Ben Ungermann and Diana Chan have cooked their way to the grand final of MasterChef Australia.
TV WEEK caught up with the contestants to find out about the highs and lows of life in the MasterChef kitchen.
What was the toughest challenge?
Ben: The Dinner by Heston [Blumenthal] challenge – having to replicate 40 pressure-test dishes.
Diana: The “Pearl On The Ocean Floor” pressure test set by [superchef] Shaun Quade. It was such a beautiful dish.
And a favourite?
B: The last cook in Heston Week. That was such an achievement. My kids were proud of me.
D: Cooking at Ebisu Yokocho in Tokyo. Everything was so different to what we had done before.
Who had the most annoying habit?
B: Callan – he was a much better dancer than me!
D: Ben – he played his music way too loud.
Who was the messiest cook?
B: Bryan!
D: Bryan or Benjamin. Their benches looked like a bombsite.
What will you miss about the competition?
B: Waking up and knowing I’d be cooking in the MasterChef kitchen.
D: The adrenaline when you come out on top in the challenges.
What won’t you miss that much?
B: Being away from loved ones – especially my partner and children.
D: The stress. I think I’ve aged since being in the competition.
What’s next for you?
B: A real career in the food industry.
D: I hope it [being on MasterChef] opens up lots of fantastic opportunities with my fresh, casual restaurant I’m working on. I also want to teach kids about wholesome eating.
