MasterChef Season 16, Episode 12

After a great episode last week with the wedding of last season’s winners, it was time for another Mystery Box Challenge! I was greatly looking forward to this episode, as I love when they do regular challenges like this one, and seeing all the unique dishes the home cooks make. So obviously, I was totally thrilled when Fox prioritized The WNBA over the show for us here in New York, and I was even more thrilled when Fox One, the only way I can watch the episode right now, was not working earlier this morning. Yeah, this really is a season where it feels like they are either trying to get me to fall out of love with the show or feel inconvenienced in every way imaginable.

So, with that quick little rant out of the way, let’s get into the actual episode!

The home cooks entered the kitchen to find Mystery Boxes at all of their stations, because as I said, it’s a Mystery Box Challenge this episode. For whoever cooked the best dish in this episode, that person and everyone else from their territory will be safe from elimination in this episode, and officially enter The Top 10, but there would no longer be an Immunity Pin, which is not surprising because in all the other seasons, the Immunity Pin stopped being a thing at this point in time. 

The home cooks then lifted up their Mystery Boxes to see what was underneath them, and it was revealed to be phones and tablets. Because as we all know, once you break them apart, and get past all the glass and electrical stuff in there, there’s some really great food in there, and only a real chef can turn their phone or tablet into a gourmet meal. 

Obviously I’m joking, and I hope all of you reading knew that. 

Chef Tiffany then explained that in today’s world, everyone knows that the phone eats first, which is the understatement of all time. So for this challenge, the home cooks would be making dishes inspired by their cultures, with social media in mind. 

Then suddenly, Jaime’s phone started ringing, and it turned out that Nick DiGiovanni was calling. For those of you who are unfamiliar with who he is, he is the type of contestant that many present day contestants should strive to be like. What I mean is that he did not win his season of MasterChef, but he has since become quite possibly the most famous food social media personality out there, with a total of 50 million followers and 20 billion viewers. 

Chef Ramsay then answered the phone, and started FaceTiming with Nick, to which it was also revealed that not only was he coincidentally calling at this point in time, he was also right there outside the kitchen, ready to be a guest judge for this challenge. Okay, I have to wonder if the contestants really didn’t know this was going to happen. I mean, either he showed up on set well after the home cooks did, or he was already there, but the producers kept him hidden, which are in my mind, the only ways their shocked reactions make sense to me. 

Chef Ramsay then asked Nick what were some of the most exciting dishes he had created that went viral, to which Nick responded by saying a variety of things like the world’s largest Sushi Roll, and a video he did with Chef Ramsay where they made the world’s largest Beef Wellington. 

Nick then explained that what it takes for a dish to go viral is that it needs to have visuals that stop people, flavor that makes it worth staying, and it needs to be accessible so that someone at home feels like they can actually try it. 

Joe then explained that the upcoming challenge was as much a plating challenge as it was a cooking challenge. 

Also, there was a special prize for whoever made the best dish. The winner of the challenge would have the opportunity for a collaboration with Nick, which in my opinion is one of the best rewards you can give to someone to further their culinary dreams.

From there, the cook time had started.

Heidi then said that she was making a dish called a Bobotie Bomb, which is a South African dish of Ground Meat and Fragrant Spices, Rice, and Egg, which is also a dish that I would be willing to try. 

As the judges were discussing what were some of the potential difficulties with this challenge, Chef Ramsay asked Nick if he thought the home cooks should go sweet or savory for the challenge, to which Nick said that he didn’t think there was a right or wrong answer in this instance. Chef Tiffany agreed that there was so much room to play and have some adventure with this challenge, to which Joe responded that they only had 60 minutes with the challenge, and even their Pastry challenges usually have 75 minutes or 90 minutes, so there was a significant time issue if anyone wanted to make dessert. 

Tkaiya then explained that she was making a Hyper-Realistic Coconut. For those of you wondering what that means, it was going to have a Coconut Lime Mousse, a Coconut Dacquoise, Tempered Chocolate, and a Spiced Mango Compote, which is another dish that I would be willing to try.

