MasterChef George Calombaris Visits Bengaluru

On 14th August, I was invited for an exclusive tasting session at JW Marriott with The Celebrity Chef George Calombaris, Judge of MasterChef Australia. It was an invite only event and some few selected bloggers and members of the press were invited. Now who would say no such a big chance to meet MasterChef George? I took half day off from my office and decided to go to meet the chef. Deep in my heart I knew that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and that I should not miss it.

Since I am a big fan of MasterChef Australia, I knew that I will have to visit Australia again to meet the MasterChef. I knew that that an opportunity like might not come knocking again soon. The evening started by introductions from the members from Gold Rush Entertainment and Zomato giving a kick-start to the event.  Followed by that, the wow moment arrived when the MasterChef walked in. I could not believe my eyes that he was standing right infront of me and we were in the same hall, just few meters apart. From television to reality, it was a dream come true.

Chef George and his team from his restaurant ‘The Press Club’ whipped a memorable meal for an exclusive audience. This event was hosted by Zomato and Gold Rush Entertainment.

Chef George also unveiled “The GC Collection” on Zomato which is an enviable list of restaurants across 12 cities globally which are his favorites. These are now available on the Zomato app and website in some of the major cities of the world like Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide, Auckland, Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, London, Dubai and New York.

MasterChef George and his team pampered the audience with a luscious spread that included signature dishes from “The Press Club”. The exclusive tasting session included Ouzo Cured Salmon, Miso Eggplant, Soft Shell Crab Souvlaki, Salted Caramel Rice Pudding, Almond Biscuit and Rice Ice Cream. According to the Chef the Indian Salmon did not suit the Ouzo Cured Salmon dish due to the cut and so he preferred using the Indian Sea Bass for the dish. He said that we should respect the place where we are. For the vegetarians, separate dishes were served.

“Jalebis” are his personal favorite from the Indian cuisine and calls it the greatest sweet innovation. He also mentioned that since he is a Greek, he noticed a lot of similarities in hospitality and taste in food between Greek and India. It is spicy, warm and full of love. He also said that Food for him is religion and it’s who he is. Food is his passion and he loves to cook. Having Greek roots, he pushes the menu of his restaurant to next level with his imagination and skill. Chef also mentioned about his experience with the “savory donuts” or the “vada” at Airlines Hotel and many such stories were shared with us.

I really had a wonderful time there. Tasting the food cooked by the MasterChef was a great experience. I also got a chance to click an exclusive picture with the MasterChef. That was like a Wowwww moment…

Thanks Zomato, JW Marriott and Gold Rush Entertainment for inviting me for this Press Meet.