It's time to announce the results of the jang trio battle.
The result is one to one.
ANH SUNG-JAE: ONE TWO THREE PAIK JONG-WON: CHOI HYUN-SEOK
I really want to know what this chef intended.
-Well… -I have no idea what the intention was.
I really liked it.
I kept thinking, "How did they do this with the ganjang?"
I barely tasted it though.
That's what I liked.
-But it doesn't taste like ganjang. -It does.
It's just toned down in a way that it doesn't stand out.
I hoped the one rooting for me got the upper hand.
The survivor
of the jang trio battle is…
Chef Choi Hyun-seok.
Great job.
Congratulations.
Team White Spoon's Choi Hyun-seok has survived.
Very nice.
Our track record so far is great.
There's a reason
why they're White Spoons and why they deserve their titles.
I believe it's my role
to create unique dishes that no one else does.
I'll continue making never-seen-before dishes
to win the next round as well.
We may have different tastes, but what we should agree on
is the level of execution.
I actually spit out the second dish.
I'll see what this is later.
-Was it too tough? -Yes.
-It's the elastin. -The elastin?
I didn't have it here.
If it's not chewable, then something is wrong.
In that case, we should choose this one.
It still had a bit of the muscle fascia.
That little detail was it.
If someone's eating with me and they spit the food out,
I'd make a complaint to the restaurant.
If you lack precision while making a fine dining dish,
then it's a failure.
ONE TWO THREE ELIMINATED
Of course I'm disappointed.
But I got to go against a great chef.
And both judges enjoyed my food, so I'm good with that.
I sure lack experience compared to Chef Choi.
Let us continue with the next matchup.
I dyed my hair like a honey badger.
The thing about honey badgers
is that they just go about their own way
even if there's a lion or tiger next to them.
Yes, there are plenty of great chefs here,
but there's no reason for me to be intimidated.
I'm going out there as soon as Chef Oh steps forward.
If any Black Spoons wish to challenge Team White Spoon's Oh Se-deuk,
please step forward.
Hidden Genius.
If any Black Spoon chefs wish to challenge Team White Spoon's Park Joon-woo,
please step forward.
Chef Spark, let's do it.
Oh man, again?
Your second rejection.
…please step forward.
-Is the third time the charm? -Again?
Celebrities' Chef, let's make some vegetarian dishes.
Poor Maniac.
Not again.
-They must really dislike me. -No.
They just want to avoid you.
It's like I was a child again.
I wanted to play, but I kept getting rejected.
I'm trying again
when Joseph steps forward.
Team White Spoon's Joseph, please step into the center.
Finally.
-He's the chef from EVETT, the one-star. -Oh, Joseph.
If any Black Spoons wish to challenge Team White Spoon's Joseph,
please step forward.
He's out there again.
I have a solid reason for this.
When else would I get to go head-to-head with a one-star Michelin chef?
I run a fine dining restaurant in Apgujeong called EVETT.
2020-2024 MICHELIN ONE-STAR RESTAURANT 2021 MICHELIN SEOUL YOUNG CHEF AWARD
I only use Korean ingredients to make creative dishes.
SEAWEED CAKE, MEJU DONUT
SPRING GREENS
MULHOE
I've won an award and I run a Michelin-star restaurant,
but I'm still focused on making creative dishes for people.
I'm going to take away that Michelin star.
I'm the head chef of a restaurant.
I have less to lose than him, so I have no reason to be intimidated.
Please open the refrigerator.
Your main ingredient is conger eel.
I was relieved to see
that it's something I've cooked with before.
I started out in Japanese cuisine,
so I think it's doable.
Let's go, White Spoons!
I'm going to win.
I do have seniority.
He's boiled an entire eel.
You can easily remove the slimy parts on the surface by doing that.
I bet he's going to say, "You see, this is how you cook with eel."
You see…
eels are very tricky to deal with.
There's a technique called honegiri.
It's where you cut up all the bones
without leaving anything in.
It requires cutting into the eel at least 25 times per eel.
It's a skill I learned in the past when I was in Japanese cuisine,
and it takes extensive time.
What's Joseph doing right now?
He's taking out the bones.
-Of the eel, okay. -Yes, he's taking out all of them.
That's going to take forever.
He's a Michelin-star fine dining chef. I wonder what he'll make.
Cooking Maniac is a tough opponent.
He has to take over that Michelin star.
The only one-star chefs right now are Chefs Joseph and Kim Do-yun.
-True. -Right?
Chef Do-yun is awesome.
