[narrator] And so the team in first place is…
[suspenseful music playing]
[Ji-sun] Well, I personally like our odds.
[Hyun-seok] I was zen about the whole thing.
[Edward] Yeah, we're gonna win.
[sighs]
[narrator] In first place is
Team
Choi Hyun-seok.
Everyone on this team has survived.
Good work. You did great.
Great job, guys.
You did a really great job.
Seriously.
We've been through so much.
[Auntie] Great job, guys.
2ND PLACE: TEAM TRIPLE STAR TOTAL SALES: 2,220,000 WON
3RD PLACE: TEAM EDWARD LEE TOTAL SALES: 1,498,100 WON
From our point of view, during the menu selection
all the way through to the briefing,
it looked to us like Chef Choi Hyun-seok was the one calling all the shots.
However,
your restaurant had better teamwork than all the others.
And each of your individual strengths had a chance to shine.
You had a good theme. You set your prices right.
And not once
did you ever seem to struggle.
Chef, you've absolutely nailed the restaurant challenge.
Congratulations.
-[Ho-joon] Yes, thank you. -Thank you.
[emotional music playing]
[Triple Star] It definitely hurts to lose.
But they completely crushed it.
You need to have a very capable team behind you,
teammates who have the ability to execute the game plan.
I may have steered us in the right direction,
but we only won because we worked as a team.
I always knew we were going to win.
TEAM CHOI HYUN-SEOK: EVERYONE SURVIVES
[Ho-joon] I think all the other teams did a good job too.
The entire service was really great.
[narrator] Right now,
there are only four spots left
at the table reserved for the final eight semifinal contestants.
4 SELECTED BASED ON SKILLS AND CONTRIBUTION
[narrator] We will now announce the four survivors
from the second-and third-place teams.
From the teams that finished in second
and third place,
the first surviving chef is…
[Triple Star] I knew we couldn't all make it through.
But I was hoping at least three of us might make it to the next round,
if we were lucky.
[Edward] What's done is done. We… we did our best,
and I'm very proud of our team.
The first surviving chef is…
[suspenseful music playing]
Chef Jung Ji-sun.
JUNG JI-SUN SURVIVES
We had always planned on prioritizing the chef
who was responsible for creating the best-selling dish,
and hers was the one that sold the most.
BEST-SELLING DISH: 39 ORDERS OF "MALA CREAM SHRIMP DIM SUM"
To run a successful business,
you need to know how your customers are responding.
What didn't they finish?
Checking on these things is key to running a restaurant.
And Chef Jung Ji-sun was the first one who checked out the leftovers bin.
That was enough for me.
[Ji-sun] I felt bad for the others because, together,
we'd been through so much.
-[Triple Star] You did great. -[Ji-sun] Thanks.
[dramatic music playing]
[Paik] And the next survivor
who will take one of the last three seats is…
Triple Star.
TRIPLE STAR SURVIVES
[Paik] Congratulations.
[curious music playing]
[Paik] You were a quiet but effective leader.
You led by example, staying up all night to prepare for the service.
It impressed us.
A leader needs to take responsibility
and set the tone for the rest of their team.
And you certainly did that.
I definitely felt guilty
because I'd failed to lead my team
to the next round.
Regarding the chef who will take
one of the last two seats…
Throughout the entire challenge
I saw them excel at performing their duties,
making sure everything
was running smoothly.
The third survivor is…
Napoli Matfia.
NAPOLI MATFIA SURVIVES
[Matfia] I think that
since I'm a little bit younger than the others,
I, uh…
[emotional music playing]
[weeps softly]
It's okay.
You did a great job.
[Matfia breathing shakily]
Can I just say one thing on his behalf?
You know, this challenge was very difficult for me.
Um…
I'm not from here. I… I don't know what the markets are.
I don't know how to translate. I don't know pricing.
I leaned on him a lot.
And… and he was a great partner to have in this challenge.
[Matfia] I was really sad about having to leave those three behind.
And when I thought about the fact that the two women on my team,
right next to me, were both old enough to be my mother,
I just started crying.
-It was an honor to work with you. -[School Meals] You did great out there.
-Congratulations. -Thank you.
-Good job. Congratulations. -Go win this thing.
Chef Napoli had been through a lot,
so I was very happy when he made it to the next round.
One seat remains.
The final survivor is…
Chef Edward Lee.
EDWARD LEE SURVIVES
Congratulations.
You were very receptive to the feedback you got from your customers.
And you made adjustments accordingly.
You set a great example of how to communicate with your customers.
We rated you highly because of that.
It was a very special experience for me
to be able to cook with the older people and younger people
and have that experience with different generations.
Thank you.
-I learned so much. -You must be exhausted.
-Thanks. -Thanks for your hard work.
-I should probably head back. -You need to start cooking.
-[laughing] -I need to start cooking for the kids.
[Paik] Thank you both for your hard work.
I wasn't really that disappointed to be sent home.
I felt like I made it pretty far and learned quite a bit along the way.
It was an honor to compete.
I'm confident to call myself a successful woman.
-[Anh] You did great. -Thanks.
-I learned a lot. -You did great.
-I appreciate it. -Thank you.
-Thank you for your hard work. -[Paik] I'm sad to see you go.
I actually felt relieved… because I knew I gave it my all.
I met some wonderful people.
And I had a great time.
[narrator] And with that,
the top eight contestants that will proceed to the semifinals
have been chosen.
CULINARY CLASS WARS
CULINARY CLASS WARS TOP 8
CHOI HYUN-SEOK, JANG HO-JOON, JUNG JI-SUN, EDWARD LEE
TRIPLE STAR, COOKING MANIAC, AUNTIE OMAKASE #1, NAPOLI MATFIA
[suspenseful music playing]
[Paik] We're down to eight chefs
after starting out with 100 contestants.
