Tonight’s MKR Ultimate Instant Restaurant saw fussy friends Mike and Pete set out to prove they can cook more than traditional Italian fare, serving up an eclectic menu that ultimately kept them safe from elimination with a total score of 63 out of 100.
The confidence was high in the kitchen as Mike proclaimed: “We are going to kick ass. Aprons on, knives out!”
Tonight’s menu included Fish and Chips with Chilli Sauce or Mushroom Risotto for entrée, Cauliflower steak with Cannellini Bean puree and Chimichurri sauce or Squid Ink Pasta with King Prawns for the main, followed by dessert of CrèmeBrûlée or Apple Custard Pie with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.
At the table, Janey and Maddie dropped a truth bomb on Simone and Viviana, revealing Mike called their entree “crap” at last night’s Ultimate Instant Restaurant. Mike also declared he could make a better risotto than Simone and Viviana.
Viviana found Mike and Pete’s comments “disrespectful.” Simone added: “You might think we are overreacting, but that’s what we feel. We got a fire inside. He’s Italian, he knows.”
Mike and Pete prayed their high-risk entrees would equal high rewards. Unfortunately, the dishes didn’t go down well. Judge Manu Feildel was “very underwhelmed” with the fish and chips scoring the dish a four. Judge Colin Fassnidge scored the risotto a six. He praised how Mike and Pete cooked the rice and field mushrooms but declared the sauce in Simone and Viviana’s risotto “had a lot more oomph and a bit more flavour.”
Disappointed by the entrée feedback, Mike and Pete pressed on with their mains including their self-confessed “ballsy” dish of cauliflower steak. Competitors Rob and Liam, currently on the bottom of the leaderboard, shocked the table by ordering the vegetarian main admitting there was more room for error with the dish.
Colin scored the squid ink pasta a six noting: “I want more sauce. I want it dripping in sauce. It was a half-half dish for me.” Manu loved his cauliflower steak recognising the risky dish paid off, scoring an eight, while Rob and Liam had a very different opinion.
Manu’s “absolutely delicious” dessert of cremebrûlée scored a nine. He noted the only negative was the disc of caramel sugar was a little too thick. Colin scored his apple custard pie a seven with some elements to fix but overall, it was a good dessert.
After the scores were revealed, Pete said: “We are pumped about being second on the leaderboard. We didn’t pip the Italians off the post, but we gave them a pretty good run for their money.”
