Top Chef Junior facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Top Chef Junior

Hosted by	Vanessa Lachey
Judges	Curtis Stone Gail Simmons Tiffany Derry Antonia Lofaso Graham Elliot

Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	17 (11 unaired)
Release
Original network	Universal Kids
Original release	October 13, 2017 (2017-10-13) – present (present)

Top Chef Junior is an exciting American reality competition show. It's a spin-off from the popular Top Chef series, but this one features talented young chefs!

The idea for Top Chef Junior first came up in 2008, but it didn't air back then. Nine years later, in 2017, the show was finally launched on Universal Kids, a channel for kids owned by NBCUniversal.

The first season had 14 episodes and featured 12 young chefs, aged 9 to 14. The winner gets a big prize of $50,000 and the special title of "Top Chef Junior." The show is hosted by actress Vanessa Lachey. The main judge is Curtis Stone, who has also hosted other Top Chef shows. Top Chef Junior first aired on October 13, 2017. In November 2017, the show was renewed for a second season, which started on September 8, 2018. This season also featured 12 chefs, aged 9 to 14.

Season 1: Meet the Young Chefs

Season 1 Contestants

Here are the amazing young chefs who competed in the first season:

Name	Age	Hometown
Audrey Brust	11	Zachary, LA
Fernando Valdes Nicholson	11	Elmhurst, IL
Fuller Goldsmith	13	Tuscaloosa, AL
Henry Wieser	13	Naperville, IL
Jasmine Bell	13	Charlotte, NC
Katelyn Rickert	11	New Orleans, LA
Kenzie Mills	12	Midlothian, TX
Max Gerber	11	New York, NY
Maxine Sutton	13	Los Angeles, CA
Milo Fleming	13	St. Paul, MN
Owen Pereira	13	Baltimore, MD
Rahanna Martinez	13	Oakland, CA

How the Chefs Performed: Season 1 Elimination Table

This table shows how each chef did in the challenges throughout Season 1.

Place	Contestant	Episode
Place	Contestant	1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8			9		10		11		12		13		14
1	Owen	HIGH	HIGH	IN	HIGH	IN	WIN	HIGH	IN	WIN	IMM	HIGH	LOW	IN	LOW	HIGH	LOW	IN	HIGH	WIN	IN	WIN	IN	HIGH	IN	HIGH	WIN	WIN	WINNER
2	Rahanna	IN	WIN	IN	HIGH	HIGH	IN	IN	IN	IN	HIGH	HIGH	WIN	WIN	IMM	HIGH	HIGH	IMM	WIN	IN	WIN	IMM	IN	LOW	IN	SAFE	IN	LOW	RUNNER-UP
3	Milo	WIN	IMM	HIGH	HIGH	HIGH	LOW	WIN	IN	HIGH	LOW	HIGH	WIN	HIGH	WIN	WIN	WIN	WIN	HIGH	SAFE	IN	LOW	IN	WIN	WIN	WIN	IN	OUT
4	Henry	HIGH	HIGH	IN	LOW	IN	WIN	HIGH	HIGH	HIGH	HIGH	WIN	IN	IN	HIGH	IN	LOW	IN	WIN	HIGH	IN	WIN	WIN	OUT
5	Jasmine	IN	IN	WIN	IMM	WIN	WIN	IN	SAFE	IN	LOW	HIGH	HIGH	IN	HIGH	IN	HIGH	IMM	IN	LOW	IN	OUT
6	Kenzie	IN	LOW	HIGH	IN	IN	LOW	IN	HIGH	IN	WIN	HIGH	HIGH	IN	LOW	IN	LOW	OUT
7	Maxine	HIGH	IN	IN	IN	IN	HIGH	IN	LOW	IN	LOW	WIN	SAFE	HIGH	OUT
8	Fuller	IN	IN	HIGH	WIN	IN	IN	IN	LOW	HIGH	HIGH	N/A	WDR
9	Audrey	IN	HIGH	IN	LOW	IN	WIN	IN	IN	IN	OUT
10	Max	IN	IN	IN	LOW	IN	OUT
11	Katelyn	IN	LOW	IN	OUT
12	Fernando	HIGH	OUT

The chefs were sometimes divided into two teams. The winner came from the winning team, and the chef who went home was from the losing team.
If a chef won the Quickfire Challenge, they sometimes didn't have to compete in the Elimination Challenge.
Some Quickfire Challenges gave the winner immunity, meaning they couldn't be sent home.
The top 3 chefs in some Quickfire Challenges won immunity and competed in a separate challenge.
One chef had to leave the competition because they were sick.

(WINNER) This chef won the whole season!

(RUNNER-UP) This chef was one of the top two, but didn't win.

(WIN) This chef had the best dish in a challenge.

(WIN) This chef was on the winning team in a Team Challenge.

(HIGH) This chef did very well but didn't win the challenge.

(IN) This chef was safe and didn't have one of the best or worst dishes.

