Husband and wife team Tim and Shereez set the bar high with a score of 68/100 on this week’s episode of My Kitchen Rules SA (Sunday 9 October, 18:00 on M-Net Channel 101) when they stepped into the kitchen as the first duo from Group 2.

Having handed over their young son to Grandma for the day, they sped around Gqeberha sourcing the ingredients for the menu they hoped would impress the four pairs of strangers – and judges David Higgs and J’Something – who would be arriving to sample their three-course meal in the evening.

Their menu comprised a starter of mince and black bean croquette, main course of chicken breyani and dessert of coconut tart with homemade vegan berry ice cream, all served in their Instant Restaurant, Ten – inspired by their favourite scripture and their son’s birth date.

Their Group 2 competitors, Shaeem and Mas-ud; Tšepang and Refilwe; Abraham and Michelle and Kirsten and Detlev arrived at their door and took their places at the table, with Abraham breaking the ice with a toast. It wasn’t long before the judges arrived – and dinner was served. 

David said their croquette was crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, but that the competition is about flavour, which he found lacking. J’Something was impressed with the presentation but had been hoping for more punchy flavours. Michelle enjoyed the texture, Tšepang was underwhelmed and Kirsten was also left wondering where the flavour was.

Second-guessing themselves after the judges’ feedback, Tim & Shereez did their best to ramp up the flavours in their deconstructed chicken breyani before serving it up to their guests. David praised the fact that their bold presentation hadn’t detracted from the dish, while J’Something said that every element on the plate made sense, though he would have liked a bit more punch. Mas-ud and Shaeed were particularly critical of the dish, with the former saying it wasn’t spicy enough and the latter saying it was beautifully presented, but that it wasn’t enough to satisfy his appetite. Kirsten, on the other hand was happy with the heat and Detlev also said his tongue was left pleasantly tingling.

Dessert was a moving experience for David, with the first whiff of the coconut tart taking him straight back to his late grandmother’s kitchen. J’Something challenged the icy texture of the ice cream, but said the tart was something he would cherish for a long time. Refilwe thought the ice cream looked ‘suspicious’ and Kirsten found it very icy. Shaeem, though, said it was a dessert right up his alley and a truly competition-worth dish.

Shaeem and Mas-ud; Tsepang and Refilwe and Abraham and Michelle each scored Tim and Shereez’s meal a 7/10, with Kirsten and Detlev scoring them a 6, for a total of 27/40.

The star of the show for David was the dessert, which he scored an 8/10, the same score J’Something gave the main course, praising it as a celebration of the couple’s heritage. The judges’ total of 41/60 gave Tim and Shereez a combined score of 68/100, setting the bar high for the other four duos. 

Having been fairly critical of the non-traditional chicken breyani but conceding that the dessert was a knockout, Shaeem and Mas-ud take their turn in the kitchen next week as My Kitchen Rules SA heads to the South of Jo’burg. 

My Kitchen Rules SA is produced by Picture Tree and proudly sponsored by Nederburg. The series is available on DStv Premium on M-Net (Channel 101) every Sunday at 18:00, as well as live-streamed on the DStv App, and is also available on DStv Catch Up after broadcast. Visit the M-Net Website for exclusive show content and join the conversation on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, using #MKRSA.