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Meet Ramon Bojorquez. He sounds like a fictional movie character because he claims that his prior career as an undefeated Muay Thai fighter has aided him as a chef. An underground fighter and master chef sounds like a David Mamet character who was betrayed by a friend only to attain revenge in the end. I know that’s not true, though, because he’s not swearing. Anyway, the lanky Arizonan is already in a world of hurt because his dashi is too hot. He is worried about bacteria rather than a tasty meal at the moment, which means he’s more worried about his health department score than his meal. He decides to use ice chips to lower the temperature of the dashi. I’m not a master chef, but even I think that sounds like a desperate ploy that he’s probably going to have to explain at Judges Table.

Day two in the home features the arrival of an even more famous celebrity judge. New Orleans’ favorite chef Emeril Lagasse shows up, and he brings beignets. After a few kind words, Emeril addresses the elephant in the living room. He exchanges pleasantries with Stephanie, the woman he deemed unworthy of a spot in Top Chef Seattle. Emeril notes that he is happy to see her return to the competition, but his lack of a “Bam!” makes me question his sincerity.

The chefs arrive at the swamp and have to set up their own equipment, which is fairly challenging since sometimes the flames don’t seem to go where they’re supposed to. Also, it’s hot and there are occasional alligators. Some of the chefs have to change their dishes on the fly, which is often a sign of future trouble at Judges Table.

Speaking of judges, they’re all headed toward the feast on a fun party boat. Along with Tom, Padma and Emeril, Top Chef Masters host Curtis Stone is also part of the group. They mingle with the guests, and we learn that Tom hates okra. One woman tries to convince him that her mom’s is the best, but he’s not buying it.

Since we do have 19 contestants, I’m going to forego describing each dish, but will cover the ones that the judges seem to like the most and the least in conversation. Nina’s curried turtle meatball is getting a lot of positive attention across the board, and she easily receives the most beads from the members of the Dinner Lab. When he tastes it, Emeril says, “Wow!” and Tom notes that it’s delicious. On the opposite side of the fence is Aaron, who worries that the pasta with his turtle confit and turtle ragout is too al dente. Sara wonders if her foot, a take on General Tso’s chicken, is too spicy. Padma says, “Holy sh!t that’s hot!” Curtis seems fine with the heat, for what it’s worth.

With regards to Ramon’s braised turtle with Thai dashi (and ice chips), Tom says, “It’s a little light.” Emeril agrees. Tom asks Jason whether he thinks that his frog legs were enough of a highlight in the dish, and the self-proclaimed hottie dodges the question by saying something like, “As long as you like it…”

The end of the service is drawing near, and Ramon and Patty are both hurting for beads, with only about two apiece. When they go to the stew room, they’re surprised that a closed circuit television pops on (and so are we), allowing them to hear the judges’ discussion. The commentary is primarily positive, including glowing reviews for Nina, Sara and Carrie, who needed this boost to her confidence. As for the least favorites, Aaron is mentioned, and he’s clearly embarrassed. Patty and Carlos are also identified as disappointments, along with Ramon and Beni.

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