[suspenseful music playing]
[Spark] That's insane.
You've got to be kidding me. Come on.
[Maniac] Whoa!
What is that?
-[music intensifies] -[Jin-seon] Whoa.
[narrator] The theme of the consolation round is
a convenience store.
This is actually insane.
[rock music playing]
ROOM OF INGREDIENTS "CONVENIENCE STORE"
[narrator] Using only convenience store ingredients,
the contestants must create a delicious and inventive dish.
-Dishes will be evaluated… -[bell dinging]
…in the order they are completed.
Once all evaluations are complete, the survivors will be announced.
There will only be three additional survivors in total.
3 ADDITIONAL SURVIVORS OUT OF 10
I mean, there are ready-to-go meals for a reason.
They're ready to eat.
You know, my mind just went
totally blank.
I had to come up with something.
The consolation round
is about to start.
It begins now!
-[Jin-seon] Let's go! -Woo-hoo!
-[Jin-seon] Yeah! -[Seonkyoung] Whoo!
[energetic music playing]
[Ji-sun] Excuse me.
[Spark] Coming through.
-Come on, guys. We're in this together. -[Spark] Come on. No, no, no.
I expected everyone would treat each other with respect
since we're all chefs and all that.
But wow, they just grabbed ingredients left and right.
I ran to grab mine.
Are there instant noodles? They don't have any?
They do. On your right.
-I don't see any. -They took them all.
Ah, damn it.
[Goddess] I looked around, but the ingredients I wanted were gone.
If I can't get my ingredients, it's over.
[Seonkyoung] I didn't know what to do.
I thought for a bit, then just grabbed everything in front of me.
[music fades]
[Eun-ju] I don't want the oriental sauce. Do they have balsamic vinegar?
Where's that balsamic vinegar?
[sighs] Oriental…
Have you seen anything similar to balsamic vinegar around?
Balsamic?
-It's okay if you haven't. -Yeah, sorry.
[chuckles]
I don't usually go to the convenience store that often,
so I wasn't sure about the kind of ingredients they had.
I got pretty stressed about the whole thing.
No dressing…
[mysterious music playing]
[sighs] What am I going to do?
[sighs]
Oh man.
This is really… really difficult.
[sighs]
[mysterious music continues]
There's no sugar.
I'm sure everyone's curious about
what these chefs will create
with these convenience store ingredients.
[quirky, fast-paced music playing]
[Kang-rok] I grabbed canned food,
so I decided to add something more to it to make it work,
chili saury.
You know the canned chili tuna, right?
So a saury version of that.
The thing was, I needed chili oil but didn't have any.
So I had a thought.
What if I took some oil from the chili tuna…
seasoned it a little bit…
and served it with some saury?
I wanted to avoid making something that felt forced.
I thought that creating a dish
with convenience store vibes would work.
[sizzling]
[Goddess] Damn it. How many do I actually need?
Chili oil.
[curious music playing]
[Goddess] I wanted to use chili oil, but they didn't have any.
So I tore up instant noodle packages with chili oil inside.
I wanted to go with something simple, without complicating the flavors.
So I came up with a type of late-night snack noodle dish.
I added smoked chicken
and some fish cakes as well.
I incorporated sweet and salty flavors,
which are straightforward flavor profiles.
[rock music playing]
[Maniac] I thought of the things
I usually get at convenience stores when I'm home.
It's a bit like a pad thai.
And I figured instant noodles would be better for that.
So I used Neoguri instant noodles.
For the side ingredients, I added chicken,
some crab sticks, and whelk.
Honestly, getting the whelk
was my number one priority for my ingredient grab.
They guarantee great flavor.
With pad thai, the sweetness really matters,
but because the sauce is heavy, you need to bring acidity to the dish.
So I looked up and down the aisles for some type of sour ingredient,
but there were none to be found.
Thankfully, I was able to find some lemon juice in the store,
and I decided to mix it in.
So this is a pad thai made with instant noodles
and all those things in mind.
[Seonkyoung] I'm making… something else now.
[bell dings]
Wow, is someone already done?
[Goddess] Already?
Was that rung by mistake?
[bell dings]
[Jin-seon] My plan was to be first.
These ingredients meant they wanted us to do
something cooked simply.
So I did just that.
-[sighs] -Wow, that was quick.
COMPLETED IN ONLY 17 MINUTES
What's the name of this dish?
In Chinese cuisine, there's a dish called beef lettuce wrap.
You're supposed to deep-fry the noodle dough,
chop it up into very small pieces, then eat it in a wrap.
I changed it up a bit.
[action music playing]
[Jin-seon] I grabbed the noodles. I then smashed and deep-fried them
and added some Cheongyang chili peppers and canned corn
for a crispy texture and a spicy kick.
As for the meat,
I chose to use some pig feet.
-I used the Paik Jong-won brand. -[chuckles]
[Jin-seon] It wasn't intentional. I wanted pig feet.
-Fine by me if it was. -[Jin-seon] It wasn't, though.
These had no bones…
so I cut them in cubes.
Then I stir-fried them in the seasoning.
We had limited ingredients,
so I tried to replicate the original dish's qualities
in the best way that I could.
PIG TROTTERS CABBAGE WRAP
[Paik] Is this meant to be a meal or a snack?
-[Jin-seon] A snack. -[Paik] I guess it's still a dish.
[Jin-seon] It's made out of convenience store items,
so it's more of a snack.
[mysterious music playing]
[Anh] Hmm.
[Paik] What did you use to make the seasoning?
[Jin-seon] Shin Ramyun.
-[Paik] The seasoning powder? -Yes, the red one.
That's it?
You didn't use anything else?
[Jin-seon] No, the noodle seasoning was enough on its own.
It's made by experts that know what they're doing.
[chuckles]
-So may I go back now? -Sure.
-Right. -Yes.
GOOD IDEA
TASTES JUST LIKE CONVENIENCE STORE FOOD FLAVOR B-
[Jin-seon] I think I did really well with the theme. And I finished first.
[laughs]
[woman] Right.
[curious music playing]
[bell dings]
[Genius] Chef Choi Kang-rok seems to have a different perspective
when it comes to cooking.
He'll come up with something unique
and present the judges with a creative dish.
