MasterChef Winner Adam Liaw Launches New Show ‘The Cook Up’

Originally a lawyer, Adam nurtured his passion for food by running cooking classes for colleagues and friends, which, coincidentally, forms the backbone of the show. Each episode features two food-loving guests including chefs, comedians and musicians (Jimmy Barnes even makes an appearance!) cooking alongside Adam, but he admits that The Cook Up is not all about food.

“It’s not just me standing up there cooking. We get interesting guests on… and we have a good chat. It’s almost more of a chat show than a cooking show, but there’s some really good recipes in there as well,” he said.

Scheduled for a mammoth 200 episodes, The Cook Up is the biggest ever commission for SBS Food – and the volume tested the limits of Adam’s culinary creativity.

“When we were planning the show [of 200 episodes], we came down to the fact that the recipes that I cook have to be done in under 10 minutes,” Adam said.

“At first, I really got my back up about it but it’s actually been the best thing for the show. It’s meant that all of my recipes have to be really simple. I’m right now in the zone where I’m writing the best recipes ever, because literally anyone can do them.”

The Cook Up with Adam Liaw airs weeknights at 7pm on SBS Food, and later on SBS on Demand. Listen to the full chat with Adam in the player above.