Dessert king Reynold Poernomo brings his signature dish Noi for the second pressure test of MasterChef Australia, season 14

In the second heart-racing pressure test of the season on Wednesday, MasterChef Australia alumni and dessert king Reynold Poernomo returned to the kitchen with his new intricate signature dessert, Noi. With layers of flavours and sweetness, Reynold’s Noi was a highly technical dish that culminated all his learnings in his time on MasterChef in Season 7. Incorporating elements from many of his past masterpieces, Noi was an amalgamation of jasmine whipped ganache, caramelised apple jelly, blossom apple, green apple sorbet, poached apples, chocolate twigs, white chocolate crumble and a burnt honey gel. 

With four hours to recreate the dish, tension soared high for Max Krapivysky, Jenn Lee, John Carasig and Alvin Quah as they faced the pressure test.  Determined to stay safe, Favourite Alvin, who was extremely nervous, vowed to tackle one component at a time and remain calm while Fan Jenn, who faced her first pressure test ever,  followed her instincts. Favourite John, who cooked with Reynold in season 7 felt under control as Fan  Max took a methodological approach from the beginning. In a frantic race to complete their elements, the four contestants gave it all to plate up the delicate and beautiful dessert.  

Judges Melissa Leong, Jock Zonfrillo and Andy Allen loved all the elements of the dish presented by John, calling it a perfect dish. Jenn’s dish, despite early hiccups, made the judges very happy and they lauded her for her efforts. Alvin’s dessert closely replicated Reynold’s dish and his refined palette and excellent flavours stood out. However, after failing to nail the flavours of the complex dessert, Max was announced as the third contestant eliminated from the MasterChef kitchen.  “ It’s been a long dream to get into the kitchen, and while I am devastated to leave so early, I want to thank the judges for the opportunity to join the competition,” said Max.  

All the four contestants ended up in the elimination challenge after they lost Chef Shannon Bennett’s mystery box challenge with 10 of his favourite items. 

About MasterChef Australia 14

Bringing together the top 12 previous season favourites and 12 top home chefs, MasterChef Australia’s latest season will see the 24 contestants compete for the ultimate cooking title in MasterChef Australia: Fans & Favourites. This season brings back the first title winner of the show Julie Goodwin along with favourites like Sashi Cheliah, Billie McKay, and others. Sarah Todd with her passion for India will recreate regional dishes from across the country to present before the judges. As new episodes release only on Disney+ Hotstar, judges Jock Zonfrillo, Melissa Leong and Andy Allen set all-new challenges for the aspiring culinary stars in the MasterChef kitchen.

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