Tonight on MKR, Lol and Lil’s Ultimate Instant Restaurant was a rollercoaster of highs, lows and a whole lot of drama.
Their scores ranged from a lowly two to perfect 10s, culminating in a total of 68 out of 100, leaving the besties from Logan in a precarious position despite a strong start.
Their menu promised bold flavours and technical ambition, but while the execution didn’t always live up to the promise, the Logan battlers worked hard to dismiss their detractors and prove they deserve their seat at the MKR table.
The entrées, French Onion Soup and Fried Chicken Bao Buns kicked things off with promise.
The mains – Rotisserie Chicken Gyros with Pickled Red Onions and Tzatziki and Beef Bulgogi Egg Net – faltered.
Their desserts – Chai Poached Pear with Salted Caramel and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and Raspberry and Chocolate Tart with Raspberry Coulis – became a battleground for redemption.
The addition of open scoring – where other teams reveal their feedback and scores to everyone – continued to cause drama.
At the dinner table, the tension boiled over as Will confronted Maria and Bailey about their previous scoring at Justin and Will’s Ultimate Instant Restaurant.
“There were dishes that were 10s, you guys gave a six – it just seems suss,” Will said
Bailey insisted, “Nothing changed, we are super honest in the way we score.”
When Mark pushed the point about strategic scoring, Maria admitted: “Only for the last one,” referring to Amy and Lara’s Instant Restaurant, sparking a fiery exchange.
“Round two, we were on the bottom of the leaderboard and scared we were going to go home,” she explained. “So just to be certain, we are going to make it to HQ, we scored a point less. It was either them or us, so you do whatever you can to go back to Kitchen HQ. Anyone would do it.”
Will wasn’t convinced: “If something’s going to be the difference between someone going home and we lowball, we are not going to be able to sleep.”
The pressure of double dishes kicked in early as the first batch of Bao Buns deflated, forcing a redo, and concerns mounted over whether their main Rotisserie Chicken Gyros would meet Maria’s Greek expectations. The Beef Bulgogi didn’t get the attention it needed, and confidence in the kitchen waned.
Dessert prep was another test as the tart base cracked, Lil had to make a new dough from scratch, but they nailed their ice cream and had high expectations for the poached pear.
The food itself was a rollercoaster. The French Onion soup was too thick, but the flavour couldn’t be faulted. Manu scored the dish an eight, adding: “Flavour tick, only thing they haven’t delivered is enough stock, apart from that, absolutely delicious.”
Colin scored the “thoroughly delicious” Bao Buns, a 10: “I would pay for them in any restaurant.”
The mains were a letdown. Colin scored a five for the “half-half chicken dish”, advising they should have used chicken thigh with fat.
Manu was harsher on the “overcooked” beef, scoring the “sticky mess that’s not flavoursome” a two. Mark didn’t hold back either: “This is one of the worst dishes I’ve had in the competition.”
Dessert brought the ride back to a high with Manu scoring the “magical” pear a 10. Colin enjoyed the tart but found it rich and needed cream, scoring a seven.
