My Tech Must-Haves: Khanh Ong

He first won many hearts when he appeared on MasterChef in 2018, then Masterchef: Back to Win in 2020, and Australian Survivor: Blood V Water in 2022, now the multitalented Khanh Ong is working on a new television show, Khanh Ong’s Wild Food, which will air on SBS in the second quarter of 2023.

“I’m so excited because I’ll get to meet producers and Indigenous people who are doing great things in the food space,” Khanh says. “I’ll go mud crabbing, spearfishing, prawn trawling and diving with sharks. I’m not an expert on any of these things, but I’ll be learning along the way and making these topics approachable to everyone.”

Of course, he still has all his other projects on the go: his much-loved Mickey’s Lunch Box series on social media, where he makes lunch for his friend and flatmate Mickey Milan to take to work; the Feast podcast he co-hosts with Sarah Davidson; his restaurant, The George on Collins, in Melbourne’s CBD; and, if that’s not enough, he’s just started a veggie garden in planter boxes on his balcony.

“I’m just really excited to see things grow,” says Khanh. “So over the next few months, you’ll be able to see me harvesting them. I’ll probably cry about cucumbers and tomatoes.”

Each morning Khanh starts his day with a session on 9Gag. It’s an app for memes, but he’s found it helpful for another use entirely.

“It’s also very good for unfiltered news, and I go on it every morning to check what’s happening,” says the cook, presenter, author and content producer. “It gives you very up to date information, and it’s done in a humorous way even though it's not a funny subject.”

Like any good content creator, he also loves TikTok, but not for the dancing videos. “I get cooking videos and gardening videos,” says Khanh. “I love the community and the app itself is so intelligent. If you use it for three days, it knows what you like and you’ll only see things you want to see.”

But as far as tech goes, there’s one aspect he can’t live without: gaming. “While I’m waiting for something to cook I might play something on my phone, games on your phone are very quick,” he says. “But when I sit down at my PlayStation, it’s usually with friends and it’s a way for us to connect no matter where we are in the world. I feel like I’m doing something for me.”

Here, Khanh gives us a rundown of the five pieces of tech that are essential to his life right now.

Label Maker

“It’s been a life changer. [My team] ships books and merchandise and, until recently, we were doing things by hand and it wasn’t great. Having a label maker has made life super simple.”

What To Try

A label maker is a great productivity hack for entrepreneurs like Khanh Ong.

Ring Light

“I’m very lucky because my apartment has great light, but once the sun has gone a ring light changes everything. I know it’s a very first-world thing to love, but I make content for a living, so without it, life would be difficult.

“I also have a phone holder that’s separate from the ring light: the light always stays static, but when you’re filming content, you want to be able to move the phone around. And I’ve recently got a Bluetooth remote for the phone, so I can press it to record and press it again to stop. It’s been another life changer. It’s made everything so much faster because it means that I no longer have to film an entire hour of cooking and then edit that hour. When I make a Lunch Box, I only record the important parts.”

What To Try

Kanh Ong uses a ring light, a phone holder and a Bluetooth remote to make creating content easier and better.

Wireless Charging Pad

“I put mine beside the bed for my phone, headphones and watch. If I don’t have a charging cable attached to my phone, I can’t play with it at night. It has to stay there on the wireless charging pad to charge and is there when I wake up.”

What To Try

A wireless charging pad not only looks stylish, it helps MasterChef’s Khanh Ong get a good night's sleep.

External Hard Drive

“I’ve got an external hard drive where I back up everything every week. I work in content and I love all the photos and videos I’ve taken. For a laptop to crash or a phone to die would be terrible. I know a lot of people use the cloud, but I’m a bit old-fashioned and like to have a ‘hard’ copy. Plus, I always find the organisation of the cloud annoying.”

What To Try

Backing up regularly to an external hard drive is an essential tip from TikToker Khanh Ong.

Fuji Instax Camera

“The Instax is a new-age instant camera, like a Polaroid, you get the photos straight away. My friends love it; it’s great for dinner parties. I also got one each for my mum and sister for Christmas.”