MKR – it’s the end!

It’s been a three-month slog but finally the end of My Kitchen Rules is nigh. Tonight Amy and Tyson face Valerie and Other Courtney in the grand final.
It seems a given that the brother and sister pairing will win, as they cook Modern Australian cheffy-type food, whereas mum and daughter’s Indian cuisine is delicious but doesn’t have the same impact presentation-wise.
However, they could well achieve success with their own range of sauces or meal kits if Coles jumps on board. Their bottled soz sold out in 24 hours and Coles must have been happy, as they’ve released a second batch of it. Or perhaps a publisher will want to print “Poppy’s book”.


MKR starts at 7.45pm on Seven (the House Rules premiere is before it) and goes until 10pm.
I’ll put up a new poll so you can vote for the winner.***
Here we go … finally, at 8pm.
We rip through the montage of times past and thank god, because it only serves to remind us of how mediocre some teams were.
The teams enters Kitchen HQ and it’s like they’ve stumbled on to the set of Survivor tribal council. There are urns shooting out flames everywhere.
Amy and Ty are in black, which usually means they won’t win. Manu is wearing a snazzy black velvet suit with a diamond pattern. Pete is not wearing his trademark blue. I know it’s a big night, but he looks better in blue.

They are making:
Parmesan and truffle mousse with mushies.
Pea and ham soup
Butter-poached marron with Jerusalem artichoke and rhubarb
Veal, sweetbreads and marron
After Dinner Mint

Mum and Other Court are cooking:
Samosa crisp with chaat
Salmon tikka skewers
Spiced Spanish mackerel with kichdi (Val describes it as an Indian risotto)
Pork vindaloo
Pistachio kulfi

I bought a ham hock today, so bring on the soup, Amy and Tyson – give me some tips! They are using fresh peas from punnets that have already been shelled – never seen that before.
White team’s chaat seems to be chickpeas with some spices. Unless they cooked the chickpeas in a pressure cooker and we didn’t see it, they came from a can. Hmmm. Will the judges give them a hard time, a la the Beardies and Pretzelgate? I’m looking at you, Guy Grossi and Liz Egan (aka The Other One).
I do enjoy Amy stirring her brother and making him call her “Chef”. Nothing beats sibling humour.
An hour in the families arrive and the tears start flowing. Aw, Amy and Ty’s folks are delightfully normal, but it’s the moustache belonging to what seems to be their brother that is mesmerising. It’s been waxed and twisted to peak stiffness. #MyMoustacheRules
Speaking of hashtags, here comes you know who, followed by the other teams.

Amy and Ty are using white truffle, which on truffletraders.com.au sells for $700 for 100g. Regular truffle is only about $200. Amy is running on pure adrenaline.


All the forgettable teams have been grouped together, including the Desperate Housewives of Wollongong, the young chicks and the mild-mannered Asian brothers. That’s enough of you lot – let’s see more of the midwife in the electric blue dress that has vines sprouting from thr neckline, threatening to strangle her.


Entree is served …
Both look good but I reckon that samosa sack could be a bit tricky to eat – will the disc shatter when cut into?
Guy says it’s a “zingy little number”. Manu’s tastebuds are dancing.
Colin says A&T’s mousse packs a flavour punch. Pete loves it but wants something a little crispy for texture.

So, believe it or not, some people are actually watching The Voice while MKR is on. I’m not one of them but there’s a lot of social media chat about this girl, so have a look if you need a musical break. She’s rather good – and only 15!

Back in the kitchen, it’s on to course two and for the judges to visit each team and put the wind up them by mentioning that each is cooking pea soup. “Umm, I’m just going to go and grab some garam masala,” jokes Amy. Have I mentioned how much I like Amy?
Valerie and Other Court have obviously spent a lot of time working out the presentation of their dishes, balancing a mini salmon tikka skewer on a shotglass of soup, with something crunchy on the side for texture. The vibrancy of A&T’s pea soup in the dark bowls is stunning.

