In the second episode of My Kitchen Rules season 16, Angus and Simon hosted their first Instant Restaurant as tensions boiled over and Alisha reached breaking point.
South Australian best mates Angus and Simon last night welcomed the teams and judges Manu Feildel and Colin Fassnidge to their gastro-pub-inspired Instant Restaurant, Last Orders.
Their menu featured a Wagyu Sausage Roll with Caramelised Onion Chutney and Kimchi for entrée, Gochujang Chicken Parmi with Enoki Fries and Green Apple Slaw for main, and Coconut Panna Cotta with Sesame Snap and Butterscotch Sauce for dessert.
It was a mixed night for the Adelaide pair, with their entrée and main both scoring six from each judge before the dessert lifted their total.
Angus and Simon ultimately scored 37 points from the judges and 33 from the other teams, finishing on 70 out of 110.
A mixed start for Angus and Simon
The Wagyu sausage roll made a promising start, with Manu praising the buttery, salty and crunchy pastry and calling the homemade kimchi “top-notch”.
The beef filling, however, let the dish down after becoming too dry.
Both judges awarded the entrée six out of ten.
The Gochujang Chicken Parmi fared similarly.
The chicken was cooked perfectly and remained juicy, but the enoki fries were inconsistent and the judges wanted a much bolder hit of gochujang.
The green apple slaw also failed to make much of an impact, with Colin describing it as an afterthought.
Again, both judges scored the dish six.
The divide gets bigger
While Angus and Simon worked their way through the courses, tensions continued to build around the dinner table.
Jane and Shane admitted that pubs weren’t really their scene, preferring “a little wine bar” or “a little French bistro”.
Shane then revealed he had never eaten a chicken parmi, while Jane admitted she hadn’t tried one either.
Their comments prompted Alisha to label the pair “a bit snobby”, with the divide between the contestants becoming increasingly obvious.
The conversation turned to travel, with Jane and Shane discussing their extended stays in Italy.
Alisha and Deanne hadn’t visited Italy, but Alisha was quick to point out that they travel too, proudly declaring: “I love Bali.”
Feeling increasingly out of place, Alisha explained that she and Deanne had grown up differently.
“Me and Dee didn’t have that sort of lifestyle. We grew up real. We grew up a bit rougher,” she said.
“We’ve been made to seem like idiots”
The tension eventually spilled over into a discussion about the food.
Tiffany suggested the green apple slaw needed more “acid or vinegar”, prompting Alisha to question the terminology.
When Colin later used “acid” in his own critique, Alisha felt she was being singled out and made to look foolish.
“We’ve been made to seem like we’re pretty much idiots,” she said.
Alisha eventually reached breaking point.
“I’ve been made to look like an absolute idiot. I’m just done with it. I’m absolutely done,” she declared before walking out of the dinner.
The moment became the night’s biggest talking point, but it was the culmination of tensions that had been building throughout the evening rather than a reaction to one comment alone.
Dessert provides a lift
Back in the kitchen, Angus and Simon still had one course left to impress the judges.
Their Coconut Panna Cotta provided the strongest result of the night.
Manu praised its creamy, silky texture, although he found the sesame snap too sugary and awarded it seven.
Colin wanted more sesame and better balance in the butterscotch sauce, giving the dessert six.
It wasn’t a perfect finish, but the dessert lifted the boys’ judges’ score to 37 out of 60.
Angus and Simon move within two points
The other teams awarded Angus and Simon a combined 33 out of 50, taking their final score to 70 out of 110.
That puts them just two points behind Krysten and Lucy, who opened the season with 72.
Judges’ scores:
| Entrée | Main | Dessert | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manu Feildel | 6/10 | 6/10 | 7/10 | 19/30 |
| Colin Fassnidge | 6/10 | 6/10 | 6/10 | 18/30 |
| Judges’ total | 37/60 |
Guest team scores:
- Alisha and Deanne – 8/10
- Jane and Shane – 6/10
- Mary and Golden – 7/10
- Krysten and Lucy – 6/10
- Tiffany and Giancarlo – 6/10
Guest team total: 33/50
Overall: 70/110
Viewers weigh in
The episode also gave viewers plenty to discuss, with Alisha’s walkout adding another layer to the tensions already emerging between the contestants.
The divide between Alisha and Deanne and Jane and Shane, in particular, looks set to become one of the early storylines of the season, after the two teams clashed over everything from food presentation to their different lifestyles.
For Angus and Simon, however, the night ultimately leaves them in a strong position. Their 70-point total puts them just two points off the lead, despite neither of their first two courses scoring more than six from the judges.
And after just two episodes, the competition is already producing plenty of tension around the dinner table.