Basia then explained that she was making a dish inspired by dishes that both Chef Ramsay and Nick had made. She was making a Pierogi-Style Smash Burger. For those of you who don’t know what a Pierogi is, it’s a Polish type of Dumpling. So, she was going to be putting the components of the Smash Burger in the Pierogi, including Caramelized Onions. She also put a Special Sauce on the bottom, and chose to top them with Spicy Cheese Puffs. There are some components to this dish that I would be willing to try, and others that I feel are not right for a dish, and you can probably guess what they are. 

Tkaiya continued with making her dish, and then piped her Mousse into the Molds, and then she tasted it, and she realized that she forgot to add Sugar when she was making it. Yeah, that’s not a good mistake to make when you’re making a dessert. Her solution to this was adding Powdered Sugar, and hoping that this would save the dish. Spoiler alert: It sort of did, as she didn’t land in the top, but she didn’t land in the bottom.

After some time had passed, 60 minutes was up, and the judges walked around to take one final look at everyone’s dishes.

Here’s an image of what Tkaiya’s dish looked like.

Chef Ramsay asked her if she was happy with the plating, to which she responded that she thought timing got the best of her, and made her forget a few key elements to the dish.

Here’s an image of what Heidi’s dish looked like.

Nick asked her if she was happy with it, to which Heidi responded that she thought she could have worked on her presentation a little bit better, but she thought the flavors were there. I agree with the first part of her answer, because that does not look like a dish that could go viral in my opinion.

Here’s an image of what Basia’s dish looked like. 

Chef Tiffany and Joe immediately commented on how they had never seen anything like it before, and Joe also said that it was either viral or insane. I completely agree with that assessment. I still have no idea why she topped it with Spicy Cheese Puffs.

Here’s an image of Aishu’s dish. 

I have no idea what it is, but in my opinion, it doesn’t look like a typical dish, instead looking like the deconstructed dishes that past contestants have made. 

From there, it was time for the judges to call out the four best dishes of the challenge.

The best dish from Asia-Pacific belonged to Jaime, who already is a food content creator, so this was certainly a challenge that she was expected to do well on.

The dish she made was a Pandan Surprise Coconut Cup with Pandan Cake, Coconut Cream, Coconut Crumble, Coconut Pudding, and Coconut Jelly, which is a dish that I would be willing to try. Here’s an image of what the dish looked like.

By the way, yes, they used that same smartphone social media border for all the dishes that landed in the top and the bottom.

Nick said that the dish visually had that wow factor, and he liked the Coconut plating, as it leaves some mystery, which for social media and virality is really nice, because it makes you want to watch to the end. Yes, he actually said the word “Virality.” 

Upon actually tasting it, Nick said that he loved it, he felt the visuals were there, it had viral potential, and he wanted to go back in for a second, third, and fourth bite. 

Chef Ramsay then said the combination of the flavors tasted delicious, and then you had the breakaway of the soft and fragrant Jelly.

Chef Tiffany then said that it had beautiful presentation and felt like an adventure, and it felt like every bite could be slightly different, and it was delicious and fun. 

All that Joe said was that it was a nice dessert. Yeah, he certainly knows what he is talking about.

The best dish from Europe belonged to Julia, who made a dish that she called Mount Etna Raviolo, which was Squid Ink Pasta filled with Ricotta and Egg Yolk, and surrounded by Breadcrumb Charcoal Ash. In a very weird way, I would absolutely be willing to try this dish. Here’s an image of what the dish looked like.

For those of you who are wondering why she called it Mount Etna Raviolo, she said that she was taking inspiration from Mount Etna in Sicily, and the goal was that the Egg Yolks inside the Pasta leaked out like lava once it was sliced open, and this also explains the color of the Pasta and the Breadcrumb Charcoal Ash.

