The first ever Pinoy MasterChef will finally be determined by Judy Ann Santos-Agoncillo and Chef Ferns, Chef Lau, and Chef Jayps who will be sampling their dishes live, with Queen of All Media Kris Aquino and Kapamilya actor Richard Gomez sitting as judges to help them decide who among the country’s best home cooks is the most deserving to win the title.
With months of training in the MasterChef kitchen, the Final Four cooks have not only acquired new culinary skills but also confidence to succeed for themselves and their families.
“I can say that my determination and love for cooking have nurtured me to become a better cook. I’m not a perfectly skilled and knowledgeable cook but I have the biggest heart among all the contenders in the show,” said JR, the Rakistang Kusinero of Benguet.
Carla, the eldest in the group at 40, is confident that her years of experience as a home cook and a housewife will lead her to the top. ”I’m older than all of them and I’ve been a home cook for a very long time. I’ve used ingredients they never used before. I also know basic cooking techniques they don’t,” quipped the Negosyanteng Kusinera of Bulacan.
The Chef Accountant of Muntinlupa Myra also banks on her being a mother but mostly takes pride in her self-discipline. “I’m more experienced than them—that disciplined me and molded me into a better person in real life and in the kitchen. Being a good chef isn’t just about talent and skills; more importantly, it’s the right attitude that matters,” she said.
Not to be left out is Ivory, the Kusina Fashionista of Quezon City, who boasts of her knowledge of the different cuisines in the world. She said, “My edge over them is I know all the cuisines of the world. I want to raise the standards of Filipino cuisine, not only the classic adobo, kare-kare, or pinakbet. I want to inspire Filipinos to travel the world through food.”
Despite their searing determination to edge out each other, they said they will use their MasterChef experience to fulfill their ambitions, whether they win or lose. Being a part of the kusina serye, they said, is a priceless experience they will treasure in their lifetime.
JR shared that he has already resigned from his job in order to focus on cooking and study professionally. Carla, meanwhile, wants to expand her home cooking business she is known for in their neighborhood.
Putting up a restaurant has always been the ultimate dream of Myra and Ivory, who both admitted they “got off course” from their dream of becoming a chef. Myra was forced to take up accountancy because it was the most convenient career choice for her family, while Ivory is a nurse who had initially pursued to become a doctor to follow her parents’ wishes.
The first ever Pinoy MasterChef will win P1 million from Clara Oil, a kitchen showcase from Whirlpool, and a Diploma Program for Professional Culinary Arts scholarship at the Center for Asian Culinary Studies.
The second, third, and fourth placers will win P500,000, P300,000, and P200,000 respectively. They will each get a kitchen package from Fujidenzo and a scholarship at the Center for Asian Culinary Studies.
Don’t miss the “MasterChef Pinoy Edition: The Live Cook-off” this Saturday (Feb 9), 10 AM, live on ABS-CBN and the remaining days of Masterchef Pinoy Edition, 10:15AM before Minute to Win It. Maging updated sa programa at i-like ang www.facebook.com/MasterChefPH, sundan ang @MasterChefPHL sa Twitter, o bisitahin ang www.masterchefph.tv.
