Kitchen Nightmares 1x18

1. Tonight on Kitchen Nightmares...

2. Chef Ramsay heads to Southern California

3. where a Mexican restaurant is heading south...

4. The only thing that's missing here...

5. In a hurry. Is the drive-through.

6. Is that bad?

7. The owner, Laura,

8. was a successful caterer for years.

9. I'm just adding a dining room. How could it be so hard?

10. But barely a year into the restaurant, business...

11. Perla. Hates 'em.

12. Nobody tasted before we did this?

13. She is failing miserably.

14. This is not a restaurant.

15. Her chef is really a cook.

16. Her chef is really a cook.

17. Perla's never gonna step up—ever.

18. Perla's family to me.

19. The food is really mediocre.

20. That's like eating wet cardboard.

21. Oh, God.

22. Look at that! This is unbelievable.

23. My God.

24. And the restaurant is totally dysfunctional.

25. Rapido, please.

26. You are mad.

27. I don't know what the I'm doing.

28. Will this owner be able to face the truth?

29. Are you her boss? I am her boss.

30. Wrong! You are her friend.

31. And have the guts to make the toughest decision...

32. - I don't want to lose this. - ... Of her life?

33. I promise you it will be okay.

34. I promise you it will be okay.

35. Or will Laura collapse under the pressure?

36. What a disaster.

37. It's hard, okay?

38. I'm frightened to all hell right now.

39. This is one Kitchen Nightmares...

40. Your grandmother must be turning over in her grave.

41. Where Chef Ramsay may have arrived...

42. Bloody hell.

43. Too late.

44. Mama Rita, Mamma Mia.

45. Nestled in the hills

46. 45 miles north of Los Angeles

47. is the idyllic town of Newbury Park.

48. This is where, only a year ago,

49. a single mom named Laura

50. was hoping to fulfill her dream

51. by opening a restaurant called Mama Rita's.

52. My grandmother

53. Was always cooking,

54. and I was always being, you know,

55. brought in to help her cook.

56. And I loved it.

57. When she passed away,

58. When she passed away,

59. I said, "I'm going to go for it.

60. "I'm going to open up a place

61. and I'm gonna name it after my grandmother."

62. Welcome to Mama Rita's.

63. When I started the business,

64. it was purely a takeout, catering business.

65. We built a really great reputation

66. in a very short period of time.

67. And before I knew it, I had customers that said,

68. "You need a restaurant."

69. And based on my reputation

70. and the fact that everybody wanted this,

71. I went for it.

72. All right, guys. We're open for business.

73. Now I'm just adding a dining room,

74. and I'm serving 200 people.

75. I've served, you know, 1,000 people in a catering job.

76. I've served, you know, 1,000 people in a catering job.

77. How could it be so hard?

78. Colorado's really tender.

79. Yeah. Uh-huh.

80. I cook for Mama Rita's for six years.

81. She's my right hand and my savior.

82. I mean, she's family to me.

83. Laura is not a good boss

84. because there's not a lot of rules enforced

85. and—no one necessarily knowing what they're doing.

86. The direction I get

87. from Laura is a little hit-and-miss.

88. from Laura is a little hit-and-miss.

89. And I don't really think Laura knows

90. how to run her restaurant.

91. I need a cocktail now.

92. Laura, as a restaurant owner,

93. is inexperienced

94. 'cause she's never had any training in this business.

95. This is completely brand-spanking-new to her.

96. So was the catering business.

97. But that was easier. It was small.

98. This is huge.

99. I know, I know.

100. During the first month,

101. We were just packed.

102. The public—they want the best experience,

103. the best service, the best food.

104. Sorry about that.

105. Comp 'em out

106. and send 'em a free dessert, please.

107. And I didn't deliver it.

108. And I'm begging people,

109. "Please come back and give me another chance."

110. And some say, "No, I'll never go back there again."

111. The debt that I have accrued

112. with this business is astronomical.

113. I'm on the foreclosure list,

114. so there's a chance I could lose the house.

115. If I didn't believe in this,

116. I wouldn't put my heart, my soul,

117. I wouldn't put my heart, my soul,

118. every single thing I've got into this.

119. I believe it can be saved—

120. if I can fix what's wrong.

121. Some of the best Mexican restaurants in the world

122. are not actually from Mexico.

