For the final Instant Restaurant of the round, the Newcastle besties opened Shuck Yeah with a coastal, Mediterranean-inspired menu. The brief was simple: beat Alisha and Deanne’s 54, or miss out on Kitchen HQ. Actually delivering that dinner proved considerably less straightforward.

The Strategy Talk Arrives Before The Food

Zoe had something to prove after Angus and Simon’s criticism of her pescatarian cooking, including their assessment that she was the competition’s weakest link. She asked the table to leave strategy out of the evening. Angus promptly decided that was a reason to play harder.

So much for a relaxing dinner by the coast.

Alisha and Deanne also challenged Angus and Simon over the suggestion that the boys wanted them at Kitchen HQ because they would be easier opponents. Having finished just one point above the women, the boys were hardly in a position to start polishing trophies.

Alisha and Deanne even jokingly offered to introduce Simon to their single friends if the boys helped them through to Kitchen HQ. Romance was apparently still available for negotiation, even if an apology wasn’t.

Simon was in no mood to make peace, either. “I’ll give you a hot tip, no one at this table is getting an apology from me.” That settled the question of whether the evening would feature a diplomatic breakthrough.

Zucchini Flowers Offer A Promising Start

The entrée was zucchini flowers filled with cashew cream, served with caramelised onions. Manu Feildel and Colin Fassnidge liked the light, crisp batter, giving Zoe and Zac something to feel good about early.

The filling needed more flavour, though, and the onions needed further caramelisation. It was a respectable start rather than a runaway success: seven from Manu and six from Colin.

The Swordfish Puts Them In Trouble

Then came crumbed swordfish with fennel salad and lemon-rosemary potatoes, and the momentum disappeared.

Manu questioned the decision to crumb the fish. The fennel salad was underdressed, the raw onion and cheese did little to help, and the potatoes failed to rescue the plate.

The judges’ scores were brutal: three from Manu and four from Colin. After a promising entrée, Zoe was now worrying that the main would be the dish that ended their competition.

With Alisha and Deanne waiting on 54, dessert had suddenly become a very serious business.

Panna Cotta To The Rescue

Zoe and Zac finished with basil panna cotta, lemon curd and strawberries, with a crumb that also pleased the judges. Basil wasn’t everyone’s favourite flavour at the table, but the panna cotta’s set and its accompaniments gave Manu and Colin far more to enjoy.

Both judges awarded seven. The kitchen could finally breathe again, although the guest scores still had to come in.

Alisha and Deanne gave four, as did Angus and Simon. Sheridan and Ted awarded six, while Harrison and Oliver and Krysten and Lucy each gave five. That left the hosts with 24 out of 50 from their rivals.

Zoe felt that was harsh after the stronger entrée and dessert. Happily for her, it wasn’t the only score that counted.

Alisha And Deanne Leave With One Last Honour

The judges contributed 34 out of 60, taking Zoe and Zac to 58 overall. They were through to Kitchen HQ by four points. Alisha and Deanne’s 54 was now the final result at the bottom of the leaderboard.

The “classy bogans” had an emotional farewell, with Alisha reflecting on sharing the experience with her best friend. Colin praised their honesty and the way they had put their feelings out there throughout the competition.

Manu also sent them off with medals recognising the loudest team the show had ever had. They might have missed out on Kitchen HQ, but nobody could accuse them of quietly slipping out the back.

For the remaining teams, the Instant Restaurants are over. Next comes the first Kitchen HQ challenge, with an elimination cook-off waiting for two teams.

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