-Please explain your dish. -Of course.
Well, this is chili saury.
-[Paik] Chili saury? -That's right.
I wanted to make a dish reminiscent of canned chili tuna.
[Paik] I don't see chili.
-[Kang-rok] I added chili powder. -[Paik] Chili? Spicy Saury then?
-Like a can of spicy tuna? -[Kang-rok] That's it.
[Paik] So it's a side dish?
HOT PEPPER SAURY
[Kang-rok] I think it would pair nicely with some drinks. Yeah.
[curious music playing]
[Kang-rok] I thought slightly enhancing
the flavors of the convenience store ingredients
would suffice.
It's simple but delicious.
[chuckles]
Thank you.
-[Anh] Delicious. -Thank you.
[Kang-rok] I did allow myself to get my hopes up a bit.
2. CHOI KANG-ROK HOT PEPPER SAURY, LIKE HOT PEPPER TUNA…
[suspenseful music playing]
[Maniac sighs]
This is really tough.
[bell dings]
[Maniac] I hope that they get to see a bit of me reflected in this dish.
The dish is quite spicy.
That's exactly the kind of person I am.
-Ah. So what is this? -[Anh] Looks like a midnight snack.
[Maniac] Right, so…
[exhales]
…this is
a dish I like to whip up when I'm really drunk.
So I just mix it up like crazy and eat it. Pad thai is the inspiration behind it.
-[Paik] Pad thai? -[Maniac] That.
-[Paik] An instant noodle pad thai? -[Maniac] Exactly.
Please enjoy.
How many noodle packages?
-Two. -[Paik] That's a lot of calories.
Do you usually use two?
For me, instant noodles only count if they're eaten in pairs.
-Wise words. -[Maniac] So yeah, I use two.
[Maniac] In this dish, I aimed for irresistible flavors,
the kind that feels like a flavor-bomb explosion.
Do you make this often?
Yes, I'm obsessed with instant noodles.
You can eat the noodles cold--
This would taste great after a night of drinking.
[Maniac] Yeah, good.
I always make it when I'm drunk.
[slurps]
-It's like… -It's delicious.
…opening your fridge and grabbing everything
and somehow making it work.
[Maniac] That was my intention.
I wouldn't mind being eliminated after that.
Mm. Tastes great. Did you use whelk in this?
[Maniac] Yes, I did.
Yoodong whelk is something else.
[chewing]
-Thank you. -Thank you.
Thank you. [sighs]
[Maniac] I hope that they will really enjoy the dish I made.
That's my wish.
IDEA? GOOD WOULD I EAT IT AGAIN? YES
MANIAC, 8.7
[Maniac] Whenever I look at Chef Jung Ji-sun,
I can't help but notice the charisma she has.
She can make anything taste really delicious.
[suspenseful music playing]
All right, let's see now.
[Ji-sun] I had a certain dish in mind when we got started.
Today I made a local dish from Harbin called you po mian.
That's right. It's a noodle dish meant to be served
with piping hot oil, which is poured on top of the noodles.
The thing is, I didn't expect not to find an ingredient.
Where's the chili powder?
Holy crap. Please tell me they have chili powder.
I looked for chili powder, but couldn't find any.
You're supposed to pour hot oil on top of chili powder
to make it fragrant.
I just had to figure out another way of making this dish taste right.
So I used Cheongyang chili peppers.
First, I sauté the chili peppers in a frying pan without oil
to enhance their sweetness.
[adventurous music playing]
Next, I sear them briefly, chop them up,
and simmer them with some minced garlic.
Next, I used various sauces to replicate the original flavor as much as possible.
I added chili tadaegi and powdered instant-noodle seasoning.
I then poured the hot oil.
You can get the taste and the aroma when doing that.
What really matters is how you elevate that aroma.
RAMYEON YOU PO MIAN
-You po, right? The hot oil. -[Ji-sun] Yes, you po mian. Yes.
-[Paik] Did you taste it? -Yes.
How is it?
There's a slight difference, but it's close enough.
[Ji-sun] Judge Paik Jong-won knew what dish it was.
It's not exactly a dish you easily find in Korea,
so there was a good chance he had tried it in China,
which slightly freaked me out.
He knows a lot.
[Paik] The oil is what makes or breaks it.
[Anh] Look at this sauce. The oil smells great.
It smells authentic.
Good.
[Anh] I'm excited.
[slurps]
[Paik] Did you use plain cooking oil?
-No, green onion oil. -[Paik] Okay.
-You made your own green onion oil? -[Ji-sun] I did, yeah.
[Paik] In such a short time?
[Ji-sun] I boiled it all I could.
[Anh] Is it meant to smell of green onions?
[Ji-sun] Yes.
[suspenseful music playing]
-[Paik] Thank you for the meal. -[Anh] Thank you.
[Ji-sun] He was in disbelief that I pulled that off.
IDEA GOOD, INNOVATIVE WOULD EAT AGAIN, A-
-There are so many noodle dishes. -[Genius] Exactly.
I know, right?
[Goddess] Hello there.
I made some chicken chow mein.
For the noodles at the bottom, I boiled the instant noodles once,
then deep-fried them to get that chow mein texture.
That way, the sauce could seep into the deep-fried noodles,
giving it a very unique texture in my opinion.
For this dish, I drew inspiration from a kung pao sauce.
So this is a dish that was mixed with… kung pao sauce then?
Yes.
[curious music playing]
The noodles have a really great texture.
-Ramyun. The noodles are good. -It's incredible.
Probably because you boiled and then fried them.
[Goddess] They seem to be enjoying it a lot.
It must be really good.
They won't stop eating.
Oh, I think it smells too much like instant noodles.
I'm an idiot for pouring so much of the seasoning in.
[sighs]
[Paik] Oh!
Mm. Yes, that texture right there in the middle.
There it is.
[Seonkyoung] For this dish, I focused on different textures.
I began the dish by boiling the noodles.
Then I deep-fried them in hot oil.
Once they absorbed the sauce,
the noodles, which were initially crispy on the outside,
became a bit sticky on the inside.
-[Anh] Really American. -[Paik] Plenty of sauce.
-[Seonkyoung] Yes. -[Anh] Looks like chow mein.
