Between Emma and Fabien’s living room and the stoves of season 17 of , there is only one tracking shot. For its episode 9, M6 installs its pots in the sets and asks the candidates to cook like at home, using real family fridges. The home kitchen suddenly becomes a testing ground, observed by actors and chefs. And in this very familiar setting, a candidate will see his adventure change.
Broadcast on Wednesday April 29, 2026 and presented by Stéphane Rotenberg, this Top Chef 2026 episode 9 evening aligns Aboubakar Bamba, Alexy Algar-Denos, Louise Perrone, Nicolas Parage, Victor Kuntz and Viviana Pisacane against the couples of , from Gérard Hernandez to Claire Chust. Chefs Philippe Etchebest, Paul Pairet, Glenn Viel, Hélène Darroze and Stéphanie Le Quellec judge them on two axes: enhancing everyday products and succeeding in a vegetable trompe-palate challenge. At the same time, the hidden brigade tackles a high-risk millefeuille for Théo Chassé.
Top Chef 2026 episode 9: household cooking and refrigerators from Scènes de households
On set, the couples’ fridges become pantry rooms. Industrial products, leftovers, cordon bleu and slightly sad vegetables replace caviar and lobster. , recalls Stéphanie Le Quellec, cited by , to summarize this ordeal of reality. Accustomed to exceptional products, the candidates must improvise with what many French families have on hand.
Faced with a fridge saturated with brands, Nicolas Parage drops the sentence which sums up the discrepancy: , reports . Louise Perrone, for her part, chooses to completely mix a cordon bleu to blend it into her recipe, before proudly accepting her proposal: , she confides to the same media. Presentation counts as much as taste, and attitude in front of the jury scores points.
Trompe-palate challenge: making people believe in meat without meat
The second part of the episode takes the culinary game further with a trompe-palate challenge. Objective: build vegetable bites that give the illusion of meat. The chefs turn a blind eye, Gérard Hernandez is blindfolded and must mention a meat ingredient when there is none. Alexis wins with six victories out of eight duels, thanks to an impressive mastery of meat markers.
Everything depends on a few sensory codes, detailed in the show: smoked, grilled, roasted create an immediate illusion in the mouth. The trompe-palate becomes a tool of hospitality to bring together around the same table those who no longer eat meat and omnivores who are sometimes wary of plants. Faux tartare, vegetable steak or fauxmage speak the language of familiar landmarks while opening up other culinary horizons.
Hidden brigade: the millefeuille that eliminates Théo Chassé
In , the tension is completely different. The theme of the evening: millefeuille, sweet or savory, with crispy puff pastry and creamy cream, a test announced by Fabien Ferré, son of a pastry chef. Aboubakar Bamba sums up his state of mind: , he confides to . Antoine Garcia dares a sweet millefeuille with mushrooms, while the jury reminds, through the voice of François-Régis Gaudry, that the title determines expectations.
This is where Théo Chassé stumbles. Yet with full confidence after a series of victories, he approached this sixth week by affirming: , he explained to . His plate pleases, but he says he had this fatal detail: Eliminated “a little frustrated” but determined, he adds: The rhythm of the filming also plays a role, he admits: , a pace which exhausted him. Soon to be sous chef of Diego Alary’s future Iberian restaurant in Paris, he finally admits: to the idea of this opening, while seeing it as a founding experience.
Who is eliminated in Top Chef 2026 episode 9?
If Aboubakar Bamba continues the adventure in the hidden brigade, it is Théo Chassé who is definitively eliminated at the end of the millefeuille test of the parallel competition.
What was the theme of the hidden squad in this episode?
The theme imposed by Fabien Ferré was the millefeuille, in a sweet or savory version, with the obligation to respect three layers, a crispy layer and a creamy cream.
What is Théo Chassé doing after Top Chef 2026?
After his elimination, Théo Chassé becomes sous chef of the new Iberian cuisine restaurant opened in Paris by Diego Alary, a project planned for around mid-May 2026.