123. They're here in Southern California.

124. Now, this restaurant here has been open just 12 months.

125. Sadly, it's only months away from closing.

126. There's gotta be something seriously wrong.

127. It looks beautiful.

128. Wow.

129. How are you? I'm good, thank you.

130. Pleasure to meet you. Likewise.

131. Pleasure to meet you. Likewise.

132. Now this is Mama...

133. I am Maggie. I'm the mother of the owner.

134. I thought you were Mama Rita.

135. No, I am— I'm Mama Rita's daughter.

136. Mama Rita's daughter. Where is Mama Rita?

137. Mama Rita is, uh, buried in the cemetery over the hill.

138. Oh. I'm sorry to hear that.

139. Not a problem. So Mama Rita's your mother.

140. Yes. And it's your daughter that is...

141. Laura. Laura.

142. I will take you to Laura. Excellent.

143. Thank you, my darling.

144. This would be my daughter, Laura.

145. Well, how are you? Fine.

146. Nice to meet you. Good to see you.

147. Nice to meet you. Good to see you.

148. Can I just say this place looks stunning?

149. Thank you. My goodness, me.

150. Somebody spent a lot of money here.

151. And you run the place?

152. I run the place. I try.

153. This is very different for me.

154. Catering is— was my specialty.

155. That's what I did before I opened the restaurant.

156. Ah. I did very well at catering.

157. Top dish. What would you recommend?

158. The homemade tamales.

159. Oh, I love tamales. Well, good to see you.

160. Good to see you. Time to eat. I'm starving.

161. Excellent.

162. This is my table? Thank you.

163. Perla.

164. Yes.

165. When his order comes in, we'll let you know.

166. And you need to be the one that cooks his food, okay?

167. And you need to be the one that cooks his food, okay?

168. How are you, sir? What's going on?

169. I'm amazing. How are you?

170. And you are...? Brad.

171. Brad, good to see you.

172. How long have you been here?

173. From the beginning. From the beginning?

174. Mm-hmm.

175. I can't believe how plush this place is.

176. It's like, don't judge a book by its cover,

177. 'cause you walk in here and you see this gorgeous place.

178. But Mama Rita's doesn't live up to its expectations.

179. If you can navigate me around

180. the stuff to stay away from.

181. Molotes... Taquitos...

182. Molotes... Taquitos...

183. Ooh. Empanadas de pollo...

184. Really? Yeah.

185. And why would I stay away from that?

186. Just because... I just think they're really dry.

187. Mm. I respect your honesty.

188. Thank you. I'll bear that in mind.

189. Yout got it.

190. Holy crap. That is really scary.

191. Within the five minutes I've been in the restaurant,

192. I've been told what to stay away from

193. from the head waiter.

194. Ay yi yi.

195. Hot sauce.

196. Thank you.

197. Oh, hello. This is Cheryl.

198. This is, uh, my manager.

199. This is, uh, my manager.

200. And you manage the kitchen and the front of house?

201. Um, front of the house. Oh.

202. And caterer. And I do catering as well.

203. What's wrong with the place?

204. Lack of customers.

205. So why have we got a lack in customers?

206. We need more customers.

207. We need to figure out how to get more people in here.

208. Okay.

209. Thank you. And you're the manager.

210. Yeah. Oh, my God.

211. A manager that didn't even know

212. what's wrong with the restaurant is scary.

213. Okay. Look forward to catching you up.

214. Not with the manager. Thank you.

215. A manager that doesn't know what's wrong.

216. A manager that doesn't know what's wrong.

217. I don't know what answer he wanted.

218. I mean, what was wrong with that?

219. Lack of customers. Really?

220. That's a great insight, isn't it?

221. Right. Here we go.

222. Let's start off with a tamale.

223. Got it. The chimichanga.

224. Yeah. Let's go for a burrito.

225. I think that's enough for now.

226. All righty. Thank you.

227. Anybody taste anything?

228. Perla, everything was good?

229. Yeah. Uh-huh.

230. If Chef Ramsay

231. Doesn't like my grandmother's recipes,

232. that concerns me.

233. Anybody taste the tamales?

234. See what he thinks.

235. See what he thinks.

236. Tamale. Extremely hot.

237. All right.

238. Oh, no. God, I hope the tamales were moist.

239. It's like soaking wet newspaper.

240. Sheesh.

241. That is so dry.

242. Just a second.

243. My goodness, me.

244. That's a fresh tamale?

245. Well, when we make them,

246. we make them in big batches

247. and then they're steamed and then they're served.

248. Because we make such large volumes at a time...

249. Because we make such large volumes at a time...

250. So you're sounding like the catering company now.

251. Yes. And they go out like that?

252. It's—they should be wet enough with the sauce inside

253. that when you re-steam them, they stay moist.

254. What an embarrassment.

255. And this is your chef

256. that ran a catering business.

257. Correct.

258. Okay. Okay.

259. Hates the tamales.

260. Really? Perla.

261. Hates 'em.

262. Said it's so dry it's inedible.

263. He said it's embarrassing.

264. He said it's embarrassing.

265. Yeah, really dry.

266. Are you cooking everything?

267. Yeah.

268. Perla, are you cooking the chimis?

269. Uh-huh.

270. Your chicken chimichangas.

271. Ooh!

272. Chimi, chimi, chimi, chimichanga.

273. It's dry.

274. It's dry.

275. It's shards of dry chicken.

276. God, now what?

277. Here's the thing—

278. honestly,

279. chimichanga...

280. Chimi chuck it in the bin.

281. What a shame.

282. Perla.

283. He hates the chimis. He didn't like 'em.

284. Not to him, apparently.

285. I'm frustrated at my kitchen.

286. It's a bit of a punch to the gut

287. about my food.

288. Steak burrito.

289. Steak burrito.

290. Look at that.

291. That is gross.

292. Has to be the biggest ad for any diaper

293. anywhere in California.

294. Oh, no.

295. Oh, God.

296. My God.

297. That's like eating wet cardboard.

298. Have a taste of that. Please.

299. Bloody hell.

300. Bloody hell.

301. The steak was gamey.

302. It was kind of like a car wash.

303. Moist and mushy.

304. Oh, my God.

305. That is disgusting.

306. Let me taste the steak.

307. He says the steak tastes like.

308. Did you grill him fresh steak for his burrito?

309. Yeah. You didn't pull it from here, right?

310. Didn't we taste everything before we put it out?

311. Yes.

312. Ugh.

313. It's really salty.

314. Nobody tasted before we did this?

315. Damn it.

316. When you have somebody come in

317. that rips apart all of your food

318. that—that I was proud of,

319. it hurts a little bit.

