Diana Chan Is Now The 2nd Malaysian-Born Cook To Win MasterChef Australia
She is now planning to open a restaurant that serves wholesome food with Malaysian flavours.
By Samantha Khor — 25 Jul 2017, 01:36 PM
Yet another Malaysian has won the MasterChef Australia cooking competition! In an nail-biting showdown, Johor-born Diana Chan triumphed over runner-up Ben Ungermann by just one point during the show's season finale on 24 July.
The nail-biting finale saw Chan and Ungermann take on three gruelling rounds of cooking challenges - a Mystery Box challenge, a freestyle challenge, and a final round that required both finalists to recreate an intricate dessert by renowned chocolatier Kirsten Tibballs.
Chan is the second Malaysian-born contestant to win the popular cooking game show after Penang-born Adam Liaw won the second season of MasterChef Australia in 2010.
Chan, who grew up in Johor Bahru before moving to Kuala Lumpur and then Australia in her late teens, credits her parents for developing her interest in cooking
According to TVNZ, Chan's parents often cooked traditional Peranakan or Cantonese-inspired meals and even experimented with other cuisines.
Chan moved to Kuala Lumpur at 17 to complete her Cambridge A levels, before heading to Melbourne to study Commerce at Deakin University two years later. She now works for Deloitte as a senior analyst.
The 29-year-old accountant has been a strong contender throughout the competition, wowing the judges with her flavourful dishes and creative plating
Many of her dishes were also inspired by Malaysian cuisine, such as her Red Emperor Fish with Spicy Fragrant Sambal (pictured above), which was based on a dish her mother used to cook.
Winning the MasterChef Australia trophy also means Chan is walking away with AUD250,000 (RM849,160) prize money, bringing her one step closer to her dream of opening a "fresh and casual" restaurant in Melbourne
Chan said that she plans to use the prize money to realise her dream of opening a restaurant, adding that the restaurant will serve wholesome meals that embrace fusion flavours.
"I definitely want to have Malaysian influences," she said. "But balanced, wholesome and delicious – that's my criteria."
Congratulations on your win, Diana! We look forward to seeing more great things (i.e. food) from you. :D
