Simon & Meg are still reeling from their first instant restaurant experience. The Auckland duo were left with egg on their faces after they failed to prove New Zealanders make the best pavlovas. With national pride on the line, they’re desperate to make amends. But will they make the most of their second chance?
Meg wants everything presented beautifully and tasting great so they can get consistent scores tonight. For entree Simon and Meg are making whitebait fritters with watercress and horseradish cream. Main course will be pan seared snapper with creamy chowder sauce on a carrot and leek confit. Pete says that NZ has great snapper and seems excited by the menu. Thomas and Carla along with Peter and Gary are going on about how it’s not about making friends and it’s a competition – maybe because no one would want to be their friends.
The clock starts the three hour countdown and they seem confident. They start on the horseradish cream and are tasting everything and have listened to Pete and Manu. Dessert is a feijoa (a well loved fruit in NZ that is a cross between a guava and pineapple) and apple crumble with vanilla ice cream and maple syrup. Manu says that not everybody likes feijoa as is a very acquired taste. They are having a little trouble with the ice cream machine but besided that are flying.
The guests arrive and Andrew is impressed by the decor and Peter has bonded with a mini kiwi, making it his kiwi-kerchief. Thomas and Carla are hoping that NZ will bomb out (these two need a slap and are quickly becoming my least favourite). Actually everyone seems to have the knives out tonight, everyone so far has had a little dig here or there.
Simon says that whitebait fritters are a NZ classic and they are looking really relaxed. Manu and Pete arrive and Meg thinks their advantage is that they have listened at all the instant restaurants, not only their own. Pete explains that Aussie fritters are different to NZ ones and the NZ ones just contain egg and seasoning
People are excited about the whitebait but Emma and Gary are not impressed that they will have to look at somethings eyes as they eat it. Thomas doesn’t like horseradish and he wouldn’t order whitebait. Manu is concerned about the mix of watercress and the horseradish. The entree looks great but Simon wants to add water to the salad as it looks wilted – and it is. Manu thinks it’s really nice and liked the roe and horseradish cream, Pete says we told you to focus on presentation so why deliver a plate like that – the salad was dead and lifeless, but he loved the taste of the dish and it’s near perfect.
The guests like the whitebait – even Gary who loved it. David is intimidated, Megan thinks it’s the best entree so far in the competition and Thomas thinks it’s underseasoned and eggy. Megan and the others are seeing right through him and his devious ways. The guests are worried how they are going to serve 12 pieces of fish at the same time and not dry them out – Meg and Simon are searing it and then placing on oven racks that they will then place in oven. Manu enters the kitchen and questions them about the confit and they are doing it in water which means Manu says, not a confit. He’s worried the sauce and veges aren’t done or the sauce, yet the fish is being cooked.
The main is served and Pete asks if they are happy and would they do it differently if they had their time over? Simon says that he’d have cooked the fish closer to serving time and Pete says he would have preffered that. The leek is lovely, the carrot undercooked but Pete likes the dish. Manu says Hallelujah he finally has sauce on his plate, he enjoyed it and used to have a similar dish on his menu and is overall very pleased. Thomas is making faces and saying it tastes like a cabonara sauce and he wouldn’t have it again and of course Carla doesn’t like it. Everyone can see his strategy and are getting over it.
The couple know that alot rides on this dessert after their disasterous pavlovas, but noone seems to know what a feijoa is. Gary says “it’s a fruit dear” to Peter who replies “so are you” haha – I definately prefer these two than Thomas and Carla. Manu has scared people with his description of feijoa but the crumble is ready and the ice cream is to be served at the table due to the heat in the kitchen. Pete says they followed their instincts and it’s remarkable but the ice cream was too icy. Manu says the apple and feijoa were unevenly cooked but it was fantastic. Carla and Thomas don’t like it but it has mixed reviews around the table. Now for judgement:
They have done really well Pete says and he thinks they will go far.
VIC – Thomas & Carla: 5/10 – Thomas wanted a six
TAS – Megan & Andy: 7/10
WA – Emma & Andrew: 7/10
QLD – David & Scott: 8/10
QLD – Peter & Gary: 6/10
=33/50
Manu Fieldel –
Entree: 7/10
Main: 7/10
Dessert: 7/10
Pete Evans –
Entree: 8/10
Main: 7/10
Dessert: 8/10
Simon and Meg have a total of 77/110 and very consistent scores, way up on the 58/110 they got last time.
Simon & Meg: 77/110 – NZ
Thomas & Carla: 49/110 – VIC
For Thomas and Carla’s disaster last night click here
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