(SERENE PIANO PLAYS)
WOMAN: Main is served.
# When it feels this good I'll stay for a minute...
Thank you. # Hold on... #
Where does this want to come from, the inspiration?
WOMAN: Our father passed away at a very young age.
This was our dad's favourite.
WOMAN: And it's how we eat it on Father's Day.
Aw! Wow.
How am I gonna do a critique now?
(LAUGHTER)
# When it feels this good... #
VOICEOVER: Welcome back to Australia's greatest dinner party.
WOMAN: Hi! (RINGS DOORBELL)
(SCREAMING) MAN: Wow!
Oh, my word!
Oh, my gosh. WOMAN: Cheers.
Cheers! Cheers!
MANU: Bonsoir.
And at the head of the table,
Australia's favourite chefs and best mates.
It's love. (BOTH LAUGH)
Manu Feildel...
MANU: Bon appetit.
..and Colin Fassnidge...
This guy's got a heart like this.
Big-time.
But don't tell anybody. (LAUGHTER)
..will be served up the best home-cooked meals ever.
I can't fault this.
It was perfect.
So the score I'm giving you is a ten.
A ten.
Is a ten. A ten.
(LAUGHS) WOMEN: Wow!
Every dish tells a story.
I've dreamt being here with my lovely cheeky son
since the show started.
MAN: I hope that we can pull it off for her.
Are you OK, Pearls? PEARLS: I'm proud.
She just made it into perfection.
You brought me to my childhood.
That was absolutely delicious.
That's why I love food...
(CRIES)
..'cause it's everything good about my childhood.
That really hit me in the feels.
And every dinner...
I seriously hope to god you don't kill me right now.
..brings the heat.
You would not have served that to your family.
I was shooketh!
There you go. Happy now?
Oh, listen to this guy.
Take your shot, baby. I've got body armour.
Are you in the kitchen cooking the food? No. Shut up then.
Argh, this is terrifying!
Why would you take a risk?
(IMITATES GUNSHOT AND SPLATTER)
Then, the fight continues here in Kitchen HQ.
Wow! Oh, my god!
..where they will serve up their dishes
to the queen of home-cooking, Nigella Lawson.
I look at Mum. She's already crying.
We're about to cook for Nigella Lawson!
I'm so excited.
Are we ready? CONTESTANTS: Yes!
But only one team will win $100,000
and be crowned MKR champions.
COLIN: These are not what we were after.
WOMAN: Is there a second layer going on?
WOMAN: Go, Tommy, go!
You are the My Kitchen Rules champions!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
(UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYS)
VOICEOVER: The fight to claim the title of MKR champions
kicks off in Perth, Western Australia.
First to step up to the bench tonight are Tommy and Rach.
RACH: Tommy, it's game day.
TOMMY: I know. Couldn't be more excited.
Yay! Yeah. It's gonna be awesome.
I know! Tommy boy!
I know! (LAUGHS) I'm excited.
I feel a bit nervous but I'm ready to go.
Hopefully we're team number one at the end.
# Oh, girl, I like you I do... #
I'm Tommy. And I'm Rach.
And we're representing Western Australia.
What's our relationship status?
A little bit complicated. Complicated.
Yeah. No... (LAUGHS)
We're best friends and housemates.
Our relationship is almost as if we're dating...
Yeah. ..but we don't have sex.
No.
When we team up and we jump in the kitchen...
Do you want to try? (LAUGHS) ..we get up to no good.
(BOTH LAUGH) But no, that's not fair.
I should feed you. (LAUGHS)
We get along like a house on fire.
And sometimes we may have set the house on fire.
Yes.
(SMOKE ALARM BEEPS) # Oh! #
A few times. Quite literally. (LAUGHS)
Please don't let our landlord know that we just set fire to the oven.
Tom and I both pursue creative careers.
And that's exactly what we want to translate onto our table.
Hey! Hey, guys.
WOMAN: Thank you.
We're here to give it a red-hot crack.
Mwah!
Expect to see us in the finals.
(LAUGHS)
Overconfident? (LAUGHS) No, I loved it.
# Undercover, undercover... #
Whoo-hoo!
We've actually got to do the thing that we came here to do...
I know. ..which is cook.
Let's go.
And then we're meeting Manu and Colin for the first time
and we get the privilege of cooking for them.
It's huge.
There's a lot of weight riding on this dinner party tonight.
VOICEOVER: Tommy and Rach have five hours
to set up their restaurant, shop for ingredients
and begin to prep their menu before the guest teams arrive.
RACH: We're so grateful that we're team number one.
There are no expectations. We can be ourselves.
We can set the benchmark.
Seriously, they're gonna be feeling joyful,
they're gonna be loving the food... Yeah.
..and they're gonna get to the end of the night and think...
BOTH: "Wow."
"We're gonna have to top that." (LAUGHS)
Prize is three tens in a row. Yes. That would be nice.
If you're feeling a bit anxious, you breathe in through your nose,
sniff... (BOTH SNIFF)
Breathe out. (LAUGHS)
Mwah. Love ya.
You too.
I don't think I could do this with anyone else.
Yeah. (LAUGHS)
I actually don't know if I could either.
Cooking for 12 people,
not to mention when two of them are world-famous celebrity judges.
And chefs. And chefs.
VOICEOVER: For judge Manu Feildel,
this season of MKR marks the beginning of a very special era.
MANU: I love travelling around the country.
I just really want people to cook good food.
But you know what I'm excited about this year,
is I've got a great cohost,
Colin Fassnidge, a good friend of mine, a great chef
and the two of us around the country, it's gonna be a lot of fun.
RACH: We're off to get scallops.
How excited am I to be sitting beside Manu?
Actually, he's sitting beside me.
Back on the road, back with my old friend, this time top of the table.
I'm looking forward to it.
We're invited into people's houses.
These are home cooks.
We're getting home-cooked food
and you want a lot of love in there and a lot of flavour.
Oh, hello. (GASPS)
Oh, my gosh, Tommy, they are so beautiful.
For the entree, we are serving Rottnest scallops with white puree
and a tarragon and miso butter.
Look at them. I know.
They're amazing, aren't they?
COLIN: Rottnest scallops are a delicacy
but you can't get them all the year round,
so you want to show so much respect to this shellfish.
Thank you so much. We're so excited.
If you cook them too long,
you're basically eating a little squash ball.
If you don't cook them enough, they're cold in the middle.
TOMMY: Look at them.
Oh, they've got the roe on and everything.
Wow.
Can I shuck them for you if you like?
That would be awesome.
So it's important that we're getting them all ready to go
because we have such a limited amount of time.
They're beautiful. Oh, they're amazing.
It's a big day for shopping. We need to get in.
We need to get it out.
Rod. Rod.
Hey. How are you, guys?
Hey, mate. (LAUGHS)
BOTH: We'd love some duck. Great.
Alright. Thanks very much.
RACH: For our main, we are doing a crispy duck leg
with a blackberry and port jus and a crispy potato gratin.
(GASPS) Oh, look at that.
Oh, my god. They look amazing! They do look amazing.
This is a main course that you could see in a little French bistro,
you know, and I love a piece of duck.
It needs to be crispy skin, not dry but also falling off the bone
and that's gonna be the bigger risk tonight.
TOMMY: This is so exciting. OK. Fruit and veg first.
We need William Bartlett pears.
For our dessert.
For dessert tonight, we are serving chocolate coated pear ice cream
with a cookie crumb.
We need to get some cream.
COLIN: Ice cream, pear, chocolate - could be a winner.
But they need to get the ice cream on as early as possible.
It's gotta be smooth, no ice crystals and full of flavour.
Alright, hustle, baby, hustle. We don't have much time.
It's really important to us that tonight is a success.
