[tense music playing]
[narrator] In this arena,
we have gathered 100 chefs with the same dream.
To become the greatest chef Korea has ever known.
From local neighborhood dives,
to Michelin-star kitchens…
[suspenseful music playing]
…they are the best chefs in Korea.
One hundred hopefuls
selected on the basis of their skills alone.
And a voice is calling out to them…
"You are a Spoon."
"Starting now, your class will be decided."
[man 1] Oh shit.
-[dramatic music playing] -[woman 1] The battle begins.
[woman 2] It's so predictable. I'm here to win this, no matter what.
[man 2] I'd have to get up there and lop their heads off.
[woman 3] It's a Black Spoons uprising.
[narrator] Will they reflect the class they've been given…
[man 3] You think I'm gonna lose?
[narrator] …or rise above and prove their worth?
-[man 4] Let me beat one just once. -[man 5] What is it? This is insane.
[narrator] In this fierce 100-chef culinary war…
[determined yell]
…who will emerge from the flames as its sole survivor?
[man 6] Don't you dare.
[man 7] I was so mad.
[man 8] My life as a chef is over.
[suspenseful music builds, fades]
[man 9] That seat at the table is mine.
[dramatic music playing]
[narrator] Black and White
Culinary Class Wars.
[music fades]
[tense music playing]
25-YEAR AIR FORCE CULINARY VETERAN
[clock ticking]
[dramatic music sting]
[tense music continues]
Hello?
[man 9] Look at the scale here.
The vibes on set were seriously something else.
Man, this is
gonna be tougher than I thought.
I really need to bring my A-game.
"Yakitori King."
YAKITORI KING
THE BUTCHER
[man 9] What is that?
FIT CHEF
"Matfia."
"Korean Cuisine Fanatic," and--
Oh! I'm here.
CELEBRITIES' CHEF
So I'm a chef that caters to celebrities.
People like Lee Hyo-ri.
Jung-hwa.
Song Hye-kyo as well.
Celebrities like them frequent my restaurant a lot.
I run a restaurant called Buto, which is in Hannam-dong.
And I've heard people say that the food I serve
is, uh, pretty cool and trendy right now.
If you get the chance to visit and try my food,
I think you'd be pleasantly surprised.
CELEBRITIES' CHEF CHEF-OWNER, BUTO
What's going on?
Hello, I'm the Napoli Matfia. I'm a chef and restaurant owner.
And I run the hottest fresh pasta restaurant
in the entire city of Seoul.
[dramatic music playing]
[Matfia] We've gone three years without an empty reservation,
so I'd say we're pretty popular.
I mean, if our restaurant isn't hot, then what is?
[Matfia] I'm pretty confident in my ability to cook anything,
but as far as fresh pasta goes,
it won't be easy to find someone who can make it better than me.
I can't help but think that this stage was meant for me,
timing-wise and everything else considered.
I'm very confident I can beat most people here.
NAPOLI MATFIA
CHEF-OWNER, VIA TOLEDO PASTA BAR
Ooh, this looks nice.
CONTESTANTS ARE ADDRESSED BY THEIR NICKNAME
-[intriguing music playing] -Wow.
I'm Chef Spark, the owner of Spark, an Italian bistro over in Apgujeong.
[man 2 grunts, chuckles]
THE BOY WHO RETURNED
-Hey, man. How are you? -Hello.
CHEF-OWNER OF FALBALAS, AAAA
I'm the Blue House Chef. I used to prepare western cuisine meals for the president.
COOKING MANIAC HEAD CHEF, DEEPIN
[Celebrities' Chef] Here comes The Maniac.
HIDDEN GENIUS CHEF-OWNER, PONO BUONO
Wow. Hoo!
[man 10] We've got a lot of famous chefs who specialize in western cuisine.
TRIPLE STAR CHEF CHEF-OWNER, TRID
JEJU GUESTHOUSE CHEF, RUNS UNNIE'S COUNTRY HOUSE
I'd say a little over 80% of the contestants are chefs.
POKER FACE EXECUTIVE CHEF, KORII
STORYTELLING CHEF CHEF-OWNER, WILDFLOWER
K-PASTA MASTER, 11-YEARS, WESTERN CUISINE
B-GRADE CHEF EXECUTIVE CHEF, LAST SPRING
[suspenseful music building]
[music fades]
[woman 4] Unlike the other chefs here, I consider myself more of a businesswoman.
GENIUS RESTAURATEUR
I'd say that every restaurant I've ever opened has always been packed.
[upbeat music playing]
[woman 4] Yep, we're pretty big.
We're a pub with a daily rotating menu.
We create dishes based on available seasonal ingredients.
I'm just here to make people go…
OWNER, EULJIRO BOSEOK
…"That's why they gave her that moniker."
I'm the Yakitori King.
I run a yakitori restaurant
specializing in Japanese-style chicken skewers.
And I decided to appear on this show because I wanted to show everyone
yakitori cooks can be as renowned as any other chef.
CHEF-OWNER, MICHELIN-STAR YAKITORI MOOK
[man 11] Oh! Your jjajangmyeon is here!
[laughs]
[funky music playing]
I'm the Self-Made Chef,
and I run not one but two restaurants in Seochon, right by Seoul's Bukchon
CHEF-OWNER, DORYANG
[man 5] Whoa.
She came here wearing a hanbok.
OWNER, DRINKS AND MERRIMENT
I'm Auntie Omakase #1.
Our bar food all comes down to seasonal ingredients.
We prepare whatever we have and serve it to our customers.
[man 6] I sell whole chickens in Namyeong-dong.
I slowly cook each over an open wood fire.
[woman 6] I'm the Master of School Meals. I cook at an elementary school.
[man 7] I'm the Meat Master. I've been cooking for 16 years.
CHEF-OWNER, GUUNMONG
SUSHI KING OWNER, THE SUSHI OF THE DAY
300 BILLION SIDE DISH MAGNATE CEO, DOSIGOTGAN
[man 9] With 24 years in the biz, I'm the Japanese Cuisine Ace.
We've got a big variety of contestants. Western cuisine,
Korean cuisine,
Chinese cuisine,
baking and pastry chefs, and Japanese cuisine.
I'd say the contestant that really left a strong impression
was the South Pole Chef.
He made me think, "Chefs can come from anywhere."
