-I'll take one more bite. -Okay.
He seemed unsure, so I thought…
"I'm screwed."
Where's the crunchiness from?
I put in some water chestnuts for texture.
Wow.
He said, "Wow."
Well…
-the dongpo pork in here… -Yes?
is still quite juicy.
Yes.
Wow.
-You've survived. -Thank you.
You've made it.
Wow.
When I eat dumplings, the first thing I look for is the juiciness.
Those dongpo pork dumplings exceeded far beyond my expectations.
They were an explosion of juiciness with the dumplings' juice itself
and the dongpo pork's juice combined.
I advanced her without even thinking.
Goddess of Chinese Cuisine has survived.
-Is she the first one? -Yes.
Well done!
Thank you!
It says "one out of twenty" on the screen.
I can't believe this.
-Look at this guy here. -Yes?
He has great showmanship.
COOKING MANIAC
-He seems very relaxed. -Oh, this guy?
He has pretty dramatic gestures.
That's not necessarily good or bad though.
It's probably just his style.
If his food is good, it's lovable.
But if his food is bad, then it's just annoying.
Look at his gestures.
He says people call him a maniac.
I like maniacs.
It took one second to come up with my title.
I only become a maniac when I start cooking.
I believe it's best to just go crazy in a given moment
and push myself forward
rather than to worry.
I think chefs
-should be a little mad. -I agree.
Food that's not mad isn't delicious.
I'm going mad right now, sir.
The dish I prepared today
is cod milt with curry butter sauce.
Curry powder is the key here.
The curry powder adds a kick to the butter sauce,
which can be a bit bland sometimes.
The other dish I prepared is tilefish uroko-yaki.
Uroko-yaki is a method of cooking fish with its scales on,
so it's very crispy on the outside and moist on the inside.
I also made saffron velouté sauce to go with it.
I've never received any complaints when I served this dish.
This is my chance to prove the maniac that I am.
-Allow me to explain the dish. -Please.
Cod milt tastes the best in the winter.
COD MILT WITH CURRY BUTTER SAUCE
And I discovered
that it produces a delicious aroma when I infuse it with curry,
which is how I came up with this dish.
I cooked the tilefish in uroko-yaki style.
The sauce on the bottom is saffron velouté.
TILEFISH UROKO-YAKI
There's also white asparagus, romanesco broccoli,
-and some trout roe. -Trout roe, okay.
What should I eat first?
Both of these dishes represent who I am.
They're both very intense.
But I recommend you try this one first.
Okay, sure.
-I should just take a spoonful of this. -That's right.
With some of that butter.
To me, the most important factor in a dish
-is how well the vegetables are cooked. -Okay.
I want to say they're cooked very nicely here.
As for the other things,
the sauce is good and all.
But the seasoning on the fish
was just a little off than I would've liked.
I'll think about it a bit more while I go around.
I'm deferring my decision for now.
If he's that picky, no one will survive.
He's the seasoning Grim Reaper.
If you don't season well, you die.
F**** me.
A pinch of salt was all I needed.
The salt was the problem.
That's the reason why he's a three-star chef.
There must be something in his taste buds.
The butter curry sauce was flawless.
It was so good that I was going to move him up for sure.
But I thought the fish could've used more seasoning.
It was a very minor detail though.
But I have very strict criteria when I compare one dish to another,
so I decided that I'd come back to him later.
I guess the judges take turns tasting the dishes of deferred contestants.
THE OTHER JUDGE TASTES THE DEFERRED DISHES TO REACH A FINAL DECISION
Man, this is excruciating.
IF THERE AREN'T 20 SURVIVORS BY THE TIME ALL DISHES HAVE BEEN TASTED,
SURVIVORS WILL BE CHOSEN FROM THE DEFERRED CONTESTANTS
I wanted to be at that table so bad.
-Look. -What?
Oh yeah, I know.
They're preparing a three-course meal.
Four dishes, that's a lot.
That's a full-course meal.
She actually opened a buffet over there.
BUFFET GIRL
Everyone's making more than one dish.
They're all making several out of pride.
NEW YORK DAEJANGGEUM
Did they only prepare that one dish?
They might say, "That's it?"
I wanted to make something simple because everyone was doing too much.
-Other people… -I want to taste that.
are making five or six dishes, and they're only making one.
You could say that's a bit lazy.
It could be seen as either bold or lazy.
I'm confident about that one dish.
They must be pretty confident.
So if they ask, "What's this dish called?"
It's aglio e olio.
Wait, is he just grilling a steak?
That's it?
A very well-cooked beef. That's it.
"Underestimated"?
I guess he thinks he's good, but other people think otherwise.
I'm Underestimated.
I run a wine bar in Hannam-dong,
and I've been a chef for nine years.