Off we go to home.
Our dishes aren't simple.
We're not just chucking vegies in the oven.
Not just whipping up a cheese platter.
We are talking technique.
High risk, high reward. High risk, high reward.
# Because I just want to move # Yeah, yeah
# And you can come too # Yeah, yeah... #
The ideal food dream that we share, we'd love to do a cookbook together.
For me to be able to incorporate my photography.
We both love travel so much.
And come up with one shit-hot cookbook
that encapsulates everything... I know.
..the world and its food has to offer.
That would be amazing.
We're home!
VOICEOVER: Tommy and Rach now have just over three hours to prepare
before the doorbell rings and ten strangers arrive.
RACH: We had to move quick
because we had people coming over for dinner.
Let's go set up our instant restaurant.
Yes. Come on. Alright.
The name of our instant restaurant is...
The Saucy Spoon.
Raowrr! Raowrr!
Wow. Look how colourful this is gonna be.
Our theme represents the two of us.
It's artistic.
I reckon we start with an abstract pear.
It's light-hearted, bold.
This is coming together nicely.
We're like a saucy spoon.
Let me see it.
Look at this.
It is! The Saucy Spoon! Look at it!
This looks like a dinner party that I want to be at.
Come on, we need to get into the kitchen. (LAUGHS)
(GASPS) We've gotta get cooking.
Who's who? (LAUGHS) Look at this!
MKR. How good's that! I love it.
BOTH: It's time to cook.
I'm gonna peel all these pears for us.
Thank you.
For dessert tonight, we are serving
chocolate coated pear ice cream with a cookie crumb.
Our plan of attack, to get all of the dessert elements prepped
and we need to get that ice cream into the freezer
before the guests arrive.
So, how many pears are we trying to get to?
1.2 kilos. Yeah.
Pear after pear after pear after pear.
Wow.
Pears coming out our ears. (LAUGHS)
Pears have gone in for the puree.
And that's gonna hopefully reduce down into a beautiful reduction
that we can blend into the ice cream.
Pear ice cream just has to be beautiful.
Creamy, caramelised pears.
Pear is a delicate flavour.
But that beautiful caramelisation is what gives it the edge.
It must be perfect.
We're gonna temper some chocolate.
Another key part of our ice cream dessert is tempering the chocolate.
That white chocolate moulds... needs to be so beautiful and thin
and fine and gorgeous.
Tempering chocolate is a technique
used to get a silky, shiny surface and a beautiful crackability.
We've got to get to 20... 28.
Tempering chocolate is quite tricky.
Here it goes. What are your thoughts?
28. Amazing. Tip it in there.
We've got it to the exact temperature that we need
and now I pass it over to Tommy to do the moulds.
This chocolate needs to be thick enough that the shell doesn't break
when we take it out of the freezer. Yep.
But we need to make sure that it's thin enough
so that when the guests tap into it with their spoon,
they can get through it.
Yeah, they go straight into the freezer.
I can't believe strangers are gonna be coming into our house
in, like, 30 minutes.
We're cooking tonight.
I mean, it's out of this world.
I couldn't imagine doing this anywhere else with anyone else, so...
Thank you, Rach.
I just want to get this puree.
(BLEEP). (GASPS) Oh, no.
Oh, (BLEEP). What?
This is burning.
The pears were burnt.
No. Oh, my god.
This could be our dessert completely falling on its face.
A key part of our dessert was that we had pears in the ice cream.
It's pear ice cream.
We cannot serve any burnt pears to the judges
and we don't have any pears left.
Any spare pears.
I'm just gonna taste it.
I was so nervous.
It's too burnt, so I'm just gonna scoop out any parts that have black.
Some of these bigger bits, I might just cut.
Hopefully it doesn't hurt us too bad.
All we can do is just move forward and move onto the next.
There was no going back. We didn't have enough pears.
OK. That's good.
Putting the ice cream into the ice cream maker here.
We're still on our goal.
Let's go get changed. Let's go get changed!
Awesome. Let's do it. Whew!
Time to shine. Whoo! Time to shine.
# I've gotta get this burden off of my shoulder, show me how... #
Alright.
So we've got three minutes to go until the guests get here.
Ice cream. Ice cream.
The chocolate is looking good, Tom. The ice cream's looking amazing.
We hope the ice cream in the chocolate moulds
pops beautifully out of the mould.
I don't want to overfill any of the moulds.
The guests are gonna be here any second. Oh, my god.
# When we get, when we get, get, get together
# Oh, you make me lose my mind... #
Yeah, well, you look good, so... You look good.
We need to make a great first impression.
Everyone is just gonna have their jaws drop.
# Each time I close my eyes I see your skin... #
Double trouble's about to hit town. Let's see what they've got.
Oooh, yes, yes.
Here we go, brother. We're here.
Food is the ultimate artform. We know what we've got to bring.
Who is our competition?
Are you excited? I'm excited.
What about your mouth? Well, that's why you're here.
You're here to stop me from saying things.
WOMAN: I don't mince my words.
If it's in here, it's coming out of here.
ANTHONY: You either love her or hate her.
Most people hate me. (LAUGHS)
Alright, Mum. It's happening.
I'm so excited.
Evening, all. You guys look so cute.
Hi. Lovely to meet you.
(LAUGHS)
# When we get, get, get together. #
Shall we go, guys?
MAN: Let's do it.
ANTHONY: Let's go.
(DOORBELL RINGS) (GASPS)
Was that me or the doorbell?
(LAUGHS) That's the guests. (SCREAMS)
We are so ready.
ALL: Hi!
Come in. Hello.
I'm Coco. Mwah! Coco, welcome!
Like, oh, my god, these guys really are just the cutest couple.
Come in. Make yourself at home.
Hi, mate.
CHRISTIAN: Such welcoming people.
It was like being invited into a friend's house.
I love your dress. Thank you.
Hey, mate. Mwah!
She's beautiful.
Welcome. Marcus.
Nice of you to wait. Marcus, I'm Rachel.
They're such a gorgeous couple. Eh?
Wow! That's a lovely bun.
# So many things go round and round inside my head... #
That's pretty!
Look out pretty this is!
MAN: Oh, wow. WOMAN: This is amazing!
WOMAN: It's wonderful!
Tommy and Rach's instant restaurant was very beautiful.
It felt like a little garden oasis that we were walking through.
100%. It was green and... It was inviting.
MAN: The Saucy Spoon. WOMAN: Cool!
I thought it was
inner-city bougie vibe.
We're not that kind of person.
Welcome to The Saucy Spoon.
WOMAN: Ooh, I love that.
(LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE) WOMAN: The Saucy Spoon.
We're a bit saucy, we're a bit spicy, we're a bit sexy.
And in the kitchen, we like to keep it that way.
We hope to share that with you as you dine with us
and we hope that the joy and happiness from the food tonight
reaches you and lands in your heart
and that you have a night that you'll never forget.
Aw!
You're gonna make me emotional. That was so cute!
Thank you.
See you soon. Thank you, guys.
Thanks so much. It looks amazing.
Thank you.
MAN: Well, well, well.
How cute are they! Like, they look so cute.
They seem like a lovely couple.
These two are definitely a couple.
Slightly disappointed that Rachel is spoken for
'cause, like, I would say she's definitely my type.
CLAUDEAN: So, here we are.
First thing that comes to my mind is stern-looking woman.
Scary.
Pretty scary-looking lady right there.
Are you scared of strong women?
Aren't you? No. I like strong women.
Oh, yeah. Yeah.
You just like women. (LAUGHS)
OK. I just did a double take. Yeah.
I mean, you guys... I'm not seeing things, right?
No. I'm not literally seeing double.
(LAUGHS) I hope you're not seeing things.
