For the past few months, I have been watching the U.S. MasterChef edition whenever I come across it while channel surfing on television. But recently, I have been closely following the Australian Junior MasterChef edition, writing down airing times on “post-its” so I don’t miss many episodes. The kids are engaging and amazing, the adults professional (critical yet nurturing) and basically it’s a great feel good kind of show. Most people don’t realize that the series has roots as far back as 1990 when the BBC in the U.K. first started airing a version of the show. It has evolved over the years, and I gather the latest format/evolution, Junior MasterChef, which debuted in 2010, has incredible viewer ratings in Australia and the U.K. So when I got a set of emails over a week ago from ABS-CBN asking if I would be interested in “seeing if I could do anything to help with the new Pinoy edition”, I gamely agreed. In my first meeting with the producers and director, we covered a wide range of topics, but since I am not a Chef, and more importantly, my Tagalog/Filipino skills are fairly appalling, I thought things would end there… but at least I could give them ideas about ingredients, markets and some recipes.
So I was truly surprised and kind of mortified that they asked me to “judge” the first batch of 100 or so shortlisted candidates in Metro-Manila and the surrounding provinces. I had a day’s notice and I realized this could be the end of a very serious diet. Nevertheless, nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? I showed up on time early at the Pinoy Big Brother House where auditions were scheduled and in the setting in the photo up top, Chef Michelle and I and some of the show’s producers and Director interviewed at total of 98 kids who showed up with a sample of the food that they had personally cooked. OMG, it sounded like a cool task, but 98 bites over 8 hours? Yipes! The energy and vibes were good, so yes, I did in fact taste EVERY SINGLE dish that the kids brought in. Adobos, dinuguan, sinigangs, mechado, gulay of all sorts and several other dozen types of pinoy dishes came plate after plate after plate. There were several western style dishes as well. Considering I have not had any carbohydrates for 37 days prior to this, nor salt, nor soy sauce or patis or sugar, let’s just say I broke every single rule in my diet dozens of times over! This will set me back a week, but you know what? It was TOTALLY WORTH IT. We asked each child to tell us something about themselves, their dish, other things they cooked, etc. After reviewing all 98, a certain number were shortlisted and they proceeded later in the day to an actual live cooking test which is set up in the photo above. I don’t want to disclose what it entailed, as further auditions around the country are still scheduled, and yes auditions are still possible for interested kids who want to join.
So in addition to the 98 tastes of dishes, Chef Michelle and I had to do dozens of tastes of the dishes that the kids were asked to cook on the spot with a recipe provided and a specified time limit. The entire day took nearly 14 hours, but it flew by quickly. And I was happy to have participated in one of the earliest stages of the process for putting together the show. This may not be the more visible and glamorous part that most folks see on television, but there was a raw honesty and palpable eagerness, excitement and nervousness that already made it quite special, so early in the game. I wish all of the kids well on their Junior MasterChef journey. And for the kids who don’t make it this time, try again next year! With a grand prize of PHP1 million for the winner and lots of other goodies, I sure wish I was 12 years old again!
Disclosure: I agreed to do yesterday’s judging and consultation for free, as I didn’t want any commitments beyond the day if I didn’t feel comfortable, and vice versa with the producers/director. However, ABS-CBN did want to pay me a consulting fee at the end of the day yesterday, which I gracefully turned down. Instead, I requested, if possible, passes for my crew and their families to attend/see their favorite ABS-CBN television show with lots of actors and actresses… a fair barter, don’t you think?
P.S. I posted a rare photo of myself (taken by Chef Michelle) on the set, so you all see what I look like at 172 pounds, and after 10 hours at “work”, because I am afraid that may be the lightest I will ever get after eating so much on the set yesterday! And finally, my favorite line from one of the producers who was probably trying to pump up my spirits/ego after about the 60th dish tasted…“If Australia Junior MasterChef has “The Shark” (is that the nickname for Matt Preston?!), we have “Marketman”…. HAHAHA. Don’t worry, I won’t let it get to me permanently. Many thanks to the folks at ABS-CBN, Chef Michelle, and to all the kids I met yesterday, you were AMAZING. Keep cooking. :)
87 Responses
OMG! I love the masterchef series! And I am astounded of the skills the kids showed in Junior Masterchef Oz. I hope we can replicate the same energy of the Australian version.
Btw, looking good MM!