(LOW) This chef had one of the worst dishes but was still safe.

(IN) This chef was safe in a Team Challenge.

(IMM) This chef was safe from being eliminated.

(SAFE) This chef was eliminated but got a special card to stay.

(OUT) This chef was eliminated from the competition.

Season 1 Episodes

Episode 1: Dishing Up Dreams

Quickfire Challenge: Turn your favorite family meal into a fancy restaurant dish.
- Winner: Milo
Elimination Challenge: Create a dish that shows off your food dream.
Guest judge: Richard Blais
- Winner: Rahanna
- Out: Fernando

Episode 2: Food Truck Frenzy

Quickfire Challenge: Show off your cooking skills with a dish about an adventure.
- Winner: Jasmine
Elimination Challenge: Open three food trucks to the public in less than 24 hours!

Team Name	Team Members
Taco Town	Katelyn, Kenzie, Maxine, Milo
Gourmet Sandwich Truck	Fuller, Henry, Owen
Oh Crepe!	Audrey, Jasmine, Max, Rahanna

Guest judge: Dave Danhi
- Winner: Fuller
- Out: Katelyn

Episode 3: Battle of the Buds

Quickfire Challenge: Make a delicious ice cream dessert.
- Winner: Jasmine
Elimination Challenge: Create a dish that highlights one of the five main tastes (bitter, sour, salty, umami, sweet).

Taste Battle	Orange Team	Blue Team
Bitter	Owen	Fuller
Sour	Audrey	Kenzie
Salty	Maxine	Max
Umami	Henry	Rahanna
Sweet	Jasmine	Milo

Battle winners are in Bold.

Guest judge: Brooke Williamson
- Winner: Audrey
- Out: Max

Episode 4: Chef's Best Friend

Quickfire Challenge: Make a gourmet treat for dogs.
- Winner: Milo
Elimination Challenge: Create a full meal using ingredients you'd usually find in your fridge at home.

Team	Team Members
Red	Fuller, Jasmine, Maxine
Blue	Audrey, Owen, Milo
Yellow	Kenzie, Henry, Rahanna

Guest judge: Sherry Yard
- Winner: Rahanna
- Safe: Jasmine

Episode 5: Food Fight!

Quickfire Challenge: Impress famous chefs Bryan Voltaggio and Michael Voltaggio with your cooking.
- Winner: Owen
Elimination Challenge: Four head-to-head "food fight" rounds, coached by the Voltaggio brothers.

Battle Rounds	Team Bryan (Red)	Team Michael (Blue)
1: Soft-boiled Egg	Audrey	Fuller
2: Filleted Branzino	Kenzie	Maxine
3: Medium Rare Steak	Henry	Milo
4: Plated Dessert	Rahanna	Jasmine

Battle winners are in Bold.

Guest judge: Tito Ortiz
- Winner: Kenzie
- Out: Audrey

Episode 6: It's No Cake Walk

Quickfire Challenge: In pairs, using only one hand each, make a dozen cupcakes.
- Winner: Henry & Maxine
Elimination Challenge: Bake a huge 14-inch "extreme cake."

Team	Team Members
Red	Rahanna & Milo
Blue	Kenzie & Jasmine
Yellow	Owen & Maxine
Teal	Henry & Fuller

Guest judge: Joshua John Russell
- Winner: Rahanna & Milo
- Safe: Maxine
- Withdraw: Fuller (had to leave for health reasons)

Episode 7: Glow Big or Go Home

Quickfire Challenge: Make a dish using a cut of beef chosen from a game board.
- Winner: Rahanna
Elimination Challenge: Make a late-night dish for Maisy Stella's Glow Party, using at least one ingredient that glows!
Guest judge: Casey Thompson
- Winner: Milo
- Out: Maxine

Episode 8: Field Day!

Quickfire Challenge: Create a fancy nacho dish.
- Winner: Milo
Elimination Challenge: The top 3 chefs made a spin on burgers & fries, while the bottom 3 made a BBQ plate with a side & sauce.
Guest judge: Nick Lachey
- Winner: Milo
- Out: Kenzie

Episode 9: Un-bee-lievable

Quickfire Challenge: Make a dish that features honey.
- Winner: Henry
Elimination Challenge: Create a kids' menu with a fancy main dish, a side, and a dessert.
Guest judge: Emeril Lagasse
- Winner: Owen
- Safe: Milo

Episode 10: Restaurant Wars

Quickfire Challenge: Create an amuse-bouche (a tiny, single bite appetizer).
- Winner: Rahanna
Elimination Challenge: Create and design two restaurants to open in 24 hours!