-I began cooking in the United States… -[Paik] You started there?
-Yes, I did. -[Paik] When were you there?
[Seonkyoung] I was there in my late 20s, so either 27 or 28.
[Paik] You didn't start cooking until…
-In your mid-20s? -[Seonkyoung] I'd never cooked before.
I lived in a very remote, rural area,
so whenever I craved Korean food,
the only option I had was to make it myself.
-I can really taste it. -[Seonkyoung chuckles]
-It tastes like chow mein. -That's true.
[mysterious music playing]
Of course I wanted to make it past this round.
I want to move forward.
But they didn't take a second bite.
SEONKYOUNG CHOW MEIN, CRISPY NOODLES, 8.6
[mysterious music playing]
[Matfia] I don't usually care about what people think,
and for this mission, I really didn't care what the others were up to.
I go to the convenience store every day after work,
even if I don't end up buying anything.
It's just one of my biggest hobbies.
So this was my playground.
Oh, I was getting first place, no matter what.
Not a single contestant can beat me in this mission.
Look. Matfia grabbed a bunch of cream bread.
Why does he need so many?
Is he taking some home?
[Matfia] I figured that most of the chefs
would go for the strongest flavors you can find in a convenience store,
such as fish cake bars, sausages, or noodles.
Koreans usually crave something sweet after something salty or spicy.
So I decided to
come to the judge's rescue and make a dessert.
I'm making a Chestnut Tiramisu.
So I will lightly boil some chestnuts in milk,
blend them up,
then purée and mix them in with some cream cheese to make a tiramisu.
The issue is
that boiling chestnuts makes the cream hot,
and if you make the dessert while it's still hot, it falls apart.
So I took it to the freezer and put it with the ice.
And to make sure no one would take it or knock it over,
I just sat in front of the freezer to guard it.
After that,
I soaked digestives in toffee-nut latte and used them for the bottom as the base.
[rock music playing]
I scraped out all the cream from the cream breads.
I used the cream to make a… chestnut purée.
And for a crunchy component,
I took the granola that comes with yogurt and fried it to have something crispy.
Did you see he made a dessert?
Whoa, he made a dessert.
[Matfia] Honestly, the idea of being eliminated
never even crossed my mind during this mission.
[music stops]
Wow.
[Matfia] This is a Chestnut Tiramisu.
The reason I prepared a tiramisu
is because, in Italian, it means "pick me up" or "cheer me up."
I was sure you'd both be tired by now,
so I assumed you could both use a sugar boost.
I thought most contestants would make a main dish, so I made dessert.
[Paik] I noticed how you were doing your own thing
while everyone else was cooking.
You took a risk.
I enjoyed making it.
[suspenseful music playing]
[Paik] I know I shouldn't be so greedy.
Convenience stores have good stuff.
Their food tastes better.
-[chuckles] -I need more.
How did he make this dish with convenience store ingredients?
It tastes like something
a fancy hotel's café would serve.
Something expensive.
How much did it cost?
-It did cost quite a lot, only because-- -[Paik] You did waste a lot of bread.
I did. I didn't have any type of cream,
so I scooped out the cream from the breads and whipped it up myself.
-It's so good. -[Matfia chuckles]
[Goddess] They seemed to enjoy Napoli Matfia's dessert a lot.
[Kang-rok] They ate with huge smiles on their faces.
I'm sure it was really delicious.
[Paik] Just one more bite.
[chuckles]
[grunts]
-Well done. -[Matfia] Thank you.
[Matfia] I knew chef Ahn Sung-jae and Paik Jong-won would enjoy this dish.
In the end, I got the feedback I expected.
[dramatic music playing]
The dessert I made, I think they liked it.
You'll find some pineapple salsa at the bottom of the dish.
I seasoned the chicken with a marinade
using the oriental dressing I found.
You always manage to make a classy-looking dish,
no matter what you cook.
Oh, thank you so much.
[Eun-ju] I thought it was over for me, but those words made me second-guess.
[Genius] There was a good chance this could be my final round.
I wanted to create a dish that lived up to my nickname.
You can think of it as a toast
with lightly charred cabbage, tuna, imitation crab, and mayo.
There's a hint of burnt cabbage. It's great.
It's really pleasant.
Thank you.
Of course I want to make it past this round.
I made a carrozza sandwich with a crispy grilled surface.
It originates from the Campania region in southern Italy.
This is a great late-night snack.
[Spark] I was pretty confident in my dish at that point.
[narrator] That concludes the evaluations.
[Paik] Thank you for the meal and your hard work.
[Seonkyoung] Thank you.
[narrator] Judges, please select the additional survivors.
The one that really stood out to me was…
The one we wanted to keep eating.
-It was a great idea overall. So original. -Definitely this one.
[narrator] There will only be three survivors.
[suspenseful music playing]
Anyone could win at this point.
Sorry, but I have to win this round.
[narrator] We will now
announce the three
additional survivors.
[sighs]
[Spark] The tension was palpable,
thanks to all the silence and general anxiety in the room.
[Seonkyoung] I was so nervous.
[narrator] We will now announce
the first survivor.
[exhales]
[suspenseful music intensifies]
The first survivor of this consolation match,
who won first place by a huge margin…
is Napoli Matfia.
…is Napoli Matfia.
NAPOLI MATFIA SURVIVES
He said first place won by a huge margin.
And in that moment,
I knew it was me.
[suspenseful music playing]
The second survivor is…
White Spoon Chef Jung Ji-sun.
JUNG JI-SUN SURVIVES
This really motivated me.
I'll use this as a learning opportunity.
I plan on taking it a lot more seriously going forward.
And finally,
the third…
THE FINAL SURVIVOR
…and final survivor of the round is…
[suspenseful music playing]
[Genius] Being eliminated again, that would be terrible.
[Goddess] Please, I just need to get past this round. Please.
Then I'll do better next time.
[Maniac] I'm sorry, everyone,
but I have to win this.
[suspenseful music intensifies]
Congratulations, Cooking Maniac.
Cooking Maniac.
COOKING MANIAC SURVIVES
[uplifting music playing]
[Maniac] I almost started sobbing because I felt really bad.
I felt terrible for the people I had worked with up to that point,
but since I worked hard to get where I am,
I really want to give it my all.
