onight on the season return of MKR, competitive brothers Rob and Liam set fire to the leaderboard with a total score of 84 out of 110 for their Instant Restaurant: Yakety Yaks.
The close-knit brothers from Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula served local Safety Beach Mussels in a Cajun sauce for their entree, Beef Short Ribs with Nduja Cauliflower Cheese for main and Peanut Butter S’mores with Bourbon Caramel sauce for dessert.
Dining at Yakety Yaks were MKR’s other new teams: Western Australia’s loved-up couple Hannah and Lawrence and fussy friends Mike and Pete; Queensland siblings Danny and Sonia and modern Italian friends Simone and Viviana; as well as young mums from Adelaide Ash and Cassie.
Also at the dinner table, MKR judge Colin Fassnidge warned the teams: “You are not going to know what hit you. At the end of this round, there’s a twist coming. Something that has never happened on MKR before. It’s going to be a wild ride.”
Friends Mike and Pete made their mark early declaring Rob and Liam were “playing it safe, the dishes were basic” setting the tone for some robust competition with fellow Italians Simone and Viviana.
Mike revealed their strategy: “I want them to think we aren’t cooks, we are going to bomb out, we aren’t competitive, and we are going to walk away with the $100,000!”
Judge Manu Feildel acknowledged Rob and Liam’s entrée was “a great dish, but it could have been better.”
The brothers rallied and went “from strength to strength” according to Colin. Despite some inconsistencies in the main, Colin complimented the fact his butter knife cut through the ribs, and Manu recognised they were soft, juicy and “well-seasoned with a beautiful crust on the outside,” earning a strong seven from both judges.
Dessert was a highlight with a bourbon sauce Colin “would buy in a shop.”
The judges awarded Rob and Liam a total score of 47 out of 60, including a nine from both Manu and Colin for their dessert. The guest teams gave them a score of 37, bringing Rob and Liam’s overall total to 84 out of 110.