NSW Season 13 @tommyphameats

Fan favourite Tommy Pham is back in the MasterChef kitchen, keen to prove that seventh place last season just isn’t enough for this superstar cook. After amazing the judges with his fresh, vibrant Vietnamese-style flavours week in and week out, Tommy has taken the time to learn new skills and techniques, ready to take it all the way to Finals Week.

Following the super success of his Banh Mi danish in a challenge at Lune Croissanterie last season, Tommy went on to sell out during a special delivery-only pop up in Sydney during the 2021 lockdown.

Born and raised in Sydney, Tommy graduated from university and went on to work in IT before moving abroad to Japan. A two-year stint living and working in Tokyo steered Tommy towards teaching and his enjoyment with children led to him becoming a kindergarten teacher.

Crediting his Mum with teaching him the basics in Vietnamese cooking, Tommy is largely self-taught, and admits food offers an indelible connection to his family and heritage. Citing his favourite ingredients to cook with as chilli, fish sauce and noodles, Tommy admits he’s still in game mode from last season, but knows he needs to work on his dessert repertoire to remain strong in the competition.

Influenced in the kitchen by Adam Liaw, Luke Nguyen and Anthony Bourdain, Tommy loves nothing more than hanging out with his wife Wendy and two-year-old son Miles, and dreams one day of producing a cooking and travelling show in Vietnam.