[Paik] I want to thank all of the chefs here.
I apologize that not everyone can move forward.
It's been a blast.
I will always
be rooting for all of you.
[Anh] I will be too.
Great job.
Well, it was a bit disappointing.
But I gave it my all in the consolation round,
but still didn't manage to get past this stage.
No regrets.
After cooking for so many years,
I realized that there were a few things that I'd forgotten about.
I used to be in love with food,
I used to care so much.
Things like that.
This competition was a great reminder of those things.
I had a wonderful time.
[mysterious music playing]
[Paik] Look at this!
-He's making soba. -[Anh] Please.
[Paik] Wow.
[You-seong] I wonder what they have in store for us today.
[Paik] Welcome.
Hello.
[Ji-sun] Hello.
[Jeong-seok] Hello, hello.
[Self-Made] It's a restaurant! That's a restaurant there.
-[Ji-sun] Pretty. -[Ho-joon] Someone's already cooking.
-[Young-suk] Oh wow. -[You-seong] No way.
[Jeong-seok chuckles]
[Ho-joon] You look awesome in that uniform, Chef.
-[Jeong-seok] Looking good. -[Ji-sun] Amazing.
Have you guys eaten yet?
-[Hyun-seok] We have not. -[Young-suk] We haven't eaten yet.
[Paik] We've prepared some food to welcome our finest chefs,
the 15 who've made it this far.
I've prepared a dish for all of you to enjoy.
Well, this is a very fancy treat.
[Ho-joon] It's really an honor.
For now, just sit back and enjoy, everyone.
In that case, I'll head over there and observe.
Sure.
I guess we're all the judges now.
Oh, come on, Mr. Paik.
We'll take everything into account when reviewing your dish.
[laughing]
[Anh] This is one of Mosu's signature dishes.
It's called ember-toasted acorn noodles.
By embers, I'm referring to the fire burning on firewood.
We made the noodles for this dish by burning acorns over oak-tree charcoal.
I've tried this dish at his restaurant.
[machine beeps]
[indistinct chatter]
[gentle music playing]
[Anh] These acorns grow in oak trees.
I'm adding chamnamul, which goes really well.
He's using loads of truffles.
[gasps]
[Anh] Well, truffles grow under acorn trees,
which is where I got the idea for this dish.
-I'm so excited. -[Anh] I'll start serving here.
-[all] Ah! -[Ho-joon] Amazing!
Oh!
My pleasure.
[Ho-joon] Whoa, that's a lot of truffle.
[Jeong-seok] I can't see the noodles.
[string music playing]
Mmm.
[Matfia] Thanks.
-Welcome. -Goodness.
-What an honor. -What do you mean, it's an honor?
-The dishes are hot. -Thank you. Wow.
-Please enjoy. -Thank you.
-Please enjoy. -[all] Thank you.
Thank you for the meal.
[Anh] What do you think?
[Self-Made] This gets an O, no matter what.
[Anh] Thank you, Self-Made Chef.
[curious music playing]
-Wow. -[Anh] How does it taste?
-[Comic] This is a great dish. -Yeah.
[slurps]
I'm nervous.
[chuckles] It's crazy.
Now I know how you all feel on the other side of this.
This is the best moment in the whole competition.
[Anh] I'm glad you're enjoying it.
The acorn flavor shines through, and it pairs well with truffles.
Don't you think?
[Paik] Chef Edward Lee, have you…
You've already finished!
Of course. [chuckles]
-[Paik] Whoa! -[Anh] He gets it.
-[Paik] Good! -[Edward] Delicious.
-[Anh] You liked it? -It's got a great nutty fragrance.
Chef Anh Sung-jae, I always knew you were a perfectionist
and a freak-level technician…
-Oh. -[Hyun-seok] It's a flawless dish.
The seasoning, the cooking, flavor…
It really is perfect.
-[Paik] High praise. -Thank you very much.
Man, I would've made some instant noodles for that kind of praise.
[laughing]
-Did you enjoy it? -[all] Yes.
Right, so I'm guessing you're all feeling relaxed and ready to go now?
-I'm feeling anxious. -[Edward chuckles]
[alarm beeping]
What’s going on?
Oh. [chuckles]
-And so it begins. -[Self-Made] Ah.
[narrator] The time has come
for the continuation
of the culinary class wars.
The number of chefs
that will survive
this round is…
[suspenseful music playing]
…only eight survivors.
-Only eight? -Eight people? Come on…
[Ho-joon] That's a lot. That's half of us gone.
Eight people? That's quite harsh.
[narrator] In this round,
you will be facing off in mixed teams
in the Restaurant Mission.
Restaurant?
Oh.
[narrator] You will form
a mixed team, regardless of your class.
Then together,
you will have to run a restaurant for this mission.
OPEN A NEW RESTAURANT WITH A MIXED BLACK AND WHITE SPOONS TEAM
I'll be a team player and do what's necessary for my team.
I'll follow the team leader,
learn from the previous mistakes I made in all the other rounds
to hopefully do better in this one.
[narrator] First,
we will announce who will be head chef
for each team
so that you can form your teams accordingly.
What? It's already decided?
-So they're picking for us. -[Ji-sun] They already decided?
[narrator] In the preliminary survey,
you all voted for the three strongest contenders from the group.
Out of the bunch, the top three chefs who received the most votes
will be named in this mission
as head chefs for the round.
-Ah. -Ah. So that's what was!
[You-seong] So that's how.
[narrator] We'll announce the contestant who received the most votes first.
I'm so nervous. [chuckles]
[Hyun-seok] One person immediately came to mind.
[Jeong-seok] So… there was talk among the White Spoons
about how this one chef in particular was likely to win.
[Maniac] That chef's a beast, a force to be reckoned with.
[narrator] So the first head chef is…
Black Spoon's…
Black Spoon's Triple Star.
1ST PLACE: TRIPLE STAR
So you all voted for the chef most likely to win,
and he placed first?
[You-seong] Makes sense.
[narrator] Triple Star placed first by a large margin
with eleven votes…
[all] Whoa!
…from the fifteen remaining survivors.
[applause]
[curious music playing]
[Hyun-seok] The way he cooks is just so clean.
