Summary
Highlights
The series 'Side Menu' is introduced, where Sidemen members will be paired into teams but compete for individual points. The winner of four rounds will be the 'star chef'. The host can issue yellow or red cards for rule infringements. Team captains are chosen, leading to some playful banter and team formation: Team 1 (England) with Ethan and Harry, Team 2 (Morocco) with Tobi and Josh, and Team 3 (Japan) with Jidion and Vikk.
Teams spin a wheel to determine their assigned country and dish. Team 1 (Ethan and Harry) gets England and will cook Scotch eggs. Team 2 (Tobi and Josh) gets Morocco and will cook kefta. Team 3 (Jidion and Vikk) gets Japan and will cook gyozas. They are given 45 minutes to prepare their dishes, leading to initial reactions about the difficulty of their assigned tasks.
The teams dive into cooking. Ethan and Harry begin preparing their Scotch eggs, grappling with seasoning flour and portioning sausage meat. Tobi and Josh tackle slicing ingredients for their Moroccan kefta, facing challenges with fineness of chop. Jidion and Vikk start assembling their gyozas, with Vikk struggling with the delicate pastry and Jidion taking charge of the meat filling. The host provides commentary, noting Team Morocco is falling behind.
Harry attempts to steal ingredients from another team, resulting in the first yellow card of the series. The teams continue to struggle with their cooking processes, including managing pastry, achieving the correct meat consistency, and following instructions for folding and frying. Jidion and Vikk try different folding techniques for their gyozas.
As time winds down, teams focus on cooking and presentation. Ethan and Harry successfully fry their Scotch eggs to a golden crisp. Tobi and Josh struggle with their kefta, finding them soggy and breaking apart. Jidion and Vikk present both crispy and steamed versions of their gyozas, along with creative garnishes. There's playful banter about the cooking process and expectations for the judge.
Theo Baker joins as the judge for the starters round. He first tastes Team England's Scotch eggs, appreciating the texture but noting a strong pickled egg flavor. Next, he tries Team Morocco's kefta, finding them lacking in flavor and overly crispy. Finally, he samples Team Japan's gyozas, praising their appearance and taste, despite being cold. The judge announces Team Morocco as the team with the 'least good dish' (one point) and Team Japan as the winning team (three points).
The judge and host deliberate to decide the 'worst player' of the starters round, with the announcement teased for the next episode. The video concludes with a preview of the main course challenge, showing the participants facing even more complex dishes.