CHEF AT KING SEJONG STATION 2009-2011
[music ends]
-[man 5] They're all coming in. -Is that a bird? What?
[man 5] I know, right?
-[man 12] Cool mask. -[man 5] What's that guy's deal?
-[man 12] Look at that chicken guy. -[crowing]
-[woman 5] It's a bird… -It's a bird-man!
-[woman 5] Whoa. -[chuckling]
CHIRPY
That guy over there is gonna be the first one to go.
[chuckles] Eliminated.
[man 13] Ho-ho!
[contestants] Oh!
[man 2] Oh-ho!
It's a pleasure to meet you!
[applause, cheering]
Whoa!
[excited laughter]
HIDDEN GEM RUNS GAYAGAYA
-[man 13] What even is that? -[laughter]
[man 2] Maybe that's his cutting board.
[Hidden Gem] What did you say?
[man 2] Man, that's insane.
I'm guessing this is the table they put all the weirdos at?
Nice to meet you.
[clucking]
-Like I told you earlier on-- -[man 3] Is that a king?
[gasping]
-[man 5] Enter his royal highness! -[contestants] Royal highness!
[applause]
[man 6] He's a king, a king!
-[man 10] Hmm! -[man 11] Oh stop!
Bibim!
[contestants call out] Bibim!
[laughter]
Looks like we're not gonna stand out much compared to them.
[laughter]
[man 2] I thought a Hawaiian shirt would be enough.
KING BIBIM RUNS BIBIM SORI
HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHEF-OWNER, THE SIOT
[man 2] These contestants are interesting.
CONSTRUCTION SITE CHEF WORKS IN CONSTRUCTION
I think some CEOs decided to show up as well.
ANSAN PAIK JONG-WON 10-BILLION-WON FOOD BUSINESS CEO
-[man 5] He represents a pork company. -[man 12] A pork company?
[man 5] That guy there.
I see a lot of chefs who said they wouldn't be here.
-Yup, everyone lied. All of us. -Right?
GRUB GURU BONG EXECUTIVE CHEF, BLGRE
Impressive people here.
GOD OF SEASONING CHEF-OWNER, EDAMAME
[man 14] Everyone here is established.
They're well-known in the restaurant industry.
Any chef worth their salt would know just how good these people are.
Hey, where do you go to eat in Gyeongdong Market?
-Andongjip? -Well, here's the owner.
-Whoa, hello, ma'am. -Hello.
-I love Andongjip! -[woman 6] They all love your restaurant.
-The chef of Sav Seoul is here? No way. -Yup, right there.
That place is super famous for their wine.
FRENCH CUISINE IDOL
I think that guy is also a celebrity chef.
-Yeah, he's a famous chef. -Seriously?
CHEF OF ALL TRADES CHEF AND MODEL
[man 15] Yeah.
Who is it? Oh, it's Seung-woo's Dad.
-[man 16] Is that Seung-woo's Dad? -[woman 5] Seung-woo's Dad is here.
[woman 6] I totally saw this coming.
YOUTUBER AND CONTENT CREATOR
All the chefs in Seoul are here.
PRESIDENT OF K-CHICKEN WINNER OF THE K-CHICKEN WAR
The good ones anyway.
[woman 7] I think that's everyone. It seems we all made it.
Wait a minute,
[man 16] Does that mean all restaurants in Seoul are closed today?
How'd I end up next to you?
-Judging by the lineup here-- -[man 10] Yeah.
Just making it here must've been no small feat.
He's big.
Twenty, twenty, twenty.
There's only 80 people here so far, though, altogether.
Seventy people, give or take.
[woman 7] Looks like there's 20 a table.
-Two, four, six, eight, eighty? -[man 17] Yeah.
Choi Hyun-seok's competing, right?
[man 18] I mean, that's what I heard, but
I've looked around, and he doesn't seem to be here.
You haven't seen Chef Choi around, have you?
I'm just a bit surprised that we haven't seen any
chefs with Michelin Stars yet.
I still haven't seen any, but maybe I just don't recognize them.
I've been looking, but there doesn't seem to be any I know.
-Looks like we're missing 20. -[man 16] Oh, really? Why?
You're right!
-Maybe they're saving the best for last? -What's going on?
What?
-What's going on? -[man 16] What's going on? What is this?
-[all gasping] -Whoa…
-[coughing] -[gasping]
[solemn music playing]
-[man 16] Whoa! -[man 12] Wait, what's going on?
Damn.
[man 19] This looks fun.
[man 16] Imagine having to beat him! Is that it?
Okay, this is making me nervous. I'm getting goosebumps.
[suspenseful music building]
[gasping]
[cheering]
[contestants] Whoa!
[cheering]
[Hidden Gem] What the heck? That's insane.
They look so cool!
[cheering, applause]
[applause continues]
[impressed exclamations]
[Hidden Gem] The Sun Seoul chef is also here!
[contestants gasp]
[man 12] Oh, wow, I really…
Chef Choi Hyun-seok!
-Are they contestants? -[man 12] I have no idea.
[Napoli Matfia] No…
[narrator] We'd like to welcome to the stage the final 20.
And with that, all one 100 chefs are finally present.
[man 10] Holy cow!
You're joking!
The famous chef that makes Chinese cuisine!
[woman 6] No way. You've gotta be kidding me.
[man 10] Chef Oh Se-deuk is also here.
Ah… What are they doing there?
Chef Jung Ji-sun,
Park Joon-woo, and Chef Oh Se-deuk.
These are true masters.
[man 16] Whoa.
I'm intimidated by their aura.
[woman 8] It was absolutely ridiculous.
We were all thinking, "You've gotta be kidding me."
Betrayed!
I knew they were gonna pull this crap!
[narrator] Now then, chefs, it's our pleasure to introduce to you
the final 20 chefs
who will be waging culinary warfare
with all of you.
Introducing Korea's number one celebrity chef, Choi Hyun-seok.
[man 16] Must be embarrassing.
EXECUTIVE CHEF AT CHOI 30 YEARS OF FINE DINING EXPERIENCE
[all cheering]
[man 20] You're so cool!
[man 10] Chef Choi Hyun-seok's the most famous one.
He was actually the judge
for a different culinary show that I competed in a little while ago.
So to see him here as a contestant was…
it was baffling.
