MasterChef Season 16 Episode 2

After a great premiere last week with auditions from contestants representing Europe, it was time for the second round of auditions for contestants representing Asia-Pacific! For those of you who are wondering what it means, Pacific is referring to Australia. And that piece of information will become important momentarily. 

Once again, there were only five aprons up for grabs on this episode, and eight contestants auditioning, and they needed to get a “Yes” from all three judges in order to get an apron. 

The first home cook auditioning for an apron was Lawrence, who was 69 years old, from Missouri, and representing Australia. See what I meant by that piece of information becoming important momentarily? His dish could not have been more representative of Australia if he tried, as he cooked, and I am not making this up, Kansas City Barbecue Kangaroo with Mango Sauce, Passion Fruit Vinaigrette Slaw, and Yuca Fries. Yes, people actually cook and eat Kangaroo. I am just going to say this right now: I might be willing to give Yuca Fries a try, but I will literally never eat Kangaroo. In fact, as soon as I heard he was cooking Kangaroo, I knew that there were only two possibilities of how it would play out. Either his dish would be surprisingly great, or it would be a disaster. Spoiler alert: One of the two is correct. Also, if you are curious as to what the dish looked like, or even just what Kangaroo looks like when it is cooked, here it is.

The judges quickly pointed out how difficult it is to cook Kangaroo, but acknowledged that it smelled delicious and looked rustic, but judge Tiffany Derry then said that there is a point where rustic turns into something that looks like we’re rushing. He then said that the temperature he was going for on the Kangaroo was rare, as once Kangaroo is over medium rare, it’s gone and chewy. Unfortunately, when Gordon Ramsay cut the Kangaroo open, the temperature was above rare and heading towards medium, so while the flavors were there, it was also dry, so Lawrence did not get an apron.

The next home cook auditioning was Aishu, who was from Boston and representing India. While she was talking to judges Tiffany Derry and Joe Bastianich, she said that another big part of Indian culture was dance, so she walked onto the stage with the two of them to demonstrate and teach them some dance moves, and all I have to say to Joe after seeing him try one dance move is that he should not give up his day job. He should stick to being a judge, a restaurateur, and a singer for some reason. 

While Aishu was trying to plate her dessert, she found that it was stuck to the bottom of the pan, and when she finally got it out, it fell apart a little bit.

When time was up, she presented her dish to the judges, which was an Orange, Cardamom, & Olive Oil Cake with Vanilla Mascarpone Cream, Blood Orange Coulis, and Pistachio Crumble, which I would definitely be willing to try. I mean, as you can see below, it might not look the best, but I’m sure it tastes good.

The judges then asked her if she was a baker, to which she responded that she only started baking three or four years ago, to which Joe asked her why she didn’t go the savory route, to which she said that she is the perfect example of not taking the safer route, as she thinks life is more fun when you take the hard path.

One of the first things Chef Ramsay commented on was the fragrance coming from the Cake that smelled delicious, but he also said that it looked rustic, as if there was insufficient greasing of the mold. 

When they actually started tasting it, Chef Ramsay said it tasted better than it looked, that it was moist and delicious, Tiffany said that she used the perfect amount of Cardamom in the Cake, but was missing a little more salt, while Joe said that it was like a delicious homestyle dessert, and then all the judges said “Yes,” meaning that Aishu got the first apron of the night. And if you want even more evidence that the judges liked her dish, they continued eating it after she got her apron.

The next home cook who was auditioning was Foo, who was from Irvine, California, and was representing Vietnam. He said that the dish he was making was something his mom typically makes, and that she was the real master chef in his family, and he also acknowledged that his name in Vietnamese means “Luck.” 

When time was up, he presented his dish to the judges, which was Vietnamese Egg Rolls that were filled with Crab, Shrimp, & Pork, and served with a Dashi Dipping Sauce and an Herb Cabbage Salad. I am now going to show you all an image of what this dish looks like. 

I am just going to say this right now: If you left this dish in front of me and told me to look after it, there would be no guarantee that it would still be there by the time you got back. 

Foo then told a very personal story about his family and their connection to the dish, which prompted Chef Ramsay to ask if he brought his mom with him, to which he responded that she has dementia, which is why it is so important for him to honor her.

The judges then went over to try his dish, but also acknowledged that it looked very simple. When they started tasting it, Joe said that it tasted nothing like a Spring Roll that he has had in a restaurant, or like any he had ever had before, and then said it tasted like history, culture, and family, so he immediately said “Yes,” and Tiffany and Chef Ramsay also said “Yes.” This meant that Foo had won the second apron of the home cooks representing Asia-Pacific.

The next home cook auditioning for an apron was Shompa, who was from Brooklyn and was representing Bangladesh. The dish she made was a Halibut Bhuna with Fragrant Rice and Dal. For those of you who are curious what some of those are, Bhuna is a Slow-Roasted Dry Style of Curry, and Dal is Dried And Split Lentils, Peas, and Beans. Also, this is a dish that if I had a lot of time to think about it, I might consider possibly trying it. Seriously, just have a look at it.

After she said that she was born in Bangladesh but moved to Brooklyn when she was a few months old, Joe asked her what it was like being Bangladeshi and living in New York City, to which she responded that New York runs on Bangladeshis, as they are such welcoming and hospitable people, to which Joe responded to that by saying that Bangladeshis are amazing and some of the best cooks, before saying that there was a lot of risk with her cooking Halibut. 

