I guess I am the one to comment on the episodes themselves?
I caught up with last week’s episodes yesterday, covering the end of instant restaurants and the start of restaurant takeover stage.
Sophia and Romel’s restaurant was an explosive one with Kerry telling to Lauren to stop having an interest in Ben, after Ben and Lauren slept on a couch. It was too late to save the budding romance between Ben and Roula. Sophia and Romel finished with 64 points and third overall, sending Roula and Rachael to the elimination cook-off against Jenni and Louise (the lowest scoring team from House Colin). In that cook-off, the mums seemed to spending more time joking and taking selfies, rather than preparing food, and it showed in their entrees getting two 4s and a 5. Roula and Rachael’s entree got 10s from Pete and Manu which was enough to send the girls to the next stage.
The start of the restaurant takeover stage clearly showed the gap between House Manu and House Colin. Dan and Steph and Jake and Elle spent years in pressure environment (in a restaurant and takeaway truck respectively) and were more organised than the other teams. I was surprised at Dan and Steph getting average scores for their Mexican food, and (in the following episode) Sue Ann and Sylvia failing with their pork bun and banana fritters because Asian food are the ladies’ specialty. Another surprise was Mark and Lauren getting high praises for their pork and beef Ma Po Tofu as I thought they would struggle with the main as the promo suggested, instead the big fail was their jackfruit and pineapple crumble (Pete said “it bombed, it stunk, it failed, it was horrible”).
On Tuesday’s episode, all three teams from House Colin cooked at Butcher and the Farmer at Meadowbank at Sydney’s north, which coincidentally is one of four restaurants part-owned by season 6 winners Will Stewart and Steve Flood (the fourth outlet opened at London’s O2 in December last year). I think this is the biggest success by a former winning team, even bigger than season 4 champion Dan and Steph’s own restaurant on the Sunshine Coast.
Will and Steve’s cameo appearance also led to a funny reunion with runner-up Jac and Shaz. Fellow teams reckoned there was still bad blood between Will and Steve and Jac and Shaz, but the Mount Isa cousins dismissed it as nonsense.
Sue Ann and Sylvia let their fellow teams down by 1. failing to meet the brief by producing an Indian dish when they were asked to create an modern Australian main 2. using tinned pineapples in the dessert.
There is too many excuses from the show rather than admitting they stuffed the format. I wonder if any of the host had a say in the format. They seem so defensive of the current changes.
In week commencing 15 March it is “Finals time” on MKR with 3 episodes: Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Synopsis of Tuesday episode reads
For tonight’s cooking team, old habits die hard - will it bring their Grand Final hopes undone? At the table, a big announcement, one last game of strategy and a shock confession.
That should provide info for speculation as the the date of the final.
In tonight’s episode, House Colin poached Jake and Elle from House Manu so it could have the minimum three teams competing in restaurant takeover. It’s unusual but understandable.
It says the show has been axed from Sunday’s. Seven showed bushfire specials for two weeks and is back to MKR.
It says he was all smiles at the Australian Turf Club launch after he slammed Married At First Sight. They made it sound like he smiled right after doing it but the two are completely unrelated.
Jake and Elle received the first ever standing ovation from fellow contestants in Tuesday’s instant restaurant, after scoring 98 points out of 100. The siblings created some of the best dishes of this season and received 40/40 from the jury and three other semi finalist teams, two 10s from Colin and three 10s from Pete. I think Jake and Elle are now warm favourite to take out the title if they can keep up their form.
Colin said Jake and Elle’s 98 was the highest instant restaurant score in MKR history, that is incorrect. Last season, Lisa and John scored 117 points in the first round, while in ultimate instant restaurant stage, Ibby and Romel received 111 points.
Seven showed bushfire specials for two weeks and is back to MKR.