All language subtitles for Masterchef.Au.S16E37.720p.WEB-DL.AAC2.0.H.264-WH

VOICEOVER: This week
on MasterChef Australia...

..an Asian adventure...

..of epic proportions...

DARRSH: This is a dream!

..will stimulate the senses...

NAT: Oh, look at this!

..tantalise the tastebuds...

POH: Absolutely delicious!

It's really, really flavourful!

..and test our home cooks...

Keep going. Keep going

..to the max.

This is so hard!

The incredible odyssey begins now.

I'm so lucky
because the last challenge

is the first challenge
that I've actually won,

and it's come at the perfect time

because it means I'm flying
business class to Hong Kong.

Hey, hello. Good afternoon, sir...
Hi, how are you?

..welcome aboard.
Thank you.

May I show you your seat?
Absolutely.

This way, please.
Cheers.

I'm so stoked.

I've never flown business class
before.

(LAUGHS) Cool!
Thank you.

I'm feeling like a rock star!

Always had to, like, walk past
the nice seats

and continue down the back!

We don't really know what we're
going to be doing in Hong Kong,

but it's super exciting...

Hello, sir. May I serve you
your pan-seared barramundi?

Wow, thank you!
Please enjoy.

Thank you so much. Oh!

..and no matter
what the challenge is...

Cooked to perfection!

..I'm going to be well rested,

being waited on for nine hours!

I reckon this is going to give me
an edge in this competition.

Ha, yeah! It's just...
Yeah, it's super nice.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

MIMI: Oh...
Oh, wow!

..my God!

ANDY: Hey!

Come on, everybody!

I just can't...

..I just can't wipe the smile
off my face!

Oh, my God!

I've lived here.

I've grown up here.

Food is so powerful in our culture.

What in the world...?

I feel very proud to be representing
both Australia in Hong Kong,

but also representing Hong Kong
as part of MasterChef Australia.

Come on, everybody!

LOCHY: Oh, my God, look over there!

Harry, you're looking
particularly fresh!

(SOFIA LAUGHS)
Look at him!

PEZZA: Man, that makes
my legs shake.

I could not go near that edge there.

Look at that, mate!

Oh, how pumped is this?

Little Tassie boy
that's never been out of...

..really, out of Tassie.

I'd come to Melbourne and that
every now and then

to watch the footy,

but I've never been
out of Australia...

..let alone Hong Kong!

It's lit up like Luna Park.

All of the huge buildings
and the lights, like...

..it's like it's a cinema
in front of us.

It's unbelievable!

I cannot believe
I'm saying this, but...

..welcome to Hong Kong!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

NAT: Awesome!

# Je revais Hong Kong!

# Je revais Hong Kong! #
(LAUGHTER)

Oh!

And, Poh, you've finally made it
to Hong Kong!

I don't know if you guys know,
but in season one, I got eliminated

just before we went to Hong Kong,

so I'm stoked to be here.

Look, guys, unfortunately,
for some personal reasons,

Sav won't be able
to join us this week,

but we'll be seeing her when we
get back to the MasterChef kitchen.

Lochy, mate, pinch-yourself moment,

dream come true - what about this?

I've never been to Hong Kong
before,

so this is extremely
exciting for me.

I travel for food,
and this is the first time

actually travelling to cook.

Well, over the next three days,
we're all going on a food adventure

that none of us will ever forget.

You're going to get a true taste

of one of the world's
culinary capitals.

Home to 79 Michelin stars,
Hong Kong is one

of the highest densities
of restaurants in the whole world.

From local street eats...

..to international flavours
and award-winning fine dining,

it's got everything.

And we...we're going
to experience it all...

..surrounded by some of the most
iconic landmarks.

And it all kicks off...

..tomorrow with a mystery box...

..just down there,
right on the iconic Victoria Harbour.

So, guys, be ready for some
amazing challenges

and enjoy great food.

We'll see you there.

Trust me, eat some food,
but get a good night's sleep.

See you, crew!
Oh, yeah!

Well done.

NAT: So cool!

DARRSH: Being up on this rooftop,
you can see everything,

and I just want to go and taste
and explore it all tonight

because...the Michelin-starred
restaurants, street food tours -

I'm just so pumped for
this whole experience of Hong Kong.

MIMI: Oh, I can't wait!

I can't believe we're in Hong Kong!

HARRY: Look at this.

PEZZA: City of dreams.
Yeah.

MIMI: I can't believe it! (LAUGHS)

NAT: Why the hell are they putting
everything here?

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Come on, let's go!
Allez!

Give us a bit of that
Hong Kong energy, eh?

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
Woo!

SOFIA: Welcome to the Art Park...

..located
in the West Kowloon District

on the Victoria Harbour front.

This is the heart of Hong Kong.

This vibrant cultural quarter
is home to world-class museums...

..performing arts venues...

..and today,
your Mystery Box Challenge!

To keep the good times rolling,

there is only one elimination
this week,

and it's happening
back in the MasterChef kitchen.

Yeah!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

You're welcome!

None of you will be leaving
Hong Kong broken-hearted!

Every day, in this beautiful city,

you will be cooking
for a shot at immunity...

CONTESTANTS: Oh!
Oh, let's go!

Feels good.

..starting today!

Cook one of the best three dishes,

and you'll be in tomorrow's
immunity challenge.

LOCHY: At this point
in the competition,

immunity is so important,

'cause if you get immunity,
you're in the top six,

so the pressure here in Hong Kong
is definitely on.

Nat, how are you feeling today?

After walking through
all the markets today,

I'm just, like, I have no idea
what you guys are going to give us.

