Fairuz Nadia won first place at the first Monash MasterChef competition.

My fingertips danced a little on the steering wheel, seeing empty parking spaces. Granted it was a Saturday, but better than any other, because I was at the campus to attend the first ever Monash Masterchef (a cook-off competition that followed the popular program, MasterChef).

Held on the open field under a large white canopy, it all seemed like a friendly garden party. Goodie bags were generously filled with restaurant vouchers.

At the start of the event, emcee Mun Yee introduced the five contestants: Ng Nyet Joan, Alavy Reza, Aaron Seth, Fairuz Nadia, and Lut Mahyuddin. Basic ingredients were supplied, with chicken as their obligatory main ingredient. The catch was that at each cooking station, mystery boxes containing different ingredients such as lemons, aubergines, rice, and cheese were to be utilised.

Three judges, Chef Shan of INTI University College, Chef Kevin Ryan, Head of School of Culinary at INTI University College, and Chef Anant, the Chef de Partie at Hotel Istana, were invited to observe, taste, and evaluate the main courses based on presentation, recipe creativity, and flavour.

Cooking began at 11.15am, and in about half an hour, the competition turned into a bidding war for lemons. Exchanging ingredients may have defeated the purpose of the mystery box challenge but the audience seemed to gain from this game with a student somehow receiving a potato.

Throughout the hour, I felt a shared sense of nervousness with the crowd and contestants, a nervousness that was brutally assured when Alavy sliced some skin off her wedding finger. There was plenty of sweating, and then blood.

By noon, the contestants’ hands moved so hastily as though independent from their bodies. Unaffected by the rising tension, time went on and so did the 10-second countdown.

First to present her dish was Ng with her soy sauce Asian chicken and western cheese mushroom while Alavy prepared a curry chicken with polau rice, a Bangladeshi recipe to which the judges praised her use of greens and reds won her presentation points. Along came Seth whose colourful dish received a “wow” from the judges, but lacked the same affect for taste.

Fairuz however, with her dish, chicken bomb “because it landed on a garden of asparagus”, impressed the judges. After a bite they exclaimed: “Your dish, fantastic!”

At intermission, Chef Kevin did a cooking demonstration of his own recipe. Once that was over, the crowd adjourned to the cafeteria for complimentary food.

The dessert round had a happy mystery ingredient for all contestants: chocolate.

Once again, there was the rush of getting their recipes down with only their hands to rely on. Seth took this quite seriously as he separated the yolk from the egg using his bare hands.

The judges, amused by this, announced that they were looking for good taste, moist texture, and pleaded for edible food.

Ng decorated hers with a detail of melted chocolate polka dots and strawberry puree on the side of her plate; Lut, a three-tier ‘brulele’ with a crème brule at the base, banana smoothie in the centre, and a chocolate helmet drizzled with honey.

 Seth hard at work.

Ng is a picture of concentration.

Fairuz made strawberry lava, served in between layers of crushed cookies and chocolate sauce while Seth prepared a strawberry milky juice and chocolate cake, decorated at the sides with slices of caramelised bananas. Lastly, Ng presented her golden cream cheese puffs with chocolate chips.

It was no surprise when Fairuz was announced the grand prize winner, taking home a two day one night stay at the Sunway Resort & Spa. Seth took second place, bagging himself a two day one night stay at the Summit Hotel. Both also took home a full set of cooking equipment each. Ng won third place. All winners also took home trophies.

If you missed this exciting and thrilling cooking competition, don’t fret. Another food event, the Monash Food Fiesta is happening this Saturday (19/05/2012). Plus this time, you and I will not only play observer but participate in the consumption process.

Considering the success of the Monash Masterchef 2012, I expect that the Monash Food Fiesta will do similarly well at stimulating palates and hopefully this time, will make my tummy dance a little.