[narrator] A master of Chinese cuisine with 49 years of experience,
Grand Master Lu Chinglai.
50-YEAR MASTER OF CHINESE CUISINE CHEF-OWNER OF HONG BO GAK
Chef Lu Chinglai isn't just experienced,
he judges international culinary competitions.
As far as Chinese cuisine is concerned, he's top class.
Honestly, someone like him should be judging, not competing.
It's destroying the balance here.
[narrator] Korea's culinary trailblazer,
our first celebrity chef specializing in Chinese cuisine,
Jung Ji-sun.
CHEF-OWNER OF TIAN MI MI
[woman 7] She's a master of Chinese cuisine.
[man 5] The queen of dim sum.
[narrator] A celebrity chef who boasts mastery over various disciplines,
such as Korean, Chinese, and French cuisine,
Oh Se-deuk.
CHEF-OWNER OF CHINNMEAL, OHPANFIRE
[man 5] This chef excels in the creation of clean, creative dishes.
[narrator] The renowned chef and owner
of the Michelin one-star restaurant, Yun Seoul,
Kim Do-yun.
[man 5] I didn't think he'd ever agree to compete in a cooking competition.
I'm shocked these Michelin chef-owners are even participating.
JOSEPH LIDGERWOOD
[man 17] The contestants are leagues above other cooking competition shows.
FABRIZIO FERRARI
BANG KI-SU - HWANG JIN-SEON
Despite having a Michelin Star, they grace us with their presence.
[narrator] MasterChef Korea's season two winner,
Choi Kang-rok.
CHEF-OWNER, NEO
[man 17] He went on MasterChef Korea and won.
I happen to be a huge fan,
so I've binge-watched gif collections of Chef Choi Kang-rok.
[woman 8] Then we have the other MasterChef Korea contestants.
PARK JOON-WOO RUNNER-UP OF MASTERCHEF KOREA SEASON ONE
KIM SEUNG-MIN WINNER OF MASTERCHEF KOREA SEASON ONE
[woman 8] They're here even after winning that show.
[narrator] Korean Food War's season two winner, Lee Yeong-suk.
CHEF, OWNER OF NAGYUNG MUSHROOM FARM
[man 5] Those with competition experience will fare better than the rest of us.
They've done this before.
[narrator] The first woman to win twice
at one of the top cooking competitions in the world,
Cho Eun-ju.
The winner of an American culinary survival show,
Seonkyoung Longest.
Chef Nam Jeong-seok! King of plant-based cooking.
[narrator] The undisputed champion of Korean plant-based cooking,
Nam Jeong-seok.
Korea's 16th Culinary Master Hand, Ahn You-seong.
[woman 7] Is that Chef Oh Se-deuk? Impressive roster.
JANG HO-JOON - CHOI JI-HYUNG
You don't know him?
He's a rock star chef from the States!
[narrator] The Winner of Iron Chef 2010,
and the guest chef behind the White House State Dinner in 2023,
Edward Lee.
CHEF-OWNER, 610 MAGNOLIA, SUCCOTASH PRIME, AND NAMI KOREAN STEAKHOUSE
[man 16] That's an insane lineup.
What on earth is someone like him doing here?
This roster is absolutely stacked.
[Meat Master] Uh, isn't he a bit out of our league?
[man 19] This is insane. It keeps getting better and better.
It was like a concert.
Everyone just
with their hands, both hands, they just went…
[hollers excitedly, giggles]
I recognized all 20 contestants.
This is insane. This is absolutely insane.
I'm so glad I came, even just to see these people.
[woman 3] Yeah!
[narrator] To all 100 chefs here,
starting now,
your class and your standing
will be decided.
[suspenseful music playing]
I guess we should expect the unexpected.
[narrator] Those on the first floor
are hidden masters of their craft
that have yet to make a name for themselves.
These 80 nameless, unknown chefs
will be given the class of Black Spoon.
[gasping]
-[woman 7] Dirty spoons? -[man 5] This one's a Silver Spoon.
[man 14] Hey, that's just mean.
So we're the dirty spoons? [chuckles]
Seriously? [laughs]
I came here for this? [laughs]
[narrator] Meanwhile, the 20 chefs who stand above you,
who have not only achieved fame,
but also worldwide acclaim for their culinary skills and expertise,
will be given the class of White Spoon.
-I don't get the cultural implications. -You mean the Black Spoon thing?
-We're basically bottom feeders. -But what are the White Spoons?
The White Spoons are the golden spoons.
I guess it's motivating.
[narrator] The White Spoons, who are established big name chefs,
will be referred to and addressed by their real names.
But the Black Spoons, who are still unknown chefs,
will not be referred to by their names,
but will instead be referred to and addressed
by the nicknames representing them.
Only those select Black Spoon chefs
who are able to prove themselves and survive until the finals
will be able to shed their nickname and reveal their real name.
[man 17] This is cruel.
[woman 7] What? You're joking!
What was that?
Okay, so, the gist of it is you're nameless.
-Mm-hmm. A nobody. -Yup, a total nobody.
So the goal is to make a name for yourself.
[narrator] And one last thing.
Eighty Black Spoons, twenty White Spoons,
you two
will now face each other in a fierce battle
of both culinary and class warfare.
They're our opponents?
BLACK VS WHITE
[man 21] It's once-in-a-lifetime!
A chance to compete with the masters.
This is a game of survival.
[man 12] I like my odds.
Oh, would you look at this guy?
[man 17] Let see who comes out on top.
[woman 8] That's just mean.
[woman 7] They're all looking down on us from up there.
[man 16] It really feels like a class divide.
[woman 7] That's so annoying.
[man 16] I'll show them what I'm really made of.
TEAM BLACK SPOON VERSUS TEAM WHITE SPOON
[man 16] I've gotta win.
[Seung-woo's Dad] Oh, it's like a game of Go.
It's a war between the Black and White Spoons.
[woman 3] I look forward to going up against them.
So how's this gonna work?
You get bragging rights for life if you face them.
We could tell our son, and grandson about this,
just by taking them on.
[narrator] However, the opportunity to compete against the White Spoons
will only be given to some of the Black Spoons.
Which means that the rest of you will be eliminated.
[groaning]
[man 18] This is where they whittle us down.
[narrator] Before the main match can begin,
the 80 Black Spoons on the main floor
will be going up against one another in a Black Spoon cook-off.
