A TV personality who needs no introduction – though maybe a language warning – Gordon Ramsay is one of the most accomplished chefs, restaurateurs and TV stars on the planet. On the eve of his latest appearance on the 17th season of MasterChef Australia: Back To Win 2025, delicious. spoke to Ramsay about his adoration for Australia’s dining landscape – and the stand-out restaurant he thinks the Michelin Guide’s judges should pay attention to.

“I’ve been saying for 10 years that Michelin needs to head to Australia,” he says. “I think it’s only a matter of weeks or months now until they get down there, because the restaurants are that good.”

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Good ingredients in abundance

A frequent visitor to Australia, Ramsay suggests it’s our country’s abundant produce and multicultural influences that are responsible for its “exciting” restaurant dishes. 

“The Australian dining scene, for me, is one of the most exciting on Earth because of the ingredients,” he says. “Good ingredients are in abundance, which is so nice. 

“It’s not like the overfished waters of Europe. Everything’s beautifully on tap here and treated with respect. It makes creating seasonal restaurant dishes so much easier when you’re surrounded by these ingredients. Then there’s the multicultural aspect. Australia’s restaurants don’t have that rigid European style. Instead, it’s got this lovely blend of multiple cultures. Yet it stands alone.”

So, what does Gordon Ramsay think the rest of the world could stand to learn from Australian cooks and chefs?

“What the rest of the world could stand to learn from Australia’s cooks is the freedom to create,” he says. “And there’s a fragrance to the food – the heat, the sour and the spice – that can only be matched in places like Southeast Asia. There’s a lovely flair to Australian cuisine. And then there’s the Indigenous connection, which is even more important. It’s so wonderful to see Indigenous ingredients crossing into the modern food culture here. And it’s these things that also makes MasterChef Australia so special.”

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Where does Gordon Ramsay dine when he’s in Australia?

We could hardly speak to Ramsay about his affinity for Australia’s dining scene without asking him where he eats out when he’s in Australia, and having him call out a couple of his favourites. And the chef didn’t hold back. Following a day spent filming, he loves to dine out in Melbourne.

As for his current favourite? Without hesitation he tells us: “Lee Ho Fook in Melbourne is just incredible,” he says. “The eggplant fritters in particular – I actually asked Victor Liong for the recipe there and then, because I’d never tasted anything like them. It was just exceptional. It’s a tiny restaurant but really, really good. It’s on par with any two- or three-starred Michelin restaurant in Europe, and delivered with such perfection.”

Ramsay also calls out another great Australian restaurant that’s impressed him. 

“And then there’s Serai, also in Melbourne,” he says. “What Ross Magnaye and Shane Stafford are doing in the restaurant scene with fire-cooked Filipino food is fantastic – only 10 years ago, this would have been unheard of. 

“Those two restaurants, for starters, are beyond stand-outs. They’re both serving adventurous, incredible food with imagination.”

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When asked what surprises him most about the Australian hospitality scene, he laughs and tells us it’s how early in the day Australians can toss back cocktails at times he’d consider tea or coffee more suitable. 

“I need to get a thicker skin or get better at this, because holy shi*t they can hold their drinks, man – especially the food industry people, let me tell you,” he says.

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What does Gordon Ramsay think of his fellow Australian MasterChef judges? 

The chef reveals why he thinks the Australian MasterChef judging panel offers the perfect mix of talent.

“First you’ve got Andy Allen, a previous winner, who’s become the pillar of the show and can help get the contestants across the line,” Ramsay says. “Then you’ve got Poh Ling-Yeow, who, as you know, is like the fairy godmother of the contestants as a former contestant herself. Then there’s Sofia Levin, a prolific and talented writer who has an elegant articulation of food. She has a big-sister energy and really dives into the detail from a writer’s perspective – she absolutely knows her stuff and is firm but fair. 

“Finally, there’s Jean-Christophe Novelli, who’s like the culinary Mr Bean because he’s so f*ckng awkward in a charming way and has the palate of an angel. He’s like the European grandad of haute cuisine and I think every grandmother in Australia wants to date him. He was a poster boy here [in England] in the ’90s and was the most desired chef, god bless him. We go back a long way, JC and I. So there’s this blend of judges that work so well together.”

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What can we expect from Gordon Ramsay on MasterChef this season?

In episode 1, Ramsay gives contestants two hours to create a two-course menu to feed a group of 20 first responders. In episode 2, the winning team from this challenge is tasked with cooking two of Ramsay’s Michelin-star worthy dishes. Whoever creates the dish that looks and tastes the most like the OG will be granted the all-important immunity pin. 

Finally, as a parting gift, in episode 3, Ramsay tasks contestants with making their favourite late-night snack. The best dish will win its maker immunity from the next elimination, along with a very special prize that is yet to be revealed. 

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What can we expect from MasterChef contestants this year?

“They all come across so nice and sweet, but underneath, I swear to god, they’re all so f*cking fired up to nail it this time,” Ramsay says. “It’s such a competitive season.

“It’s inspiring to see the voraciousness of their competitive edge. I always tell them, ‘Forget what happened last time round. My respect goes out to you tenfold for the sacrifices you’re making now. You’re coming back for a second bite of the cherry.’ It’s like a double-edged sword.

“Every time I get on that set, I keep having to raise my own game, because of how good they are. I push them really hard to get the best out of them. There’s that daunting moment when the lights are down and then they see me. You can just hear them under their breath saying, ‘Oh f*ck, it’s him.’ But if they get through those first episodes and survive me, then they’ve got a very good chance of winning this f*cking thing, trust me.”

MasterChef Australia: Back To Win 2025 begins Monday, April 28 at 7.30pm (AEST).

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