Key Points
- Janelle Halil is a Turkish-Filipino cake decorator and one of the competitors in this year's My Kitchen Rules.
- She now sees her biraciality as an advantage.
- She went public with her romance with partner Monzir on the show.
*UPDATE: Janelle Halil and her partner Monzir Hamdin are the champions of this season's 'My Kitchen Rules'.
Janelle Halil of 'My Kitchen Rules' (MKR) fame says that trying to connect with her Turkish and Filipino roots sometimes led to a disconnect with everybody else.
“Growing up, it was a struggle finding someone who was like me. When I would tell people I was both Turkish and Filipino, they would be, like…’How?’ People used to think I was adopted because mum looked white and, I didn’t really look like her. It used to upset me and, I would ask her, ‘Are you sure you’re my mum?’
“Mum and dad separated when I was a baby. I would be with mum during the week and with dad during the weekends. Because my parents come from different parts of the world, I would follow one way with mum and another with dad.”
While Halil admits that being with her mum most of the week led to more exposure to Turkish traditions, she says her mum encouraged her to learn more about her Mindanaoan father’s culture.
“Mum would bring me to the Filipino store and we would buy packets of food. She’d cook Filipino food for me like kaldereta [a stew typically made of beef or goat and vegetables]. She’d incorporate Filipino dishes throughout the week so I’d feel connected to dad.
Janelle and her dad Credit: Supplied
Aside from Filipino food, her Filipino aunties also exposed her to two other important parts of the culture – karaoke and beauty pageants.
“One fun fact about me is I actually won a pageant,” she laughs, adding, “A trip to the Philippines was my prize!”
“One fun fact about me is I actually won a pageant." A young Janelle with her dad and paternal grandmother. Credit: Supplied
“Now I understand what a very special thing it is to be different. I get to have the best of all worlds – of being Filipino, being Turkish and being Australian.
“But of course, that’s difficult to explain to a child. I wanted to be like everybody else.”
Childhood challenges and cake
Halil admits that she got through the challenges of childhood through cakes.
“I’ve always loved art and being creative with my hands, so I enjoy the process of making cakes.
“I was around 15 years old and having a hard time in high school when I discovered cake decorating. I would buy cake mixes, packet icing…my family was encouraging and, would compliment my work, but - LIARS! Complete liars,” she laughs, adding, “I was terrible at it. I got better though.”
Owning a cake business, doing hospitality throughout high school and, having an enduring love for cooking and cooking shows, Halil has always dreamt of competing in MKR.
“I’ve watched the show from when it first aired and, my aunt would always send me an application every year.
“I didn’t have anyone to go with that I could trust before; but a year into my relationship with Monzir, I asked him and, he said yes. We always cook together and, he wanted to get his own Sudanese food out there as well.”
Branching out
Their food wasn’t the only thing the couple got out there through MKR. The show pushed them to go public with their romance.
They initially wanted to keep their relationship private to avoid unsolicited opinions.
“We thought because we came from different backgrounds, it would be confronting for some; but really - interracial relationships don’t need to be proven to anyone. They just need to be as they are.”
The two also kept their romance a secret from their families because they wanted them to “know that we’re serious about each other since we both ‘branched out’.”
“Our families found out about us while watching the promo.
“Now, we’ve met each other’s families. In the beginning, it was a bit confronting for my maternal grandmother because she never met any of my past boyfriends; but after meeting Monzir, she absolutely loved him!
“Monzir’s family is very lovely and after I met them, they were also very accepting.
“Our families just wanted to know what was going on.”
MKR
Their families not only found out what was going on, they saw on screen how serious the two were about each other and about the food they loved.
“We made food we’ve loved our whole lives on the show.
“We got the first 10/10 this season with a Sudanese lamb cutlet, cucumber and spicy peanut sauce. It’s a dish Monzir introduced me to. It’s a recipe from his dad and, well-loved in his family; so for us to get a 10, it was a beautiful moment.
“Also, it was an absolute dream to meet Manu and Nigella. We’ve been away from home and Nigella looks like my mum, so it was such a big comfort! I think meeting Nigella was the highlight of my life,” she laughs.
Meeting Nigella may be the highlight of Halil’s life, but this cake decorator has big life plans after the show.
“Monzir and I want to run a Sudanese and Turkish restaurant and food truck.
“For me, I would love to expand on my business…a little cake shop or, studio. I’d also love to get my own baking section and products at Coles. That would just be amazing!”
