Former ‘MasterChef Junior’ contestant dedicates his pho-inspired ramen dish to his bà ngoại

Matthew Smith, a former contestant of “MasterChef Junior,” recently shared how to make his Crispy Chicken Ramen dish inspired by his grandmother’s Vietnamese heritage.

100 days: On Sept. 21, the 11-year-old cook appeared in the first episode of TODAY’s “Kids in the Kitchen.”

In 2019, Smith ranked seventh on Season 7 of “MasterChef Junior,” and he hasn’t stopped cooking since.
His love of cooking started when he was 7, and he told TODAY that his Vietnamese heritage influences his cooking style.
During the increased downtime he got during the pandemic and remote learning, he focused his energy on cooking for 100 days straight. He first started with Italian, then Asian and then desserts.
Over the course of the 12-minute episode, Smith enthusiastically speaks of his bà ngoại’s (grandmother’s) influence. He also talked about his time spent researching ingredients and flavors, as well as the trial and error that goes into his cooking, which happens to be his favorite part.
He even had advice for adults who aren’t as accustomed to cooking. “Try to see the other joys of it, because cooking isn’t just about making the food,” he said. “So just find a part of that, that you like to enjoy the process as you go along with it.”
At the end of the episode, the result is a masterful creation of springy homemade noodles, crispy chicken, an aromatic ginger-infused broth with star anise and lemongrass, topped with runny yolk soy-marinated eggs.
Check out his recipe for his ramen dish here, his soy-marinated eggs here and his creative process below:

Featured Image via TODAY

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