Gordon Ramsay gave a young chef his official stamp of culinary approval.
The “MasterChef Junior” judge posted a duet video of himself reacting to a 14-year-old content creator named William Mwungeri cooking beef Wellington — one of Ramsay’s most well-known dishes.
“OK, show me what you got,” Ramsay says as he starts to watch William’s video, which has reached 8.6 million views on TikTok since it was posted. The chef is infamous for his outbursts in the kitchen on shows like “Hell’s Kitchen,” “Kitchen Nightmares” and “MasterChef,” and he’s been bringing the critical energy to social media ever since the early days of the pandemic.
But the celebrity chef does have a soft side, and he can dish out compliments when he feels they’re deserved.
“Dude, you are handling this recipe with such confidence,” Ramsay says. “Well done.”
The chef comments on William’s fast chopping skills and shallot-cooking technique, and validates his choice of fungi; he calls chestnut mushrooms “the best flavor for a Wellington.”
The Phoenix, Arizona, native told TODAY.com he’s been making cooking videos for six months, but started cooking more frequently when he was 11 years old.
Making omelets for his family at the age of 10 really sparked his passion for being in the kitchen, but so did watching Ramsay’s shows.
“I hope to be as good as him one day,” William says, adding that it’s his dream to be a contestant on “MasterChef Junior.”
William says his Wellington post was the first time he tried to get the chef’s attention on social media. He was “absolutely thrilled” when Ramsay responded.
“Seeing someone I admire acknowledge my work in such a positive way was an incredible moment for me,” the young cook continues.
“William, this is looking good,” Ramsay says in his duet, adding that he’s impressed by the home cook’s choice to make a spinach crepe. The young creator made a follow-up video (which has 9.5 million views on Instagram) watching Ramsay react to the original. In it, William stands with two pieces of bread at the ready, waiting to see if the chef will invoke his famous insult of calling someone an “idiot sandwich.”
But the restaurateur, who is known for berating contestants on his cooking competition shows, gave William nothing but praise.
“Dude, this is looking very good,” he continues. “Seriously.”
Ramsay went on to say that he wasn’t cooking at that level as a pre-teen, and said the dish looked so good that he wanted to host William at his restaurant, Hell’s Kitchen, as his personal guest.
“Check your DMs,” he said. William says Ramsay did end up sending him a direct message on the app, instructing him to reach out via email to set up a visit to the restaurant and dine with the chef.
“Being noticed and acknowledged by someone as influential as Gordon Ramsay not only validates your talent and passion but also opens doors to amazing opportunities in the culinary world,” William says.
He’s excited for the experience and possible career-launching exposure he knows can come with being invited to Ramsay’s restaurant.
Representatives for Ramsay didn’t respond to a request for comment from TODAY.com.
William — who had tagged Ramsay in the original video asking others to do the same hoping the chef would see it — only had one thing left to say: “I guess I’m not an idiot sandwich.”
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