Spicy Indian couple Kim and Pashi from Durban retain the top spot on the leaderboard in the first round of Instant Restaurants in M-Net’s sizzling cooking competition My Kitchen Rules South Africa, with a score of 66 out of 100. And after tonight’s (Sunday, 17 June) disappointing farm-style feast served at the foot of the Drakensberg by country sisters Rox and Spoen, the husband and wife duo Jalal and Adrie from Rietfontein in Pretoria could also breathe a sigh of relief. Even though their Moroccan-inspired dinner from two weeks ago earned them only 61 out of 100, they still beat youngsters Rox and Spoen - by ONE point!
In the competition, five pairs of home cooks invite their fellow competitors as well as celebrity judges David Higgs and J’Something into their homes to treat them to a three-course meal. In the end, the couple at the bottom of the leaderboard will be eliminated while the others move on to the show’s Headquarters, where they will be put to the test with a variety of food challenges.
Rox and Spoen, known for their love of wholesome organic food, aptly called their Instant Restaurant “The Farmhouse”. For starters, they dished up a Phyllo and Camembert Bake – which Spoen had prepared a couple of times before. Unfortunately, the dish did not elicit a favourable response from their their fellow contestants or the judges. “The texture of the pastry was perfect. The cheese... a lovely consistency. But I think the biggest issue was that there was nothing there to really break it. I would have loved a bit of acidity there. It was quite heavy, and as a result, pretty bland,” a disappointed David Higgs admitted.
Back in the kitchen, a deflated Rox and Spoen tried to make amends with their mains, Brangus Beef Fillet. “The fillet's looking good, but if this isn’t right, then it's pretty much a nail in the coffin”, a nervous Rox acknowledged. The pair soldiered on and delivered an aesthetically pleasing plate that they were proud of, but their decision to add quite a few side elements didn’t work in their favour. When the dish finally arrived at the table, the guests had been waiting way too long. “I think the highlight of the dish was definitely the meat, said Adrie. The other home cooks around the table shared Tarryn’s sentiments: “It was just a pity that it was cold.”
If only that could be said of their last course for the evening - a Beetroot & Honeycomb Ice Cream. They struggled with the consistency of the ice cream and had to serve it as quickly as possible, before it could melt. Again, the critics complimented the presentation, but this time missed the beetroot flavour and the texture of ice cream.
Next week Rox and Spoen’s young food buddies, outspoken extroverts Minnie and Tee, will have to prove that their bite is bigger than their bark and thereafter viewers will be whisked off to the home of married couple Tarryn and Diego.
Watch My Kitchen Rules SA Season 2 every Sunday at 18:00, only on #MNet101.
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