Like, there could be some, you know,
fish hearts or...

Harry's gonna make
some fish-heart ice-cream, so...

Oh, yeah! (LAUGHS)
(LAUGHTER)

Are you guys ready to see
what's inside?

Yes!
Yeah! Let's do it.

Alright, go ahead
and lift your lids...

..now!

(SURPRISED GASPS)

Oh, yum!

Mangosteen!

It's a celebration of Hong Kong!

We've got flower crabs,

there's also Pu-erh tea -

that's an aged, fermented tea -

fermented bean curd,

just think of it like cheese.

The yam bean.

You've also got gai lan...

..red scallions,

mangosteen...

..pork belly,

ginger,

lap cheong,

soy sauce,

a little bowl of warm spices -

we have 20-year-old
dried mandarin peel, whole cloves,

black cardamom, fennel seeds,
star-anise and cassia bark.

With authentic local produce,

you've got a real opportunity here
to make something fantastic.

We're gonna give you 75 minutes,

and we want you to whip up a dish

using at least one ingredient
from the Hong Kong box.

And the under-bench staples
are in play.

If you bring us one
of the top three dishes,

you'll be in tomorrow's cook,

vying for immunity
from Sunday's elimination.

Mm.

Phew! Let's go!

Are we all ready?
ALL: Yeah.

Are we all ready?
Yeah!

Louder!
75 minutes will start now!

Oh, my God, pressure cooker!

Come on!
Oh, let's go, let's go, let's go.

Am I going to use those?

Maybe!

No.

No.

Just look at this, you know,
like, right on the water,

the boat's coming up and down
the riv...

It's just beautiful!

And I'm still pinching myself
that I'm in Hong Kong, you know?

Like, never been out of the country

and the first trip,
I'm in Hong Kong!

I'm living the dream.
That's what we say at home.

But this is not my style of food.

I love eating it,
but I've never cooked it much,

so definitely pushing myself today.

Hong Kong mystery box is stuff
that I'm not used to using.

But this is top seven,

and you've got to be
so able to adapt.

Local pork. It's bloody beautiful!

I mean, I like the look
of this pork belly.

It's very nice and fatty,

and I've got something in my mind
that I think that I can crack.

I've never made the dish,
I've got to be completely honest,

but I had it in Hong Kong yesterday.

Pezza.
Chefs. How are yous going?

What are you thinking?

I'm thinking about doing
a sticky pork noodles.

Mince that pork belly up,

put some nice...probably some
of the sausage and shrimp,

and then I'm going
to make a sort of sauce,

I'm gonna make it sticky.

Mm-hm.
Gotcha.

So, because you are doing Chinese...
Yep?

..I would always think about

how you're balancing
all those flavours...

Yep.
..OK?

Salty, sweet, sour, bitter
and umami.

You need all of them to sing,
so that it's like, "Yeah, baby."

You know? If it's overloaded
with sweetness

or overloaded with saltiness...

This isn't gonna be a win. Yep.
..it's not going to work.

Yeah.
Alright?

But chance at immunity tomorrow.
Yep, for sure.

Got to remind you, right?
Yep.

So, go hard!
Thanks, guys. Appreciate it.

Good luck.
Good on you.

This is going to be well
outside my comfort zone,

because there's some flavours here
that are new,

but got to get this balance
of that pork mince perfect.

That's all I was after.

It's only just sort of hit me
that, like, we're doing this.

We're here, cooking all this,
like, incredible produce.

Yeah, I was stoked that there was
some seafood in the box! (LAUGHS)

I think I've cooked seafood

nearly every challenge,
this competition!

I've even cooked fish in Sweet Week!

So, today, I'm going
to play to my strengths.

Making the top seven on MasterChef,
it's really just solidified the fact

that I'm not going back
to my previous life,

and being here in Hong Kong...

..that just, sort of, makes you
take it all in and realise

that I'm so close to my food dreams

to have seafood restaurants,

and now it's just about
what you make of it.

So, today, I'm making

a Cantonese-inspired, like,
crab egg noodle dish.

It's gonna be finished off
with an aged mandarin-peel salt.

I haven't cooked
this flower crab before,

but it's very similar
to a blue swimmer crab,

just with, like, bigger,
juicier claws.

Tastes amazing, it's super sweet.

When you smell it raw,
it smells like a sweet, cooked crab.

The inspiration for this dish
has come from the Cantonese dish

with lobster and, like, ginger
and scallions,

and it's tossed together in a wok.

Yeah, I've got a fair bit
to get done.

I've got to first get
this crab stock on the go.

Normally, it uses chicken broth.

Oh, my God, I'm making such a mess.

But I think it'd be better suited
if I just make the stock

out of this crab.

We've got limited ingredients,
but I think I can use that

to highlight the crab

and just pack this full
of crab flavour.

Yeah, going hard.

Alright!

Darrsh. Hong Kong mystery box,
full of goodies in there.

Wow, yeah!

What are you cooking?
I'm making bao buns.

(GASPS)
Oh, OK!

So, yeah, braised-pork bao buns.

Also, can I just correct everyone?

Just say bao. Just say, "Pork bao",

'cause bao is buns...
Got it. "Bun buns."

..so you're going, "Bun buns!"
Yeah!

(LAUGHS)
I like bun buns!

Bun buns is cool, it's kind of cute!

Also, how are you going to make sure

that that bao is just, like,
beautifully fluffy?

Oh!
Yeah, yeah.

75 minutes isn't a lot of time
to make bao buns.

It's gonna be a bit tricky today,
so...

