The Victorian couple arrived at their Melbourne Instant Restaurant with a clear plan: celebrate the Italian family recipes at the heart of their relationship and prove their rivals were right to be nervous. They fell behind early, but once the food reached the table, the night changed completely.

The score to beat was Krysten and Lucy's 72, with Angus and Simon on 70 and Alisha and Deanne on 68. Tiffany and Giancarlo needed a special service to take first place. For two courses, that was exactly what they produced.

Plate Gate Returns For Another Round

Before the food could take over, the argument from Alisha and Deanne's chaotic Hot Mess dinner followed everyone to Melbourne.

Alisha and Deanne wanted answers after Jane acknowledged that their colourful plates had influenced her assessment. Alisha's position was simple: nobody was eating the plate, and the crockery added no flavour to the food.

Shane insisted their score had still been based on the cooking. Jane refused to apologise and maintained that the pair had received a fair result because the food spoke for itself. Plate Gate, it seemed, had no intention of leaving the table quietly.

The atmosphere tightened again when the teams discussed what winning $100,000 would mean. Lucy said the money would be life-changing for her as a micro-baker, while Jane said that if $100,000 were life-changing at her and Shane's stage of life, they had done something wrong.

It was the kind of comment guaranteed to land badly in a room already short on patience. Fortunately for the hosts, their entrée was ready to give everyone a better topic.

The Eggplant Parmigiana Earns The Season's First 10

Tiffany and Giancarlo opened with Parmigiana di Melanzane, an eggplant parmigiana that immediately justified the confidence surrounding them before their cook. Giancarlo had previously named the dish among his Italian favourites, and this version carried all the comfort and care the couple had promised.

Manu Feildel praised the perfectly cooked eggplant and depth of flavour. Colin Fassnidge loved the caramelised cheese and zingy tomato, with neither judge finding much reason to hold back.

Manu awarded 9/10. Colin went one better with 10/10, the first perfect score of the 2026 season.

Lucy had suspected Tiffany and Giancarlo were hiding serious cooking talent. One course into their own Instant Restaurant, that secret was officially gone.

A Rabbit Bone Interrupts A 'Plate Of Love'

The main course was Agnolotti di Coniglio, rabbit-filled pasta that kept the judges' praise flowing. Colin called it a 'plate of love', while Manu admired the pasta and its buttery, cheesy filling.

Then Deanne found something nobody wanted concealed inside fresh pasta: a large rabbit bone. Angus immediately raised the potential choking danger, while Deanne said the discovery had completely turned her off the dish and would affect her score.

It was a serious blemish on an otherwise excellent plate. The judges and other guests continued praising the rabbit, sauce and pasta, and both Manu and Colin awarded the main 9/10.

After an entrée worth 19 points and a main worth 18, Tiffany and Giancarlo were heading towards an enormous result. Dessert only had to maintain the standard.

The Sicilian Doughnuts Bring Them Back To Earth

Their Sfincia di San Giuseppe al Limone did not complete the dream run. The Sicilian doughnuts were heavy, doughy and too dark, while the accompanying lemon custard lacked the citrus punch promised by the dish.

Manu and Colin each scored dessert 5/10. It was a dramatic fall after two superb courses, but the couple had already built enough of a lead to withstand it.

Tiffany And Giancarlo Take First Place On 86

Manu's scores of 9, 9 and 5 gave the couple 23/30. Colin's 10, 9 and 5 added 24/30, bringing the judges' total to 47/60.

The guest teams contributed 39/50. Krysten and Lucy awarded 9/10, while Mary and Golden, Angus and Simon, and Jane and Shane each gave 8/10. Alisha and Deanne scored the dinner 6/10 after Deanne's rabbit-bone discovery.

The final total of 86/110 sent Tiffany and Giancarlo straight to first place, a huge 14 points clear of Krysten and Lucy. Their dessert denied them an even more intimidating result, but the first 10 of the season and two outstanding savoury courses made the message clear.

Tiffany became emotional as the score landed, saying it was the best feeling to put their heart and soul into food that made other people feel something. After a night built around family recipes, that reaction mattered as much as the leaderboard.

Next up are nurses Mary and Golden, whose emotional Instant Restaurant will celebrate Filipino food and the comfort of cooking for people who miss home.

My Kitchen Rules continues tonight at 7.30pm on Seven and 7plus.