MasterChef Australia: Fans and Favourites is just around the corner. The new season will see the return of 12 of our favourite chefs from past seasons, spanning from season one winner Julie Goodwin all the way up to last year’s Minoli De Silva.
After being eliminated fourth in season 13, De Silva won her apron back in Second Chance Week, and ended up placing 10th in the competition. She’s hoping her third time will be the charm as she enters the MasterChef kitchen again.
One of the show’s most recent returning competitors, De Silva’s spent her time between seasons honing her skills in the kitchen. Since appearing on the reality TV competition, she’s been hosting pop up restaurants and running cooking classes in her hometown of Darwin.
With an extra year of experience under her belt, at some of Darwin’s most prestigious restaurants no less, we’re expecting De Silva to be one to watch this season.
Originally from Sri Lanka, Minoli was six when she moved with her family to Melbourne. Still, she kept her love for the fragrance and flavours of her home country’s cuisine and loves bringing the tastes of Sri Lanka to the masses — and the judges.
It was a strategy that got her far in last year’s competition, and we can expect to see more of the rich, aromatic and tasty dishes from De Silva in the upcoming season.
Before taking the leap and joining the MasterChef Australia hopefuls last year, De Silva graduated from RMIT University with a Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering. This career path took her around the country, and around the world, before she settled in Darwin in 2018.
It was Darwin’s fresh produce that brought her to the MasterChef Australia kitchen. The food reminded her of the times she shared with her grandmother back in Sri Lanka, strolling through the busy markets. This sparked her passion for Sri Lankan food, and its history, and prompted her to reevaluate her career path. The rest, as they say, is history.
MasterChef Australia premieres at 7.30pm on April 18, 2022, only on 10 and 10 Play on Demand.
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