I think it's probably because I was on a dating show
that people tend to question my dishes
and always assume I'm not serious about cooking.
I came here as "Underestimated" to try and prove them wrong.
So what are you cooking?
I'm using the rump of Korean beef for a steak dish grilled over charcoal.
-Just steak with no garnish or sauce? -That's right.
You want to prove your skills with just a steak?
That's correct.
-No garnish? -Nothing else, just steak.
He must be sure about his skills.
-You're given 100 minutes. -Yes.
So don't you think you can do more to show how good you are?
Of course, I could make more dishes,
but I believe this is the best dish that I can make in that 100 minutes.
All right. That's pretty cool, I'll give you that.
I wanted to show them that I can do something
many people try but may not succeed.
Going all-in
with just charcoal.
It might look simple, but it's not.
If the temperature is even slightly off, the steak could become tough and dry.
I slowly cook the meat evenly over charcoal.
Once it gets very hot on the outside,
I let it rest once, then put it back on the charcoal,
and then rest it again.
I do this repeatedly
to evenly cook the steak all the way through.
He's infusing the charcoal aroma by smoking it.
He's cooking it upright.
It's definitely intriguing.
-Which one? -The steak?
I'm curious to see how they'll judge him.
I'm curious about the aglio e olio.
Same here.
I know I make good aglio e olio.
I wonder how rich it'll taste.
If it's really delicious, then it's game over.
I make it differently.
I'm Hidden Genius.
Quite literally.
There's something special about my aglio e olio.
I cook the pasta in a unique way.
I use linguine pasta, which usually takes a while to cook.
I'd say at least six or seven minutes.
But I cook it for under three minutes,
then take it out and pour oil on it while it's still hot.
Then I spread it out on a baking sheet
and cover it up to trap the heat.
It's not fully cooked yet, so it's still hard.
But it slowly cooks and ages inside there.
After some time, the hard pasta becomes cooked through.
The pasta becomes perfectly al dente
and doesn't go soggy when you cook it this way,
which is why I use this method.
Anyone who hasn't tasted this hasn't tasted real aglio e olio yet.
AGLIO E OLIO
-You went very simple today. -Yes, I did.
I want to know how that goes.
Let's go see it. I'm curious.
Simple is the best.
I've never seen anyone cook steak like that.
He keeps taking them out and covering them up to rest,
-then cooking them again. -I think that's his way
of infusing them with charcoal smoke and trapping the aroma.
I think he's roasting the salt as well.
-But there's nothing else. -Not even a sauce.
Only salt and oil, and that's it.
He's resting them very carefully.
He's not using a thermometer, is he?
-No, he didn't. -Just a pin.
-That's a cool way to do it. -A pin to his lips.
He's using a pin instead of a thermometer.
I want a better look at it.
Is he done?
He cooked them for so long and they're still pretty rare.
It's looking nice.
The color's very nice.
I wonder what the judge will say.
And just some salt on the side. That's bold.
He seems really confident.
-He's done. -A round of applause.
-Is it just beef? -Beef and salt, that's it.
That's very brave.
This is the rump you mentioned, correct?
That's correct, sir.
I cooked it evenly over charcoal made of oak
while coating it with oil and juice so it wouldn't go dry.
The Maldon Salt next to it was also dried using the smoke from the charcoal.
I see.
RUMP STEAK
What do you think of it?
I have no regrets.
He's trying to impress a Michelin three-star chef
with a lump of meat.
It's a miracle if he survives.
I know, right?
I just want validation from him.
-Let me ask you this. -Yes?
In your opinion, what's the definition of a perfect steak?
A steak cooked in the most basic way.
Cooking the meat with butter or herbs dilutes its natural aroma,
and that doesn't quite align with my cooking style.
-I think I understand. -Okay.
This rump…
Please mix it before tasting it.
-No one's survived from this side yet. -Right.
-He's very strict. -Just a lot of eliminations.
-The pasta is quite different as you said. -Yes.
-It feels different. -Right.
Aglio e olio is something
that's familiar to everyone, chefs and non-chefs alike.
And every chef has their own style for even this simple dish.
I can feel
that you tried very hard to show your unique style,
especially with the way you cook the pasta.
It's very delicious.
-Wow. -No way.
-Hidden Genius. -Yes?
Congratulations.
You've passed.
Thank you.
-I mean, you've survived. -Thank you.
-No way! -Hidden Genius, you've survived.
Thank you.
HIDDEN GENIUS SURVIVES
Thank you!
A simple win.
-Congratulations. -I can't believe it.
In my opinion, aglio e olio is one of the hardest dishes to cook.
The perfect aglio e olio needs to have a great balance to it.
When I saw that he not only cooked it in the traditional way
but also put in his own touch he acquired from years of experience,
I knew I had to advance him to the next round.