Hi, I'm Radha. And I'm Prabha.
BOTH: And we're identical twins from western Sydney.
PRABHA: We are telepathic at moments
where we can actually read each other's minds.
You know what it needs? BOTH: A bit more green.
Yeah.
RADHA: Being in sync is a superpower in this competition.
BOTH: Chilli. Yeah.
INTERVIEWER: A day of the week. BOTH: Wednesday.
A colour. BOTH: Yellow.
A fruit. BOTH: Lychee.
PRABHA: Lychee. Lychee.
BOTH: Yeah. (BOTH LAUGH)
Do you guys fight in the kitchen? BOTH: No.
No, they're not.
There we go. There's the twin. There's the twin.
Hello. Who are you?
(LAUGHTER) I'm your husband.
(LAUGHTER) I'm Anthony.
And I'm Claudean.
Are you guys New Zealand?
Italian. COCO: What?
That's me. Whoo-whoo-whoo!
So, where are you from? (INDISTINCT).
OK. (SPEAKS ITALIAN)!
(CHEERING) We're family! Famiglia!
I'm Greek and it's exactly the same.
Greeks think they invented everything but they didn't.
Italians did. WOMAN: Oh!
I'm Anthony and this is my wife Claudean.
My beautiful wife that I'm so in love with.
Oh. (BLEEP).
Just some doughnuts today? Yes.
CLAUDEAN: I'm Italian.
We are polar opposites in personality.
Don't burn those doughnuts.
Crazy and calm. Calm.
Don't burn the doughnuts, Anthony!
I'm not, man. Chill.
I am very direct. I just say it like it is.
I'm so fiery and crazy... Yeah.
..and loudmouth... Yeah.
She had an attitude.
Yeah.
Just weird vibes from her, to be honest.
She knows she's got a sexy husband right next to her.
Have you heard before that you look like George Clooney?
Claim it. Own it. (LAUGHS)
CLAUDEAN: Stop flirting with him.
The Barbie twins, they really got up my schnoz.
What was your name, sorry? Pearls.
Yes.
Yes. As in pearls.
Pearls stuck her tongue out and she had a big pearl on her tongue.
Whatever.
Don't forget you had one. Yeah.
(LAUGHS) Back in the day.
That's it. That's it. Only part of my body.
Like, just right there.
I'm Coco. And I'm Pearls.
And we're from New South Wales.
We're both single. Single.
# Yeah, 'cause girls is players too Play it, baby... #
We are strong, proud alpha females.
We know what we want and we know how to get it.
I will definitely use my looks to my advantage.
If you have, like, a cute guy in another team,
I mean, you know... it's worth a few points.
(LAUGHS)
Voila.
We're both pretty headstrong and feisty,
so we do tend to fight a little bit.
Stop moving my flower! You keep moving my flower!
She will push me over the edge in the kitchen, I know that.
(SIGHS)
But, yeah, it won't stop us from winning.
No.
My actual real name is Chelsea.
Wait, that's not your real names? (BLEEP) no!
(LAUGHTER)
No, they're your stripper names. Oh!
(COUGHS)
CLAUDEAN: Coco and Pearl... do sound like stripper names.
Yeah, but you can't say that at the dinner table.
Well, why not? Your mouth.
Do we have, like, little names under us,
like Coco, Pearls, stripper names.
You either like me or you hate me.
Most people hate me.
COCO: She is just, like, out for it.
She just wants to start somethin'
and I'm, like, "You're someone to look out for."
I always say how I feel. I'm not a fence-sitter.
ANTHONY: Front stabber, heart. Yeah, not a backstabber.
RACH: I am gonna do the duck!
The duck needs to get on because it needs...
TOMMY: One and a half to two hours to cook, yeah, Rach?
It was really important that the duck for our main
got into the oven with enough time for it to slow-roast...
Mm-hm.
..on a low temperature but still get that crispy skin.
Oh! (GASPS)
Tom, what happens when Manu and Colin arrive?
(LAUGHS) Tom, I'm not prepared.
Do I shake hands with Manu or do I give him a kiss?
Does he do a French kiss? Does he do a double kiss?
I think it's gonna be a double kiss. (SCREAMS)
# I got one, two, 99 problems and a cig in my hand, it ain't one... #
(DANCE POP PLAYS)
Alright. Are we ready? Number one.
Let's go. Let's do it.
(DOORBELL RINGS) (GASPS) Oh, my god.
The judges! Manu!
Colin! Colin!
Hello. Good evening.
How you going? Hello! Welcome!
Come on in. Hi, Tommy. How are you, buddy?
Tommy. Lovely to meet you. Very nice to meet you.
Hello. Nice to meet you.
They're very... Very slick.
You look gorgeous!
Quite the fashionistas. Mmm.
I can't believe it's them.
(LOW-LEVEL CONVERSATION)
Good evening!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
There you go. I like it.
Rogue Irish charm.
It just got real.
(LAUGHTER) How hot is Colin!
NICK: Even Claudean...
Mate, you've gone from these strong powerhouse women to just...
(GIGGLES COQUETTISHLY)
Don't get me wrong, I'm sitting there at the end...
I'm fanboying.
(APPLAUSE)
RACH: Judges, welcome to The Saucy Spoon for our first...
TOMMY: Ever. ..yep...
Instant restaurant.
(LAUGHTER)
MANU: Tommy and Rach, thank you very much for having us tonight.
And look, all those beautiful faces!
Hey?
So, welcome to My Kitchen Rules.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
And welcome to my trouble-finding best friend
and amazing cook Colin Fassnidge.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
So excited to have him finally next to me at the end of the table.
We have worked together for nine years.
Yeah, but you've been an apprentice for nine years.
Yeah, I've been learning. (LAUGHTER)
We've had a lot of benchwarmers in previous years.
Now the other daddy's here, yeah?
(LAUGHTER) So, can we call you Daddy?
Whoa, whoa, whoa. (LAUGHTER)
Anyways... (LAUGHS)
Coco is defs flirting her way up the leader board.
So, guys, this instant restaurant round, it will be tough.
At the end of this round,
the team that finishes top will go straight to the semifinal.
The team at the bottom of the ladder, elimination awaits.
You are playing for the title of My Kitchen Rules champions
and $100,000.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) OK?
And we don't give away that money,
so you're gonna have to work really hard.
I am more than happy to be friends with everyone at that table
but we're here for a reason.
Yeah. And that's to win.
So, Tommy and Rach, what are we gonna have tonight?
TOMMY: Wow.
RACH: Would you like to open up your menus?
MANU: Oh, here?
So good. I know. It's groovy.
For entree, we are serving Rottnest scallops
with white puree and a miso and tarragon butter.
Yum!
CHRISTIAN: That entree, Rottnest scallops...
NICK: Yeah.
..I'm sitting there going, "Yes, please."
Yeah.
And for our main course, we're gonna serve a crispy duck
with a blackberry and port jus and potato gratin.
MAN: Awesome.
When it said crispy skin I was, like, "OK, you've written it.
"It has to be crispy skin."
And last but not least, for dessert, we have a beautiful pear ice cream
with white chocolate and a cookie crumb.
CHRISTIAN: That is such a great combination of flavours.
You're talking about
a beautiful three-course bistro-style meal here...
Mmm. ..and I am all for that.
Yeah. MANU: Good luck.
Thank you very much. WOMAN: Thank you.
Bye.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) Bye.
It sounds fancy.
I feel like the menu is fancy-schmancy.
Yeah, that looks to me too.
I don't cook fancy stuff.
Rach, how exciting was that!
(SQUEALS)
We just met Manu and Colin. I know.
Manu and Colin are in our house.
It was quite a surreal and crazy feeling.
We are gonna serve up the best scallops
that this competition has ever seen.