Nick immediately said that looking at the dish, he wasn’t totally sure yet if he got volcano, so it was all coming down to cutting into it, and if it didn’t lava, then it wouldn’t be much of a volcano. 

One commercial break later, Chef Ramsay cut into the Raviolo, and it did exactly what Julia hoped it would. 

Joe then told Julia that she comes up with great ideas, she communicates the territory, and then she makes delicious food, and the dish that she had just made was delicious. 

Chef Tiffany then said that she loved the little note of Anchovy in the dish, as it wasn’t in your face, and the texture of the Soil was really nice with the dish. 

Nick then said that he was skeptical about the dish, as its entire potential rested on the fact that it would actually erupt, and it delivered on that, and the dish was a very difficult thing to make, and she nailed it. 

Chef Ramsay then told Julia that she had cooked like a pro in this challenge, and shone like a star. 

The best dish from Africa belonged to Dave, who is also a food content creator, so he is another person that you would expect to do well on this challenge. 

The dish he made was called Seffa Medfouna, and it consists of Shredded Savory Chicken and Sweetened Steamed Vermicelli Noodles. This is yet another dish that I would be willing to try. Here’s an image of what the dish looked like, as well as how he plated it, which was inside a Tagine. 

Chef Tiffany immediately said that the dish was something she had never seen before, which got her excited, and she thought the idea of pulling up the lid and an interaction that happens, made it a dish that she thought could definitely go viral.

Nick then said that the dish made him want to go to Morocco, as it was a beautiful dish in terms of both flavor and looks. 

Chef Ramsay then told Dave that his dish was delicious, and the fragrance coming off the Chicken was incredible. 

Chef Tiffany then said that she loved the idea of the sweetness and the crunch, and she also thought that it was very playful.

Joe then said that there is something to be said about going viral with deep steeped traditions that are authentic, nostalgic, and properly done, which is what that dish was.

The best dish from The Americas belonged to Jake, who made a Horchata Creme Brûlée in a Churro Bowl, which is a dish that I would absolutely be willing to try. Here’s an image of what the dish looked like.

Joe immediately said that it looked like something you would go to a bakery and buy, and it looked professional.

Upon cutting into it, Nick said that the bottom looked so cool, and then he also said that it was delicious, as he was getting a nice balance of Cinnamon and Sugar, and the flavor got him just as excited as the visual did. 

Chef Ramsay then told Jake that the dish was exceptional, but he still felt the need to share one of his own nitpicks about what he would have done differently.

Chef Tiffany then said that she loved the Churro texture on top, and that Jake was able to get the Custard set in time, and she could also taste the Horchata coming through.

From there, the judges had to decide on who had the best dish of the challenge, and they announced that the winner was Julia. This meant that she and Basia were safe from elimination for the episode, and also that Julia was now going to do a video with Nick, which will surely help with the social media presence that she said she wants to have.

Chef Ramsay then told Basia that she dodged a bullet, because he didn’t think she actually thought the dish through. Okay, I’m just going to say this right now: Basia seriously needs to step it up if she wants to stay in the competition any longer.

From there, it was time for the judges to call out the bottom three dishes. 

The worst dish from Asia-Pacific belonged to Foo, who made a Vietnamese Sizzling Crepe Taco with Marinated Shrimp & Pork, Mexican Spices, and Vietnamese Herbs, which is a dish that I would be willing to try if it was made correctly. Here’s an image of what the dish looked like.

Nick said that they were looking for both the visual that’s going to pull you in when you’re watching it, and also the flavor, and without having tasted it, he could tell that it didn’t really have that virality factor to it. 

Chef Ramsay then said that visually it looked a little bit messy, and they are trying to eat with their eyes, and it did read as slightly confusing. 

Upon actually eating it, Nick said that it tasted better than it looked, as he got sweet and sour, and it was fragrant with all the different Herbs, and he really liked the flavors there. 