[Matfia] I really believe that all of the final eight contestants
have shown that they really deserve to be here.
[narrator] Now, allow me
to introduce our final eight contestants.
Korea's number one celebrity chef,
a kind and charismatic leader,
White Spoon Choi Hyun-seok.
[dramatic music playing]
[Maniac] He's a veteran. He has major experience.
The main reason why we won the last challenge was
because Chef Choi Hyun-Seok was our leader.
I think I'm going to win.
[dramatic music fades]
[narrator] Our next top-eight survivor is…
Who the hell is this crazy guy?
Is this guy a complete psycho or something?
Have you seen the way he uses a knife?
[narrator] Voted as the strongest contender by his peers,
Black Spoon Triple Star.
[dramatic music playing]
[Triple Star] I made it this far. I have to win.
[narrator] Korea's first female celebrity chef
to specialize in Chinese cuisine,
White Spoon Jung Ji-sun.
[Hyun-seok] Chef Jung Ji-sun is absolutely a fighter.
She won't quit.
[Ji-sun] I know I can make it all the way to the top.
[narrator] Our fourth contestant is a man who's obsessed with cooking,
Black Spoon Cooking Maniac.
[Maniac] I want to show everybody how I got my nickname,
why they call me a maniac.
[narrator] Our fifth contestant started the Korean omakase,
Black Spoon Auntie Omakase #1.
[Ji-sun] You can't beat her experience.
[narrator] Our sixth contestant,
the grand master of Japanese cuisine,
White Spoon Jang Ho-joon.
[Ho-joon] This competition is almost over, and I want to win.
All I have to do is beat seven other chefs.
[suspenseful music playing]
[narrator] Our seventh contestant
owns and operates Korea's hottest Italian pasta bar,
Black Spoon Napoli Matfia.
[Matfia] I honestly am not worried about my competition.
I can beat all of them.
[narrator] And our final top-eight survivor,
the chef who has cooked for The White House State Dinner,
White Spoon Edward Lee.
[Maniac] He won Iron Chef,
an insane accomplishment to put on your resume.
[Triple Star] I think he'll breeze his way into the finals.
[Edward] It's not enough.
We have to keep going, keep fighting, keep cooking,
and show the judges why I'm really here.
[suspenseful music fades]
[narrator] And now, we will reveal
how many of the final eight chefs
will advance to the finals.
[suspenseful music playing]
What?
[Ho-joon] How many of us will make it?
[narrator] Only two chefs.
-[Ho-joon] Two? -[gasps] Just two?
-[Ho-joon chuckles] -[gasps]
Wow.
[Matfia] It turned out to be two.
[Ho-joon] I expected a lot more.
[narrator] The top two contestants who will advance into the final round
will be decided based on two challenges.
And whichever chef that finishes in first place
in the next challenge,
will have a guaranteed spot in the finals.
[gasps] Dang.
[narrator] The first challenge of the semifinals
is to create the dish that shaped your life.
My life…
My life.
[narrator] For this challenge, you must create a unique, personal dish
that sums up your entire life.
[Ji-sun] My life's been so busy.
I've never had a chance to stop and reflect.
We'll still be evaluating their cooking skills.
But this is more about seeing how the dish they create
relates to their life.
[Anh] "A breath of life" as some people like to call it.
But if their dish isn't genuine,
it's probably gonna blow up in their face
because I hate stuff like that.
[suspenseful music playing]
[Matfia] Our ranks don't matter anymore. There's no pecking order.
[Maniac] I'll destroy everyone with the flavors I make.
[Triple Star] Now that I've made it this far, I want more.
[Hyun-seok] Only the most-skilled of us will advance.
[narrator] Now then, chefs, create a dish that best represents your life.
The challenge begins now.
-[Ho-joon] Good luck, everyone! -[Matfia] Good luck.
[suspenseful music playing]
Judge Paik, tell me, which dish shaped your life?
-Don't ask. I have way too many. -Too many, huh?
If I was out there competing,
I'd have a really hard time deciding on what to do.
[Anh] Ah.
Were those dishes turning points in your life?
[Paik] Yes, but there are dishes that can bring up painful memories as well.
We attach a lot of emotion to our food.
[Anh] They could also make their best dish
since that's what ultimately made them into who they are today.
Their main goal
should be to make us feel like we're walking in their shoes.
As if we're experiencing a day in their lives?
That's right. Yeah, yeah.
One thing I noticed
is that Cooking Maniac
and Chef Jang Ho-joon
both started out with just a boatload of onions.
And they're both next to each other too.
[Ho-joon] I decided I was going to prepare
an onion-based dish.
It challenges the conventions of taste and flavor.
So I think the judges might give me some extra points for creativity.
I didn't wanna go overboard.
I wanted to make a dish that was true to myself,
using ingredients that represent who I am.
[Auntie] I knew exactly what I wanted to make
as soon as they told us what the challenge was.
I've been making this dish for over twenty years.
In fact, I made this dish right before I came here.
So I knew that that was what I had to make.
[Triple Star] When I lived in the US, it was a difficult time in my career,
but it was also an incredible learning experience.
My goal is to tell that story through the dish I'm making.
[Paik] He's using a lot fewer ingredients than everyone else.
Like barely anything.
[Anh] I think he's going for something simple.
[Paik] He's got clams, butter…
[Anh] He seems to be working with just clams and pasta.
Do you think he might be doing a pasta alle vongole?
Matfia's also known for his pasta,
wouldn't you say?
-Is he kneading dough? -[Anh] Yeah, he is.
But it doesn't look like regular dough.
Their two dishes might overlap then.
