Premièring 3 September, Thursdays at 9pm on Lifetime (Astro Ch 709), three Malaysian home cooks will take centre stage in the inaugural Asian edition of MasterChef, the world’s most successful cooking competition. Being a fan of MasterChef US, I was excited to be at the press conference to meet the judges and witness the introduction of the three finalists who are representing Malaysia. The judges for MasterChef Asia are Susur Lee, Bruno Menard and Audra Morrice. A quick introduction of the judge’s credentials truly impressed me.
Susur Lee – Voted one of the “Ten Chefs of the Millennium” in 2000 by Food & Wine magazine. He has also participated in Top Chef Masters, where he vanquished 20 competing chefs in a kitchen showdown.
Bruno Menard – Ex- Head Chef for The French restaurant L’Osier in Osaka, Tokyo rated by Michelin Guide and has received three stars—the top rating—every year (since 2007). Now, he runs a top-tier culinary consulting firm in Singapore.
Audra Morrice – Best known as the finalist in MasterChef Australia 2012 and also host a televised cooking show, Tasty Conversations on GEM in Australia and FYI across Asia.
Next, we were introduced to our Malaysia’s finalist – Jasbir Kaur, Marcus Low and Sophia Zulkifli. Jasbir the most senior contestant in the competition at 54 years-old and is a homemaker and mother of three. She hopes to impart the Punjabi culinary to the younger generation. Marcus, a 24 year-old banker, finds inspiration from established chefs and prides himself on his unique ingredient pairings. Sophia, a 30 year-old homemaker and mother of a 2-year-old girl was inspired to joined MasterChef Asia for her passion in food.
During the event, a live mystery box challenge was held and the three finalist are put to the ultimate test to complete their dish within 30 minutes. It was truly a tense moment as the finalists try to complete it under the flashing lightbulbs and inquisitions of the judges. As the time draws nearer to the end, we can barely sustain our excitement to see who will be crown the winner. After judges tasted the food, Marcus was crowned the winner of this challenge for his creativity.
The first winner of MasterChef Asia stands to receive their very own cookbook, a USD$50,000 cash prize, USD$10,000 worth of unique leisure experiences in Singapore, USD$15,000 of Panasonic home appliances, a paid internship at one of Carlton Hotel Singapore’s restaurants and a one-week stay at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort.
I can’t wait to catch the premier of MasterChef Asia Season One, in the mean time whet your appetites with some pictures from Each Episode (1-4):
MasterChef Asia Season One is presented by the Singapore Tourism Board and Knorr, in association with Panasonic, Changi Airport Group, Carlton Hotel Singapore and Air Asia. For more information, please visit the official website at msn.com/masterchefasia.