He's so cool.
KIM DO-YUN CHEF-OWNER OF MICHELIN 1-STAR "YUN SEOUL"
I cook like I'm feeding my loved ones.
To fill my dish
with love,
I put on my headphones.
And I listen to love ballads by Zia and Yangpa and the like.
Don't you think Chef Kim's restaurant would be like that too?
All calm and quiet like him.
2022-2024 MICHELIN ONE-STAR RESTAURANT
I'm sure my self-dried ingredient collection
is unique among all the other chefs here.
I save all kinds of ingredients.
From duck throats to fish heads and lips,
I categorize and dry them for making broth.
I can make good dishes with just natural flavors.
SIDE DISH CHEF VS KIM DO-YUN
Your main ingredient
is semi-dried rockfish.
Nice one.
I would say the heavens are on my side.
I'll have to do my best.
I wanted to challenge Chef Kim
because he has a Michelin star for Korean cuisine.
I have a feeling
this will be an easy win for Chef Kim Do-yun.
Come on, please work.
God damn it, be quicker.
I felt too much pressure.
Are you all right?
I kept thinking and praying inside
that I had to beat a one-star chef for once in my life.
I specialize in Japanese-French cuisine right now,
which is French cuisine with Japanese influence.
The dish I prepared today is French-style steamed eggs with eel.
I use a delicious soy sauce base called tsume
to coat the eel and give it a nice grill.
For the steamed eggs, I make a sauce called sabayon.
SABAYON: FOAM-LIKE SAUCE MADE WITH EGG YOLK COOKED OVER GENTLE HEAT
Sabayon is commonly paired with vegetables and for brunch menus.
I mix in some eggs to a white wine base
and boil that over gentle heat.
COOKING WITH A HEAT-ADJUSTABLE BLENDER
CONGER EEL
I add nitrogen to turn that into smooth foam
and make a foamy sauce that melts in the mouth.
-Gosh, the smoke. -He's started fanning the fire.
Sorry!
The name of my dish is "Delicate Conger Eel."
I boil the conger eel in yakju, Korean liquor,
heated up to 45 degrees…
BOKBUNJAJU, KOREAN BLACKBERRY WINE
…then glaze it with bokbunjaju
and grill it over applewood charcoal.
He's smoking it.
-That looks cool. -Looks delicious.
For the last five years in Korea,
I've exclusively used Korean ingredients
to make creative dishes from a non-Korean perspective.
Joseph's doing awesome.
He sure is a fine-dining chef.
I want the judges to say this is a nice and delicate dish.
Please taste the first dish.
This is conger eel with bokbunja and perilla leaf sauce.
I could tell Chef Joseph had given it his all.
They go well together.
Is there any more left?
-No. -Never mind then.
Please taste the second dish.
I felt like I was going to suffocate.
My breathing was so heavy.
It looks like steamed eggs, but when you take a spoonful,
there's amazing stuff inside.
That's what I was going for when I made this.
Why does it smell creamy?
It smells like biscuits.
I was desperate.
I kept praying, "Please be good. Please enjoy it."
It has a soft, creamy texture.
I know this sauce.
You know in Western cuisine,
the one you make with eggs.
Like mousse, you know?
Yes.
-Sabayon? -Yes, sabayon.
It tastes like sabayon.
That gave me the chills.
Was it because everything I did worked
or because they'd already tasted the sauce too many times?
The voting is complete.
When people think of Korean food,
they always think it's spicy and red.
So I wanted to make a dish that's more delicate,
clean-tasting, and subtle.
You're one of the chefs who pushes the boundaries
of Korean ingredients.
I really enjoyed how you incorporated your own perspective
that Korean chefs normally wouldn't think of, in this dish.
Thank you.
This is a dish I've never seen before,
but it still had a familiar taste.
You were correct, it's sabayon.
-I was? -That's the sauce.
This was my take on steamed eggs with eel.
-So that's why it tasted familiar. -Yes.
It's clear what you're pursuing,
and I can see that you're someone who's sure about his own style.
It's time to announce the results of the battle.
Nice one, brother.
Good luck, bro.
The survivor of this one-on-one face-off
received all two votes.
Team Black Spoon's Cooking Maniac has survived.
Well done.
-Great job. -You deserve it, brother.
Thank you.
Nice one, brother.
-That's insane. -That's our boy!
In terms of cooking with eels,
Cooking Maniac had a much better understanding.
I knew with just the first bite
that it was a maniacal dish.
They recognized exactly what I intended to do,
and I was…
really glad about that.