320. Grandma, I'm so sorry.

321. I hate to slag you off,

322. however, I just want something fresh.

323. After a lunch of disgusting dishes,

324. Chef Ramsay has quickly realized

325. why this beautiful restaurant

326. is in an ugly situation.

327. is in an ugly situation.

328. Come round, please.

329. Thank you.

330. So... this is...

331. Perla. Perla.

332. Sadly, the food was dry.

333. It's like eating processed food.

334. Is the food today the same that you serve

335. when you have a catering event?

336. Yeah.

337. You'd be serving that crap?

338. Why don't you do it properly?

339. Because everybody loved my catering.

340. It's completely two different monsters.

341. It's not gonna work.

342. Coming out of a catering business,

343. trying to run a restaurant that cost how much?

344. trying to run a restaurant that cost how much?

345. 1.5.

346. $1.5 million?

347. Yes.

348. Oh, my God.

349. And I'm $350,000 in the hole right now

350. on top of that.

351. So you're in for just under $2 million.

352. God bless your grandmother,

353. but she must be turning over in her grave.

354. Coming up...

355. Can Chef Ramsay turn this caterer...

356. I'm shocked.

357. Into a restaurateur?

358. This is not a restaurant.

359. I'm scared... right now.

360. I'm scared... right now.

361. Or will Laura's bad habits...

362. Oh, my God. Look at that!

363. Continue to get in the way?

364. You... are... mad.

365. And later...

366. This is the fight of my life.

367. Laura is in for a gut-wrenching decision.

368. Are you her boss or are you her friend?

369. I am her boss. Wrong!

370. Choosing between keeping her friendship...

371. I'm scared, and it's hard, okay?

372. And keeping her restaurant.

373. I have to figure out a way to save it.

374. After a miserable lunch...

375. That is disgusting.

376. An alarming post-mortem...

377. You're in for just under $2 million?

378. Chef Ramsay decides he wants a better understanding

379. of how this team of people work together

380. in a dinner service.

381. Hello. Hello.

382. Tonight, I'm nervous that Chef Ramsay may not think

383. that the restaurant is running efficiently.

384. I really hope that the staff hold it together,

385. and that they shine.

386. and that they shine.

387. What can I get you two?

388. Ceviche, please. Ceviche Mama Rita.

389. You got it.

390. And for you, sir?

391. I'll take the chicken. All right.

392. I'll put that in for you guys.

393. Thank you.

394. I would say that the ticket times

395. are not even five minutes for entrees.

396. I cook really fast.

397. Hey, food!

398. They're normally coming out this fast?

399. Oh, yeah. Yeah?

400. Here we go. Arroz con mariscos.

401. Chili relleno. There we go.

402. Chicken tacos.

403. I'm not done with my soup.

404. Send out fajitas.

405. It's quicker than a drive-thru, isn't it?

406. Pretty much.

407. Whew.

408. Here you go.

409. With food flying out of the kitchen

410. At an incredible pace... Three minutes?

411. The kitchen staff now has time to socialize.

412. Have you cleared the board? All the tickets gone?

413. Yes. Wow.

414. So just standing here

415. for the next couple of minutes,

416. I can't believe how fast the food comes out.

417. It's like a conveyor belt. Is that bad?

418. It depends on quality. Okay.

419. While the customers may appreciate the fast service...

420. Here comes my shrimp!

421. They are not appreciating the food.

422. Dry?

423. No, I know, obviously.

424. Stop, stop, stop.

425. The only thing that's missing here

426. is a drive-thru.

427. is a drive-thru.

428. I'm pissed.

429. He's telling me that all my food is.

430. So it's very frustrating

431. when I don't know how to do it another way.

432. 'Cause this is all that I know.

433. That is unbelievable.

434. This has to be the fastest-serving restaurant

435. in America tonight,

436. but it's not really a restaurant.

437. It's a fast food factory.

438. What a joke.

439. On the heels of a ridiculously fast dinner service...

440. Bye-bye.

441. Chef Ramsay suspects that shortcuts

442. are being taken in the kitchen.

443. Wow... fast, huh?

444. Wow... fast, huh?

445. So it's time for a little investigation.

446. What are those?

447. Oh, they're tamales. Yeah.

448. They're—they're frozen.

449. Ah.

450. So these are your chimichangas.

451. Are they frozen as well?

452. Wow. When was all this made?

453. Oh, my God.

454. Can you get me Laura, please?

455. Yes, yes? I'm here, I'm here, I'm here!

456. What? Come round, come round.

457. What? Come round, come round.

458. Don't run, not in a kitchen.

459. Here's the thing.

460. You're serving chicken that was cooked

461. nearly two months ago—

462. defrosting it, and then reheating it.

463. And you're wondering why it's dry?

464. Were you aware of this or...

465. This is what we did for catering.

466. Unbelievable.

467. That may be why the place is struggling.

468. Where are the freezers?

469. Freezer's there.

470. Oh, my God.

471. More tortillas.

472. I hope everything's right in there,

473. the shelving and all the food.

474. the shelving and all the food.

475. Ugh. My God.

476. You're joking, aren't you?

477. Look at all this stuff here.

478. Bloody hell. This is unbelievable.

479. Look at that!

480. This is what we did for catering.

481. You must have hundreds of portions

482. of stock here.

483. He just kept grabbing and grabbing

484. And stacking my arms with it.

485. All this pre-cooked, pre-rolled,

486. frozen, then defrosted,

487. is just absolutely appalling.

488. is just absolutely appalling.

