'MasterChef Australia' 2017 latest news: ‘Dessert King’ Reynold Poernomo shares his food journey after reality show stint

In a couple of months, Channel Ten’s “MasterChef Australia” is expected to return to the small screen with its ninth season. Before it changes the lives of a new set of home cooks, however, the Logie Award-winning reality show looks back on how its former contestants achieve their food dreams since joining the hit cooking competition.

One of the series’ success stories is Season 7 contestant Reynold Poernomo, who has made his mark in the competition with his magical desserts. After his stint on the show, Poernomo opened a dessert bar in Chippendale, Sydney with his brothers. In a video posted on the show’s official Facebook page, the 22-year-old chef admits that the dessert bar, called KOI, came earlier than he expected, and it’s all because of the culinary contest.

“Without ‘MasterChef,’ I don’t think I would have any of this,” he said. The Indonesia-born chef said that the show changes every single one’s life that goes through the competition. “It changed my life drastically, for sure,” he added. According to Poernomo, the competition taught him not to give up because that would mean all his hard work would be for nothing.

Talking about KOI, he said that it has become a reflection of their team. In Chinese culture, koi symbolises harmony and happiness. “ When something works and everything goes well, what you had in your mind comes to life and how you want it to be,” Poernomo said. When it comes to his successful dessert bar, he dishes up his secrets – experimenting, keeping things simple, using flavours that work and making final products that wow the diners.

It appears that he hasn’t changed his playful nature when it comes to preparing his dishes. He admitted that he likes to challenge people, such as by using vegetables or herbs that are not normally used in desserts. Poernomo also said that he loves e xploring outside the sweet boundary and moving to the savoury.

As a result, KOI has gained a reputation for its unique and highly conceptual dishes, such as his famous Forbidden Fruit and Moss, which were both featured in the show. Considered to be one of the most memorable desserts ever served in the competition, the Forbidden Fruit is a delectable chocolate mousse hidden under a raspberry coulis, ganache and cocoa-butter on a chocolate soil. The dish impressed judges George Calombaris, Gary Mehigan and Matt Preston that they gave it perfect scores during an immunity challenge.

Moss, on the other hand, was seen in “MasterChef Australia” Season 8, when Poernomo became a special guest in a pressure test and he asked the contestants to recreate the complicated dish. It certainly was an intimidating challenge for Olivia Robinson, Karmen Lu and Chloe Bowles, since the dessert consists of 12 elements, including caramel-filled pistachio mousse covered in matcha coating, charred apple, aero yoghurt, dulce de leche, pistachio sponge and green-apple sorbet. In the end, Olivia served the least delectable dessert plate and was sent home.

Earlier this month, “MasterChef Australia” offered a sneak peek for Season 9. It shared a montage of former contestants who achieved their food dreams with the help of the competition, including Poernomo. In the preview, the judges also teased that the competitors’ standard of cooking and creativity in the upcoming installment is mind-blowing.

Channel Ten has not specified when “MasterChef Australia” 2017 is going to air. However, based on previous seasons, fans should watch out for the new season by May. Stay tuned for “MasterChef Australia” spoilers and news.