I'm getting choked up.
I was really glad
that I was able to please them with my dish.
-Go and get that first place. -Okay.
I'll treat you to a nice meal.
I know I'm still a beginner
when it comes to Korean ingredients and style.
I will keep trying harder.
-That's why he's the Maniac. -He took over the Michelin star.
-Right. -He took the star.
I didn't expect Joseph to lose. This is all so unpredictable.
I really want to know what Chef Kim is making.
I've tried boiling and frying rockfish before,
but neither was good.
So I'm steaming it over minimum heat,
just enough to cook it.
STEAMED SEMI-DRIED ROCKFISH
The key is to make it as soft as possible
and to get rid of the fish odor as much as I can.
I sear the semi-dried rockfish in a frying pan,
then make a soup to go with rice
that highlights the flavor and texture of the fish.
SEMI-DRIED ROCKFISH SOUP WITH RICE
Some may find it hard and tough,
but that's the beauty of semi-dried fish.
The tough rockfish
has to be as soft as possible.
The survivor of this one-on-one face-off…
received all two votes.
-Come on, Chef Kim. -Please.
Team Black Spoon's Side Dish Chef has survived.
The quiet Chef Do-yun? How?
That's insane.
My goodness.
That was so unexpected.
We chose the soup
because we felt that it made better use of the rockfish.
You made us feel
what you intended for us to feel with the soup and the ingredients.
Thank you so much.
That's just shocking. This is crazy.
Chef Kim Do-yun must be shocked.
-Of course. -Because he got zero votes.
KIM DO-YUN
It seems the other guy
made a more fitting dish for the occasion.
What can I do?
All the Michelin stars are getting eliminated.
He got a big win.
-He really did. -That really was a big win.
He beat the one-star chef.
-He took away the star. -He did it.
All the stars are gone, no?
No, Chef Fabri had a Michelin star.
-For 15 years. -Right.
Fifteen years in Italy.
It completely slipped my mind. He's really authentic then.
Yeah, he got a star in Italy locally.
I'm nervous.
Buongiorno, everyone.
I'm Chef Fabrizio Ferrari.
I ran a restaurant
called Al Porticciolo 84 in Italy,
which received a Michelin star for 15 years straight.
2005-2020 MICHELIN ONE-STAR RESTAURANT
Korean cuisine is a challenge to me.
I want to try and learn as much as I can.
If we win this, that's all the stars gone.
Yes.
Focus.
-Take it easy. -Focus.
I had my mind set on Fabri
as soon as I saw him.
"Just you wait."
Is that Chef Fabrizio?
I decided then that I'd choose him if we did a one-on-one battle.
Team White Spoon's Fabri, please step into the center.
Fabri!
Come here.
FABRI VS NAPOLI MATFIA
Chef Fabrizio Ferrari, I know you're a great chef,
but you know Napoli won Serie A in 2023, don't you?
-What did he say? -Naples makes
the best Italian cuisine.
Really? Are you sure?
FROM MILAN, ITALY
He's provoking him.
I don't think so.
All right then. I accept your challenge.
-Okay. Let's do it. -Let's do it.
Now, we should greet each other like Italians do.
-Matfia. -I don't know what they're saying, but…
Sportsmanship!
-Please be chicken. -The main ingredient will now be revealed.
Please open the refrigerator.
One, two, three.
Your main ingredient is
*****.
Oh my…
Your main ingredient is
skate.
That's the worst.
Oh jeez.
-Smell that. -It stinks already.
Oh my…
Should we close it? It stinks.
Yes, it stinks a lot.
Goodness gracious.
Mamma mia!
I've never tasted or even touched it before.
I'm screwed.
Absolutely shocking.
It was just shock and horror.
And it wasn't just that.
The fish just stank too much.
This is going to be a big surprise.
This will throw them off for sure.
There must be people who have never used this before.
-They won't know how to cook it. -You think so?
The skate would be the most difficult to cook
for those who don't know it well.
I think only Koreans eat it fermented.
The winner will be decided on
how well they understood the ingredient and how well they prepared it.
I can smell the skate all the way up here.
Jeez, it's so big.
Look at that.
-Damn, it's heavy. -Oh my god.
Oh man.
It stinks.
It stinks!
It's so heavy.
Finally to the preparation.
How do I cut it?
Like this!
All right.
It's better than I thought.
This…
This is good, I think.
Just like this, maybe.
Look at Fabri preparing the skate.
He's already done with one fin.
Did he learn from a master?
