My Kitchen Rules

[TV.Cynic]

Double elimination shock as three new teams enter the kitchen

MKR round one ends in flames

Tonight, MKR dropped a shock bombshell at the end of round one, with the elimination of the bottom two teams and introduction of three new gatecrasher teams to the competition.

Ahead the most anticipated dinner party so far – hosted by fussy friends Mike and Pete – Colin Fassnidge declared: “We have said all along on MKR to expect the unexpected. There’s a twist coming. Every place on the leaderboard matters at the end of the night you will find out why.”

The teams couldn’t wait to taste Mike and Pete’s food after their harsh critiques of other contestants’ fare. Mike requested: “Please score and critique on our food not on the insults I’ve been giving you.”

The kitsch ‘Twisted Lemons’ Instant Restaurant theme was a little lost around the table, with horrified fellow Italians Simone and Viviana describing it as “a little bit cliché.”

A lacklustre entrée of Crayfish Ravioli in Marinara sauce “fell short in technique and flavour" according to Manu Feildel. While Colin commended the amount of ravioli they made, he acknowledged “my biggest problem with this dish is I’m eating it and I don’t know its crayfish.”

The Osso Buco Bianco main with soft Polenta and Broccolini was undercooked and tough, but in a strategic ploy, Mike and Pete gave pieces of meat they knew were well cooked to the judges and Simone and Viviana.

Manu acknowledged the “delicious flavour profile, but it was missing a little bit of cooking."

Mike and Pete were saved by their dessert of Sicilian Cannoli with Ricotta, as self-confessed ‘cannoli king’ Pete retained his crown. The dish was a “phoenix rising from the flames,” according to Colin, scoring a 10 from both judges. Manu recognized: “You may have had a hard night, but you finished with a bang.”

After Mike and Pete’s score of 72 out of 110 was revealed, both teams at the bottom of the leaderboard – Townsville brother and sister Danny and Sonia (combined score of 56) and young mums from South Australia Ash and Cassie (combined score of 60) – were eliminated from the competition.

The top scoring team from round one, competitive brothers Rob and Liam (combined score of 84), were advanced straight to Kitchen HQ while remaining teams Simone and Viviana, Hannah and Lawrence, and Mike and Pete were told they would travel the country again in a brand-new round of Instant Restaurants.

Joining them on the road are three new gatecrasher teams: kitchen queens Janey and Maddie, mother and son Caz and Fergus, and married Germans Robert and Andrea.

Judges’ Scores	Entrée	Main	Dessert
Manu Feildel	4/10	6/10	10/10	20/30
Colin Fassnidge	5/10	6/10	10/10	21/30
Total Score				41/60

MKR Team Scores
Hannah and Lawrence 5/10
Rob and Liam 6/10
Ash and Cassie 7/10
Danny and Sonia 6/10
Simone and Viviana 7/10
Total Score 31/50

Round 1 Final Leaderboard
Rob and Liam 84/110
Simone and Viviana 74/110
Mike and Pete 72/110
Hannah and Lawrence 68/110
Ash and Cassie – eliminated 60/110
Danny and Sonia – eliminated 56/110

Tomorrow night on MKR: It’s a brand-new round of Instant Restaurants and with battle lines drawn and new rivalries set to explode, NSW mum and son gatecrasher team Caz and Fergus are first up to cook.

MKR Continues 7.30pm Wednesday on Channel 7 and 7plus

[TV.Cynic]

It’s time to meet the three brand-new teams of home cooks competing for the title of MKR champion.

Judges Manu Feildel and Colin Fassnidge have travelled across the country with six incredible teams taking turns to transform their homes into remarkable Instant Restaurants, plating up three-course meals designed to impress the judges and their fellow contestants.

At the conclusion of the first Instant Restaurant round, competitive brothers Rob and Liam secured the top spot on the leaderboard with a combined score of 84, sending them straight to Kitchen HQ.

In a shock twist at the end of round one, both teams at the bottom of the leaderboard were eliminated, with siblings Danny and Sonia (combined score of 56) and young mums Ash and Cassie (combined score of 60) forced to say farewell to MKR.

The three remaining teams – modern Italians Simone and Viviana (combined score of 74), sweethearts Hannah and Lawrence (combined score of 68) and fussy friends Mike and Pete (combined score of 72) – are hitting the road for a second round of Instant Restaurants.

But with three new gatecrasher teams joining them in the next level of the competition, battle lines are drawn and new rivalries are formed, as teams rewrite the record books in the fight to win the MKR crown.

