Who is topping the My Kitchen Rules 2025 leaderboard this week?

Danielle and Marko were the first gatecrashers to host a dinner party for Instant Restaurant round 2, FEASTival.

First, they served up spicy tuna on crispy rice. It was a great way to start off the menu. The rice was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The judges loved the creamy dressing, but more tuna and spice would have elevated it slightly.

The main was a slow-roasted pork belly with ginger and soy noodles. It proved to be a delicious main course. The judges praised the roast’s delicate, crispy crackling and moist, tender centre. Colin said, “It put a smile on my face and was a great dish.”

Dessert was a miso brownie with sesame ice cream and miso caramel sauce. It was a near-perfect dish and a great way to finish the night.

Overall score: 84/110

Judges’ breakdown

• Entree: Manu = 8, Colin = 7
• Main: Manu = 9, Colin = 8
• Dessert: Manu = 9, Colin = 9
• Total Judges: 50/60

Guest team score: 34/50

02

Mark & Tan

SA

Mark and Tan were ready to cook for the first time in the competition, and they intended to get a perfect score.

Their first meal was grilled octopus with roasted capsicum and Thai-style chimichurri. It was a great dish with a beautiful char on the octopus and perfect texture. “I wouldn’t really call it a chimichurri, but what I would call it is delicious,” Colin said. Manu agreed that the star of the dish was the sauce. “It was a somewhat strange combination of flavour, but it did work and it was really special,” Manu added.

For their main, the boys served a chicken khao soi. It was cooked to perfection and flaking off the bone. “I just loved the soup itself, the creaminess of the coconut and all the different spices that you put in there were absolutely delicious,” Manu said. Colin added, “Did I like it? No, I loved it!”

While the first two courses were a homerun, their dessert let them down. A passionfruit crème brûlée that was short on the passionfruit. “I was promised a passionfruit crème brûlée, but there’s actually no passionfruit flavour in the crème brûlée itself, just some garnishing on top.” The textures and colours also lacked consistency. “We needed more of that sugar crisp on top,” Colin critiqued.

Overall score: 80/110

Judges’ breakdown

• Entree: Manu = 9, Colin = 9
• Main: Manu = 9, Colin = 8
• Dessert: Manu = 6, Colin = 5
• Total Judges: 49/60

Guest team score: 31/50

Michael and Rielli were hungry for redemption during their second Instant Restaurant. Determined to prove themselves and with a shoey bet on the line with Mark and Tan, they were aiming for a score of 85 to take out the top place. But they ended up getting the lowest team score of the competition. Let’s see how the judges scored.

First, they served up a confit duck tart with caramelised onion. The teams were impressed by the gorgeous presentation and texture, but the flavour of the duck let it down. “Puff pastry – top notch. The rise on it, the flakiness and butteriness and crispiness, all of that was tick, tick, tick,” Manu said. The downfall? “You just needed moisture in the duck,” Colin added.

Main was a pistachio-crusted lamb rack with leek puree and crispy smashed potatoes. As soon as it came out, Mark felt it was “way undercooked… the pistachios were there just to hide Michael can’t cook meat.” The judges’ thoughts? It needed a sauce to bring some sparkle to the dish, Manu said, “You cannot serve a piece of meat without a sauce… but I think the cook of the lamb was perfect, nicely pink all the way through,” Manu said. Mark spoke up during the judges’ critique to disagree, stirring a lot of back and forth between Michael and Mark. But to settle the debate, Colin said, “There’s a lot of commentary on the table, I’m judging what I got and to me, I ate my lamb, my lamb was cooked perfectly… it came out beautiful and pink and that’s how lamb should be cooked.”

Dessert was a Paris-brest with hazelnut praline cream and once again, it looked beautiful, leaving the teams impressed by Rielli’s pastry skills. Manu shared this is one of his favourite desserts, and Rielli didn’t let him down. “Very ballsy to want to do choux pastry, but it was perfect. Slightly crispy on the outside, melting in your mouth as you bite into it. Beautiful cream on the inside…” Manu said. Colin added, “it was a great end to a good meal.” Then, Manu crowned Rielli a “Dessert Queen.”

Overall score: 72/110

Judges’ breakdown

• Entree: Manu = 8, Colin = 7
• Main: Manu = 7, Colin = 7
• Dessert: Manu = 9, Colin = 8
• Total Judges: 46/60

Guest team score: 26/50

Besties Lol and Lil were ready for a redemption round during their second cook of the competition.

The entrée was pan-seared scallops with lemon garlic butter and pea puree. The girls were quietly confident when presenting the dish to the judges, and the other teams were immediately impressed by it. Colin loved the scallops, saying they were “spot on” and “to cook them so well for 12 people is impressive”. Manu’s only request was that he wanted more of the lemon garlic butter sauce.