-I didn't think he'd be good at it. -He's skinning it well.
He looks surprisingly experienced.
Yes!
Oh yes.
I practiced and studied a lot.
I had to study it a lot
because it was my first time ever handling a skate.
I had a secret weapon kept close to my chest, which was risotto.
I was saving it for the right moment.
I thought I would make a risotto using all parts of the skate.
The most important part of my dish
is making the skate shine.
So I'm using special cuts like the nose,
the cheeks, and the fins
to make something like a tartare,
which I'll serve raw on top of the risotto.
TARTARE MADE BY MINCING RAW MEAT OR FISH
SKATE LIVER
He's using the liver.
What I put the most care into was the sauce using the skate liver.
Skates have livers that are creamier than foie gras.
-It's delicious. -And very smooth.
He's a Western cuisine chef, so he can't miss out on the liver.
I'm thinking Chef Fabri will also make an Italian dish
like pasta or risotto.
Yes.
Yes, squeeze.
Squeeze.
-What's that red thing? -That must be kimchi.
It's mukeunji, aged kimchi.
He must be doing something
-based on samhap. -You're right.
I always try to promote Korean cuisine as much as I can,
especially to non-Koreans.
What's the most famous Korean dish made with skate?
It's samhap.
I'd say, 95% of the time, non-Koreans would find samhap
quite off-putting.
-Do you like the fermented… -Skate?
No, that sucks. It's terrible.
Do you like it, Edward?
I'm making a fine dining dish
with traditional samhap ingredients.
So I'm using skate, mukeunji,
and because I want to give it an Italian twist,
I'm using pancetta.
Pancetta is the salted pork belly, which is an Italian delight.
As for the skate, I deep-fry it.
Deep-fry.
-He's frying it? -Fried skate.
I stir-fry some chopped-up mukeunji,
and I make a sauce with makgeolli.
It'll be very interesting to see
the Korean making Italian food…
and the Italian making Korean food.
It's going to be fun.
Please taste the first dish.
GREEN RISOTTO WITH SKATE
The sauce is made with the liver,
and the tartare is made with the nose and the cheeks.
It's like rice with raw fish.
I made vegetable chips spicy like kimchi
and the tomatoes juicy so they could eat it like a sauce.
It's like I'm tasting the entire skate.
-It's got everything inside. -Yes.
I taste a very rich flavor.
I feel a lot of different textures.
It's an unfamiliar dish but with a familiar taste.
It's like a spoonful of rice with kimchi and skate.
That's actually what I was going for.
I imagined something like eating rice and raw fish with kimchi,
which is why I made cavolo nero chips
but with spicy seasoning to make it taste like kimchi.
I think I nailed that part.
Please taste the second dish.
Deep-fried skate, pancetta, stir-fried mukeunji,
makgeolli sauce, and minari oil.
They make a nice harmony.
They'll be able to taste many different elements
and many different flavors.
He put in a lot more effort than I expected.
I saw his plating and realized that it wouldn't be an easy battle.
This is like…
samhap made in a fine dining restaurant.
They must've deep-fried the skate for a nice texture.
It seems they were inspired by the ingredients of samhap
while making this dish,
although the techniques are very different.
It's like fine dining samhap. It's jarring but good.
This is tough.
It's a tough choice.
I like both of them.
The voting is complete.
The result is one to one.
Contestants, please exit for a moment.
PAIK JONG-WON: FABRI ANH SUNG-JAE: NAPOLI MATFIA
I questioned myself
which one highlighted the skate better.
And my answer was this one.
But the other one was delicious too.
I've fallen for the flavors of this samhap.
But it's deep-fried.
I know deep-frying makes everything good, but…
I actually chose this because it was deep-fried.
-Really? That was a minus for me. -Yeah.
I could see they tried to
reinterpret samhap and show it to the world,
which is why they thought deep-frying would be better.
I know exactly what you mean,
but it'd taste the same if you deep-fried other fish too.
I don't want mine here.
-Are these the eliminated ones? -Yes.
NAMEPLATES LEFT BY ELIMINATED CONTESTANTS
So this is like a graveyard.
Okay, a graveyard.
It's decided then.
Contestants, please reenter.
Hello.
-Hello. -Hello.
This is such a strong matchup.
I really wanted to ask, does this have skate liver inside?
Yes, I used it as the sauce.
-Did you fold it in as you finished it? -That's right.
Was this fried skate dish inspired by samhap?
Yes, I tried to make it in a modern style
that non-Koreans could also enjoy.
