Kevin Lee is a lot of things. A chef, restaurateur, and regular Food Network competitor alongside being funny, kind and creative.
Now, you can also call him a two-time “Alex vs. America” champion. In the Season 5 episode of the show that aired Tuesday, Oct. 28, on Food Network, Lee returned to take on Iron Chef Alex Guarnaschelli for a second time. And for a second time, he brought home a win.
More: Chef-owner, chef-competitor, chef-collaborator: OKC’s Kevin Lee is all three
How did Lee win again? Read on for a full recap of the show.
What happened in Round 1 on ‘Alex vs. America’?
The show opened with Lee and his two fellow previous winners, chefs Jonathan Sawyer and Taylor Frankel being introduced by host Eric Adjepong.
“Last time I was here, I felt like I had zero chance to win, now I’m back in her kitchen feeling confident that I can take the win today,” Lee said in an interview as he entered the set.
Lee told Guarnaschelli that seeing her cook really showed him what it takes to compete, something Lee has gone on to do numerous times since his first appearance on “Alex vs. America,” including multiple shows where Guarnaschelli has judged the dishes.
“Thanks for the compliment, I hope you have a different result this time,” Guarnaschelli, who is vocal about her competitive nature and dislike of losing, quipped at Lee with a smile.
The competition kicked off with all four chefs challenged to prepare their best dish for a survival round blind tasted by the judges. The top three chefs moved on and the bottom dish was eliminated.
The challenging chefs got to choose the details of round, including the protein, interesting equipment, style of dish and time.
Presented with tri tip, fish and chips or wagyu beef, the trio unanimously opted for wagyu, which Guarnaschelli agreed with them on. For equipment choices, the options of mortar and pestle, soda and whipped cream siphon or blow torch led to Lee being out-voted and the siphon was chosen, a choice Guarnaschelli showed clear disdain for.
Lee, Frankel and Sawyer were in agreement once again when offered upscale appetizer, glass cloche or white linen entree for dish styles and chose to make an upscale appetizer. However, when offered between 1 and 45 minutes for time, while Frankel wanted between 30 and 40 minutes, Lee and Sawyer wanted to give Guarnaschelli less time.
Lee argued that less time was the only way they could truly disadvantage the Iron Chef and Sawyer agreed.
“The more time we give the serial killer, the better chance we have of being killed,” Sawyer said as Guarnaschelli could be seen pacing the show’s set waiting for the chefs to make a decision.
Ultimately the group settled on 26 minutes, the 25 Sawyer and Lee proposed with a minute added for Frankel “for arguing.”
Guarnaschelli’s dish was a seared wagyu on toast with a horseradish cream and caviar.
Frankel made a Tataki wagyu tartare in shiso tacos with bonito aioli.
Sawyer prepared a marinated wagyu and raclette with bechamel foam.
Lee chose to make a wagyu beef tartare with a blue cheese foam and a potato nest.
The dishes were judged by celebrity superstar chefs Maneet Chauhan and Marcus Samuelsson.
“Beautiful,” Samuelsson said upon trying Lee’s dish. “I love when a dish has a classic root, but yet you can still find something new and fun with it.”
Chauhan said she felt as if she were at a fine dining restaurant having a first course presented to her. Samuelsson said the only criticism he found for the dish was the consistency of the blue cheese foam.
When the dishes were ranked, Frankel and Lee received first and second honors, respectively. Then in a twist, the judges could not decide a standout between the two remaining dishes sending both Sawyer and Guarnaschelli forward to the money round.
Chef Kevin Lee is pictured at Birdie’s in Oklahoma City in 2024.
How did Kevin Lee win his second ‘Alex vs. America competition’?
Having survived the first round of the competition, Lee, Sawyer and Guarnaschelli were at the mercy of Frankel’s decisions on protein, vegetable and meal style.
Presented with canned sardines, tofu or chicken livers, Frankel easily chose tofu. She then chose carrot tops, instead of turnips or lima beans, as a vegetable and decided the chefs would prepare a ballpark meal rather than a cafeteria lunch. Frankel gave herself and her fellow competitors all 45 minutes of time to figure out their meals.
Guarnaschelli decided to make tofu tots with ranch and a lobster roll.
Sawyer prepared chili cheese fries with a tofu chili.
Frankel made a tofu parmesan sandwich with carrot top ketchup.
Lee’s choice was to make a Korean fried tofu sandwich.
“You know when you think of ballpark food, tofu is probably not even on the list. After tasting this, I do think the tofu should be put on the ballpark menu,” Chauhan said of Lee’s sandwich. “This chef has managed to get the craveability in tofu. Delicious.”
Samuelsson said Lee “embraced the challenge,” but that the carrot tops could have been a bit better utilized to tone down the dish’s sweetness.
When the chefs returned to face the judges, Sawyer and Frankel were named the bottom two leaving only Lee standing with Guarnaschelli, waiting for Adjepong to declare the winner.
Adjepong announced Lee’s name with a smile and Guarnaschelli and the judges congratulated him.
“I never thought in my life that I would take down chef Alex on her own show, now here I am, two-time ‘Alex vs. America’ champion,” Lee said on the show. “Nobody can take that from me.”
The show ended with a clearly emotional Guarnaschelli explaining through tears how being a chef is a very physical career choice and competing takes a lot and that “losses stick with you.”
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Full recap of Kevin Lee’s second appearance on ‘Alex vs America’
