Watch Dubai’s Chef Kelvin Cheung Take His Seat at the MasterChef Asia Judging Table
The ten-episode series premieres across the MENA region on TLC Arabia on Thursday, 24 September at 9.50pm
JUN’S DUBAI · CHEF KELVIN CHEUNG · MASTERCHEF ASIA · TLC ARABIA
Dubai food lovers can tune in to see one of the city’s most familiar culinary names step onto the global stage as Chef Kelvin Cheung, Chef and Partner of Jun’s, joins the judging panel of MasterChef Asia. Premiering across the MENA region on TLC Arabia on Thursday, 24 September at 9.50pm, the ten-episode series will air at the same time every Thursday, offering viewers a new weekly watch for the season ahead. Chef Kelvin will judge the competition alongside Korean American chef Edward Lee and Thailand’s Chef Pichaya “Pam” Soontornyanakij, bringing his distinctive Third Culture perspective and extensive international experience to the panel. Known for cooking that reflects his Chinese heritage, North American upbringing and global travels, Chef Kelvin will assess the contestants on their creativity, technique, versatility and ability to communicate their own culinary identities through food.
Filmed in Macao, a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, the series welcomes back former contestants from across Asia and beyond for a fresh round of high-pressure challenges. The line-up includes Vietnamese Australian chef Khanh Ong, Malaysian pastry chef Marcus Low, Korean gastronomy specialist Areum Yoon, restaurant owner Sahadol “Pond” Tantrapim and Meghalaya’s Culinary and Cultural Ambassador Nambie Jessica Marak, alongside chefs Audrey Wicksana, Therese Lum, Mime Kataniwa, Ivory Yat and Macao’s Sandy Tang. Throughout the season, Chef Kelvin and his fellow judges will guide and challenge the contestants as they cook across local markets, MICHELIN-starred restaurants and the dedicated MasterChef Asia kitchen. Guest judges including Mark Wiens, Abi Marquez, Chef Ken Chong and Chef Julien Tongourian will also make appearances as the chefs put their skill, adaptability and creativity to the test.
In Dubai, Chef Kelvin is best known as the Chef and Partner of Jun’s, his award-winning restaurant located in Downtown Dubai, where his Third Culture Cooking philosophy comes to life through dishes shaped by personal memories, different cultures and unexpected combinations. An ever-present figure at the restaurant, Chef Kelvin can regularly be found in the kitchen, speaking with guests and working closely with his team, making him as much a part of the Jun’s experience as the food itself.
His signature dishes include the Lobster Pani Puri, which brings together delicate lobster with the familiar flavours and textures of the Indian street food favourite, and the Rainbow Heirloom Carrots, a creative vegetable led dish that has become one of the restaurant’s most recognisable plates. He is also behind Jooksing, a modern Asian restaurant inspired by the food and energy of Chinatowns around the world, and 852 Bakery, a Hong Kong inspired bakery located within Jun’s and known for its nostalgic buns, bagels and playful drinks.
His place on the MasterChef Asia judging panel brings the same curiosity, warmth and cross-cultural approach that defines his Dubai restaurants to an international audience, giving viewers across the region the opportunity to see a familiar face from the city’s dining scene take his seat at the judging table each week.
Where to Watch
MasterChef Asia premieres on TLC Arabia on Thursday, 24 September at 9.50pm, with new episodes every Thursday at the same time across the ten-episode season.
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