"We are making dreams happen," chimes in George.

"YOU are the CHOSEN ones," booms Matt Preston.

What a welcome for the top 50 MasterChef contestants for 2012.

This year's show may claim to be going back to basics, but what they mean is back to the basics of bare-knuckle beating, baking and basting.

Welcome to the 'Hungry Games'.

Episode two opens with car washer and wannabe restaurateur Mario who has been waiting 24 hours to be given the nod by George and Matt. He's cooked a simple dish, but is allowed through to the next round as that type of enthusiasm ("I want it more than anyone out there") is the right way to impress producers, annoy viewers and encourage the trolls on Twitter.

So once Mario fist pumps his way through the Convention Centre, the hot girls start coming through the kitchen – enter physiotherapist Mindy who has quit her job and decided to leave her home state of Queensland on her quest to open a restaurant with her dad who's currently serving in Afghanistan.

While the producers set about sweet talking government officials into tracking down her dad via satellite phone in the Middle East, Mindy whips up a Char Kway Teow and explains how she once lived/visited/stopped over in south-east Asia.

Gary's worried about her poly blend t-shirt being ruined by a spitting pan. so hands her an apron while Matt eyes the fortune cookies sitting on the bench.

"Are these for us as well," he says licking his lips. "The fortune cookie tells you to leave the apron on."

Smooth Preston, very smooth.

Exit stage left where she has a quick 30-second chat with her dad who has taken time out from fighting in a war to lend his support to his baby girl for her impending war in the kitchen.

Next up is dessert, which Emma from Adelaide arrives to serve.

The 19-year-old student has visions of opening her own sweets cafe with lots of leather-bound books and baked goods. Failing that she's enrolled in TAFE to study how pastry is made.

The bubbly cook has whipped up a fresh sticky date pudding with homemade ice cream - which Preston describes as "like sucking satin through a straw" - and butterscotch sauce. And with that Emma earns her spot as number 50 in Channel Ten's version of Capitol.

Cue a new dawn, upbeat music, tears, hugs and the question every single person wishes to hear on a Saturday night, "are you up for it?" as the top contenders run through Melbourne toward the Royal Exhibition Building.

Sure it may have been the first place the Aussie flag flew and where parliament first sat, but all that pales in significance to tonight's first "mega Mystery Box challenge with a twist!"

Basically it is one big generic wedding minus the tulle, but with more tears, as 25 have to cook with beef and the others with chicken.

The girl with groovy acetate glasses who looks like she's accidently wandered into the makeshift kitchen from the set of The Shire is "totally down with chicken", while Canadian casino marketer Kevin is thrilled to be able to shove a can of cider up a chicken's "clacker".

The first facepalm moment of the night is served up by Dalvinder who has never tasted beef – she'd be the first eliminated if this were the actual Hunger Games. "I guess as a chef you need to know how to cook everything" ... gosh the crickets are loud in this historical landmark tonight.

The judges then wander over to Matt's station. At 18, he's the youngest competitor and his cooking experience is limited to three years behind the grill at Hungry Jack's. To add insult to injury, the wide-eyed student is cooking risotto with stock from a box.

"I didn't know risotto was the dish of death," he says. Which is understandable considering he's probably been busy clocking hours at HJ's since series one.

As Gary and George continue to throw rhetorical questions at the confused youngster, Canadian Kev is loving the attention his aioli is receiving. Then 45 minutes into the 90-minute challenge, Kev decides the olive oil isn't coming out quick enough so he decides to bite the top of the glass bottle off.

Did I mention the Canuck also plays rugby?

While Matt is fixing his cravat, his train of thought is interrupted by the sound of a Canadian front tooth cracking.

Kev soldiers on though, pleased to gain his 15 minutes of fame so early in the game.

The clock stops and the judges announce that one person from tonight's challenge will get their mitts on an apron and a bed inside the MasterChef house.

Excitable Yukio shrieks like a One Direction fan and hot physio Mindy gets so flustered she drops her chicken on the floor.

Time to put up, shut up and plate up. Yukio and his rib eye steak with medley of his "wacky combination of favourite flavours" is up first.

"You a freak or what?" George grunts.

"A little bit," the confused home cook who moonlights as a translator replies.

"It's freaking good!" Calombaris cheers as the music reaches a happy crescendo.

Fillipo's whole chicken which he has stuffed with every vegetable from the pantry is up next.

As George picks up the knife and drives it into the drumstick, the nervous financial planner explains the bird's resting temperature is 72 degrees.

However, he appears to be showing symptoms of Salmonella as the judges discover half of the chicken is raw. (Never blinking is a sign of food poisoning right?) They eat it anyway.

Speaking of unappealing dishes, Matt from Hungry Jack's is next up with his risotto, cauliflower puree and poached chicken. The only lesson he learned tonight is that in life and on television you don't make friends with chalky rice.

Kev with the cracked tooth winks at the judges as he serves up his cider can chicken with Maple Syrup glaze. His corn cobs have Matt and George at hello and while they tuck in ferociously like models at Sizzler after Fashion Week, Big Kev is named the challenge winner and awarded the first apron of 2012.

Then flanked by the ladies, he leads the troops out of the kitchen and into episode three.