In the latest jaw-dropping episode of My Kitchen Rules (MKR), husband-and-wife duo Claudean and Anthony barely escaped the chopping block, marking a surprising low for Claudean who had previously earned the nickname “Pasta Queen” from the judges.
The expectations were soaring for Claudean and Anthony’s Instant Restaurant, given Claudean’s previous, harsh critiques of other teams’ pasta dishes. Judge Manu Feildel even said,
“I think Claudean and Anthony have to deliver a good pasta dish tonight. She has criticised all the pasta in the past.”
Long-time rival Christian eagerly awaited their performance, noting,
“Now the tables have turned and I can’t wait to see what it’s like when the shoe’s on the other foot.”
With a menu focused on classic Italian cuisine, Claudean and Anthony began their culinary journey. Their entrée, Ricotta, Spinach and Mushroom Ravioli with White Wine Sauce, pleased the judges but fell short among the guests, who found the sauce too rich.
Manu complimented the dish but suggested that burnt butter, sage, and pine nuts would have been a better choice for the sauce. When it was revealed that Claudean had made the ricotta from scratch, Manu applauded,
I take my hat off to you then.”
Their main course, Osso Bucco with Anchovy Gremolata and Polenta, was the tipping point. Overcooking the meat and under-seasoning the polenta led to a dismal response. Although Claudean accepted the judges’ critiques about the meat, she refused to budge on their comments about the polenta, saying,
“That’s just the way we eat it.”
Their dessert, Ant’s Choc Hazelnut Fiore Di Latte Gelato with Crostoli, literally melted under pressure. A visibly disappointed Colin Fassnidge stated,
“Unfortunately I gotta judge what I got and I got one third of something that worked and the rest didn’t.” Manu chimed in, “I don’t think you’ve finished on a high note like we expected.”
In the end, they scored a narrow 53/110, just edging out Coco and Pearls who became the first team to exit the competition. Radha and Prabha took the top spot on the leaderboard, fast-tracking to the Semi-Final. Tommy and Rach also impressed, heading directly to the Quarter-Final.
As we wrap up the first round of Instant Restaurants, three new teams are introduced—Aaron and Chris, Amber and Mel, and Patricija and Brigita. The battle heats up next week as these ‘gatecrashers’ join the fray.
| Judges’ Scores | Entrée | Main | Dessert | ||
| Manu Feildel | 7/10 | 6/10 | 4/10 | 17/30 | |
| Colin Fassnidge | 7/10 | 5/10 | 3/10 | 15/30 | |
| Total Score | 32/60 | ||||
| MKR Team Scores | ||
| Tommy and Rach | 4/10 | |
| Sonia and Marcus | 5/10 | |
| Radha and Prabha | 4/10 | |
| Coco and Pearls | 4/10 | |
| Nick and Christian | 4/10 | |
| Guest Score | 21/50 | |
| Total Score | 53/110 | |
| Leaderboard | ||
| Radha and Prabha | 87/110 | |
| Tommy and Rach | 78/110 | |
| Sonia and Marcus | 71/110 | |
| Nick and Christian | 66/110 | |
| Claudean and Anthony | 53/110 | |
| Coco and Pearls | 50/110 | |
Next week on MKR: Round two of Instant Restaurants kicks off with BBQ champions Aaron and Chris, and a new rivalry between the OGs and the gatecrashers heats up.
