Jimmy Wong’s time on MasterChef Australia: Back To Win has brought back a lot of early memories for a man who had lived in three countries by the time he was 14.
The food photographer and influencer draws on his childhood this week, dedicating a heartfelt and delectable Asian scampi salad to his mother Anna.
“That particular dish meant so much to me,” says Jimmy, who is this season’s oldest contestant at 58. “The challenge was terrifying at the beginning because I didn’t know what it was about. But when I got my pickle juices, the first thing that came to mind was my mum. I pulled on stories from my childhood and then did things to make the dish my own.”
It’s something Jimmy is sad his late father Steven is not around to see. Steven is one of his main food inspirations, having owned a multitude of restaurants during Jimmy’s formative years.
“My father was an amazing foodie,” recalls Jimmy, who has a degree in interior design and quit his job in sustainability to chase his MasterChef dreams. “As kids, we were always surrounded by food. I don’t even know how to describe the influence that Mum and Dad have had on me. Not only as the person I am, but also what they mean to me from a food point of view.
“Food has always been the binding agent in our lives. My father always made sure everyone was fed and happy. He was the light in the room every single time.”
Family is clearly something close to Jimmy’s heart – back in 2016’s season eight, he competed against his sister Theresa Visintin. She came ninth, while he placed 19th. Jimmy says Theresa was happy to see her brother return to the MasterChef kitchen, adding, “She was so proud. She’s an incredibly important part of my journey.”
MasterChef Australia: Back To Win screens 7.30pm Monday to Wednesday on TVNZ 2 and streams on TVNZ+.
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