In this Endless Cooking Hell, the final survivor is…
If he did that intentionally, he really is a monster.
They were all there just for the carrots.
The final survivor is…
Black Spoon Chef Culinary Monster. Congratulations.
CULINARY MONSTER SURVIVES
HOU DEOK-JUK ELIMINATED
-They both did an excellent job. -Yes, you're right.
-But in terms of creativity… -On a creative level…
-This one is slightly better. -By just a hair.
The yuxiang carrots were really good. They were delicious.
But there's a dish called yuxiang eggplant in Chinese cuisine,
and it was quite similar to that.
It didn't deviate enough.
By just a razor thin margin,
that carrot dessert made more of an impact on us.
Chef Hou has been cooking since long before I was even born.
I'm truly honored, and I respect him so much.
I'll make sure to be thoroughly prepared in order to win.
Thank you.
I was able to cook alongside so many talented young chefs,
and I made it this far today.
At first, there were 100 chefs here,
and many of them were my mentees.
It felt like a festival for chefs, and it made me very happy.
We were all competing and battling hard to win,
and I got to see many of my former mentees and junior chefs,
so it felt very nice in a way.
Making it to the top three
is something I'm personally proud of, and it's been an honor.
You were incredible, Chef.
-Congratulations. -Thank you.
-You did great. -Well done.
Thank you.
I've been cooking for 57 years, and it looks like I haven't lost my touch.
I still have what it takes.
I'm proud of myself.
I'm happy, and it feels great to see a younger chef advance.
HOU DEOK-JUK
…begins now.
You've survived.
-Congratulations. -What?
You've survived.
Thank you.
-Culinary Monster has survived. -Thank you.
-It was delicious. -Thank you.
Hidden White Spoon Chef Choi Kang-rok has survived.
This round is a one-on-one Black Spoon versus White Spoon Face-off.
White Spoon Chef Son Jong-won.
Black Spoon Chef Rebellious Genius.
The Black and White Spoons' Team Battle, All or Nothing.
Oh, my gosh!
The Two-Person Team Black and White Spoon Alliance Battle.
The one-on-one Life-or-Death Battle.
They're turning.
They're turning around!
Chef Hou Deok-juk survives.
Thank you.
Endless Cooking Paradise.
Endless Cooking Hell.
The chef eliminated is Im Seong-keun.
Venerable Sunjae.
Brewmaster Yun.
Jung Ho-young.
Black Spoon Chef Culinary Monster. Congratulations.
-Congratulations. -Thank you.
Great work.
I'm sorry I'm the one here.
Goodness.
And with this,
the top two chefs to advance to the final round have been decided.
Choi Kang-rok.
Culinary Monster.
I'm almost there.
To make sure I won't have any regrets,
I'll give it my all.
I wanted to advance, no matter what. I just had to.
I'm going to win.
Let's do our best.
Korea's top 100 chefs gathered
to determine the ultimate culinary champion
in the culinary battle
of Culinary Class Wars.
And here today,
the top two chefs who have advanced to the finals
will engage in one last culinary battle.
Now, it's time to introduce the Top Two who have made it to the final round.
-Who will it be? -Who are they?
The first finalist is…
White Spoon Chef Choi Kang-rok.
CHOI KANG-ROK
I'm getting chills.
Actual goosebumps.
Choi Kang-rok's been up there twice now.
Looking good!
That's really impressive.
I'm Chef Choi Kang-rok.
I always get nervous.
The final round of a competition.
It's the second one I've had in my life.
But do I belong here?
I feel embarrassed.
I may not belong here as a person.
But in terms of cooking,
I will do my best to make a dish deserving of this stage.
You're almost there.
-Almost there. -Good luck.
You need to win now.
The second finalist is…
Black Spoon Chef Culinary Monster.
CULINARY MONSTER
Monster!
-We're so proud of you. -Well done!
It's time to reveal his name.
As Black Spoon Chef Culinary Monster has made it to the final round,
he will now be called by his real name.
Please reveal your name.
Gosh, this is pretty cool.
Hello, my name is Chef Lee Ha-sung.
CULINARY MONSTER
LEE HA-SUNG
We can call him by his name now.
I'm not someone who's well-known.
I really did all I could do to survive when I first went abroad.
I believe that struggle has paid off and enabled me to stand here today.
Good job!
I've never seen him smile so brightly.
Ever since I entered this competition, I said my goal was to win.
