Kiku: On Fighting with Roble

Bravotv.com: This season, you're joined in the kitchen by Rob and you two seem to have a fun rapport. How's that working relationship been?
Kiku Polk: It's been a friggin' headache! Ha! Rob is a 12-year-old boy stuck in a grown man's body. A very big grown man's body. I love him though. He's like a puppy that tears up the couch cushions when you're away but is always there for a cuddle when you're home.

Bravotv.com: During prep you seem very confident about the chocolate lava cakes. Going in to the event, did you have any concerns about the dessert?
KP: Honestly, I didn't have any reason to be concerned. That chocolate lava cake was a recipe I had prepared many times over. Like Roble said, it's Pastry 101 .

Bravotv.com: The timing of the whole event seemed off. Did the slowness of the rest of the courses i.e. the salad affect the dessert? What happened?
KP: The timing absolutely affected the dessert. You can't tell me I have 15 minutes, then tell me I have 5. 10 minutes could mean the life or death of a cake. Anyone who's ever baked anything knows that.

Bravotv.com: You and Roble really get into it for the second time this season — why do you think you're having such conflict?
KP: I think the conflict comes from both of us being very passionate about what we do and feeling comfortable enough to speak our minds now. The first year we worked together, I think we just didn't want to step on each other's toes. I think now we're comfortable with each other, and we feel like we're fighting for what we love and believe in, so the gloves had to come off.Bravotv.com: Would you have handled the situation differently? 
KP: Nope.

Bravotv.com: Roble said he's taking over the pastry department — what does this mean for you?
KP: Roble ain't taking over a dadgum thing.

Bravotv.com: Roble seemed happy with the event — how do you think it went?
KP: I honestly don't think that event was our best performance. I'm glad Tyson Chandler was happy, but that's not the only gauge for event success. Did the kitchen flow well? Was the food up to par? Were my staff happy? Was timing on point? If the answer to any of those questions is no, then it wasn't a perfect event.

Bravotv.com: On a separate note! You've been quite the matchmaker for Adam. What do you look for in a girl for Adam?
KP: It's actually not easy to match Adam. The whole Anishika thing happened by chance. Like I said on the show, all of my friends are either as crazy as me or worse. Ha! I think Adam requires a girl who's intelligent, funny, PATIENT, and kind, but at the end of the day has some major balls. Cause here's the thing, Adam is sweet and at most times quiet, but the dude is no pushover. Evidenced by the fact that he was in his cargo shorts and flip-flops immediately one day after his date with Anishika!

Bravotv.com: Anything else you'd like to add?
KP: The only thing I'd like to add is that I know it looks like Roble and I fight a lot. We do. But that's because we both really believe in what we're doing and because we have a strong enough foundation of love that we can say what's on our minds and bounce back. At the end of the day, I love that skinny Somali dude, and I know he loves this tiny blasian chick.