Lack of wow-factor saw larger-than-life Hawkes Bay couple Monique & Henry sent home by Auckland Foodies William & Zoe in a tense semi-final on My Kitchen Rules New Zealand.
Each team had very different approaches to their three course meals for judges Ben Bayly, Gareth Stewart and the Tasting Panel.
William & Zoe went ‘hell-for-leather’ to impress the judges by showcasing every sort of technique in their repertoire.
Their menu was understated yet ambitious: a cold pasta entrée of beetroot and goat’s cheese; a pork, parsnip and rhubarb main; and caramel tart for dessert – dishes that sounded deceptively simple but had a lot of tricky processes in each.
Working like a well-oiled machine, the Auckland duo delivered a cohesive menu that was deemed by the judges as ‘brave’, ‘inspired’ and for Robert Oliver, ‘flawless’.
It was unfamiliar territory for Monique & Henry tonight given it was their first time cooking a three course meal in Kitchen HQ – and tension was high.
The couple surprised all by opting for a simple menu showcasing the best of New Zealand produce, saving their ‘big guns‘ for a potential Grand Final appearance.
But sadly, it wasn’t enough, and the couple were eliminated. We chatted to them to find out what’s next.
What did you come into this competition hoping for?
MONIQUE: To encourage more Māori to put themselves out there and do these sorts of things… and of course to be in to win 100k!
Any regrets?
MONIQUE: Not being able to source Māori kai that we wanted to use. I wish I didn’t swear so much in the semi-final, wish they didn’t edit out the bit at the end when I said that I was really proud of Henry.
Did you make lasting friendships on the show, and if so, who with?
MONIQUE: Absolutely we did mainly with all the Group One contestants but we also loved Jay and Sarah and Ben and Reagan
HENRY: All of the contestants and judges.
What was the highlight of MKR for you?
MONIQUE: Being able to showcase our Māori culture and share parts of our Te Reo Maori.
Was there a dish you were particularly proud of?
MONIQUE: Our Semi-Final Crème Brûlée dessert.
HENRY: The paua fritters in our instant restaurant.
Were you blown away with the amount of support you received?
MONIQUE: Far out yes, it was just awesome, humbling and made our loss so much easier knowing that so many people supported us.
HENRY: It’s overwhelming to see that so many people in NZ gave us their support and well wishes, online voting, Facebook and Twitter.
You guys have been together a long time – has doing MKR changed your relationship at all?
MONIQUE: Yes we grew closer through this experience even though on TV it might have looked a little tense at times, we truly love each other!
Have you been watching the show with your kids? Are they proud?
MONIQUE: Oh yes the whole whanau have enjoyed watching it together, our girls are very proud of us both and believed we were going to win.
What’s next for you both?
MONIQUE: Our doors are open for any opportunities – kai and whanau – tihei mauri ora.
HENRY: We’d love to do a cookbook, and a cooking show!