And now, there's just one round left.
Chef Choi, I'll be taking the win.
Right here today,
after fierce culinary class wars,
the final winner
of the prize of 300 million won will be determined.
Gosh, 300 million won.
That much money doesn't come around often.
We will now reveal the theme of the final battle
that will determine the winner.
The theme of the final round is…
Just One Dish For Myself.
-Oh, my gosh. -"For myself."
The two chefs who have reached the finals
have always cooked for others up to this point.
In this last round,
you will create your best dish
for just yourself and no one else.
I find this kind of theme difficult.
"For myself"? It's so difficult.
If you're someone who cooks for a living
and you try to make a dish for yourself?
It's not easy.
"A dish for myself."
That's hard.
-I've never cooked for myself before. -Right?
-I've never even thought about that. -Exactly.
Surprisingly, people who cook
aren't very good at cooking for themselves.
While I've devoted all of my skills, effort, and time
into cooking for other people,
I've never once imagined doing that for myself.
What does that even mean?
I think everyone in this line of work would feel the same way.
"What kind of care and attention can I put into myself?"
That's the sort of difficult question
they'll have to ask themselves in this mission.
I wonder how they'll judge this.
Once each chef has finished cooking their dish,
they will make their way to the judges' table
and taste the dish they prepared along with the judges.
Once the tasting is over,
the judges will decide the final winner.
For the final round,
the winner must be determined
by the judges' unanimous decision.
That's so brutal.
That's intense.
The battle will end when both judges come to a unanimous decision.
However, if the judges do not reach a unanimous decision,
a rematch will be held.
REMATCHES WILL BE HELD UNTIL A UNANIMOUS DECISION IS REACHED
It's like Cooking Hell for myself.
-We could be here all night. -This is crazy.
I wonder what they'll cook.
I'll do my best and win one final time
to prove myself once and for all
to not only the judges
but also to all of the chefs present here.
-You can do it! -He's full of confidence.
I'm almost there.
I'll break through the illusions and finally get there.
Thank you.
The final round's
Just One Dish For Myself battle…
begins now.
FINAL ROUND COOKING BEGINS
-Good luck! -You can do it!
Let's go all the way!
They must be so nervous.
-He must be nervous. -He has a lot on his mind.
Culinary Monster doesn't get nervous.
He must be making a broth.
Damn it.
-Ha-sung, the other way. -The other way?
-The other way. -It's the other way.
-Why won't it work? -Oh, no.
What's wrong with this?
-He can't close the pressure cooker. -Oh, no.
I don't know what happened. It closed fine during practice.
-That's not it. -Lift it up.
Yeah, turn it that way.
-That way. -Close it.
-Click it shut. You did it! -He got it.
There you go!
-Click it shut. You did it! -He got it.
There you go!
All he did was close a lid.
Why am I this happy about closing a pressure cooker?
He's basically won.
All he did was move the pressure cooker and he got applauded.
You should move something too, Kang-rok.
That's so funny.
He got applause for closing a pressure cooker lid.
-He must be really nervous. -He's nervous.
-Really nervous. -Of course, he would be.
-There's so much pressure. -Exactly.
It's all the same if you lose. You're left with nothing.
A dish for myself?
-I wonder what they'll make. -Exactly.
I can't wait to see their dishes.
Essentially, a dish for myself…
just has to be anything that's made for me.
This is pretty much…
like an MMORPG.
It's like I've been given an immense freedom.
I think I can have fun and be as creative as I want.
What's Kang-rok doing?
I think Chef Choi Kang-rok will probably do a braise.
It's what he's best at.
His nickname is "Mr. Braise."
He'll probably do a braise.
I bet he'll do a braise.
"Mr. Braise."
"The Serial Braiser."
I'm the greedy braise man.
HIDDEN WHITE SPOON ELIMINATION ROUND
I'll braise it.
BLACK SPOON VERSUS WHITE SPOON FACE-OFF
And then, I braise them.
I braise some monkfish.
ONE-ON-ONE LIFE-OR-DEATH BATTLE
ENDLESS COOKING PARADISE
I'm going to braise them all.
I'll braise skate liver.
I'll take some bits of other fish and braise them.
I'll braise truffles.
Braise them all…
until it's over.
The Braise Man…
needs to rest now.
It's a dish for myself,
so I can't do another braise for this too.
Ingredients that I like
and flavors that moved me.
