Double elimination shocks MasterChef South Africa burger challenge

The latest episode of MasterChef South Africa delivered a major twist, leaving contestants and viewers stunned after a surprise double elimination.

For the first time this season, judges Justine Drake, Chef Katlego Mlambo and Zola Nene kept the number of eliminations under wraps. The shock came after tasting, when they revealed that two home cooks would be going home.

That decision ended the journey for Myles Heneke (35) from the Cape Flats and Durban’s Bandziva “Bandz” Madinane (31). Both had built strong followings, with Bandz known for his bold personality and Myles for his refined techniques and ambitious ideas.

A high-pressure burger challenge

This week’s challenge saw the remaining 16 contestants reimagine the classic hamburger. Inspired by its global evolution, they had to create a visually striking “killer burger” with at least two side dishes.

The brief included avocados from the South African Avocado Growers’ Association, no access to ground meat or baked goods, and a strict 75-minute time limit.

Where it went wrong

Myles presented a local-inspired burger pie with three cheeses and tomato smoortjie, served with duck fat semolina potatoes and an avocado coconut chocolate milkshake.

Time constraints forced him to use ready-made puff pastry and he failed to complete one side. Despite praise for creativity, not meeting the brief led to his elimination.

Bandz took a keto-inspired route, using cabbage buns with sweet potato fries, avo salad and blue cheese. The judges noted soggy cabbage and a lack of finesse in the avocado element, calling parts of the dish underwhelming.

They were joined in the bottom group by Shoki, Nkululeko and Josh, who narrowly avoided elimination.

Jeshen takes the win

Jeshen turned nerves into success, earning Dish of the Day for his “Taste of Seoul”. His honey cauliflower bao burger with avo mayonnaise, cucumber salad and Asian slaw impressed all three judges and secured his second win.

What’s next

The competition shifts gears next week with a chocolate challenge, where R50 000 is up for grabs.

MasterChef South Africa airs Sundays at 18:00 on e.tv, with streaming available on eVOD and additional weekend repeats.

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