Yeah, that's what I'm sweating
a little bit for you about.

Yeah.
Come on, Darrsh!

Cool. Thanks, guys.
Darrsh, ambitious, I like it!

The major pressure point
for me today are these bao.

I'm gonna have to work
really hard...

Nice!

..because we're outdoors today,

which means it's a lot cooler
than the MasterChef kitchen,

which is going to impact
how much my bao rises.

If I pull this off,
I think it's going to be enough

to get me into tomorrow
and fight for immunity.

So, fingers crossed
it all kind of comes together!

NAT: Come on, Darrsh-ay!
Yeah, Come on, Darrsh-ay!

(LAUGHS)

MIMI: Um, this feels pretty insane!

Like, I can't believe
what we're doing,

I can't believe where we are.

The gravity of this whole situation
to me is...it's huge.

There's a lot of pressure
on my shoulders right now.

It is truly an emotional experience
to come here.

I grew up in a family
that was very, very food-driven.

My mum's a great cook,
my grandma's a great cook,

my dad loves fishing,

so being part of this competition,
it really is a homage

to all of those people
that helped create me.

Where did I put the thing?

But I know that being in Hong Kong

as someone from Hong Kong,

there's going to be
a higher expectation.

Oh, my God, I'm losing my mind!

Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Oh, my God!

There's so many ideas in my head,
and I'm trying to cipher through.

I have no idea what I'm doing!

"What are we doing? What's the plan?

"What are the ingredients
we're using?

"Which one's going to impress
the judges the most?

"Do we go authentic?
Do we go fusion?

"Like, what are we doing today?"

It is just so much going on.

Panicking, panicking, panicking!

Being here on the harbour,
with this view,

I just need to focus,

because I feel like this is
a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,

and I'm thinking,
"You're in your city.

"What do I want to eat?"

Let's do it.

I have an idea in my head.

When I grew up here, one of the most
indulgent dim sum dishes

that my brother and I would always
force my parents to order

is barbecued-pork-filled
pineapple bun...

..but it is a rarity.

Not every place does it,
so whenever there is that dish,

we'd love to order it.

Yummy!

It is a pastry,
with a sugar-cookie topping.

Tarsal pork in the middle,

and then a pineapple bun
as the exterior.

Looks like pineapple,
but no pineapple involved.

I need to get my dough on proof,

I need to shape the buns,
cook the buns,

do the meat on the inside,

and if I have some time, as well,
let's just get some pickles on.

I am going pretty ambitious
with this recipe,

and so...

..here goes nothing!

We cannot wait for you to bring us
some of that Hong Kong magic!

You have one hour to go!

JEAN-CHRISTOPHE: Come on! Let's go!

You alright, Nat?

Hm, yeah. Getting there.

OK, so...

I've done a few Cantonese dishes
before, but pretty basic ones.

So, today, I have to go
with what I know

and what I can actually do
really, really well here,

because I want to get
into that immunity challenge.

Lochy.
Andy, Poh.

How have you gone,
working all these things together?

Um, I think well, at this point.

So, I'm going to take some
inspiration from a Thai dish

of some boiled and fried
pork belly - moo krob -

and then, you kind of make, like...
use that mandarin peel to make,

like, a really nice, sticky glaze.
OK.

Brighten it up with a...with a nice
yam-bean pickle.

Yeah, yeah.
Gotcha.

Pork's getting, like, a quick,
little boil right now.

Just don't want to send it too far.

Yep, yep, yep.
And then, fry it and get it crispy.

Look, keeping it simple,
especially when you are out

in the elements, is...that'll work
to your advantage

But there's nowhere to hide, mate.
Yeah.

That pork's got to be, like,
on point.

You know what you've got to do.
Yeah.

Can you do it?

Good luck, Lochy!
Good luck!
Thank you!

I've done this moo krob dish
plenty of times before.

I know I can get it done
in this time.

I just need to make sure
that that pork is cooked perfectly.

OK, they are good.

NAT: Have you been here before?
Hong Kong?

Yeah.
Never, no.

Never?
I'm excited!

That's so cool!
That's for sure.

Imagine a French man in Hong Kong!

I know! I can't believe
there's a Frenchman in Hong Kong!

(LAUGHS)
I'm feeling great.

I can't really complain -
I'm in Hong Kong.

It's, like, the wildest thing ever.

Especially, like, on MasterChef,
in Hong Kong.

That's a big deal.

Very excited.

Darrsh, look!
DARRSH: Nice!

I want the immunity.

We're so far in this competition,
where every immunity

is just getting you closer
to winning.

So, I'm gonna make a cheung fun.

Can't pronounce it,
but it's a steamed-rice noodle roll

with my version of char siu pork,
dried shrimp and some yam beans.

Ow!

I need to start on the pork belly.

Let's do this.

I'm trying to do my version

of char siu pork
in the pressure cooker.

So, to pack that flavour in,
I have to make sure I add

some soy sauce, some vinegar
and some fermented bean curd.

It smells weird.

Whoa!

The fermented bean curd is so salty,

but I think it needs to be salty.

It's also not, like, the main
sauce component either.

It's just to marinate
and coat the pork.

Whoa!
SOFIA: Are you busy, Nat?

Um, I am doing alright...

No, do not steal my mangosteens!
Sofia!

We want to taste Hong Kong!

45 minutes to go!

Come on, let's go everybody!

PEZZA: Going alright.

I'm just trying to make my sauce
so I can put it on the pork,

make it sticky.
I want it a little bit sweet,

bit of savoury,
bit of that umami in it.

