Anushka’s Steamed Barramundi with Butter Poached Potatoes and Butter & Mandarin Sauce
“Are you not bloody excited about this dish? That’s the way it makes us feel. The softness of that potato is really comforting and the fish is cooked perfectly. It’s a ripping dish Anushka, you should be very proud” – George
“You’ve thought about how the mandarin is going to play into the butter and the potatoes and the fish and the crispy skin which is really good. It’s a very well balanced dish. Its really lovely” – Gary
“As a complete plate of food I love it, it’s just delicious. It looks like an Anushka 3.0 dish” – Matt
Tessa’s Lamb and Scallops with Laksa
“Yuuum, Yum! The brief was surf and turf 2.0 and I think this is surf and turf 10.0. Its freaking delicious, this is a mark of the year type of dish, its up there” – George
“You know what is more surprising and delightful than yum? Its the creativity, it is unexpected that you have this little tumble of crisp gremolata with curry leaf in it. It's a random idea but absolutely brilliant over the top of the seared scallops and that beautiful sauce. It’s surf and turf I’ve never seen before and I’m very happy with it” – Gary
“I love when you know you’re on a winner, and that’s how you presented the dish. I love the fact that the fish sauce works so brilliantly with both the scallops and the lamb. It's such an odd combination of flavours that works so perfectly. Wow, the way to start a week in the west is with dishes like that. It should sit in the first 3 pages of your cookbook because it’s beautiful.” – Matt
Nicole’s Beetroot Salad
“You know what, the hero ingredient beetroot is fantastic! Barbecued, good sweetness in that beetroot and just smart flavours. Goats’ cheese and beetroot really go together.” – George
“I like the idea of using sandalwood nuts, its much more exciting than a hazelnut or a walnut as we would probably all usually use. So, its certainly a dish everyone will smile about.” – Matt
Christina’s Duck with Pumpkin and Cauliflower Puree
“I think it’s really tasty and she’s done a really good job. Visually it looks fantastic, but I think they’re really lovely soft subtle flavours, I like it. Delish dish” – Gary
“This is a dish that makes you happy. Because that cauliflower puree is so creamy, you lose some of the cauliflower flavours, so it doesn’t interfere too much with the dish. It becomes a creamy element that balances against the dark and the grey in that delicious pumpkin” – Matt
Tessa’s Dark Chocolate Tart with Feijoa Sorbet and Fresh Feijoa
“Its delicious, you really pushed it and I love it because its light but its rich. That is an incredible dessert, really good cooking Tessa.” – George
“Everything is so light in that tart and the other thing is your sorbet. It is super fragrant, that fruitiness accentuates the fruitiness of the chocolate and Gary’s just put on 30kg which is fantastic” – Matt
“That is just absolutely beautiful. The chocolate tart and that beautiful complex candy flavour of the feijoa is just an absolutely brilliant combination” – Gary
Nicole’s Spangled Emperor with Braised Leek, Puree and Lemon Butter Sauce
“I can eat well cooked leeks and fish all day, its just such a lovely combination and that is perfectly cooked leeks and fish so I’m very happy.” – Gary
“It puts a massive smile on your face, its beautiful food” – George
“Just 1 word: delicious. That sauce is so aggressively sour and it makes the garlic taste so toasty and sweet. It’s a really delicious plate of food” – Matt
Yellow Team’s Forest Floor
“That looks fantastic” – Matt
“I like it, there’s a nice tartness from the raspberry sorbet and its not overly sweet. Going through the bottom there’s lots of different textures from the nuts” – Dan
“Lots of crispy, lots of crunchy, its absolutely the first dish we’ve seen tonight that really captures the forest” - Matt
“I love that you’re searching through and discovering new stuff, a bit like you're walking through the forest and discovering different textures on the ground with your feet. You get that in this dish and that’s wonderful” - George
Quail, Scallops, Shiitake, Cauliflower, Avruga
“I think the stand out elements is just how he cooked the proteins on the plate. The quail and the scallops are just beautifully cooked and beautifully caramelised and it sets the dish up nicely” – Gary
“The scallops have been done very well the quail as well is still pink. The key elements are there" – Santiago Fernandez
“The puree and the sauce is delicious” – Matt