The yummiest local cooking competition on TV, My Kitchen Rules South Africa, with celebrity chef and musician J’Something and restaurateur extraordinaire David Higgs reprising their roles as the show’s judges.
Effervescent “besties” Minnie and Tee will have to be at their sizzling best if they hope to charm the judges – and their fellow competitors – at the Instant Restaurant they have set up at their home in this week’s edition of My Kitchen Rules South Africa.
During the Instant Restaurant phase there are two tables, each consisting of five foodie pairs. At the end of each episode, the guests around the table score the hosts on the quality and presentation of their three-course meal and after the entire table has had their turn, the couple with the lowest score is eliminated.
“This season, the table is set for a food fight of note,” says Minnie. “The home chefs, who come from different backgrounds and have very different palates, are all serious about food and winning the competition. You can prepare yourself for a variety of exotic – as well as some proudly South African- dishes and plenty of fireworks in the kitchen and around the table.”
Minnie and Tee share a passion for traditional African cuisine, and the menu they have in mind is aimed at winning hearts and tickling taste buds in equal measure. “We want our guests to feel our love,” says Minnie, and explains that the food they’re going to dish up reflects who they are. “Technically, we’re going to give them ‘us’.”
Minnie and Tee met at another reality TV show audition and immediately became BFFs. The soul sisters love eating as much as they love cooking and with their Instant Restaurant they want to show the world that it is possible to modernise traditional cuisine without diminishing the African experience.
To date, they have not been afraid to speak their minds about their competitors’ efforts, so they cannot expect any favours in return. The pair admits that presentation is not their strongest suit – and hope they can compensate with a dish that pleases the palate and warms the heart.
So, will they avoid finishing at the bottom of the leaderboard? Find out tonight’s episode of My Kitchen Rules SA on M-Net at 6pm