- For full coverage of the 2014 Margaret River Gourmet Escape, click here.
41 YEAR old chef Poh Ling Yeow entered the public eye through Masterchef, finishing the original series as the runner up in 2009.
Since the competition, Ms Yeow has gone on to run her own TV show Poh’s Kitchen for two seasons, signed a book publishing deal and made various appearances in Australian film and television.
In the meantime, Ms Yeow has continued her lifelong career of being an artist, while running her own market stall on Sundays in her hometown of Adelaide.
This will be Ms Yeow’s second visit to the Gourmet Escape, following her appearance last year.
The Mail had a chat to Poh about all things Gourmet Escape.
What did you learn from last year’s Escape?
It’s an amazing showcase of chefs and their skills. Hosting two chefs at the same time is really tricky; it’s hard to manage at the best of times. They each need equal time to get their recipe across.
I’ll just have a little bit more experience facilitating chef demonstrations.
I was really intimidated last year, but this year I’ll have my head screwed on a little bit more, I’ll feel more familiar.
East versus west food produce? Whose is best?
I’m a bit biased as I’m from Adelaide, but I don’t think it’s east coast versus west coast, all Australian produce is great…I’m going to remain neutral.
What will you be bringing that is unique to Gourmet Escape this year?
I’m there to pick questions that help to process the demonstrations of world renowned chefs, so I suppose being able to ask questions that people would like to know the answer to is my unique input.
It’s a really beautiful region; it’s going to be a lot of fun.
What have you learnt most about yourself during your career?
Hard work is the key to success. Having a real survivor spirit, that really helps too. I enjoy working hard.
What’s one ingredient you can’t live without?
Salt. There is no flavour without salt, it enhances everything.
Everyone seems to say salt in response to that question.
Ingredients are nothing without salt. That, closely followed by butter and eggs is my essentials, as I like to bake.
You can find Ms Yeow hosting the Siemens Chef’s Theatre at the Gourmet Village, tickets are still available through Ticketek.