I can't believe this.
-It's unbelievable. -Take a seat.
I'm so nervous.
I can't believe this.
This rump…
in my opinion,
is not cooked well.
I see.
Why not?
It's not evenly cooked.
You could've let it rest a bit more
and the heat didn't go all the way through.
Rumps usually have a very delicious natural aroma,
but I don't think you know enough about how to preserve that.
So unfortunately,
-this is the end for you, Underestimated. -Oh man.
-Well done. -Thank you.
-You're eliminated. -What a shame.
He couldn't impress the three-star.
It would've been awesome if he did.
There's a whole world of food out there.
Try to keep an open mind.
Thank you.
UNDERESTIMATED ELIMINATED
I don't have any regrets.
I'll try his delicious steak next time.
What's the king making?
He likes bibimbap so much that he named himself Bi-bim.
Is that so?
His title is King Bibim,
hence the royal gown.
KING BIBIM OWNER OF "BIBIM SORI"
Hello.
I'm Yoo Bi-bim,
the king of bibimbap from Jeonju born to mix up the world.
Bibim!
He's plating on some gong.
-Right. -Look at that.
It's too far to tell if that's a real gong or just brassware shaped like one.
It's a gong. It has a hole in the middle.
He's doing something on it.
-What is that? -He's spelling something out.
-What is he making? -He's the king.
-The king's dish? -Yes.
It's the king's meal.
I hear he's a bibimbap master.
-Oh yeah? -Yes.
This is the one true bibimbap.
I wrote "Bibim" in the bibim language.
-It's one of a kind. -"Bibim"?
-Are these the alphabets B and I? -Yes. "Bibim."
-What's this one at the bottom? -It's "Bibim."
This is mieum, which makes the "m" sound in Korean.
The Korean alphabet.
So you've mixed up Korean and English here?
Yes, I've patented it.
-Did you really? -Yes, I did.
-It's a universal word. -Goodness.
-Are you serious? -Yes.
Isn't this a cymbal?
Yes. The cymbal is authentic too.
It's made with the same material as the bibimbap bowls.
-Did you clean this? -The same material.
Of course, dozens of times.
Why did that Bibim guy have to be here today?
GENIUS RESTAURATEUR CEO OF "EULJIRO BOSEOK"
I just happen to be making bibimbap too.
It sounded like his whole life was about bibimbap.
He even created a language out of it.
He completely stole the spotlight from me and my bibimbap.
Is this minced clam?
I made a sauce out of minced clam and shrimp,
and I either sauté or coat the vegetables with it.
That's the base of my dish.
It's Tongyeong-style.
Did someone teach you this?
I tried this when I went to Tongyeong,
and it was my first time seeing bibimbap that was white.
It was so good that I learned how to make it.
You're a genius. You learned it right away and made it yours.
Yes, that's right.
You're a sharp learner,
"Genius Restaurateur."
I'm someone who cooks by memory.
Bibimbap in Tongyeong is white,
and I wondered how they eat it without gochujang.
Since there's a lot of seafood in Tongyeong,
they sauté seafood in sesame oil
and use that instead of gochujang.
Having that seafood base gives the bibimbap a rich taste.
So you boil down the seafood and…
Yes, I use that to season.
-Like a seasoning? -Yes, that's right.
I'm using nine different vegetables
that I'll mix and season with the seafood base.
FRESH SEAWEED AND TOT SEAWEED
Tongyeong-style bibimbap also needs to be a bit wet,
so I'm making a seafood soup
to mix that in with the bibimbap like we eat soybean stew with rice.
But I'm worried about what King Bibim would do.
My bibimbap is one of a kind
because it's the one true bibimbap incorporating the bibim word.
He'll be impressed
if he can recognize the value of bibimbap.
Mine will be very different from his though.
His is in Jeolla-do style,
while mine is seaside Gyeongsang-do style.
My food has to impress me first.
And when I tasted it, it made me think I was an amazing chef.
My brain is full of bibimbap right now.
I gave this my all.
Good luck to me.
THE SOUND OF MIXING THE WORLD BIBIM SORI!
REAL BIBIMBAP
There's a particular way to eat this
because it's a dish that's mixed with music.
-There's something more? -Yes.
Can't I just eat the food?
Please take these.
Think of those chopsticks as batons.
Once I start playing this and say, "Mix it up!"
-please mix it along with the music. -All right.
Right!
The lyrics are "Bibim."
-Okay. -That's it.
Keep on mixing to that. Here we go.
One, two, three, four.
-Bibim, bibim -Bibim, bibim
-Bibim, and mix it up! -Bibim, bibim
-Bibim, bibim
-With more passion! -Okay.
Like you're mixing the world!
We're going global!
