Cheat day

Yechan (1)

“I feel like the menu lacks any signs of careful consideration. It was well made.”

Lee Chan-seok awarded Team 5 a score of 6.

“I have a different opinion.”

Judge Park Jeong-ah stepped forward.

“Beef bulgogi is one of the first traditional dishes that come to mind when we think of Korean cuisine. Especially, the bulgogi made by Team 5 shows the effort put into preparation, ensuring that the seasoning is well absorbed. The signs of careful consideration are very clear.”

Lee Chan-seok raised an eyebrow.

“The rich flavor and greasiness of the bulgogi, along with the thoughtfulness about which side dishes to serve, are also well expressed. The crunchy and refreshing green onion kimchi, and the nutty flavor and crisp texture of the lotus root seasoned with perilla powder provide a sense of stability. The comforting soybean paste stew eases the stomach, and there’s also the sweet pumpkin salad for a refreshing finish. There’s nothing to criticize about the meal composition. Ban-Chan-yong also pointed that out well.”

I couldn’t help but feel a bit proud.

“I believe Team 5’s meal was excellent. Thank you for the meal.”

Judge Park Jeong-ah awarded 9 points.

“I agree with the previous two judges. As we discussed before the judging, balance between taste and nutrition is crucial in a traditional Korean meal. It’s better than most traditional Korean restaurant offerings.”

Judge Oh Mi-gyeong also gave a score of 9.

“So far, the total score from the four judges is 33 points. What about you, Judge Ham Seok-ho?”

Jwa Wang-taek asked.

Judge Ham Seok-ho, who had been with his eyes closed, silently wrote down a score of 9 and turned his head away.

“Chef Lee Chan-seok, what defines a fine dining dish?”

Not expecting to be addressed, Lee Chan-seok looked momentarily flustered before answering.

“A dish made from good ingredients.”

“Then, if you simply steam dried abalone and serve it, is that fine dining?”

“Well…”

“A fine dish is one that, made with good ingredients, brings joy and health to the eater. Good ingredients do not simply refer to expensive ones.”

Judge Ham Seok-ho spoke as if teaching a student.

“Expensive is just a metaphor to make expression easier. In reality, precious ingredients are naturally expensive.”

I felt a pang in my chest at the familiar logic.

“Teacher Bae would never teach that.”

Lee Chan-seok fell silent at Ham Seok-ho’s words.

By “Teacher Bae,” he likely meant Bae Seung-ho, Lee Chan-seok’s mentor and a peer of Ham Seok-ho. He is a well-known chef in the Korean culinary world and the first to gain the title of star chef in Korea.

“Never forget that a single word or gesture from you can tarnish your mentor’s reputation.”

With Judge Ham Seok-ho’s quiet warning, the atmosphere in the studio became tense.

The participants looked bewildered, I felt like dancing out of excitement, and Lee Chan-seok turned beet red, unable to say anything.

I was worried the recording would be interrupted, but U Wang-seon and Jwa Wang-taek seemed to receive some instructions through their earpieces and continued with the judging.

“Team 5, Yook Hye-rin and Lee Sang-ho, you have received a total score of 89 from the judges and the panel.”

Lee Sang-ho clenched his fist, and Yook Hye-rin bowed her head with her hands together, as if overwhelmed with emotion.

Looking at the score sheet, I noticed that both had achieved the highest scores they had received in previous rounds.

Despite Lee Chan-seok’s biased evaluation, they seemed to feel a sense of accomplishment for achieving this.

“Next, we have the meal prepared by Team 3, consisting of Gu Yeon-ja and Shim Dong-pal.”

The vegetarian meal prepared by Team 3 was up for judging as the second team.

The main dish was braised tofu topped with a soft-boiled egg, seasoned with a red sauce.

The side dishes included fern, chamnamul (a type of wild vegetable), chwi-namul (another wild vegetable), radish salad, bean sprouts, stir-fried pumpkin, and cabbage pancakes, and instead of soup, they served stir-fried ssamjang (a dipping sauce).