Main was pumpkin and ricotta ravioli with crispy sage and brown butter – one of Manu’s favourite Italian dishes. It was risky to serve a vegetarian dish to meat lovers, but when Manu had a bite, the first thing that came to his mind was “delicious. The flavour was bang on.” Colin added, “The pasta was wonderful, it was beautiful, I loved it. There are a lot of techniques here; you have lifted your game and you are taking this competition seriously.” Everyone was impressed, even Michael, who, after tasting their main, retracted his statement that they are “too young to know how to cook”, and instead, admitted they are a threat in the kitchen.

To close the night, Lol and Lil served up their own reinvention of a classic Aussie favourite – the lamington. On first appearance, the teams critiqued that it didn’t look like a lamington at all. Michael said, “It’s just not right, it’s just not Australian.” The judges confirmed the dessert wasn’t executed well. While some elements were enjoyable, the main aspects of the dessert didn’t pull through with a base that was too thick, hard and chewy.

Overall score: 69/110

Judges’ breakdown

• Entree: Manu = 7, Colin = 7
• Main: Manu = 8, Colin = 8
• Dessert: Manu = 5, Colin = 5
• Total Judges: 40/60

Guest team score: 29/50

Maria and Bailey were second to compete with their Instant Restaurant, Medusa, for round 2, but it wasn’t the redemption round they were hoping for.

They kicked off the night with modern moussaka. Transforming a traditional dish into a modern one is always challenging, and Manu thought they missed the essence of a moussaka. Despite this, he said the technique was fantastic, but the dish’s composition needed more work. “What made me smile was when I cut into it and I got that crunch, it’s not usually expected with moussaka,” Colin added.

Main was sous vide chicken skewer with celeriac puree and salsa verde. Colin wasn’t sure why it was sous vide and then pan-fried, as it dried up the chicken and the flavours got a little lost. Manu wanted more charcoal flavours, but enjoyed it more than the entree.

Their final dish was dulce de leche, chocolate whiskey and pear tart with sorbet. The judges said the sorbet was gorgeous, but Manu said the tart’s chocolate base had the texture of “sand.” According to the judges, the jelly didn’t add anything to the dessert, and instead lost the dulce de leche flavour. Both Manu and Colin agreed that the pair had tried to do too many things with the dish. Manu recommended they keep it simple next time.

Overall Score: 62/110

Judges Breakdown:

• Entree: Manu = 5, Colin = 7
• Main: Manu = 7, Colin = 5
• Dessert: Manu = 5, Colin = 5
• Total Judges: 34/60

Guest team score: 28/50

Amy and Lara were ready to prove themselves during their first Instant Restaurant, Only-Pans. Their score would determine who would be eliminated from the second round of My Kitchen Rules and it didn’t pan out the way they hoped.

First, they served up ceviche with betel leaf, pork crackling, and peanut relish. Manu absolutely loved the dish, saying “it was full of flavour – juicy, crunchy, a bit of acidity and sweetness… A lot was going on, but it all worked together.” Colin added, “You promised a flavour explosion and that’s what we got.”

The main was a surf and turf eye fillet with lobster truffle mash. “It was a bit of a disaster,” Manu said. There were inconsistencies with the cooking of the lobster and scotch fillet. “My lobster was overcooked and the mash was overworked,” Colin added.

Dessert was a white chocolate and passionfruit cheesecake. “This dessert represents you very well – fun and playful but with a hard shell on the outside, soft in the centre… and confusing,” Manu said. They should have concentrated on the technique a little more, and the flavours didn’t make sense together. “The filling I quite liked, I thought it was refreshing, and I liked the white chocolate and the lightness. I just wanted more of it, and I think the nuts would have worked, but we just didn’t have enough filling to counterbalance,” Colin said.

Overall score: 58/110

Judges’ breakdown

• Entree: Manu = 9, Colin = 8
• Main: Manu = 3, Colin = 2
• Dessert: Manu = 5, Colin = 5
• Total Judges: 32/60

Guest team score: 26/50

Justin and Will were the first to host a dinner party with their instant restaurant, Tropic Like It’s Hot.

First, they served up ota ika, which is Tongan-style ceviche with taro crisps. Judges praised the texture, but the dish “needed more salt and heat.” Guests had mixed responses, but ultimately, they felt it was underwhelming.

Their main was a red duck curry with coconut rice, and it proved to be the best dish of the night. Manu said it was a “wonderful, ballsy curry.” Colin, on the other hand, called it “near perfect,” however, the undercooked rice brought the dish down.

Dessert was Cape Malay koeksister (South African fried doughnut) with spiced syrup. While it was sentimental, it wasn’t quite the flavour hit they were hoping for.

Overall score: 79/110

Judges’ breakdown

• Entree: Manu = 6, Colin = 6
• Main: Manu = 9, Colin = 9
• Dessert: Manu = 6, Colin = 6
• Total Judges: 42/50

Guest team score: 37/50

Anne and Maree’s instant restaurant Yia Yia Mary’s Dishes, was next.