[Matfia] There were a lot of things I wanted to show off
because I run a restaurant in Korea that's renowned for having fresh pasta.
Chef Jung Ji-sun's known for her Chinese food.
But it looks like she's making sashimi.
-Or sea bream. -[Anh] She's slicing it really thinly.
[energetic music playing]
[Ji-sun] Since I'm the last Chinese cuisine chef,
I wanted to show what Chinese food is all about.
[Paik] Does Chef Edward Lee have a rice cooker over there?
[Anh] I think he's making rice.
-I thought he'd make a Western dish. -Oh, that's surprising.
[Edward] Today, I'm making, um, bibimbap,
but special bibimbap.
Ooh. Doesn't look done.
Oh, good.
[Anh] I like how serious everyone gets when they're cooking.
[Paik] Chefs look their best when they're cooking.
[narrator] Three minutes remain.
[Anh] Time flies.
[suspenseful music playing]
[narrator] One minute remains.
This semifinals challenge of creating a dish that shaped your life
has now concluded.
[Edward] Ah.
[exhales]
[suspenseful music fades]
[narrator] The judges will now evaluate each dish.
[mysterious music playing]
[Ji-sun sighs]
[narrator] Jung Ji-sun,
please head up to the judges' table.
[Ji-sun] When I thought about a dish that shaped my life,
I tried to remember the one dish that opened my eyes
to the wonders of Chinese food.
And when I did, it brought back a lot of memories from my past.
Right, so this is called songshu guiyu.
The name comes from the fact that when you fry the fish,
the fish ends up looking like a squirrel when it's done.
This dish marked a significant turning point in my life.
So back when I was in my twenties, I was deciding what career to pursue,
Being a female chef was rare.
And oftentimes I would feel very lonely.
I was usually the only woman in the kitchen.
I struggled with it.
The first dish I made when I was in China
was called songshu guiyu.
It was different from the Chinese food I'd seen in Korea.
It required finesse. It had flair.
That's when I thought, "So this is what cooking is all about."
[emotional music playing]
[Ji-sun] I felt like I'd stand out if I could make meals like this.
So this dish was the backbone of my Chinese cuisine exploration.
And so I felt this was the dish that shaped my life.
[Paik] So if you'd never come across this particular dish,
who knows what you'd be doing now.
I think it's possible that I never would've become a chef.
Oh. Really?
Yes, because whenever I was in the kitchen,
I was always surrounded by men.
I was the only woman, and I felt very alone.
Learning the skills required to make food like this helped me stand out.
You don't need a lot to make Chinese food.
As long as I had a wok, a ladle, and a knife,
I could make almost anything.
I was proud that I could make a lot with very little.
[Anh] Can't wait to try it.
I'll try some too.
Oh boy.
I'm excited.
I'm surprised you went with fish because it takes a ton of work.
A ton.
[mysterious music playing]
Sea bream can be really tough to work with.
[Paik] What did you use to make the sauce?
-[Ji-sun] I made some tweaks. -[Paik] Such as?
[Ji-sun] Well, you normally use chili sauce for this dish,
but I burned chili peppers in oil,
ground them up,
and then boiled them, adding in some doubanjiang
and ketchup.
Was there a reason why you decided to try something new
instead of taking the conventional approach?
Well, traditionally the dish is made to be sweet and sour.
But I figured that if someone is going to eat all of it,
it might help to add a little bit of spice,
which is why I added the peppers to it.
[Anh] Oh, I see.
Thanks for the meal.
[Paik] Thank you.
[narrator] Judges,
please enter your scores for Chef Jung Ji-sun now.
JUDGES WILL EACH GIVE A SCORE OUT OF 100
AFTER ADDING BOTH JUDGES' SCORES,
THE CHEF WITH THE HIGHEST POINTS ADVANCES TO THE FINAL ROUND FIRST
[suspenseful music playing]
[narrator] We will now announce Chef Jung Ji-sun's final score.
The judges' scores
will be revealed now.
…revealed now.
Judge Paik Jong-won gives an 87.
Judge Anh Sung-jae gives an 82.
Jung Ji-sun has received in total
a score of 169.
[mysterious music playing]
Chef, I'll be honest with you.
When I took a bite of your dish,
I found myself kind of wishing
that you had used a sauce
that better mitigated the fishy smell in your dish.
Unfortunately, I think you failed to do that.
That fishiness was a little too strong.
[Ji-sun] Oh.
Right.
But it was still a good attempt regardless.
Right, thank you very much.
[Ho-joon] Great job out there.
Great job.
[Ji-sun] I'm disappointed. I wish I could try again.
I'm the last Chinese cuisine chef here.
I wish I'd done better.
[Triple Star] They seem like a tough crowd.
After that, I realized this might be harder than I thought.
[chuckles]
Looks like a tomato.
[narrator] Edward Lee,
please head up to the judges' table.
[suspenseful music playing]
[Edward] It's a long walk to the judges.
Sometimes you think, "Wait. I wanna go back and change something."
But once you start walking,
you have to go all the way through to the end.
And let's do it.
[Paik] Oh.
[sniffs]
So the dish that shaped my life
is a modern-style tuna, caviar bibimbap.
[Paik] I certainly wasn't expecting this.
We didn't expect this at all.
I myself am a bibim person, in my opinion,
because just like a bibimbap,
I'm a mix of many different cultures,
Korean, American…
I'm influenced by many different types of food.
And to be honest,
I've always really struggled with my heritage.
My Korean identity.
[emotional music playing]
Am I an American?
Or am I a Korean?
But all of those thoughts go away
whenever I'm cooking.
I'm able to relax.
I'm able to devote all my energy into finding that one unique flavor.
That's what matters the most to me.
That one unique flavor.
