On last night’s Plate of Origin, Team Cameroon and Team Vietnam went head-to-head with both teams plating up incredible mains, leaving a dessert duel as the final decider. Team Cameroon – sisters Kelly and Ashley – won with a score of 48 out of 60 after pushing through an emotional cook, feeling the pressure of not letting their family and community down.
Mates Thanh and Duncan from Team Vietnam packed a powerful flavour punch with their spicy beef noodle soup, garnering glowing praise from the judges with only one small negative – the pig’s trotters were slightly undercooked for Matt.
Team Cameroon made a stunning comeback after running short of prep time and burning the base of their tomato stew, leaving Ashley in tears. After a pep talk from Gary and cheered on by the other teams, they pulled together a near perfect main course for all three judges with only the chicken missing a crispy skin. Manu scored them a perfect 10, the dish evoking happy memories of eating Cameroonian cuisine as a child.
For dessert, Team Vietnam once again played with unusual flavours using charred corn in a dessert, which added to an overcooked sago, proved their downfall despite praise for their coconut ice cream. Team Cameroon won the dessert show down with served beignets, and although the sides to the dish were perfect, the beignets themselves were heavy.
“We are going into the elimination round but there’s a fire in my belly,” declared Thanh after their defeat with Duncan adding, “I can’t wait to get back in that kitchen.”
TEAM CAMEROON 48/60
SISTERS KELLY, 26 & ASHLEY, 28 – VIC
MAIN – Chicken with Jollof Rice and Plantain
Manu: “Food can be an emotional experience and your main course was very emotional for me. It was absolutely delicious.”
Gary: “The dish was complex and warming. A pure expression of that big family you have at home and you transported us right there.”
DESSERT – Beignet with Burnt White Chocolate Ice Cream
Matt: “When that arrived at the table it looked like an African sunset all those reds, oranges and gold however, the beignet were heavy.”
Gary: “The intention behind a beignet, even the word, is that it makes you think of something light and crispy; but I loved the ice cream.”
TEAM VIETNAM 42/60
FRIENDS THANH, 31 & DUNCAN, 30 – VIC
MAIN – Bún Bò Hue (Spicy Beef Noodle Soup)
Manu: “The broth alone was so powerful. There was so much work, it just paid off in every way. An outstanding main course.”
Matt: “You came into this fight confident and you led with a real punch. For me it has one shortcoming, the pigs trotter was slightly undercooked.”
DESSERT – Coconut Corn Sago
Matt: “That saucy coconut cream is the hero, there just wasn’t enough of it. If you just bought us that amazing coconut ice cream and that pineapple with all those street flavours on it we would have been absolutely rapt.”
Manu: “The sago was gluggy, overcooked and charred corn – I just didn’t understand what was going on.”
