Hail to the Chef: Casino Battle Royale

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Express' Karmah Elmusa breaks down a night of culinary gambling.

THIS WEEK ON "Top Chef: Las Vegas," the final six turned cheesy inspiration into refined dishes (well, some did).

Also, I won't say who went home, but I will say I was satisfied with an episode's outcome for the first time in weeks.

Does that give you a hint?

Muahahaha.

Read on to find out more.

QUICKFIRE CHALLENGE
The cheftestants head to the Venetian where they are greeted by a phone call from Padma. Ms. Lakshmi informs them that she is upstairs in the hotel, as is beloved British food writer Nigella Lawson. The two ladies are in desperate need of room service — specifically, breakfast in bed. The chefs have 30 minutes to make a creative breakfast and whisk it up to the suite in which Nigella and Padma are lounging.

Robin serves first. She enters the room, where the ladies are in separate queen beds swathed in terry cloth robes, hair flowing and in picture perfect makeup. Pretty standard for first thing in the morning. Robin presents them each with a blintz with grilled pineapple, other berries and goat cheese. It looks pretty sad and elicits almost no reaction from either judge. Eli shows up next, with a delectable looking play on the Reuben. His "Reuben benedict" consists of corned beef hash, Thousand Island hollandaise and a fried egg on top. Nigella points out that it looks like great "hangover food." Nigella! You know about hangover food? Awesome.

Next comes Michael with a Cuban inspired breakfast: Huevos Cubana served with crispy rice, banana puree and bacon. No complaints from the lounging ladies. Kevin knocks it out of the park with a play on steak and eggs made with creme fraiche and sharp cheddar cheese. Jennifer goes old school with creamed chipped beef on toast, a classic from her childhood that scares Nigella but then seems to go down pretty easy. Bryan brings up the rear with a warm four minute egg, vanilla beurre fondue, King crab and asparagus spears all served over corn polenta.

Overall, Nigella is turned off by Robin's "one-note" blintz and Bryan's egg with vanilla (I agree, that sounds off-putting). She loves Kevin's steak and eggs, but gives the win to Eli's twist on the Reuben. "Eli, the tang of that sauerkraut slapped the jet lag out of me," she says.

ELIMINATION CHALLENGE
Next, Padma brings out the knife block. Each knife has the name of a Vegas casino on it — the chefs will have to use the casinos as inspiration for a cocktail party at the top of the World Market. They are cooking for 175 people the following night, but will be allowed to tour the casinos later that day in order to be inspired by reckless gambling and scantily clad cocktail waitresses. I jest, I jest. Here is what they come up with:

» Bryan: The elder Voltaggio visits Mandalay Bay and garners inspiration from a shark exhibit and a plaque dedicated to sustainable seafood. He makes an escabeche of halibut with a bouillabaisse consomme topped with crispy garlic chips.

» Eli: This unlucky chef pulls the Circus Circus knife. I have never been there, but from what we see on camera it resembles the worst part of the Atlantic City boardwalk. Junk food and a few bright lights. Eli decides to take this very literally, and makes a horrendous looking caramel apple and peanut soup with a popcorn garnish and raspberry froth.

» Michael: The younger Voltaggio is assigned New York New York, and goes straight for the updated comfort food. He makes a crispy, boneless chicken wing with a curry sauce and a blue cheese disc. As a serious wing enthusiast, my cup of joy/hunger runneth over.

» Kevin: The Great Bearded One heads to The Mirage, where he is inspired to do bright colors and seafood by the casino's tropical ambiance. He makes lightly cured Wild Alaskan sockeye salmon, served with a salad of compressed vegetables and a tomato broth.

» Jennifer: Jennifer is sent to Excalibur, where she eats a whole chicken and drinks a mug of beer. And then comes up with a dish that has nothing to do with either — Sword in the Stone steak. It's a piece of grilled New York strip over a red wine reduction with sword stabbed into the middle. Where is the Jennifer of 4 challenges ago? She's lost her mojo.

» Robin: Robin gets the highest-end, and probably most inspirational casion, The Bellagio. In it, she notices the phenomenal glass sculptures of Dale Chihuly and decides to draw inspiration from that. She makes a panna cottta and attempts to garnish it with glass made of sugar. Oh, but wait ... she doesn't know how to make said sugar-glass, and so messes it up and can't serve it. Robin strikes (out) again!

The chefs serve their dishes to the hungry people, and hungry judges Padma, Tom, Nigella and Toby. They are blown away by Michael, Byran and Kevin, and less impressed by the other three. Emotions are running high — will Eli's peanut goop send him home or will Robin FINALLY pack it up and get out of my sight?

JUDGES' TABLE
The favorites are, as I said, the Brothers Voltaggio and Kevin. They are showered with praise as per usual, and then Michael is handed the win — sort of surprising considering Nigella's comment that Bryan's dish was "quiet and elegant" and the general gushing over Kevin. Michael gets a giant bottle of Terlato wine and wins a 3-night trip to the vineyard.

Enter the bottom three: Eli, Jennifer and Robin. Toby manages to get through this week's challenge with only one shockingly corny comment. On Jennifer's steak: "It was really more Spamalot than Camelot." I shudder.

In spite of this, Jennifer seems safe ... it's down to Eli's peanut goop and Robin's panna cotta. In all honesty, Eli's dish seems worse, but Robin is such a frequent visitor to the bottom two that the judges realize it's time for her to go. So long, Robin! And hello to a stellar top five — if only next week Jennifer can pick things up and give these boys a run for their money.

QUOTES OF THE WEEK
» Robin: "Gelatin's gonna be involved."
» Eli: "Several times, Robin has been lucky enough to be the lesser of two evils."
» Nigella: "When you touch your spoon to panna cotta, it should quiver like like the inside of a 17th century courtesan's thigh."
» Tom: "That tomato water is stunning."