With bibimbap,
the first thing you'll probably notice is all of the various ingredients
and the different colors.
But combined they create that one unique flavor.
In many ways, I love bibimbap.
I wanted to take this… such a common dish, uh, but make it special.
Uh, I make the rice.
All the bibimbap ingredients with the egg is on the inside.
I wanted to make it something different, so I roll it into a ball…
deep-fry it…
and then cover it with raw tuna.
When I look at bibimbap, I see myself.
It kind of reflects my life and my identity
as a Korean-American person,
I… I am bibimbap.
And so that's what makes bibimbap the dish that shaped my life.
Are we supposed to mix this together?
-[Edward] No, just cut into it, and then… -Cut it?
Is it even a bibimbap if we're not mixing it?
[Anh] Oh, I get it now. Because it's already mixed inside.
I'll cut it in half.
[Paik] He's done a lot more than just mixing.
[Anh] And you said you deep-fried it once?
I think he's mixed it.
And regarding the sauce,
were you inspired by chogochujang?
Yes, definitely.
But I also love the taste of powdered perilla,
and so I mixed some of that in as well to try and get a nutty, savory fragrance.
Should I eat this with a fork or a spoon?
There's the identity crisis right there. It mirrors your own confusion.
[Anh] Right. I'm feeling confused too.
[mysterious music playing]
[Edward] I want to show them not only flavor,
but also, what this food means to me.
This is definitely not the kind of bibimbap we were expecting.
When Chef Anh and I were first looking at it,
we turned to each other and went,
"Maybe it's like a hoedeopbap?"
But it's not that either.
-Yeah, it's not. -Right.
-I also came back from the United States… -[Edward] Right.
…to run a restaurant here.
When you take a dish such as bibimbap,
which is a dish that's very unique to Korea,
and you set out to reinterpret it,
it's definitely a risky move. It's a gamble.
If you slightly miss the mark,
it could be off-putting to a lot of people.
But I really wanted to preserve the identity of bibimbap.
So I didn't want to stray too far.
[Paik] Thank you so much for the meal.
[narrator] The tasting has now concluded.
Judges, please enter your scores for Chef Edward Lee now.
[Edward] I thought they were very positive and very curious about what I made.
[narrator] We will now announce Chef Edward Lee's final score.
The judges' scores will be…
[suspenseful music playing]
CURRENT 1ST PLACE JUNG JI-SUN: 169 POINTS
[narrator] The judges' scores will be revealed now.
Whoa.
[Ho-joon chuckles]
[narrator] Judge Paik Jong-won gives a 97.
Judge Anh Sung-jae gives an 82.
Edward Lee has received in total
a score of 179.
Thank you.
CURRENT RANKING 1ST PLACE: EDWARD LEE, 179 POINTS
The challenge today was to create a dish
that represented a culmination of your life
to convince us how your dish represents your life.
And after trying yours, Chef Edward Lee, I must say that you've convinced me.
Every Korean has had bibimbap.
We've had it since we were little kids.
So I was expecting one thing,
but you made me go, "Wow, this is totally different."
"That's a whole new take on bibimbap."
I think this dish is a good example of how to create a compelling narrative
around Korean food for a global audience.
That's why I gave you that score.
I agree with certain parts of what Judge Paik is saying.
But I also disagree with other parts too.
The difference in our scores wasn't about how the dish tasted.
It was a difference in thought.
If he said this was a modified deopbap, I would've bought into it more.
But he said this was bibimbap, and I personally couldn't get behind that
because I had to use a knife and cut into it in order to eat it.
You can't just call a dish something when it definitely isn't that.
I gave him that score because calling it bibimbap
misrepresents what that iconic Korean dish actually is.
[narrator] Edward Lee leads with a score of 179.
[Edward] The… the score was surprising.
It was kind of confusing to me
because the difference between the two judges was so much.
And I think 179 is not a great score.
[curious music playing]
Hello.
The reason why I chose this dish as the dish that shaped my life
is because when I started my business in 2015,
I went in with high hopes, but things didn't exactly go to plan.
In fact, things went so badly, I almost went out of business.
So I started thinking about what inexpensive ingredients I could use
that would still add a lot of flavor, and I thought of onions.
That's how it became my signature dish.
I roasted the onions in the oven, and then I cooked them over charcoal
to sear the outside while maintaining the moisture that was on the inside.
The key to this dish
is really the sliced green onions and the deep-fried green onions.
They bring out the texture in the other ingredients.
People started talking, and it got pretty popular.
And now, I own nine restaurants,
and this is the dish that made it possible.
The kuro tamanegi,
which literally means "the black onion."
This dish shaped my life.
[Paik] So what you're saying is that this dish
is the one that really kick-started the success of your business.
Correct. We still sell it today at my restaurants.
It's our signature dish.
So what should we try first?
I think it's best when you try all three parts at the same time.
The deep-fried part, the green onions, and the roasted onion.
And feel free to use as much sauce as you'd like.
[suspenseful music playing]
[Ho-joon] I was very confident in my onion dish.
-You said this is your signature dish. -[Ho-joon] Yes.
I think Negi might be the only place you can find this dish.
Absolutely. I had a hard time coming up with it.
-I really loved it. -Thank you for the meal, Chef.
[Ho-joon] Thank you.
[narrator] We will now announce Chef Jang Ho-joon's final score.
The judges' scores
will be revealed now.
CURRENT 1ST PLACE EDWARD LEE: 179 POINTS
[narrator] Jang Ho-jun has received
91 points from Judge Paik Jong-won and 87 points from Judge Ahn Sung-jae.
That's 178 points total.
2ND PLACE: JANG HO-JOON, 178 POINTS
What struck me is how you took a cheap ingredient
and used it to your advantage.
