MasterChef Asia brought together 15 home cooks from eight different countries — China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam — to compete for the title of the region’s first-ever MasterChef. Season 1 aired from 3 September to 10 December 2015 on Lifetime Asia. Here’s everything you need to know about the winner, judges, contestants and prize money.
MasterChef Asia Season 1: Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Network | Lifetime (South East Asia) |
| Premiere | 3 September 2015 |
| Finale | 10 December 2015 |
| Episodes | 15 |
| Contestants | 15 home cooks from 8 countries |
| Winner | Woo Wai Leong (Singapore) |
| Runner-up | Marcus Low (Malaysia) |
| Prize Money | US$50,000 + cookbook deal |
| Judges | Susur Lee, Bruno Ménard, Audra Morrice |
Who Won MasterChef Asia Season 1?
Woo Wai Leong, a 27-year-old lawyer from Singapore, was crowned the first-ever MasterChef Asia champion on 10 December 2015. He beat Malaysian banker Marcus Low in an intense three-round finale that pushed both cooks to their limits.
The grand finale had three stages:
- Round 1 – Mystery Box: Leong prepared a pan-roasted quail with chocolate-cauliflower purée and lavender pan sauce
- Round 2 – Free Choice: He cooked a coffee-roasted carrot salad with short ribs and a mirin-glazed leek, brown-butter purée
- Round 3 – Pressure Test: Both finalists had to recreate chef Gaggan Anand’s famous three-ingredient Mango Snowball dessert
Leong took a leave of absence from his corporate law firm to compete, and was called to the bar the same year he won the show. He walked away with a US$50,000 cash prize and a cookbook deal. Three years after his win, in 2018, he opened his own restaurant, Restaurant Ibid, in Singapore’s Chinatown, known for its contemporary Nanyang (Chinese-Singaporean fusion) cuisine.
MasterChef Asia Season 1 Judges
Three internationally acclaimed culinary figures judged the season:
- Susur Lee – Hong Kong-born chef, based in Canada, known for pioneering fusion Asian cuisine
- Bruno Ménard – Three-Michelin-starred French chef based in Japan
- Audra Morrice – Singapore-born finalist of MasterChef Australia Season 4
Guest judges throughout the season included several major names in Asian fine dining — Gaggan Anand (of the world-renowned Bangkok restaurant Gaggan), Juna Rorimpandey (MasterChef Indonesia judge), Justin Quek, May Chow, and Michelin-starred chef David Pynt of Burnt Ends.
MasterChef Asia Season 1 Full Contestant List
| Rank | Contestant | Age | Country | Occupation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Woo Wai Leong | 27 | Singapore | Lawyer (Winner) |
| 2 | Marcus Low | 24 | Malaysia | Banker (Runner-up) |
| 3 | Jasbir Kaur | 54 | Malaysia | Homemaker |
| 4 | Priya Barve | 39 | India | Marketing Manager |
| 5 | Đoàn Phương Hà | 31 | Vietnam | Entrepreneur |
| 6 | Lennard Yeong | 27 | Singapore | Engineer |
| 7 | Blanche Chu Yin | 28 | Taiwan | Model |
| 8 | Sandrian Tan | 41 | Singapore | Homemaker |
| 9 | Lica Ibarra | 29 | Philippines | Finance Sales Officer |
| 10 | Vonny Lestari | 20 | Indonesia | Student |
| 11 | Rico Amancio | 31 | Philippines | Paralegal |
| 12 | Alice Peng | 32 | China | Scientist |
| 13 | Stefan Pratama | 25 | Indonesia | Sales Representative |
| 14 | Jake Aycardo | 24 | Philippines | Analyst |
| 15 | Sophia Zulkifli | 30 | Malaysia | Homemaker |
Two Malaysian contestants — Marcus Low and Jasbir Kaur — made it into the Top 3, an impressive showing that Malaysian media celebrated at the time.
Memorable Challenges from Season 1
- The Singapore Flyer canapé challenge: Contestants served five types of canapés to 80 VIP guests atop Asia’s largest observation wheel
- Lau Pa Sat hawker stall challenge: Teams ran their own stalls cooking Malay, Indian and Chinese cuisines at Singapore’s famous hawker centre
- Chili Crab reinvention: Contestants had to put a creative spin on Singapore’s iconic dish
- Changi Airport challenge: Cooks competed for customers against the airport’s own eateries
What Happened After Season 1?
MasterChef Asia went on hiatus for a decade. In 2026, Banijay Rights and Warner Bros. Discovery announced a revival, bringing back 10 past contestants from various international MasterChef editions to compete in a new all-stars-style season.
FAQs
Who won MasterChef Asia Season 1? Woo Wai Leong, a lawyer from Singapore, won in December 2015.
How much prize money did the winner get? US$50,000 plus a cookbook deal.
Who were the judges of MasterChef Asia? Susur Lee, Bruno Ménard and Audra Morrice.
Which countries competed in Season 1? China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam.
Is there a Season 2 of MasterChef Asia? Yes — after a 10-year gap, a new season was announced in 2026, featuring past MasterChef contestants from across Asia.