MasterChef Australia judge Andrew Allen is a household name in India given the massive popularity show and his inexplicable charm as a judge. From being a contestant on the popular television culinary show to being a judge, Chef Andy Allen has definitely come a long way and has achieved some amazing milestones including being the co-owner of a restaurant named Three Blue Ducks in Australia.
On Andy’s first visit to India, he sat down with News18 for an exclusive conversation on his first trip to the country, his love for Indian cuisine, MasterChef Australia and much more.
Excerpts From The Conversation-
How does it feel being in India?
So good! I cannot explain how amazing it feels to be in India. Right after I landed, a lady asked me if I thought my India visit should have happened a long time back, I was like yes and no. I believe it is always the perfect timing whenever something does happen and it has been 10 years that I have been trying to get over here but it’s just not something that happens overnight, there is a lot of planning that goes into it. I have got a lot going on back home but I have loved every minute of being here in India from the time I landed. Had the most amazing food, and met the most amazing people, it could not have gotten better.
Your fans are aware of your love for love chocolates…
The love is so deep that now I am associated with Fabelle. I along with a wonderful team of people had to pick 10 countries from where we would be picking up 10 unique ingredients to form a brilliant combination with chocolate. Would you believe that? It is almost a dream for a chocolate admirer like me! The process was super interesting but I am not going to lie, it was easy and very difficult all at once.
Over the last 2-3 years, we have been seeing a lot of Indian representation or even Southeast Asian representation in the MasterChef Australia kitchen, how do you feel about that?
I love it. I think it also speaks volumes about Australia as a country, we are such a multicultural country and it also speaks about and showcases the kind of food that is being prepared across the globe and the different varied food habits that people have. While we are at it, I do need to mention that the kind of food that I have had in India has blown my mind completely, I am a big fan of Indian food and I have had a lot of it sitting in Australia but the food that you get here in India is phenomenal, I simply cannot wait to come back for more.
The foodscape in India is so punchy, so vibrant, so colourful and of course extremely tasty. What is brilliant is also the fact that the food in India varies from region to region, there is so much to learn about. It is only a matter of time before countries like India, Bangladesh and Pakistan will have the best kinds of food to offer to the world. The dishes in these countries, according to me are right on trend at the moment because it is all about flavour and generosity and it is definitely not about serving bits a pieces, it is unapologetically what it is.
On the personal front, what is your relationship with Indian cuisine?
I cannot explain the kind of love I have for Indian cuisine, I feel like I just want to keep coming back to India around twice a year and do varied food tours across the country. Like I mentioned earlier, I have had my fair share of Indian food in Australia and I thought that I had a grasp on the subject matter but I guess my visit to India has definitely changed my thought process. Food is like a religion in India and I love the story behind each Indian dish coming out of different regions of the country.
Lastly, before we conclude, does it feel better to be a Masterchef judge than being a participant? What do you have to say about your journey?
Being a judge, of course, does not have so much pressure associated with it. However, when I was a participant back in the day, I thoroughly enjoyed the kind of pressure that contestants were put under and probably that is why I was successful in being a participant in the kitchen. After I left the competition as a participant I realised that I may not have been the best cook in there but I was most certainly one of those cooks who could take on a good load of pressure and not complain about it. Both as a judge and a participant, I feel the show teaches you a lot, you can almost pick and choose amongst your learnings and add to your repertoire.
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