Only those of you who survive this contest
will be deemed qualified to face off against the White Spoons.
They should've told us that sooner.
So we have to win this one?
[narrator] By the end of this challenge, your numbers will have diminished.
In the end, only 20 of you will remain.
[gasps]
Eh?
[woman 8] Ah!
Of course.
[narrator] Among the 80 Black Spoons, only 20 can survive.
Only then will those chefs be allowed to wear the Black Spoon chef's uniform,
and wage a culinary war against the White Spoons.
Wait. They're only gonna pick 20 out of all these people?
-[Goddess of Chinese Cuisine] Out of 80. -[K-Pasta Master] You're kidding!
-Wait, they're eliminating 60 people? -[Self-Made Chef] Sixty is a lot.
-Oof! -[Self-Made Chef] From the get-go?
[woman 7] That's insane. That's too many people!
[panicked laughter]
Are the producers on a budget?
I mean, why did they have to be so harsh?
[music fades]
[narrator] In other words,
none of the White Spoon chefs
are actually going to be competing
in this first culinary showdown.
[Yakitori King] They win by default?
So they just get a free pass?
Okay, that's fine. I'll allow it. At least for now. [inhales sharply]
But… [groans]
I was pretty annoyed.
I was sure I could hold my own against them,
so I didn't understand why they were exempt from the challenge.
I wasn't exactly jazzed about it, no.
I was ready to throw down right then and there.
Honestly, if they'd come down from their pedestals and joined us,
I would've took 'em on.
[Yakitori King] I don't know what metrics you people used to divide us up like this,
but, like… we're no slouches either.
[narrator] If these rules of this Black and White Culinary Class Wars
are not to your liking and you wish to back out,
you may take this opportunity to gather your things and leave.
-[man 5] I fought hard to get here. -[groans]
[laughter]
[tense music playing]
[narrator] Five.
Four.
Three.
Two.
One.
Let's begin.
Who'd leave?
[man 5] I knew the real fight wouldn't begin
until the 20 White Spoons faced off against the 20 Black Spoons.
I knew I had to make it into the top 20, no matter what.
I'd have to get up there
and lop their heads off myself.
Let's shake things up.
Let's give it a go. Why not? We made it this far, didn't we?
This is fun.
It's interesting.
[narrator] From among the Black Spoons, who must use their skills
to overcome their class,
and the White Spoons,
who must use their skills to prove themselves worthy of their title,
only one of you can survive.
From 100 chefs,
the last one left standing at the end of this culinary war
will take home the grand prize
of 300 million won.
[cheering, whooping]
[narrator] Now then, without further ado,
let the Black and White culinary wars
and its first challenge, commence.
[cheering]
Let's go!
[music fades]
[dramatic music playing]
-[man 12] I'm nervous. -[woman 7] I'm so nervous! So nervous!
-[man 12] I'm going crazy -[woman 7] I'm scared.
-[man 16] Wonder what's next? -[man 12] I know, right?
-[man 17] This is where we'll compete? -[man 12] The room from earlier!
-Unbelievable. -[man 11] It's nuts.
[shocked exclamations]
Whoa!
Wow!
[gasps] Wow.
[excited exclamations]
[Silver Spoon] Wow!
-[man 16] This is awesome. -[man 5] Wow, this is crazy.
[woman 5] No way! We'll be cooking here? This is wild!
[man 12] I wasn't expecting this level of production quality.
This is insane.
[shocked exclamations, laughter]
-[woman 7] Wow, this is insane. -[woman 6] This room is huge!
Whoa, this place is spacious.
Really spacious.
-Each of us gets to use one of these? -Looks like it.
-Just how much money did they spend? -I don't know, but I'm not complaining.
Oh wow, damn, you know?
These aren't just home kitchen appliances. They've got the gas-based commercial ones.
They had gas stovetops that they use in actual kitchens,
and a sink next to it and everything.
-Sweet. That's good water pressure. -This is insane.
-This is just, wow. -It's awesome.
[Jeju Guesthouse Chef] From what I saw, it was the perfect setup for a chef.
It was amazing.
Now, this is what I call a contest. This right here, this is a kitchen.
[Meat Master] All right, you're all dead meat.
They've set the stage!
-[man 22] Let's go! Let's go! Let's go! -Who's that?
[man 22] You've got this.
Come on!
-[ominous music playing] -[man 17] What's going on? You kidding?
[cheering, applause]
[contestant sighs]
[Fit Chef] I guess the White Spoons will be watching.
That's seriously so annoying. [laughs]
[Fit Chef] Right? And they're evaluating us.
[gasps] This is just cruel.
They're all looking down from us up there.
[gasping]
Them looking down on us is just… It really feels there's a class divide.
[Meat Master] They divided us up
like they divide business and economy class seats.
To sow the seeds of discord.
Just you wait. We'll be up there with you guys soon.
Yeah. What are they even doing up there?
-Why are they up there? -[laughter]
[Hyun-seok] They may think they're being treated unfairly,
but all of the White Spoons are individuals
who made their mark in the industry through years of hard work.
They say it's unfair, but if you think about it,
we've spent years, decades even,
working our fingers to the bone to get where we are today.
So, you know,
I think they should just suck it up and work harder instead.
We can't do much about their complaints.
I'm fine with it so long as they stay out of my face.
If they don't, I might get a little mad.
[narrator] Now then,
before we get started,
we will be introducing the judges
who will be assessing your dishes for the competition.
[excited exclamations]
-[man 23] I'm so excited! -I need to know.
[man 16] Are there gonna be four?
[man 12] Who's gonna judge my dish?
Who would dare to?
-[man 12] There. There he is! -[excited cheering]
[whooping]
[man 16] Whoa, no way!
There's probably gonna be three of 'em.
[man 16] They went all out!
[man 16] I thought there'd be at least three judges.
I'm surprised there's only two
[excited exclamations]
[cheering]
[man 16] Whoa, what the heck?
-[man 5] Who is it, who is it? -Oh my God, it's Mr. Paik!
Whoo!
[narrator] The nation's culinary mentor, Paik Jong-won.
[excited cheering]
[Hidden Genius] I got really emotional.
To be given an opportunity to not only meet my role model,
but to do something with him in the same space,
it was… it was really, really touching.