489. This is not a restaurant.

490. You... are... mad.

491. I'm gonna wash my hands.

492. They're stinky.

493. I have a man back there ripping everything apart,

494. telling me I don't know what the I'm doing.

495. When somebody takes something that you have

496. and butchers it,

497. it hurts.

498. A shocking discovery at dinner service...

499. Look at that!

500. You must have hundreds of portions of stock.

501. Confirms to Chef Ramsay that problems at this restaurant

502. are bigger than he anticipated.

503. What a day.

504. Lunch was disappointing.

505. Dinner was shocking.

506. It started off with defrost and serve,

507. followed by defrost and serve,

508. followed by... defrost and serve.

509. followed by... defrost and serve.

510. You're running a factory.

511. Boom, boom.

512. It's mass produced.

513. Treating food like a processing plant.

514. Perla, is that quality, what you cook?

515. No.

516. Did you honestly think that serving

517. defrosted food, slopped out,

518. was gonna make you a success.

519. I did well at catering with it.

520. You have driven away more customers

521. than you could ever imagine.

522. Could I have a word with Laura?

523. Thank you. Sit down.

524. Thank you. Sit down.

525. I, um...

526. I'm worried.

527. I don't get

528. your level of commitment to make this place work.

529. I-I never pretended to know how to run a restaurant.

530. You're smart.

531. But you're not being smart.

532. Apparently not.

533. This food is sinking you

534. faster than you know it.

535. I don't want to lose this.

536. I want to figure out

537. A way to fix it and make it great.

538. But you really have to start taking responsibility

539. for what you're doing.

540. for what you're doing.

541. The difference in running a catering outlet

542. to running a wonderful restaurant

543. is night and day.

544. And the quicker you get that through your head

545. will be the start of the change.

546. Okay.

547. I'm really sorry.

548. I am too.

549. I had gone for something

550. that I maybe shouldn't have gone for.

551. And now I'm here...

552. And I have to figure out a way to save it

553. And I have to figure out a way to save it

554. and fix it.

555. I'm scared. Very scared.

556. Good God.

557. Thinking about what happened last night,

558. Laura, she's not stupid.

559. Laura, she's not stupid.

560. She's more scared, almost petrified.

561. So in order for me to help her

562. to get over that fear of change,

563. I'm gonna take the first step for her.

564. And there's only one way of doing this.

565. Good-bye, frozen.

566. Look at that!

567. God, look at the state of that.

568. A year old..

569. There's enough chimichangas here to last me a lifetime.

570. Good-bye, catering...

571. Good-bye, catering...

572. Hello, restaurant.

573. Chef Ramsay has found over $12,000 worth

574. Of frozen food in the freezer.

575. Perla, Laura, good morning. How are you both?

576. Fine, thank you.

577. Now it's time to confront the owner

578. And the chef with his findings.

579. Today's about change. Yes.

580. Go and have a quick look round the kitchen.

581. You'll see some adjustments.

582. So far, it all looks the same.

583. I was shocked. Everything was gone.

584. My freezer was empty.

585. My walk-in refrigerator was empty.

586. I had no idea what was happening.

587. Oh, my God.

588. To show the enormity of the amount of frozen food...

589. Ohh...

590. Gordon has not only removed it from the freezer,

591. but has left it on display in the restaurant.

592. I was completely floored.

593. I had just this sinking feeling in my stomach.

594. Look at this.

595. What's going on there?

596. Ugh. They've gone green.

597. Look, he's got his Mexican sombrero on.

598. Right!

599. Chimichangas, five dozen, ten dozen,

600. twelve dozen.

601. Ouch.

602. And this isn't

603. a catering business.

604. I didn't know

605. it was this bad last night.

606. Here's what concerns me more than anything.

607. These are from last year.

608. August... And July.

609. August... And July.

610. Last year?

611. What the is going on?

612. I'm shocked.

613. I can see why.

614. Have a good look. I'm gonna wash my hands.

615. Stinks.

616. I guess I should be on Perla more

617. to make sure that the structure is there

618. and that things are being handled

619. the way that they should.

620. But then again, I own the restaurant,

621. so everything comes back to be my responsibility.

622. This has made me feel quite ignorant.

623. Next...

624. This is my last chance.

625. I have put it all on the line for this.

626. Laura makes an attempt

627. to turn around Mama Rita's.

628. Perla,

629. you gotta cook the steak.

630. It is raw.

631. Oh, it's a disaster.

632. Rapido, please.

633. But she may have to do it...

634. Give me an apron.

635. All alone.

636. We got to be able to do it.

637. And later...

638. No one's ever gonna take advantage

639. - of me again. - a confrontation...

640. Are you her boss? I am her boss.

641. Wrong. You're her friend.

642. That puts Laura and Perla's

643. estranged friendship...

644. It's hard, okay?

645. It's hard, okay?

646. On the line.

647. Love you.

648. I promise you it'll be okay.

649. You don't want to miss

650. What's coming up on Kitchen Nightmares.

651. Please don't cry.

652. Today, Chef Ramsay is hitting the streets,

653. trying to gather former customers

654. of this young restaurant.

655. He's hoping that they'll hammer home to Laura

656. what this community expects from Mama Rita's.

657. Nice.

658. What is this?

659. Who are all these people?

660. Chef Ramsay knows that often

661. the best way to get his point across

662. the best way to get his point across

663. is through the voices of others.

664. Ladies and gentlemen, first of all, good afternoon.

665. I was pretty shocked to see all these people showed up.

666. I really didn't know what to expect.

667. Thank you so much for coming.

668. It means a lot for you guys

669. to make an effort to be here.