You look great MM! And what a worthwhile project to break your diet for.
wow! you look gorgeous mm! really worth the sacrifice.=)
OMG! you’re about to give no chef a run for his money…it’s Daniel Craig who should feel threatened, MM! you’re looking very, very good!
Congratulations MM….am sure you will also have 98 new young foodies following your blog!
If I were 30 years younger Sali Ako! I love Junior Masterchef, especially that it inspires my own child to cook. Great gig, MM!
Looking good MM !! How lucky the show had you as a consultant.You Rock!!
Hurray! This is great news! This means I’ll be watching you on TV very soon. I wonder when they’ll be airing the pilot episode? Now I can brag to my household who Marketman is, the very guy who wrote some lines to my “SUKI” tote bag some years ago. Still have that bag, although a bit tattered due to constant use…
I saw an episode of Australian Junior MasterChef last night in StarWorld. Those kids are amazing. Can’t wait to see the Pinoy kids in Junior Masterchef Pinoy Edition! See you soon Marketman! Woohoo!
Bengski, I don’t think I am coming out on television, these are only the preliminary rounds of auditions… I think television is for the big name chefs… :)
Wow, a sexier MM! i bet that shirt of yours is a new one to suit your new slimmier figure :)
Libay, hahaha! The shirt is 5 years old, but I haven’t been able to wear it for 3+ years! :)
wow, marketman! you really have trimmed down. but more than the good looks, i am happy for you for improving your total health condition. all marketmanila readers surely would like you to be around for a long time :)
Wow! you look a lot younger and more simpatico in your new weight!Keep it up!Congratulations!!!
Wow! Amazing! you really look Slim…. keep up the good work! It would be nice to see you on the show…. looking forward talaga…
It’s great that ABS brought you in!
Looking good MM. Was the picture before, or after you tasted EVERY SINGLE DISH the kids brought in? Ha ha!
So trim, Marketman! Woohoo!
Looking forward to this show.
MM,sayang naman, you could have been a good judge and could have easily stolen Matt Preston’s thunder!!!!:). I really enjoyed watching the Aussie Junior Masterchef last year and didn’t miss an episode and I actually duplicated some of their creations at home with great success!.
Congratulations on yr gorgeous and trimmed physique:) Actually, pukhang gumuwapo ka lalo:)
looking good MM!
So the rumors are true! Meron talagang pinoy edition ang Junior Masterchef! Yey!
Australian Masterchef is a fave, it’s so cute and inspiring! Such imagination coming from such young minds. :)
Sino daw po host?
u looked great – happy & healthy.
Love Junior MasterChef Australia! I get teary-eyed watching it. Great to know they are doing one here.
On a separate note, now I’m wanting to do your diet!
i thought junior masterchef Australia was so entertaining.. its been my favorite next to Top chef Just Dessert. I hope the Pinoy version can have an equally if not more talented kids!
Congrats, MM! It must be great to have that experience! :). You are indeed looking good and healthy, so pls do keep it up. Since you have broken all the rules recently, OK lang yun but be sure to go back to your diet program, otherwise, sayang ang pinaghirapan mo. My daughter will start her own program next week and I hope she can be as successful as you are in her wieght loss program. All the very best and congratulations again! :)
Cool! :-) Such a great opporunity for the kids.
i’m excited for a pinoy version of junior masterchef! The kids in Oz version are so fun to watch. My husband i are always in awe. I hope the pinoy version can help showcase and introduce our cuisine to the rest of the world, the show being an international franchise.
MM, even in the photo you look so slim… and yeap… it seems you are developing some ABS too. :D… i can see that your shirt fits you well, kudos to you for the rigid diet you undertake.
i’ll really watch this Pinoy edition of Junior Master Chef… :)
i’m half-excited, half-scared at how this pinoy junior masterchef will be handled. really hoping the kids will be treated well by the judges. since it’s a franchise, i’m guessing abs-cbn MUST stick to the “real food, real cooking” format, and not water it down with instant food, tita maggi-style cooking. fingers crossed and all that.
Wow! You look stunning, younger and healthier MM! Keep it up!
Wow! You look stunning, younger and healthier MM!
I wonder if there would be something like an “Adriano Zumbo” challenge in the Pinoy version. That would be a tough challenge!