It was really neck and neck,
-down to the last minute. -For sure.
Yes.
In the end, our decision was…
In terms of technique, this one's better.
I guess technique-wise, deep-frying fish is a bit basic.
-I was thinking more of the harmony. -Right.
I think this one has the liver in it.
-The skate liver is important. -Right.
If they made use of even the liver,
-then it's game over. -Right.
The chef who made the first dish has survived.
NAPOLI MATFIA SURVIVES
Team Black Spoon's Napoli Matfia has survived.
Of course I was happy.
But I think it's a bit too early to be content.
I know I need to focus on what's to come.
-What was that? -The Black Spoon won.
All the Michelin-star chefs are gone.
-Today -He was a one-star chef.
Another star has fallen
I'm an Italian chef,
yet a Korean chef has beaten me with an Italian dish.
It's so embarrassing.
FABRI ELIMINATED
FABRI
Sending some hearts before I go.
Fabri is nothing if not positive.
And so, hearts.
I've never taken cooking classes.
"Comic Book Chef."
These are Oishinbo and Iron Wok Jan.
You're using a recipe from these?
It's called "Dongpo Pork From Oishinbo Volume 2, Page 25."
That's the name?
I wanted to see if I could become a real chef.
COMIC BOOK CHEF
I didn't go to a prestigious culinary school…
or learn from a famous chef.
SELF-MADE CHEF
Self-Made Chef, you've survived.
It's delicious.
I just blacked out.
I hadn't felt that happy in a while.
The chef I want to challenge…
It's someone I admire and want to learn from.
-I should go watch. -I need to see this.
I'm going to go see Chef Lu.
I'm a big fan.
LU CHINGLAI CHINESE CUISINE MASTER OF 50 YEARS
I'm looking forward to his dish.
He's someone who everyone considers a master.
I respect him as a senior chef.
Surely he'll win.
This is another old versus new.
He's a renowned Chinese cuisine master, but now I'm here to try and beat him.
"My knives aren't rusty yet," is what I thought.
I wanted to prove that.
I love Jin Jin, your restaurant.
I'd like a chance to cook beside you.
-I look forward to it. -Thank you.
I'm Hwang Jin-seon, the chef-owner of Jin Jin.
It got a Michelin star for three years straight
and was awarded as one of the best Asian restaurants by Taste of Seoul.
This is a place to show off my skills,
meaning it's just the right opportunity I've been waiting for.
-It's another Chinese cuisine battle. -Look at that rice cooker.
-Let's go! -Please begin cooking.
What's that?
What's their ingredient?
It's oxtail.
-Right, it was oxtail. -That was it.
The ingredient he and I chose was oxtail.
OXTAIL
I've never cooked with oxtail before.
Oxtail is usually very tough.
I know. How will they cook it?
When you think about it,
it's more difficult to cook than skate
because it's hard to cook it in under 70 minutes.
What did he do with the oxtail?
-He's working tianmian sauce into it. -I see.
I'm using the ingredient to make dongpo oxtail.
I clean and boil the oxtail first.
-He coated them with tianmian sauce. -He did?
He must be trying to rub in the aroma.
Yes, to get the color and aroma from the sauce.
Then I coat them with tianmian sauce and fry them.
And then I put the sub-ingredients in a pot
and steam them for around 25 minutes.
-I like Self-Made Chef's idea. -Who?
He's boiling, frying, then steaming it.
-In that order? -Yeah.
As for Chef Lu,
I'm assuming he'll make a steamed dish since we're using oxtail.
-He's using a rice cooker. -To steam it.
-You sure? -They're both steaming the oxtail.
I'm using a soy sauce base, but Chef Lu did something different.
-Red pepper oil? -I think he used it to make the broth.
It's going to be spicy.
I've always made traditional food.
So this time, I'm making something more in line
with the Korean taste using doubanjiang.
He's making a spicy soup like jjamppong and cooking it slowly in a rice cooker.
He's using a spicy sauce, so it must be unique.
And he's boiling it in a soy sauce base
and then deep-frying it.
I put in so much work.
I went through countless trial rounds,
each of them lasting three to four hours.
It's good.
All right!
It looks good.
Leave some for me.
He seems like he's pouring his heart and soul,
but Chef Lu's looking like he already knows he's going to win.
His style is simple but has a very strong punch.
He's cool.
His plating looks like the classic Chinese cuisine.
-It's awesome. -I know.
That looks like it should be served in an eight-person room
with a rotating table.
I want to pay to eat that right now.