It's nearly flawless.
He has great technique and balances his dishes perfectly.
[Auntie] Once I saw how calmly and methodically he led his team,
I knew he was a skilled chef.
This meant that everyone but four had voted for me.
I was grateful above all else, but I also felt a little embarrassed.
I'll do my best to be a responsible leader.
[narrator] In second place, we have the White Spoon Choi Hyun-seok.
[Anh] That's no surprise.
2ND PLACE: CHOI HYUN-SEOK
-[Jeong-seok chuckles] -[Anh] Tears of happiness.
[Ho-joon] Congratulations.
[You-seong] He had great fundamentals
and the cooking skills to match.
I was able to see his abilities from up close.
He's completely committed to cooking.
He's the chef of our generation, for sure.
I wanted to be on a team with him.
[narrator] In third place,
we have the White Spoon Edward Lee.
3RD PLACE: EDWARD LEE
The man's a legend,
and I couldn't help but notice the strokes of genius
in the way he combined all of his ingredients.
Yeah, I would love to challenge him.
[narrator] From this moment on,
you may start working on forming your teams.
Head chefs, please decide on the members
you'd like to bring to your team.
[sighs]
[sighs] I need the right team.
-[Ji-sun] Just let the leaders decide. -That's a good idea.
The head chef picks, and if that chef wants,
they can join the team. If they say no, you skip that person.
-I want to be on your team. -Okay, so the head chef will pick first,
-We got two. -If you want to join them, you say yes.
-Already? -He already picked one.
[Matfia] I'm joining his team.
-[Young-suk] We're deciding already? -[Triple Star] I guess… we're starting?
I wanted to be a leader for a team match.
So I knew I had to join Chef Edward Lee
for the chance to have a leadership position.
He's not that great at Korean, and that might give me more say.
That was my strategy in this.
I'm a… tactician.
I… I don't know the other chefs.
-Uh, she's Korean. -[Edward] Yeah.
[Matfia] Korean. Korean.
He… he cooks Chinese.
-[Edward] She cooks Chinese. -[Matfia] Chinese. Um…
He's Japanese. Japanese.
-And he's like French-Japanese. -[Edward] Oh, yeah.
So I…
-Maybe we need one Korean chef. -Yep.
-[Jeong-seok] Let me join, Chef! -Can I join you guys?
-Huh? -I'd like to join you.
Oh, yes, please do.
[Young-suk] Chef Edward seemed to be the most talented chef here.
And after seeing his knife work,
I figured he was the strongest contender.
-Me! I'd like to join you, Chef. -All right then, Chef.
Would you like to join our team?
[Maniac] I would.
Excuse me, Chef.
Me? Oh!
Oh!
I felt like she and I would work well together.
I'd like to join your team. Will you take me?
-Of course. Welcome. -I think this team is solid.
Nam-no.
[Side Dish] Chef Nam-no! Nam-no!
[Jeong-seok] I'll finally get to work with him.
[Triple Star] I don't think he's coming.
-[laughing] -He's not coming. Look. He refused.
He's too good for us!
All right, we have a team of five now.
Well, all of us are excellent chefs, except for me.
-Come on. -[chuckles]
Over there, they've got a solid lineup. We have some competition.
Is everybody happy with their selection?
-I'm happy. [chuckles] -Okay.
ROUND FOUR: MIXED TEAM MATCH
TEAM EDWARD LEE TEAM CHOI HYUN-SEOK
TEAM TRIPLE STAR
[narrator] We will now announce the theme for this Restaurant Mission round.
-It looks like a menu book. -Yeah, a menu book.
[narrator] You will see before you an empty menu book.
[Ho-joon] What the… It's empty?
-So it has no menu inside? -Do we also set the prices?
[narrator] I'm sure you've noticed nothing is written on the menu books
you've just received.
Each team must fill in the blanks
with three different dishes and their respective prices.
-[Matfia] Price. -Even the price…
[narrator] The restaurants will open in 24 hours
and will be open for two hours and 30 minutes.
Each team will be given an operating budget of three million won.
And the winners of the Restaurant Mission
will be decided based on their restaurant's revenue,
as well as the judges' scores.
So revenue matters more.
We should make what people like.
[narrator] Every member of the team
that makes the most amount in sales
will survive.
[narrator] And the team with the least sales
will be eliminated.
[Matfia] Ah.
That's hardcore, damn.
That's really tough.
This round is about how well your restaurant does.
Profitability will be the top priority.
We'll be evaluating your restaurant's strategies
and business acumen.
We'll pay close attention to the preparations as well.
They could eliminate the other two teams.
We will stay.
I just hope we don't come last.
I'll do everything I can to lead my team to victory.
24 HOURS LATER
[narrator] We will now open the restaurants.
[Self-Made] Welcome!
-What… No way! -[Jeong-seok] Impressive.
-[Ji-sun] They got us. -[Maniac] We're screwed.
[Edward] Is this real?
-Oh shit. -Two dishes coming up.
[You-seong] We're going home if we're in fourth place.
[Maniac] I doubt Physical: 100 is this hard.
-Can someone give me a plate? -Right there.
All right, all right.
-Whoa! -[all] Oh!
-[woman 2] Cue the pyrotechnics! -[alarm beeping]
[narrator] We have an urgent announcement.
-What? -[Matfia] Oh!
[Maniac] These people are heartless.
[narrator] Now then,
let the Restaurant Mission commence.
We hope that you make very good use of the 24 hours
that have been given to you.
[Edward] Okay, so let's do this first of all.
I'm thinking
Korean cuisine.
I'm sorry. I'm not very fluent in speaking Korean.
-Take it slow. -[Edward] Korean cuisine.
Plain Korean cuisine would be a little--
Right, I agree. I don't think people would choose it as much.
So something special.
Something special, maybe something Western like that--
How about this then? For the first course, Korean-Italian.
Then Korean-American.
These two chefs will prepare Korean ingredients,
and we're going to serve it up with a twist.
Right, put a twist on it.
Since everyone here's got a distinct style,
I think we might want to mix it all up.
For instance, if we think that mala sauce is what's hot right now,
we could use it as a main sauce and infuse it into Italian cuisine.
Something like a mala carbonara.
We add mala to our cream sauce too.
