MATT Preston, George Calombaris and Gary Mehigan are convinced that MasterChef Australia won’t suffer a My Kitchen Rules-style ratings drop this year.

Seven’s cooking show has been hampered by dismal food and bickering contestants and its figures have plummeted against stiff competition including Nine’s Married at First Sight.

The MasterChef judges say that won’t happen to their show which is in the midst of filming a ninth season.

“We have got 24 winners this year,” Calombaris said.

“They have really surprised us. Every contestant is serious about their cooking. There is no mucking around.”

Preston, Calombaris and Mehigan are currently in Japan to film a special week of the Channel 10 cooking show.

This is new territory for the judging trio. Calombaris has never been to Japan before. Preston’s only trip was 15 years ago. Mehigan has visited once.

Preston believes the time is right for this year, with MasterChef Australia to spotlight the country’s cuisine which has been described as the healthiest in the world.

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“For us to go anywhere there has to be an amazing food culture and Japan has it,” Preston said

“Tokyo boasts 227 Michelin-starred restaurants. Around every corner and down every alley there is something exciting.”

The first day of filming is at Tokyo’s famed Sensoji Temple, which is nearly 1000 years old. Mount Fuji is the backdrop for another episode.

But it is what will get plated up by contestants in the Japan episodes that has the judges eager with anticipation.

Food staples include miso soup, nori seaweed, pickled radish, ginger, aubergine and plums, grilled eel, and plenty of seafood.

``The contestants will definitely be out of their comfort zones,” Mehigan said.

“I’m excited because when you give them a whole different pantry of Japanese ingredients then all of a sudden you’ll get different dishes.”

Preston, Calombaris, and Mehigan have called on chef friends including Shannon Bennett for a list of the best gyoza, tempura, sushi, sashimi, ramen and yakitori eateries for their stay.

``The funny thing is that there wasn’t a lot of agreement,” Calombaris said, laughing. “We asked eight different people for the best ramen place and we got eight different answers.”

MasterChef Australia will screen on Channel 10 after Easter.