A renowned name in the Indian culinary world, chef Sanjeev Kapoor has taken his expertise on a global stage with his upcoming appearance as a guest judge on MasterChef Australia. Kapoor, who has been a judge on MasterChef India and has also done his own cooking show Khana Khazana, was impressed with the talent he saw in the land down under. “The beauty of MasterChef Australia is that there is no food competition show anywhere in the world that is as good as it is,” he says.
The 62-year-old feels that the judges — chef and former winner Andy Allen, former contestant and cook Poh Ling Yeow, French chef Jean-Christophe Novelli and food writer and critic Sofia Levin — have “cracked the code” like no one else. He says, “The judges are experts. I told Marty (Benson, producer) that there should be a university of Masterchef Australia to teach globally.”
Kapoor also credits months of on-ground preparation that the team does for the international show’s success . Comparing it to cooking reality shows in India, he says, “They work with cooking experts, and speciality shows like these should be treated that way. Whereas in India, we feel that koi bhi show bana liya toh chal jaayega.”
He adds that contestants in India focus a lot more on establishing an emotional connection through their life stories, rather than bringing it on a plate through their food. “I don’t comment on these things as I don’t want to break anyone’s heart, but I understand what they are trying to do,” he shares.