-Bibim, bibim -Bibim, bibim
-One, two, three, four! -Bibim
-Bam! -Bi…
-Is it over? -Yes.
It's pretty catchy.
That's my music.
You're eliminated.
KING BIBIM ELIMINATED
It's too salty.
Let me take that coffee.
Take the coffee.
It's salty.
You've put in too much seasoning.
It would've been better if the letters were bigger
so that you used more rice.
-But I admire your passion. -Thank you.
You hold pride in our traditional food.
-Thank you. -It's very admirable.
Yes, thank you.
The king is departing.
He's dethroned.
King Bibim has been eliminated.
-It's visually pleasing. -Thank you.
It makes me want to dig in right away.
TONGYEONG-STYLE BIBIMBAP, DRIED POLLOCK SKIN SUNDAE
AND FERMENTED GILL KIMCHI
You should eat it with the soup and tofu.
-Should I smash it? -Yes, mix it together.
-You might want to pour some more soup. -Oh yeah?
It should be saucy with soup,
like Gyeongsangdo-style bibimbap with soy sauce.
He was taking his time to deliberate.
I mean…
How can you cook like an old veteran when you're so young?
I don't even need to think about it.
You've survived.
No way.
Thank you.
GENIUS RESTAURATEUR SURVIVES
It was a dish that brought up a forgotten memory inside me.
Making a seafood-based soy sauce like that
is something only the region's masters can do.
I loved how she not only recreated a forgotten dish
but also made it delicious.
I was even grateful for that, and it was delicious.
All the days I've worked in my restaurant
just came flashing before me.
Honestly, I almost cried.
I made mixed grain rice, seaweed soup with perilla seed powder,
braised Japanese Spanish mackerel, and three types of seasoned vegetables.
My food is fine dining, but it's made with a mom's heart.
These dishes have flavors and elegance that the public may not recognize.
Side Dish Chef, you've survived.
Thank you.
Congratulations!
-I knew you'd make it here. -Thank you.
I run a firewood chicken place in Namyeong-dong.
YEONG CHICKEN CHEF-OWNER OF "NAMYEONG CHICKEN"
I specialize in chicken dishes, so I made dishes mostly with chicken.
These are the breasts, tenderloins, fascia, and the drumsticks.
The first dish you'll try is the thigh meat right here.
I've grilled them with sake and glasswort sea salt.
It's good.
You've survived.
Thank you.
Well done. Great performance.
GOD OF SEASONING CHEF-OWNER OF "EDAMAME"
Gyeongsang-do has the god of gambling,
Jeolla-do has the master of pokerface,
and Seoul has me, the God of Seasoning.
GOD OF SEASONING
I season to absolute perfection.
I'm making mapo tofu.
It's not too salty or sweet.
It's perfectly balanced.
GOLDEN-RATIO MAPO TOFU
You've survived. You live up to your title.
You do season to perfection.
Wow, congratulations!
-God of Seasoning… -Well done.
-has survived. -I made it!
God of Seasoning has survived.
When I first saw Chef Anh introduced as a judge,
I thought to myself, "I'm not going to make it."
I know him all too well, after all.
Hey, One Two Three.
-Hello. -How have you been?
Good. Nice to see you.
What does "One Two Three" mean?
I've worked in one-, two-, and three-star Michelin restaurants.
-It's embarrassing to say it myself. -Of course.
When you say "One Two Three,"
is mine a part of it too?
Of course, it is.
Don't be nervous.
All right.
-We're not at Mosu right now.. -Right.
I worked at Mosu three years ago where he was my head chef.
We've worked closely together.
-I see Paik Jong-won. -Who's the other one?
-Seriously? -That's Chef Anh Sung-jae.
I'm screwed.
What do I do?
I'm even more nervous now.
I wouldn't be if it were someone else.
I really have to do my absolute best.
I knew he'd be strict,
so I went in there thinking
I'll just need to make a delicious dish without a mistake.
I heard that guy also worked under Chef Anh.
Triple Star.
He must've worked at Mosu.
TRIPLE STAR
I named myself "Triple Star"
because I worked at three Michelin three-star restaurants.
Benu and Atelier Crenn in the US, and Mosu in Seoul.
So my title is based on my experience at those three restaurants.
-You know Chef Anh? -I do.
You should get judged over there.
Where did Chef Anh go?
Does he know you're here right now?
He probably saw me earlier.
-So you're his apprentice? -That's right.
-It'd be a disaster if you got eliminated. -Yes.
-A complete disaster. -I don't take that stuff into account.
Of course. It's all right.
-I look forward to it. -Thank you.
I wanted Chef Anh to judge my dish
but ended up with Mr. Paik.
At that point, I thought I was a goner.
Mr. Paik is someone who likes simple dishes
and cooks everyday dishes.
You've survived.