Course two is served ….

(Thank god I’m recording this because every ad I fast forward seems to feature the Hashtaggers flogging something).
Colin loves their refinement of peasant-style ingredients. The fried pork back fat is a winner. Pete says it’s faultless.
The Indian-style pea soup is, according to Karen, delicious and pleasant.

Time to cook course three …
Ty tells us how to cook marron and I hope Duck Nutter from last year is watching, given he served uncooked marron last year. OMG – Josh is on the sidelines talking about how to cook marron. MKR editors, are you trying to make me turn over to Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2? That’s how much I want his face to be off my TV screen. And now he is criticising A&T’s choice of a rhubarb accompaniment.
The girls are using finger lime with their mackerel, which is very Mod Oz. But they are having dramas with uncooked fish. That gets resolved but their plating is rushed and they are frazzled. Courtney tears up a bit, as her lovely Dad gives her encouraging thumbs ups from the sidelines.

Course three is served …
Guy says the marron was cooked properly. Liz has never had anything like it and is “thrilled”. The like the rhubarb.
The soz with the mackerel is a knockout, says Pete. Guy wanted less rice, less fish and more soz.

Time for course four …
Have I been pronouncing vindaloo incorrectly for decades? Or is it a regional thing. I haven’t heard “vindar-loo” before.
While the teams cook, see how many of these contestants you can name:

A&T’s dish is, as per usual, very cheffy, using offal and bone marrow. Valerie shows the crowd she has a photo of her late father in her pocket. Oh dear – that started the tears. It’s great that they love him so much and he was obviously a fabulous cook but we’ve seen far too much of this – and the editors are to blame, not Valerie and Courtney. The dead relative edit just annoys viewers.
V&C are happy with their vindaloo soz.


Why is Amy putting the jus on using a spoon? Tip it in a jug! This could be one of those times we hear the old “stress on a plate”. Hopefully it taste great.

Course four is served …
They love the vindaloo and condiments. “Confident”, “superb’.
We get a lingering shot of Pete’s wobbling bone marrow (no, that is not a euphemism). Colin says the dish is chef standard. Karen tops him by saying it’s the best dish she’s eaten in eight years of MKR.

Time for the final course …
All seems well with A&T’s dessert but then Ty gets the shakes as he tries to quenelle the cremeaux and it’s hard to watch.
The kulfi looks good. It can often be too sweet, but V&C are smart to enough to know this and would have balanced their flavours accordingly. The tart berries will help. The processes used are not as complicated in A&T’s dessert but Ty does push teh edge with his flavours sometimes.

The judges taste …
Liz says the After Dinner Mint is faultless. Colin: “This dish made me happy.” (And now I’m popping to the fridge to hunt for chocolate.)


The kulfi dish is playful, says Karen. It’s refreshing. But no-one calls its faultless.

Are we there yet? After two hours of this I’m starting to fade … Surely A&T have won, even if they are wearing black?
It was good at least to have a grand final without a “bad guy” (remember Lauren and Carmine, Chloe and Kelly). And one in which no-one cooked bad food.

The judges speak …
This is usually just a repeat of the chat we hear as they taste. Urgh – we have to sit through the teams being asked about their journeys. Get to the scores!
I’m thinking mostly 9s for the ladies and a mix of 9s and 10s for A&T.

Valerie and Courtney
Karen 9, Guy 9, Colin 8, (yeah, Amy and Tyson have sooo got this), Liz 9, Manu 8, Pete 9. 52/60

Amy and Tyson
Colin 9, Guy 9, Manu 9, Karen 10, Liz 10, Pete 10.

Here comes the glitter confetti. Pity we know they film two alternate endings. Ah, Tyson says some lovely things about his sis and she gives him a loving punch in the arm.

Well done, Amy and Tyson!

(Now, thank god that’s over. Bring on MasterChef!)



