I’m so happy to see MasterChef bring back the cube taste test – I just hope they all last a few rounds so we are not left squinting at the screen, trying to work the leftovers out.
The first four to bomb go through to an elimination cook-off.
MasterChef Sun: cube taste test
They were good. They identified all except for two, bitter melon and jicama
Watching the cube test is so stressful because I want them all to succeed. The first few are pretty easy: carrot, apple, banana, orange. Poor Tessa gets spooked and mistakes celery for celeriac. She is first into round 2.
Jock and Andy are having fun creeping up on the blindfolded contestants and pretending they have got things wrong.
At least they are lasting a long time. They get up to cube 31 with only Tessa out. Emelia seems to be blanking on radicchio, which just goes to show how your mind plays tricks on you.
Reynold goes out on ham. Brenno flubs lime.
I am glad this test is going for a long time as the last few seasons they have had a lot of people bomb early.
For the taste test to get down to the final two out of 50 is amazing. Poor Emelia gets a block of bland, white crunchiness and guesses daikon but it’s kohlrabi. Ooh, that’s tough. What would they have done if they had got all 50 right? Jock says the last two were bitter melon and jicama
Tessa – not sure about beef and seafood in a broth, or did I misunderstand
In round two, Tessa, Reynold, Brenno and Emelia have to cook a dish of their choice using at least one item from each of four special pantries – the keyword being “balance”. At least Reynold doesn’t have to cook a dish using the ham he got out on.
oh no, not looking good for one of my faves.
BTW Emelia’s dish looks like baby poo Vegemite in anything, ewww
Devvvvvoooo 😭
Beautiful Brenno knew he was gone at the tasting. It must be so hard not to get hugs, away from family, your dream shattered. I hope they were isoed together so off camera it was more ‘normal’.
Well, it’s up to Rey and Meelsy now
I enjoyed the taste test. Did not enjoy know-it-all Laura saying the four “just slipped up”. They should have put her blindfold back on and tried her on the jicama.
I love how Reynold politely and tactfully dismisses whichever judge tries to put the wind up him about his dish. I’ve not seen the end, so don’t know who goes, but even if it’s Reynold, I like watching someone who is confident in his ability, but willing to listen to constructive criticism, just not bullshit said to heighten drama.
You know – I had to google jicama! I would have been hopeless.
I was only aware of it due to a previous MC appearance. Now I keep it in my arsenal for any alphabet games
Poh should be able to identify Jicama. Actually in Malaysian and Singapore cuisine, they are known as yam bean. Many of the Malaysian or Singaporean spring rolls uses yam bean. If you have eaten popiah, you would have eaten yam bean or Jicama. It’s has a sweet taste, crunchy and juicy. I love them but it’s seasonal here. At the moment I saw them at the Chinese grocery shop at around $10 per kg.
I thought the contestants were excellent – superior palates clearly. I did expect Callum to shine as he has a great understanding of flavours so thought he could do this one. I felt sorry for Brandon going – it seemed to be a small misstep rather than a stuff up. I liked his cooking! The others producing near flawless dishes though, so again, I felt it was the right call and not a judge-emotion or planned boot. This year I have felt trust in the judging on who goes.
Wondering now about the End. I think Reece and Poh should be going soon. As much as I like him I guess they won’t permit Callan to make it much further. A lot of attention on Emelia lately – are they building her story? The judges just don’t seem as keen on Tessa though – I really like her and the food she produces, but they don’t seem to be warm towards her. So if I was calling it now I’d say Emelia, Laura, Reynold, Tessa top four. Which means of course one of them goes home this week, lol!!
I agree, definitely upping the Emelia coverage.
I like Tessa and totally agreed the look of dislike on Mel face with Tessa. I didn’t like how the judges get to picked the cube, should have numbered the cubes and let the contestants pick a number. I can’t help Mel was making sure Tessa goes into round 2.
I like Emelia at first but i found her getting cocky.
Callum would make a great judge or mentor – he would be very supportive and is articulate. Maybe for junior MasterChef? That would be a shorter production time. But he has a baby and a cooking school here in SA so it’s not likely. I was pleased for Tessa that she had a “win”. The dish looked gorgeous
Interesting that the spoiler released a few weeks ago in Daily Mail, said Brendan was in final six. Wonder if their top 3 will also be wrong.