[JohnsonTV]

Even though two teams were eliminated in tonight’s episode, I think it was rude to send Danny and Sonia out first without revealing the scores of Mike and Pete’s instant restaurant. It meant Danny and Sonia would not be able to find out the result until they came to Kitchen HQ in Sydney and caught up with other teams for the grand final.

Mike and Pete should count themselves very lucky. With both entree and main epic fails, it was their Sicilian cannolis which received 10/10 from both Manu and Colin, which kept the best friends in the competition.

[JohnsonTV]

The shockingly low salaries of My Kitchen Rules contestants revealed

[Bergoine]

@JohnsonTV

Even though two teams were eliminated in tonight’s episode, I think it was rude to send Danny and Sonia out first without revealing the scores of Mike and Pete’s instant restaurant. It meant Danny and Sonia would not be able to find out the result until they came to Kitchen HQ in Sydney and caught up with other teams for the grand final.

I thought that was out of place. Should have revealed Mike and Pete’s score then announced who was eliminated.

[David]

It was incredibly disrespectful.

[JohnsonTV]

Coming up next week

Monday 30 September
Simone & Viviana are shooting for the stars, and judges Manu Fieldel and Colin Fassnidge look set to make MKR history.

Tuesday 1 October
In the most anticipated Instant Restaurant this season, Melbourne duo Janey & Maddie step up in their heels. Will these self appointed Kitchen Queens serve up culinary triumph or a right Royal flop?

[JohnsonTV]

So next Monday is the episode in which Simone and Viviana would receive the highest score in MKR history. Under the current scoring system, the highest score each team can get is 110 (50 from five guest teams, 30 from Colin, 30 from Manu). Is it possible that the Italians could reach full marks?

[TV.Cynic]

Gatecrashers and table clashes

Entrée strikes a chord with building blocks of a great menu

Round two of MKR kicked off tonight, with mother and son Caz and Fergus becoming the first gatecrasher team to host. Their Instant Restaurant, Tunes and Spoons, combined a love of food and music.

Around the table, the original teams – Modern Italians Simone and Viviana, fussy friends Mike and Pete and lovebirds Hannah and Lawrence – got to the know the new gatecrashers: kitchen queens Janey and Maddie and married Germans Robert and Andrea.

The Twice Baked Leek and Cheese Souffle entrée was “cooked perfectly” according to Manu but lacked a fresh element to cut through the sweetness. Most of their fellow teams enjoyed the dish but Janey and Maddie proved they’ve come to the table with high expectations, as Janey was labelled a “food snob” by Hannah and Lawrence.

While the dishes simmered in the kitchen, the heat continued around the table, with Lawrence and Janey butting heads after he noted: “I hope your arrogance is pure confidence.”

Back on the menu, Caz and Fergus’ main – Pinenut and Pistachio Toothfish Vichyssoise – was served to lukewarm reviews, lacking flavour and seasoning. Fergus wasn’t happy with the dish, admitting to the judges that some of the elements were rushed as a result of tension in the kitchen.

Needing a knockout dessert to finish the night, Caz and Fergus rallied with a Miso Caramel Cheesecake with Shichimi Togarashi. They were praised for the use of miso in the dessert, but Manu wanted “more miso into the caramel sauce and more caramel sauce onto the dessert.”

After a stressful but successful night, with the “building blocks of a great menu” according to Colin, musician Fergus – who has supported Ed Sheeran on tour – declared cooking on MKR much harder than playing an arena tour.

A new-and-improved, self-professed ‘Mike 2.0’ also emerged tonight: promising to only put food in his mouth moving forward, not his foot.

Judges’ Scores	Entrée	Main	Dessert
Manu Feildel	8/10	6/10	7/10	21/30
Colin Fassnidge	8/10	5/10	7/10	20/30
Total Score				41/60

MKR Team Scores
Mike and Pete 6/10
Janey and Maddie 6/10
Robert and Andrea 5/10
Hannah and Lawrence 7/10
Simone and Viviana 7/10
Total Score 31/50

Leaderboard
Caz and Fergus 72/110

Monday night on MKR: Modern Italians Simone and Viviana host their second Instant Restaurant and aim for redemption after their previous dessert flop. This time they’re shooting for the stars, giving classic French dishes some new twists in a bid to impress the judges.

