MasterChef Canada Season 9 Exit Interview: Jainesh “Jai” Bali

For Jai Bali, competing on MasterChef Canada Season 9 was an opportunity to showcase his creativity, celebrate his Indo-Fijian heritage, and share the flavours he grew up with. Having learned to cook from his mother at 15, Jai developed a love for food through family gatherings, community celebrations, and the women who brought everyone together through cooking.Throughout the competition, Jai became known for his bold flavours and creative approach to cooking. However, a challenging dessert assignment featuring Latin American ingredients ultimately brought his time in the kitchen to an end. Following his elimination, Jai sat down with The Extra Mile to reflect on his experience, the importance of representing his Fijian roots, and his plans to bring South Pacific flavours to a wider audience.

TEM: How are you feeling after watching last night’s episode?

Jai : To be honest, it was a spectacle! But I’m glad. It was such an amazing run in the competition, and I’m okay with it. I’m Zen. Watching it back brought up a little bit of PTSD from the experience, but I feel really blessed to have had the opportunity. Thousands of people applied, and I’m grateful I got to be part of it.

TEM: What made you apply for MasterChef Canada, and how did you first get into cooking?

Jai : I’ve been cooking since I was about 15. My mom started teaching me because she would always say, “If you never get married, at least I’ll know you can feed yourself!”I also remember growing up around my community, especially the women who would come together to cook for events. I was always around them, and I was the official taste tester.As for MasterChef, I was actually trying to convince my sister to apply for The Great Canadian Baking Show.She wasn’t interested, but my mom said, “You’re a good baker, and you’re good at sweets, but I really think you should try out for MasterChef.”I found out about the auditions on January 24, and applications closed on January 26.I put together my audition video, edited everything, and submitted it at 11:56 p.m.  just three minutes before the deadline! The very next day, I got a callback.

TEM: Look at that! Sometimes you just have to put yourself out there because you never know what could happen. You had some really strong moments early in the competition. Did that build your confidence, or did it put more pressure on you?

Jai : Both. I had a lot of strong moments early on, and I think I established myself as a bit of a flavour guy. That helps, but it can also hurt because the more recognition you get in a competition, the bigger the target becomes on your back. At the end of the day, it’s still a competition.

TEM: In your final challenge, Jason assigned you Latin American ingredients for your dessert. How did you genuinely feel when you found out?

Jai : I literally thought, “I’m screwed!” I’d gone into the challenge with a plan based on the traditional flavour profiles I normally work with. But Mexican chocolate is generally used in savoury dishes, and in Fijian cuisine, cinnamon is usually paired with meat rather than sweets. Coffee and chocolate aren’t ingredients we traditionally grow or use in Fiji either. I was sitting there thinking, “Okay, I’m going to have to completely alter my concept. How do I make these ingredients work?” It was honestly one of the few moments in the competition where I genuinely didn’t know how things were going to turn out.

TEM: Looking back, if you could do that challenge differently, what would you have made?

Jai : If I hadn’t been so committed to incorporating my heritage and culture into the dessert, I probably would have pivoted. I had double-zero flour, so I could have made coffee pasta with a chocolate and cinnamon sauce and some fresh berries. I think that would have been a really nice direction. But when you’re in the competition, everything is happening so quickly. You commit to an idea, and sometimes it’s difficult to change course.

TEM: Do you feel viewers got a good representation of your cooking style throughout the competition?

Jai : Yeah, I think so. I really got to put my best foot forward. The competition was such a blessing because it pushed me to think outside the box and create things I never would have imagined making before. For example, a roulade stuffed with smoked eggplant, served with mango-basil sauce and curried parsnips. That was me being completely experimental!

TEM: What’s one dish you wish you’d had the chance to make?

Jai : If I’d made it to the finale, I knew exactly what I wanted to do for my main dish. In Fiji, we have a traditional cooking method called lovo. I wanted to create my own interpretation using a smoking cloche. I was thinking of incorporating ingredients like taro, taro leaves, and coconut milk to really bring out those island flavours.I’m still planning to make it for Instagram because I want to show people that you can take traditional food and do something different with it. You can experiment while still celebrating where you come from. I make Fijian chicken curry at least once a week. I always tell people that Fijian food is actually closer to Thai food in terms of balancing different flavours — sweet, salty, savoury, sour, and bitter. We use a lot of ginger, and our curries tend to be lighter in flavour and spice.Some of my favourite snacks are fried taro and fried cassava. I really love showcasing those differences because Fijian cuisine has so much to offer.

TEM: If you could describe your entire MasterChef Canada experience in three words, what would they be?

Jai Bali: Fulfilling, chaotic, and amazing. It’s hard to describe what it’s like being surrounded by so many passionate home cooks. Imagine putting together a group of highly driven, Type A personalities who are all completely obsessed with food. It was magical! And the kitchen itself was incredible. The pantry was every cook’s dream. You had access to practically everything.

TEM: You’ve had this incredible experience. What’s next for you in the culinary world?

Jai Bali: My long-term dream is to open a Fijian bistro or café where I can bring South Pacific flavours into Western-style dishes. Right now, I’m working on rebranding my family’s heritage sauces.I used to sell them in Toronto, and I’m hoping to get them into stores.I’m going to be documenting that entire journey on Instagram at @brownguyrealness.I’m really excited about this next chapter.

TEM: We’re all about going the extra mile. What does going the extra mile mean to you?

Jai : Going the extra mile means thinking outside the box and putting your entire self into something, even if it costs you a little more in the end.Something I always said on the show was that the only thing you have control over is your effort.Whether you win or lose, if you put in your absolute best effort, that’s going the extra mile.

Catch the next episode of MasterChef Canada on Sept 29 on CTV and Sept 30 on Crave