MasterChef Australia judge admires S'pore winner Sashi Cheliah
Mr Sashikumar Cheliah, who won reality TV cooking competition MasterChef Australia, received A$250,000 (S$252,000) for beating Queensland builder Ben Borsht in the grand final of Season 10 on Tuesday night.
The New Paper spoke to MasterChef Australia judge Matt Preston on the phone from Melbourne last Friday, when Mr Sashikumar was in the top four stage of the competition.
The 54-year-old English-born Australian food journalist and TV presenter said of Mr Sashikumar: "He is a bit like Diana Chan (the Malaysia-born winner of MasterChef Australia Season 9)."
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Preston said most people think that dishes from Singapore, India, Malaysia and Indonesia need time to grow in flavour as ingredients are added, but "like Diana, he can get the flavours out quickly".
Preston added: "(Sashi) is a big bear of a man, has a great smile and has done some interesting things in his life in terms of his job. He is a great family man as well. He has so many different things to be admired for."
Mr Sashikumar moved to Adelaide in 2012 and has been a prison officer at the Adelaide Women's Prison for six years.
Since appearing on the show, Mr Sashikumar quickly became a favourite.
Not only did he wow the judges with his skills and techniques, Preston felt Mr Sashikumar handled pressure well too.
Midway through the 61-episode season, he won three mystery box challenges, three invention tests and two immunity pins, which are earned by beating a guest chef.
Viewers can catch the remaining episodes of MasterChef Australia Season 10 currently showing on Lifetime Asia (Singtel TV Ch 302 and StarHub TV Ch 514), Monday to Friday, 8pm and 10.55pm.
A fan of Singapore cuisine, Preston said he loves fish curries, Peking duck with caviar, murtabak and bak kut teh.
He said he was in town two months ago and still remembers his first visit here in 1989, when he discovered the Singapore Sling and satay by the Singapore River.
"Singapore has changed so much but one thing that has not changed is the food... There are so many options and it is a food playground," he said.
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