The kids in Junior MC in Oz were amazing. They could cook so many things that an average cook can’t. I myself don’t even know how to create gnocchi from scratch, hahaha
you rock MM! btw you look really great and YOUNG MM! :) i hope you’d be one of their main judges!
woooo you really look good!
you look great! and even taller. my chef friends are fans of the australian series and say they feel insecure when they watch it seeing all that culinary talent at such a young hehe.
Wow MM, trust me you are a celebrity now :) …. Can’t wait for your next TV appearance or a movie hehehe
On your rare photo…a pose a la James Bond would have topped the event.
you look great! you’re shirt is already too loose for you! Congratulations and looking forward to watching this show. our family loves top chef so this would be a good addition to the shows we watch.
Those kids on MCjr are amazing! You must feel very proud to have been part of the local screening. I would too, if I were you. Will be looking forward to that show :-)
Great fit, MM! and congratulations! Yes, i affirm about what the producer had said!
You are a star at par MM, and ABS-CBN knew that!
i am looking forward to see the pilot episode of this show. i hope i will see you there, and am praying that you will really be in the panel as resident judge. big time na jud ka, MM!
God bless u more!
am so looking forward to this show! if the kids can do it there is no reason that i can’t cook it too–the adult master chef contest is too sophisticated for me!
looking good, mm! :) im sure household staff will be thrilled!
Yehey, TV celebrity ka na talaga, MM. I love Masterchef.
My husband and I love watching Junior MasterChef Australia. The kids were truly inspiring and amazing! Ang gagaling nila =) Looking forward to watching the Pinoy edition.
And you look really slim and fit MM, congratulations. Isa kang inspirasyon!
looking great!!!
MM, you could be the food critic equivalent!!! really, you are a food critic and many of us here believe in your say especially when you go out of your way to dissect any dish for that matter. my small family loves watching this show, and it would be a great pleasure watching our own version if you were visible in future episodes.
OMG!! you look great MM!!
Oh wow! It is so heart warming to hear the positive response and performance of the kids in this! I fall in love every time I see Junior Master Chef (Oz) on tv as those kids are amazing and it really makes my day to see the younger generation so mindful of food! And to think now we are going to see our own youth do the same :) Oh, I know I am going to get weepy!
You look amazing! Inspiration indeed!
Ever so slightly off topic, an excellent and funny review of the new heavy weight cookbook “Modernist Cuisine.”
https://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/atlarge/2011/03/21/110321crat_atlarge_lanchester?currentPage=all
you looked YEARS younger MM no joke… I should start shedding weight too I guess… hohummm
congrats on the weight loss and keeping your cholesterol levels in check! i hope you do go on to be a judge on the show, you seem to be perfect for it. hmm, you think they’ll come up with an iron chef-ish show too?
Looking great, MM!! Keep it up. So does your belt go around your waist twice now?? :)
you do look great, MM!! I still think you’d be a good judge–you have discriminating tastebuds, and a trained eye for plating..you’d be a kind-hearted judge to those aspiring kids…BUT the show might turn out scripted in the end….not your kind of scene, definitely!
MM, hope you consider ABS-CBN’s offer when they ask you to be a judge on the show or maybe they already asked you? We would love to see Marketman on TV doing his thing. You could be a great inspiration for the kids and all of us who are Marketman junkies will have our fix too. And congratulations on the weight loss.
Hello MM. I’ve been watching MasterChef for years and am a big fan of John Torode and Gregg Wallace. I’m normally not fond though of the seemingly ENDLESS versions that spawn from successful TV programs but Junior MasterChef is one I do enjoy watching :) so glad that it’s making its debut in the Phils!
you’re looking great, Mr. MM! congrats again!
will be looking forward to that show!
Looking good MM.Wish i have the same iron will as you.Never mind…as long as we are all happy.
MarketMan, you have lost so much weight! Of course, my only basis is the rare photos of you posted on this site. I think it’s great that the local networks have taken on Junior Masterchef here. I’m a teacher by profession and training, so any efforts that are taken to educate children in other ways is always welcome. :) What I do want to ask is when we can come up with a totally original reality series based on food – not just a rehash or Pinoy version of something that is already a certified hit. Hmmm.
you radiate lightness mr MM. :) i have a daughter who knows and enjoy cooking but is too shy to join. she is 11. she watches junior masterchef every scheduled airing. hay sayang. wish ko sana
Hey, you look 10 years younger MM!
