Law Student

State: VIC

Age: 22

TK is a law student and the daughter of refugees who escaped the Vietnam War to come to Australia.

As a child TK was always immersed in food and cooking.

“Dad is amazing with the flaming wok and Mum does the best Vietnamese comfort foods.”

But her own love for being in the kitchen only developed recently - and mostly, she says, it was inspired by watching MasterChef.

TK’s first dish was Roast Duck Breast with an Orange Sauce. These days she is proficient in all things Asian Fusion - and duck remains her signature dish. She says is terrified of pastry and struggles to follow recipes that don’t have pictures. She also cites her inexperience as a weakness.

Initially TK’s parents were concerned that she should focus her ambitions on her law degree given how hard she has studied, but recently they have learnt to be supportive of her food dream - which is to sign up to a culinary institute and one day open an Asian Fusion style bar with tapas and beautiful cocktails.

TK has always been a high achiever and says she is resilient - she found high school really tough but still managed to get into law school, which she has deferred to pursue her MasterChef dream.

“I just don’t give up and I am extremely level headed.”

TK’s food hero is Peter Gilmore and by being on MasterChef she hopes her potential will be realised and that maybe an apprenticeship will come out of it.