[woman 9] He's a great businessman. I'm a huge fan.
OWNER 20 GLOBAL BRANDS AND 2,700 FRANCHISED STORES
[man 14] I respect him a lot, not just as a businessman in this industry,
but I respect him as a chef too.
[Maniac] He always seems to make the dishes his customers really want.
[man 16] I doubt anyone in Korea has as much culinary experience as him.
KOREA'S NUMBER ONE RESTAURANT BUSINESS EXPERT
Hello.
I'm Paik Jong-won, the judge.
I've looked far and wide in search of new flavors.
At this point, I probably have more data on flavor profiles
than anyone else in the world
So that means flavor will be my primary focus
in judging the dishes in this competition.
I'm curious to see which dish will come out on top.
JUDGE PAIK JONG-WON
-[Genius Restaurateur] Who's next to him? -[laughter]
Who's that next to him?
[narrator] And joining him,
the only Korean to have earned three Michelin stars in his career,
Chef Anh Sung-jae!
-Who is it? Anh Sung-jae? -Are you kidding me?
Chef Anh Sung-jae.
-Whoo! -Oh! It's Chef Anh Sung-jae!
[President of K-Chicken] I can't believe it!
-[B-Grade Chef] It's Chef Anh Sung-jae. -Who?
A Michelin three-star chef.
[K-Pasta Master] I was quite surprised when Chef Anh Sung-jae appeared on stage.
After all, he's not just a chef,
he owns and runs a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
The only one in Korea.
[TV host 1] Restaurant Mosu Chef… "Sung, Anh"
[TV host 2] Introducing to the stage, Mosu's Chef Anh Sung-jae.
[man 24] A three-star chef isn't just on another level,
it's like he's on a different plane of existence.
[French Cuisine Idol] He's my end goal.
If anyone deserves to be here, it's him.
He's a chef that all other chefs look up to.
FEATURED AS CHEF OF THE YEAR IN ASIA'S 50 BEST RESTAURANTS, 2024
I think he is perfection in the flesh.
His experience, his ideas, and most of all, his leadership.
I believe I have a lot to learn from him here.
My name is Anh Sung-jae,
and I'm the chef and owner of the restaurant Mosu Seoul.
I guess you could say that I'm very… strict
about the food that we serve to our patrons.
A chef is a professional, after all.
Regardless of how much effort someone puts forth,
if their dish is lacking, I won't hold back.
JUDGE ANH SUNG-JAE
[man 12] I saw a bit of the Black and White dynamic in the judges.
Here are two individuals, one at the peak of fine dining,
one a master of the culinary arts business.
So if both of them judge your dish poorly, if both find it lacking,
that would mean it really didn't meet the standards.
[Matfia] They are more than qualified to judge us.
I think anyone who's here would agree with me on that.
[Maniac] On one side, we have the king of the restaurant business,
and on the other, we have every chef's dream.
Oh shit. I'm *******.
Like, **** this, you know?
[narrator] Now then,
we will be revealing the theme
for the first competition,
The Black Spoon Showdown.
[tense music playing]
For this challenge, we want you to showcase your best dish.
Using all the methods, ingredients, and skills at your disposal,
show us that one dish that is your best dish.
[narrator] The 80 Black Spoons
will now be divided into two groups of 40,
and the first 40 will begin cooking.
You will each be given 100 minutes.
However, those of you that complete your dish before your time is up
will get your dish evaluated first.
The contestants who survive the evaluations…
-[gasping] -[man 16] No way!
…may proceed to take a seat at the table for 20.
Once every seat at the table has been filled by a survivor,
the Black Spoon survival match will end abruptly and immediately.
-Whoa! -Oh my…
[man 12] This is frustrating.
[narrator] If you're eliminated, you must take your plaque
with your nickname
and immediately leave the kitchen area.
Come on!
[narrator] Contestants who have finished
but whose survival status has not yet been determined,
must wait within their kitchen area.
And lastly, at the end of evaluations,
should any of the 20 seats remain empty,
the contestants on standby will be given another shot at survival.
There will only be
20 survivors in total.
I… will be judging your dishes based on taste alone.
BLACK SPOON ELIMINATION ROUND
[tense music playing]
Ooh.
BLACK SPOON ELIMINATION ROUND
All right, then. Is everyone ready?
-[contestants] Yes! -[Paik] Excellent.
So, let us begin the Black Spoon Elimination Round.
-Whoo! -[cheering]
[contestants clapping]
[Anh] Let's go!
Let's see what you've got!
[tense music continues]
[cheering]
[man 24] Oh, looks like we're starting.
[contestants shout out encouragement]
[woman 1] And so, the battle begins.
[Hidden Genius] I've gotta bring my A-game and focus on moving forward.
[Genius Restaurateur] I have to win.
It's a war I'm fighting in. A war of survival.
[Maniac] I didn't think about anything but making it to the top 20.
[music intensifies]
[tense music continues]
[Paik] I don't think I've ever seen a culinary showdown
where 40 contestants are cooking simultaneously.
This is huge in scale, it really is.
Monitoring all 40 chefs at one time is practically impossible,
so Judge Paik Jong-won and I will divide and conquer,
only evaluating 20 contestants each.
[Paik] Once all 20 spots have been filled, the match ends, just like that.
It's cruel.
KOREAN CUISINE FANATIC 13-YEAR CHEF
LIGHTSPEED CHEF, 16-YEAR JAPANESE CUISINE CHEF
K-PASTA MASTER 11-YEAR WESTERN CUISINE CHEF
[Hyun-seok] At the start, it was very lighthearted.
The atmosphere completely changed.
COOKING MANIAC HEAD CHEF, DEEPIN
CULINARY WHIZ KID COOKING AUDITION WINNER
[Seonkyoung] We've really got an abundance of ingredients here on the floor.
-[Eun-ju] They've got snow crabs. -[Chinglai] Yep. Snow crabs, chicken…
[Se-deuk] Everyone's working on their signature dish.
[Seonkyoung] I'm curious to see what they make.
[Hyun-seok] He's deboning the meat. He's deboning it.
[Jeong-seok] What for? That cut is huge.
THE BUTCHER MEAT INDUSTRY WORKER
[The Butcher] I've decided to go ahead and debone a whole pig
and attempt to create a Korean take on dongpo rou.
I need to capitalize on my strengths to win.