I think it'd be nice to add those elements here and there to highlight them.
It's a soup with sesame tofu,
but it's just thrown together.
-What did he just add? -Arrowroot starch.
-What? -Arrowroot starch.
For the sesame tofu,
I mix sesame paste and starch together.
Then, I stir patiently until it thickens.
-Will he leave that to set? -That will firm up like gelatin.
If you keep cooking it in the pot, it becomes jelly-like.
But is something like that also called tofu?
-Even without soybeans? -It doesn't matter.
Even without soybeans,
anything that's been set is called tofu in Japanese cuisine.
He chose a dish that takes a while to make.
That really put a strain on your arm.
Between that and whipping a meringue, that's much harder.
-Is it because it's thicker? -Yeah, that's right.
That requires strength,
and you have to keep putting it on and off the heat
so it doesn't stick to the pan.
I think it's getting thicker.
No, you need to do it until it turns clear.
-Completely? -Yes.
-That's a ton of work. -Exactly.
It's so simple for a final round dish.
-That one? -Yes.
He's not going for anything fancy.
Chef Choi is once again not using a lot of equipment this time.
He's using oil and charcoal.
And a pressure cooker and a dough mixer.
-He has a lot of equipment. -Yeah.
He must have something special ready.
-Chef Lee Ha-sung. -Hello.
We should use your name now.
What's your dish today?
Today, I'm making sundaeguk.
Sundaeguk?
-He says he's making sundaeguk. -Sundaeguk.
But sundaeguk is Korean cuisine.
I know how to make everything.
Gosh, that's… Right, that's your style.
That confidence.
I have a feeling there's a story behind this.
As a child, I'd go to the bathhouse every Sunday morning with my dad.
After bathing, we'd go eat sundaeguk, or blood sausage soup.
So sundaeguk is my comfort food.
If I had to pick one dish to make for myself,
it'd be sundaeguk.
He picked a great dish.
Is he going to make the sundae?
-No way. He can't. -Then, how can you have sundaeguk?
What's that?
-Isn't that instant rice? -Yes.
-Rice? -I think it's rice.
He's adding rice.
INSTANT GLUTINOUS RICE
MINCED PORK
If I make real sundae using intestines,
it won't feel like my own dish.
I decided to present sundaeguk in my own style.
CARROTS
What is he sautéing?
You don't usually sauté when making sundae.
I sautéed them in a pan to remove the moisture.
I take that mixture of sautéed vegetables…
-That's blood, right? -Yes, it's seonji.
And I add pork blood.
DOUGH MIXER
I mix everything thoroughly in the mixer.
-He's making the sundae filling. -Yeah, that's the filling.
-He's making it? You're right. -He's making it.
He chose a difficult dish.
He's making the sundae himself.
My father and I are from Daegu, Gyeongsang Province.
In Daegu, they dip sundae in ssamjang.
So I added ssamjang to season it.
They eat a lot of Korean mint and Sichuan pepper in Gyeongsang.
So I added Korean mint and Sichuan pepper powder to the sundae.
I think it'll have a lot of very Korean flavors.
I made my own version of sundaeguk.
He just made some sundae.
-Right. -And with that sundae,
instead of filling the casing with it, he put it in a tray.
He blended all the sundae ingredients together,
and then formed it into squares.
-I guess he'll cook them like that. -I see. That's cool.
I'll wrap them in plastic and steam them in the oven.
I knew he wouldn't just make ordinary sundaeguk.
He's making a fine dining-style sundae.
That'll be interesting. That's the important element.
He's been stirring that for 20 minutes now.
That's all he's doing.
My goodness.
Chef Choi Kang-rok just keeps on stirring.
I don't think this is a dish for himself.
-His arm must hurt so much. -Because his arm hurts!
I wish I could stir it for him.
That really strains your arm. I want to stir it for him.
Will he be okay with time? He only has 90 minutes.
I was under constant pressure.
What do I do? What if this eats up all of my time?
If I spend too much time on this step,
the rest will become delayed.
Seriously, he has to stir that for a while.
He's really putting in a lot of effort.
He's focusing everything into just one thing.
After stirring for a while,
you eventually feel it.
It's ready.
He's done now.
-He's done. -There it goes.
He's pouring it in.
It looks like Choi Kang-rok has finished stirring.
Now, he cools it down.
The timing of both of their steps are similar right now.
