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For totally unknown reasons, the judges head all the way east to downtown LA, instead of doing the practical thing and heading 10 minutes south to Venice Beach. Ridiculous. In any event, Team Mexico kicks things off with a carrot (there’s certainly been an abundance of carrot dishes lately) asado with banana yogurt and carne seca from Chad. Tom finds the carrot flavor good but the ingredient itself undercooked. Padma notes that Chad has two Mexican restaurants and wonders why he doesn’t understand Mexican flavors better.

Kwame is next with a chipotle raisin-glazed shrimp with masa porridge, which barely sounds Mexican to me. The judges enjoy it, though, with Tom finding lots to like in the masa and shrimp.

Jeremy offers up a grilled skirt steak with potato confit and poblano - again, this barely sounds Mexican to me, save for the poblano. Tom finds the beef well-cooked and well-seasoned, but doesn’t get “Mexico” from the dish. Gail notes that lack of boldness in the flavors.

Finally, Wes serves an orange and tomato stew with chorizo and hominy. “It’s almost trying to be a posole,” my husband notes - a point quickly echoed by the owner of Broken Spanish. Ludo likens the texture of the chorizo to Hamburger Helper (always a flattering comparison). Wrapping things up, Gail laments the fact that the team didn’t ask more questions of their “cultural ambassador” (i.e. the owner of Broken Spanish). “They could have benefited from your knowledge,” she says, “and I’m sorry they didn’t take advantage of it.”

It’s time to head ALL THE WAY back across the city to Venice Beach (the production team really should have spent some more time thinking about this) to dine on what the judges hope will be some yummy vegan cuisine. Phillip is up first with the ridiculous sounding dish of “Cauliflower Cauliflower Cauliflower.” This from the chef who previously named his dish “California Product with Flavors of the Pacific.” He’s not just a hipster chef, he’s a douchey hipster chef. Tom likes the cauliflower flavor, but not the pureed cauliflower. Gail agrees, noting that it lacks flavor.

Frances has a chana masala (Indian curry) with tofu chips and saffron. Padma finds the chickpeas delicious and Gail enjoys the tofu chip, but Tom faults the fact that Frances (despite vegan food being all about the vegetables) used canned chickpeas.

Grayson is next with a charred bean salad and pickled red onion. She confides to us that it’s a dish that could have really benefited “with a little pork fat.” Ah, rules governing Top Chef challenges! If only they weren’t so meddling and interfering! Ultimately, Gail finds Grayson’s dish disjointed and “sad.” Tom calls it the “vegetable version of her meatball” in the previous episode - something that “anyone can do at home.”

Finally, sassy Renee has a stuffed beet with tofu, roasted cashews, and bitter spring green sauce. Ludo criticizes it as dry and mushy, while Tom hates the filling of the beet, calling it “heavy and pasty.”

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