Host Guy Fieri spins the Randomizer for Round 1, West Battle 3, as seen on Tournament of Champions, Season 3. Photo courtesy Food Network

With the final first round battles ready to cook for their lives, Tournament of Champions Season 3 episode 4 revealed a particular nuance to the dreaded randomizer. In one of the best descriptors ever, that randomizer is basically the world’s pickiest diner.

When Hunter Fieri gave a glimpse into the new season, he said to expect the unexpected and he has been correct. With huge potential favorites eliminated in the first round, no one is safe.

But, the biggest takeaway from the first round has been that the chef who best adapts the randomizer requirements has impressed the judges. Even if there have been a few execution mis-steps, the reality is that Tournament of Champions is a game. The chef who best plays the game will prevail.

In the first battle, Christian Petroni took on Tobias Dorzon. With the randomizer offering strip steak, parsley, cookie cutter, blackened and 30 minutes, the chefs could go in a variety of directions. Given the absurd combinations in other battles, this duo was somewhat lucky.

But, mistakes were the difference between winning and losing. Christian made the dreaded mistake of forgetting to plate a required component, the parsley. And, the judges commented that the dish would have been better with the sauce. Still, the rest of his components shined. From the smart use of the cookie cutter to the blackened component, the dish would have been a huge win except for the parsley.

Tobias had a good dish too, but it was plated for a person with a voracious appetite. The steak portion was huge. He struggled with the cookie cutter, but the sauce component seemed to work. Overall, it was a good dish.

In the end, Tobias beat Christian by one point. It was all about the missing parsley. Another Guy Fieri favorite bites the dust in round one.

While New York City foodies instantly recognize these names, casual Food Network viewers might not be instantly familiar with the talented Mediterranean influenced chefs. Still, this battle could be the tightest of the four from this particular episode.

With one of the most unlikely kitchen equipment items of the competition, waffle bowl maker, the chefs needed to channel their creativity. From falafel waffles to tortilla waffles, it proves to home cooks that kitchen essentials can have different uses.

Overall, the chefs exceled with these ingredients. From the ground veal to the bright tomatillos, the dishes were well balanced. But, the same story played out again. When a dish doesn’t hightlight the required ingredients, it cannot win. Einat Admony beat Michael Psilakis because his dish didn’t feature tomatillos enough.

Both chefs are veterans of cooking competitions. While Elizabeth Falkner might have hoped for better results in previous seasons, she has one of the most diverse backgrounds of any of the competing chefs. And, Chris Cosentino has been crowned a Top Chef Master.

In one of the best comments of the competition, Cosentino coined the randomizer as the pickiest diner ever. It might be the most obvious comment that seems to sum of the requirements that the chefs must master.

For this battle, the chefs were given a gift of lamb loin, green beans, brick, nutty and 30 minutes. Overall, the dishes were well plated and creative. Where Falkner’s was a little more well-plated, Cosentino’s was more rustic. Still both dishes were delicious.

In the end, Elizabeth Falkner prevailed and earned her first win in Tournament of Champions. How far she will go in the tournament remains to be seen.

In the final battle of the night, everyone was wondering if another number one seed would fall in the first round. But, the randomizer did not give one chef an advantage over the other. With bacon, navel oranges, toaster, flaky and 30 minutes, it was clear that breakfast was going to be served.

Continuing the same theme as every other battle. Anthony’s dish was more about the egg than the bacon. While there is much credit for a perfectly cooked egg, it wasn‘t a randomizer ingredient. But, he highlighted the orange well.

Jet Tila went bold with his Vietnamese crepe. Even though it was missing orange, it was a successful dish. But, the idea that everything was cooked in bacon helped the dish overall. In the end, experience won and Jet Tila moved onto the round of 16.

Will the pickiest eater bring havoc to the round of 16? Be sure to watch a new episode of Tournament of Champions Season 3 on Food Network Sunday nights at 8 p.m. or stream on Discovery+.

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