Khanh Ong: “I always wanted to play Survivor, I pushed really hard to get on that show”

He’s known for his culinary skills, but who knew Khanh Ong, competitor in Australian Survivor Blood V Water series, is also a challenge beast.

Who MasterChef and Survivor Blood V Water contestant, Khanh Ong. Where High-rise apartment in Melbourne. Favourite thing I live on the 74th floor and literally wake up in the clouds. Some mornings I am surrounded by fog with the city below and I love it. Inspiration Minimalist. Which is different to how I lived before moving into an apartment. I am still decluttering … slowly. Home is It’s my safe space and when I am feeling anxious, I cook.

He’s currently competing in Australian Survivor in the Blood vs Water spectacular, and Khanh Ong hasn’t nabbed the title ‘King Khanh’ for nothing. In fact, the social butterfly of the group and resident chef of his tribe has emerged as a challenge beast.

Khanh, who also appeared in the season 10 edition of MasterChef, says that while the cooking show changed his life’s path, leaving behind a career as a DJ to open South-East Asian restaurant The George On Collins, Survivor was “top of his bucket-list”.

MasterChef and Survivor star Khanh Ong is pictured is his apartment above Melbourne’s city centre. Photographer: Eugene Hyland

“Both shows were challenging in different ways, but I always wanted to play Survivor. I pushed really hard to get on that show,” he says.

As a foodie, Khanh says it wasn’t just the bland rice and beans that were tough to abide, but not knowing the time frazzled him the most.

He is all smiles, but Khanh is no friendly pushover on the Survivor.

“We would go to bed thinking it was late, but really it could have been 5pm. There was no way of knowing. I used to try to gauge time by how long it took to cook the beans, which was about three hours. If you wanted them like gravy, because we had to get creative with texture, then that would take six hours. The worst thing about being on this Survivor season was we weren’t near a beach so I couldn’t even salt the rice with saltwater. We did find wild figs and I saw shellfish in the freshwater river, but as it turned out, none of us could fish.”

Words: Catherine Nikas-Boulos   Pictures: Eugene Hyland

This is a nod back to my DJ days. There’s something so fun about putting on a record and changing it every half-hour or so. Though I have the Adele album on repeat at the moment.

Khanh says while he doesn’t encourage stealing, he could not leave this Survivor souvenir behind

This was stolen from the Survivor set. I think as I am the person who cooked I was entitled to it. There’s burn marks on it and it smells super smokey. It’s my little piece of Survivor.

These are the Balenciaga shoes Khanh wears on Survivor. They were expensive, but Khanh will theorise “Cost per wear” it was worth them getting trashed on the show.

Everyone thought I was crazy going on Survivor wearing expensive sandals, but I feel you need a bit of luxury out there. Plus they make me taller, and cost per wear, they’ve been worth it.

Freeze! Khanh says this product may be even better than Botox

I normally get Botox, but I feel like this product works like Botox. It’s affordable and when it came out there was a waiting list of thousands. Then I realised why: ‘Hey this works’.

Toni Maticevski cushions adorn Khanh’s couch in his new apartment

He uses the same fabrics and techniques he uses on the dresses to make these cushions, and he knows how much I love olive green. These were a house-warming gift from him.

Hand made Koi knives: If you’re going to name your knives, Kylie, Britney and Naomi are pretty good options

There’s a massive culture with naming knives masculine names like Dragon. Mine are named after Britney Spears, US drag queen Naomi Smalls and Kylie Jenner – not Minogue.

Griddle pan: A cookware must-have according to Khanh

If you could spend money on only one piece of cookware, get this. It’s great for searing protein. Steak tastes so much better on this and it does the same for veges.

Khanh has only started wearing make-up recently and is loving the light colours for day and opting for darker and glittery shades at night

This is my go-to palette. This is a new part of my life and I have become super comfortable in expressing myself the last couple of years. My masculine energy is blurred and I am cool with who I am.