It's one steamed dish versus another,
so I'm sure the judges will be able to focus precisely on the flavors.
I know this will be an excellent oxtail dish.
The battle of oxtail.
Please proceed to the blind taste testing table.
Let's go!
-Go! -Let's do this!
-Go! -Go!
-You got this! -Let's go!
-This should be fun. -It's a big match.
This one's another big match.
MATURE PUMPKIN
Damn it, this isn't working.
Damn it.
It's such an annoying ingredient.
I could only think of pumpkin porridge.
Pumpkin porridge is sweet, so maybe I'll make a dessert?
It's a chance for me
because I wanted something my opponent couldn't use well.
We're even since we're battling with something we both can't use well.
I tested with at least 20 dishes during the preparation period.
I sliced the pumpkin and would eat it like an apple.
But it was like the worst apple I ever tasted.
I couldn't do anything with it.
I've never thought of it as a main ingredient,
so I didn't know what to make out of it.
I tried doing
all sorts of things to elevate its flavor.
Chef Jin-seon is making a sauce.
I found that you need sugar to enhance the flavor of the pumpkin itself.
So I'm making tangsu pumpkin,
where I make the sweet and sour sauce with the pumpkin and use that as a dip.
I mince some pork shoulder and shrimp
to make a filling…
and roll it up with the pumpkin.
Then I secure it with a toothpick
and deep-fry it.
It's a dish that's soft, crispy,
and moist, all in one.
Comic Book Chef looks pretty calm,
but I could tell that he's very passionate about cooking.
The comic book that inspired me the most was Iron Wok Jan.
There was a part where they combined Chinese and French cuisine,
which I thought would be very fun.
Similar to how the French carrot râpée resembles kimchi in a way,
I thought I would give it a try by switching the carrot with the pumpkin.
So a tart is what I'm making.
I use spring roll wrappers for the crust,
then cut the pumpkin and boil it in water for 15 to 20 minutes.
I spread the purée on the crust,
make some red pepper oil myself using Chinese pepper oil,
and then add about 12 drops of that
to make a Chinese-style tart.
Comic Book Chef is cooking so calmly.
He's already won an elimination round.
But if I leave here without a single win, that would be too embarrassing.
We have a level playing field, so I know I have a chance.
I just want to win. I need to win.
Just once, please.
This is the battle of mature pumpkin.
-Mature pumpkin. -Mature pumpkin?
That couldn't have been easy.
Please taste the first dish.
TANGSU PUMPKIN
When I saw how it looked, I knew I had a chance of winning.
It smells sweet.
Mature pumpkins are already sweet,
and they used another sweet element
to even it out.
Using sweet to fight sweet does seem to work.
The dish I prepared today is pumpkin tarts.
PUMPKIN TARTS
What's this?
Here?
Right here?
Should I eat it whole?
If you'd like.
Is this a tartlet?
He julienned the pumpkin to make tarts
which was similar to one of my practice dishes
before I decided on the tangsu pumpkin.
In fact, I liked that better.
And he made that dish.
That freaked me out.
It's pumpkin…
and mala, I think?
I think they used mala oil.
Yes, I think the mala oil
-was a good choice. -Yes.
It's hard to choose.
-They're such different dishes. -Exactly.
This is tough.
It really is.
The voting is complete.
The result is two to zero.
Judges, please remove your blindfolds.
Hello.
Mature pumpkins are already sweet.
Were you sure about your decision?
It's not like I poured boatloads of sugar.
I practiced many times to find the exact amount
that would bring out the flavor of the pumpkin.
The first bite was so sweet that I thought,
"Is this person out of their mind?"
"How could they use sugar with mature pumpkin that's already sweet?"
But as I continued eating, the sweetness brought out the flavor.
That was intriguing.
When I first had it,
I knew this must be a good pumpkin if it tastes this sweet.
But you did a lot of things to bring out the pumpkin's flavor very well.
-I enjoyed it. -It was still sweet though.
-Yes. -It really was sweet.
I understand.
-Is this from a comic book? -Yes.
It's from volume three of Iron Wok Jan.
It's my favorite book.
I made the crust out of spring roll wrappers,
then I boiled the pumpkin insides and fruit
and used a cold water-soluble starch called Visco
to make it viscous and make a purée.
Isn't Visco for molecular gastronomy?
That's correct.
That's in comic books too?
If you dig deep enough, yes.
That's amazing. I'm not just saying that.
-Thank you. -That's truly amazing.
I can't believe you made this from reading comic books.
-It's genius. -Thank you.