It looked incredibly lavish.

“You can take some of the vegetables and ssamjang from the platter and mix them well. Be sure to enjoy the tofu with the soft-boiled egg.”

Gu Yeon-ja introduced their dish.

As instructed, I added various vegetables to my bowl and scooped a serving of rice.

I took a big spoonful of the stir-fried ssamjang and drizzled some sesame oil on top before mixing it all together.

The nutty aroma wafted up, and I couldn’t resist taking a big bite.

It was a heavenly taste.

I was caught off guard by how flavorful the vegetarian dish was. It was likely due to the special stir-fried ssamjang made by Gu Yeon-ja and the proper seasoning on each of the vegetables.

After enjoying the bibimbap a couple more times, I shifted my focus to the braised tofu.

My portion consisted of a small piece of sliced tofu and half a soft-boiled egg, and I took a bite with some seasoning.

The seasoning was also quite strong.

The spicy seasoning was well absorbed by the tofu, and the heat that could have been overwhelming was balanced by the soft-boiled egg.

“Wow.”

Looking around, everyone seemed surprised.

“Ban-Chan-yong, how does it taste?”

Lately, they often ask me first.

“I used to be a meat-eater, you know. I had to start eating this way because I needed to lose weight, but I couldn’t understand how anyone could live off salads. But after trying Team 3’s meal, I think I could really go vegetarian if it’s like this.”

“Is this vegetarian food something even carnivores could eat?”

“Yes. If you asked a tiger if it wanted this or some rice cake, it wouldn’t hesitate to choose Team 3’s meal.”

I pondered how it compared to Team 5’s offering. While it was truly delicious, I still felt that it might not beat the balance provided by the bulgogi, so I noted down a score of 8.

“Before we begin judging, I mentioned that the use of microorganisms to create various flavors is a characteristic of Korean cuisine,” Judge Ham Seok-ho began his evaluation.

“It was an excellent meal.”

When Ham Seok-ho wrote down a score of 10, Gu Yeon-ja and Shim Dong-pal let out what sounded like a shriek of excitement.

It’s quite rare for Ham Seok-ho to give a perfect score, and the other participants applauded in congratulations.

Perhaps he thought the essence of Korean cuisine lay in the flavors of the sauces, so he awarded Team 3 a high score for their effective use of those flavors.

“It seems you put a lot of thought into mixing the various vegetables quickly while ensuring their texture didn’t deteriorate before judging. It was really delicious.”

Judge Park Jeong-ah gave a score of 9.

“The sauce tastes great; did you make it yourself?”

“Yes.”

Gu Yeon-ja nodded and replied.

“I think this sauce reflects the skills you’ve accumulated over time. However, the sauce overpowered the vegetable flavors a bit, and the seasoning on the braised tofu was quite strong, which was somewhat disappointing. I enjoyed the meal.”

Judge Oh Mi-gyeong awarded 8 points.

I wondered if it was just me feeling the seasoning was particularly strong since I was on a diet, but it seemed that Judge Oh Mi-gyeong felt the same way.

It appeared that emphasizing the variety of flavors like umami and saltiness in vegetarian dishes could lead to perceptions of overly strong seasoning for some individuals.

“High scores keep coming in this round. Lee Chan-seok, please give your assessment.”

Lee Chan-seok, seemingly lost in thought, suddenly raised his head.

“Thank you for the meal.”

There was hesitation in his hand as he wrote down the score. After scratching something out, he eventually showed a score of 7.

With no commentary provided, Jwa Wang-taek nudged him again to speak, and he reluctantly opened his mouth.

“The ssamjang you served was strong, so you should have used less seasoning on the vegetables. As for the cabbage pancake…”

Lee Chan-seok trailed off.

It was predictable that he’d have negative comments about the food, but surprisingly he held his tongue.

He seemed to be still in shock from Ham Seok-ho’s earlier comments.

“Yes. Understood.”