You really harnessed that sweet flavor that you get when you cook an onion.
I can totally see why your sales skyrocketed
when you introduced this dish.
-It was really lovely. -Thank you. Thank you.
I believe that picking ingredients is the most important part of making a dish.
And unfortunately, the flavor of the onions
wasn't quite good enough.
So, Chef, that's why I gave you that score.
I was afraid of undercooking the onions,
so I left them in longer and ended up overcooking them.
That was definitely a mistake on my part.
After that, I started thinking about what the next challenge would be.
THE DISH THAT SHAPED AUNTIE OMAKASE #1'S LIFE
[emotional music playing]
[Auntie] I'm very used to making over a thousand servings of this,
Andong guksi, every day.
It's something I've only ever made for my customers.
I've certainly never made it in a place like this.
I was pretty nervous.
This dish is an Andong guksi
made with boiled noodles and seasonal greens.
[curious music playing]
[Auntie] The noodles weren't gonna be enough,
so I decided that I would cook some millet rice to go alongside them.
I also made cabbage jeon and fresh kimchi.
HANDMADE GUKSI, CABBAGE JEON, MILLET RICE, GEOTJEORI
I want some. [chuckles]
And as far as how these noodles have shaped my life,
uh…
[chuckles nervously]
Mmm.
I grew up in a very wealthy household when I was little,
but when my father's business suddenly failed, we fell on hard times.
This caused my father to collapse due to cerebral hemorrhaging,
and he became partially paralyzed.
In order to raise me and in order to raise all of us,
my mom stepped up.
So she started selling noodles at a corner stall at a marketplace.
Back when I was in school, I hated eating those noodles.
And when I think back on it,
I think I hated them so much because I saw them as a symbol of poverty.
And to add on top of that, my mother
had surgery on both of her eyes because of complications from diabetes.
So that's how I learned how to make noodles.
My mom was struggling so much, I didn't really have a choice.
So I took over the job, and I kept working.
I got married.
I had kids
and eventually bought another store to expand our business.
Now, we make a comfortable living, and we're able to take care of my parents
and my husband's parents.
And I'm able to buy my son and daughter delicious food and everything they want.
I did this by selling noodles,
the same noodles that I hated so much
eventually became my greatest savior.
To me, these noodles are
something of a miracle,
like fate brought us together.
These noodles have allowed me to put food on the table.
They've let our family live happily, which is why I've gone with this dish
as the one that shaped my life.
[emotional music fades]
[Paik] Let's try it while it's fresh.
[slurps]
[utensils clinking]
[slurping]
Damn, that looks good.
[Paik sighs]
[narrator] Judges, please enter your scores for Auntie Omakase #1.
[Auntie] This is a dish that I make every single day.
I've been making this dish for over 20 years.
This isn't some random new dish I just came up with.
[suspenseful music playing]
[Auntie] So I wasn't quite sure how I was going to feel once I saw my score.
[narrator] We will now announce Auntie Omakase #1's final score.
The judges' scores will be…
CURRENT 1ST PLACE EDWARD LEE: 179 POINTS
…revealed now.
Judge Paik Jong-won gives a 90.
Judge Anh Sung-jae gives an 85.
Auntie Omakase #1 has received in total
a score of 175.
Words can't really explain how you've brought out
this nuanced but rich and wholesome flavor.
This is a dish that people need to experience for themselves.
So I really hope
that people have the opportunity to visit your restaurant
and realize that dishes like this exist in Korea.
Thank you for the meal.
[Paik] Thank you.
[emotional music playing]
[Auntie] It felt like all my hard work had been validated.
I was very happy with my score. I was honored.
[narrator] Currently, Edward Lee is leading with a score of 179.
[Ho-joon] What's that?
That is one scary photo.
THE DISH THAT SHAPED COOKING MANIAC'S LIFE
[Maniac] I had to nail this challenge. That's all I was thinking about.
[mysterious music playing]
I had to put myself out there.
I was here to do what I wanted anyways, so I had to bet on myself.
The dish I made today is an onion soup
using gnarly onions.
GNARLY ONION SOUP
[whimsical music playing]
[Maniac] It's really a very simple dish,
but it takes quite a while to actually make.
First, you have to stir-fry the onions
until they're so caramelized that they turn into a jam.
After that, add in a mix of alcohol and broth,
and boil it some more,
and then put everything into a little pot,
add cheese,
and then heat it up until it looks well-cooked.
Yes.
I'm somewhat of a gnarly individual myself.
I've heard people say I look scary.
I've been told I have a very aggressive… stare.
I don't think people really understand who I am.
Some people say that I look like a thug or that I've got an attitude problem.
Those things have really affected me.
Even when I ran my restaurant
people would say they didn't want me to come over and explain the dish to them.
So that made me question why I was even here.
I actually thought about that a lot.
When we were tasked with presenting a dish that represented our lives,
I wanted to choose a dish that showed everyone who the real me is.
And I decided on this onion soup.
And the reason I went with gnarly onions
was because they're just as good, they taste exactly the same,
but they get ignored regardless, just because they're ugly,
which is how I see myself.
At first glance, this dish appears to be boiling hot and rough around the edges,
like the pot that it's served in.
But once you have a spoonful…
Fuck yeah, that's good.
…it warms you up and soothes your soul.
I wanted to make this dish so people could see who I really am.
I want them to know I take cooking seriously
and I'm not who they think I am.
But I mean,
some of the things you mentioned, like the frightening stare,
stuff like that can be fixed.
It's not like you can't change it, so why not change it?
Believe me, I've tried, but I just can't do it.
You do look scary in that photo.
[curious music playing]
-You gotta admit, that one's scary. -I get it with that one. [sighs]
I also
sometimes flinch when I see myself,
so I know what you mean by that.
