Zoe and Zac’s Instant Restaurant nearly ended in disaster on My Kitchen Rules, with a disastrous swordfish main putting their place in the competition at risk before dessert saved the Newcastle friends and sent Alisha and Deanne home.
With Alisha and Deanne sitting at the bottom of the leaderboard on 54 points, the final Instant Restaurant of the round was a must-win for both teams. For pescatarian Zoe, it was also a chance to answer criticism from Angus and Simon, who had labelled her the “weakest link” in the competition.
At their coastal, Mediterranean-inspired Instant Restaurant, Shuck Yeah, lifelong friends Zoe and Zac served Cashew Cream Zucchini Flowers with Caramelised Onions for entrée, Crumbed Swordfish with Fennel Salad and Lemon Rosemary Potatoes for main, and Basil Panna Cotta with Lemon Curd and Strawberries for dessert.
Before heading into the kitchen, Zoe asked the table for “no strategy tonight”, but Angus had other ideas. “If anything, I’m going to ramp up my strategy after that comment,” he said.
Tensions escalated when Alisha and Deanne confronted Angus and Simon over claims the boys wanted them at Kitchen HQ because they would be easier to beat. Simon refused to apologise, telling the pair:
“I’ll give you a hot tip, no one at this table is getting an apology from me.”
The zucchini flowers delivered a promising start, with judges Manu Feildel and Colin Fassnidge praising the light, crispy batter, although they wanted more flavour in the cashew cream and greater caramelisation on the onions. Manu awarded the entrée seven points, with Colin giving it six.
But the main course was a different story. Manu questioned the decision to crumb the swordfish, while the underdressed fennel salad, raw onion and cheese failed to impress. The potatoes also missed the mark.
“That was a mistake from start to finish,” Colin said, awarding the dish four points. Manu scored it just three.
“Hearing that feedback, I’m definitely worried this is the dish to send us home,” Zoe admitted.
With their main course scoring just nine points from the judges, Zoe and Zac needed dessert to deliver. While the basil flavour divided the table, the judges praised the well-set panna cotta, lemon curd and crumb, with both Manu and Colin awarding seven points.
The guest teams were less generous, handing Zoe and Zac a combined 24 out of 50. Alisha and Deanne, along with Angus and Simon, each awarded four points, while Sheridan and Ted gave six, and Harrison and Oliver and Krysten and Lucy scored the dish five apiece.
Zoe questioned the result, saying:
“I don’t believe that 24 is a fair score, considering that our entree and dessert were good.”
The judges’ combined 34 out of 60, alongside the guest teams’ 24, gave Zoe and Zac a final score of 58 – four points clear of Alisha and Deanne, whose MKR journey came to an emotional end on 54.
“Looking back, I couldn’t imagine doing this with anyone else,” Alisha said.
Colin praised the departing friends, telling them:
“You wear your heart on your sleeve, you’re honest, you don’t hide behind anything, so you did yourselves proud.”
Alisha and Deanne also left with one final honour, as Manu presented them with a medal and declared them “the loudest people we’ve ever had on My Kitchen Rules”.
Tonight on My Kitchen Rules, the teams enter Kitchen HQ for their first challenge, with two beloved teams set to face an elimination cook-off.
Why don’t they have real people Instead of carefully selected people who have facial expressions they can use for their promo clips making silly people thinking it’s about their rivals , yep it rates Hugh , but people you know they are all carefully selected for controversy, etc etc