Yes. BOTH: Let's do it.
It's entree time.
Looking good, Rach.
The cauliflower with the white bean puree is done.
We got that miso butter together.
We've got a good balance of flavours.
Scallops don't take that long to cook.
We are on track.
We're ready to go.
Alright. I'm getting the scallops out.
Rotto scallops are some of the most sought-after jewels of the sea
in the whole entire world.
The Rottnest scallop really is
a special, precious thing to work with.
We really want to do the scallop justice,
not just for us and our guests but for WA.
(GASPS)
My heart sank.
Shit.
VOICEOVER: In Western Australia,
Tommy and Rach are ready to cook their scallops for entree.
But there's an unwelcome seafood surprise.
RACH: (GASPS) Oh, no.
Oh, no!
TOMMY: (GASPS) Shit.
That was not... That's a bit of a game-changer.
That's not how that was supposed to be.
Our scallops had not been prepared.
They were still in the roe and still had the skirt on them.
We haven't cooked scallops with roe on before in our life.
We were so rushed during our shop, we did not have time to check the bag.
The roe has to come off. Alright.
I've never done this process before.
I'm actually really nervous now. That's OK. We've got this.
It's OK. Dammit.
They're such a niche... Mmm.
..special ingredient.
Removing the roe of the scallop could actually tear the scallop apart.
Oh, just be so gentle, Tommy, 'cause they're so fragile.
The last thing we want to do
is butcher the scallop.
Tearing into the egg sac of a scallop.
We'll get faster as we go.
It is a shame. It's such a shame.
People eat the roe
but part of our dish
is that the scallops are beautifully clear and white.
I feel like I could cry.
(BOTH LAUGH) Don't do that.
I know, it's OK.
I can't wait to taste it.
Love the scallops. Just can't wait.
Like, I think they are our competitors, for sure.
I do go out a lot to very nice fine-dining restaurants
and they definitely showcase something I would expect
from fine-dining restaurant.
I think it looks very posh and upper class.
I like the sound of the scallops.
I love scallops.
So, what's the way to cook good scallops?
Is there a technique or...?
I don't know anything about technique.
Oh. OK.
I just cook from my heart and I cook from love
beautiful home-cooked food that doesn't cost a fortune.
Yeah.
Sounds very fancy and a little bit schmancy.
CHRISTIAN: It excites me.
One thing that screams out for me on this menu straight away
is the French inspiration on everything on it.
Oooh. Oh.
I did spend a long time working in French restaurants.
I'm Nick. I'm Christian.
BOTH: And we're hospitality housemates from Melbourne.
Cheers. Cheers.
Are you gearing up for a busy one? Yeah, got a few booked in.
Currently, I'm a venue manager at a pub on Chapel Street.
And I am a restaurant supervisor.
I definitely think we have a huge advantage.
We've work in hospitality for most of our adult lives.
We know how to work in high-pressure moments.
CHRISTIAN: I've been privileged to work for some of the best chefs
and the best restaurants in Melbourne.
(RINGS BELL)
I think part of what I do for a living is talking about food.
I mean, it's my love language.
We know what we're talking about and we know how to deliver it.
We're in it to win it. We have to.
Scallops are a tricky thing.
You get that beautiful sweet flesh from the scallop itself
and then you get everything else that sort of just underlies with it
and dances and plays with that sweetness, with that...
Oh!
Oh, my god, listen to this guy dribble on.
And then that sweetness from the tarragon...
Yeah.
..playing along with the sweetness from the scallop.
It's my worst fear, an encyclopaedia of technical terms
when it comes to cooking.
The balance of those flavours is what gives it that depth and...
Oh, listen to this guy.
..to what they're doing...
You use really fancy words like... Yeah.
..'elevating' and...
Just say it tastes nice.
Oh! (ANTHONY LAUGHS)
Everything has to complement each other on a plate.
You're telling a story through that food.
COCO: Claudean, she's outspoken.
Anyone can have an opinion, with a degree of respect.
Anyways... MARCUS: So, the weather, huh?
Seven, eight, nine. We've done ten.
We're almost a third of the way.
We had to clean up 36 scallops. That is a lot.
The integrity of our dish was on the line.
Keep going. Mm-hm.
We're getting faster every time we do this.
You're doing amazing, darling.
RABHA: Do you make your own pasta?
I do you make everything 'e occhio', so 'by eye'.
My nonna baked sponges that were that high with no...
They had no baking powder, nothing, with a wood oven, no recipe.
She would just look at it and think, "Oh, it might need a bit more flour,
"it might need a bit more sugar" and do it.
MARCUS: Mum taught me everything about cooking.
Mum is the superpower of our family.
I'm Sonia
and this is my frustratingly annoying son Marcus.
Favourite child, of course.
And we are from Adelaide.
I love my mum more than anything on this planet
but she's also the first person that I'm gonna have an argument with.
Something smells burnt.
Marcus, the pan.
The thing is that they're not toasting up properly, Mum.
We cook so differently. Mum is clean, I make a mess.
You're a bit of a cowboy when it comes to the kitchen.
I will happily admit that, yes, I am, of course, in a way
a little bit a mother's boy.
I follow in her footsteps in the way that I share food
and show love is through food.
Done. Good one, Mum. Good. Done.
Got it done.
Like, watching MKR was our quality time together when I was younger
and now we're here as a team, it's, like, "What is going on?"
I love you sometimes. I really do. (LAUGHTER)
That's actually all of them. (GASPS)
Oh, my god. Can you believe we did this?
Thank god they don't take long to cook.
I felt finally back in control and ready to cook them up.
I'm gonna start with the bigger ones
because they will take the longest time to cook.
What's tricky about cooking these Rottnest scallops
is that the sizes vary because they're wild-caught.
I'm just gonna move them to hotter parts of the pan so they sear.
We really want every single jewel to be beautifully caramelised
but still translucent on the inside.
Alright, babe. Mm-hm.
Let's have a look.
Good work.
Wow. Look at the colour.
And look at that translucency.
Everyone knows not to overcook a scallop.
Mmm.
We are not gonna to be the team that does that.
Pressure's on. Pressure's on in the kitchen.
I'm gonna start plating up.
Beautiful scallop shells around pink rock salt.
Upon that was a bed of cauliflower and white bean puree.
And the scallops sit perfectly stacked, one, two, three.
They're so beautiful.
A little bit of miso butter.
I get nervous doing this. (LAUGHS)
Hopefully, the miso tarragon butter wasn't too overpowering.
Puree's perfect on here, so the oil rings around it.
It was topped with chives.
They are looking good.
They're looking good, babe. I think we might be on here, Rach.
This will be the most rewarding dish once it's out, Rach.
We want everyone to enjoy it. They've been waiting a long time.
Let's go do it. Alright.
Perfect. Let's go. I'm so excited.
Whoo! I hope they love it.
Me too.
BOTH: Your entree is served.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
This was the first time that we were walking into the dining room
and I felt overwhelming pride.
I hope the judges will see the care and consideration
that we've put into this dish.
There you go.
No worries. All good.
Oh, they definitely set the bar really high, like, the presentation,
so I do feel a bit intimidated.
Thank you.
(TENSE MUSIC)
I could feel my legs just giving in.
Scallops have been served in MKR many times before.
The scallop cannot be overcooked. That is the worst-case scenario.
The pressure is on.
VOICEOVER: At Tommy and Rach's instant restaurant,
they've just served the first dish of the competition -
Rottnest scallops with white puree and miso and tarragon butter.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC)
(TENSE MUSIC)
(WHISPERS) Wow, this is so nerve-racking.
RACH: The scallop cannot be overcooked.
That is the worst-case scenario.
COLIN: Tommy and Rach, we'll call you back for our critiques.