[Joseph] Isn't that yakitori?
[Hyun-seok] He's divided the chicken cuts and he's deboning them.
YEONG CHICKEN CHEF-OWNER, NAMYEONG CHICKEN
[Ho-joon] He's a really popular chef.
That chef in the hachimaki specializes in Japanese cuisine.
JAPANESE CUISINE ACE CHEF-OWNER, SNACK BAR SAIGE
[Joon-woo] He's great at what he does. He is.
Chef, have you seen the carrot theme over there?
-Where? -Big, small, yellow, purple.
-[Jeong-seok] Carrots? -[Joon-woo] Yep. He's a carrot master.
He knows what he's doing.
-That guy is a really good chef. -That kid?
-Korean cuisine. Yeah. -Korean?
SIDE DISH CHEF OWNER, MAMALEE MARKET
South Pole sundaeguks are fantastic.
[man 25] I'll be preparing our most popular tomato pasta dish.
MELBOURNE'S BEST, CHEF-OWNER, ALT
BAKING CHEF AOITORI, JAPANESE-STYLE BAKERY
[Baking Chef] A soup to bring out the flavor of the fresh bread.
[man 26] Who would call these people nameless chefs? They're really good.
[impressed gasping]
[man 26] This place is full of head chefs. Experts are down there.
There's western, Korean, Chinese cuisine, etcetera,
so I was wondering what criteria they'd use to judge these dishes.
There's way too many people here
specializing in a wide variety of disciplines.
So there's no telling, really.
[tense music fades]
They seem to have divided them up. 120. 20 per person.
[Joon-woo] Oh, the judge is coming. Wow, the three star, the three star.
-What do we have here? -Hello.
When I saw Anh Sung-jae… [sighs]
He's a perfectionist. A complete and total perfectionist.
And he just had to be the judge.
I think he's gonna be ridiculously picky.
I really wanted Judge Paik Jong-won to come over.
I prayed over and over inside, "Please, please, please", and…
-So why are you the "Cooking Maniac"? -What?
Why are you the "Cooking Maniac"?
I'm only serious when I'm cooking, so I'm a serious maniac.
-There's nothing wrong with me. -[laughs]
I look forward to serving you a delicious dish.
I just couldn't make eye contact with him. It was like I'd done something wrong.
Anh Sung-jae, one star per syllable.
That about sums up the kind of person he is.
I'll be using French techniques in my cooking.
What French techniques?
I'll be sous-vide cooking the squid at 80 degrees
so it doesn't shrink too much.
Isn't 80 degrees a tad too high?
Chef Anh is an incredibly meticulous judge.
He's a master technician.
It's uncanny how good he is at catching the small details.
Getting the right flavor is my expertise,
so I'd say I'm pretty spot-on when it comes to tasting a dish,
and deciding whether we should serve it,
if it's too salty, and so on.
As the only three-star chef in Korea,
I'm fairly confident.
My guess is that the fine dining chefs are going to be pickier,
since mistakes aren't allowed in their line of work.
[man 27] I got hired at a fine dining restaurant in Australia,
and worked there for about two years.
After that, I returned to Korea to work at a Michelin two-star restaurant.
I'm Secret Course, and I run a restaurant in Hannam-dong
called "Logi," specializing in wood-fired cuisine.
SECRET COURSE CHEF-OWNER, LOGI
-So you're working on a "secret course." -Right.
[Anh] What do you mean by that?
Oh, I named myself that because I wanted to treat every episode
as I would a different course from a multi-course meal.
Since this is the first episode,
I've decided to prepare a cold appetizer as my signature.
But if you serve an appetizer as your signature
and things don't work out, what will happen to the rest of your…
-That's how confident I am. -[Anh] You're confident? I see.
[intriguing music playing]
[Secret Course] For today's challenge,
I've prepared a cold appetizer of yellowtail ceviche.
I wanted to work the right amount of smokiness into the dish.
I'll be creating an infused olive oil by adding in some seared thyme,
and then torching the olive oil to get a nice smoky scent,
creating a smoked thyme olive oil.
Since the culinary concept of my restaurant is wood-fired cuisine,
my focus is on smokiness.
In each episode, I want to focus on creating dishes
that let me capitalize on that smokey flavor.
-[music fades] -[bell dings]
[bell dings]
[tense music playing]
-Looks like he's already done. -What? So soon?
-[Fabrizio] Already? -[Ji-sun] Yeah, looks like it.
[Hyun-seok] He's done?
-That's his finished dish? -Huh?
SECRET COURSE
-[Ki-su] No separate judging area? -[You-seong] Guess not.
Look like they ring a bell, and a judge comes over to evaluate.
-Could you go over your dish again? -Sure.
I've made a ceviche
using wet-aged yellowtail seasoned with smoked clean salt,
as well as extra virgin olive oil, also smoked,
a bit of wasabi-flavored mayonnaise for a slight kick,
and topped it all off with deep-fried shallots
and Seolhyang strawberries to add a sweet flavor.
You worked a lot of ingredients into this dish.
[Secret Course] Yes.
He's eating. The first tasting of the day.
[Anh] Let's see whether I'll be tasting your next course.
[anxious music playing]
Did you try this?
Yeah.
What did you think of it?
I thought it was a very full-bodied appetizer that--
-Full-bodied? -Yes.
[Anh] Hmm. The details you mentioned just now.
To me, they…
[tense music stab]
…don't have that kick.
Mm.
[Anh] I'm sorry, but
this is where the Secret Course ends.
-[Secret Course] I understand. -You've been eliminated.
Yeah. I see.
[Anh] Secret Course, you've been eliminated.
I know exactly how a dish is supposed to taste when you smoke it,
and the food just didn't match his description one bit.
[narrator] Secret Course has been eliminated.
[Jin-seon] Oh no. Huh?!
-He's been eliminated? -Yep.
-Oh wow. Just like that, huh? -Eliminated, huh?
-Oh! -Man, I got chills.
-That's the first elimination? -Right in front of everyone.
Right to their faces?
[tense music playing]
Wow…
[cutlery clinking]
[music fades]
It didn't taste very different from the flavor I was going for,
so I have no regrets.
[poignant music playing]
Oh man…
SECRET COURSE
Since our contestants are veteran chefs with verified skills,
they have to deliver more than just taste.