670. These are ex-customers

671. that were here at the beginning

672. to support this restaurant.

673. It's important

674. that we understand

675. what went wrong

676. when we had the chance to open this restaurant.

677. Please, find out what happened.

678. I'd like to start.

679. Okay.

680. Over the time, we felt

681. Over the time, we felt

682. we weren't getting the service that we wanted.

683. And the creativity of the food was really lacking.

684. On two different trips,

685. I got sick

686. within like a two-month period.

687. And then I came here two months later,

688. I got sick again.

689. And I kind of stayed away.

690. Ouch.

691. I guess I underestimated the palate

692. of the common person.

693. Some of the items we freeze,

694. and as we've been going through,

695. we're thinking that that's probably what it is,

696. and we're not gonna freeze anymore.

697. So hopefully that will take care of that issue.

698. And that's what we're changing.

699. Thank you for being so honest.

700. I can vouch for Laura.

701. Frozen has gone.

702. Yes?

703. I can't wait to see you again.

704. But next time it's going to be inside the restaurant

705. rather than outside.

706. Thank you so much.

707. Right, we got work to do.

708. That's an eye-opener.

709. Today, speaking to all those people,

710. I realized people know good food.

711. I respect that,

712. and that's what I want to give them.

713. To make the transition

714. from cooking frozen to fresh,

715. Chef Ramsay has just the challenge in mind

716. to inspire Laura and her Chef Perla.

717. Chicken, shrimp,

718. I've got steak here.

719. 30 minutes.

720. We have a bit of a cook-off now.

721. Choose between the shrimp or the chicken.

722. And cook something

723. really delicious.

724. One minute gone.

725. Let's go.

726. It felt good working with fresh ingredients.

727. It was fun to just grab something

728. and just throw it all together

729. and come up with something good.

730. and come up with something good.

731. Let me think, let me think.

732. What's the matter?

733. I'm thinking. You're thinking?

734. I'm really nervous

735. because I no have idea

736. for what I cook.

737. 15 minutes left.

738. Ay-yi-yi.

739. Perla, get moving.

740. I was nervous about what she was making.

741. No pressure, Perla.

742. The creativity seems not to be present.

743. Five minutes, be ready to plate, yeah?

744. Yep.

745. Ready? Let's go.

746. All right, let's go.

747. Chef Ramsay not only wants the staff

748. to taste the difference between frozen and fresh...

749. Not a single item on the plate defrosted anywhere.

750. He's also looking for the staff to choose

751. Which of the three dishes goes on tonight's menu.

752. Okay, what is it?

753. They are blackened shrimp tacos.

754. That looks good.

755. Darling, what is it?

756. Garlic breast. Garlic breasts.

757. With? Garlic and salt.

758. Garlic and salt put on the chicken breast?

759. She just said garlic salt, and that's it.

760. It wasn't very creative.

761. And, um, that scares me.

762. And, um, that scares me.

763. Okay, I got a flat-iron steak, briefly marinated,

764. mango salsa served on a little bit

765. of pickled vegetables,

766. finished with avocado butter.

767. Yum.

768. Okay, let's go. Take a taste.

769. Oh, it's so good.

770. It was amazing to taste

771. Chef Ramsay's dish.

772. And you could tell it was gonna taste good

773. just by looking at it.

774. Robert, what do you think of the shrimp?

775. It's really good.

776. How's the chicken?

777. Perla's dish had no flavor.

778. It's a little bland.

779. It needs something to spice it up.

780. Okay, good, which dish goes on the menu?

781. The mango salsa.

782. The shrimp is really good.

783. So both the shrimp and the flat-iron steak

784. are specials tonight.

785. I'm disappointed in Perla.

786. Given her opportunity to try to shine.

787. Unfortunately, I think it fell a bit short.

788. For tonight's dinner service,

789. For tonight's dinner service,

790. Chef Ramsay has insisted on using only fresh ingredients.

791. So for the first time,

792. Mama Rita's, led by Laura and Chef Perla,

793. will operate like a restaurant

794. and not a catering service.

795. Hello.

796. Good to see you guys.

797. Thank you. You enjoy now.

798. Just letting you know our specials are

799. Skirt steak with mango salsa

800. and blackened shrimp tacos.

801. The steak special? Okay.

802. We're cooking everything fresh now,

803. so enjoy your meal.

804. Chef, you have anywhere special

805. Chef, you have anywhere special

806. you want me just doing my thing?

807. Uh, yeah. As normal.

808. Running as normal.

809. How's the specials going?

810. Specials are going good.

811. You're gonna have some of those steaks

812. coming up now.

813. I've been pushing it, so it's coming.

814. I'm scared about tonight.

815. Cooking everything fresh like this,

816. it's gonna be— it's gonna be like something

817. she's never done, and Perla's got to get

818. into a whole new mindset.

819. Perla's team has quickly produced

820. the first set of specials.

821. This is 24, yeah?

822. Gracias.

823. All right, I got

824. your chef specials.

825. And it appears as though

826. And it appears as though

827. the kitchen has adapted well.

828. But have they really?

829. You guys good?

830. Was everything okay?

831. I'll take it back.

832. Cut into yours.

833. Too rare?

834. What's the matter?

835. It's rare.

836. Guys.

837. You got to cook the steak.

838. Look it.

839. It is raw. Look at that.

840. This isn't medium rare, anyway.

841. That is rare.

842. Perla, I want you overseeing

843. the entrees,

844. making sure the steaks are cooked properly.