TOMMY: Thank you.
MANU: Bon appetit.
PEARLS: I love the presentation.
It's seasoned beautifully.
It's delicious.
CHRISTIAN: The way that the sweetness from that scallop
played with the puree, beautiful dish!
Raw? Mmm...
Yeah. No...
Sonia, darling, what did you think of this scallop entree?
I don't think I can speak now. You just called me 'darling'.
(LAUGHTER) Mum.
(LAUGHTER)
I really enjoyed it.
I think the scallops... Mmm.
..were cooked very, very well in that they were at that point
where they went from translucent to just opaque.
Mmm. And I really enjoyed the puree.
Christian.
CHRISTIAN: I think consistency on the sear
could've been a little bit more throughout.
My middle scallop didn't really have much colour on top.
Getting a better consistent crust over that scallop,
going in at a much higher heat in that pan.
But that being said, the actual cook of the scallop was perfect.
The miso and tarragon butter, subtle. The flavours were there.
Could they have been more forward? Yes.
Oh, my god.
What is this guy on about?
The scallop was truly the thing that shone out on that plate.
Hmm...
It was OK.
The scallops could've been seared longer
and I think the white sauce, it was too...all mushy.
Everything was mushy.
If I was served this at an actual restaurant, I'd send it back
and tell them to make the scallop
crispier on the outside.
Yeah, if she doesn't like something, it always gets sent back.
So, disappointed? Disappointed.
TOMMY: Let's go.
We're about to get our first critique of the competition.
RACH: My heart was thumping. I was so nervous.
Tommy and Rach, for entree, you served Rottnest scallops
with white puree, tarragon and miso butter.
So, Rottnest is a little island not far from here...
That's right.
..and there's only one little bed of those scallops...
That's right. There's not many of them.
So we're very lucky to have those beautiful scallops tonight,
so thank you very much.
For me, the scallops itself...
I couldn't really fault it.
It was a little bit under, right?
But the beauty of scallops is you can eat them raw,
so if you had have went the other way and overcooked it,
it would've been a disaster.
And the miso butter...
Like, if I closed my eyes, it wasn't there.
Yeah.
You were too shy with that. (LAUGHS)
But I enjoyed the dish and it's first cab off the rank,
so well done.
Thank you. (LAUGHS)
Yeah, I think for home cooks, what you've delivered tonight,
you should be very proud of yourselves.
At the end of the day, if it's delicious, it's delicious
and your entree was delicious.
Thank you, Manu. (LAUGHS) Thank you so much.
No worries.
WOMAN: Good job, guys. Thank you very much.
WOMAN: Well done. Thank you, guys.
TOMMY: That was actually so positive! (LAUGHS)
The feedback that they just gave us was amazing.
It was really motivating, wasn't it?
Yes!
So that made us feel confident
going into our main course.
OK. So... Alright.
Potatoes? Yep.
RACH: For our main, we are doing a crispy duck leg
with a blackberry port jus and a crispy potato gratin.
Everyone loves a potato 'grattan'! Potato gratin.
The potato... Only bogans say 'grattan'.
Oh... Potato gratin.
It's super important that this is crispy...
And delicious. ..great-tasting and delicious.
You're working so hard and I'm just in awe of you.
Thank you.
We're in a good position.
The main thing was that that duck had to have crispy skin
but it couldn't be dry.
Tom, I'm gonna check on the duck.
Our duck had been in for about one and a half, coming onto two hours.
Wow. That's looking so crispy, Rach.
I don't want to serve dried duck to the judges.
Yep.
So, what I'm gonna do is we're just gonna pull it out.
Yep.
That's just gonna stall the cooking process.
Mm-hm.
And then when we're about to serve... Yep.
..it can come back in.
We've gotta make sure that it's perfect duck for Manu and Colin.
(LAUGHTER)
COCO: OK, guys, I'm single.
And what about you guys at the table?
CHRISTIAN: It's a fair enough question.
We're all getting to know each other.
Who knows what this relationship dynamic could be?
Very true. It's confused people before.
It has. Your mum used to introduce me as your boyfriend.
MARCUS: I have had a girlfriend for a year and a half now.
Damn.
CONTESTANTS: Oh! (LAUGHS)
PEARLS: He's only 22. So?
OK. Let's carry on, then.
And you guys? Obviously... What do you mean 'obviously'?
You're not gonna just skip past us like that.
No. Sorry. Tell me... We're happily married.
OK. Tell me. Are you happily married, darling?
Yeah, of course. (LAUGHTER)
NICK: Like he was gonna say anything else with that look.
I do not believe that Claudean only wears the pants in the kitchen.
NICK: I'm single. Nicky Nick.
Little Nicky.
Nicky baby.
CHRISTIAN: I'm 34 years old with two cats,
so they're my two little princesses and I would kill someone for them.
So you're in a relationship? Yeah.
CLAUDEAN: He's in a relationship with two pussies.
(LAUGHTER)
There's a lot of banter on this table with them.
There was a lot of tennis at the table.
Oh, yes, my head... Oh, gosh.
RACH: Shallots are cooking down.
Once they cook down, then the cabbage can go in.
TOMMY: Mm-hm.
We're cooking away. The duck was on the bench.
We're trying to prep our cabbage for our main dish.
And then...
COLIN: How are we, guys?
Hello. Hey!
How are you? Lots going on?
Always. Yeah. The kitchen's very busy.
Where's your potatoes?
They're in the oven. The potatoes are in the oven.
What's this? This is our duck? Yes.
Our duck. Got our duck over here.
Are you happy with this? Cooked very early, uh?
Are you happy with that? I... I... Yeah.
Right. Here's... Here's a little thing that perturbs me, right?
You've got crispy skin - tick. Yep.
But then, while this is sitting out here, it's starting to dry, right?
Before Colin arrived, we discussed the risks
of pulling the duck out of the oven
'cause it was perfectly cooked and crispy
but now we realise, by leaving it out on the bench,
we're drying out the meat.
So, what would help that not dry?
Put oil on it.
Maybe some butter. Melted butter.
Paper towel.
Oh, my god.
There must be a solution.
Failure is not an option. We have to get it right.
VOICEOVER: At Tommy and Rach's,
it's crispy duck leg with blackberry and port jus and potato gratin
for main.
But right now, all they're thinking about is the duck being dry.
So, what would help that not dry?
RACH: Maybe some butter. Melted butter.
Paper towel.
None of these things felt right.
And then we thought...
So, if we... We could... Maybe a stock or something.
Yeah.
It's your choice, whatever you do,
but this is just sitting in the air and it's drying.
Got you.
Cheers. Can't wait. Bye.
Colin has just left the kitchen
and Tommy and I are deliberating about what we're going to do.
What about we use the fat from the duck,
make up a little bit of a stock?
Potentially. Mmm.
We figured, well, why don't we whip up a quick stock
and if we put it back in the oven just for five minutes
just to warm it up,
there would be enough moisture in the bottom of the pan
to stop it from being dry.
Alright.
Let's just make sure that it does not touch that skin.
I just hope it pays off.
There's no way we can not put this duck on this plate.
It's the... It's the main player.
How are these gratins looking, Rach?
I think they're done, babe.
Beautiful. Wowzah!
Look at those.
We need to put the duck back in the oven.
Just make sure the temperature's not too hot.
We held our breaths and we hoped that the skin stayed crispy
and that the stock would stop the duck from drying out.
Alright. Alright.
In there for five minutes. Five minutes.
COLIN: Marcus, who's the boss in the kitchen?
(LAUGHTER)
What was that, sorry?
She's stronger and tougher than she looks.
Hey, Mum's the boss. Yeah.
Always. Always. Always.
Always. That's right. Yep.
