A new Masterchef season is underway, and of course, we got some very under-edited auditions, as well as some huge contenders emerging. Let’s take a look at these chefs before the first challenge of the season.
20. Evan Tesiny- Evan seems to be SO confident, but doesn’t really have that energy or excitement about food that I feel like a Masterchef needs. Something about him just doesn’t scream contender. He’s my prediction for first boot, since I need to put someone in that spot.
19. Liz Linn- Liz didn’t get much screen time in auditions, but she seems like a nice lady. She’s one of the oldest in the competition, so I don’t know if she’s one of the top contenders yet. Only time will tell, but her limited screen time in auditions scares me.
18. Sam Haaz- Sam seems to have a really nice story, but isn’t striking me as an extremely bold personality to watch, and seems a bit forgettable.
17. Bri Baker- Bri is a cocktail server, but we don’t know anything about her from auditions, so I’m grouping her (along with the four other unseen auditionees in 17-13 spots, since I really don’t know anything about them, but feel like they’d be shown if they were going out first.
16. Michael Silverstein- Real Estate guy who was never shown on screen. Where does he fall? Hm.
15. Deanna Colon- Deanna wasn’t shown in the auditions, though she is a vocal coach, so she get some brownie points from me (a student studying theatre myself).
14. Renee Rice- We didn’t get to see Renee, but her last name is Rice, so maybe she’s really good at risottos.
13. Kimberly White- Again, I know nothing about her… but New York, NY? That’s my town, so I’ll give her the confident 13 spot (the best of the unseen).
12. Shari Mukherjee- The cute stay at home mom who cooks Indian food because of her mother-in-law. She seems really really sweet. Can she compete with the big dogs in the competition? I think her Indian food looks amazing, but how will she be able to take on other classic dishes after mastering one very specific, different culinary cuisine.
11. Subha Ramiah- Subha is definitely one of the oldest of the season (in fact, he’s THE oldest), but I think he brings a lot of charm also. My only worry is that he’ll nail the classics, but might get a bit carried away with trying to reinvent classics and merge different cuisines and flavors. He did great in his audition, but can he bring it in the long haul? We’ll have to wait and see.
10. Keturah King- I love her accent so much, and I think she’s going to get brownie points from Gordon for understanding the British culinary art forms. She isn’t as heavily featured in the auditions, but I think she’ll be one to watch out for in the future.
9. Kenny Palazzolo- Kenny is a loud personality, but his Italian roots are surely going to stick with Joe, and I think it’ll carry him through for a while in this competition. Time management may be his problem, as he was cutting it close to plating. But the flavor was there. I don’t know if he’s a winner, but he’ll surely bring lots of entertainment value.
8. Wuta Onda- Wuta has lots of energy and passion, and is a teacher, so I’m already a huge fan of his. He didn’t get a ton of screen time, so I can’t say yet if he’s a number one contender, but he’s one of the standouts.
7. Nick DiGiovanni- Nick is a college student, and I think that’ll make him an underdog, but also a very underestimated chef. We’ve never really seen the younger guys win each season, which is why I have him coming short, but his maturity already sets him above a lot of younger chefs of the past. He’s right on par with our next young chef…
6. Micah Yaroch- I think Micah and Nick are similar in the fact that they are younger and definitely underestimated. Nick got his apron right off the bat, but Micah had to prove himself, and certainly did just that. Micah’s story seems much more powerful than Nick’s, so I have to give him the edge just slightly. He got that battle pass and certainly proved himself. I don’t know if he’ll win, but I do think he has the fight and determination that can really take him far in the competition, even if his cooking falls a tad short at times.
5. Fred Chang- Fred has SO many nerves, it’s nerve racking for the viewers, but also extremely charming. I just don’t know if Fred’s nerves will get the best of him in this competition. That being said, he has so much love and care for the food he’s making, and the competition in general. He’s nervous, but he’s got a confidence in his cooking, and I think that will really take him far, while not for sure winning. Fan favorite for sure.
4. Jamie Hough- Jamie the fisherman is for sure going to be a contender. I don’t know if his food is refined enough to win, but he’ll be someone to watch for in his butchering skills, and his meat cooks. He’ll go deep.
3. Dorian Hunter- Dorian is all about family, and passion flows from her easily. She’s just somebody who is so so easy to root for. She mastered a dessert in the initial audition, which at first, doesn’t seem too impressive…but then I think about how many times the MasterChef contestants bake on the show. I think Dorian will be one of the forces to be reckoned with in the baking challenges this season.
2. Noah Sims- Noah is going to be great when it comes to Southern food, as well as challenges involving cutting down meats, fish, or anything else. He clearly knows his way around the kitchen, and I think this will already give him a leg up over everyone else. He also just seems like a genuinely nice guy.
1. Sarah Faherty- Sarah traveled with the military and talked a lot about her family. She definitely didn’t strike me as a competitor at first, until she kept talking about her passion and determination, which actually sets her apart from the rest, and shows how tough she actually is. She nailed lamb, which is very tough to do. She’s definitely one of the top contenders this season after a super strong audition and first impression.
After first impressions, I don’t know where any of the 17-13 ranked people fall, since they weren’t shown. I’m gonna say either Evan, Liz, or Sam (who gave me iffy first impressions) will go first. I’m going with the guy who just seemed least enthusiastic of anybody.
A new Masterchef season is underway, and of course, we got some very under-edited auditions, as well as some huge contenders emerging. Let’s take a look at these chefs before the first challenge of the season.