845. making sure the steaks are cooked properly.

846. And you shouldn't be doing this little stuff.

847. You are the chef.

848. Finally, a voice.

849. Give me an apron.

850. I have people back there

851. that don't know what they're doing.

852. So, obviously, I need

853. to be more hands-on in the kitchen.

854. Specials are going, you guys.

855. Leave those items out so we can use them

856. and get to them easier.

857. I need these washed immediately.

858. Very—muy caliente.

859. Maria, you're making me those churros?

860. Yeah.

861. Have the refires gone out?

862. My redo?

863. Where's my— did the other one go out yet?

864. Why'd you—why'd we take one without the other?

865. Why'd you—why'd we take one without the other?

866. That's incredible.

867. On the back of all this negativity,

868. I finally think the penny's dropped with Laura.

869. All of a sudden, she's found her voice,

870. and she's treating this service like it's her last.

871. Did you get one of 'em yet?

872. One..

873. There you go.

874. Thank you.

875. Okay.

876. Here's another steak up.

877. I need you guys to keep up on this.

878. I shouldn't be back here doing this for you.

879. Right, Laura,

880. Let them do it now.

881. Let them do it now, yeah?

882. Laura has shown that she is willing

883. to step in to do whatever it takes

884. to step in to do whatever it takes

885. to help her restaurant.

886. But now Chef Ramsay is looking

887. for Perla to do what she is paid to do:

888. Run the kitchen.

889. Perla, I need you to step up to the mark now, please.

890. Take control.

891. You want me to decorate the plates?

892. No. No, let 'em do it.

893. Look how many staff there are behind there.

894. I know, but I...

895. They were falling all over themselves

896. in the kitchen.

897. And there were a lot of them on the line.

898. This is incredible.

899. Laura is prepared to go to hell and back

900. to make sure this restaurant survives.

901. However, I don't get the same feeling

902. from the staff.

903. I don't think they actually give a damn.

904. I don't think they actually give a damn.

905. Unbelievable.

906. It's just raw?

907. It's raw.

908. Fish is raw.

909. What?

910. For God's sake, guys.

911. Look!

912. That's not— there's no excuse.

913. It's like fish out of a sushi bar.

914. Come on, guys.

915. If I don't do something immediately,

916. It's gonna be gone tomorrow.

917. It's gonna be gone tomorrow.

918. I just hope we can do it.

919. We got to be able to do it.

920. If we don't do it, it's not gonna work.

921. Tonight's difficult transition

922. from cooking frozen to fresh

923. only confirmed what Chef Ramsay

924. was already feeling.

925. A lack of confidence.

926. Tonight didn't exactly go

927. to plan, did it?

928. No, it did not.

929. Perla is not a head chef.

930. I think tonight confirmed that.

931. Surely you must see that.

932. I-I don't know what to do with that.

933. Perla's family to me.

934. She's not an employee that I can just cut,

935. you know, after so many years of being by my side.

936. you know, after so many years of being by my side.

937. There was one strong asset.

938. Quite refreshing.

939. And that was you.

940. I felt like this was your last service.

941. You were almost fighting for your life.

942. Fighting to stay open.

943. Fighting for every customer, every dollar.

944. And you cared like I've never seen you care before.

945. It was the first time that I actually really started

946. to believe that you've got what it takes

947. to turn this place around.

948. We're not going back.

949. Tomorrow, we are relaunching

950. this restaurant as a restaurant

951. this restaurant as a restaurant

952. for the first time in this town.

953. Thank you. Come here.

954. Thank you so much for everything.

955. Get some sleep, okay?

956. It was great for Gordon to sit with me

957. and feel that somebody has some faith in me.

958. I'm an absolute fighter,

959. and I tell ya,

960. this is the fight of my life.

961. Gordon's looking to revive

962. Laura's spirit and avoid

963. a repeat of last night's service.

964. So he's come up with a surprise solution

965. So he's come up with a surprise solution

966. for the crippling problem in the kitchen.

967. Come in, please. All right.

968. Now here's the big change.

969. A humongous change.

970. Hang on a second. I've got to get it.

971. This is Naris.

972. Hi, Naris.

973. Hi, guys, how are you?

974. Now this lady has been with me for years.

975. She's an amazing chef.

976. Obsessed with Mexican cuisine.

977. And I am giving her

978. And I am giving her

979. to you as a gift.

980. What she is going to do

981. is install a proper service

982. in this restaurant.

983. She's going to consult

984. properly for the first time

985. since you've opened this place.

986. I would just like to say

987. that I'm really, really excited.

988. Your restaurant is beautiful.

989. Thank you.

990. We're gonna make your kitchen beautiful.

991. We're gonna make your food beautiful.

992. Thank you. It's gonna be great.

993. Thank you so much. I'm excited.

994. One hell of a talented chef. And I mean that.

995. Thank you. Thank you, Madame.

996. Oh, God.

997. Oh, God.

998. I can't believe it.

999. This is an opportunity of a lifetime.

1000. She's gonna teach Perla so much.

1001. For the first time in a long time,

1002. I have some hope,

1003. and I think we're gonna get through this.

1004. Gordon is hoping chef consultant Naris

1005. Will get the kitchen in order,

1006. but there's another huge change tonight—the menu.

1007. First of all, look at the color.

1008. Wow. Oh, my God.

1009. It's like a rainbow.

1010. It's fresh, seasonal,

1011. It's fresh, seasonal,

1012. and it is incredibly authentic.