That's the bare minimum.
They also have to convey the chef's intended flavor.
And that's why I've been asking each of them
to explain their dishes before I dig in.
[woman 6] It's a steamed perilla dish popular in Gyeongsang.
[Anh] Explain what's traditionally in that dish.
[woman 7] I've created my own signature surf and turf dish.
[Anh] Mind explaining what surf and turf is?
[man 24] I wanted to try a spin
on a regional dish commonly referred to as squid sundae.
RECIPE BANK
Would you say this is a parboiled dish best consumed with the garlic scapes,
or is it more like a butter-grilled squid?
There's some elements of butter-grilled squid.
A layer of that,
but I've also been inspired by seasoning that goes well with parboiled squid.
[Anh] Which portion would you say tastes best here?
-I'd say the middle portion. -[Anh] The middle? I'll try that, then.
[inhales sharply] Uh, the thing is, uh…
it's a bit too much.
It makes me wonder, "What dish am I eating here?"
I see. Right.
A squid sundae needs to have something that makes it a squid sundae.
There's way too much going on here.
-And that's why I'm eliminating you. -Okay, I understand.
-Thank you. -Right, thank you.
[narrator] Recipe Bank
has been eliminated.
[Anh] I'm sorry, but you have been eliminated.
-You have been eliminated. -I see. I understand.
-[Anh] Thank you for your hard work. -Thank you.
[narrator] …has been eliminated.
…has been eliminated.
Every time I heard another person getting eliminated,
I would wince.
[Hidden Genius] I was so worried.
I just couldn't stop thinking that… I'd be eliminated too.
[woman 5] There was that sense of urgency. Time was running short.
From then on, it was just one mental breakdown after another.
[unsettling music playing]
[music fades]
[Fabrizio] Wow.
Pure Korean cuisine!
-Love it, pure Korean cuisine. -[Joseph] Yeah!
[cheering] Whoa!
-Thank you so much. -[Joseph] You've got this!
What's the name of that dish?
[Fabrizio] It's uh…
-Maesaengi, maesaengi. -Right. Maesaengi, yeah.
Man, that one looks delicious.
[Fabrizio] She's staying true to her nickname.
The soup and pancake stuff you'd share at the table.
[Joseph] I would probably lose to her. For real. There's no way.
-[Fabrizio] Oh, yeah, me too. -[Joseph] If I went up against her? Oh!
FAMILY STYLE MEAL MOGUL
I've been running a restaurant for about 30 years now.
It's called Mom's Homemade Meals
in northeast Daegu.
When I started, I said I'd retire when I was 55,
but I'm over 65 now.
My son and daughter-in-law told me to give this show a go,
so here I am.
I do this every day.
So there's oyster kimchi,
maesaengi soup,
and an oyster pancake.
Three dishes.
That Family Style Meal Mogul dish just looks good.
There's no beating that.
If this were just a Korean cuisine showdown,
she'd be the winner.
-Definitely! -Without a doubt!
-No chance! -Winner! Winner!
I do think getting a high placement would be ideal for me. That is my hope.
Thank you.
-[Joseph] Ajumma. She's an ajumma. -[narrator] 50 minutes…
-[Fabrizio] I think she's gonna make it. -[Hyun-seok] That's gotta be delicious.
-Would you like me to cut it for you, sir? -Oh, yes, please. Thank you.
-Tell me, where are the oysters from? -Tongyeong.
-Tongyeong? I see. -Yes.
[distant bell dings]
[tense music playing]
[Anh] Hmm.
It's a kind of flavor that I can't taste in Seoul.
There's a sort of, uh,
nuance to the taste that one simply can't find in Seoul.
Oh really? Thank you.
I, um… I can tell a lot of your own personal know-how went into this dish.
-[Family Style Meal Mogul] Right. -[Anh] Hmm…
Is this meant to be served as a side dish with rice?
-Or do I eat these three dishes together? -It's usually served with rice.
-[Anh] With rice, huh? -Yes.
That must be why, because I, um… I found it a bit too salty.
You seem to have a very distinct cooking style.
Oh, I see…
But the saltiness here, it made it that tasting the following dishes,
uh, the soup tasted too bland, and this one tasted too salty.
-This one here was too salty? -[Anh] Yes, that's right.
Which means, sadly, you've been eliminated.
I'm sorry.
It's okay. Thank you for everything.
-[Anh] I'm sorry. -Eliminated? [gasps]
-No way. You gotta be kidding! -Eliminated. No way!
-Wow. -Remember when I mentioned rice?
-Yeah. -[Young-suk] I said it needed rice.
Thank you. It was so delicious, but I found it way too salty without rice.
Oh. [sighs] I see.
[narrator] Family Style Meal Mogul has been eliminated.
-Eliminated 'cause her kimchi's too salty? -You usually have it with rice.
-[Joseph] That makes sense. -[Hyun-seok] She had no rice.
It was too salty without rice, from an overall assessment.
I guess she should've made rice
It's Korean cuisine, so of course it needs rice.
Isn't he being a little too strict with his evaluations?
Those are his standards, and he has every right to enforce them, as the judge.
Nothing we can do.
If they think it's unfair,
they just need to go above and beyond his standards.
[Seonkyoung laughs]
It looks like Judge Paik Jong-won
is also evaluating a dish over there.
Are you ready?
[Chirpy] Yup.
CHEF-OWNER, JACKJACK
[Chirpy] My signature dish today
is Jack the Mac,
the number one chicken sandwich in Korea.
I'm confident when it comes to the taste.
I'm here to leave an unforgettable impression
with my chicken burgers.
This is a mac and cheese croquette, and that's Nashville hot chicken.
Nashville hot chicken, huh?
[tense music playing]
[Park] There can be a lot of different judging criteria,
but at the crux of it all
is taste, and taste alone.
I just need to pick something delicious.
[slurping]
[contestants cheering in distance]
So I… [sighs]
[Chirpy] Even if all he says is, "Well, that was fun,"
honestly, I'd be happy with that.
[contestants cheering in distance]
So I…
expected something a little special.
[Chirpy] Yes?
This is just a chicken burger.
[Park] You've been eliminated.
-Oh wow! -[Side Dish Magnate] Here's a spoon.
-[Paik] I'll be using this. -And the ladle.
[Side Dish Magnate] It's a bestseller in all of our restaurants.