[laughs]
[Paik] Look at you laughing and smiling.
You look great when you're smiling.
I do look all right when I smile, but…
[Anh] He looks so gentle when he does that.
[laughing]
[Paik] See? Just keep smiling.
You had the solution the whole time.
I admire how much heart you put into your cooking.
You always give everything 100%.
You just go for it.
I'm inspired by the way you cook.
[sighs]
[suspenseful music playing]
[Maniac] I kind of want it to feel as if they're taking in my soul.
[narrator] Judges, enter your scores for Cooking Maniac.
Currently, Edward Lee is still leading with a score of 179.
CURRENT 1ST PLACE EDWARD LEE: 179 POINTS
For first place, contestants must score higher than Chef Edward Lee.
Now,
we will announce Cooking Maniac's final score.
[Maniac] Please let me get past this guy.
[narrator] Judge Paik Jong-won has given an 88.
Judge Anh Sung-jae has given an 89.
Cooking Maniac has received in total a score of 177.
[mysterious music playing]
3RD PLACE: COOKING MANIAC, 177 POINTS
I personally think you got a little carried away
with what you were going for.
It was almost like juice made with onion extract.
Oh, okay.
[Paik] One of the things about onion soup
that I happen to find very charming and really enjoy
is that it just keeps making you want to come back for more and more.
And I think that happens because you get that subtle smell,
that subtle aroma of the onion.
But with your dish,
the scent of the caramelized onions was just so powerful and overwhelming
that I was worried for a second
that this dish was going to make me stay away from onions for a while.
So that's the reason why I had to take away some points.
But if I'm being honest,
the imbalance between the onions and the rest of your ingredients
felt especially pronounced in your dish.
The broth you used was very strong.
However, though you should consider your customers' opinions,
the chef's intent is what matters the most.
And in terms of overall execution,
your onion soup was very well-made,
which is why I gave you that score.
-Thank you for the meal. -[Paik] Thank you.
[Maniac] Two points was the difference.
I wish I got a few more. [chuckles]
JUDGE ANH SUNG-JAE HAS NOT ONCE GIVEN A SCORE OVER 90 YET
[Anh] I think giving any dish a perfect score would be crazy.
The highest score I would give a dish that tastes great
and that has been executed at a very high level
would probably be about a 90.
[narrator] Chef Edward Lee is leading with a score of 179.
Napoli Matfia,
please head up to the judges' table.
[suspenseful music playing]
[Paik] There's a fire under there.
It's a fire right?
[Anh] Yes, that's a fire.
The dish I've prepared for you today is
gegukji pasta.
[Matfia] Basically, when you look at what I prepared,
you will see a dish that tells the story of me and my great-grandmother.
I grew up with working parents,
so my great-grandmother helped raise me when I was little.
And one of her dishes that really stood out was gegukji.
It's a local traditional dish from Chungcheongnam-do,
and it's a soup that you make
by boiling leftover gejang, cabbage, doenjang, and ganjang.
I still really like this dish a lot,
which is why I decided to make it.
[orchestral string music playing]
First comes the base.
I cooked the soup,
then I added the pasta, which I made into candy-shaped pieces
that looked like the candy my great-grandmother loved to eat.
I also
remember that when she gave me my allowance,
she would fish the money out of this very dated coin purse.
So I also made cabbage dumplings in the shape of that purse,
using minced gamtae and shrimp,
regional delicacies.
The deep-fried shore crabs
were also inspired by a snack
that my great-grandmother used to make for me as well.
-What did you make the stock with? -[Matfia] Gegukji stock.
Because I specialize in Italian fine dining,
I wanted to make sure I added elements of that into this dish as well.
So I used an Italian mocha pot to heat it up and prepare it.
I personally think the most important part making gegukji
is getting that pungent aroma.
I thought long and hard about what I wanted to use to achieve that,
and I settled on an Italian anchovy extract.
So this dish represents my own unique way of bringing cherished memories
with my great-grandmother back to life.
[Anh] So you were raised in the Seosan, Taean areas?
-[Matfia] Yes, I was. -Let's try this first.
[Matfia] Judge Paik Jong-won happens to be from Chungcheongnam-do,
so I was definitely feeling the pressure while he tried the dish.
[mysterious music playing]
[Paik] Gegukji is not an easy dish to pull off.
A lot of people who try it for the first time are disappointed
because it's got this subtle flavor that can taste bland if not done properly.
So I was surprised to see that he went for it in his dish.
[Hyun-seok] The judges seemed to really like his dish.
[Ho-joon] They looked like they were really enjoying it.
They had a lot.
[Paik] Gegukji
is an incredibly obscure dish,
so I first have to give you credit
for making such a bold decision to incorporate it into a pasta dish,
and to base the entire dish
around memories you have with your great-grandmother.
It's very bold.
A grandmother and a cook. That's the best combo.
Yes, right.
But did you only use gegukji?
Or did you add more seafood to make it taste even better?
-Tell me about your approach. -[Matfia] Oh.
I just tried to replicate the flavors from my memories,
so I avoided using anything fancy.
The thing that I thought was the most important
was sticking to the ingredients from Taean and Seosan.
I used those ingredients exclusively because this dish is from that region.
[suspenseful music playing]
If he had slapped it together with fancy ingredients
to try and give the dish a bit more flair, it would've backfired on him.
The fact that he didn't shows he knew exactly what he wanted.
That deserves high praise.
[narrator] The tasting has now concluded.
Currently, Chef Edward Lee is leading with a score of 179.
The judges' scores will be revealed now.
[Matfia] I hope my dish can get me into first place.
[Edward] I don't… I've learned not to expect anything.
I go in there, and whatever happens, happens.
[Ho-joon] What is it?
