His Noodle Taco and Charcoal Rooster With Toum, Flatbread and Pickle Salad became two of the most loved preparations of this season.
The final results are out and Indian-origin contestant Justin Narayan has emerged as the winner of the MasterChef Australia Season 13. Justin was competing in the finale against Kishwar Chowdhury and Pete Campbell. Through his journey in MasterChef Australia Season 13, Justin Narayan managed to make a mark and surprise the judges and his fans alike with the dishes he presented and his composure. If you missed out on all the action, you can watch Justin Narayan’s journey through the competition on Disney+ Hotstar Premium in English, Hindi and on Disney+ Hotstar VIP in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu.
From the very early days of the competition, he started to make his mark, slowly. The judges of MasterChef Australia Season 13 Andy Allen, Melissa Leong and Jock Zonfrillo were fans of his innovation and expertise despite learning from a home kitchen. Justin, who is a first-gen Australian with Fijian and Indian heritage, started cooking at the age of 13 while learning from his family members. His Fijian and Indian roots inspire his culinary skills. According to him, his mother is the best cook he has ever met, but Justin also draws inspiration from Gaggan Anand and Gordon Ramsay. He spent a large part of his childhood bonding with his grandparents over cookery shows and that’s what kicked the cooking fever in him.
Justin draws inspiration from Indian and Fijian culture and let’s his preparations give a perspective on where he comes from. In 2017, Justin travelled across India where he fell in love with the culture, people and Indian food. Narayan has a strong sense of Indian flavours and loves experimenting with spices. If given a choice, he will gravitate towards savoury over sweet. To commit to his dream to cook and someday start his own cookery show that millions can watch and learn from, Justin Narayan gave up his career as a youth pastor. Not many know that Justin also put his Master’s study on hold to be in the MasterChef kitchen.
It won’t be a stretch to say that his fellow contestants absolutely loved and admired him. At one point in the competition, when Justin was chosen to be a team captain, his teammates couldn’t help but praise how he emerged as a leader. Some admired how he was keeping his team motivated and others hoped he was the captain of their team every time. Justin also made sure he was holding on to light banter to keep the stress off his teammates.
A lot of what Justin Narayan prepared on the show ended up going viral. But his Noodle Taco, Charcoal Rooster With Toum, Flatbread and Pickle Salad, Indian Rooster Curry, Crispy Rooster Pores and skin and an Apple and Cucumber Pickle, and Spiced Candy Potato Taco were some of the gems that he shared with the world. Every time Justin tried something, social media was flooded with people trying his preparation.
