Crispy rendang 2.0: Masterchef Australia judge slams chef's 'not crunchy' fried wonton filling

Deja vu? Another Masterchef judge has come under fire after he criticised an Asian chef's dish for not being crispy.

Yes, that same critique that was given to a Malaysian contestant two years ago when she served up chicken rendang.

In the episode of Masterchef Australia: Back To Win that aired on Sunday (May 3), Brendan Pang served up a plate of crispy prawn wontons that unfortunately failed to impress judge Andy Allen.

"I'm sorry, but mine is not crunchy," Allen says after a bite, despite the loud audible crunch from his fellow judges.

He pinched the filling of the wonton and added: "That's soft, so in my opinion, it doesn't meet the brief."

The brief of that challenge? Cook a dish with the best crunch.

For the 26-year-old founder of Bumplings Perth, a popular dumpling kitchen, the harsh judgement left him speechless.

But Adam Liaw, a Malaysian-Australian celebrity chef and winner of Masterchef Australia Season 2, came to Pang's defence on Twitter after the episode aired.

"The meat-containing portion of a wonton does not need to be crunchy! This is like the crispy rendang all over again," he ranted. "I would even go so far to say that if the "ball" portion of a wonton is crunchy, it is a badly made wonton."

[embed]https://twitter.com/adamliaw/status/1256891338655559680[/embed]

When asked if wontons were the right choice for a crunch, Liaw compared Allen's judgement to criticising fried chicken for not being good enough because the meat inside was succulent.

[embed]https://twitter.com/adamliaw/status/1257144248702365696[/embed]

Other netizens similarly pointed out how the other contestants, who served up fried chicken and crabs, were not held up to the same standard.

[embed]https://twitter.com/KissOfDeathTip/status/1256897918335737857[/embed]

[embed]https://twitter.com/michellechee_/status/1257786177513377793[/embed]

Fortunately for Pang, he made it through to the next round and avoided elimination, though he also tweeted a not-so-subtle jab at his critic afterwards.

[embed]https://twitter.com/brendan_pang/status/1256918602529116165[/embed]

rainercheung@asiaone.com