Oh.
[narrator] The judges' scores will be revealed now.
[Hyun-seok and Ho-joon] Oh!
[narrator] Judge Paik Jong-won has given a 92.
Judge Anh Sung-jae has given a 90.
Napoli Matfia has received in total a score of 182.
And with that,
Napoli Matfia has moved into first place.
1ST PLACE: NAPOLI MATFIA, 182 POINTS 2ND PLACE: EDWARD LEE, 179 POINTS
When it comes to… grading these dishes,
I think there's always… room for improvement.
So I don't even give my own dishes a score higher than 90.
This was a delicious dish,
and it showed a lot of restraint as well.
It makes the most of its ingredients.
That's why I gave you that score.
Despite his young age, I could tell that Napoli Matfia
understands the finer points of cooking.
His dish showed a lot of finesse in how he tried to recreate
his grandmother's warmth.
So I gave it a 90. A perfect score for me.
[Matfia] I knew that none of the other chefs
had received a 90 or above from both Judges.
So when I saw that, I was like, "Is this actually happening?"
[Edward] It was gonna happen sooner or later.
Someone was gonna beat my score.
But we'll see if his score can last
because the… the last few chefs, uh, are very strong.
So, uh, I think maybe someone might even be able to beat his score.
Seung-won will do well.
Triple Star.
[narrator] Triple Star,
please head up to the judges' table.
THE DISH THAT SHAPED TRIPLE STAR'S LIFE
You got this, man. Let's go. Let's go. Let's go.
[mysterious music playing]
[Anh] That's a good-looking dish.
[Triple Star] The dish I prepared for you today
is a dish that has helped me through thick and thin.
Back when I was figuring out how to approach my career,
I was struggling to figure out exactly what I wanted to do.
But then I watched a documentary about Corey Lee
and thought to myself,
"Oh wow, I think I have to go and work for him."
Oh!
What's he doing now?
-[Triple Star] He runs Benu. -[Paik] Ah.
[Anh] He's a legendary young chef in the United States.
[Paik] Corey Lee?
[Anh] Yeah, he's the first Korean to earn three Michelin stars.
He is why I went to the US and got an internship there.
I got to work for him.
After work,
I went home every night and stayed up very late,
relentlessly studying.
These are all the notes I would take in my notebook.
And whenever the going got tough,
I would go to Pier 39,
and I would order a clam chowder, which was rejuvenating.
This dish really helped me during my time abroad in America.
That's why today I decided to make
a clam chowder soup.
But I've put my own spin on it
based on everything I've learned in my career.
Clam chowder is,
simply put,
a clam cream soup.
First, I made a stock by using clams.
After that I added onions, celery, and whipped cream.
I boiled it until it was thick.
And finally, I added some caviar at the end.
That's how I made the sauce.
And no sauce is really complete without adding some meat.
So I decided to use my favorite fish to cook,
toothfish, better known in Korea as mero.
So basically, I took clam chowder soup,
which is a common dish in the United States,
and I transformed it into more of a fine-dining dish for this challenge.
[utensils clinking]
[Triple Star] Apart from the taste, I wanted to see if they noticed
the little details I'd put in.
[energetic music playing]
He presented his dish as a fine-dining dish,
which meant I had to look closely at the finer details.
Are the cubes one millimeter?
Or three millimeters?
How did he chop the carrots?
How did he chop the celery?
Based on what he was going for, everything was perfect.
Everything was the same size as the caviar,
just like he intended.
He'd set out to make an elevated clam chowder dish.
And he showcased all of the skills that he'd built up over the years.
And it tasted great.
[Paik] Triple Star, your story
was about the fond memories
that you've had with a clam-based dish.
So the fact that you decided
to use an in-season clam, like cockles, in this dish
was a great idea, in my opinion.
Thank you.
[narrator] Napoli Matfia
is currently leading with a score of 182.
CURRENT 1ST PLACE NAPOLI MATFIA: 182 POINTS
[narrator] Contestants must earn a higher score if they wish to pass him.
The judges' scores…
[Maniac] Let's go. Let's go.
…will be revealed now.
[Triple Star] I was excited that, if I scored high enough,
I would make it into the final.
[Matfia] I don't even know what kind of food Triple Star makes.
But what I do know is that he excels at everything he does.
[narrator] The judges' scores will be revealed now.
[suspenseful music playing]
Oh. That's high.
[narrator] Judge Paik Jong-won has given a 92.
Judge Anh Sung-jae has given an 87.
In total, Triple Star has a score of 179.
[applause]
TRIPLE STAR: 179 POINTS
2ND PLACE: EDWARD LEE, TRIPLE STAR
[Anh] I thought this dish was a really good display
of everything you've learned over the years
and what makes you unique.
You managed to balance all of the different ingredients.
Great job.
But I found myself wondering, "Would it be better with no fish?"
I think you could've thought more about the reason why you needed to add that in.
-Right. Thank you. -[Anh] Thank you for the meal.
-[Paik] Thank you. -[applause]
One seventy-nine?
I couldn't beat him.
[Triple Star] Honestly, I had a hard time trying to accept the judges' results.
I was just so confident in what I'd made for them.
I was definitely happy. Of course I was happy.
But it was too early to pop the champagne.
When I… first started cooking back in the day,
the first book I bought was written by chef Choi Hyun-seok.
I'm a fan of his, but now he's the last one standing in my way.
Last one here we go.
[narrator] Choi Hyun-seok,
please head up to the judges' table.
[suspenseful music playing]
March 23, 1995.
The first day I started cooking is a day I'll never forget.
My first job in the industry was at an authentic Italian restaurant
that was called La Cucina,
near the Namsan Hyatt Hotel.
It was always busy. And it was a hectic environment.
