YoYo Yang is the second MasterChef contestant to say goodbye to the famous kitchen, but at 19-years-old, this is just the humble start of her food journey.
The episode featured celebrity guest judge Nigella Lawson (in hologram form!) as she instructed the contestants to create a dish from the chef’s verbal description.
In the end, the South Australian student didn’t quite reach the mark last night when she ran into some tedious issues when she tried to recreate Nigella’s toasted marshmallow and rhubarb cake.
YoYo’s exit already looked quite emotional on TV last night, but today she explained to Now To Love that “It’s hard to see on-camera how emotional it was.”
“It was a really heartfelt moment at the end when a lot of contestants were crying as I left.”
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“I wanted to get out as soon as I could.”
(Credit: Instagram)“I was kind of at my breaking point as well, which is why I wanted to get out as soon as I could, but then Andy had to call me back because I hadn’t said bye to the judges yet,” said YoYo.
However, the next day, YoYo reflected on her journey and felt “refreshed”, knowing she got to have a “brilliant experience” – one which she was encouraged to embark on by her supportive mum.
“It was my mum that suggested it [auditioning for MasterChef]; we were watching the Back To Win season as a family, and mum was like, you should apply.
“And I was like ah, I don’t really know. I was a little bit doubtful, but she really pushed me to apply and just give it a go.
“So, I didn’t expect to come this far, but I’m glad she gave me a little push,” shared YoYo.
Nigella’s toasted marshmallow and rhubarb cake.
(Credit: Instagram)YoYo started her cooking journey with precision and top-notch organisational skills, which she had refined through her experiences performing in music exams, as well as the not-so-small feat of attending medical school.
Unfortunately, her careful planning fell apart thanks to an unexpected crème anglaise and overcooked rhubarb.
YoYo explained that it was a lack of experience and planning which caused the fatal mistakes.
“I just didn’t have a place for the crème anglaise. I didn’t know where it would fit in my time plan, in my organisation, so it kind of threw me off.
“Then the rhubarb decimated more than I wanted it to, so that threw me off as well,” said YoYo.
YoYo also commented on the “brilliant” experience of receiving instructions from a hologram Nigella Lawson.
Judge Melissa Leong speaking to YoYo during her final cook.
(Credit: Instagram)“I was standing there in awe; she was able to use such high vocabulary to describe her food – I don’t even think half the words I knew what the meanings were.
“It was a little wacky, but it was definitely very exciting to see her there. It was very cool actually that technology has advanced so far that we can have a hologram,” said YoYo.
Like most contestants on the show, YoYo’s love of food and cooking style has been influenced by her family.
“I grew up with a lot of Asian flavours and Chinese food that my parents and my grandparents would cook with,” YoYo said.
“I grew up with a lot of Asian flavours and Chinese food.”
(Credit: Instagram)Although YoYo’s grandparents are from China, they would spend much of their bonding time in the kitchen together when they could come to Australia for a visit.
“I would spend a lot of time cooking with them, eating with them, and they taught me a lot.
“There are things that don’t have to be said with food. It can be spoken through actions and flavours,” said YoYo.
After her exit, YoYo is heading back to medical school, and she plans to work on her website YoYo Eats, where she shares easy recipes for University students.
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