When MasterChef‘s Miin Wei Looi applied for the beloved cooking show, he was determined to do one thing: share his Malaysian culture and its incredible food with Australia. During Nostalgia Week, Miin was given the type of challenge he could have only dreamed of — a challenge to create a dish showcasing his connection to his roots.
While it was the kind of challenge Miin went on MasterChef to compete in, the cook ended in disaster, sending him packing.
But for Melbourne-based communications strategist, the opportunity to showcase a piece of himself and his culture was worth the price of an elimination.
“I’m at peace and I’m quite pragmatic about it,” he tells TV WEEK.
“One of the things I told myself coming into the competition was that I wanted to cook and showcase my Malaysian background and heritage. And I’m happy that I managed to do that, showing glimpses of the diversity of Malaysian cuisine and the intertwining of cultures that have influenced it over the generations.
“I have no regrets going home on a challenge connected to my heritage, in the end I stayed true to who I am and what I wanted to represent.”
Throughout the competition, the 52-year-old was a front-runner, landing a handful of top dishes that the judges raved about. But according to Miin, that’s just how the cookie crumbles in the MasterChef kitchen.
“The reality is all it takes is one mistake or one poor cook to send you home, especially when you’re cooking against so many talented and amazing cooks. I made mistakes and had a poor cook on the day so it’s not surprising that I got eliminated when I did,” he explains.
While he had high hopes during the cook that he’d be able to turn things around, it was around his fourth attempt at making the noodles that he knew his time was up.
“At that point, I was quite certain that I was going to be eliminated,” Miin admits.
“I was very honest with myself throughout the competition. When I did a poor job, or messed up, I would be the first one to put up my hand and admit it — and was happy to accept the consequences.”
Behind the scenes, it wasn’t just the cooking bubble that made the experience so impactful — it was the people he was surrounded with. Although he says he grew closest with Pat and Emily, Miin says everyone on the show became incredibly close.
“Pat and I were roommates since the very beginning. I think without Pat, I wouldn’t have survived as long as I did. Also Emily because of our shared cultural background and because she spent time volunteering in Malaysia, so there was a natural shared connection,” Miin shares.
“It was tough saying goodbye to everyone because we’ve grown so close and become family. Yes, it may sound cliched but it’s absolutely true — the shared MasterChef experience really brings everyone together into a very tight knit group.”
For Miin, it was his fellow contestants who were the best part of the whirlwind experience.
“The whole experience far exceeded what I ever imagined it would be like,” he gushes.
“More than anything, it was the people. Meeting people I’d never had otherwise met in my life. The friendships and bonds that we formed, the memories that we’ll carry for the rest of our lives.
Despite his MasterChef journey ending a bit earlier than he would have liked, there was one person quietly happy he was home — his wife Melysa.
“She was quite happy because she got me back to cook for her every day after my exit,” he laughed, noting that his loved ones were very proud of what he was able to achieve on the show.
Back home in Melbourne, Miin is excited to continue sharing his love of Malaysian cooking with Australia on Instagram and one day, with hopes of launching something more tangible.
“In the long run, fingers crossed, you may see a range of sauces and condiments that’ll help you re-create some of my favourite dishes at home without having to go through all the work yourself,” he says.
And for whether Miin would consider a return to the MasterChef kitchen?
“If I ever got invited back, 100 per cent would!” he says.
“And I would come back a lot better prepared and hopefully less of a train wreck in kitchen. Also, I’d need to get laser surgery on my eyes!”
You can read about everyone eliminated from the MasterChef 2026 kitchen HERE.
You can tune into MasterChef Australia on 10 or 10Play.
