Their instant restaurant left Mary and Golden in second place on My Kitchen Rules, but the team from Victoria said they believed the low scoring of their dessert was “unfair”.
For the Filipino nurses, their instant restaurant was about more than proving themselves in the kitchen — it was about sharing the food and traditions they grew up with back home.
So when their mango float ice-cream sandwich failed to connect with the judges and their fellow contestants, Mary admitted she was still “hurt” by the response.
Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today
But before they even stepped into their own instant restaurant, the pair were already feeling the pressure.
“The night of Tiffany and Giancarlo’s instant restaurant, we were literally shaking in our seats, and we were so anxious, we were so scared, because it was our turn next,” Mary admitted.
“I don’t think there’s anything that can prepare you, but we had a plan. We always come with a plan.”
“You might not see it, but we actually could not eat properly,” Golden added.
“We were so anxious getting ready for our restaurant, so we were there but our headspace was in our instant restaurant. We were already cooking in our head.”
Mary and Golden are proud of their Filipino heritage and showcased traditional recipes at their instant restaurant, Aming Kusina, which translates to “our kitchen” in Filipino (Tagalog).
It was an emotional night for Golden, who said cooking her family’s traditional recipes transported her back to her childhood growing up on the farm with her brothers.
“My tears wouldn’t stop crying. I was laughing, but at the same time, I was actually just crying. It wouldn’t stop. It was like it had a mind of its own,” Golden said.
Despite not being there with them in person, their family back home have been with them every step of the MKR journey, sending them recipes to use in the competition — dishes they grew up eating throughout their childhood.
“They were very supportive from day one,” Mary said.
The nurses said it’s a “privilege” to cook for judges Manu Feildel and Colin Fassnidge.
Serving Fassnidge, the “king of pork”, a pork dish for their main was a lot of pressure.
While their entrée of shrimp fritters was a hit, their pork dish of Cebu lechon belly was overcooked.
“I think I shot myself in the foot there when I said that we are the queens of pork,” Mary said.
“I was telling Mary not to say it, but you can’t tell her what not to say and what to say,” Golden added.
“My regret is calling myself the queen of pork without proving myself first. That’s why it says self-proclaimed queen of pork, but you know what? It was our first cook and we are home cooks,” Mary said.
“We are used to cooking for just our family, our friends, not like on a big scale. But next time, maybe I won’t let the pork stay in the oven for that long.”
The dessert of mango float ice-cream sandwich didn’t land well with the judges or the contestants, who didn’t understand the dish, but Mary and Golden said it’s a traditional dish they grew up eating.
And while Mary is still “hurt” by the low scoring of their dessert, they will continue to cook traditional dishes.
“We love our food and we love it because we grew up eating it, but we always have this thing at the back of our mind: Is it good enough for this competition? Is it good enough for Australia?” Mary said.
“But you know what? We love it and we’re happy to show it and share it with everyone, if they don’t like it, it would hurt, but we’re still proud of our cuisine.”
Despite being called the ones to watch, Mary and Golden still feel like they need to prove themselves.
“This is our culture and we just want to showcase it and we are very proud Filipinos and I just hope Australia will love it,” Golden said.
When it comes to the drama at the table, the team had no comment.
“We stay out of the drama and you know, keep our head in the game,” Golden said.
NSW’s opinionated couple Jane and Shane are next to cook but will they step up to the plate?
My Kitchen Rules returns on Monday at 7.30pm on Seven and 7plus.