Unbeknownst to Chef Ming, Tom and Ray arrive in Tommy's MG — both wearing wires placed by Wolfgang Puck.

Ming, preparing for the show taping in a back alley in Our Fair City. His staff claims they "love taping outside the studio" — but the word on the street was that the staff of "Zoom" had trashed the kitchen during a paper mache fight.

As the MG rolls in, Ming sprinkles a pinch of arsenic into Tom and Ray's portions — as he promised NPR's President Kevin Klose he would. (In exchange for their time slot on NPR, of course.)

Ming sets the ground rules before the interview: If you so much as touch my garnishes, I will personally filet you both with my bare hands. Do we understand each other, gentlemen?

Ming: Just shut up and slice, gentlemen, and you'll leave here with two hands each.

Ming to Tom: No, this one is yours. I'm not eating that one. Why? Because I said so.

Ming: Are you kidding me? This thing has 60 years of pent up grease and road dirt on it, and you want me to cook on it?

Ray: Hey, don't bitch. You eat at KFC, don't you?

Ming: Did lunch survive the trip?

Tom: Lunch?! I want to see if the engine survived the trip!

Success — and only a slight aftertaste of hydrocarbons.

Ming: If they pay me more than Kevin Klose, I'll give them the antidote. If not, it's adios, fellas!

Time to go — if we can get out of here on time, we can be at Emeril's in time for high tea!