Reynold Poernomo returns to the Masterchef kitchen

From pressure test to pressure king: Reynold returns to the Masterchef kitchen

Masterchef may have tested him time and time again but now Reynold Poernomo is back with a vengeance.

The dessert master has returned to the TV kitchen having whipped up the ultimate test for this year’s batch of cooks.

Set to put the contestants through their paces with a 10-element, seven-page dessert, the 22-year-old visited the Woman’s Day office to chat about his exciting appearance.

“When they called me up I was genuinely shocked and surprised – I just didn’t expect it,” the bright chef quipped.

Reynold dropped by the office…

Armed with his tantalising dessert.

“I was really surprised. I mean last year, after I got booted, they said we might see you setting the pressure test – but I honestly thought they were joking or being polite!”

There couldn’t be a better fit than the Masterchef alum, who is now a proud restaurateur.

Reynold and his brother Arnold are running KOI dessert bar in Chippendale.

Reynold’s Instagram is a culinary journey! “Matcha, yuzu, shiso & strawberry (watermelon this month) with rhubarb consomme.”

“Before Mastechef I was studying nutrition [I still have a year left]. My main goal was to open up a dessert bar and now that’s my reality,” he shared.

One of Koi’s signature dishes, Moss, will be tonight’s pressure test.

We were lucky enough to try the delectable dessert. And boy was it all kinds of spectacular. If we were wearing a cravat, we’d have to take it off. Immunity pin good.

The dessert king hard at work at KOI

“It’s a dish I’ve been working on with flavours of green I did a pop up last year and I made a dish called moss which I was inspired by the earth. I wanted it to look earthy while tasting delicious – think charred apple, aero yoghurt, dulce de leche, matcha, pistachio sponge and green-apple sorbet.”

So how did Reynold’s unsuspecting victims hold up?

“You’ll have to watch and see,” he laughed.

Some of his Masterchef delights

“They went really well! They really surprised me. Every season everyone does better and better. The cooks seem to love experimenting – playing around with different flavours and techniques. And it really shows!”

His advice to the class of 2016 is to have fun!

“I miss it – it was amazing. The people you meet are brilliant,” he gushed, adding they all still stay in touch. “We all have a whatsapp group! We are all proud of each other and all still close!”