Audra Morrice

Chef | Author | Television Presenter

I was born in Singapore. Mom is Chinese of Hock Chiew descent, born in Sarawak Malaysia. Dad was born in Singapore to parents from Chennai and Pondicherry, India. Like most Singaporeans, the expectation was to forge a career in some form of professional speciality or business related industry. At university, I went down the path of a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Japanese. It served as a pseudo "Commerce" degree blanketed as an Arts degree. Economics ticked the Commerce box. I should've known where my heart was when I excelled in Japanese with a great deal of passion and less so in Economics.

After graduating, I somehow fell into telecommunications and had no idea that 19 years later I would still be there. My career started in Singapore, then New Zealand, and finally Australia. In 2008, a new reality show called MasterChef Australia premiered on our screens here in Australia. I was hooked to say the least and wondered if that burning passion and love for all things food related was telling me to explore this new phenomenon of joining a cooking competition. Being that practical Asian person I was, was it wise to give up a well-paying job and ignore the realities of life to pursue something I had no experience in and had to rely on a pure lingering intangible love of it? How would I even approach this subject with my husband and my parents, being a responsible parent myself? How do I justify it or even try to explain this crazy nonsensical phenomenon? After 3 years of this nagging desire, I decided that I wanted to live my life with no regrets and that was the pivotal moment in my life where "regrets" had no place in everything I did moving forward.

The rest is history.

The adventure began in 2012. I became a finalist on MasterChef Australia season 4. That experience opened doors I never could have imagined - from co-hosting and judging MasterChef Asia in 2015 to becoming one of the three judges on MasterChef Singapore, now past its fourth season. Along the way, I had the joy of guest judging on MasterChef Poland, hosting my first cooking series, Tasty Conversations, which aired on SBS Food Network and Channel 10 in Australia, as well as across Asia on fyi, Mediacorp in Singapore, and online via YouTube and my website.

I’ve written two cookbooks - My Kitchen, Your Table and Cook & Feast - and developed a range of seasonal and bespoke food products for my clients.

Over the past 13 years, I have had the joy of cooking for the most incredible celebrations through my catering business in Sydney and Singapore, for people who enjoyed the sharing of food with their friends and loved ones. Bringing to corporates a whole lot of depth and heart by curating meaningful menus that created connections, I’ve headlined events for companies such as Lexus, Westpac, Optus, McKinsey, Standard Chartered Bank, the Entrepreneurs’ Organisation, just to name a few. I ran these differently, they weren't just dining events to fill hungry tums but it was a way of deepening one's understanding and knowledge of a different culture, a different way, allowing people to embrace differences and create an environment of true connection without judgement, just pure enjoyment. My cooking classes/events whether they are private or corporate have evolved to become less scripted and more personal.

Some of my most memorable moments include being the MC, host, and chef for MasterChef Dining & Bar at the Intercontinental Singapore in 2016, and curating A Culinary Evening with Audra Morrice at The Singapore Marriott Tangs Plaza in 2017. I’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with the team at New Ubin Seafood Restaurant during the World Gourmet Summit, and with Malcolm Lee at his Michelin-starred Candlenut - twice, in 2018 and 2023, with both events receiving rave reviews.

In 2017, I was invited to speak at the Web In Travel conference in Singapore, which sparked a collaboration with Accor Plus. I was to create a guided food and cultural tour through Singapore, showcasing my favourite off-the-beaten-path eateries. It was till this day, one of the most memorable experience for myself and 50 Aussies and Kiwis.

Consulting has been a huge part of my work, from being the creative consultant for restaurants and resorts across the region to streamlining and establishing new operational processes within organisations such as The Fullerton Hotel Sydney to training their chefs on authentic Singaporean cuisine, coming up with new and exciting dining programs. My relationship with the Singapore Tourism Board has led to participation in campaigns like Get Lost and Find the Real Singapore and Celebrity Concierge, alongside figures like Tetsuya Wakuda and Antonia Kidman. Promoting Singapore’s vibrant culture and cuisine is something I never tire of. I truly want people to know that Singapore is not just about Orchard Road and chilli crab.

People often ask me if I ever wanted to open my own restaurant. Well, a very wise chef once said to me, "Do you know how to make a million dollars in the restaurant business? You start with $2m". I have in the past thought about it but always felt there was more I wanted to do and my cooking was meant to reach out to more people than a tiny restaurant in suburban Sydney would ever allow. Plus, life had other plans for me. In 2021, I was invited to be the Sustainable Gastronomic Tourism Ambassador for the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA). This was a new role introduced by a new and vibrant CEO to ignite change and depth into a well-established non-for-profit organisation that had been around for decades. I began to speak extensively in the region over the next few years about what sustainability in the gastronomic tourism space meant and before long, collaborations began with tourism boards on responsible gastronomic tourism, using food as a gateway to deepen the understanding and connection of visitors to countries and fostering a new way to travel, a responsible one.

In 2024, I worked with Sarawak Tourism Board to create a six-part television series exploring the region’s culinary roots through its people and culture. This series airs in May 2025 on SBS in Australia, August 2025 right across Asia and distribution continues. This project is where passion meets commerciality meets social impact.  My first Executive Producer role in creating a project that is not just close to my heart, rooted in heritage and storytelling but also allows the world to experience what impactful travel can bring to enriching not just your life but the lives of many.

My work has also extended into diplomacy and mentorship.

In 2023, I was deeply honoured to be appointed to the ASEAN Australia Council Board by the Australian Foreign Minister. I’ve mentored young entrepreneurs and participated in programs like the 50th anniversary Emerging Leaders initiative and this role has rolled into the newly established ASEAN-Australia Centre as of 2024 fostering the development of greater relations between Australia and the Southeast Asian region from people to business to communities.

Mentoring is something I hold close. From speaking at schools to leading training sessions for students and hospitality professionals in Lao PDR, Singapore, and Nepal, I’ve seen first hand how food can empower, connect, and inspire. I’ve also worked with the Department of Foreign Affairs, using cuisine as a bridge for cultural exchange and dialogue.

With roots in both Singapore and Sarawak, Malaysia, I’m proud to serve as Patron of the Australian Malaysian Singaporean Association and work closely with Singapore Global Network to reach out to Singaporeans that live in Australia. I’ve spoken at their events and curated menus that celebrate our shared heritage. Collaborations with Qantas and Destination NSW on the Sydneyporean campaign allowed me to showcase the richness of Sydney’s multicultural food scene to a broader audience.

For over a decade, I’ve proudly supported the Nelune Foundation, founded by Nelune Rajapakse OAM and Anna Guillan AM, and I continue to donate dining experiences for their Annual Lilac Ball each September. Learn more

You can follow my journey:

For enquiries, feel free to reach out at audra@audramorrice.com.au.

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