I tried to put in a lot of detail while I was cooking,
but I was worried he wouldn't recognize
all the effort I put in with just one bite.
I tried to stand out from the others by making a finer dish.
I even cut my vegetables with extra effort.
-He sure embodies fine dining. -Yeah.
Look at him cutting up the ingredients.
For the sauce, I wanted to make it
as similar as I could to what I made when I practiced,
so I measured everything to minimize the chances of making mistakes.
This guy's nice and neat.
He's Chef Anh's apprentice.
He does everything by the book.
He's at another level compared to others.
He even brought his own sauce dispensers.
Very exquisite, just like in a restaurant.
Isn't that guy quietly doing very well?
-Over here. -I think he's cooking duck.
My main ingredient today is Bonghwa duck.
People don't usually grill duck over charcoal
because a lot of fat drips out and makes it difficult.
But I thought I'd try it because it's very delicious.
A duck!
I've always thought it's difficult to cook duck that way.
It's cooked to just the right level.
Looks that way.
He's using the charcoal very well.
He's charring strawberries in there.
What's that guy doing?
He cooked lobster, and he's basting it with butter.
-I heard he's worked at Mosu too. -Sorry?
He has a lot of fine techniques.
I'm making a lobster dish.
I'm serving poached lobster
and with lobster kinilaw, a Filipino-style ceviche.
That's what Michelin chefs do.
Their attention to detail when they're handling ingredients
is just on another level.
I want to show them what I've got.
I want to make a delicious, balanced dish
without all the superficial stuff.
Here it is.
Let me explain my dish.
This is Bonghwa duck cooked slowly over charcoal.
BONGHWA DUCK WITH KOREAN BLACKBERRY
On the left is red cabbage pickled in Korean blackberry extract.
On the right are strawberries charred in charcoal,
and I topped everything with some green onions.
Bonghwa duck is…
Wait.
-I'm sorry. -It's okay. Wipe yourself.
Are you showing off that you worked hard?
-You did that on purpose, didn't you? -No, I didn't.
Okay.
It's better if you eat it with the duck.
Does it have caraways?
Yes, caraway seeds.
CARAWAY SEEDS USED FOR FLAVORING
That's a great combination.
Yes, sir.
He scraped off all the sauce.
When I was tasting that,
I thought back to the countless duck dishes I'd tasted in France
and asked myself if this was better.
That was my standard because it was his dish.
-One Two Three… -Yes, sir?
You've improved a lot.
Thank you.
Honestly.
The cooking of the duck itself
and also the way you cut the meat are very delicate.
Then you thought about what to do to enhance this dish even more
with the Korean blackberry and strawberries.
But what I liked the most
was the temperature, the cuisson of the duck.
CUISSON: THE DEGREE TO WHICH SOMETHING IS COOKED
One Two Three, you've survived.
Thank you.
-What happened? -He survived.
-He did? -I knew he would.
ONE TWO THREE SURVIVES
-I thought you were leaving. -You scared me.
-Good job. -I almost cried.
-Well done. -I know how you feel.
-You got Chef Anh's approval. -I know.
Take a seat beside me.
-I almost cried. -Me too.
Congratulations.
You've been approved by your master.
We've got a strong group here.
You're the first from fine dining.
I wonder how the lobster is.
It looks pretty simple,
but he used very fine techniques.
Doesn't Mr. Paik frown upon fine dining?
People think I only handle humble food, but that's not true.
I like fine dining too.
I've eaten a lot of them and also studied them.
It'll be different because it's Mr. Paik.
On the left is lobster kinilaw, which is Filipino-style ceviche
that I seasoned with coconut vinegar, lime, and tamarind.
On the right is a lobster that I basted with butter.
On top is a pepper sauce made with the lobster's head and innards.
-Does the sauce go here? -Yes.
-May I pour it for you? -Sure.
The sauce is good.
Thank you.
-This small dish… -Yes, sir?
has such a huge range of flavors.
-You've survived. -Thank you.
TRIPLE STAR SURVIVES
-Thank you. -Good work.
He delivered rich flavors in such a tiny piece of lobster.
The quality of the dish surprised me because it was comparable
to many great restaurants both at home and abroad.
I had to move him up right away.
You made it.
-Congratulations. -Who was your judge?
Chef Anh.
-Chef Anh? -Yes.
Thank goodness I didn't get him.
They're all very talented.
There are some fine-dining chefs up there now.
I also do fine dining, so…
SOON IN ROUND 2
If any Black Spoons wish to challenge Team White Spoon's Choi Hyun-seok,
please step forward.
I'm screwed.
There are certainly a lot of hidden talents.
There are a lot of young chefs here who use all these modern techniques.
I'm worried my dish might be too ordinary.
Everyone's dishes were glamorous and elegant.
