... And then there were three

The latest episode of Rupchanda-The Daily Star Super Chef which aired yesterday on ntv, was a fateful one: it determined the top three contestants of this year's culinary competition. Jointly organised by Rupchanda and The Daily Star, the competition seeks to find out the best cooks, 'Super Chefs', from all corners of the country. From the winners of the regional rounds to the top 20 and finally to the top 3, the nationwide search for this year's gastronomic talents is almost at the end.

For Shampa Rahman, the previous episode was quite a comfortable ride - even though a lot was at stake and despite the fact that the episode was to determine the top three by eliminating one of the four contestants. “The challenge involved making barbeque dishes of various meats,” she shared. “I often make barbeque at my home. I have a lot of experience with this kind of cooking; it was a comfort zone for me.”

After she completed cooking, she herself was quite satisfied with the output. And she excelled. Not only did she secure her position among the top three contestants, she also won the badge for the best dish - from actor Misha Shawdagar, who was the guest judge of the episode.

Not everyone was as lucky as her, though. At the opposite side of good fortune sat Asma Rupa. In one of the previous episodes, she had accidentally cut her hand. And yet she continued, after treating the wound.

The cut had not healed completely, and last night, Asma Rupa tried her best to forget all about it and focus on the challenge: chicken barbeque... grilled veggies on the side... naan roti... sauces... liver and so on. A lot was going on the minds of the participants. Coming this far, the contestants had already made a lot of emotional investment, and nobody wanted to get eliminated.

And so it was a heartbreaking moment when the final hour came. Asma had to go. Last night, her journey came to a halt. “The judges walked me to the door,” she remembers.

Now, after that last episode, only three names remain: Maymuna Akter, Aysha Siddiky (Pinky), and Shampa Rahman. All three are winners: they have learned a lot, they have raced to the top, and they are going to receive cash prizes.

But the competition is not over yet. Tonight, the best will fight with each other to be the best among the best. And yet again, one contestant will be eliminated.

The guest judge is going to be Afsana Mimi. She is not new to the Super Kitchen: she had taken an intensive grooming class for the participants, and she also already had played the role of a judge in this year's competition. And she will once again show up tonight.

Tune into ntv at 9pm, every Saturday and Sunday to find out what happens next in Rupchanda-The Daily Star Super Chef 2017.