Wok Stars Episode 7

The Wok Stars series is clearly getting more exciting, as the cooks demonstrate their improving cooking abilities as well as their creativity.

**Warning: Spoiler Alert**

Episode 7 of Wok Stars began at the JEM Koufu foodcourt, where the challenge was to be a hawker's apprentice for a day and handle lunch service.  To me this was very thought-out, as the cooks got to practice being the real deal and at the same time get experience from established chefs in the business.  Viewers also got the benefit of catching a glimpse into the work that goes into preparing food in the different stalls.  It was really interesting to learn that there were three pots to cook fishballs which cooks have to juggle during service, and to watch the techniques involved in braising chicken :) :)

Two Choppers to mince meat - Karen Mok Style (below)

Screengrab from XinMSN and Youtube

All cooks did reasonably well except for Sean who had difficulty adapting to cooking bak chor mee in a hawker setting.  His mentor also had some pretty harsh words for him and if it were me, i would have ended up pretty discouraged.  At the end though, it was Violet who emerged victorious, having wowed her mentor for being an attentive, quick learner and surprisingly not answering back (!)

The cook-off challenge was to reinvent a dish from the hawker stall.  The TV crew followed the cooks shopping at Cold Storage, and also to their homes where the cooks tested out their inventions.  It was a nice touch to see a different side of Violet.  She takes care of 3 kids and puts alot of hard work into practicing, only sleeping 3 hours a night.  There is really no black or white.  Some people may have very annoying characteristics, but they also have their redeeming features.  50 shades of grey indeed.

Actually i dont think many of the cooks slept much that night.  they were all too buy preparing, and I find this  can-do and hardworking spirit really admirable.  To be able to put in sweat and tears in pursuit of your passion!!

Back to the studio kitchen then, and Chef Eric Neo returned as a guest judge.   As a reward for winning the challenge, Violet got 5 minutes of help of a resident judge of her choosing, and she chose Chef Alvin.  Wise choice, since she was cooking fish noodles and Chef Alvin is more experience in Chinese cuisine (and has 2 + 1 Michelin stars to boot!)

Sean stood out once again for his creativity, converting bak chor mee into a burger.  However he once again fell short on execution and served up raw chicken once again.  It was actually those who served up similar dishes to previous weeks that prospered.  KS with his chicken pate and Kenneth with his popiah.  It pays to learn from experience, and serve up something familiar, but better.

Bak Chor Mee Burger = Fusion food
Screengrab from XinMSN

The theme was reinvention.  Not 100% a skill necessary for a hawker.  If you are really good, you can compete just based on taste, with the right pricing.  But if you want something to stand out, then i guess creativity is needed.  It is needed for reality TV though :)

In any case, reinvention does not require creativity, but more to versatility.  If you can make a wide variety of cuisine, reinvention would be simply cooking the same dish in a different style.  Noodles as burgers, rice as rice paper.

Reinvention, in Chef Willin's words, is keeping the DNA of the dish, but making it different.  Presenting prata as tissue prata is reinvention; playing stewart downing as a full back is reinvention; singing Disney songs heavy metal style is reinvention; switching protein is NOT reinvention.  and therefore Violet, Maya and Sen ended up in the bottom 3.

"You better give me fishballs as round as my lips!"
Screengrab from XinMSN

KS's triple layered dish was tops overall, beating Sean on execution.  Totally love his smile, and his humility in victory.

The poorest dishes/cooks were too close to call and it was both Sen and Maya, whom Violet had earlier identified as the biggest threats, that exited the competition.  To me it was also somewhat of a surprise, as I had thought Maya was a front runner to become the wok star.  Nonetheless, it was heartening to see that both cooks were still determined to keep their hawker dreams alive.  

With two persons exiting in one episode, will this pave the background for a revival round?  I am totally looking forward to the next episode!