I just want to, hopefully, get
these flavours really down pat,

and then we'll be looking good.

Today, I'll be making
a sticky pork noodle.

With Cantonese food,
it's all about the flavours

and getting the balance right.

I'm going to try and get
the perfect balance

with the shrimp, the soy sauce,
the ginger,

the little bit
of the fermented bean curd...

By trying it. I guess that's
the only way I'm going to know

that the flavours are all balancing
and, sort of, work with what I like.

It's all new to me,
I'm just having a crack!

But we're getting to the end
of the competition

where I need to shine.

It's really salty, Chef.

Man, it is salty.

I'm worried about the pork mince.

It's a little bit salty.

All I can taste,
and it's just in my mouth.

Think I've probably overdone it
with the soy sauce

and then the fermented bean curd.

Yeah, I don't like it.

What are you going to be doing
with the excess of salt?

Don't know, Chef.

And I'm starting to think,

"Shit, what have I done?"

I'm really worried about the balance
of the pork mince.

I salted the pork
when I first put it on,

and then you add the soy sauce
and also this soy bean,

and they were all very salty.

How's it coming together?

It's a bit salty.
It's a bit salty?

Yeah, I'm pissed off.

Mate, it's not over.

You know what you've got to do.

But I'm thinking,

"Just take a breath, and just
work our way through this."

Just, sort of, putting a bit
more vinegar in there,

just a bit of sugar,
just to bring it down.

Just going to keep getting it right.

I just want to get it
as perfect as I can.

Really tasting it a lot,
so I keep working on these flavours.

I'm determined to get
this pork mince balanced.

You're gonna make me a champion,
you are!

I don't know about you guys,
but I'm pretty pumped!

Yeah.
Smells good.

It smells good,
and there are some solid concepts.

Harry is doing
a Cantonese-style crab noodles.

Very simple, but it's just how
he edits along the way, for me.

I'm excited about...

I don't know what that is!

I'm excited about Nat.

She's braising that pork belly
in lots of sugar,

fermented bean curd,
and then those warm spices.

I'm really excited
about what Mimi's doing -

pineapple buns
with some char siu pork.

Pineapple buns don't actually
have pineapple in them.

They've got this...sort of
a crackling top,

which looks like a pineapple,
which is where they get their name.

And I've seen them in
so many bakery windows

since being here,
but I haven't had one yet.

I mean, Darrsh has done the most
fabulous bao mixture,

and I cannot wait any longer
to taste it.

Yeah, like, a good bao is...
It is!

With, like...
BOTH: Sticky pork!

I'm excited,
but I'm a little bit concerned.

I think we have an issue
with trying to get, you know, heat

with air outside in Hong Kong,
and I think they are using the same

techniques as indoor kitchen.

Alright!

I'm really happy
with how my dish is going.

What are we doing here?

My noodles, they're resting.

My crab stock's on,
it's simmering away.

I need to make
the aged-mandarin salt.

As soon as I smelt
the 20-year-aged mandarin peel,

I just fell in love with it.

It just smells like citrusy flowers.

Quite tangy.

Harry.
Hello, hello.

How are you going?
So, I'm doing, like,

a Cantonese-inspired
crab egg noodle dish.

I've got my little crab stock,
simmering away.

I've made a little
mandarin-peel salt

to finish the dish with.
Mm-hm.

Uh, yeah.

Uh, mate, I think you've got
a good idea here.

Yeah.

It's just about how
you edit the things, OK?

For sure.
Even with the mandarin-peel salt...

Yeah.

..like, is it going to be a necessity
to make this dish,

like, even better?

It just smells so florally.

But just taste it.
Yeah, for sure.

Don't just be driving down...
Hopefully, I do.

Thanks, guys.
Good luck, Harry.

Thank you.

The judges, a little bit worried
about the mandarin salt.

Well, it could either
make or break this dish.

Like, if it doesn't go
with the flavours,

then, you know, the dish is ruined.

But it could be
that standout factor,

being a simple dish,
that makes the judges go,

"Wow, this deserves
to be in that top three."

If you want a shot
at immunity tomorrow,

you've got to bring us your best.

30 minutes to go!

30 minutes!

Ow!

Darrsh, you doing alright?

Yeah, mate.
Just need to smash these out.

I've got the dough
for my bao finished,

but it's taken me so long,

which is frustrating
because bao needs time to rise.

I think I've left myself
enough time,

but I'm definitely pushing it.

So, I really need to hustle hard

to get as much flavour as I can
into this pork belly filling,

and just blow the socks
off the judges in terms of flavour.

POH: Nat.
Hey, Nat.

Hello, how we doing?

Oh, we are great. How are you?

So, I'm making cheung fun.

Cheung fun?

(PRONOUNCES DIFFERENTLY)
Oh, cheung fun!

Cheung fun.
Cheung fun.

Which is a steamed-rice noodle roll
with my version of char siu pork.

OK.
Wow!

Obviously, dried shrimp because
that usually goes in there, as well,
and I love dried shrimp.

And, of course,
you're making noodles.

Yeah.
Wow.

That's the bit
I'm really scared about.

OK.
Very scared about.

Have you done these before?
No, I haven't.

I've watched my mum do them, but...

In Thailand,
we have the same thing.

The same, yes, yes.
Yeah.

Same types of noodles, yep.

So, what kind of mixture
are you making?

So, I'm doing
rice flour and tapioca.

I've eaten it so many times...
Yep.

..I feel like I know...
I can, like, memorise

what the texture's meant to be like.

Palate memory, yeah.
Yeah.