Chef Ramsay then said that he thought it was more confused than viral, but the tones of his cooking ability were there, but they weren’t shining because there was too much going on, and he said that the only chance the dish had of going viral was if he was blind. Okay, that is unnecessarily harsh, and also a weak insult, Chef Ramsay. In fact, I’ve come up with a better one that is way more unnecessarily harsh.

“The only chance this dish has of going viral is if it were an infection.”

Seriously, do better, Gordo. 

Chef Tiffany then said that the dish was put together in a way that was difficult to eat, but some of the flavors there were really good, but she had to find that bite, and it didn’t just come together for them.

Joe then said that he gets that Foo is trying to deliver the flavor, but what he was reading was that he threw in everything but the kitchen sink, and sometimes these dishes need to be a little more focused. 

The worst dish from Africa belonged to Peter, who made a Plantain Funnel Cake with Flambeed Plantains, Puff Puff Coconut, Chantilly Cream, and Strawberry Coulis, which is another dish that I would be willing to try if it was made correctly. Here’s an image of what the dish looked like. 

Chef Ramsay told him that the Plantain Funnel Cake was a smart idea, but it did not look attractive, which I agree with.

Joe then told Peter that as a simple dish, it was a little bit greasy, and the difference between the Puff Puff and the Funnel Cake was hard for him to distinguish on his palate, as they felt like the same thing. 

Chef Tiffany then said that if he was going to flambe, and have something go viral, she almost wished that he “would have just lit that sucker on fire for us.” Yes, she actually said that, but when she said “Sucker,” it almost sounded like she said another word that I’m sure you can all guess what it was. So basically, she wanted there to be more flambe with the dish. 

Chef Ramsay then told Peter that there were elements on there that could work, but it just needed to be rethought out. 

Nick then said that he liked the Funnel Cake, but if he were to redo it, he would have told Peter to make some sort of Banana Cream, put it through the Funnel Cake, and highlight the Plantains themselves.

The worst dish from The Americas belonged to Maria, who made Baby Octopus Rice with Bell Peppers, Onions, and Garlic, which is not a dish that I would be willing to try, even if it was made correctly. Here’s an image of what the dish looked like.

Nick immediately told her that it looked like a dish that he would want to sit down and have for dinner, but he did feel that it missed that wow factor that you are looking for in something that you want to be visual and viral. 

Joe then told Maria that he felt that what was happening there was that the Rice component had nothing to do with the rest of the Seafood component of the dish, and it didn’t come together. 

Chef Tiffany then told her that she wished she had done more, and she knew that she made Rice, and she understood that she braised and pressure cooked the Octopus, but even getting some crispy bits on the Octopus, or finishing it with some type of Sauce to beef up the whole dish would have helped it not feel so lackluster. 

Chef Ramsay then said that the Octopus on a Skewer, grilled for 30 seconds on each side, would have been so much more attractive, and the Octopus that was on the plate, because it had been in the pressure cooker, was so overcooked, but the Rice was delicious. 

Nick then told her that it did miss the mark on the viral aspect, but on a different night in a totally different challenge, he could see it doing very well. 

From there, the judges had to decide who had the worst dish of the night, and they decided to eliminate Maria. I’m going to be completely honest, I’m not entirely sure if I agree with this decision. I mean, I agree with their criticisms, but I thought that Foo’s dish was worse. 

Also, here’s another thing that I felt like sharing right now because I don’t know where else to share it: We are now at the halfway point of the competition! Yeah, we started out with 20 contestants, and now we are down to the final ten. So, as of right now, I will make two very big statements. The home cooks that I feel have the best chances of winning are either Peter or Julia, the latter of which has really been surprising me in these last few challenges. Also, Basia and Foo are definitely part cat, because they are just blowing through all nine lives with how many bad dishes they have both made, even if they didn’t land in the bottom, and will need a miracle if they want to go any further.

Overall, this was another great episode of Season 16 of MasterChef, and I’ll see you all next week with the infamous Tag Team Challenge, which will also have the most painful product placement I think I have ever seen on this show!