Judy Ann Santos on 'MasterChef' experience with Gordon Ramsay: 'Most nerve-wracking 10 minutes of my life, but the best'
Judy Ann Santos expressed how grateful she is for having been able to take part in a MasterChef cook-off hosted by Gordon Ramsay during his Manila visit.
The actress-chef reflected on her "wonderful experience" in her Jan. 20 Instagram post, hours after meeting the world-renowned chef at an event held at Newport World Resorts Manila in Pasay City.
“Wow… sa paanong paraan ko ba pwedeng maikwento ang araw ko today? Nakakaloka? Nakakabaliw? Napaka-surreal! Never in my wildest dreams [did I think] that this would happen in my lifetime. llang beses kong kinukurot yung sarili ko. Totoo ba 'to? Pinaprank ba 'ko? Pero… totoo eh! Gusto kong tumambling sabay split!” she wrote on Instagram as she shared photos of the special moment.
During the challenge hosted by Ramsay, Santos—alongside food content creator Ninong Ry, culinary student Danica Lucero, and Gordon Ramsay Bar & Grill head chef Bea Therese Qua—were given 10 minutes to build “the most amazing halo-halo" with secret ingredients.
Santos decided to use black sesame polvoron to amp up her own take on the Pinoy dessert. "I have black sesame polvoron with me already. I'm gonna put it in the middle and I'll put some on top so [there would be a] balance [between] the saltiness and the sweetness from the polvoron. There's also a bit of salt on it, so it's not gonna be that sweet," she explained to Ramsay.
Ramsay took a quick taste afterward and said, "It's good. It's really good. I love it. That's interesting.”
Looking back, the Espantaho star said that it was the “fastest, most nerve-wracking 10 minutes of my life!”
“But, it was the best! Hindi ko alam what [I] did to deserve this.. but, [I] am so grateful for the experience,” she added.
She went on to express her gratitude to her glam team, her Official Juday team, as well as her husband, Ryan Agoncillo, and their youngest child, Luna, who were all there to cheer for her.
“Of course to my fellow chefs, cheers to all of us!” she wrote. “Mabuhay at ilalaban ko ang pagkaing [P]ilipino!!”
Ramsay is in the Philippines to check his first Philippine restaurant: Gordon Ramsay Bar & Grill, which opened in August at Newport World Resorts. You can have a glimpse of the restaurant and some of its food items here.
He revealed at the same affair that he's looking to open three more restaurants in the country.
Ramsay is a multi-Michelin-starred chef who has opened various restaurants in different parts of the world. He’s best known for cooking shows such as Kitchen Nightmares, Hell’s Kitchen, Hotel Hell, and MasterChef.
