An Australian woman who grew up, studied and kickstarted her career as a chef in Singapore just missed the grand finals for Masterchef Australia: Dessert Masters, where 10 professional pastry chefs compete for a AU$100,000 (S$88,100) prize.
Kay-Lene Tan, 38, was one of five competitors who reached the semi-finals of the dessert competition, which is a spin-off of Masterchef Australia.
The episode featuring the semi-finals aired on Nov. 27, 2023.
Tan told Mothership that she was born in Melbourne but was raised and educated in Singapore before returning to Australia in 2013.
According to culinary news site Chef Works in 2019, Tan grew up in a Peranakan household where she developed a love of cooking as a result of her mother and grandmother, whom she described as "amazing cooks".
Creating desserts inspired by memories of Singapore
Speaking to Mothership, Tan opened up about how her love to create desserts was inspired by flavours, stories and memories growing up in Singapore.
"There is a bit of magic when dishes can tell a story," she added.
She has made a few desserts that were inspired by her life in Singapore, like the Tonka Carrot Cake, which was an ode to her mother and how they would search for the perfect carrot cake in Singapore.
Another dessert is the sweet corn and coconut Bombe Alaska which, according to Tan, is reminiscent of the potong ice cream that she used to have growing up in Singapore.
On Dessert Masters, Tan created a dessert in homage to one of her favourite drinks here, which she dubbed the "Milo Dinosaur" dessert.
Semi-final task: Make a dessert inspired by nature in three hours
During the semi-finals, contestants were tasked to make a dish inspired by nature in only three hours.
Tan shared that being on Dessert Masters signalled something new for her, so she titled her dish "New Beginning", inspired by "when winter turns into spring".
The dish was made of basil and lemon verbena sorbet, rhubarb compote, vanilla tuille leaves, vanilla sponge and coconut jelly.
When she presented her dish, Tan became teary-eyed as she described to the judges how the dish described her journey in the Dessert Master's kitchen.
The dessert went down well with both of the show's judges but Tan was ultimately eliminated as one of them found her dish to be "a little bit on the dry side".
In an Instagram post, Tan shared that her journey on Dessert Masters was a "surreal rollercoaster ride".
"I began with little confidence in what I do, and a feeling that I didn't quite belong in this competition, especially alongside chefs who I consider legends of industry," she wrote.
However, at the end of her journey in the competition, Tan said that she "slowly started to believe in [her] capabilities, and the unique story [she tells] through [her] dessert".
"The beauty of being a chef is that you never stop learning, and I have learnt so much through this experience."
Majored in mass communication at Ngee Ann Polytechnic
Prior to embarking on her career as a chef, Tan had majored in mass communication at Ngee Ann Polytechnic.
She worked as a production assistant until October 2009 before enrolling in At-Sunrice GlobalChef Academy in Singapore to earn her Diploma in Pastry & Bakery Arts, according to Chef Works.
Tan was quoted as saying that a "quarter-life crisis" made her question her career path while she was in her 20s.
She realised she wanted to pursue a career in the culinary world when she was watching Top Chef.
Tan opened up that her earliest memory associated with food was rolling glutinous rice dumplings with her mother and grandmother in the kitchen.
Her path allowed her to work with the opening team of the restaurant under French chef Joel Robuchon at Resort World Singapore.
She then moved on to work at Pollen at Gardens By The Bay with Andres Lara, a world-renowned pastry chef.
After that, Tan became the Executive Pastry Chef for two restaurants in Melbourne — Tonka and Coda — for eight years.
Recently, she was part of the opening team at The Ritz-Carlton Melbourne as the Executive Pastry Chef from January to August 2023.
When asked if she had any advice for Singaporeans who are going through a quarter-life crisis or a mid-career switch, Tan said:
"I strongly believe that if you work at a job you love, you’ll never work a day in your life. Take a leap of faith and follow your passion!"
Top photos via Kay-Lene Tan/Instagram