1013. Taco salad. Oh, that looks good.

1014. Carnitas. Slowly braised.

1015. Ooh.

1016. The sizzling fajitas,

1017. that is gonna be piping hot.

1018. Please be careful. Have a taste.

1019. Mm. Oh, my gosh, you guys.

1020. Mm. The flavor.

1021. Ooh, that shrimp is good.

1022. The new menu is awesome.

1023. My mother would be so proud right now.

1024. We're all so excited about tonight.

1025. With Mama Rita's facing it's biggest night ever,

1026. With Mama Rita's facing it's biggest night ever,

1027. Chef Ramsay is willing to give Perla

1028. one more chance to command the kitchen,

1029. but this time he has installed a safety valve,

1030. and her name is Naris.

1031. Right. Uh, Perla.

1032. Yes.

1033. Tonight we really have to show

1034. that you can adapt to cooking in a restaurant.

1035. And there's a big difference.

1036. Naris is here to help you,

1037. but she can't do everything.

1038. So show some spirit

1039. to try and get this place

1040. back up to where it should have opened

1041. nine months ago, yeah?

1042. Excellent. Good luck.

1043. Excellent. Good luck.

1044. How can we not have a successful night?

1045. I mean, I've got one of Gordon's chefs

1046. to work in the kitchen,

1047. and I think Perla will do all right.

1048. Hello. What's the name under?

1049. Ben.

1050. Okay. Come with me.

1051. Here you go.

1052. This is our new menu. Everything's fresher now.

1053. We're kind of revamping everything.

1054. I'm just gonna start off with an order of guacamole.

1055. Guacamole to start? Steak fajitas?

1056. I will put that order in

1057. and it should be up shortly.

1058. Call out the order.

1059. Appetizer chicken taquitos, Miguel.

1060. So make sure you mark 'em, okay?

1061. Start marking "appetizer, dinner."

1062. Start marking "appetizer, dinner."

1063. Perla.

1064. Yes?

1065. I need you to set me up a fish taco, okay?

1066. Perla, are you ready for the tacos?

1067. Perla, listen to me, please.

1068. Let's get 34 out. Whatever that is.

1069. I need fish tacos.

1070. Set me up the plate,

1071. so I can just put the fish on there.

1072. Please.

1073. Naris, I need to pick up 34, yes?

1074. Yeah, I have it.

1075. I just need a plate set up.

1076. Right. Naris. Yes, chef.

1077. There's four of them standing watching you do everything,

1078. and no one's doing anything else.

1079. You've got to pick it up, Perla.

1080. Perla, are you ready for the tacos?

1081. Perla, are you ready for the tacos?

1082. No, not ready.

1083. Do you believe that?

1084. Cheryl.

1085. Saw you just walk right past that table.

1086. Everything's empty on there.

1087. Can't clear it away?

1088. Or do you want me to do it for you?

1089. This one? Yeah, it's empty.

1090. You guys all done here?

1091. It's 20 minutes into dinner service.

1092. Perla, pull your tickets.

1093. Don't let 'em hang like that.

1094. And already Perla is struggling

1095. to organize the kitchen

1096. and her staff.

1097. I've never seen so many people

1098. standing still behind a line.

1099. standing still behind a line.

1100. What are we waiting on?

1101. Firing the orders or not?

1102. Yes, chef.

1103. Perla, I need to start firing tickets now.

1104. Please?

1105. What's unfolding in my eyes is fascinating.

1106. I'm just trying to get it set like a normal restaurant,

1107. not like a canteen

1108. where they're serving everything en masse.

1109. Perla was still in the catering mindset,

1110. and with the cooking fresh and cooking to order,

1111. it's obvious she didn't know how to do that

1112. and make it happen.

1113. Perla is clearly being exposed

1114. Perla is clearly being exposed

1115. For her lack of leadership,

1116. and the kitchen is slowly sinking.

1117. Perla, we need to get organized.

1118. This is not— this is not working.

1119. But, finally, an hour into dinner service,

1120. appetizers are leaving the kitchen.

1121. Okay. All right.

1122. I'll go in and send this back for you guys.

1123. Perla...

1124. What's the deal with 33?

1125. All right, burnt chips,

1126. no beans, and not enough cheese.

1127. 's sake.

1128. Guys, refire.

1129. Guys, refire.

1130. Some more cheese in there,

1131. but no—don't burn the chips, yeah?

1132. Sorry.

1133. This is the difference between

1134. just taking stuff out of a fridge

1135. and dipping it in fryer

1136. that got fried this morning

1137. or trying to cook it fresh.

1138. On top of the three pieces of steak they gave me,

1139. they gave it to me raw. send it back.

1140. What's wrong with that?

1141. What a disaster.

1142. It's incredible.

1143. You have the most amazing looking restaurant

1144. and a great tasting menu,

1145. but if you haven't got the right staff to pull it off,

1146. you're screwed.

1147. Perla, take your tickets. Talk to me.

1148. What tables have gone out?

1149. What tables have gone out?

1150. From the first ticket, Perla was completely absent.

1151. Perla. Yes.

1152. Please put numbers on them.

1153. I'm not running the table. I don't know what's going on.

1154. I have to turn my head 100 times to say,

1155. "Perla, what's next?

1156. Call it out. What are we doing?"

1157. Perla, talk to me.

1158. You got to talk to us.

1159. We're not— we're not psychic here.

1160. Perla realized the ticket times

1161. And started feeling the pressure.

1162. She fell apart.

1163. Perla, take control.

1164. She's not equipped to work a line.

1165. There's not one ounce of line material

1166. in that woman.