The judges walked over to the dish and said that it looked elegant and smelled fragrant, and that everything about the dish looked good. As they were about to start eating it, Chef Ramsay asked if the chili was for Joe, to which Shompa said that it was traditional, as you first take a bite of it, and then eat the dish, to which Joe responded that he was going to have it later, calling himself a scaredy cat, to which Tiffany agreed that he was.

Chef Ramsay then said that the Halibut and the Rice were cooked perfectly, but the Dal needed more seasoning, and Tiffany and Joe followed this up by saying that they were both also impressed by how the Halibut was cooked. 

Gordon then said that he was a “Yes,” to which Tiffany then said that she was as well. Joe then asked Shompa if she was a real New Yorker, to which she responded that she was, to which Chef Ramsay reminded Joe that he left New York ten years ago, to which Joe said “Once a New Yorker, always a New Yorker,” and then he also said that he was a “Yes,” which meant that Shompa got the third apron of the night.

At this point, we were literally halfway through the episode with only two aprons left, which told me that we were about to see several failed auditions. Spoiler alert: this turned out to be the case.

Up next was Tony, who was from Minneapolis and was representing South Korea. His dish was a Miso-Marinated Ribeye with Kimchi Fried Rice. I might be willing to give this dish a try. I mean, as you can see below, it doesn’t look that bad.

The judges immediately commented that the Rice looked crispy and really good, but the Steak looked poached, as Joe said that he wanted it to have more of a crust or a sear. Tony also said that he was going for medium rare on the Steak, but when Chef Ramsay sliced into it, it was already medium, going towards medium well, meaning that he overcooked it. This meant that despite how well he cooked the Rice, the overcooking of the Ribeye meant that he did not get an apron.

Up next was Iman, who was from Maryland and was representing Afghanistan. Her dish was a Lamb Qabuli Palau with Honey Glazed Carrots and Herb Chutney. If you’re curious what that is, Qabuli Palau is a Rice Pilaf made with Basmati Rice, Meat, a topping of Caramelized Carrots, Raisins, and Nuts, and is flavored with spices like Cumin, Cardamom, and Cinnamon. Again, this is another dish that I would consider trying. Just have a look at it, and I’m sure you’ll agree.

Iman also said that she was a sociologist, which prompted Joe to ask her if she could do a sociological evaluation on the three of them, to which she told Joe that she thinks he gets a wrong read, and that he’s just a nice east coast guy who is saying it straight, and that he is just being honest, and that sometimes people need a dose of honesty. Joe then asked her what Chef Ramsay’s excuse was, to which she responded that he was America’s Sweetheart, even though he is British.

Much like with Tony, a lot of the components of her dish were good, but the lamb was overcooked, so she didn’t get an apron, and as Joe pointed out, meant they no longer had a sociologist, which him and the other two judges could have used.

The next home cook competing for an apron was Jaime, who is a cooking content creator from Queens, New York that was representing Malaysia. The dish that she made was Wagyu Beef Satay, which is another name for Kabobs, with Peanut Sauce and Coconut Rice. This is another dish that I would absolutely be willing to try. I mean, have a look at it below.

Jaime then said that her dad used to make that dish for her when she was younger, but she elevated it by using Wagyu Beef, to which Chef Ramsay commented that she stuck $400 on it. 

The judges immediately commented that the dish looked great, and then started eating it. Tiffany then said that the dish gave street food vibes in the best way and praised every component of the dish, which then led to all three judges saying “Yes,” which meant that Jaime had won the fourth apron of the night.

The next home cook auditioning was Fatima, who was from Illinois and representing Pakistan. The dish that she made was Lamb Chops Masala with Hot Honey Glaze and Braised Onions, which is yet again another dish that I would be willing to try. I mean, just look at it for yourselves.

The judges liked the dish, but they criticized some of the decisions that she made, such as how the Hot Honey Glaze was not needed, the Lamb was undercooked in places, and they also wished that she had used Goat as her protein instead. This meant that Fatima did not get an apron. 

The final home cook auditioning was Daniel, who was from Georgia and was representing China. When Chef Ramsay first saw him, he called him out for the way he was dressed, as he was wearing a sleeveless shirt, which Chef Ramsay also described as being half naked, and he also told Daniel that he had three daughters watching, to which Daniel responded by saying “Tell them I say hi.” Yes, this actually happened. I don’t get it either. He also took a break from cooking to do ten push-ups, because of course he did. 

The dish that he made was Tofu & Ricotta Ravioli with Mapo Sauce and Rice Tuile. This is absolutely a dish that I would want to eat, I mean have a look at it.

Joe immediately said that he was baffled by the fact that Daniel was representing China with Ravioli, which is somehow not the most offensive thing he has ever said as a judge on MasterChef. The other judges jumped in saying that it was an Italian Dumpling, to which Joe responded by saying “There’s no more rules.” 

As you can probably tell by the fact that he was the final home cook auditioning in this episode, he got a “Yes” from all three judges, giving him the final apron of the contestants representing Asia.

Overall, this was another great round of auditions, and I’ll see you all next week with the home cooks who are representing Africa!