Singapore housewife aiming to win first MasterChef Asia
There are cooks from China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam competing in the first season of MasterChef Asia.
But this housewife from Singapore believes she has what it takes to bring the title home.
Ms Sandrian Tan, 41, was inspired to join the show because she doesn't want any regrets in life.
Her mum had died suddenly of pancreatic cancer two years ago.
The shock had left her determined to embrace life fully.
Born to a Singaporean Chinese-Hainanese father and a Thai mother, Ms Tan's specialty is in her heritage's cuisines.
She is partial to using lots of herbs and spices in her cooking.
In her audition video, she said: "My mum's death came swift and fast.
"Until today, we are still grieving for her. We miss her dearly.
"My mum was a planner who planned to do a lot of things, but because of the cancer, she could not execute them at all.
"I realised that we have to live for the moment and live life with no regrets."
One year ago, Ms Tan said that she decided to quit her job which she had for eight years in the semiconductor industry, to focus on having children.
But so far, she has not been successful.
So while considering re-joining the rat race, she found out about MasterChef Asia and leapt at the opportunity.
She said: "This was a good opportunity to do something I like.
"I want to prove that I can make it.
"I have been cooking for as long as I can remember, helping my mum stir her soup, pound her chilli and bbq her belacan."
Ms Tan believes that her passion for food combined with her culinary skills is what will help her win MasterChef Asia.
These are the dishes she submitted in her audition video:
1. Fried chicken wings stuffed with Asian vegetables (starter)
2. Steamed red garoupa with mango and cucumber (main course)
3. Aloe vera with ginger-pandan infused jelly in coconut juice (dessert)
MasterChef Asia, which premieres on Sept 3 on Lifetime (StarHub CH 514), is a reality TV cooking competition that gives amateur cooks the opportunity to become a chef.
The winner of the show's first season will get to publish his or her own cookbook, a USD$50,000 (S$68,800) cash prize and USD$10,000 worth of leisure experiences in Singapore.
The winner will also walk away with USD$15,000 of Panasonic home appliances, a paid internship at one of Carlton Hotel Singapore’s restaurants and a one-week stay at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort.
Apart from Ms Tan, the two other contestants representing Singapore are engineer Lennard Yeong and lawyer Woo Wai Leong, both 27.
Mr Yeong (below) said in a press release that he believes that the kitchen is where he truly belongs.
This self-taught cook learnt everything he knows from watching cooking videos on YouTube, according to a post on his Instagram profile.
Over the past five years, he said he has been creating his dishes with modernist twists.
This aspiring chef prides himself on his "keen aesthetic sensibilities and plating skills".
Mr Woo, on the other hand, is a self-professed food geek who enjoys reading about food and experimenting with basic ingredients.
Having been cooking since he was in his teens, Mr Woo hopes that he will be the one to win MasterChef Asia.
Mr Woo said in his audition video: "I like to see how people's faces change from the first bite (of my food).
"(Why I wanted to join the show was because) I wanted to meet other people who share my love for cooking.
"I want to learn from them."
Here are the dishes that Mr Woo submitted in his audition video:
1. Beef tartare with his "secret weapon" (home made vinegar)
2. Roasted carrots in yoghurt with curried granola and hazelnuts
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