In this week's extra-sweet Quickfire, the chefs are tasked with creating a celebratory dish featuring honey and mead in order to win over Padma and guest judge Adam Handling. Then, the chefs escape the city and head to the Kent countryside. The cheftestants create a festive family meal featuring their favorite holiday dishes for judges Padma, Tom and Gail, along with Top Chef Mexico judge Martha Ortiz.

The chefs are in for a surprise when they walk into the Top Chef kitchen and see Gaggan Anand, praised as one of the world's best chefs, as their guest judge. For the Quickfire Challenge, they must take a page from Gaggan's playful menu and create a dish inspired by an emoji. For the Elimination Challenge, they're tasked with taking inspiration from one of Gaggan's famous dishes and creating a plate with a message that's visually stunning and can be eaten without utensils.