It's admirable.
-I'm truly impressed. -Thank you.
-But our judging process has to be fair. -Right.
Now,
it's time to announce the results of the mature pumpkin battle.
The survivor of this one-on-one face-off is…
Team White Spoon's Hwang Jin-seon.
Thank you.
-It was delicious. -Great job.
You were great.
-Thank you. -Thank you.
You're amazing.
-Thank you! -Well done.
"It was sweet but not too sweet."
That's exactly what I wanted to hear.
Putting in the exact amount of sugar you need
is a technique itself.
And he did it precisely,
so I chose his dish after quite some thought.
That Comic Book Chef is amazing.
Getting here from comic books?
-I know. -He's a genius.
How did he make this by reading comic books?
COMIC BOOK CHEF
This is the battle of oxtail.
Please taste the first dish.
DONGPO OXTAIL
I can smell it from here.
Oxtail sure has a strong aroma.
My mouth is already watering.
This is Chinese cuisine.
The star anise isn't overbearing.
Wow, this is impressive.
They used the star anise very carefully.
I went through a lot of trials,
and I was glad that he noticed my efforts.
Their reactions were quite positive,
and that made me a bit anxious.
Oxtail itself is a health food, so I thought it'd be better if I paired it
with Pyogo mushrooms and chestnuts.
I also used doubanjiang to make it somewhat spicy.
His plating was incredible.
And it was spicy, just how Koreans usually prefer.
I knew they wouldn't have had many dishes made with doubanjiang,
so I was expecting good reactions.
This is Chinese too.
What?
They used the same ingredient and made it into Chinese-style dishes,
but the oxtails taste very different.
-Yes. -Entirely different.
Their cooking styles are very distinct.
The sub-ingredients they used are quite different.
It's a tough choice.
The voting will begin now.
Jeez, this is hard.
The voting is complete.
The result is two to zero.
Judges, please remove your blindfolds.
Hello.
This is the first one.
-And this is the second. -Yes.
Many people don't like dongpo pork because of the star anise smell,
but it wasn't dominant here.
-I actually enjoyed it. -Thank you.
There was a nice umami aroma that lingered in my mouth,
and it went really well with the texture of the meat.
Thank you.
Chef Lu's steamed oxtail felt familiar
because of the Pyogo mushrooms and chestnuts
that go in Korean braised short ribs.
Yes, I paired it with them because I knew they'd go well together.
It's not greasy at all,
and the texture and the harmony worked very well.
They used the same ingredient and it's the same cuisine
but they used different cooking styles and different sub-ingredients.
It's time to announce the results of the oxtail battle.
The survivor of this one-on-one face-off is…
Please, Chef Lu.
Team Black Spoon's Self-Made Chef.
-Thank you. -Congratulations.
-Nice. -Unbelievable.
-Wow. -Holy shit.
He beat Chef Lu.
Chef Lu's gone.
-It can't be. -Incredible.
No way.
Chef Lu is out?
-Stop that. -Thank you.
-Thank you, Chef. -Congratulations.
The younger chefs need the chance.
-Thank you. -Great job.
Great work.
Thank you.
Could I shake your hand too?
Thank you.
It was so difficult to reach a decision.
I was so shocked.
-My goodness, this is really huge. -I'm going to tear up.
I know, right?
-He was good. -Definitely.
-He did a great job. -Yeah.
-Congratulations. -Thank you, Chef.
That youngster won because he did better than I did.
LU CHINGLAI
I know we only become better as we grow and learn from our failures,
so this was a good experience.
Will there be more Black Spoons or White Spoons left?
Wow.
The Black Spoons are doing well.
They're very competitive.
They're ready for battle.
The White Spoons are getting nervous.
-I'm going to win. Sorry. -Good luck.
OH SE-DEUK VS HIDDEN GENIUS
I worked under Chef Oh Se-deuk briefly.
I was the youngest and he was the chef-owner.
But now, it's just two chefs against each other.
And I'll beat him.
The dish I prepared is bao buns with mala beef intestines.
I've made a Middle Eastern-style beef intestines dish.
The dish we thought was better
was the first one.
Team Black Spoon's Hidden Genius has survived.
Wow, he really is a genius.
The battle of bone-in pork sirloin. Please enter.
My opponent may be the god of seasoning,
but I'm the god of flavors, which I think is more advantageous.
This is gochujang paella with bone-in sirloin.
I have the upper hand in cooking.
My dish is called
spicy, sweet, and sour bone-in sirloin.
The cooking of the meat and such would be the crucial factors.