It's certainly the most popular dish that we serve to our customers.
I've prepared braised semi-dried pollock, radish soup, and some side dishes.
KOREAN CUISINE MEAL SET
I've made the soup broth with Songhwa mushrooms and Hanwoo beef,
and seasoned it with just a bit of soy sauce.
I hope it's to your taste.
The thing is…
[Side Dish Magnate] All I want is for him to say it's tasty.
-[Paik] By the color, it's shio ramen? -Yes, that's right.
HIDDEN GEM RUNS GAYAGAYA
The dish I've prepared today is, uh…
[shouts] …a "simple ramen."
So it normally takes around ten to 20 hours
just to prep and boil the broth for ramen, right?
Like I said, it's a simple ramen that you can make in 100 minutes.
I think he'll tell me it's tasty.
[yelling] Let's go!
[suspenseful music playing]
I mean, sure, a shio ramen's stock should be light rather than rich,
but you've overdone it.
I can taste a bit of plain water too.
I'm sorry, but you've been eliminated.
[Hidden Gem] Thank you.
-[bell dings] -[Hidden Gem] Let's go!
[Paik] The thing is…
The thing is…
your meat here, it smells.
Besides, the rice, also,
I don't know if this is what you intended, but it's way too watery.
I see. Thank you.
300 BILLION SIDE DISH MAGNATE ELIMINATED
-Thank you. You've been eliminated. -I appreciate the opportunity.
Yup, he really is judging based on flavor.
FOOD TOO DRINKS TOO MAKES YOU CRAVE A MEAL AND ALCOHOL
-[Paik] I was worried it taste bitter. -I see.
Have you tried it?
LIGHTSPEED CHEF 16-YEAR JAPANESE CUISINE CHEF
Taste the bitterness?
Yes, just a bit.
I think I stir-fried it too long.
-I'm sorry to say this. -I see.
-You've been eliminated. -All right. Thank you.
BUFFET THAT BRINGS BACK MEMORIES
[Park] It's okay if they're salty since you'll have them with rice.
But what bugs me is that your seasoning's all over the place.
This dish ended up bland.
I'm sorry to tell you this, but thanks for your hard work.
-But still, you have my respect. -Thanks.
-I guess taste is what matters most. -He did say he'd focus on flavor.
[narrator] Both Lightspeed Chef and Buffet Girl have been eliminated.
This is tough. It's tough.
Nobody's gonna pass the evaluations if they go so hard.
CURRENT SURVIVORS: 0
Thoughts on what you've seen so far?
I was only focusing on my student's cooking.
Were you?
[tense music playing]
-The girl over there. Yes, her. -Oh, I know!
-She's my student. [laughs] -I've seen her a lot on YouTube.
[pan sizzling]
[Seonkyoung] That chef has been glued to his spot since the contest started.
Apparently, a student of his is here.
GODDESS OF CHINESE CUISINE CHEF LU CHINGLAI'S STAR PUPIL
-[giggles] Look! Chef Lu Chinglai! -Where? There he is. [giggles]
[Chinglai] I believe there's no nicer feeling in the world
than the joy of seeing a student of mine do well.
It's been about ten years since she started
following me around as a student, and she has everything that I have now.
I believe Goddess of Chinese Cuisine will make it past this stage.
I can vouch for her skill.
-Are you making dumplings? -Yeah, I'm making dumplings.
[Paik] What's on the menu?
[Goddess of Chinese Cuisine] Dongpo rou dumplings.
So you'll be making dongpo rou, then putting it in the dumplings?
[Goddess of Chinese Cuisine] Yes.
-Then you steam it? [gasps] -I'll be steaming it, then frying it.
[upbeat music playing]
The dumplings I'm making are a tad different
from traditional Korean dumplings.
I decided to make some dongpo rou
to place inside the dumplings for extra chewiness,
so I started by preparing the dongpo rou first.
While making the dongpo rou,
I added some astragalus and ginseng to really bring the flavor out.
As for the filling, I'll be incorporating some more pork,
some shrimp, etc. to make it extra juicy.
And, of course, I'm also making the dumpling skin as well.
And I'll be adding both the juicy filling and the dongpo rou
inside the dumpling skin.
So she's adding the filling first, then topping it off with dongpo rou?
I've found that doing so really brings out the juiciness.
[Goddess of Chinese Cuisine] It'll be different from what he's used to.
[Joon-woo] Is that starch she's adding to the frying pan?
-[Ji-sun] And oil. -[Joon-woo] Yeah.
For the crispy layer that forms under the dumplings, right?
-What's it called again? -The dumpling skirt.
[Goddess of Chinese Cuisine] I know dumplings are such a common dish,
so I thought really long and hard about this.
Since this is the first round, I decided to make what I make best.
The pressure's gotten to her. Her hands are all…
[tense music playing]
Oh crap.
-She must be really nervous. -Seems like it.
[Joon-woo] Oh no…
[Ji-sun] Oh God! Oh no! Oh no!
-[Joon-woo] What happened? -[Ji-sun] The thing fell.
-[Joon-won] Did it get stuck? -No, that's so hard to do.
-What happened? -Uh, her dumplings, the skin broke.
[Goddess of Chinese Cuisine] When I flipped the dumplings,
everything just spilled out.
The soup that was meant to make the dumplings juicier,
about half of it spilled out of the pan.
[Chinglai] If this works, she can go with that batch.
-[Ji-sun] Too much oil. -Oh! Oh, oh.
-Whoa, oh no, oh no, oh jeez, oh no. -Oh man…
[Joon-woo] Oh, oh, oh.
-Whoa, oh no, oh no, oh jeez, oh no. -[Ji-sun] Oh man…
[Chinglai] She did it again.
[Joon-woo] She's nervous. Super nervous.
[tense music playing]
[Goddess of Chinese Cuisine] I figured it was over for me.
I was worried there was going to be zero soup inside the dumplings.
[Chinglai] Oh no. She's gonna have to fight her way out of this.
-[Paik] Is this your dish? -Yes.
DONGPO SNOW FLOWER DUMPLINGS
[anxious music playing]
[musics intensifies]
-I'll take one more bite. -Yes, Chef.
[slurps]
[anxious music continues]
[narrator] Goddess of Chinese Cuisine…
[closing theme music playing]
[music fades]