The popular Hong Kong food variety show Masters of Cuisine launches a two-part special tonight focused on a humble comfort food classic: French toast. Tasked with rating entries from across the Greater Bay Area (GBA), a panel of celebrity judges delivered unexpectedly harsh verdicts, leaving host Moses Chan visibly taken aback by the rigorous scoring.
The judging panel features actor Sam Chan and TV personality Lisa Lei alongside a formidable group of culinary experts. The experts include ‘Chemistry Chef’ Zheng Zixin, three-Michelin-star guide veteran Wong Lung To, culinary director Chow Sai To, and master chef Lee Man Seng. Their mission was to evaluate four distinctly different takes on the simple eggy bread, balancing innovation with the nostalgia of a local staple.
The competing dishes represent the diverse culinary landscape of the GBA. A Sha Tin eatery presented a Sugar Onion Pastry French Toast, blending a traditional street snack with a Western staple. Yuen Long offered a creamy Pistachio French Toast. Representing the southern reaches of the region were an ‘Original Lava Milk’ French Toast from Panyu and a Salted Egg Yolk Lava version from Macau. Priced between HKD $33 and $78, the dishes required the judges to weigh creativity against tradition.
The primary flashpoint of the evening was the sugar level of one specific dessert, which sparked a sharp divide among the panel. Zheng Zixin found the first bite exciting but stated the sweetness grew overwhelming by the last. Michelin-starred veteran Wong Lung To quipped that the dessert “is ideal for a moment of heartbreak or profound sadness,” drawing chuckles from the crew. Chow Sai To and Lee Man Seng vigorously defended the dish. “A dessert is meant to be sweet. This is entirely normal,” Lee insisted.
Drama extended beyond the plate when guest judge Jacques Kagi criticized a participating restaurant in Panyu for its extensive house rules. “Dining out should involve a sense of relaxation, not invisible pressure,” Kagi argued on the program. This prompted a debate with food critic Sai Dor Si and designer Calvin Tang over whether customers should be allowed to bring their own beverages into mainland Chinese restaurants. The exchange highlighted a subtle cultural friction between entrepreneurial control and customer expectations in the region.
The show’s signature levity returned during lighter moments. Sam Chan confessed his deep love for condensed milk on bread. When co-host Koo Ka Kam mentioned modern bottled varieties, Chan playfully schooled her on the traditional canned versions, jokingly comparing their ages. Koo’s flustered denials sent the studio into laughter. Meanwhile, Lisa Lei proved she never switches off her journalistic instincts, using her tasting time to interview the waitstaff on the real-world popularity of the menus.
As the two-night special concludes tomorrow, the GBA rating verdicts will be announced. Beyond the winning dish, the episode frames a compelling question for the region’s evolving food culture: how far can a traditional recipe be stretched before it loses its soul? The starkly divided opinions on sweetness and dining decorum offer viewers a rich lens through which to examine the changing palates and expectations of the modern Greater Bay Area dining scene.