A lot of people are from Western cuisine.
I couldn't compete with them.
I think mine's too mundane next to theirs.
She's wearing a hanbok.
She looks so cool wearing that while cooking.
I'm Auntie Omakase #1, and I make Korean cuisine served in courses.
AUNTIE OMAKASE #1 OWNER OF "CHEERFUL DRINKING TABLE"
My customers don't have to order
since I just serve them food at the right time like omakase.
That's how I became Auntie Omakase #1.
My dishes are what make up a full homemade meal.
There's seared fish, parboiled small octopus,
meat cooked in various ways,
and five side dishes.
There are also Korean-style jeon and steamed scallops and shrimp.
It's a warm homemade meal that people these days yearn for.
Mine's a full spread of food.
I guess she makes school meals?
-She's using a lunch tray. -I see.
I'm Master of School Meals,
and I work as a meal cook in an elementary school in Yangsan.
I've been cooking for students for 15 years now, hence my title.
I'm very popular at school among both students and faculties.
What's for lunch today?
We have cabbage kimchi,
boiled pork slices with ssam and ssamjang,
gochujang-fried anchovies, and spicy beef soup.
I also made a sauce with plum extract
that reduces the greasiness of the pork slices.
Kids don't like to eat pork slices with fermented shrimp sauce,
-which is why you made that sauce. -That's right.
She also prepared rice, so he can't say the food's too salty this time.
I was a bit nervous.
My son kept telling me that I need to keep my spirits up.
It looks like he's enjoying it.
That food was made for kids.
But it was so good that I kept eating.
As I ate this,
I was taken back to my childhood.
I remember having school meals like this
-I see. -before I went abroad as a kid.
And I still can't forget the taste of it.
Everything was fine
except for one thing.
-That's Auntie Omakase #1. -I heard she's legendary.
She's one to watch.
-Over there. -She cooks very quickly.
-You made all of these yourself? -Yes.
-What kind of rice is this? -It's barley rice.
The reason why I made barley rice is because it tastes good when you mix it
with any leftovers after finishing the dishes.
-Leftover meat and octopus and all that? -Yes, mix that all in.
And if there are any vegetables left, you mix all that in too.
Nothing goes to waste,
and you get a full meal and snacks for drinking.
Interestingly, every dish was seasoned almost exactly the same.
I was going to advance her
if the pork tasted exactly the way I expected it to.
Because that means she can make anything and make it good.
You've survived.
Thank you.
This tastes good in the winter, so--
-I don't need to taste anything else. -Thank you.
This is enough to judge you.
-You made all this in such a short time. -Auntie Omakase #1…
AUNTIE OMAKASE #1 SURVIVES
Oh, the hanbok lady made it.
Try this.
It tastes different when you eat it like that.
I should've kept this for last. You should've cooked slower.
Thank you.
-Congratulations. -Thank you.
Congratulations.
I didn't know I'd make it.
Wow, Auntie Omakase.
-She's no joke. -Definitely.
She must be really good
for Mr. Paik to move her up with just a bite
when he's tried so many good Korean foods.
Yes?
It's very difficult to make every component delicious
so that everyone can enjoy it.
It's especially difficult to make picky kids enjoy it.
Right. They're the pickiest eaters.
-I can imagine. -Yes.
I just need to consult the other judge regarding some things about your dish,
so I'm deferring my decision for now.
I understand.
MASTER OF SCHOOL MEALS DEFERRED
She's someone who makes food for children out of love.
I choked up a little because it was very moving.
I deferred my decision on her
because I was worried my sentimentality would affect my decision.
I made dishes that kids would like.
Do elementary school kids eat pork ssam?
Yes, they like it.
-Really? -Yes.
You make it so that they like it.
-Thank you. -Thank you.
I want to root for her because her food is so humble.
IF THERE AREN'T 20 SURVIVORS BY THE TIME ALL DISHES HAVE BEEN JUDGED,
SURVIVORS WILL BE CHOSEN FROM THE DEFERRED CONTESTANTS
I had no one to teach me, so I taught myself by reading books.
But I wasn't sure if it was the right way.
COMIC BOOK CHEF
These are Oishinbo and Iron Wok Jan.
-Yes, sir. -You read them all?
More than I read textbooks.
You're using a recipe from these?
I'm making something inspired by those books.
That's pretty cool.
How did you get inspired by these?
I used to own a comic book store with a friend.
-A comic book store? -Yes.
I first started cooking while selling tteokbokki there.
I made the tteokbokki that appears on Cooking Master Boy,
and people loved it.
That's when I gained an interest in cooking.
I drew a lot of inspiration from comic books.
What's your dish called?
It's called "Dongpo Pork From Oishinbo Volume 2, Page 25."
That's the name?
Then what's that called?
