Parkview moms Maj and Joleen raised the bar in My Kitchen Rules SA with their Instant Restaurant, named Cooksisters, on Sunday 5 August. The classy moms posted a total of 72 points out of 100 – overtaking married couple Maritsa and Maradine by two points and relegating them to second place on the MKR leaderboard.
In the local reality cooking show, five teams from two tables each get a chance to show off their skills, and the one with the lowest score from each group is eliminated at the end of the round, while the others move on to the show’s headquarters, where they face a variety of challenges.
Maj and Joleen pulled out all the stops, as well as gadgets and gizmos, to create an effortless cooking experience and an impressive three-course meal for their dinner guests.
Upon arrival, the competing guests were not only surprised by how calm Maj and Joleen looked but also how clean their aprons were! The guests were also blown away by their beautiful, sophisticated Instant Restaurant setup and impeccable attention to detail.
For starters, they served garam masala mussels with homemade bread and coriander butter. Upon reading their menu, the judges were looking forward to the starter, saying they could already taste the dish. Joleen had pre-prepared the homemade bread and coriander butter before the guests arrived, but was disappointed that she left the mussels so late, as they still needed to be cleaned. Despite the unexpected delay, Maj and Joleen served a beautiful starter that was well received by the judges. “You can’t beat fresh, well-cooked mussels. A beautiful warmth,” pleased judge David complimented. Around the table, Dirk and Bahia weren’t too impressed, commenting that they weren’t happy with the flavours, and Donald was disappointed to find a closed mussel in his portion.
Overall, the feedback was positive, which delighted Maj and Joleen as they headed back to the kitchen to get their main course of slow-roasted duck with fondant potatoes and rødkål going.
Bahia said it reminded her of Donald and Luyanda’s dish – overbaked dry chicken - but the judges clearly disagreed. Judge J’Something complimented the pair saying: “This is one of the best dishes I have eaten on My Kitchen Rules." Judge David said it was a very good dish, although a bit too crisp.
Next up, Maj and Joleen served their dessert of frozen espresso parfait with chocolate hazelnut meringue, whisky caramel sauce, and coffee praline. Judge David Higgs called this a tricky and ambitious dessert, and said it should be perfect in presentation and flavour. And that is what Maj and Joleen delivered! Their rival guests enjoyed the decadent dessert and the discerning judges were impressed – “the parfait was perfect in every way,” said David, and J’Something called it "phenomenal".
Next week, Table 2 is in Cape Town for Dirk and Bahia’s Instant Restaurant, after which the team with the lowest score will be eliminated.
My Kitchen Rules SA is broadcast on M-Net channel 101 every Sunday night at 18:00.
Viewers can watch exclusive interviews with the judges and contestants here.
Follow all the breaking news and conversations around the show on Twitter @MNet / #MKRSA or on the official M-Net Facebook page.