We could also mix a mala cream with dim sum.
-Then let's go with that idea. -Yeah, sure, good idea.
We have to decide on pricing.
We should make something popular.
If it's too expensive, it might not sell as much.
-[Self-Made] That's a possibility. -That's why I said that.
I think we should serve dishes in small portions
and focus on selling lots of them.
The price range is really important here.
Think of it like this.
We're in a really special commercial area.
It might look like a food court,
but since the hosts are covering our patrons' expenses,
they can afford meals up to two million won, right?
The food and beverage business is all about data after all.
We can only make it work
based on analysis of how much our customers can spend.
It's not about the dishes
or the restaurant you want.
It's all about the customer data.
We're dealing with people willing to spend.
We need to figure out how to set a price range
and a menu that fits their willingness to spend.
If we sold five dishes but made as much as they did with one,
we'd never recover, no matter how hard we try.
We need to come up with a killer dish that's going to bring in those sales.
I do business in department stores too,
and the ones with the highest revenue
are always rice cake, noodles, sausages, or sundaes.
No one can ever beat them.
No matter what you serve, there's simply no beating them.
We need to make those dishes in a different way.
Something unusual.
So you're saying we should go with popular dishes
that people are familiar with, but add something extra?
We'll be serving them up with a twist.
What's your most popular menu item?
-Bibimbap. -Bibimbap?
We could try making a criminally overpriced dish.
We'll call it the Immoral Bibimbap or something.
Let's keep brainstorming.
That's actually really good.
-Wait a second. I just got another idea. -[Maniac] What is it?
The Morally Bankrupt Albap. We'll make it with caviar.
A humble dish that allows you to indulge in luxury at the same time.
Something like that.
You're basically suggesting we do
everything we'd never dare to do in the real world.
And we can add some lobster and caviar and make a caviar albap.
It'd be worth 500,000 won.
We'll charge 60,000, and they won't be able to resist our dish.
-They'll want our dish. -[Hyun-seok] If we do--
I'm liking this. It could work.
[Maniac] I just really loved his idea.
I wanted to give my customers a chance to get all fancy and bougie
since most people can't afford that more than a few times a year.
Those few days a year when you treat yourself…
Well, for them, that day is today.
We need good flavors, the name of the dishes, and the price.
For the caviar albap, should we do 58,000 or 60,000 won?
-[Maniac] 58? -[Auntie] Adjust it as we go.
-Eighteen thousand? -[Jeong-seok] Yeah, that sounds good.
-The steak should be more. -[Young-suk] Not sure.
-How about 30,000? -Thirty-two thousand?
-Two-thousand? -Yeah.
[Matfia] We should charge 25,000 for this.
It's fine. We only raised the prices by two to three thousand won.
Don't worry.
We can't raise it any more.
Yeah. We won't raise it anymore.
We have to sell as many as possible.
[Matfia] Forty-two for that, which totals to 100,000.
[Hyun-seok] Okay.
If this doesn't end up working, we're screwed.
But for now, let's do this and see how it goes.
I guess we won't know until we're open for business.
Right.
[suspenseful music playing]
[narrator] Now it is time
for the briefing session of your Restaurant Mission.
The name of our restaurant is Mister Jang.
I'm Mister Jang.
I looked at my teammates.
We come from different backgrounds, different cuisine, different ages,
but the one thing we love is jang.
Korean jang.
If we bring jang to the global sphere,
everywhere in the world,
Korean jang will upgrade every single dish out there.
But we also want to show that jang can be more than just Korean food.
It can be American food and Italian food and Chinese food
and everywhere.
If you use jang the right way, it makes every food better.
For our first dish, which will also be our signature,
we've prepared Mister Jang's ssamjang pasta,
priced at 12,900 won.
We'll be using a ssamjang base
and fresh pasta to prepare it as we would a carbonara.
-A ssamjang pasta? -[Anh] Assorted jeon with caviar?
Would people want to try pasta like that?
Isn't ssamjang usually more for pigs' trotters?
Our second dish is a steak made using gochujang butter,
and we'll be using beef for this dish.
They have a steak.
The price will be in the 30,000-won range. We'll be preparing three kinds of jeon.
And here's another dish I'd like to make into our signature dish.
It's caviar with assorted savory jeon.
We'll be serving caviar with assorted jeon to give it a Korean flair.
That way people can enjoy it in a relaxed setting.
What does the last dish, the assorted jeon, have to do with jang?
For the assorted jeon, we'll be serving wild chives ganjang in the center.
-[Paik] Ganjang for dipping? -Yes, for dipping.
-They really forced the jang in that one. -Mm-hmm, you're right.
How much caviar will you use?
For the caviar, we were thinking somewhere around
three grams of caviar per piece.
We won't be adding too much of it.
Wouldn't your customers be disappointed
if you named a dish assorted jeon with caviar
and then served only three grams?
Since most people are aware
that caviar is usually quite an expensive ingredient,
I'm sure most people will be a lot more forgiving,
given the price of 28,000 won.
-So customer satisfaction is your focus. -Right, exactly.
The jang in Uncle Jang is a reference to gochujang and ganjang,
Korean jangs, right?
You've come up with great names for your dishes.
When I first heard Uncle Jang, I wondered what it was about.
I think our concept is the best.
Next team.
The name of our restaurant is The Gazillionaire's Exorbitant Diner.
[chuckles]
[string music playing]
[laughs]
It's a casual diner that has a luxurious, fine-dining feel.
First on the menu,
we have the truffle gold katsu,
priced at 36,000 won.
Thirty-six thousand for a cutlet?
This isn't your run-of-the-mill cutlet.
We'll be using thick, juicy, expensive cuts of meats
and adorning them with truffle sauce.
As for our caviar albap in heaven, we asked ourselves,
"What's the best and fanciest ingredient you can put on an albap?"
Caviar is the most expensive fish roe.
We wanted to make something
that people found intriguing,
that they'd be curious to try.
-[cash register chimes] -We priced it at 58,000 won.
Lastly, our lobster mala cream jjamppong will be served at 42,000 won.
[Paik] I mean, sure, the jjamppong's got lobster in it,
but 42,000 won is still a steep price.