MKR Continues 7.30pm Monday and Tuesday on Channel 7 and 7plus

[TV.Cynic]

[JohnsonTV]

Normally I record episodes of MKR on my PVR and watch them on the weekend, but knowing tonight’s episode would be a special one, I saw it immediately after Have You Been Paying Attention? finished, and I was not disappointed. Simone and Viviana produced three amazing dishes and deserved their record score.

[TV.Cynic]

Highest Instant Restaurant score in MKR history

Simone and Viviana rewrite the record books

Tonight, modern Italians Simone and Viviana made MKR history with the highest Instant Restaurant score in the show’s 14-year history.

The best friends served precision on a plate, resulting in a total score of 104 out of 110, including a near perfect 58 out of 60 from judges Manu Feildel and Colin Fassnidge.

Cooking for redemption after a dessert disaster unravelled their first Instant Restaurant score, Simone and Viviana’s cuisine, creativity and technique eclipsed even their own high expectations.

Their entrée of Beef Tartare with Crumbed Yolk and Crostini put a twist on a traditional French dish. The risk paid off, with the inclusion of apple in the tartare and use of lasagne sheets instead of bread impressing the judges.

Manu admitted: “I’m a classic guy when it comes to French food. Why apple? Why have I not thought about this before? It is clever."

Colin also “loved the apple with the beef.”

The main – Simone’s own creation of Prawn and Potato Ravioli with Prawn Bisque – wowed the whole table. Manu declared it the “best dish” on MKR, leaving Simone speechless, and Viviana so proud of her friend.

After initially questioning the addition of potato in the dish, Manu admitted it made complete sense: “I am jealous of people like you that can make pasta like this because I can’t.”

Colin agreed: “It’s not a normal dish but I tell you, after today, it should be.”

Simone and Viviana’s nerves were high taking on a complicated dessert of Millefoglie: a puff pastry layered with cream, with origins in France and Italy.

The “gorgeous” dessert was a total hit, and according to Colin: “the crown on the meal we got tonight. You should be so proud of yourselves.”

Wiping away tears, Viviana said: “This is the best critique we could possibly get. It means the world to us,” while Simone was left lost for words sharing: “I can’t manage my emotions right now. I’m just freezing. I feel like this is the highest emotion that I felt in my life. Thank you.”

While MKR history was rewritten in the kitchen, tension at the table boiled over as Janey and Lawrence continued to clash. Janey admitted she thought Lawrence was rude at the previous Instant Restaurant, calling her arrogant, while Lawrence maintained Janey managed to offend everyone in one single night; clarifying that while he used the word arrogant, he did not call her arrogant.

As daughter Maddie defended her mum, Pete came in as peacemaker declaring: “No matter what has been said. One thing I’m pretty sure of is that a daughter doesn’t want to see her mother feel like she’s attacked. How about we have a bit of a reset, and we go for something lighter.”

After almost leaving the table, Janey acknowledged: “It’s not the Lawrence show. It’s My Kitchen Rules. Keep the stirring for the kitchen.”

Judges’ Scores	Entrée	Main	Dessert
Manu Feildel	9/10	10/10	10/10	29/30
Colin Fassnidge	9/10	10/10	10/10	29/30
Total Score	58/60

MKR Team Scores
Hannah and Lawrence 10/10
Janey and Maddie 9/10
Caz and Fergus 9/10
Robert and Andrea 9/10
Mike and Pete 9/10
Total Score 46/50

Leaderboard
Simone and Viviana 104/110
Caz and Fergus 72/110

Tomorrow night on MKR: Melbourne mother and daughter duo, Janey and Maddie, step up to the bench in their heels. Will these self-appointed Kitchen Queens serve up a culinary triumph or a right royal flop?

[JohnsonTV]

@JohnsonTV

For the six-team format, Amy and Tyson Murr made the highest score of 102 during the opening round in season 8.

Simone and Viviana’s 104 is two points higher than the previous record.

[TV.Cynic]

Kitchen queens lose their crown

Royal outrage as Lawrence gets personal

Tonight on MKR, kitchen queens Janey and Maddie hosted their Instant Restaurant but failed to dish up a royal experience, scoring 65 out of 110 placing them at the bottom of the leaderboard.

Janey and Maddie welcomed everyone to their Toorak dining room with the hope their fellow contestants felt like kings and queens, “even you Lawrence!”

With presentation high on the menu, the mother and daughter set large expectations at their black-tie event, but an undercooked entrée and underwhelming main brought their scores down.

The entrée of Seared Scallops with Citrus Beurre Blanc and Capers was “a valiant effort” according to Colin, but while the scallops were seared, they were undercooked.

