Now that MasterChef Singapore has conceded to its audience’s wishes and turned what would’ve been a Mandarin TV show into an English one, we admit we’re probably gonna be one of the many who will tune in to Channel 5 for the first time in eons come September, when the cooking competition airs.
Especially since the three judges for the series debut in Singapore are some of our favorite names in the local culinary world. There’s Bjorn Shen, the chef-owner of modern Middle Eastern restaurant Artichoke (which, if you haven’t visited, you’re sorely missing out), Damian D’Silva, most recently known for whipping up flavorful Peranakan cuisine at Folklore (also a gem of a find), and Audra Morrice, whom you’ll recognize as a finalist from MasterChef Australia in 2012.
Shen is no stranger to being on TV — having held roles on shows like Eat List Star and Savouring the Future, as well as guest-starring stints on MasterChef Asia — and has a rep for his Dude-Sin approach to food and a knack for cooking up outrageous creations (fried chicken cake, anyone?).
“It’s about time MasterChef came to Singapore. We are a nation of very proud home cooks, and I’m sure many of my fellow Singaporeans have been waiting a long time to show off their chops on a TV show of this level,” Shen said. “As one of the judges, I’m feeling particularly excited to taste what these guys have got up their sleeves, not literally of course.”
As for D’Silva, traditional heritage food is what comes to mind when you think about the dishes he presents. Influenced by his Eurasian-Peranakan background, the chef said he would do his “utmost to invoke the cooking spirit from every contestant, so that they can find their true self.”
Then there’s Morrice, the Singapore-born chef whose career in the culinary industry sparked after her appearance on MasterChef Australia — since then, she has since published a cookbook, produced a range of all-natural gluten-free products, and now heads a catering business in Sydney as well as cooking classes in Sydney and Singapore.
Of her return to the series, she described the opportunity as one that would “showcase and harness not just the wonderful multicultural cuisine and people” of Singapore, but “hopefully inspire and encourage more people to get back into the kitchen and discover their hidden “MasterChef” talents”.
After going through multiple attempts at pairing different permutations of judges, these three respected names had the best chemistry, and we’re kind of psyched to see what they’ll be like on the first ever MasterChef Singapore. So mark the date on your calendar for the series debut on Sept 2 at 9:30pm.
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