Yeah, that's legit.
That's the part that's hard, though.

You're definitely being creative.
Definitely.

And definitely being a daredevil.

Oh, God! As always!
As always!

But this is the time for it,
this week.

Yeah.
OK, good luck!

Good luck, Nat!
Thank you.

Cooking with confidence. Let's go!

I'm basing the rice noodle rolls
on my intuition and also memory.

I have seen them do it,
and it is really wet...

Am I doing the ratio right for this?

..so I'm going to try and work out
a ratio that is going to work,

and make these rice noodle rolls
soft.

I really hope this works!

So, I oil the pan,

I pour the mixture in,
and I put it into the steamer

and test it out, see how it goes.

I feel like it's way too thick.
I don't know about this.

But they're a little bit too thick
and a little bit too chewy,

so I need to adjust the ratio.

More tapioca, maybe.

Or more water, even.

So, I'm gonna try and make
a few more and see how it goes.

Yeah...

..just need to lower the steam.

(SIGHS HEAVILY)

(MACHINE BEEPS)
OK.

MIMI: My dough
for the pineapple buns is done.

It's looking great.

And I've done the top
of the pineapple bun,

which is a sugar cookie topping.

Really relieved that the buns
are in the oven,

'cause that's what
I was most worried about.

Let's do the pork belly.

With my pork filling,

I'm gonna slice it into thin slices.

I seared off all of those
pork slices on a high heat,

so that I can get some golden crust.

Oh.

Gonna get a very sticky sauce going.

Can I get this out?

I put the sauce in to reduce

to develop that richness
of the flavour...

Smelling lovely, by the way.

Thank you.

..and I combine
the two elements together.

I'm trying to get the sauce
infused into the meat.

I want to create a very, very rich
and luxurious pineapple bun

because my dish is a beautiful
celebration of Hong Kong.

Wow, this is looking good, huh?
Thanks, Chef.

You must be feeling good, no? Happy.

You just keep going. Yeah?
Yeah.

I'm gonna make sure that my filling
is just packed full of flavour.

My pork belly's in my glaze
with my aromatic scallion,

soy sauce and rice vinegar.

And I'm working on
my bao buns right now.

I promised the judges soft,
fluffy bao...

Sticking a bit.

..but I'm looking at my bao dough,

and it hasn't risen
as much as I would like.

And I think that's just
because we're cooking outside,

which is a concern.

But I have to just keep
pushing through with this dough

because time's going to run out.

Nice. Um, vegie oil.

And I'm hoping that once
I get these into the steamer,

they're gonna rise and puff up.

Bring us a dish worthy
of these beautiful surroundings.

You have 10 minutes left!
Yeah!

POH: 10 minutes!
Come on!

Smelling lovely!

LOCHY: Alright. Lovely. So...

The sauce is really getting there.

It's starting to be really
nice and sticky.

Yeah, I think the flavours are good.

My pickle?

Yeah. Really nice accompaniment
to what,

how heavy and fatty
that's going to be.

Um, I've just got to make sure
this pork's right.

Pork belly's been in the deep fryer.

I wanted to have, like,
a big crunch on the outside

and leave all that juice
on the inside,

but I take this pork belly out...

(SIGHS LOUDLY)

..and it doesn't have the crunch.

Usually, when I've cooked this dish,
it just happens.

So, I put the pork in the oil again.

This just isn't getting as hot
as what I thought it would be.

And I can't cook
that pork any longer.

I think maybe being
in the outside elements,

this oil is just not hot enough.

I just can't seem to get the fat
to really brown up in the fry,

but I can't, uh...I can't fry
this pork anymore,

otherwise it's going to be overdone.

I can't seem to get the fat
to really brown up in the fry.

I don't know what to do.

If I don't have that,

then I don't have proper moo krob.

You alright, Locho?

Nah, it's just not working
the way that I wanted it to.

Keep going, brother.
Keep going, keep going.

But I'm running out of time.

So, at this point, I'm just going
to toss it through the glaze

to give it a bit of extra flavour,
give it a bit more moisture,

'cause if I don't even serve
anything at all,

there is no chance.

We can't wait to taste your dishes
in five minutes!

Come on, everybody! Five minutes.

Good, good, Darrsh-ay.
Good, bro.

Doing some kind of steam action.

My bao is steaming away
in the bamboo steamers.

I think that they're looking
alright.

Um, I'm gonna open them
in about two minutes,

and then, hopefully,
I can just stack them up.

But until you cut open that bao,

you just have no idea
how it's cooked.

Did you steal my tongs, Darrsh-ay?
Yeah, I did, sorry.

Oh, it's actually better.

I'm finally happy
with my rice noodle rolls.

OK, that's good.

Oh, my God,
there's stuff everywhere.

Oh, how did your pork turn out,
dude?

Mmm.

Damn, that's actually really good.

I can't believe
I didn't taste it yet.

I'm very happy with how it's cooked.

Can't seem to cut it
because it is hot.

So, to put this dish together,

I have to chop the char siu pork up
quite finely,

lay it onto the rice mini rolls,

and then I put the shrimp on top
of the rice mini rolls

and also the yam bean, as well.

And I have to roll it up
very, very delicately.

I have no idea how to roll these!

It is so fiddly trying
to roll this up right now.

Oh, maybe like this.

Oh, that makes sense.

Just like a spring roll.

Immunity is where you want to be.
Three minutes to go!

Three minutes, guys!

I've spent a lot of time
on the balance of the pork mince.

I think we're getting there.

I've got saltiness, the sweetness,
the spiciness, you know, the umami.

