Fans of celebrity chef Khanh Ong have criticized MasterChef Asia for a social media error that misspelled the chef's name in a promotional post for the show's upcoming second season.
Ong, an Indonesian-born chef who gained recognition on MasterChef Australia in 2018, is set to appear in the new season premiering on HBO Max. In a recently shared promotional clip, Ong expressed his enthusiasm for participating and his goal of promoting Vietnamese cuisine.
"I am here to champion Vietnamese food! I think I have grown a lot as a chef and that comes through this year," Ong said in the clip. However, the accompanying social media caption stated, "Khahn is MasterChef alumni, but has he grown as a chef?"
The error quickly drew the attention of followers in the comments section. "I'm begging you to spell his name correctly," one user wrote, with another adding, "same." A third commenter simply corrected the name to "Khanh."
The show's social media page later updated the post to spell Ong's name correctly.
The upcoming MasterChef Asia season will pit Ong against other contestants who have previously appeared on various international versions of the show. Among them is Therese Lum, who competed on the Australian edition in 2021.
Ong has previously spoken about his commitment to elevating Vietnamese cuisine for a contemporary audience. "I'm really trying to champion Vietnamese food and do it in a cool, new, young way, because I feel as though if we don't, there'll be a whole generation that will miss out on those traditions," he stated on the Channel Ten cooking series.
He identified Vietnamese nước chấm, a versatile dipping sauce made with fish sauce, lime, sugar, garlic, and chili, as his signature element. "It's great on salad. It's great on fried things. It's great to dip into. It's great on vermicelli. It's just the all-rounder for Vietnamese cooking," Ong explained. He often keeps a jar of the sauce in his refrigerator, even sharing the recipe, noting its importance in his culinary journey and success on MasterChef.