And even worse, the other chefs spoke Italian during service.
I didn't have much to do back then,
so I would just stay out of the way.
When one night a senior chef came up to me and he said,
"Hey."
"Go inside the walk-in fridge."
So I went in.
I just thought I was running an errand for him.
But when I finally got in there,
I found a steaming hot plate of pasta alle vongole.
Apparently, this was some kind of tradition
to help lift the new guy's spirits.
I just wolfed it down.
And it tasted amazing.
And I thought to myself,
"If I commit to cooking, then I'm going to become the chef
who can make this dish better than anyone else."
And so I eventually became the best pasta alle vongole chef
La Cucina's ever had.
And because of that, we've upgraded our recipe about eight times since.
[magical music playing]
[Hyun-seok] And what I've prepared for you today
is the current version of the vongole.
This cone-shaped pasta I came up with
was inspired by sujebi.
I like sujebi 'cause, when it rips,
you get thin parts, and you get thick parts.
It may be a humble dish,
but it has so many textures.
And there's so many different ways you can approach it.
Normally, you would cook this in oil.
But I wanted to try something new this time.
So I swapped the oil for butter,
which should make the dish a bit creamier.
I think my pasta alle vongole
is the dish I'm the best at making.
I present to you my first-ever signature dish.
[mysterious music playing]
[Paik] Mmm.
[Hyun-seok] By the way, there's no seasoning at all in this dish.
It was made only with garlic, olive oil, and clam stock.
-Clam stock was all that you used? -[Hyun-seok] Correct, no seasoning.
The way I see it, no other chef even comes close to
your willingness to experiment, to try something new.
Whenever you come out with a brand-new dish,
I always look forward to seeing
how you might have challenged yourself this time.
-Thank you for the meal. -Anytime.
[Paik] That was a delicious pasta alle vongole.
It's so good, in fact,
that it's kind of made me forget about all the other versions
I've tried over the years.
[narrator] Currently, Napoli Matfia is in first place
with the highest score of 182.
[suspenseful music playing]
[narrator] Contestants must earn a higher score in order to pass him.
This means
that the first contestant to advance into the finals
will be decided
by Choi Hyun-seok's total score.
We will now reveal
the judges' scores.
[Hyun-seok] You never know. There might be an upset.
[Matfia] I want this so bad,
which is why I think I'm going to win this challenge.
[narrator] We will now reveal
the judges' scores.
A SCORE OVER 182 WILL ADVANCE HIM TO THE FINAL
Is he gonna make it? Ooh.
[narrator] Choi Hyun-seok's final score is…
93 from Judge Paik
and 88 from Judge Anh.
One hundred eighty-one.
-[Paik] Thank you. -Great job, everyone.
FINAL RANKING 1ST PLACE: NAPOLI MATFIA, 182 POINTS
Wow, that was so crazy.
I enjoyed your classical and simple take
on a pasta alle vongole.
I really liked it a lot.
However, in my opinion,
I feel like you probably could've gone a little easier with the butter
because the dish might be a bit too greasy for some people.
And so that's why I gave you that score.
Thank you for the meal.
[Hyun-seok] At first, I thought it was a matter of taste
because I thought I'd dialed it in just right.
But I have to be honest.
I made a mistake.
A massive mistake.
Because when I thought back on what I did,
I realized I forgot the garlic.
Leaving garlic out of a vongole
is like leaving chili powder out of a tteokbokki.
[chuckles]
[curious music playing]
HE PUTS THE GARLIC BESIDE THE GAS JET
GARLIC
DID NOT TOUCH IT ONCE
I'm finished.
AND JUST PUT IT AWAY
I've made this vongole for 29 years,
and I had never forgotten to add in the garlic.
[chuckles]
But of course today…
When I saw the scores,
I was convinced I was right,
and that Judge Anh and I just had different tastes.
But looking back now, clearly I was wrong, and he was right.
How could I do that?
I must be crazy.
He left out the garlic?
Hmm. Yeah, that makes sense
I knew something was a little off.
[narrator] And so the winner of the Dish That Shaped Your Life challenge
is Chef Napoli Matfia.
[Ho-joon] Congratulations.
You're straight into the finals. I'm jealous.
[Matfia] Wow.
[emotional music playing]
[Matfia] I have always considered myself
to be one of the best chefs in all of Korea.
So I was very happy I finally got the chance
to really show off my true skills
and what I could do.
Now I'll either win or come in second.
I might as well win.
And I'll fight for it tooth and nail.
[narrator] With that,
only one seat remains
at the final survivors' table.
[suspenseful music playing]
[Maniac] I can make it.
I know I can make it.
[Hyun-seok] This is what I do best, so I hope I can pull it off
with no more mistakes.
[Ji-sun] I've made it to the final eight,
so I'm confident I have what it takes to win.
[Triple Star] I'm going to make it to the finals and make a name for myself.
[Auntie] I can't imagine being eliminated.
I'll outperform everyone.
I think I'm gonna win.
I have to win.
There's no other choice.
[Edward] Who is the best chef?
That's what I wanna know, and I want to prove that.
[Matfia] I really don't care who my opponent is.
I'll crush any one of them.
[chuckles]
[dramatic music playing]
[narrator] The Infinite Cooking Hell.
[Ho-joon] I don't like that.
[Auntie] I knew they'd to put us through hell.
[narrator] The ingredient you'll be working with is…
-[Ho-joon] Oh, damn. -[beep]
-[Maniac] Let's go! -[Ho-joon] Holy crap, this is intense.
-[Maniac] I'm so tired. -[Edward] Starting to go a little crazy.
[narrator] And the 300-million-won prize goes to…
[suspenseful music swells]
[dramatic music playing]
[music fades]