The South Australian best friends served their food on mismatched melamine plates during Monday's My Kitchen Rules episode, prompting food stylist Jane to argue that the busy designs distracted from the meal.
Alisha And Deanne Say The Mismatched Look Was Deliberate
Deanne told Chattr their Instant Restaurant was designed as a chaotic, mismatched space where nothing was meant to coordinate perfectly.
She described the concept as "Mad Hatter meets chaotic", while Alisha said the plates were "our personality showing on a plate".
The pair acknowledged the crockery and food could look busy together, but stood by the choice. Their explanation makes the table debate feel less like a plating blunder and more like two very different ideas of what a restaurant experience should be.
Jane Was Not Alone In Questioning The Plates
Jane argued on screen that presentation was part of the overall experience and said the fruit-covered main-course plates made the food look as though it belonged at a children's table.
Viewers were just as divided. A Woman's Day article collected comments from fans who thought plastic plates were too casual for a dinner-party competition, while others said the food should matter more than the crockery.
The colourful choice did not stop the pair from producing their strongest dish of the night. As the full Instant Restaurant recap detailed, their lamb backstrap earned the first score of eight in the round.
Alisha Says Her Walkout Also Lost Important Context
Alisha and Deanne also said other conversations were left out of the broadcast, including the lead-up to Alisha walking away from an earlier dinner table clash.
Alisha believes the edited sequence made her reaction look sudden. Deanne said viewers also missed questions they put to rival contestants before tensions boiled over.
The pair have previously said unaired comments changed how they experienced the walkout. Now they are making the same point about PlateGate: the messiness was real, but they say some of the reasoning behind it never made the episode.
Whether the plates were playful or plain distracting will remain a matter of taste. Alisha and Deanne, at least, are not backing away from the Hot Mess brief.