1167. in that woman.

1168. Perla. Perla. Perla.

1169. It's relaunch night at Mama Rita's.

1170. Perla has shut down,

1171. and the kitchen is at a standstill.

1172. Laura. Yes?

1173. Two seconds.

1174. I couldn't have made it any easier for her.

1175. It's clear now she's not making the transition

1176. from relying on processed,

1177. frozen, defrosted crap

1178. to cooking fresh.

1179. That is not head chef material.

1180. We're not looking for

1181. a super duper fine-dining chef.

1182. I'm just looking for a cook that can cook

1183. I'm just looking for a cook that can cook

1184. from start to finish.

1185. Tonight it's been obvious.

1186. Yes. But can— I will make a comment.

1187. I have—I have a woman

1188. that has stuck with me through thick and thin

1189. for six years.

1190. Okay, my big question to you—

1191. Yes. are you her boss or are you her friend?

1192. I am her boss, and she—

1193. Wrong. You are her friend.

1194. It would break my heart

1195. to not have Perla as my head chef,

1196. but right now I have to stand back

1197. and really look at what's best for my business.

1198. Who has? Perla.

1199. Okay, look at me.

1200. Naris, take over the line, yes?

1201. You, outside. Five minutes.

1202. Get some fresh— take her outside.

1203. Let's go.

1204. Unbelievable.

1205. It's okay. It's okay.

1206. Look at me.

1207. It's okay. I'm scared too.

1208. I'm scared and it's hard, okay?

1209. I'm frightened to all hell right now.

1210. I've got to try to pull this off

1211. with the staff that I've got

1212. and this new way of cooking.

1213. It's okay.

1214. It'll be okay.

1215. It'll be okay.

1216. I promise you it'll be okay.

1217. One mahi-mahi.

1218. Coming in 30 seconds.

1219. With Perla off the line

1220. And Naris in control...

1221. Get some lime on here please

1222. And finish these for me?

1223. Mama Rita's kitchen is finally on track.

1224. Two mahi tacos up. Piping hot.

1225. Here are the fish tacos.

1226. Can I have a ramekin please?

1227. Technically, I wasn't supposed to be on the line.

1228. I was just supposed to supervise.

1229. But I can't watch 'em go down.

1230. Good job. Now keep it up.

1231. Let's finish the night.

1232. All right. Carnitas?

1233. Who got the mahi?

1234. You can do it. Just focus.

1235. Chef Ramsay's plan

1236. And Naris' rescue of the kitchen

1237. has resulted in customers being satisfied.

1238. You like the new relleno? Yeah, yeah.

1239. And the relaunch ends on a positive note.

1240. Without Naris,

1241. we wouldn't have been able to get through tonight.

1242. Thank you so much for coming in. Thank you.

1243. You guys, clean up a little.

1244. She knows her stuff.

1245. I mean, she's clearly a great chef.

1246. While the relaunch was a success,

1247. Unfortunately no one's in the mood for celebrating.

1248. Certainly not Perla.

1249. And definitely not Chef Ramsay.

1250. Tonight was made more difficult

1251. than it ever had to be.

1252. Perla's not a leader.

1253. She's never gonna step up

1254. to the mark of a head chef ever.

1255. It's not rocket science.

1256. I know.

1257. Naris, over the next two weeks,

1258. I want you to separate the brigade,

1259. focus on the strengths, the weaknesses.

1260. focus on the strengths, the weaknesses.

1261. Okay, thank you.

1262. Thank you so much.

1263. It'll be good. Wonderful.

1264. Perla's strength isn't being a chef,

1265. and this whole scenario has brought that to light,

1266. and now it's blaringly clear

1267. that I need to do something about it.

1268. Laura, the future success of this restaurant

1269. is in your hands.

1270. If you don't extract out of her

1271. everything she knows about cooking,

1272. you're mad.

1273. It will never, ever work

1274. if you step backwards to your old ways.

1275. I won't do that again.

1276. I'm gonna run it like a restaurant. Good.

1277. Next time you come you're gonna see some staff changes.

1278. Next time you come you're gonna see some staff changes.

1279. Promise me?

1280. I—I give you my word.

1281. Come here. Stand strong. And good luck.

1282. I've got one hell of a headache.

1283. Did we honestly take a caterer

1284. and turn her into a restaurateur?

1285. That question will only be answered

1286. when she finally decides what to do with Perla

1287. and her kitchen team.

1288. What a nightmare.

1289. Holy chimichangas.

1290. After Gordon left,

1291. Laura worked with Naris

1292. to organize the kitchen and the staff

1293. into a fully functioning restaurant.

1294. Once this system is implemented,

1295. I think that will make it

1296. much, much smoother.

1297. That makes sense.

1298. And after two weeks,

1299. Laura finally made the staff change

1300. she promised Chef Ramsay.

1301. She installed a new head chef,

1302. moving Perla out of the kitchen

1303. and back to catering.

1304. Moving forward now,

1305. there's definitely gonna be a split

1306. between my catering and the restaurant.

1307. They are going to be two different businesses.

1308. Well, guys, thanks for coming in.

1309. Well, guys, thanks for coming in.

1310. I don't think my eyes were open,

1311. and they haven't been open for a very long time,

1312. and it took Gordon to come in here and—

1313. whack, whack, whack, whack, whack,

1314. to get me to open 'em.