It's called "Iron Wok Jan Volume 8, Page 23."
You memorized it all.
Are your dishes always named after pages of books?
Yes, for now.
What a fun idea.
So no one has taught you how to cook?
No.
I've never taken cooking classes,
nor have I learned from anyone.
I just studied cooking from books.
I came here to find out if what I'm making is actually good.
Aren't there two Chinese cuisine chefs?
Who's the other one?
I didn't go to a prestigious culinary school
or learn from a famous chef.
I started from the bottom,
so I had to work hard to get where I am.
SELF-MADE CHEF
I started food delivery
in my first year of high school to make ends meet.
And then I somehow started working with Chinese food
and worked in several places and picked up tips here and there.
I've been cooking, delivering, and even handing out flyers.
That's how I got here today.
-He's making a meatball. -Is he?
With a whole onion?
-It's so round. -Yeah.
It's a perfect shape.
How do you make meatballs like that?
-Have you ever seen anything like that? -No.
Me neither.
Are you serious?
This is an extraordinary sight.
I just wanted to do something no one does.
I've never seen anything like it. I look forward to it.
Thank you.
The dish to show off my skills is an eight-treasure meatball.
It's a meatball with eight-treasures stir-fry inside.
I first fry the onion that's covered in the meatball mixture
and take it out once a strong coat is formed.
Then I stir-fry the eight ingredients…
and pour that in.
I've never actually learned how to make this.
I just read an article about it,
and I knew right away what ingredients it had.
So I took inspiration from that
to make my own version of an eight-treasure meatball
that's different from the original.
This is what I have to show for.
That's very clever.
I think they'll find it interesting
that a Chinese cuisine chef in Korea can make something like this.
EIGHT-TREASURE MEATBALL
You need to break it or crush it first before you dig in.
Should I cut it for you?
Yes, please. I don't know how to eat it.
Here it is.
Take the squid…
the bok choy, and some of the meatball.
That's how you eat it.
-Here. -Okay.
I wonder how he'll judge Chinese cuisine.
Mushroom.
-Look at his face. -He seems to like it.
-Self-Made Chef. -Yes, sir.
DONGPO PORK FROM OISHINBO VOLUME 2, PAGE 25
CRAB SPRING ROLL FROM IRON WOK JAN VOLUME 8, PAGE 19
There was no one to validate my skills as a true chef.
But now that I'm here, I can have Mr. Paik do that for me.
What's this on the top?
I sprinkled some icing sugar.
-What's this? -That's just dongpo pork.
It looks neat.
He made dongpo pork?
Goodness, are you serious?
Why is everyone cooking Chinese food?
No one taught you how to cook, correct?
That's right, sir.
You can cut it with a knife and have it with the bok choy.
-No, it should be cooked enough -Right.
-so that I can cut through with a fork. -I see.
Yes, of course.
I've traveled all over China and tried all kinds of dongpo pork.
It's not something that can be self-taught.
You're self-taught, right?
Yes, I am.
-Self-Made Chef. -Yes, sir.
-You've survived. -Thank you!
Thank you!
-It's delicious. -Thank you.
It really is.
It has a very unique flavor
that only Chinese cuisine chefs in Korea can make
that's different from authentic Chinese flavor.
-Thank you. -That's the key here.
Also, I think very importantly
of the degree to which the bok choy is cooked,
and you cooked it to perfection.
Everything's great.
Thank you.
SELF-MADE CHEF SURVIVES
He did great.
Thank you.
I think I'm going to cry.
Let it out!
-Just cry. -I shouldn't.
You're self-taught, right?
Yes, I am.
You've survived.
How on earth did you teach yourself that?
-You're really self-taught? -Yes.
-Thank you. -Wow.
Congratulations.
COMIC BOOK CHEF SURVIVES
-Who? -Comic Book Chef.
-Did you make a Chinese dish? -Yes.
-What kind? Dongpo pork? -Yes, that and spring rolls.
4 CHINESE CUISINE CHEFS
All that in under 100 minutes?
-Look at that. -Yes.
It's getting competitive.
CHINESE CUISINE CHEF
There are so many of them.
CHINESE CUISINE CHEFS
-It's crazy. -It'll be fun.
I think I could take Chef Jung Ji-sun.
I choose Chef Lu Chinglai.
It's going to get ugly.
WHO WILL BE THE CHAMPION OF CHINESE CUISINE?
Nobody hates meat.
SILVER SPOON COOKING YOUTUBER
Perhaps my hopes were too high.
SILVER SPOON ELIMINATED
THE BUTCHER MEAT VENDOR
The Butcher, you're eliminated.
Thank you.
You're eliminated.
I'm always confident.
MEAT MASTER
Look at those ribs.
This Meat Master guy is a pro.
He's cutting the bone.
-What's he making? -Short ribs.
