10 Of Our Favorite Masterchef Judges And Their Restaurants You Should Definitely Visit!

Masterchef Australia always brings a smile to our faces. It made food-lovers happy and made the rest fall in love with food. It also expanded our understanding of food itself.

Apart from the regular lovable trio of Matt Gary and George, it was a delight to see the top chefs of the world come to the show as guest judges.

They set the bar higher and we got to see them in action too. It would not be an overstatement to say that we fantasized meeting them, or at least eating their food.

So here are the top chefs that have been on Masterchef and their signature restaurants. You should definitely go visit them.

1. Adriano Zumbo

Adriano Zumbo was dreaded in the Masterchef kitchen. He is known to set incredibly difficult challenges for the contestants in the form of his ridiculously complicated desserts. Contestants used to be sweating at the end of the challenge, trying to recreate Zumbo’s masterpieces.

Outside of Masterchef, Zumbo owns several Zumbo Cafes in Australia, of which Macquarie Pop Up and South Yarra are the most famous.

And they not just cater delicious desserts. You can have a slew of savory snacks like sausage rolls, pies and even handcrafted ice creams!

 

2. Marco Pierre White

If Zumbo made contestants nervous, Marco Pierre White terrified them. Marco is reputed to never mince his words or hold his temper back while in the kitchen and the contestants knew this.  But there is no question that he is one of the greatest chefs of this generation.

White retired in 1999, although he did stay in the restaurant business. His restaurant Marco Pierre Steakhouse Bar and Grills has a presence in over 16 locations in the UK.

He also owns the restaurant chains Marco’s New York Italian, and Mr. White’s Chophouse across England and USA.

 

3. Heston Blumenthal

Widely recognized to be the best chef in the world with the best restaurant, he revolutionized cooking by using scientific techniques to make food delicious.

Did you know that he has even cooked gourmet food for astronauts aboard the Internationa Space Station?

His restaurant The Fat Duck is located in Bray, Berkshire in England. He still cooks and if you are lucky, he might be cooking the day you plan to visit his restaurant.

 

4. Shanon Bennett

Shannon Bennett was known for his fun but challenging presence. He made all the contestants laugh while setting good challenges we all loved to see.

Shannon has studied under legends like Marco Pierre and Alain Ducasse.

He opened his simple restaurant Vue De Monde in Melbourne which was loved by all Australians who visited there.

 

5. Maggie Beer

Maggie Beer’s warm and motherly presence was welcome by all the contestants. She was an inspiration for viewers and contestants alike as she has never had any formal chef training.

Maggie attributes her culinary skills to over 5 decades of practice and experience.

She, with her husband, own The Farm, an outdoor eatery where she presents the visitors delicious food prepared by local produce. It is located in the Barossa valley in Australia.

 

6. Peter Gilmore

Peter Gilmore’s snow egg challenge was known to be one of the toughest challenges in the Masterchef kitchen. His dishes are new, inventive and exciting, and people who dine there love it.

He is currently the executive chef at Bennelong restaurant. The restaurant is located inside the Sydney Opera house, giving its diners the best of the food and the view.

 

7. Kylie Kwong

You may have seen Kylie more on the TV as she is a very famous television personality. She owns Billy Kwong, a restaurant that serves food made only from produce that is organic. Not even the sauces and vinegar are processed.

This is due to her belief in Buddhism and her vision to give her customers the organic best.

 

8. Vikas Khanna

If Sanjeev Kapoor and Tarla Dalal brought Indian cuisine to Indian homes, Vikas Khanna took it global. He worked in the top restaurants in America and made it big all by himself.

That is why he is an inspiration to every budding Indian chef. He opened his own restaurant Junoon in New York.

 

9. Gary Mehigan

Gary is known as the happy face of the three Masterchef Australia judges. He seems the most upbeat and happy on the show. Even though he seems the kindest, he has been very level-headed while judging dishes put in front of him by the contestants.

He owns The Boathouse restaurant in Melbourne.

 

10. George Calombaris

The Greek chef is famous for his intolerance of spicy food. He owns the famous restaurant The Press Club that won the “Best New Restaurant 2008”.

He also owns The Belvedere Club in Mykonos, Greece.

As a Masterchef Australia fan, now you know where to go the next vacation for restaurant hopping if you are in one of the cities mentioned above!

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