You've survived.
SEONKYOUNG LONGEST SURVIVES
-Well done. -Thank you.
It's done. I'm the best.
-Amazing! -Let's go, White Spoons!
KIM SEUNG-MIN VS AUNTIE OMAKASE #1
-Of course Auntie's going to win. -Definitely.
Her dish is going to be right up Mr. Paik's alley.
MACKEREL NOODLE SOUP
Chef Kim Seung-min is no easy match.
This is mackerel tomato soup.
-It has a very clean taste. -Yes.
It doesn't smell fishy at all.
Team Black Spoon's Auntie Omakase has survived.
Congratulations.
Yes!
Auntie Omakase!
This is a dish that contains all my experiences with pasta.
HUMPBACK SHRIMP CARAMELLE, NAM JEONG-SEOK
The tomato's tanginess and sweetness go well with the shrimp.
CELEBRITIES' CHEF, HUMPBACK SHRIMP-SEON WITH TOMATO PORRIDGE
Team White Spoon's Nam Jeong-seok has survived.
Thank you.
This is the battle of Pyogo mushroom.
CHEF SPARK VS PARK JOON-WOO
CHEF SPARK: PYOGO GNOCCHI
PARK JOON-WOO: DRIED PYOGO RISOTTO, SABLÉ AND CREAM
Team Black Spoon's Chef Spark has survived.
Great work.
Yes!
This is the battle of black chicken.
BANG KI-SU VS MASTER OF SCHOOL MEALS
BANG KI-SU: STEAMED BLACK CHICKEN SOUP
MASTER OF SCHOOL MEALS: SPICY BRAISED BLACK CHICKEN
Team Black Spoon's Master of School Meals has survived.
Great work.
Master of School Meals won?
-Oh wow. -It's 11 to 9 now.
We finished at 11 to 9.
There were a lot of close calls.
They all left a significant impression.
We can make a decision here
-because we have a super pass. -A "super pass"?
SUPER PASS
EACH JUDGE CAN SAVE ONE CONTESTANT FROM ELIMINATION FROM THE 2ND ROUND
All of them were great in terms of talent,
-but this person was particularly close. -Right.
I choose…
I'll choose someone who really shocked me.
This one.
Of course, yes. They were amazing.
Final decision, then?
There are two additional survivors.
The first survivor is…
Team Black Spoon's…
Team Black Spoon?
-Who? -Someone among us?
…Goddess of Chinese Cuisine.
-I choose the Goddess of Chinese Cuisine. -She's your pick?
-Yes, because… -Nice.
I want to see her go against Chef Jung Ji-sun again.
-They were very neck and neck. -Right.
-Congratulations. -Thank you.
Good for you!
They say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
I'll put in everything I've got.
I guess I'm back.
I'm freaking jealous.
It's time to announce the very last survivor.
The last
survivor is…
Team Black Spoon's Comic Book Chef.
I have to compete with him again?
Learning something through comic books may seem laughable to some,
but being able to cook at that level shows he's seriously talented.
I'm thrilled to see what he'll cook next.
It was the biggest surprise of the year for me.
I'm not losing next time.
1:1 BLACK SPOON VERSUS WHITE SPOON FACE-OFF, 22 SURVIVORS
What's this?
Why are there shipping containers?
What's that?
-Why are the cooking stations so close? -It's so spacious.
What's this?
The cooking stations are right by each other.
Survivors of the second round, one-on-one face-off.
11 Black Spoons
and 11 White Spoons,
welcome to the third round of the Culinary Class Wars.
I'm excited.
-This round -I'm nervous.
is the Black and White Spoons' Team Battle.
Team challenge.
Great, I wanted to do a team battle.
-Oh man. -This is nice!
This is nice.
Are you sure it is?
This team is full of very talented, well-known chefs,
so I'm rather scared.
I don't want to cook in a team.
This is great.
-This is nice! -I'm a very individual person.
I like cooking by myself, for myself.
A team challenge is very difficult.
-Come on. -Since we're a team now,
let's all drop the formalities.
-Sure. -All right.
-Let's do that. -Let's drop the formalities.
CHEF SPARK OLDEST OF THE MALE BLACK SPOONS
We'll have better teamwork because the White Spoons are way up there.
They'll all have strong opinions.
The Black Spoons will win.
There are two rooms in front of you.
-What's this now? -I see.
It's time to reveal the Black and White Spoon Team Battle's
Room of Ingredients.
Seriously?
Subtitle translation by: Yenny Kang