Great Aussie Jaffle challenge: MasterChef Australia contestants face the first elimination of the season

After a rollercoaster first week of cooking in the MasterChef kitchen under extreme pressures of rising as champions, episode 5 of the prestigious MasterChef Australia, season 14, finally saw its first elimination. 

Chris Tran, who began as a cheerleader in the kitchen became the first contestant to be evicted from the show as his noodles left a bitter taste on the Judges’ table. The marketing consultant from the Fans team left the judges unimpressed with his Vietnamese Mì Xào Giòn dish (crispy noodle stir-fry) that perished hopes of the contender owing to its burnt oil flavour. 

Not losing hope, Chris promised to come back as a better cook in the MasterChef kitchen. “It feels terrible to be the first one to be eliminated but I am going to keep cooking. I have learnt a lot in a short period of time and if you see me next time, I am going to come back as a better cook,” said the young aspiring chef. 

Chris also revealed that the dish reminds him of spending time with his family and that he wants to make his father proud with his endeavours as a culinary chef.  He also shared his gratitude for the start of his journey with valuable insights from cooking legends and contestants.

Called the Great Aussie Jaffle, the challenge consisted of two rounds; The first challenge involved  Fans and Favourites cooking a stunning dish using a Jaffle maker.Following several nervous attempts by the contestants, Minoli Del Silva’s phenomenal, meaty Chicken Potato curry Jaffle dish saved the entire Favourites team.Meanwhile, Christina’s Mac and Cheese baked Jaffle were also well appreciated.Judge Andy Allen called it a “perfectly made Jaffle.”

The Fans team were left to face the second round which involved cooking a dish that changed their lives and made them who they are today. The team had to bring their best dish forth in a span of a terrifying 75 minutes. After the judges had tasted the Fans’ dishes, Chris was evicted after being in the bottom three of the day alongside Max Krapivsky and Harry Tomlinson.

Julie Goodwin, who opened up about her battle with mental health in the past 13 years, in the episode that went by on Friday, wasn’t a part of this challenge as she won immunity for this week. “It’s been a tough couple of years, and I didn’t know if I was able to come back into this environment. My experience last time was that I fell over again and again, and I think I got to the end because every time I fell down I got back up. The phone call to come here was … it was the universe saying ‘It’s time to get back up,” she said.

In the next episode, fans and favourites will witness the first-ever Mystery Box of the season with a bespoke challenge. Stay tuned as we bring to you key highlights of the latest episodes.  

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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