I think I've brought it back
from the dead,

but definitely still
got a lot to do.

So, time to get the noodles on.

And then I want to fry an egg
and just plate it up.

JEAN-CHRISTOPHE: You're coming close
to the service here.

NAT: Yes, Chef.

Three minutes left to go,

I finally pull my pineapple buns
out of the oven...

Yummy!

..and glorious moment.

It just smells of sugar,
butter, bread.

I need to plate up now.

The buns go on.

The pork slices go on.

The pickle slaw goes on -
extra indulgent.

It's not just barbecue pork
or pineapple bun -

it's, like, the two together.

So happy with the dish.

But at the same time...

..it's such a special dish
because it represents who I am,

and I hope the judges see it
the same way that I do.

Are you nearly there?
HARRY: Yep.

It's all coming together, I think.

Alright. Cool.

So, to finish off my plating,
I've got the noodles

with the crab meat and the broth.

Carapace on.

I've topped it
with a bit of the pickle

and a taste
of the mandarin-peel salt,

and it's pretty heavy-duty stuff,

like, a little goes
a long way with this,

so I'm doing
the tiniest little sprinkle

of the mandarin salt.

Really nice.

But I've said that before
in this kitchen,

and, uh, well, not in this exact
kitchen, but in the normal one.

And so, yeah, hopefully, um,
the judges are into it,

and I did the flower crab justice.

Your time is up in 10...

JUDGES: Nine, eight, seven, six,

five, four, three,

two, one!

(APPLAUSE)

JOSH: Hoo-hoo-hoo!

Alright, brother?

Give me some love. I love you.

Holy shit!

Yeah! Bring it in.
Holy shit!

NAT: Oh, mate.

Your hand is really sticky!
I know!

Holy Dooley!

Whoa!

First cook in Hong Kong,
and it started off with a mystery box

full of epic ingredients
from all around here,

and we're looking
for the top three dishes

to go into tomorrow's
immunity challenge.

And trust me, you want to be there.

First dish we want to taste...

..belongs to Harry.

Oh.
POH: Mmm.

So, I've brought you
Cantonese-inspired Flower Crab

with Egg Noodles.

You combined a really solid concept.
How do you think you went?

I'm really happy with the flavours
of the dish.

Like, those crabs,
I've never eaten anything like that.

Even the smell before you cook them,

like, they smell like a cooked crab.

Sweet and fragrant
and just beautiful.

The mandarin salt.
Yeah.

How did you go with that?
Did that end up going on the dish?

Like, a light sort of dusting,
little snowflake, sort of, yeah,

coating over the top.
Right.

I reckon I'm going to give 'em
a big mix before we dig in,

because I can see all of that broth.

Yeah, for sure.

Harry...

..I think you've done a great job.

I think you've hit
all those Cantonese notes.

The sauce, it's so rich
with that crab.

You've really honoured the crab.

So, great job on that.

Noodle work, beautiful.

I was so doubtful
about that mandarin salt,

but it actually adds this little
hint of bitterness,

which, to me, strangely,

and a little bit of that citrus,
tastes like wine.

Like, you've used a rice wine...
Yeah.

..which is really curious to me
and works really, really well.

A really perfect dish to cook
in this environment.

Thanks.

I think that's a great dish.

You've handpicked the crab so well.

In terms of the taste,
it's so sweet.

This is my first time having these
particular type of crabs as well.

And it's just the kind of dish
that I want to dive into.

I think you've really nailed it.

Just really special.

Come here.
HARRY: Ha! Yes!

I think you deserve a medal.
Yeah?

Don't move.
Or a little hat.

I'm giving you a medal.

Are you going to do his washing
as well?

And now you go back there.

Because I think what you've done...

Thank you, Chef.

..is fa-bu-lous!

Thank you. Thanks, guys.

Thanks, Harry!

Hey.
Good job, bro.

Thanks, mate.

How long do you think
he's going to wear the crab for?

I don't know, but who knows?
He'll take it off now.

Wear it as, like, a little hat.

Pezza, let's see what you've got.
Yeah, Pez!

Let's see what you've got, Pezza!

Walking this dish to the judges,

yeah, I'm a little nervous.

I've never made the dish.

Just feeling a little bit worried
about the balance of this sauce

in the pork mince.

Check out this incredibly
Chinese-looking dish.

POH: Wow.

I just want to show the judges
that I've grown in this competition.

I'm not just
the meat-and-three-veg guy.

What have you made, Pezza?

Sticky Pork Noodles.

You sure about that?
No, I don't know.

This is not my style of cooking,
so I wanted...

We're in Hong Kong,
so I wanted to cook something

that I thought
was Cantonese, Chinese, or...

Everybody has a style of cooking.
Yeah!

And the challenge, when
you're in the MasterChef kitchen

is to try and broaden
your style of cooking.

And what better place to do that
than in Hong Kong

on your first-ever overseas trip?

Yeah!
Yeah, loving it.

I don't know if the waist's going
to love it when I get home,

but, uh, anyway...
Nah!

Poh, do you wanna give it a mix?
POH: I shall do it.

I thought it was delicious.

The filling is really well-balanced.

You've done a great job.

Egg on top was, like, the perfect
thing to enrich it.

It probably needed
to be a little bit runnier.

It was a little bit jammy
rather than proper runny,

so it probably didn't quite coat
that sauce enough,

but otherwise, absolutely delicious.

You've done a really good job,

and I can tell
you've been eating here.

Thanks, Poh.
JEANÐCHRISTOPHE: Pezza...

..you know what is amazing
with you

is you're always pulling
your trick out of your sleeve.

