Christine Hà Reveals The Hardest Challenge She Faced On MasterChef - Exclusive
When it comes to the kitchen, everything is a challenge. Whether it's overcooked meat or a burnt dessert, everyone from home cooks to seasoned chefs have experienced it all. Even "MasterChef" contestants have the occasional slip up from the pressures of the kitchen. Now in its 12th season, the iconic FOX show has garnered an audience that loves nothing more than to see the triumphs and failures of a good old-fashioned cooking competition. "MasterChef" alumni Christine Hà revealed that although she won Season 3 of the show, she is no stranger to the judges' criticism — as well as her own.
In an exclusive interview with Tasting Table, Christine did a deep dive into what it was like to be on "MasterChef" now that she is re-watching her winning episodes for fans online. Gordon Ramsay, Joe Bastianich, and Graham Elliot were sitting at the judges table back when Hà took the crown. The Vietnamese chef is known for being the first-ever blind contestant when the production aired in 2010. Now, she is taking a walk down memory lane as she recounts the most difficult challenge she faced on "MasterChef."
The 'sushi tag team challenge' took a toll on Christine Hà
In Season 3, Episode 13 of "MasterChef," the competitors were forced to take on the "mystery box challenge," which was followed by an elimination test. Christine Hà named that test as the hardest challenge, with contestants having to pair up and replicate a Japanese dish. According to Reality Wanted, the meal consisted of vegetable tempura, California roll, and salmon, yellow tail, tuna, and shrimp sushi. "Hands down [the hardest challenge] was the sushi tag team challenge," Hà told us. "And because I'm visually impaired, that was definitely challenging because it required me to step in and out of the kitchen and pick up where my partner Stacey [Amagrande] had left off."
Hà, who described the episode as "flustering" and "stressful," revealed, "I really loved Stacey and we did poorly in that challenge, and I felt like it was my fault." Despite that setback, and proving once again that overcoming obstacles makes us stronger, Hà came out the other side with the grand prize in Season 3. Now Christine is considered a "MasterChef" legend, most recently appearing on Season 12 as a guest judge alongside Gordon Ramsay, Aarón Sánchez, and Joe Bastianich. Let's hope the sushi tag team challenge doesn't make a reappearance this season!
Head to Christine Hà's Instagram page to keep up with her latest projects. New episodes of "MasterChef: Back To Win" air Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.