SONIA: In the kitchen, I'm the boss.
Anywhere else in the house, it doesn't matter.
But in the kitchen, I'm the boss. Fair enough.
I like that.
Stop biting your lip.
(LAUGHTER)
So, tell us what you hope to get with this duck.
I hope that it's nice and juicy on the inside.
I'm looking forward to the crunchy, crispy skin.
The duck sounds incredible.
Lots of different elements on the plate.
The potato gratin, well, as soon as I saw that, I'm good.
Can't wait to try that.
I want the crunch, the crisp to be there.
If the crisp isn't there for a crispy duck leg,
obviously it's gonna be disappointing
and I'm hoping that there's a decent sized portion of the potato gratin
because I'm really hungry.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
I have never eaten duck, so I'm really scared about that.
I don't eat a lot of meat, like chicken, duck, pork.
I think I've had a bite of a duck spring roll.
I'm gonna try it and I'm gonna see if I like it.
CHRISTIAN: You see crispy duck leg, you're wanting it to be
that really beautiful, deep, fatty flavours coming through on it.
I'm hoping confit.
Where do you get these words from?
Choux, jus, Magoo.
Whatever he said. Confit or whatever.
I'm, like, I don't understand those words and food together.
Mixing it with something like blackberries,
which have that really beautiful acidity level
that's gonna help cut through that, that is what's exciting me.
I hope you can cook like you talk.
OK.
Christian is technical with his words about food knowledge
and he knows his stuff.
Honestly, there's a lot of smack being said.
Claudean voiced it, highlighted it
and then put a massive spotlight on it
and then put some jazz fingers around it.
I know you can back it up, Christian.
You've got someone who believes in you.
Yeah.
RACH: This jus, that's smelling like something yum-yum.
I'm gonna start plating up, Rach. OK.
How is that duck going? I reckon it needs to come out.
OK. This cabbage is amazing.
I hope that stock made a difference and that it's not dry.
Hopefully it's worked for us.
Duck was propped up with the cabbage.
And that yummy cauliflower puree.
Get the gratin on the plate, babe. Yeah.
Wow. Look at that.
Blackberry and port jus packs a bold flavour.
We can't forget the micro herbs either.
Every flavour on that plate is key to carry us over the line.
Fingers crossed.
This one for Colin, this one for Manu.
OK. BOTH: Let's go.
Let's do it.
MANU: Thank you.
MARCUS: That looks amazing. Thank you.
CHRISTIAN: The consistency of the plating was...
Impressive. ..was really impressive.
CLAUDEAN: This is a meal
from a bougie little overpriced restaurant.
I'm nervous about trying it.
TOMMY: You put your heart on the line when you cook a meal with love.
We give our all, so we really want that to be received well.
RACH: We're praying that the duck is succulent on the inside.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC)
RACH: Oh, my god. Manu just took a huge gulp of water.
We've served dry duck.
VOICEOVER: In WA,
Tommy and Rach have just served the first main of the competition,
crispy duck leg with blackberry port jus and potato gratin.
RACH: Oh, my god.
Manu just took a huge gulp of water.
We've served dry duck.
MANU: Thank you, guys. We'll call you back soon.
TOMMY: Beautiful. COLIN: Thank you.
RACH: Thank you. MANU: Bon appetit.
(TENSE MUSIC)
Oh, my god. I have to eat duck.
So I could taste that real strong duck taste.
Do you feel like it's gooey or...? A bit dry.
They're tucking into it, they're sucking the bones,
they're loving it.
We're not duck people. Maybe we should start.
No, thanks.
CHRISTIAN: It's very well cooked.
This is an impressive dish. And these guys are first.
Yeah.
Don't want to get too emotional about it
but this brought me close to home.
This is how we do dish in Czech,
with the braised cabbage, with the crispy duck.
Like, look at my plate. I ate it all.
Oh, it's like my home! (LAUGHS)
So, yeah, I can't fault it. It was amazing.
CHRISTIAN: The cook on it was beautiful.
It still retained all that sort of beautiful fat and moisture
that you're wanting.
Even right down to the bone, still had that beautiful moisture.
Like... Yeah.
I mean, you look at something like a duck...like cassoulet.
You know, it would usually be confit.
Was it a busy plate? Yeah.
But I think had that blackberry come through
a little bit more from the jus,
that acidity would've helped sort of lift
through the richness of everything else.
But that being said, it still worked.
It was delicious.
My duck was OK.
What? "It's OK."
The flavour of the duck was really strong for me.
Right. So, very gamey.
Right.
I wouldn't ever eat it again. Really?
No. Right.
WOMAN: Wow.
SONIA: Just loved that.
I thought it was an excellent dish.
Sometimes that's all you need to know.
I loved it, I loved it. Do you know what I mean?
You don't need to go and be a Christian about it, do you?
Christian loves to swing his knowledge around.
I just can't stand the way he speaks so technical.
I'm trying to have a good dinner
and suddenly you've got the conversational black hole
that is Claudean just coming after me again!
What did I do to hurt you, love?
I'm just saying.
That's a bit rich.
Raowrr.
Excuse me.
Shh. You'll get us kicked out.
MARCUS: (LAUGHS) That's it.
(TENSE MUSIC)
RACH: Going into the dining room,
I was nervous that perhaps we've accidentally made a mistake.
I mean, there's always that risk.
So, duck leg.
Beautiful piece of meat.
Crispy skin. You promised everyone crispy skin.
Tick.
Moist - tick.
The duck, on first looking at it in the kitchen, was very dry.
I'm so glad the one I got tonight
was different to what was in there earlier on.
You brought it back, so crispy skin duck leg - tick.
I think this dish, when you placed it in front of me,
looked so inviting, appetising.
Like, off the bone.
(LAUGHS)
That cabbage was moreish, it was sweet.
The blackberry and the port jus was an explosion of flavour.
Potato gratin, melt in your mouth.
Beautiful caramelisation of the cream on the top.
A perfect little bistro dish in a little bistro restaurant.
Basically, this is MKR on a plate.
Congratulations. Delicious dinner.
RACH: Thank you. TOMMY: Thank you, Manu.
Thank you so much.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
Thank you.
(LAUGHS) Are you OK?
(CRIES)
What an honour and what an affirmation.
Everything about that was perfect. Come here.
Mwah.
Oh, I'm proud of us.
We have each other. We sure do.
Love you, mate. Sink or swim.
Oh...
We're on a high.
Let's make this a trifecta.
Time for our pear ice cream dessert.
This dish can't fall flat on its arse.
Excuse me. We are...
Let's get on with it.
We're on a roll. We are all in a row...
But we can't lose focus now.
(LOW-LEVEL CONVERSATION AND LAUGHTER)
NICK: I'm so excited to try everyone's food.
WOMAN: Yeah. Yes.
Like, yeah, this is exciting.
It's interesting. We just love watching cooks cook.
Same. Same, same. That's the best.
SONIA: It was so exciting just to meet everyone
and to sit around a table with them
and just talk food
and we had so much in common.
So I've taken a lot of inspiration from people on social media
and I just try their recipes. WOMAN: Same.
And I also make little TikTok videos.
I've just hit 100,000 followers, which is fun.
Yeah. Right.
The foodie TikTok.
He's got 100,000 followers on TikTok for his food.
I mean, this is some pretty stiff competition.
My following started when I started reviewing chicken parmies.
MEN: Parmas.
I'll go around... Parmas.
They're parm-IES. Parmas.
NICK: No, they're not.
Are we gonna have this conversation right now?
Where in Italy is it from? Parma.
It's parmigiana.
He started... I don't even want to use the word 'mansplaining'...
what a parmy should be. (LAUGHS)
Like, it's a parmy. I know we're gonna fight now.
