Never thought, a dessert would end Reynold Poernomo’s journey in MasterChef Australia: Back to Win.
It was a heart-wrenching farewell when Reynold Poernomo’s toffee apple dish didn’t savor the palate as the original one. Emelia Jackson and Laura Sharrad finally landed to the final following the replicated toffee apple dish, which coincided both with the decor and taste.
Remember, he created a fairy-tale dessert called Alice in Wonderland-themed course composed of an ornate chocolate tree and collapsible “rabbit hole.” Next, he made a golden snitch influenced by Harry Potter. He is an inventor for sure.
However, he lost the winning title, while attempting to create other’s inventions. But he wasn’t on the screen for fame and attention; instead, he longed to stand for his family. He knew what his family had gone through as an immigrant from Indonesia. Reynold Poernomo hadn’t ceased to think of struggling days of the past.
When he was a child, his parents owned a restaurant. People would have an opinion that Poernomo had learned every cooing hack from his mom and dad. Truth has its shade. Despite the cooking background, he didn’t grasp anything from his parents. They were too occupied in executing their restaurant. When Reynold’s parents were taken away from him and his brother for a bit amidst the immigration, the restaurant was shut down for a few days. Whenever he was hungry, it was his brother who made the food accessible in the home. He hasn’t gotten over those difficult times.
“I haven’t had an easy life – as an immigrant. No matter how hard my family works, there’s always something that kind of knocks us down.”
“I didn’t come here for fame, I came on here because I love to cook. “Winning: it’s not about the title; it’s about being able to give back to my family.”
Fans could see Poernomo didn’t only frame his name on the hit cooking show but also chained his family by his side. Hence, Arnold Poernomo, his brother and business partner, thanked his efforts to make their legacy shine on the Television screen. They execute KOI Dessert Bar in Sydney and also other hospitality premises.
“No we didn’t have an easy life. But thank you for leaving the legacy of our family, story, our name. Most importantly thank you for showing everyone that nothing is impossible. Love you little bro..through ups and downs we always have each other”
He is proud of his heritage, upbringing, family struggle, and cultural norms. At the age of four, the Poernomo family immigrated to Australia from their hometown, Indonesia, and it hasn’t been long since he has been connected to his mother-tongue. In one of his self-titled YouTube channel, he uploaded a video where he credited his girlfriend, Chelia Dinata for reconnecting him to his local language Bahasa,
“The reason why I don’t tend to speak in Bahasa much or have denied that I can speak Bahasa is that I’m still learning. I moved into Australia when I was 4 yrs old and stopped speaking and English became my primary language and still is.
“Since I’ve met my girlfriend Chelia, I’ve been able to speak in Bahasa again although am still learning. It’s just easier to say that I can’t speak in Bahasa than to try and process the conversation and only understanding half of it.”
Reynold Poernomo ended in the fourth spot in the seventh season of MasterChef and bagged a label of stellar and proficiently executed sweet course maker, in short, the dessert king.
