'MasterChef Australia' 2018 winner revealed
24 contestants, many challenges, celebrity chefs and mystery boxes, but it all came down to Sashi and Ben in the MasterChef Australia 2018 grand finale.
The final episode kicked off with an emotional reunion between the top two and their families.
"They are the reason why I'm here right now. I'm going to cook my heart out today," Sashi said of his loved ones, who inspired much of his cooking throughout the competition.
Ben's wife teared up whilst commending how far he had come after suffering from a life threatening illness.
But then it was time for the cooking to begin! Round one saw Ben and Sashi prepare an entrée and main using some of the ingredients the boys have used to create their best dishes throughout the competition.
After 90 minutes, the judges scored each dish out of ten. It was a tough round for Ben, who was given 6 from Gary and 7 from George Matt, giving him a total of 20/30 for the starter.
The judges were more than pleased with Sashi's started, with Matt remaking that it was his best cooking. Sashi was given a 10 all three judges, giving him a score of 30/30.
For mains, all judges gave Ben a 7. Leaving his combined total for round one at 41/60.
Sashi's main was given a 9 from all judges, meaning his combined store was 57/60, leaving him with a huge advantage for round two. The 16 point gap between Sashi and Ben is the biggest there has even been in MasterChef Australia grand finale history.
Next it was round two's pressure test starring none other than legendary chef Heston Blumenthal.
Ben and Sashi were given the task to recreate one of Heston's dishes which took him 15 years and 9 months to design.
Heston's dish, named 'Counting sheep', was all about the "lightness you feel before falling asleep". Counting Sheep features meringue, coconut ice cream, steamed sponge, panacotta, mousse with coriander, lychee and caramel inside.
There's also yogurt and various purees. In other words, a lot of different elements and ingredients (84, to be exact).
Ben and Sashi were given five and a half hour to recreate Heston's dish, with all three judges plus Heston himself each scoring out of ten.
After getting through multiple pressure tests throughout the competition, this one was relatively smooth for Ben, who was given a 9 from each judge. This left him with a grand total of 77.
Sashi was also given 9 from all judges, making him the winner with 93/100 - the highest grand finale score ever!