We considered this as a special commercial area
put together for today's competition. Today is about making the most revenue.
So we decided to raise the prices a bit
and serve them the best quality possible.
We wouldn't dream of doing this in the real world.
We came up with this for the sole purpose of captivating the customers
that will be coming in today.
We could've charged 30, 40,000 won for three dim sums.
Since we'll be setting up actual restaurants to serve our customers,
starting with a I'll-never-see-this-menu-again mindset
feels a bit dishonest.
Had they gone with sushi, they could've charged 50,000 won.
But albap for this much…
This isn't a normal restaurant. They're just putting on a show.
To be honest with you,
none of what I've heard
has told me what exactly you're going for.
In essence, you're using luxury ingredients
to make comfort food? Is that right?
-That's correct. Yes. -Is that what your approach is?
Besides, it's a unique business situation.
We're offering them the equivalent of a shopping venue.
They'll have a lot of money to spend on good food.
And we will have the dishes to serve them.
That's our concept.
Your approach could lead to huge losses if your dishes don't sell.
What are your thoughts on that risk?
We've worked the costs into the price of our dishes,
and our strategy is to leverage our customers' spending habits
instead of selling a lot of cheaply priced dishes.
He was asking all the wrong questions.
Making sales is priority number one, and we'll take care of the revenue.
Accounting for inventory,
placing fewer orders and earning less revenue
is just not how you play this competition.
This diner idea is very… Chef Choi.
It's unique.
I want to find out if this concept… will work or not.
Okay. Your concept?
Sure, we have named our restaurant the Triple Chinese Restaurant,
and our menu's a unique blend of all of our chefs' styles.
For our first dish,
we have a mala cream dim sum, priced at 15,000 won.
Our second dish is the crispy bulgogi bao, priced at 18,000 won.
Our third dish is gochujang butter gnocchi with roasted chicken,
priced at 25,000 won.
Our goal
was to sell the dishes on our menu at a reasonable price point,
like we would in a real restaurant.
Team Triple Chinese Restaurant went with a very genuine approach.
They wanted a more accessible restaurant for the masses.
Their concept was almost the complete opposite
of the luxury diner's.
The luxury diner team is catering to a very specific type of customer
to gather for this competition,
and they planned their entire concept, menu, and expensive pricing structure
to fit that audience.
Triple Chinese Restaurant, did your team completely ignore pricing in your concept?
No, sir. We aren't ignoring that. We considered it--
So it's not like you don't care?
Not at all. We talked about that quite a bit.
But ultimately, the dishes we wanted to prepare and sell
came at an adequate price point that's also accessible,
and we believe that will lead to more sales.
I'm a little concerned about a few things, like your pricing.
Did you consider all the aspects of running a restaurant
when you decided on these prices?
-We came up with realistic prices. -[Paik] Realistic prices?
Yes, we wanted to create a restaurant where anyone could enjoy a hearty meal,
which is how we got to those prices.
Our prices are cheaper compared to them,
but if we were to open a restaurant like this in the real world,
this would be the best way to do it.
[Paik] Did the other team's prices come as a shock to you by any chance?
-We did think it was a little unrealistic. -[Jeong-seok] We were shocked.
Were you shocked in a good or bad way?
A bit of both, I guess.
-[Paik] Both? -[Jeong-seok] Yes.
I think that you should… give it some more thought.
Really evaluate what you need to sell given the limitations.
Understood.
Our team's strategy is the exact opposite of Chef Choi's team
in a competition round where everyone's final score
is heavily based on revenue.
I'm really hoping this will work.
At the end of the day, your dishes will dictate if your restaurants
succeed or fail.
So I believe tomorrow's round will be a good lesson for us all.
[Anh] With your skills, we have high expectations.
Chefs, please take some time to review and perfect your strategies.
CONCEPT BRIEFING COMPLETE 21 HOURS BEFORE RESTAURANTS OPEN
[Hyun-seok] In this day and age, you can't expect to make a lot of money
solely serving good food.
I'll try my best in order to prove that.
Who is the best team of the three?
That would be us, of course.
No room for mistakes at all.
We have to be 100% every… every minute.
Our team's concept is the most realistic one.
I'll make it work, no matter what.
First of all, let's make sure they have shrimp.
Spring roll skins…
We'll get all we need here spending less than one million won.
Cream and truffles both work for us, so get us those.
[Hyun-seok] We need you to get the main ingredients first.
Then get the rest.
A box full of these? How many of them?
Three boxes…
Forty lobsters would be great.
If you can't get that, get at least 35.
Right, you can just text me the invoice tomorrow. Thank you.
[Ji-sun] We had to get everything,
from the sauce, the meat, down to the seafood and vegetables.
We each picked out all the ingredients that we wanted
so we could save as much time as possible.
MISTER JANG'S RESTAURANT
We were about as ready as we were ever going to be.
-[Edward] So, tonight's prep list. -[Matfia] A to-do list.
So for tonight, I have to cook the noodles.
And we also need to chop some bacon, onions,
and garlic for the sauce, right?
So could one of you chop them up?
-Can you make, um, the galbi? -[Matfia] Galbi marinade?
-Marinade? -Tonight?
-[Edward] Yes, yes. -Okay, I will.
[upbeat music playing]
We need to assign roles for prep right now.
You'll be in charge of the brine.
-Here. -Sure.
In that case, I'll work on these without cutting them.
-And the sauce… you're in charge of that. -Okay, I'll make it in advance.
Chef, make sure the rice is prepped just right.
I'll take care of it.
Auntie Omakase #1,
roast the seaweed.
I'll get a layout for prep ready.
I just need to finish working out my part.
-All right, okay. -[alarm beeping]
[narrator] We have an urgent announcement.
-[Jeong-seok] What? What now? -What announcement?
[narrator] Contestants, it is time
to open another restaurant right now.
-What? -Huh? Another restaurant?
[tense music playing]
What's happening?
[Matfia] What the…
-[Young-suk] What is this? -[Matfia] Damn it.
-[Triple Star] Wait, what? -[Maniac] What?
[Young-suk] Why?
-[You-seong] What's happening? -[Maniac] Huh? What?
[music continues]
What?
[narrator] Starting now, you must consider
which member of your team
is contributing the least to the restaurant's operations
and dismiss them from your restaurant and team.