Jwa Wang-taek also noticed that Lee Chan-seok wasn’t himself and continued with the proceedings.

It was a good thing this was a recording; it would have been a disaster if it had been live.

Team 3, Gu Yeon-ja and Shim Dong-pal, received a total score of 84, followed by Team 4, Kim Han-yeol and Kim Du-il, with 82 points, Team 6, Oh Sang-gil and Choi Eun-sam, with 90 points, and Team 2, Sa Daemun and Jo Il-sang, with 85 points, revealing the ranking more clearly.

If Ju Ji-seung and Park Seong-chil placed 1st or 2nd today, Ju Ji-seung would be in a strong position for overall victory.

“Finally, we have Team 1, consisting of Ju Ji-seung, who is currently in first place, and Park Seong-chil, who has painful memories from the last round. Ju Ji-seung, what dish have you prepared today?”

U Wang-seon asked.

“It’s a pot rice meal. You can serve the rice as you usually do, add hot water to rehydrate the scorched rice, and enjoy it with the prepared side dishes.”

“Pot rice! I’m looking forward to this. Park Seong-chil, I imagine you’re feeling particularly determined today. What do you think?”

“Yes.”

Park Seong-chil spoke with a somewhat tense expression.

“I only listened to Judge Ham Seok-ho’s comments last week, but I’ll be answering through my cooking today. Also…”

Park Seong-chil bowed his head to the other contestants.

“I sincerely apologize once again.”

Some nodded, while others remained indifferent, but no one openly criticized Park Seong-chil.

Each contestant prepared one serving for the two judges.

The main dish was braised monkfish made by Park Seong-chil, and the side dishes included stir-fried chili peppers, sesame leaf salad, bean sprout salad, and a dipping sauce.

It looked like it was meant to be eaten mixed with the rice.

As I lifted the lid of the pot rice, a steaming aroma wafted up, filled with the scents of mushrooms and abalone.

Abalone pot rice from Restaurant D in Donghae City.

“Wow.”

The beautifully cooked yellowish abalone, along with carrots, green onions, mushrooms, and rice, looked stunning.

The colors were so vibrant, and the subtle mushroom scent was tempting enough to spark my appetite, even on the final judging day.

I shared the abalone with Judge Oh Mi-gyeong and split the rice in half before adding water to the pot.

“Here goes.”

I scooped some seasoning sauce onto the rice, mixed it, and took a big bite. The mushroom aroma gently filled my nasal passages.

The rich grains of rice made me feel indulgent.

I couldn’t resist.

Luxuriously, I popped an entire abalone into my mouth.

It was practically a full meal on its own. The pot alone contained a perfectly arranged feast.

Still, I needed to taste the side dishes, so I hesitantly reached for the braised monkfish, feeling a bit apprehensive.

Last week’s experience had left a strong impression, making me hesitant to approach it.

Nonetheless, I picked up a piece of monkfish coated in the thick sauce, along with some water celery, and blew gently before putting it in my mouth.

The unique texture was chewy yet crumbled apart once I started chewing, captivating my tongue and gums.

The sweet yet spicy sauce stimulated my salivary glands along with the water celery.

With the healthy and rich pot rice calming my mouth and stomach, I felt like a bull in front of a red cape, ready to charge.

I couldn’t help but dive into the red sauce.

As I alternated between bites of monkfish and spoonfuls of pot rice, the spiciness began to build, prompting me to calm my stomach with the sesame leaf salad and bean sprout salad.

However, the cycle soon began again, leading to Judge Oh Mi-gyeong offering me some of her rice.

“Wow, wow.”

As I hurriedly ate, trying to cool down the food in my mouth, Judge Ham Seok-ho began his evaluation.

Regardless, it was so delicious that I kept eating, while Judge Park Jeong-ah wiped her sweat and scooped some of the monkfish sauce to mix with her rice.

“Is this genius?”

I too took some of the sauce, mixed it with my rice, and the panelists began to laugh.