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MasterChef Asia, which debuted in 2015, is returning after a 10-year hiatus with a star-studded lineup of judges and contestants
The reality cooking competition is set to premiere on HBO Max, as well as TLC and Discovery Channel on 22 September, according to a statement from the streaming service today.
The 10-episode series will see former MasterChef contestants from around the world go head-to-head in a series of high-stakes culinary challenges for the chance to be crowned the next MasterChef Asia.
Among the judges is Chef Edward Lee, who gained international recognition from the South Korean Netflix hit Culinary Class Wars.
He will be joined by Pichaya Soontornyanakij, better known as Chef Pam, who runs a Michelin-starred restaurant in Bangkok and has appeared on cooking shows including Restaurant War Thailand.
The judging panel is rounded out by multi-award-winning Chinese-Canadian chef Kelvin Cheung, known for pioneering third-culture cuisine through restaurants such as Jun's in Dubai.
The new season will feature 10 former MasterChef contestants from across Asia and beyond:
Khanh Ong — MasterChef Australia
Sahadol Tantrapim, also known as Chef Pond — MasterChef Thailand
Marcus Low — MasterChef Asia
Areum Yoon — MasterChef Korea
Nambie Jessica Marak — MasterChef India
Audrey Wicksana — MasterChef Indonesia
Therese Lum — MasterChef Australia
Mime Kataniwa — MasterChef Italia
Ivory Yat — MasterChef Pinoy
Sandy Tang — MasterChef UK
The programme was filmed in Macao, a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, where the contestants showcased their culinary skills while incorporating local flavours.
Fans can also expect more familiar faces from the Asian food and travel world to appear as guest judges throughout the season
They include travel YouTuber Mark Wiens, Filipino food content creator Abi Marquez, also known as the "Lumpia Queen", and Chef Ken Chong from Macao's Palace Garden.
Also joining the guest judging lineup is Chef Julien Tongourian, who is associated with the three-Michelin-starred Robuchon au Dôme in Macao and L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Hong Kong.
The revival marks the return of MasterChef Asia a decade after its first season aired in 2015. The original season featured 15 contestants from across the region, with Singaporean lawyer Woo Wai Leong ultimately taking home the title.