He's making tofu here, and that's basically blood tofu.
I wonder what he'll make next.
-Exactly. -After this step?
He must be making a broth.
He's taking the time to do it properly.
I think two things are important here.
The sesame tofu and the broth.
There's no recipe.
Honestly, it's just a broth I created from my memories.
-What are those? -Chicken leg bones?
Is he making chicken stock?
He's added pyogo mushrooms and chicken bones to katsuobushi broth.
For that savory taste.
-All the savory flavors. -Just an explosion.
He's brought out lard.
What is he cooking in lard?
I think they're pine mushrooms.
He added large green onions too.
He's putting a lot of effort into the broth.
He's building so many layers on top of the base broth.
The taste of that broth must be extraordinary.
Is this chicken bone broth?
This is my broth.
Your broth.
That'll be packed with savoriness.
That broth over there.
Sundaeguk is all about the pork broth.
That smell of suyuk.
Pork leg bones, other pork bones,
pork large intestine, pork meat, and pork fat.
I boil them all together to make the broth.
After making the broth, I strain it
and add a lot of green onions and garlic.
Then, I'm going to reduce it to intensify the flavor.
It's concentrated.
-It's doubled. -The flavor is doubled.
There's no way that wouldn't taste good.
I want to taste each of their broths.
It feels like this whole space is filled with aromas and smells.
When you cross over to the other side, the aroma changes completely.
-It's completely different. -Yes, totally different.
They're doing exactly what the other isn't doing.
One is dashi, and the other is pork bone broth.
-One is really clean. -Right.
The other one's really rich.
I think they'll be delicious.
He must be grilling something.
PORK LARGE INTESTINE
I'm going to make an offal salad.
That looks delicious.
Charcoal-grilled pork large intestine?
-That would definitely taste good. -Of course.
What's that?
SMALL INTESTINE
-Small intestine. -Yeah.
-God, I bet that'll be delicious. -Exactly.
I wanted to give it that smoky flavor from charcoal grilling.
What's he doing now?
Usually, we add perilla seed powder to sundaeguk.
Instead of that, I lightly roasted whole perilla seeds to enhance the aroma.
WHOLE PERILLA SEEDS
GARLIC CHIVES
He's using everything that goes into sundaeguk.
But he's adding his own techniques.
SALTED SHRIMP
The large intestine will be tender.
And the small intestine will be chewy.
I'm going to make the offal salad and layer it on the bottom.
Gosh, I bet that's really delicious.
It's interesting to see a fine dining chef make sundaeguk.
Right?
He's also someone who always has a surprise or two up his sleeve.
-What's that green vegetable he's using? -Pumpkin leaves.
Pumpkin leaves? What will he do with them?
-Is that sea urchin? -Yes.
Wrapping sea urchin inside a pumpkin leaf?
That's interesting.
Would it pair well with them?
Those pumpkin leaves?
Uni and pumpkin leaves…
I'm curious about the uni and pumpkin leaf pairing.
Aren't those snap peas?
TYPE OF PEAS WITH EDIBLE PODS
Aren't those green onions?
They're pine mushrooms.
I have no idea what he's making.
That combination is…
It's something I've never seen before.
They're all things I like.
I'm prepping ingredients I like
one by one.
What's he making?
-Well, we're still not sure yet. -Still?
I cook Japanese cuisine, so I can kind of tell when I see it.
But with this, I have no idea.
It's coming out now!
I'm really curious about that.
How has he interpreted it?
-What's that? -Sundae.
I see. Finally.
-That's the sundae. -I see.
He's shaping them now.
It's literally a type of sausage, so…
FLOUR
I form them into shapes of sliced sundae and pan-fry them in perilla oil.
He's lightly searing them in the pan
-to bring out the aroma. -Right.
And make them a bit crispy.
He really is good.
It'll taste like sundaeguk, but he's deconstructed the dish.
He keeps adding special things in there, layering one on top of another.
It's incredible.
You could charge 48,000 won for that.
No, that's worth 300 million won.
You're right. It's 300 million won.
This is a sundaeguk you won't find anywhere else.
The sesame tofu is ready.
It's in the best possible condition to use right now.
That tofu turned out really well.
-Yeah, it came out well. -The texture looks great.
I guess the tofu turned out well.
I'd really like to taste it.
-How will he put this dish together? -Exactly. What on earth is that?
What is it?
What could it be?
