The Masterchef franchise took their concept to
a whole new level, proving that culinary school and years of experience in restaurants are
not necessarily required to be an excellent chef with an eye for impeccable detail.
And thus, Masterchef Junior was launched and proved to the world that kids as young 9 years
old have what it takes to be a true Masterchef just as much as any adult.
The Introductions
On Masterchef Junior, each contestant’s first introduction leaves a very powerful
impression.
It’s easy to be in awe of how clear the contestants are about their dreams and goals
at such a young age.
Despite these kids being between 9 and 13 years old, they are already respectable and
inspirational individuals.
These children do not put up a front to hide what they are feeling.
It’s wonderful to see their joy and excitement jump out on screen and feel it all along with
them.
Another refreshing and genuine moment comes from Jack, a candidate who we can tell is
a little firecracker of personality right from the very beginning.
Already we can tell that we will truly enjoy watching as these kids learn, grow and cook
amazing dishes.
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The Seafood Challenge
Fresh seafood and young children do not usually mix very well.
Their palates are generally not developed enough or ready for such strong flavors.
So it was truly impressive to watch as the contestants tackled the first challenge with
the taste and maturity that many adults have when eating seafood.
When the judges first revealed all the different kinds of underwater creatures they had on
ice, some of the kids kept a serious face and it was hard to tell what they were thinking.
The kids prepared creative and delectable gourmet dishes with the challenging ingredients.
Some of which the judges had never tried before, like the unique cactus salad.
Others made complicated dishes that could have easily gone wrong, like the sushi and
seared tuna from 12 year old, Roen.
Overall, the contestants made it really hard for both the judges and the audience to pick
a favorite!
The Judges as Mentors
It’s not surprising that a lot of people were a little bit nervous when it was announced
that Gordon Ramsay would be judging children on a cooking show.
However, it is quickly established that the tone of judging in Masterchef Junior would
be completely different than any other show.
Gordon even helps one of the contestants finish a challenge, teaching the kids not to give
up, even when things get hard.
Even the kids that had to leave the competition after the first round of judging benefited
from advice that they could take with them to better their skills.
Dara shares her “food dream” with Gordon.
Later when she cries (no doubt overwhelmed with the pressure and excitement), Graham
handles it very smoothly and with a lot of sensitivity.
The Friendships & Teamwork
On the adult version of Masterchef, the contestants can sometimes get feisty and develop a bit
of an attitude.
The members of Masterchef Junior Season 1 could teach adults not just about cooking
magnificently, but also about how to have a good, supportive attitude when participating
in a competition.
This new franchise of Masterchef taught us that we can still cheer for our competition.
These children may have been in it to win it, yet they still managed to create friendships
along the way.
They even learned what it was like to be in a team and how to be a team player.
These contestants not only brought home the rare opportunity given to them by this competition
but have brought with them friendship, teamwork and life experiences that they will never
ever forget.
The First Dessert Challenge
In every cooking competition, you would often bet that there would be a dessert challenge.
It may be a dessert challenge but not everyone had a sweet moment.
Motivated and ready to try again, Sophia was able to pick herself up and carry on with
the competition.
Even one of the top contenders, Alexander, found the challenge to be quite grueling.
Not everyone seemed to be unhappy about that.
There were also cakes that the judges found to be absolutely amazing both visually and
taste-wise.
Even with Gordon Ramsay’s help, Sophia was sent home and Alexander got another chance
to make things right.
You can say that this moment was definitely bittersweet.
The Whipped Cream Fiasco
When in the top 3 of a challenge, you would not expect to go into another challenge!
The challenge was to do a perfect whipped cream.
The top 3 challengers whipped that cream until one was done.
How do you prove that your whipped cream could stand against gravity?
Just pour it on the heads of the judges and find out.
Joe and Gordon?
Well...
With all that whipped cream, he was still caught off guard.
But hey, all is fair in love and whipped cream.
Blue Team, Red Team
In all competition shows, the contestants tend to have trouble when they reach a challenge
where they have to work in a team.
In this part of the competitions, the little chefs were divided into two.
This challenge gave our home cooks a glimpse of the real world.
Of course, personalities clashed.
This also showed when the Red Team won the challenge.
But hey, it was their first time being in that environment and there was a lot of pressure
especially for kids their age.
For 9 to 13-year-olds, that is pretty amazing.
These guests agreed with us.
The Bravery
With the mystery box comes suspense.
In this challenge, our little master chefs were in for quite a surprise.
Not a pleasant one.
The ingredients were not for the faint of heart.
Even in imagination, we cringe thinking about it.
How these brave young cooks went through this challenge without a nose plug, we’ll never
know.
We can run their reactions all day with this challenge.
In all honesty, their reactions matched ours perfectly.
The contestants were still able to pull off some amazing dishes.
You know what they say: if it scares you, cook it!
Wait...
If this was not bravery, then we don’t what is.
Our junior MasterChefs had outdone themselves yet again.
Edible Art
Food has to taste good, but it’s at a whole other level when it also manages to look good
enough to be considered artistic.
There are lots of examples of dishes throughout Season 1 that could be considered edible art
and worthy of serving at any high-end restaurant.
He managed to make something attractive and tasty, despite not liking fennel, one of the
main ingredients.
He also succeeds with his edible art when working in a team.
Together, Alexander and Troy managed to make a perfect Beef Wellington.
It’s quite the challenge.
But Troy and Alexander were able to present a Beef Wellington that looked beautiful from
the inside out.
Even though the young home chefs had never cooked in a restaurant setting, they knew
how to plate their meals in a way that made sense and looked perfect-o!
The Nerve-Racking Finale
As the competition drew to a close, it became harder to say goodbye to the contestants and
watch them leave.
Week after week of witnessing the amazing chefs go home had left Dara and Alexander
to battle it out, with their families and past contestants watching and cheering them
on.
Both contestants have wowed all of us throughout the competition with their advanced skills.
Dara, with a personality and talent as big as her playful bows, amazed the judges with
decisions that show elevated taste for her culinary craft.
She was very clear headed and confident, despite having a moment where she felt dizzy - which
she handled with grace and maturity.
Alexander, despite his talent and the competitive nature of the show, continued to show kindness
and willingness to help others in moments of stress and desperation.
We hope you liked the video!
Were there any great moments of Season 1 that we missed?
If you enjoyed this video, make sure to check out our videos covering Seasons 2 to 6!
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