And the winner is... Alexander Weiss.
Chef Gordon Ramsay crowned the first-ever winner of the U.S. version of "MasterChef Junior" on Friday's finale, the competition coming down in the end to 13-year-old Alexander Weiss vs. 12-year-old Dara Yu for the grand prize of $100,000 and school yard bragging rights.
The New York Native, won with a menu consisting of basil lemon shrimp and heirloom tomato crostini for his appetizer, a pan-seared veal chop served over potato gnocchi with sage and shallot butter sauce for his entree and a deconstructed napoleon cannoli for his dessert.
"Young man, that is one of the best visually cooked veal chops anywhere in the country tonight," Ramsay said. "There are chefs right now shuddering with the way that's cooked."
"MasterChef" season four winner Luca Manfé was in the kitchen to help cheer the kids along as each tackled the task at hand, preparing, a "perfectly composed" three-course meal in 90 minutes.
Though judges expressed concern that the curly-haired teen had bit off more than he could chew in 90 minutes, he wowed them as always with the finished product.
"I congratulate Dara because she did an amazing job," Weiss said. "I think this is an inspiration for kids to cook ... It means the world to me."
"MasterChef Junior" pits 24 kids between ages 8 and 13 against each other, This was the first time the cooking competition has opened its kitchen to kids.
The young chefs will prepare seafood, pasta and dessert dishes and present them to the judges in audition rounds. The contestants who continue on in the competition will face challenges like preparing a three-course meal at a fine dining restaurant and making beef Wellington as a tag team, according to FOX.