And somewhere, somehow,
you are doing a good job.

I like the chewiness of the noodle.

It's actually very well sliced.

What amazed me the most
about your dish

is this pork belly situation,

and what you've done is to add
an addition of shrimps.

That was very clever, too,
because that sea side is unusual.

I've never actually tried that.

It's fantastic.

I think, for your first cook
in Hong Kong, mate,

like, you're kicking
some goals there.

All I would say is, I think
you've got the right balance

in your sauce.

But, for me, it just it felt like
it had been cooked for a long time.

And I feel like, like,
a bowl of food like this

can have, like, pieces of ginger
and pieces of spring onion

and that in it, just to brighten
everything up, you know?

So, cracker of a start, mate.
Welcome to Hong Kong.

Thanks, guys.

Well done.
SOFIA: Yes. Well done!

Well done!

The next dish we want to try
is mon cher Lochy!

LOCHY: My biggest concern right now
is that pork.

I want it to have, like,
a big crunch on the outside

from being in that fryer,

and it just hasn't fried
how I wanted it.

But I have tasted
a little bit with the glaze

and it still tastes really,
really delicious.

But is it good enough?

Wow!

Lochy, tell us, what is your dish?

This is a Cantonese-inspired
Moo Krob.

Thai-style pork belly,

where you boil it and then fry it.

And then we've got
a pickle on the side.

Thank you.

Lochy, I loved all the flavours
on that plate.

I just had troubles with it
texturally.

I wanted just big slices
of that pork belly

that had been cooked beautifully
in the slow cooker

until it was just, just holding
together

and then deep-frying it

would have just given you
just a few crispy edges,

and then I would have just piled on
fresh ginger

and that beautiful pickled
yam bean on top,

and you would have had
the most gorgeous dish.

You said on the rooftop, Lochy,
that you travel to eat,

and that you were so thrilled
that you were travelling to cook.

And I think what happened for you
today is it was overwhelming.

It's the first one.

And instead of travelling to cook,
you took a recipe you know

from your existing travels
and from home

and sort of tried to force

the mystery box ingredients
into that.

So, just shrug your shoulders off
a little bit, loosen up,

go eating, enjoy yourself,

and then come back and cook
a ripper next time.

Alright.
Thanks, Lochy.

Thank you.

Darrsh, you're up, mate.

NAT: Yeah, Darrsh!

Darrsh-ay!

Ooh!

Run us through it.
I've brought you a Pork Belly Bao.

Pork Belly Bao.

Inspiration -
where did it come from?

I love eating bao back home,

and, yeah, I saw the pork belly
there.

Um, thought, "We're in Hong Kong.
Braised pork, bao."

Yeah.
What about the actual bao itself?

Is it just gonna be the fluffiest,

cloud-like structure
that we've ever had?

Uh, to be honest, that's probably

the one thing
that I'm most concerned about.

Aw!
Just in terms of the rise on it.

Yeah. I'm hoping for a soft, fluffy
cooked-all-the-way-through bao.

'Cause on the streets of Hong Kong,
you find that fluffy bao, don't you?

You do. Yes. Like a cloud.

Shall we?
Go for it!

VOICEOVER: Get inspired
by our fabulous home cooks.

Stream full episodes
of MasterChef Australia now

on 10Play.

Shall we?
Go for it!

Darrsh, I've got good news
and I've got bad news.

What do you want?
Uh, bad first.

The baos were raw.
Yeah.

I don't think you've had enough time
to execute it in the rise,

because they are still
a little bit dense.

The insides, though...

POH: Yeah.
Pretty bang-on.

Like, I could see me diving into that
any day of the week.

So, the pork was really well cooked.

I'm just gutted for you.

But, mate, the game's only
just starting.

Plenty more cooking in Hong Kong
for you.

Darrsh, I still love that you did
a bao even though it didn't work.

I think, like, you learn so much
from your mistakes.

And the filling,

it's really, really flavourful.

So, had that bao been perfect,
it would have been the perfect bite.

Great guts.

You know, when you cook pork belly,

it is really absorbent of all
the flavours that you cook it in.

And that's probably the way
that you best used the ingredients

that you had in your mystery box.
Awesome. Thanks, guys.

Cheers.
JEAN-CHRISTOPHE: Thank you, Darrsh.

NAT: Come on, Darrsh-ay!

Roll it up, Nat!

See what I did there?

POH: Hey, Nat.
Hello.

Nat, that looks amazing.

Thank you.

I've made Cheung Fun
with my version of Char Siu Pork.

And the sauce.

How did you go with the noodles?

Honestly, I've never made
rice noodles before, ever.

And I've never made
rice noodle rolls.

It was...it was difficult.

Nat, I think, regardless of how
it tastes, it looks amazing,

and you gave it everything.
Thank you.

JEAN-CHRISTOPHE: Amazing.
Shall we try? Chop, chop.

Yes, please.

Andy's hankering.

Very small piece.

Yeah.

I'm going in!

I think that you've done
brilliantly.

Really?

I loved watching you struggle
through making those noodles

and trying over and over
and over again.
Thanks.

Because that's what makes you
really special.

You've got a lot of determination,
and you're a perfectionist.

I think you've done
such a great job.

But having never tried it, honestly,
I would eat that whole thing.

It's amazing.

I hail you, brilliant.
(LAUGHS) Thank you.

Nat, this is exactly what
I was hoping to get today.

That is what makes you so good.

To see you be able to come up
with a concept

and get so, so close

to those perfect rice noodles
is phenomenal.

