness crab, bay scallops in shellfish broth with saffron.

Beef Bourgignon (Kristen): Burgundy-braised shortrib, garlic puree, mushrooms and carrots.

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Cheese course (Brooke): gougeres with St. Agur blue cheese, roasted radish, sticky pine nuts and stone fruit compote.

Macaroon/Macaron (Kristen): almond cake macaron with coconut custard and caramel buttercream.

The judges head to Urbano next and are met with a diner backlog. People who’ve already eaten won’t leave their tables, and there’s a crowd waiting at the host stand. Danny and Tom wonder why Stefan hasn’t put a cocktail or glass of something in the hands of people who are waiting. Here’s what Sheldon and his team are serving:

Kilawen (Stefan): raw yellowtail with cilantro, spicy chili and white soy sauces.

Balut (Josh): poached egg, duck confit and foie gras mousse.

Miki (Sheldon): prawns and tapioca roll with achiote (delivered to the judges with zero announcement or explanation).

Adobo (Sheldon): pork belly with mung bean puree and pea shoot salad.

Halo Halo (Josh): coconut sorbet, avocado mousse, banana and shredded coconut.

Treat with tea (Stefan): dark chocolate with macadamia nuts, ginger and peppermint oil.

At the end of their meal at Urbano, Tom shares something he learned from Danny — and it’s something every chef, line cook, dishwasher, server, host, GM, sommelier, and restaurateur needs to know and always remember: People go to a restaurant for the food; they come back because of the hospitality.

And, for that reason, Tom says he ain’t comin’ back to Urbano. Emeril says he ain’t eatin’ Josie’s bouillabaisse again.

Back at Judges’ Table, all seven cheftestants are lined up in a row.

Tom tells them the food, overall, was “delicious ... with a few flaws here and there,” and then they launch into their review of Kristen’s concept, Atelier Kwan. Gail said the beef bourgignon, while cooked nicely, lacked the familiar acidic wine sauce she expected by virtue of the dish’s name. Gail also didn’t love Kristen’s dessert. Emeril compliments Brooke on her leadership skills in the dining room. Tom and Gail loved Lizzie’s charcuterie “soup” and praise her for it. Not so much when it comes to Josie’s bouillabaisse, which the judges say was lacking in sauce and flavor and add that Josie should’ve fought for her dish when she thought Kristen wasn’t listening to her concerns.

Tom shifts into his thoughts on Sheldon’s concept, Urbano. Tom likes the idea of Filipino cuisine becoming more available in the restaurant world and alluded that chefs like Sheldon could do really well in that genre. Emeril tells Stefan he was “blown away with disappointment” at how Stefan handled the room and that dishes were plunked down before the judges with zero explanation. Stefan agrees that it’s poor service, “because I’m a chef, not a server.” Tom and Gail praise Sheldon’s dishes, with Tom telling him the adobo was “hands down, the best thing I had all night.” Tom tells Josh his balut “didn’t read Filipino, but it did read good.”