We need to kick someone out.
[narrator] The three dismissed contestants…
The three dismissed contestants must join forces,
come up with a new concept,
and run that restaurant together as a new team.
Oh! These people are heartless.
I was wondering why there were four.
-[Ho-joon] Yeah, right? -[Maniac scoffs]
So that team's only gonna have three people?
[narrator] We will now have
a secret ballot vote in order to decide.
You must fill out the name or a keyword
for the contestant you'll dismiss,
along with your reasoning,
and submit it.
Oh, sheesh, this is just so cruel.
[narrator] Each team must dismiss one member,
and should a contestant be discontent with their current team,
said contestant may also volunteer to leave.
[Self-Made laughs]
[narrator] This will be your final chance to change your team
before the opening of the restaurants.
[Ho-joon] I did not see that coming.
[narrator] We sincerely urge you to make the best decision
that will ensure your survival.
Ha!
-[Jeong-seok] Why do they do this? -[Maniac] Evil.
18 HOURS AND 30 MINUTES BEFORE THE RESTAURANTS OPEN
TRIPLE CHINESE RESTAURANT
This sucks, but we're gonna have to pick someone.
-[Self-Made] Right. -[sighs]
You guys should just write my name. Jot my name down.
-Just don't. -What?
[Ji-sun] Damn it.
I hate this… I hate this game.
[laughs]
You guys can put me down.
Don't say that.
[Matfia] Ah, jeez…
I think I want to cook my style of food somewhere else.
-[Matfia] The dish you wanted to cook? -Yes. Yeah.
I thought it would be fun.
Team Edward Lee didn't really excite me, and I had a pretty minor role.
I was worried that I was going to end up in the background,
like in the previous team round.
So when I heard this announcement,
leaving the team sounded like a good idea.
Yeah, no worries. Just go ahead and dismiss me.
-[Matfia] Since that's what he wants… -Yeah.
[Edward] I didn’t want him to leave, but he wanted to cook Chinese food.
DISMISSED MEMBER: COMIC BOOK CHEF REASON: AS PER HIS REQUEST
-It was nice cooking with you. -Same. Thank you.
Short time.
THE GAZILLIONAIRE'S EXORBITANT DINER
[Hyun-seok] Hold on. I just need to make a call.
Hey.
Chef Jang, can you give me the categorized list of the menu?
-All right, let's see… -Right.
So I'm calling about our agreed amounts.
[Ho-joon] Now, since there will be four teams participating,
we might want to adjust our costs and reprioritize.
[clears throat]
We'll buy them and take care of it ourselves.
Yeah, right. We'll take care of it.
So, guys, how are we going to do this?
Okay, everyone.
Think about it as you work, but let's get started.
[Ho-joon] We've got to do this.
Okay, I'll need you to write down
the steps for the sauce you mentioned earlier, Chef Maniac.
The sauce…
Can you pass that over, please? Thank you.
-[Auntie] Someone has to go… -[Maniac] I didn't think it'd be me.
I thought it would be them. One of them.
Auntie Omakase #1 or Chef Ahn.
It felt like they didn't quite fit in.
There's going to be another team,
but we've prepared 80 servings of each dish.
I guess we could… do fewer servings
or maybe dish out more of the ikura
or give out more lobster or more of something along those lines.
[Auntie] That really caught me off guard,
and I couldn't help but think it might be me.
[You-seong] It was rather worrying.
I knew it was possible that it would be me.
We need to assign roles, but we can't do that if we don't know who's leaving.
[Maniac] Should we vote first?
Do you want to put it to a vote first? We're gonna have to do it anyway.
Why don't we take some time to think?
And then we can vote.
We won't get much work done if we continue like this.
Okay, it's time to vote.
[mysterious music playing]
[Auntie] I voted for Chef Ahn You-seong.
I thought that I might be able to
take over the work he was supposed to do,
so that's why I voted for him.
[clock ticking]
[You-seong] I have a lot of respect for Auntie Omakase #1,
but since this is war, I have no choice.
[Maniac] I voted for Auntie Omakase.
I mean, working with seaweed wasn't carrying much weight.
I could roast them myself as well.
[Ho-joon] I voted for Chef Ahn You-seong.
I don't know.
We were all sharing ideas earlier about what to do,
and I don't remember him contributing as much.
1 VOTE LEFT
[suspenseful music playing]
[narrator] The voting has now concluded.
-Such a shame you have to leave. -[Self-Made] Yeah, it's okay.
[narrator] We will now announce the contestants that have been dismissed
from each of the teams.
[suspenseful music playing]
[narrator] First,
the contestant Team Triple Star will be dismissing is….
Self-Made Chef.
[Maniac] Ah, shit. Ah.
[Self-Made] Hmm?
They must've agreed on it. Yeah, they consulted with him.
[sighs]
[Self-Made] Given the circumstances, I should be the one to go.
We've already finalized the menu,
and I'm not actively involved in any specific dish.
My role will mainly be prep work and cleanup,
so it's easier if I go.
It's the best way for me to contribute to the team,
don't you think?
[clears throat]
What if I go and win over there, huh?
[laughs]
-[Jeong-seok] Wow. I hate this so much. -I'll go and win over there. Just watch.
Anything could happen now.
[Ji-sun sighs]
You all know this is the right thing to do here, all right?
Just write my name.
-Damn. All right, let's do that then. -[Self-Made] Yeah, just do that.
-I'm so sorry about this. -Seriously, no worries.
[Triple Star sighs]
You'll pass this round.
[Self-Made] I swear I will.
[narrator] Self-Made Chef, please move to the empty restaurant
now that you have been dismissed.
[Self-Made] Come join me, guys.
Hey, go team!
[narrator] Team Edward Lee will be dismissing
Comic Book Chef.
[Self-Made] Whoo!
Come join me! [laughs]
Hurry up and join me!
It looks like the two Chinese cuisine chefs
have joined forces.
[music fades]
[Self-Made] This might be better for us.
[Matfia] They have a solid Chinese cuisine team.
They'll be fine.
[sighs]
[narrator] Team Choi Hyun-seok will be dismissing…
[suspenseful music playing]
[closing theme music playing]
[music fades]