The filling was next-level,
both in texture and in flavour.

I love that...that pork
that was stained

with the fermented bean-paste broth
that you made to pressure-cook it in.

Yeah, you're...you're a talent.

And I feel like you are going
to get so much out of this trip.

Thank you.

JEANÐCHRISTOPHE: It's phenomenal
because we went out together.

And me, personally, I think
this is already better

than some of the dishes we had.

Oh, thank you!

So that, already, is a mark.

What amazes me is the way
you've managed to do

this tapioca rice noodle,

and you never did it.

I've never did it.

But I know tapioca
is a nightmare to mix.

So remarkable.

I hope you realise
what you've become.

Because what is interesting,
people like you...

..who keep flying.

You're not surviving. You're flying.

You're expressing yourself,

and, for us, is a delight.

For me, all the time I've spent
in my life cooking with many people,

you don't always see it.

Because every time
there is a challenge,

you provide something, you progress,

and it is remarkable.

So, well done, Nat.

Thank you, thank you.

(APPLAUSE)

Oh.

Mimi, come on down!

So proud to be walking this dish up
to the judges.

Hey, guys!

This dish is so special to me.

But at the same time...

Little sliders for you.

..with feeling like I'm representing
a lot here today...

..the pressure is on.

Alright, Mimi,
tell us what you've made.

So, I've made my take
on a dim sum dish.

But it is Pineapple Bun
Pork Sliders.

The actual dish,

it's my brother and I's
favourite dim sum dish

because it's just extra indulgent.
Yeah.

I have to ask you, did you feel
a little bit of extra pressure

being in your motherland

and having all those beautiful local
ingredients in the mystery box?

Um, don't get me wrong,
I'm so excited.

But I think trying to process
all of this is a lot.

I was... Like, to be standing
in the MasterChef kitchen

in Australia is one thing.
Yeah.

And then, to be here, um,
in top seven

from Hong Kong, in Hong Kong,

cooking on an Australian show,

it is... I don't know
if it's a dream come true

or a little bit of a nightmare,
to be honest.

It's a lot to process, for sure.
Yeah, yeah. Yeah.

Two, four, six, eight!
Dig in. Don't wait.

Oh, sugar.

Andy's dying!

Jean-Christophe.

Far out. That looks pretty...
That's hef...

..that's a hefty bun.
Yeah.

(JUDGES LAUGH)

Do you know what?
Sometimes, in fact, all the time,

we talk about balance
and how good it is.

I'm so happy that this
is completely over the top.

It is so over the top.

Mimi, we wanted you
to blow our minds

and tastebuds' mind.

I'm having, like,
an out-of-body experience.

This is such a full-on handful,

and I love it.

Sometimes more really is more.

And when you've got those thin
bits of pork that are so sticky,

you could just serve them
on a plate by themselves

and people would fight over them.

With a cookie top to a bread roll?

It's so good, Mimi.
Well done! Well done!

I would dare say that you are
our most maximalist cook.

Sometimes, you put so much flavour
into your food,

it can be a little bit OTT.

But today,
you've hit the nail on the head.

What you've shown here

is you knew how to navigate your way
around that mystery box

like an absolute boss.

Thank you, Chef.
Um, Mimi, I don't know.

Did you see that? I just had...

..I had a bit of a moment there,
like, I kind of...

(IMITATES ANDY'S MUMBLING)
I had a moment.

It's the salt.

I was, like, just looking
out there...

Yeah.

..eating my pineapple bun
with pork in it.

That's good fun.
I was like, "This is it."

Like, you know, part of me wanted you
to cook something traditional.

And then, part of me was like,

"No, no, no, let's get
something creative."

I was doing that, too.

I think that's
when you're at your best.

And, yeah, there is...
There's a lot going on there.

But on a day like today,
to stand out from the crowd,

that's exactly what you need to cook.

I polished mine off
because I was like,

"There's a chance that I will maybe
never eat this ever again."

So, thank you very much, Mimi.

You smashed it. Bye.
Woo!

Thank you, thank you.

Woo! Woo! Woo!

Yeah!

Well, first day cooking
in Hong Kong.

The standard was so high.

Choosing only three winners,
it was insanely difficult.

But the decision had to be made.

So, the cooks going into tomorrow's
immunity challenge are...

..Mimi.
Oh, yes!

I would smash those pineapple buns
any day of the week.

Well done.

Nat, you are well on your way

to becoming a chef
with knock-out food like that.

Well done.

And...last but not least...

..Harry!

Yes.

Slurpable noodles.
Succulent crab, mate.

Delicious dish.

Well done.
Thank you.

Well done, you three.

Mimi, how does that feel?

Oh, I'm so excited!
Hometown win!

Yeah, yeah.

Honestly, if we're on my turf... Aw!

Yeah. Got to bring it.
Yeah.

Nice.

Well, Mimi, Nat, Harry,
congratulations.

Tomorrow, you have a one-in-three
shot at immunity.

Everyone else, you'll be cheering
these guys on from the sidelines.

Get ready to explore more
of this breathtaking city.

Bye!
See you!

(APPLAUSE)

VOICEOVER: Tomorrow night,
on MasterChef Australia,

it's a masterclass
from a Michelin-star chef...

VICKY LAU: Every little step
is very important.

Then...

NAT: No way!

Get your dish identical to Vicky's
in look and taste by memory alone.

..immunity doesn't come easy
in Hong Kong.

Oh!

How am I ever going to produce
something this intricate
and complex?

HARRY: Hopefully,
I won't forget anything.

This is so hard!

Captions by Red Bee Media