They served up chargrilled octopus with spanakorizo (Greek-style spinach and rice) and the judges loved it, impressed by their ability to combine textures and authentic flavours.

Main was chicken and lamb souvlakia with pita and tzatziki. Guests praised its comforting and refined execution.

Dessert was a nostalgic orange semolina cake with chocolate and candied orange. The judges felt it was too safe, which landed them a lower score than they were hoping for.

Overall Score: 78/110

Judges Breakdown:

• Entree: Manu = 9, Colin = 10
• Main: Manu = 7, Colin = 6
• Dessert: Manu = 6, Colin = 6
• Total Judges: 44/50

Guest team score: 34/50

Maria and Bailey kicked off the second week of MKR with an average 3-course menu at their Instant Restaurant, Medusa.

They started strong with a near-perfect entree of spanakopita ravioli and feta creme with crispy leek and dill oil.

Main pulled them down, serving a below-average citrus beurre blanc and charred leek. They let the pressure get to them in the kitchen and forgot to add white wine to the sauce.

Citrus panna cotta for dessert wasn’t much better, with Manu and Colin feeling it was “odd” and “jarring” on the plate.

Overall Score: 68/110

Judges Breakdown:

• Entree: Manu = 10, Colin = 9
• Main: Manu = 4, Colin = 5
• Dessert: Manu = 5, Colin = 6
• Total Judges: 39/50

Guest team score: 29/50

Michael and Rielli’s instant restaurant, Perfectly Paired Dishes, was the final of week 1.

For entrée, they created a beetroot and feta cheesecake with onion chutney and beetroot chips. Manu appreciated the inventive concept, but Colin was uncertain about the flavour combinations.

Main was buttered beef tongue with braised cabbage and crispy potato straws. The judges thought the concept for the dish was bold, but that their execution was inconsistent.

For dessert, they created a gorgeous raspberry and chocolate mousse dome. Striking in appearance and the best dish of the night, they received a perfect score from Colin, and a near-perfect score from Manu.

Overall Score: 65/110

Judges Breakdown:

• Entree: Manu = 6, Colin = 5
• Main: Manu = 3, Colin = 4
• Dessert: Manu = 9, Colin = 10
• Total Judges: 37/50

Guest team score: 28/50

Lol and Lil’s instant restaurant, Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice, was called a “simple” menu around the table, so expectations were high.

For entrée, they served grilled prawn and mango tortilla bites. The teams were divided, some describing it as average and others insisting the flavour combinations were great. Manu called it “playful” but “overcooked and chewy.” Colin, on the other hand, said the bites packed a punch, which he loved.

Their main dish, a chicken and leek pie, was a hit. Only Michael and Rielli disliked it. While Manu would have preferred puff pastry for the top, Colin disagreed. The pie filling was the highlight of the dish, and Manu said he wanted more!

For dessert, they created a modern twist on a lemon meringue pie. The judges praised the presentation and said it was the best dish of the night. Despite this, Lol and Lil still ended up at the bottom of the scoreboard.

Overall Score: 64/110

Judges Breakdown:

• Entree: Manu = 5, Colin = 6
• Main: Manu = 6, Colin = 6
• Dessert: Manu = 7, Colin = 7
• Total Judges: 37/50

Guest team score: 27/50

Mel and Jacinta had a lot to prove in their ‘exclusive’ instant restaurant, Beverly Social, where they promised to bring LA glam to the table with delicious and nutritious food. But sadly for them, they weren’t able to handle the pressure of the kitchen and were the first team to be eliminated from My Kitchen Rules 2025.

For entrée, they served bang bang cauliflower with spiced cashew sauce and pickled cucumber salad. Colin loved the sauce, “for me the sauce was the star of the dish, it packed a punch and had the most flavour”. Manu enjoyed the combination of flavours but felt the cauliflower itself was missin on the plate, getting lost in the crumbing and frying.

Main was braised beef with black rice, lime and corn salad with coconut roti. Manu critiqued the consistency of the cooking of the beef, where some pieces were tender and others dry and chewy. Colin said it wasn’t “too enjoyable to eat” because there were burnt bits on the meat, but they loved the black rice salad on the side.

For dessert, they created a tofu mocha mousse with coffee liquor and coconut sauce. A brave move for dessert and most teams were sceptical. Everyone was expecting the mousse to be light and airy. What they delivered was the opposite: dense and hard. Manu said, “flavour-wise, great. But you need to work on your technique. It’s supposed to be airy and fluffy and melting in the mouth.” Colin added, “the chocolate has chilled too much, which has turned it into a brick. You should not be able to stand a spoon in mousse.”

Overall Score: 50/110

Judges Breakdown:

• Entree: Manu = 7, Colin = 6
• Main: Manu = 4, Colin = 5
• Dessert: Manu = 3, Colin = 3
• Total Judges: 28/50

Guest team score: 22/50