It's not 'parmagiana'. CHRISTIAN: What's the place? Parma?
Parma?
MARCUS: Oh, dude.
SONIA: We're talking about pub food as well.
That's the worst thing about it.
CLAUDEAN: Now, Skippy the bush 'kangarootha'
is trying to tell you how to say 'parmigiano'.
Marcus is 2,000% right
and I will back that until the day I die
and Christian needs to stop dabbling
in business that he doesn't know about.
I get really offended when people talk about Italian things
when they know nothing of Italian things.
SONIA: Parmigiana originated...
But the whole thing of it comes from Parma ham.
Thank you.
(WOMEN CLINK GLASSES)
It's got nothing to do with a ham.
Just shut up. You like the sound of your own voice.
PEARLS: Oh, shit! You shut it for him.
(OCKER ACCENT) Don Claudean, quelle que surprise.
Do you even eat parmas, love?
You don't eat chicken.
You don't eat chicken! Your opinion's invalid!
We'll agree to disagree.
But I guess the moral of the story is it is a parmy, not a parma.
You keep saying it, you might start believing it.
RACH: So, dessert, there is really not much left to do.
TOMMY: For dessert, we're serving
a chocolate coated pear with a cookie crumb.
How are you gonna do this?
With so much gentleness.
What we expect to see is that the ice cream
pops beautifully out of the mould
and the chocolate inside those doesn't crack.
The chocolate is so thin. Yeah.
Holy shit, Tommy.
Oh, my god.
Oh, wow. Oh, my god. What?
VOICEOVER: At our first instant restaurant,
it's a nerve-racking time for Tommy and Rach
as they take their ice cream for dessert out of the moulds.
RACH: Holy shit, Tommy.
TOMMY: Tempered chocolate is a very thin layer that's easy to crack.
Oh, my god.
Oh, wow. Oh, my god. What?
That is a... That is perfect!
(LAUGHS) What?! What?!
Aiming for a ten.
Our dessert is a beautiful, abstract piece...
Of art.
I can't believe that we're doing this, Rach.
(LAUGHS) This is so bold.
We decided to whip out food colouring.
Shall I paint them all? You should paint them all.
It's the colour a pear. Done.
We've done two incredible dishes.
I really hope we can nail this dessert,
then give the guests a night to remember.
I'm happy with that.
That's beautiful.
I love desserts.
I'm just trying to figure out, though,
is it a pear that's covered in chocolate
or is it ice cream, pear ice cream that has chocolate over that?
I can't wait.
I'd give up entree and main for dessert.
Not much of a sweet tooth, I would say, but I like a good ice cream.
I agree.
(HOSTS LAUGH)
Ice cream can be something that can trip a lot of people up,
so, like, I wish them the best of luck.
You better have a real, real good ice cream
if you're resting your entire meal on this
as the last thing that we're gonna eat.
Something like ice cream
is always gonna have a soft spot in everyone's heart.
So, after two course, entree, main,
how do you feel about the competition?
It makes me more excited.
I thrive off things like that.
They've put everyone on notice. Yeah.
They've shown what they can do.
And if that was your only competition, can you beat it?
Yeah.
Nick and Christian, they can talk the talk.
Can they walk the walk? We'll see.
Wow. That's beautiful.
Great. Are they all painted? Yes.
I think that looks pretty amazing.
Do you want to try it? Mm-hm.
The presentation was amazing, but does it taste right?
Thank you very much.
Wow.
Stop it!
(LAUGHS) This is trifecta-worthy.
It was amazing. It was amazing.
We had... We were loving it.
..nailed it.
We're gonna need to get them onto the table 'cause it's melting.
We've gotta move quick.
What do we think about flowers, Rach?
Yep. Alright. Beautiful.
I think we just use purple because it matches our table.
We plated the dish up, two flowers, a little viola
and this little purple... Little petite purple flower.
Very tiny purple flower.
I've got bickie crumble coming in hot.
Thank you. Ready? I've got one.
This is for Manu. Yep.
And I'll take this for Colin. That's for Colin.
Oh, my god. Let's go. Let's go.
(EXHALES)
TOMMY: We were over the moon with the way this dish came out.
Everything from top to bottom was beautiful.
We had really pushed ourselves on this dish.
Wow.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
Wow.
I was, like, "Ooh, god, can we plate near as good as that?"
It looked really good.
No worries. Thank you.
It looks amazing. PEARLS: Thank you.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC)
I was confident in our dish
but seeing them chew and chew and chew...
it left me feeling a little bit uncertain.
COLIN: Tommy and Rach, thank you.
We'll call you back and give you our thoughts. Thank you.
RACH: Thank you. TOMMY: Thank you.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC)
Mmm!
Very interesting.
There's a weird flavour in there.
It's a savoury flavour.
There's a taste I can't put my finger on.
It reminds me of something.
PEARLS: Very strange.
This dessert, it looked a bit bougie.
But then I tasted a really pungent, strong taste.
I couldn't quite put my finger on it.
Something's wrong.
There's something wrong on the plate.
There's something... I'm not even sure if I like it.
Entree and main, I couldn't fault it, really.
But dessert could be their demise.
VOICEOVER: In Western Australia, the guest teams have just tasted
Tommy and Rach's sweet-looking dessert
but something's leaving a sour taste in their mouths.
There's a weird flavour in there.
As soon as I took the first bite, I'm, like, why...
"Like, am I going insane?"
RABHA: There's a taste I can't put my finger on.
I'm not even sure if I like it.
I was instantly intimidated by the presentation.
This is something I would expect from a fine-dining restaurant.
COCO: It looked amazing.
But there is definitely a taste in there
that kind of really threw me off and took away, unfortunately.
CHRISTIAN: Yeah, there are elements on there
that they have absolutely nailed.
I mean, one, the look of it, coming out on the plate
was so far from what I was expecting,
to the point where I actually thought,
when they first put it down, it was a semifreddo,
not that tempered chocolate.
I mean, the white chocolate was tempered superbly.
What the hell does 'tempered' mean?
They've stamped the texture.
They had a little bit of salt in there as well,
which really helps sort of take off that cloying sweetness
that you can get from white chocolate.
He loves the fact that he can talk about things
in those technical terms.
And the crumb really complemented that white chocolate.
I didn't get pear out of that ice cream as much as I wanted but...
(CLEARS THROAT) ..I got...
I'm turned off by now.
There's no coming back from the turn-off.
That pear flavour and the texture just threw me a little bit as well.
Like, an amazing effort.
But, yeah, I just... I was just confused.
Wanker.
PEARLS: Oh, shit!
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
(TENSE MUSIC)
OK, you're speaking your mind too much.
Like, old lady, like, please, stop.
I think it's amazing that we have someone like that at the table.
Like, I do respect his opinion. (LAUGHS)
Obviously English is not my first language
and I couldn't describe it better than you guys.
She is just barrelling me.
I've got the eyeline back on her.
I'm not backing down in this moment.
There's just been a shift in this dynamic here.
You've just gotten personal, love. You've just gotten personal.
(SPEAKS FRENCH)
Don't be talking crap in front of me.
What was that in English?
No, I just called myself a wanker in French.
Oh, Christian speaks French now?
MARCUS: Would you say it's the way he's describing the food
or what he actually thinks of the food itself?
The way he's describing it.
Too much? Too techy.
PEARLS: I feel like Claudean was pushing boundaries a little bit.
COCO: I think it's something
we're gonna see more of at the table for sure.
If she hears something she doesn't like,
then, like, we can all be prepared to feel the wrath.
The wrath of Claudean.
I don't care. WOMAN: OK.
I know I'm an arsehole.
TOMMY: This is it. RACH: This is it.
Let's go.