He's the Meat Master.
People call me Meat Master because I love meat and cook it very well.
ONION
PEAR
SUGAR
SOY SAUCE
-That looks like a sauce for galbi. -Galbi-jjim, right?
-He's using a pressure cooker. -Right.
I'm making galbi-jjim, but my reimagined version.
I'm taking the French recipe of beef bourguignon…
BEEF BOURGUIGNON: FRENCH BEEF STEW BRAISED IN RED WINE WITH VEGETABLES
…and combining it with the Korean recipe of braised short ribs, galbi-jjim.
This dish is called
Galbuignon.
The galbi-jjim looks very nice.
I think the galbi-jjim has to be probably like
really, really good, because
-everybody knows how to make galbi-jjim. -Yeah.
I mean, it is a special dish, but it's very hard to be a special dish
to be in a competition like this.
It certainly looks like a Western dish,
but when you take a bite,
you'll taste something familiar.
That's what he made from the beef cuts?
Yes.
That's awesome.
GALBUIGNON
This is galbi-jjim with sweet pumpkin purée
topped with stir-fried Brussels sprouts.
I've prepared an entrée dish.
Visually, it's amazing.
Thank you.
-It's not supposed to be soupy, is it? -No, sir.
You've survived.
I don't want to swallow this.
It's so tender that I don't want to swallow it,
but it just goes down my throat while I'm chewing.
There's a slight hint of the meat's natural aroma
mixed very well with the sauce.
-Congratulations. It's delicious. -Thank you.
-Wow, congratulations! -Let's go, Meat Master!
MEAT MASTER SURVIVES
You're a real master!
-A meat master. -A total master.
He is the embodiment of his title.
That meat was so tender that I didn't even have to chew.
Just what did he do to it?
What's that? It looks like sashimi.
Everyone around the world watching this
might come to Korea just to try this dish.
It's groundbreaking.
It's something you've never seen before.
CELEBRITIES' CHEF CHEF-OWNER OF "BUTO"
He's using only vegetables.
Vegetables.
Isn't that too simple?
There's nothing else.
When people see my ingredients,
they might be a bit doubtful.
They're all common ingredients like beetroots, avocados,
kohlrabis, Pyogo mushrooms,
lotus roots, and so on.
They're ingredients you can easily get from any grocery store.
Is that a Japanese dish? That's shiso.
Yes, shiso.
I think it is Japanese.
I thought that was abalone, but it's a vegetable.
Those are Pyogo mushrooms.
-He just put Pyogo mushrooms there. -So they're not abalones.
-I think he's only using vegetables. -Yes, looks like it.
Maybe he's cutting vegetables like sashimi.
My dish is vegetarian sashimi and vegetarian futomaki.
Everyone's using proteins such as meat and fish,
while I'm the only one going vegetarian.
The key to my dish is an illusion of taste.
You eat it, and somehow you taste tuna or abalone.
It's a dish that creates an illusion out of ordinary ingredients.
Vegetables are the most simple yet most complicated ingredients.
I have to boil them the way I want,
smoke them,
fry them,
and simmer them.
It requires a lot of attention to detail.
Time management is most important.
If one thing goes wrong,
then everything else gets affected.
Texture is going to be the key for the vegetables.
Chef Anh has been extremely particular about how well the vegetables are cooked,
so they need to be perfect.
To me, the most important factor in a dish
is how well the vegetables are cooked.
The degree to which the vegetables are cooked…
I think very importantly of the degree to which the bok choy is cooked.
He wants them to be cooked exactly the way he likes them.
-And what is that exactly? -I know Chef Anh
pays great attention to details.
I'm sure he'll approve of my dish.
I'm done.
I've been waiting for the vegan sushi.
If he got all the flavors right,
I'd pay to try that dish right now.
This…
looks like sashimi.
Kind of like tuna.
Yes, I've made vegetarian sashimi
and vegetarian futomaki.
There are a lot of components here.
Lotus root and gold kiwi pickled with schisandra,
Pyogo mushrooms boiled in sweet soy sauce, kohlrabi,
and lastly, smoked beetroot with avocado.
Those are the sashimi I prepared.
I suggest
-you try this first. -I'll start with that.
-You have to try this one too. -Okay.
That's the kiwi.
-Put on some wasabi, -Some wasabi too, yes.
wrap them in dried seaweed, and dip them in soy sauce.
-It's really like tuna. -Exactly.
Please close your eyes while you eat.
-Close my eyes? Okay. -Yes.
Look.
He paired cooked beetroot with avocado.
-Okay. -It makes sense
because beetroot isn't fatty like actual tuna.
That's very clever.
-Avocado has fat. -Right.
-Celebrities' Chef. -Yes, sir?
Subtitle translation by: Yenny Kang