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93 Comments

  1. I am rather annoy that they are having the finale later. I thought it will start at 8pm which means 8.15pm.

    • Not to mention, you just know it’s gonna be 2 (and a half) very long hours of listening to Valerie and Courtney go on and on (and on) about their dear elderly relative.

  2. Used the poll, mommy and daughter will win thanks to their poppy schtick. I’d prefer Not-so-angry-man and Amy to win though…

  3. I’m liking the later start, my 10 month-old is actually asleep so I can watch. I’ve missed much of this season- but then again I haven’t. Seems it’s been a bit of a yawn.

    Would’ve thought Amy & Tyson (for reasons Juz describes) but yes, perhaps dead grandpa’s mouldy old book might be the winner. I love curry too but not all the freaking time. Those two would’ve been good on ‘The Chef’s Line’ on SBS.

    MC next week already looks painful. I think it’s Geroge… he gets more smug and less sincere by the second.

    • Hope you do ‘t have to get up too much in the night, Bel. Mr 5 had just gone to sleep (7:30 here) so I even get to see the tail end of new House Rules while I scoff my chicken salad on the couch

  4. Usually the white jackets will win. Unless the spice queens did so badly that it is too difficult to skew the results and viola Black jackets win 🤗🤗🤗

  5. I feel like, for this season, I’m happy not so much that we’ve reached an exciting season finale … but because it’s finally over. I’m definitely leaning more towards Amy and Tyson, but with channel 7’s usual schtick, who knows.

    • It was a very lack lustre season. I’m also barracking for A/T mainly because they show more creativity whereas V/C rely on someone elses recipes.

  6. The best moment of the night so far … Court and Val’s families step through the MKR revolving doors, and we cut to Amy murmuring, “Oh God.”

    She probably meant it in a different way, but it still amused me.

  7. OMG – the way that guy came into the kitchen, stooped over, arms out-stretched…. my first thought was Poppy had been resurrected.

  8. At least Tyson is really serious about cooking. I watch the interview and he said he started his apprenticeship in Brisbane.

    LoL when Amy asked him to say yes chef

  9. I want Amy and Tyson to win as like others have said…..they are creative and cook many types of food…and do it well.
    Valerie and Courtney are good cooks but they don’t do anything different….it is always Indian.

  10. Never in MKR history has any team just cooks one cuisine. Just like watching one of those cooking shows on SBS doing indian cuisine

    • Ditto. Doing it for dead poppy is beyond tedious.
      Hats off to Amy and Tyson for ignoring the producers and calmly cooking without traumatic back story. I want them to win so much.
      I’d happily buy Poppy’s sauce in a jar if that would shut Coles up & let them have something out of this if they can actually let the genuinely creative team win.

  11. Now that Josh doesn’t have to be a arse anymore….well he isn’t…he hasn’t said anything awful….but the night is young☺
    And if we did have a drink for every time poppy or father was said 🍻 we would be pissed💃and now the whole poppy family is crying…..OMG. Amy and Tyson should win as they have done it on there own with no help….tears….or divine intervention 😃

    • There is no way, following that critique that Amy and Tyson won’t win. I’m happy!

      Thanks Juz for the embedded soundtrack. I’ve spent 10 minutes wondering where the hell the music was coming from! Every time I refresh to see new comments, the song restarts 😉

  12. The judges weren’t too critical of V/C’s meals, but they seemed to gush a lot more positive praise when it came to Amy/Ty, so I’m hoping that Amy and Ty take it out.

  13. From the judges critiques, I think the critique for Amy and Ty were better.

    Everyone is happy if Amy and Ty win. They win for us not for poppy

  14. Phew.

    The right team won. The second Colin gave Valerie and Courtney an “8”, I was like, yep, Amy and Tyson have this. Part of me wants to think that the judges actually subtracted points for the Poppy-in-my-pocket moment, because I would’ve tempted to as well. But I’m glad for Amy and Tyson. They were one of the only teams this year who could actually cook, and they did it well.

