Rupchanda-The Daily Star Super Chef 2018

Isn't unusual the usual in Rupchanda-The Daily Star Super Chef? Judge Tariq Anam started off last week's cook-off with a question - “How do you turn a fusion into confusion?” Bizarre? Funny? Not so much. Soon, everything made sense to the remaining lucky seven at the Super Chef Kitchen. Yet another grueling task – to prepare an inspiring dish with a fusion of ingredients and techniques.

To add more excitement to the kitchen, the Super Chef Kitchen welcomed guest judge and mentor, Umma Mostafa, in episode nineteen. A former mentor of many aspiring chefs in Bangladesh, Mostafa said, “It would only make me proud if my students can surpass me in all areas of cooking.”So, with high hopes and inspiration, the taste-wizards were set for another round of sizzling culinary battle.

The next 40 minutes in the kitchen were fiery with dropped doughs, damaged food, and whatnot. The kitchen's temperature reached new levels. In midst of all, some like Md. Zahidul Islam Zahid and Shamsun Nahar were seen reflecting on their own mistakes of wasting excessive ingredients. “I was embarrassed when I saw the items I wasted. The judges could have easily disqualified me for this,” expressed Zahid with regrets. However, something wonderful was being brewed in the hands of Saika Yesmine, whose Garlic Rice and Teriyaki Chicken, not only saw Europe and Asia fuse together in a single plate but also helped her to win this week's best dish.

Mistakes rarely go unpunished in the Super Chef Kitchen, thus, as anticipated, Md. Zahidul Islam Zahid, Madia Sultana Tisha, Shamsun Nahar, and Ripna Begum were to face the elimination challenge and fight for their own survival in the kitchen. This time, the few unlucky among the seven,were to prepare their own fusion dessert and appetizer that too with an added incentive to complete the task in just half an hour for a bonus –  this could certainly make a big difference in the elimination results. However, sometimes added incentives only puts one through more pressure and this time it was the same for Zahid, whose Apple Delight and Cheese Prawn Spinach Ball did not make the final cut to save him from the axe of elimination.

Zahid, whose winsome smile used to spark joy in the kitchen, might have left his kitchen mates a bit early because the next episode saw culinary expert, Alpana Habib, taking the helm of the Super Chef Kitchen. Habib took a master class on making sauces to help the aspiring chefs add a wow-factor to their dishes. She reiterated the need to make sauces fresh than just having them at one's disposal. It does not only add a personal touch to the dish but also opens whole new windows for innovation in the culinary magnificence that these chefs produce day in day out.

With only a few more episodes to go, who will triumph over whom? Now, it is just a matter of time till the ultimate chef in Bangladesh is crowned. Are you not excited? To find out what happens next, do not forget to tune into ntv every Saturday and Sunday, sharp at 9pm.