When you work in the restaurant industry, watching certain shows like MasterChef is almost a sure thing. It doesn't matter so much that the shows tend to glamorize the work. Watching the enthusiasm of the participants makes every episode worthwhile.

This season MasterChef began with 100 amateur cooks and has already selected a truncated field of only 18 finalists. From the 18 final contestants, only one will be chosen to win $250,000 and a cookbook publishing deal.

"One of my favorite people on the show is Joe Bastianich because you can really tell he is looking for dishes that do more than satisfy his palate," said Alan Wong, general manager of Kung Fu Plaza in Las Vegas. "It might be because he has more experience with Italian and Asian cooking."

In one recent interview, Bastianich did say that he is looking for chefs who can be communicative while still having the skills and technique to execute the ideas. Wong says Bastianich has an appreciation for the story and history of the culture and region where the food, style, or idea originated from.

"This approach is something we have always strived to do at Kung Fu Plaza," says Wong. "My family came over with many ancient recipes from Thailand and a few from China. The recipes communicate the tradition of our family, but it also required us to find the right chef to execute these dishes as they are meant to be tasted."

Watching the chefs prepare the food is especially interesting to Wong, he says, because so many of the participants under season or try to shortcut steps and ingredients. Wong says that any of those mistakes are certain to destroy the authenticity of the dish, at least Asian cuisine, which is most familiar.

When Kung Fu Plaza first opened in 1973, it was one of the most difficult challenges faced by Wong's parents because they could not acquire specific ingredients. Wong said it was a challenge in that his parents had to recreate dishes from scratch (using American ingredients) before opening the restaurant. But over time, his father decided to open his own Asian market.

"Today, it is much easier to import specific and very fresh ingredients from Thailand than it was when we first opened," said Wong, who originally started as a dish washer before he was a teenager. "But then there are some things that true Thai restaurants consider taboo — like purchasing ready-made sauces from suppliers. We make everything on the premises."

Wong says that Thai cooking is all about balance, but not balance like many foreigners are taught during weeklong cooking classes, even in Thailand. While some instructors oversimplify saying that they are trying to balance flavors — hot (spicy), sour, sweet, salty, and (optional) bitter — the process can be much more complex.

As an example, Wong says that a dish made with noodles will turn out dramatically different depending on how the chef prepares the food. Some recipes allow for the sauce to be added after all the primary ingredients are included, which bonds to the ingredients equally. However, if the chef wants the noodles to take on more flavor, it's important to add the sauces to the noodles prior to adding the meats or vegetables.

"It's easier for us because we have several large woks cooking at the same time," says Wong. "At home, someone would have to strain the meats and vegetables out, then cook the noodles, and re-add all meats and vegetables. It makes a difference."

While Wong would not provide any MasterChef predictions this early in the show, he says it is obvious that larger auditions have drawn even more talented participants. But even among some of the best, Wong is not surprised they make real life mistakes.

Founded in 1973, Kung Fu Plaza is the oldest and most authentic Chinese and Thai restaurant in Las Vegas. It is open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. The average entree is under $10 and most patrons order family style.