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**Disclaimer: This Tournament of Champions article is based on the writer's opinion. Readers' discretion is advised.**
Tournament of Champions season 6, which debuted on March 2, 2025, saw professional chefs compete against each other for the champion's belt and the $150,000 cash prize. Decorated experts from different culinary backgrounds entered the competition to present their skills. However, not all could advance. Episode 5 of the series saw Jet Tila get eliminated after losing to Joe Sasto.
Jet Tila, who had come close to winning Tournament of Champions in the previous seasons, watched his chances disappear yet again as he lost his cook-off to Joe Sasto. Although he was determined to make season 6 count and leave with the champion's title, his efforts fell short.
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Jet's dish, prepared during the battle against Joe, received praise from all panelists, making him hopeful about his chances on the show. However, the judges were equally complimentary about Joe's preparation, ultimately granting him the pass to the following rounds of the competition. While Joe deserved to advance, I believe Jet was worthy of a chance to stay in the competition.
Not only did he receive one of the highest scores during his stay on the show, but he also had the potential to advance further, compared to some of the other chefs who moved on in the competition. While the dishes were tasted blindly, the panelists consistently praised Jet's food and rarely identified flaws. His elimination dish was one such meal that was highly regarded by all judges.
I believe he deserved a spot in the later stages of the competition because he outperformed some of the other chefs who had moved on. It becomes evident after looking at the scores.
Tournament of Champions alum Jet Tila was unfortunate
Episode 3 of Tournament of Champions season 6 saw number one-seeded Jet Tila compete against Next Level Chef winner Pyet Despain. While Pyet came with her own skill set, Jet appeared to her as a "giant" in the culinary industry. With three Emmy Award nominations, a Critics' Choice nomination, and a James Beard Award nomination, Jet came prepared to take down Pyet, and he did.
The Randomizer challenged the Tournament of Champions chefs to prepare a dish using oyster mushrooms, a venison rack, and crystallized ginger. Moreover, it had to be loaded, and the chefs had to use a juicer in the cooking process. While speaking to the cameras, Pyet confessed that it was "an honor" to cook against Jet.
Pyet praising and being in awe of Jet's career was a testament to his culinary experience and expertise. It highlighted that Jet was not only a competitor on Tournament of Champions but a decorated peer in the industry— someone she looked up to.
Jet prepared loaded venison with red curry and oyster mushroom Cheung Fun, whereas Pyet cooked a mushroom-loaded venison chop with Wojapi Berry BBQ sauce. After tasting Jet's dish, Maneet Chauhan said:
"This is what TOC is all about."
Jet received compliments from the two other panelists as well. Consequently, he scored 91 points out of 100, becoming the highest scorer of TOC season 6. Meanwhile, Pyet received 84 points. It proved why Jet was renowned for his cooking and deserved a spot in the later stages of the competition.
In episode 5, Jet battled against Joe Sasto. The Randomizer challenged them to cook with chanterelle mushrooms, a French fry press, and a New York strip in a go-to take-out style. Even before the challenge began, it seemed leaning in favor of Jet because of the style: take-out. Joe, while speaking to the cameras, called Jet the "take-out king," making him a worthy contender for the winner's spot.
"This is my kind of cooking right here. The stuff that I was literally born to make," Jet said.
The Tournament of Champions alum decided to prepare a spicy basil beef stir-fry with chanterelle fried rice. He added that it was what he had been cooking since he was ten years old. Meanwhile, Joe cooked a New York strip hamburger. While tasting Jet's dish, the experts heavily praised the flavors, saying he "nailed it."
While the judges continued to eat the food, one of them urged Jet to open his own take-out. In my opinion, this made Jet's loss more bitter because he was not granted a win in a style he was deemed a master of.
"We got a 160 of them," Jet remarked.
Although the judges had nothing negative to say about Jet's dish, they were more impressed by Joe's preparation. At the end of the day, it became a close call between the two, and Joe defeated Jet in the taste category by two more points. Although Jet lost, he lost with 91 points on his scorecard. Besides his potential, it was one of the reasons why I believe he should have remained in the competition.
In my opinion, he deserved another chance, rather was more deserving than some of the other chefs who moved on. Antonia Lofaso had progressed with 88 points, Kevin Lee with 82, Britt Rescigno with 80, Kaleena Bliss with 86, Lee Ann Wong with 84, Sara Bradley with 87, and Nini Nguyen with 80. With such a table, Jet Tila appeared as a better contender for the winner's title.
After the second round on Tournament of Champions, no one surpassed his score or even equalled it. Sara came close with a 90, but could not go beyond it. Consequently, it was unfortunate to have him leave the competition with such talent.
Tournament of Champions season 6 can be streamed on Discovery+.