We've got two great dishes down
and we're feeling so confident about our pear dessert.
We just can't wait to hear what the judges have to say.
Tommy and Rach, for dessert,
you gave us chocolate coated pear ice cream with cookie crumb.
Perfect presentation.
Like, it was not what I was expecting.
The chocolate was tempered. You smashed it, it cracks.
The technique, I think, in the actual dessert, ten out of ten.
But did you taste everything on the plate tonight?
BOTH: We sure did. (BOTH LAUGH)
Are you sure? Yes.
Close your eyes.
PEARLS: Oh, no.
Put your hand out. (SPEAKS INAUDIBLY)
Alright.
Eat that.
TOMMY: Colin puts one little flower in my hand.
Eat it.
And what sort of flavours are you guys getting there?
It tastes like garlic. Yeah.
It's a garlic flower. Tick.
Oh...
We tried everything but the flowers
and we didn't realise that they were savoury flowers.
We feel embarrassed.
(SIGHS)
Tommy, Tommy, Tommy, Rachy, Rachy, Rachy.
It's hard for me to judge you on this
because I blame cookbooks and photos and magazines,
so it's really easy for you to make that mistake.
But let's put the garlic aside.
I thought the dessert was a little confusing anyway.
Like, for me, pear and chocolate is a combination that works well
with pear and dark chocolate.
White chocolate, it's just sugar.
I felt like the ice cream was icy.
I think it's the texture of the graininess of the pear itself.
But pear is such a very light flavour
and unfortunately that garlic
is probably the strongest thing on the planet
that you could've put on there.
Presentation, perfect. The chocolate was tempered.
You smashed it, it cracks.
I don't know, really, what way I've got to score this now
because I can taste garlic.
Taste everything.
Well, that's a lesson learnt right at the end, eh?
Thank you.
You pour your heart and soul into something
and you make one mistake.
It tastes like pure garlic.
Wow. And we put that on our dessert. I know. What idiots.
I feel like we're gonna be judged harshly.
I think so too. Yeah.
VOICEOVER: As the first instant restaurant draws to a close,
it's now time for the guest teams to critique Tommy and Rach's dishes
and give them a score out of ten.
Tommy and Rach, first instant restaurant.
Yep. So, entree's... Rottnest scallops.
Scallops. Yep. Tarragon and miso butter.
White puree.
I mean, really loved the dish.
The tarragon miso, a little bit lost
but the sweetness of the scallop and that beautiful cook on it...
The scallops could've been seared for a little bit longer.
ANTHONY: Yeah, definitely.
Not cooked enough for me. Mm-hm.
For main, we had the crispy duck leg...
Yes. ..with the blackberry and port jus.
Yep.
That was really cooked to perfection.
I loved the crispy skin.
That was a really good dish. Yep.
Crispy duck. For the main.
The main. A bit dry for me. Uh-huh.
It wasn't succulent. I found the flavour quite powerful.
Dessert. Mmm.
I don't even know what to say. A hard one.
Really, I think it looked beautiful
and that chocolate was tempered really, really well.
CHRISTIAN: I think technically so well made.
Yep.
But, like, technically made doesn't mean flavour.
And then the flowers.
If that garlic element wasn't there...
Yeah. Like, it is a terrible mistake...
But even then, it was off the mark.
CLAUDEAN: That flavour, I just... ANTHONY: Yeah.
I got through the chocolate... Yeah.
..and that was it for me. Yeah. Yeah.
CHRISTIAN: Look, two-thirds of the meal, fantastic.
Great flavours. Yep.
Fell at the last hurdle at dessert
but two-thirds is still an amazing effort.
So, we're averaging it to a seven? Seven.
It's a seven. Seven.
They were quite creative with all of the dishes and what was in it.
I will probably say about seven out of ten.
I agree.
I'm thinking around a seven. Seven. Yeah.
Yeah? I agree.
Seven? Seven it is, then.
What are you thinking? I'm thinking around the seven.
A seven? Yeah.
I feel like that ice cream... Let them down.
..let them down, so I would be more inclined to go to a six...
Six? ..to be honest.
Alright.
TOMMY: This is it. RACH: This is it.
Let's get our scores. Let's do it.
We had done so well in our entree and our main
but this is a competition
and we've left our guests with the taste of garlic in their mouth.
It could be the difference between a great score and a mediocre score.
Tommy and Rach, thank you for welcoming us
into your colourful garden oasis,
The Saucy Spoon.
You're welcome.
And now it's time for the scores.
The guest teams have given you a combined score of...
34 out of 50.
OK.
It's a bit under what we'd hoped for
but to be honest,
I think it probably was a fair score...
Yeah.
..because the dessert was the one element that went wrong.
And now it's our turn and we'll be scoring each dish out of ten.
Tommy and Rach, for entree,
Rottnest scallops with white puree
and a tarragon and miso butter.
First entree, first dish of the competition and what a great start.
Beautiful product, beautiful Rottnest scallops.
A little bit more caramelisation on the scallop
would have been fantastic.
Beautiful local produce.
I love the way you showcased the scallop.
Just missing the miso butter and the tarragon,
but I thought it was a great start to the meal.
The score I'm giving you for your entree...
is an eight.
It's a good score. Great score.
(LAUGHS) Thank you.
So, for your entree tonight, I score you...
a seven.
A seven out of ten and an eight out of ten
is a very strong start.
Tommy and Rach, for main course, crispy duck legs
with blackberry port jus and potato gratin.
You know, I think the dish that you served us as a main course
is full of love, full of flavour.
Everything that was on the plate was done well.
It was absolutely delicious.
This dish just made my little heart sing.
It's what we're talking about - real food, real people, real flavour.
That's what it was about and it had real heart
and I'd happily eat that again.
So, for your main course tonight, I score you...
a nine.
BOTH: Wow.
(LAUGHS)
Well done.
The score I'm giving you for your main course...
is a ten.
(LAUGHS) What?
(APPLAUSE)
Thank you. That's great.
BOTH: A ten?
Really? You can't get better than that.
Wow. Thank you.
Oooh.
Tommy and Rach, for dessert,
chocolate coated pear ice cream with cookie crumbs.
It looked beautiful,
but eating with your eyes is just not enough sometimes.
I felt like the texture of the ice cream was a little off
but I think the big smack in the face
was using the wrong petals of flowers on top of a dessert.
Yeah.
The execution of this dish, I would've given you a ten,
with that beautiful crack on the chocolate,
but the pear wasn't, like, packing a punch.
It was quite mild.
It just needed a bit more oomph.
Unfortunately, the oomph came as a garlic flower.
I'm scoring you...
a six.
Thank you. Thank you.
Unfortunately, the score that I'm giving you
for your dessert tonight...
is a four.
RACH: It's disappointing but we have learned from this.
And we won't make the same mistake again.
So, that gives you a grand total score of...
78.
That's pretty good. That's great.
I'm really proud of us. I'm proud of us too.
Oooh! Mwah.
We did it, baby.
Love you. Love you.
VOICEOVER: After the first instant restaurant,
Tommy and Rach are on top of the leader board
with a score of 78.
But there are five more instant restaurants to go
in this round.
MANU: So, next up to cook...
from Adelaide, Sonia and Marcus!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
We can't wait. Good luck.
Thank you. Thank you, guys.
Thanks, guys. Thanks, everyone.
MARCUS: Me and Mum are very competent cooks.
We're very good teammates.
Like, we can beat Tommy and Rach's score.
Amazing.
We're more than capable of getting a 79.
We're more than capable of getting a full score.
Beautiful food, beautiful home.
RACH: Thanks, mate.
The only trip-ups will occur is if we don't work as a team
and if we get in our own heads and mess it up ourselves.
SONIA: That's it. That's where the wheels will fall off.