You look awesome MM! You’re an inspiration to everyone. I love watching Masterchef Australia and UK. I reckon you will do justice if ABS-CBN will offer you to be one of the judges of Masterchef Pinoy Edition even if you are not a qualified chef.
Hi MM! You’ve super trimmed down! Good job!!
MM, looking very hunk.
Looking good, MM!
Your weight loss was good timing– good prep for your big debut on the actual JMC show! Yipee! (MM, I would surely start watching TV again if you’d be one of the judges!) :D
Congrats, MM!!! I love watching Australian Junior Master Chef Edition.. hoping to watch you in the Philippine Edition
ps…. great post-diet figure… hurray to Bond— James “MM” Bond :D
You really look like you lost a significant amount of weight MM. Congratulations!
“WOW!” is what I can only say after seeing your picture! You’ve definitely trimmed down MM! Hope they place YOU in the show itself! That’s one thing to look forward to on local TV! :)
You’re looking good, dude. As many readers said, you also look younger.
Seems this show will be competing with a GMA-7 show, The Search for the Kitchen Superstar, to be launched next month (Inquirer report).
A Philippine edition of the Junior MasterChef is a great idea !!! I follow the series (both the US adult chef version and the Australian Junior edition). I am just sooo amazed at all the talent, skill and creativity we get to see.
The foreign versions work for me because they focus on the food, the chefs, the skills, the learnings and do not try to sensationalize things with sob stories and too much personal stories of each contestant.
I really hope that the people behind the Pinoy version will not treat this as the usual “Big Brother” show and spend sooo much time on personal details, drama and sob stories. A little personal background is fine but shouldn’t make it lose its focus on the show’s purpose, which is to highlight the cooking and the creativity of all these wonderful li’l chefs.
This is a great opportunity to let real talent shine and to leave too much human angles for their other reality shows.
Who knows, doing a more focused show will even help inspire others to look at this wonderful profession.
Your talent, creativity, love for food and sensible nature will truly add credibility to the show. Hope you get to be part of the MasterChef team as it goes on air.
I love both the US Master Chef & the Australian Junion Master Chef shows. The kids are amazing! Last night while “channel surfing” I discovered there’s also “Australian Junior Master Class” where the same three judges teach kids basic cooking techniques & recipes. It was fun watching and learning, too!
i only get to watch it last Sunday, looks interesting!
You are looking so great, MM! And how wonderful that you are working with the future chefs of tomorrow. What a great way to introduce young children to good food and cooking skills.
Haven’t watched MasterChef myself but I absolutely enjoy TopChef (BRAVO network) here on cable in the US. The chefs really know their stuff and I always crave for something YUM! to eat after every episode.
And the TopChef show is also responsible for me planning “food trips” rather than sight-seeing (i.e. visiting landmarks) trips.
And you look fantastic MM!
You look amazing MM!
I am a fan of Junior Masterchef Australia and has been inspired by the way the show was made. The kids were amazing and outrageously talented for 8 – 12 year old kids. I am excited for this show to air and I hope they don’t disappoint.
It’s nakakahiya to watch junior masterchef.
Nahihiya ako because i can’t cook as well as the “least” talented of them!!! Hahaha A Pinoy edition? How exciting! And
Congratulations on the weight loss mm!
MM, you look thinner than during the shoot w/ Anthony Bourdain…
You will make a very good judge
Looking good MM. By the way, where’s your ascot? :)
Thank you for sharing! Will loOk forward to your updates on jmc phils. : )
u should invite pierre,… that’s all i can say,…
can a 13 years old kid join this competition?
MM ask ko lang po kung tapos na po ba lahat ng auditions ? Saan po ba pwedeng pumunta pag may auditions pa?
PJ, I think auditions are long over. patricia, the competition is for 8-12 year olds, so I suppose it’s obvious a 13 year old does not qualify.
MM may natitira pa po bang slot para sa mga nagauauditions ?
MM may auditions po ba sa davao?? kc doon po kami ngtira..tapos na po ako ngapply sa jmc phils.
awesome junior master in phil. great this is really amazing
MM may alam pa po ba kayung lugar na may auditions ng junior masterchef pinoy edition….????
alam nyo po ba kung magkakaroon ng Master Chef Phils for grown ups?? tnx!!!
wow! sana sumli dn pla ako nu! hahaha
nextime sana mga age of 15 above nman mag compitition.