A visit to the kitchen from Colin during preparation of their main – Duck breast with Beetroot and Cherry Sauce – left Janey and Maddie with more doubts after he advised them to double taste everything and don’t overthink the plating compared to the flavour as, “that’s what happened with the entrée.”

Although both judges noted the duck breast was cooked well and Colin “loved the earthiness of the beetroot,” the main was a disappointment. Manu agreed the dish lacked balance as Colin advised they should have taken the duck off the bone to ensure crispy skin.

Deflated, Janey and Maddie tried to recover with their dessert: Liquorice Ice cream with Macaron shells and Raspberry Coulis. The “absolutely delicious” ice cream was a rare jewel in their crown, achieving their highest score of the night: an eight from Colin.

The table talk was hotter than ever with Lawrence attending solo as Hannah wasn’t feeling well. He did not hold back on criticism, as Manu and Colin challenged whether his distaste for the food was purely personal and whether emotion was dictating his critique.

After their scores were revealed, Maddie shared: “I feel like what we delivered really isn’t reflected in that score. Now, we definitely understand what everyone’s been through.”

Janey added: “We’ll live to fight another day, won’t we darling?”

Judges’ Scores	Entrée	Main	Dessert
Manu Feildel	6/10	6/10	6/10	18/30
Colin Fassnidge	5/10	6/10	8/10	19/30
Total Score	37/60

MKR Team Scores
Mike and Pete 5/10
Caz and Fergus 5/10
Robert and Andrea 5/10
Hannah and Lawrence 6/10
Simone and Viviana 7/10
Total Score 28/50

Leaderboard
Simone and Viviana 104/110
Caz and Fergus 72/110
Janey and Maddie 65/110

Monday night on MKR: The competition returns to Perth where fussy friends Mike and Pete are ready for their second round of cooking. Can ‘Mike 2.0’ sweeten the score at their Twisted Lemons Instant Restaurant?

MKR Continues 7.30pm Monday and Tuesday on Channel 7 and 7plus

[JohnsonTV]

The remaining two instant restaurants in this round are Hannah and Lawrence (October 8) and Robert and Andrea (October 14).

[TV.Cynic]

Tears, tension and a table walkout

Mike and Pete try to sweeten sour lemons

Tonight, MKR returned to Perth as Mike and Pete hoped to improve on their first Instant Restaurant and impress the judges with their classic Italian menu. After a successful entrée, things went downhill at Twisted Lemons, with Mike and Pete receiving a score of 70 out of 110.

The fussy friends are, however, safe from elimination as Janey and Maddie remain at the bottom of the leaderboard with two more teams yet to cook.

As the guest teams arrived, Mike and Pete invited Lawrence and Janey to extend an olive branch to each other in the hope to ease the ongoing tension. There was strategy behind their peacemaking as Mike acknowledged: “The tactic behind the olive branch tonight is that they accept the peace. Everyone’s going to have a great time. Therefore, when it comes to scoring, everyone’s going to be happy!”

The Gnocchi with Burnt Butter Sage entrée was “a delicious start of the meal” according to Colin, scoring an eight from both judges. In tears after the feedback, Mike shared: “Mike 2.0, likes to cry, likes to show his emotion and he is a lovely guy.”

Their main dish of Eye Fillet with Polenta Chips and Brussels Sprouts was hit and miss with praise for the “perfectly cooked” eye fillet, but disappointment in the other elements lead to a six from both judges.

A beautifully presented dessert of Drunken Pear with Vanilla Ice cream was Mike and Pete’s lowest scoring dish after Mike’s ‘splash’ of Aperol Spritz was more of a ‘glug’ leading to a bitterness in the sauce they couldn’t overcome.

Despite the rather forced extension of an olive branch between Janey and Lawrence, the tension boiled over at the table as Janey and Maddie discovered what was said when they were in the kitchen hosting their Instant Restaurant last week.

The mother and daughter team were sceptical about Lawrence’s sincerity and told the table they feel the score for their Instant Restaurant was too low. Janey was convinced they were judged unfairly by Lawrence, on personality rather than their food.

Lawrence admitted he called their dishes “arrogant” and doubled down declaring they overexaggerated their abilities and that’s the very definition of arrogance. Janey and Maddie left the table needing a moment outside to regroup before returning knowing the war of words with Lawrence is far from over.

