A Filipino-Australian chef gained fans online following his stellar performance in MasterChef Australia.
The Facebook account of the show uploaded the part in an episode where Filipino-Australian Chef Ross Magnaye showcased his dish to the judges. This video garnered over a million views, as of writing.
“Filipino-Australian food at its finest would make anyone happy to be Australian!” the post reads.
This episode was aired on June 8. It featured a cooking showdown between home cooks from the last episode and new professional cooks from Serai, an award-winning restaurant in Australia.
The Serai team comprises Magnaye, who owns this restaurant, and his fellow cooks Shane Roy Stafford and Leandro Jose Miranda.
The team created a dish called seared beef kilawin, Filipino style.
In the video, Magnaye presented the food to judges namely Melissa Leong, Andy Allen and Jock Zonfrillo.
“Basically, like a beef tartare, a roasted bone marrow, dressing with a bit of butter, so we have the Filipino flavors in there,” the Filipin-American told the judges.
“It’s super simple,” he added.
All three of them expressed positive feedback on their work.
“Beautifully roasted piece of bone marrow. It’s cooked beautifully. You’ve got a punchy sauce. The butter in there just enriches the aromats. Most importantly and most impressive, the beef. Great sear on there, and then making it balanced. It is delicious,” Zonfrillo said.
“Taking those Filipino flavors and just elevating it, but also playing it with a touch. Like the amount of umami, you got in there from the kelp paste. It replaces the fish sauce with another layer of complexity and umami,” Allen also commented.
“Ross, what you do for Filipino cuisine by elevating it, modernizing it, and celebrating it in the way that you do, makes me so happy to be Australian,” Leong expressed.
This reception of the dish made Ross emotional. He also thanked the three judges for their positive reviews.
In an Instagram post, Magnaye thanked MasterChef Australia for having him and his crew on the prestigious reality cooking series.
“Very humbled and super blessed to be on MasterChef Aus @masterchefau representing not just myself, but the restaurant @serai.melbourne and Filipino culture too,” he said.
Magnaye also paid a heartfelt tribute to Zonfrillo, who died last May prior to the airing of this episode.
“He had incredible wisdom and was one of the best palates on the planet. This was an emotional and super meaningful one. We miss you, Jock. We love you. This is for the culture,” he said.
Magnaye pursued his culinary studies at William Angliss Institute in Melbourne, Australia.
Following years of working in established eateries in the city, he successfully opened Serai, his first modern Filipino-Australian restaurant last year.
In the same year, Serai nabbed the sought-after “Restaurant of the Year” by TimeOut Melbourne.