The BEST episodes of Top Chef: Masters season 5

Every episode of Top Chef: Masters season 5, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Top Chef: Masters season 5!

Bravo’s Top Chef Masters returns for a fifth season with 13 new award-winning chefs ready to compete for bragging rights, the title of ‘Top Chef Master’ and $100,000 for their charity. In a new twist this season, each Master will have his or her sous chef compete in an online competition, “Battle of the Sous Chefs,” hosted by Hugh Acheson. The results of each online episode directly impacts the Masters, awarding them advantages, such as immunity (the winner of each battle earns the Top Chef Master immunity), and sometimes, disadvantages, depending on their sous chef’s performance (the chefs who perform the worst always earn obstacles for their Top Chef Master). Every episode of “Battle of the Sous Chefs” leads up to the next episode of Top Chef Masters, and explores the uniquely interdependent relationship between a Master chef and his or her sous chef. Celebrity chef Curtis Stone is back as series host alongside new head critic Gail Simmons, with returning judges James Oseland, Ruth Reichl, and Francis Lam, and new judge, food and dining editor Lesley Suter. The chefs face off in some of the most difficult and unique challenges seen thus far -- and they’re serving up food for some top entertainers and celebrity guest judges including: Busy Philipps, Kathie Lee Gifford, Lindsay Price, the cast of Days Of our Lives, Ali Larter, the cast of Yo Gabba Gabba, LA Cult Favorites Lucha Va Voom among others. To date, Top Chef Masters has given over 1 million dollars to charities with this season increasing that total to over 1.25 million dollars. The series pits 13 world-renowned chefs against each other to see how well they fare in fierce culinary competition. Each week will whittle down the chefs until the finale where one winner is crowned “Top Chef Master” and receives the grand prize of $100,000 for their charity.

Last Updated: 4/25/2024Network: BravoStatus: Ended
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Teacher Tribute
star
7.98
53 votes

#1 - Teacher Tribute

Season 5 - Episode 9 - Aired 9/18/2013

The chefs serve up their version of a burger for a surprise guest critic. Also: The culinarians pay tribute to teachers through food; and three contestants advance to the finale.

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Finale
star
7.82
55 votes

#2 - Finale

Season 5 - Episode 10 - Aired 9/25/2013

Season 5 comes to a close with the final three master chefs creating memorable dishes from their personal and professional lives, after which the winner is revealed.

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Restaurant Wars
star
7.81
58 votes

#3 - Restaurant Wars

Season 5 - Episode 5 - Aired 8/21/2013

The epic "Restaurant Wars" challenge tasks the foodies to open eateries with a Los Angeles theme. Appearing: actress Busy Philipps and culinary editor Dana Cowin.

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Sous Chefs and Skydives
star
7.79
112 votes

#4 - Sous Chefs and Skydives

Season 5 - Episode 1 - Aired 7/24/2013

Thirteen chefs arrive in Los Angeles to participate in culinary heats in the Season 5 opener. Here, the foodies take flight by cooking outdoors for a professional skydiving team and are given the opportunity to dive from the sky themselves. In Season 5, the chefs also have sous-chefs who will compete in their own online competition.

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Mindy Kaling and Yo Gabba Gabba
star
7.75
57 votes

#5 - Mindy Kaling and Yo Gabba Gabba

Season 5 - Episode 6 - Aired 8/28/2013

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Curtis Surprise Party
star
7.75
64 votes

#6 - Curtis Surprise Party

Season 5 - Episode 4 - Aired 8/14/2013

As every chef knows, curry is difficult to hurry, but the chefs are challenged with making their version of curry in 30 minutes for this week’s Quickfire Challenge. Host Curtis Stone is not easy to surprise, but the tables are turned on him this week as fiancée Lindsay Price and the chefs team up to throw Curtis a surprise engagement party he won’t forget.

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Lucha Vavoom
star
7.74
27 votes

#7 - Lucha Vavoom

Season 5 - Episode 8 - Aired 9/11/2013

The winner of this week’s Battle of the Sous Chefs challenge, along with their Top Chef Master, get to create today’s Quickfire. Then, the chefs face a culinary body slam, as they create dishes with a Mexican flair for the wrestlers of Lucha Vavoom. Que sabroso!

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Asian Night Market
star
7.67
98 votes

#8 - Asian Night Market

Season 5 - Episode 2 - Aired 7/31/2013

The chefs create classic American cuisine with an Asian spin.

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Sex, Greed and Murder
star
7.66
70 votes

#9 - Sex, Greed and Murder

Season 5 - Episode 3 - Aired 8/7/2013

Soap-opera themes inspire culinary creations. Appearing: the cast of "Days of Our Lives."

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Catch of the Day
star
7.27
52 votes

#10 - Catch of the Day

Season 5 - Episode 7 - Aired 9/4/2013

Special guest judge actress Ali Larter challenges the chefs to elevate nachos for their Quickfire. Then the chefs get totally tubular as they cook up the catch of the day for Malibu locals. Divided in to pairs, they have to create a dish with a hot and cold preparation of the same fish, and hope that the critics’ response is better than lukewarm.

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