Judges’ Scores	Entrée	Main	Dessert
Manu Feildel	8/10	6/10	5/10	19/30
Colin Fassnidge	8/10	6/10	4/10	18/30
Total Score				37/60

MKR Team Scores
Caz and Fergus 6/10
Janey and Maddie 5/10
Robert and Andrea 7/10
Hannah and Lawrence 8/10
Simone and Viviana 7/10
Total Score 33/50

Leaderboard
Simone and Viviana 104/110
Caz and Fergus 72/110
Mike and Pete 70/110
Janey and Maddie 65/110

Tomorrow night on MKR: Loved-up couple Hannah and Lawrence are cooking for redemption after their last Instant Restaurant, but with elimination on the line they need to score higher than rivals Janey and Maddie.

MKR Continues 7.30pm Tuesday on Channel 7 and 7plus

[TV.Cynic]

Love hurts

Hannah and Lawrence land at the bottom of the leaderboard

Tonight on MKR, Hannah and Lawrence’s love bubble burst when their Instant Restaurant scored 53 out of 110, leaving the couple at the bottom of the leaderboard and at risk of elimination.

The reception was frosty, with Janey refusing to hug Lawrence hello as the couple welcomed guests to their Instant Restaurant, Missing Piece.

The entrée of Chargrilled Octopus with Roasted Capsicum and Chilli sauce was "missing a little bit of je ne sais quoi” according to Manu. Colin agreed “the sauce overtook the octopus.”

Trying to keep their hopes alive, Hannah and Lawrence worked hard on their main of Crispy Pork Belly, Mashed Cauliflower, Vermouth Jus and Apple Sauce. Lawrence sweated it out, attempting to balance perfectly cooked, moist pork with dry, crisp crackling. As his stress rose, the love slowly drained from the kitchen. The pork belly cooked unevenly and did not crisp up.

In a valiant effort to crisp the pork skin, Lawrence placed some pieces in a pan, which burnt the meat. Lawrence ditched the skillet, and with enough pieces to spare, recovered successfully to serve a crispy and tender pork. Both judges praised the meat, with Manu awarding a seven for the dish, but Colin observed Hannah and Lawrence “overcomplicated things” with the jus and mash letting the dish down.

Janey and Maddie were critical of every dish, as Janey admitted it’s not easy to keep emotions out of their scoring. Lawrence said: “I can’t trust Janey and Maddie will be as fair as I was.”

Lawrence, who was born in Belgium, declared waffles a childhood favourite with strong memories of his grandmother. Unfortunately, nobody had anything sweet to say about the dessert of Gaufre de Bruxelles (Belgium waffles) with Strawberry Lime sauce and Dark Chocolate.

Manu called the dish "childish” Colin agreed waffles for dessert are not at the level they should be for this stage of MKR. It was a disastrous end to the night for Hannah and Lawrence and their hopes of beating rivals Janey and Maddie.

Judges’ Scores	Entrée	Main	Dessert
Manu Feildel	5/10	7/10	2/10	14/30
Colin Fassnidge	5/10	6/10	3/10	14/30
Total Score				28/60

MKR Team Scores
Mike and Pete 5/10
Janey and Maddie 3/10
Robert and Andrea 5/10
Caz and Fergus 5/10
Simone and Viviana 7/10
Total Score 25/50

Leaderboard
Simone and Viviana 104/110
Caz and Fergus 72/110
Mike and Pete 70/110
Janey and Maddie 65/110
Hannah and Lawrence 53/110

Monday night on MKR: It’s the final Instant Restaurant with MKR’s first-ever German team, married couple Robert and Andrea. At the end of the night, the team at the bottom of the leaderboard will be eliminated from the competition.

MKR Continues 7.30pm Monday and Tuesday on Channel 7 and 7plus

[JohnsonTV]

My Kitchen Rules fans notice an editing fail during cooking challenge

Best mates Mike and Pete prepared a delectable Italian Gnocchi dish for the judges, as Mike paid tribute to European cooking by wearing a colourful bow tie inspired by the Italian flag.

However, viewers were quick to notice an apparent continuity error as Mike’s tie flipped around during a chat to the camera.

The red, white, and green accessory changed sides, with red facing left and then right as Mike expressed his relief that judge Manu Feildel liked their dish.

[JohnsonTV]

Next Tuesday (October 15), the remaining six teams begin their challenges in Kitchen HQ in Sydney.

In our first Kitchen Headquarters battle, the teams take on the dreaded Pick a Fridge challenge.

[Bergoine]

They’ve been over using the sound effect that sounds like metal poles dropping too much in the last few episodes.