    Still should’ve been the Beards, but eh.

    And the better news is that none of us will ever have to look at Josh or Amy’s faces ever again for the rest of our lives. Yay!

  15. Poppy in a pocket ffs. They only talked about the money, Amy and Tyson just wanted the title. What nationality are Courtney and hrr Mum hard to tell, not pure Indian. Oh well that’s it

  16. Actually, I really loved the moment when Amy turned to her brother and slugged him on the shoulder. It was such a hilariously-sisterly moment.

    • That is totally what I would do if my brother said something nice about me. But then he’d probably also give me a Chinese burn, just for old time’s sake …

  17. You don’t want the $250, 000, Tyson? .Just the worthless MKR title.

    I’ll have it. Thanks. You’re a champion.

    Poppy failed.

  18. V&C should have served a deconstructed gingerbread coffin with Poppy seeds and soil strewn over it.

  19. I am so please for Ty. He is just a shy person. At least now he can get the head start to be a chef.
    I wouldn’t want to work under him. You can tell he is a perfectionist and he will give you a earful if you stuff up.

  20. Am pleased with the results but not so happy as have to rewatch show as miss2 and mr 4 refused tio nap today then passed out at 4. Meaning they woke up at 7. Mr 50 was very involved watching the voice, yes same young girl, so imissed eginning middle, but I did see the winners. So now w I have to go back and rewatch show as dinner bath and bed happened after winner anounced. Not happy Jan.
    I would love to eat all those beautiful curries but I am so pleased Amy and Tyson won. Tyson had a glimmer of a tear in his eye even. They really deserved it and I regret a thing bad I said about them previously. They are golden gods. Obviously victims of bad editing. Ps Amy I’m sorry I said you had lank greasy hair as it looked fantastic in that whiff tonight. You go girl!!!

    • I already told Mr Juz he is in charge of bedtime for the next few nights – I didn’t want to miss tonight or MasterChef tomorrow! And now the recap is up I can finally read all your comments.

  21. PPS until tonight though I loved the curries I found the whole poppy thing rather contrived. Yet there were genuine poppy tears and solid emotions evident tonight, I did believe in poppy. Just for my personal curiosity does anybody remember what Valerie said yonks ago about her Anglo Indian background. It was more interesting than what the websites say. Am tempted to go to an English Indian curry house. I have seen them lately in Sydney.

  22. Just one small comment which is not meant to be mean-spirited. Poppy must has been a wonderful person but I do wonder why no mention was ever made of Valerie’s Mum (or maybe I missed it). And there is another daughter, Ella (stunning), a singer who is doing rather well in Brisbane. But guess what, she was also inspired by Poppy as he was a good singer!

  23. No doubt she will get a book offer, but whose name will be on it. They were all Poppy’s recipes. They didn’t make one Western dish I’m sure. Now for weeks of watching those fat things eating, although Colin seemed to enjoy his food😀

  24. Valerie is so good with curries and always cooking what she does at home, she doesnt know how to reduce portion size. That pork vindaloo is meal by itself.

    That is what you get as a meal in a Indian restaurant. They should have served less with smaller dollops of the side dish.

    I will eat all the curries that V and C cooked but they dont deserve to win.

    Now next year, I can bet with you we will have teams only cooking one type of cuisine. I can see a dead nonna being mentioned umpteenth times

  25. Well deserved win! I kept thinking that they were going to give the win to VC based on some of the judges’ comments during the tasting and also the pop up letting people know that VC’s sauce will be back in stock at Coles.
    After hearing the judges rave more about AT’s food than VC’s at the end of food service and then seeing Colin’s 8 I knew that AT were probably going to win. 🙂

    Were Amy & Tyson the best team ever in MKR history? They challenged themselves and they challenged the judges’ palates. Congrats to both of them.

  26. If anyone’s in Brissy on Saturday, Amy and Tyson have a dessert pop-up event. Details on their Twitter account or Eventbrite.

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