Team	Team Members
Forage & Create (Blue)	Henry & Owen
Summer House (Orange)	Jasmine & Milo

Rahanna, as the Quickfire winner, helped both teams.
Guest judge: Cat Cora
- Winner: Henry
- Out: Jasmine

Episode 11: The Claw

Quickfire Challenge: Cook a lobster dish using basic pantry items or ingredients from a claw game.
- Winner: Henry
Elimination Challenge: Create an exotic "surf & turf" dish (like snake and crocodile!).
Henry got to choose a protein first, and no one else could pick it.
Guest judge: Dave Salmoni
- Winner: Milo
- Out: Henry

Episode 12: Cooking for Treasure

Quickfire Challenge: "Keepin' Up With Curtis." Chefs had to copy Head Judge Curtis Stone's dish as he cooked it.
- Winner: Milo
Elimination Challenge: After a tiki-themed scavenger hunt at Universal Orlando Volcano Bay, chefs created a Polynesian luau (a traditional feast).
Guest judge: Roy Yamaguchi
- Winner: Milo
- Safe: Rahanna

Episode 13: Lemon Aid

Quickfire Challenge: At the Houdini Estate, chefs had to unlock boxes to get their main ingredients.
- Winner: Owen
Elimination Challenge: As part of a fundraiser for Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, chefs had to make a dish featuring lemons.
Guest judge: Susan Feniger
- Winner: Owen
- Out: Milo

Episode 14: You Are Top Chef Junior!

Quickfire Challenge: None in this episode.
Elimination Challenge: The chefs created a three-course meal that showed their cooking past, present, and future.
Guest judges: Antonia Lofaso, Tiffany Derry
- Winner: Owen
- Out: Rahanna

Season 2: New Young Talent

Season 2 Contestants

Here are the talented young chefs who competed in the second season:

Name	Age	Hometown
Carson Peterson	13	Ventura, CA
Ella Bass	13	Berwyn, PA
Eric Martinez	10	Spring, Texas
Kate Daniel	12	Houston, TX
Londyn Green	11	Atlanta, GA
Nikki Bidun	11	New York, NY
Noah Cryns	11	Evanston, IL
Olivia Acosta	10	Long Valley, NJ
Rogers Mathews	13	Corona, CA
Simon Weisserman	12	Los Angeles, CA
Sophie Frankowski	13	New Orleans, LA
Tyler Cappelluti	13	South River, NJ

How the Chefs Performed: Season 2 Elimination Table

This table shows how each chef did in the challenges throughout Season 2.

Place	Contestant	Episode
Place	Contestant	1		2		3		4		5			6		7	8		9		10		11		12				13		14
1	Nikki	IN	LOW	IN	IN	HIGH	HIGH	WIN	IMM	HIGH	WIN	WIN	IN	LOW	IN	WIN	IMM	IN	LOW	IN	HIGH	HIGH	HIGH	WIN	IMM	WIN	IMM	WIN	WIN	WINNER
2	Londyn	IN	LOW	HIGH	LOW	IN	WIN	IN	LOW	WIN	HIGH	IMM	WIN	HIGH	WIN	IN	LOW	IN	LOW	IN	WIN	WIN	LOW	IMM	WIN	IN	IMM	IN	IN	RUNNER-UP
3	Rogers	HIGH	IN	IN	IN	IN	LOW	IN	LOW	HIGH	HIGH	IMM	WIN	SAFE	WIN	IN	IN	WIN	LOW	HIGH	HIGH	HIGH	LOW	LOW	IMM	IMM	LOW	IN	OUT
4	Noah	IN	IN	HIGH	LOW	IN	WIN	HIGH	IN	LOW	LOW	IN	IN	WIN	WIN	HIGH	LOW	IN	WIN	IN	SAFE	HIGH	WIN	IMM	LOW	IMM	OUT
5	Eric	HIGH	WIN	IN	IN	IN	HIGH	IN	HIGH	LOW	LOW	IN	IN	SAFE	IN	IN	IN	HIGH	WIN	WIN	LOW	HIGH	OUT
6	Carson	WIN	IMM	IN	IN	HIGH	LOW	IN	IN	HIGH	HIGH	IMM	IN	HIGH	WIN	IN	WIN	HIGH	OUT
7	Olivia	IN	HIGH	IN	HIGH	IN	WIN	IN	WIN	WIN	HIGH	IMM	HIGH	WIN	IN	IN	OUT
8	Simon	IN	IN	IN	HIGH	WIN	IN	HIGH	HIGH	WIN	LOW	IN	HIGH	LOW	OUT
9	Ella	IN	IN	IN	WIN	HIGH	IN	IN	IN	LOW	LOW	OUT
10	Kate	IN	IN	WIN	IMM	IN	SAFE	HIGH	OUT
11	Sophie	HIGH	HIGH	HIGH	OUT
12	Tyler	IN	OUT

Sometimes, no immunity was given for the Quickfire Challenge.
In one episode, a team challenge happened before the Quickfire to give advantages. The top 5 dishes in the Quickfire won immunity, and the worst 4 faced elimination.
In some elimination challenges, two chefs were sent home.
Some episodes did not have a Quickfire Challenge.
"Chef had Immunity" means the chef was safe from elimination.