We are down to five chefs on “Top Chef” season 23 on Bravo, and it looks like they’ll be celebrating tonight in Asheville. The journey through the Carolinas continues tonight on “Top Chef” 2026, as they explore the devastation of Hurricane Helene. Then it’s time to celebrate those who persevered. Watch it all go down with us during our “Top Chef” 2026 live recap and see who got eliminated on “Top Chef” tonight with us.
Appalachian Celebration on ‘Top Chef’
For tonight’s episode, the chefs will be making a stop in Asheville on their way back to Charlotte. They won’t be taking on a Quickfire Challenge tonight. Instead, they’ll explore the city with local host and former “Top Chef” contestant Ashleigh Shanti. After seeing the devastation of Hurricane Helene, the chefs will then host a one-night-only event for 200 community members who have helped in the restoration efforts.
The pressure is on, as no one wants to be eliminated this far into the competition. We have $250,000 on the line for the winner of “Top Chef” season 23. Who stays and who goes home on “Top Chef” tonight? Follow along with our Live Recap below!
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD: THIS LIVE RECAP WILL BE UPDATED THROUGHOUT THE EPISODE, SO DO NOT KEEP READING IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO READ SPOILERS.
May 25 Live Recap – Week 12
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Week 12 Begins
We have the chefs meeting and are just talking about the competition. Then we see Kristen pop in, as she brought them donuts! Kristen says they will be heading back to Charlotte, but taking a detour to Asheville. This is where Hurricane Helene hit last year, so they have been restoring the city. Because of that, there will be no Quickfire Challenge. Instead, they’ll be touring the city and all they’ve been doing.
Then, for tonight’s Elimination Challenge, they will create a dish featuring at least two Appalachian ingredients. The chefs will be working to serve 200 community members who have been working to restore the city.
Time With ‘Top Chef’ Alum
The chefs head to Asheville, where they meet with “Top Chef” alum Ashleigh Shanti. She shares with them different Appalachian ingredients to show them this culture and food. The chefs are loving the area.
They then head to another restaurant, where they get more Appalachian food. This all looks good.
Ashleigh then takes the chefs on a drive through the city. Showing the spots that were damaged and how they have been rebuilding. They make it to the final place, The Market Place. They’ve been open for 46 years! Time to enjoy even more Appalachian food.
For winning last week, Sherry gets to pick two Appalachian ingredients from the pantry. She gets to use those ingredients tonight, and then they will be off-limits for the rest of the chefs, so none of them can use the same ones! She decides to pick the October beans and chow chow.
Shopping & Cooking Time
The chefs head to Whole Foods to do some shopping. They had $300 budgets, but 200 people to cook for. They all get their food, so time to wait it out.
The chefs then head to the kitchen, and they have three hours to prep their dishes. Sherry is loving the October beans and is excited to have them featured in her dish. Laurence is making his own bread, but is not sure if he is going to have enough time.
There are about two hours left to cook, as Ashleigh and Tom Colicchio come in to see how the chefs are doing. They have to cook for 200 people, so the chefs are feeling the pressure. They are trying to get everything prepped and ready for the next day.
Rhoda is making stuffed cabbage and wants to get it prepped tonight. However, that didn’t happen, and she’s not sure she can finish it the next day.
Party Day Is Here
Time for the one-night-only event for the 200 community members. They head out to the event, which is in The Union Exchange. It’s in the middle of the woods, and the chefs now have 90 minutes to cook before service starts on “Top Chef” Season 23.
Rhoda is shifting from making individual cabbage rolls but a long roll and cut them into pieces to save time. They are outside, and it’s hot. Sieger is the only one making a cold dish, so it’s pressure on him to keep his dish intact with the heat.
The time is running down, as the guests and judges are starting to arrive. The plates are ready, and the lines have arrived to start eating.
Service & Tasting
The guests and judges have arrived. Service has begun, so we will get feedback from the judges soon. The chefs are definitely struggling, as 200 dishes is a lot to serve. They are trying to keep up, but now the judges make their way around:
- Jonathan – Tom said it’s good. The crab cake is cooked well, but it’s all acid. There is no fat, but they are finishing it.
- Sherry – It’s a nice dish and creative. She did a good job with the bean cake and highlighting it. They loved that she inserted her own culture into the dish. They loved the chow chow.
- Laurence – They said the mayo is delicious. It’s a great catfish sandwich. Tom said he’s enjoying it. Everything is cooked beautifully and seasoned well. They didn’t know if the leather britches came through the bun.
- Rhoda – It’s freakin’ delicious. Such beautiful layering of flavors in this dish. The shrimp and pork inside are great.
- Sieger – The other chefs all have lines, but Sieger does not. No one seems to want liver pate. The judges come to see what’s going on. Gail said she applauds his concept, but the mousse is soupy. The crackers are a little dry and chewy, but they loved the courage. They said it’s not a good chicken liver mousse, it’s just wet.
The judges talk to some of the guests at the event. Now it’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty!
Judges’ Table on ‘Top Chef’
Tom said overall, they all did a great job on the dishes. The judges made some decisions:
- Favorite Dishes – The dishes said the standout dishes tonight were from Sherry, Rhoda, and Laurence. After a scare of a snake coming through and the judges jumping on the table, we find out the winning dish for the night came from Rhoda. For winning, she gets an advantage in the next challenge.
- Least Favorite Dishes – That means the least favorite dishes for the night came from Sieger and Jonathan. We get even more feedback on the dishes. Sieger’s dish had a bad texture, and Jonathan’s dish had too much acid.
Results – The judges discuss both dishes. They said it’s tough, as they all did well. The chef eliminated tonight is Sieger, who is eliminated for the second time this season. However, it got awkward and emotional. Sieger calls out the judges, says he made a dish that was what the challenge called for: highlight Appalachian ingredients. However, he looks past the texture issues. I mean, he even asks for the rules of the challenge. It was just awkward, and he blew up for no reason!
What do you think of the results tonight?
