Culinary Class Wars (2024) s01e01 Episode Script

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