Adam Liaw wins Masterchef final cook-off
Lawyer Adam Liaw has won this year's MasterChef competition in a cook-off against fellow South Australian Callum Hann.
Liaw, who finished with a final score of 89 to Hann’s 82, wins $100,000 and a cookbook publishing deal.
"It’s extraordinary," he said.
"I can only imagine how (winner) Julie (Goodwin) felt this time last year.
"I’m over the moon, absolutely, I’m over the moon. I still just can’t believe it – it hasn’t sunk in yet."
Hann does not walk away empty-handed.
Judge George Calombaris announced he is giving Hann a three-month culinary scholarship in his Melbourne restaurants and $10,000.
Liaw and Hann were required to complete three challenges: a skills test, an invention test, and replicating a dessert from Quay restaurant executive chef Peter Gilmore.
With celebrity chef Matt Moran joining the judging panel last night, Liaw took an early lead in the competition, and kept it after the second round when both contestants scored nine out of 10 from each of the judges for their invention test dishes.
He then produced the best of the two final desserts, giving him the overall win.
Liaw counts Adelaide as his home town but he moved to Japan six years ago and lives in Tokyo.
The 31-year-old left his job to participate in MasterChef.
Liaw says he wants to open his own Japanese Izakaya, which is like a pub with a casual restaurant.
He has not ruled out opening such a place in Australia.
Liaw was a student protege, completing year 11 at just 14 years old, enrolling in university at 16 and becoming a lawyer at 21.
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When growing up in Adelaide, there seemed little doubt that Liaw’s world would eventually centre around cooking.
"I first remember cooking when I was eight or nine and living with my mum and stepfather," he said.
"With my stepbrothers and sisters, there were eight of us kids in the house and once a month, it would be the kids’ turn to make dinner.
"We moved around a bit when I was younger, like over to Malaysia, and there would always be some kind of food that I had loved – and wanted to cook – for the whole family."
But it was not until he was studying science and law at the University of Adelaide that food became a passion.
"I would just taste something while I was out and then try to make it at home," he said. "I just had people over for dinner all the time for dinner parties."
Runner-up Hann was the youngest contestant in this year’s MasterChef and put aside his engineering degree to
compete.
The 20-year-old from South Australia’s Barossa Valley wants a career as a chef.
Hann took over a lot of the cooking at home for his mother and sister after his father passed away a few years ago.
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King in the kitchen: Adam Liaw celebrates his MasterChef win last night.
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