Currently, you have ten minutes left.
But seriously,
when I'm here, I'm curious about over there.
When I'm there, I'm curious about here.
It's better to finish quickly.
It's best to finish warm dishes quickly.
He's putting it on the bottom.
I prepared a lot for this, and I'm also confident.
I think I'm going to win.
Great job!
-Let's go. -Awesome job.
Let's go.
Well done.
If there were a place that specialized in making and selling this dish,
you might find yourself a bit puzzled.
Putting the judging aside,
I made this dish while only thinking of myself.
I tried my best, so I have no regrets.
Great job.
Well done.
The final round is now over.
You were both amazing!
That young fellow is very impressive.
-If it tastes good, he will probably… -Exactly.
Will it taste good?
I think this flavor will be more subtle.
-I bet that one has a really bold flavor. -Exactly.
-In a tasty, straightforward way. -An intense flavor.
A really intense flavor.
It's hard to tell with Chef Choi's dish.
The two dishes are completely different in style.
Even the energies they each give off are completely different.
They're so different.
-They have different vibes. -Yes, very different.
Chef Lee Ha-sung's dish will be judged first.
Please head up to the judges' table.
Looking good!
Looking great out there!
Let's go!
If I can pass this last hurdle, I win.
So I need to do well.
It's not over yet, but I think I'll win.
Mind if I join you?
Are they tasting it together? That's so cool.
Great job today.
-They're eating together. -He must be so nervous.
Please serve the one dish made just for Chef Lee Ha-sung.
It's very fancy.
They're eating Korean sundaeguk, but they've been given fork and knives.
So, this is completely unexpected.
First, it's an honor to be able to dine with you at the same table.
Oh, come now.
Seriously, I don't know if I'll ever get a chance like this again.
The dish I've prepared today is sundaeguk.
SUNDAEGUK
On the bottom,
there's tender large intestine and small intestine.
I tossed them into a kind of an offal salad.
On top is the sundae I made in my own style.
I like Sichuan pepper and Korean mint, so I added a generous amount.
On top of that is a crumble made from salted shrimp.
SALTED SHRIMP CRUMBLE
On the side, you have pork rind chicharrón and garlic chive powder.
CRISPY FRIED PORK SKIN
And you have the broth. Please pour in as much as you like.
So we pour the broth in like this?
Yes, since it's sundaeguk,
-you should eat it as a soup. -Can we eat without it at first?
-You can. -Or add the broth first?
You can add it from the start.
There's a lot of elements.
I'm so curious. I wonder what the story behind it is.
Why did you want to make this dish for yourself?
There's a bit of a story to this.
Through elementary school,
my father would take me to a bathhouse every Sunday morning.
Back then, I hated it.
Yes, children hate it.
He'd always scrub me so hard with an exfoliating towel.
It'd hurt so much, and I hated it.
But there was a sundaeguk place downstairs.
So our bathhouse routine would always consist of scrubbing ourselves clean
and then going to eat sundaeguk.
When you enter the sundaeguk place,
you'd smell this pungent aroma of simmering pork broth.
My father would always buy sundaeguk for me as a reward.
The two of us would eat that hot soup together.
I remember doing that every weekend.
It brings back fond memories.
He must remember it vividly.
My dad and I ate sundaeguk after the bathhouse too.
He's the same as me.
Back in my day, it was banana milk when we'd go to the bathhouse.
But when I was 21 years old,
I started living abroad.
I traveled back and forth between Europe and the US,
but I didn't have a place to settle down.
Going and adjusting to new cities,
not speaking the language,
and struggling to find restaurant jobs…
That's how I've gotten by in life up to this point.
In those moments, I'd think of sundaeguk.
So whenever I visit Korea,
sundaeguk is the first dish that comes to mind.
So…
When you're abroad, you really miss sundaeguk.
It hits you right here.
Yeah, it's really moving.
-Today's theme is "a dish for myself." -Yes.
So say a few words to yourself, whatever they may be.
In your life as a chef,
you're now ending the first chapter of your career
and starting Chapter Two as you prepare your own restaurant.
I hope you continue growing and improving as a chef.
He's even making demands of himself.
Instead of praise, you're telling yourself to work harder?
I'm the type who likes the pressure.
In terms of pure skill,
I think I have a long way to go.
He could've patted himself on the back,
but he always thinks he needs to do better.
-He's always pushing himself. -I want to give him a hug.
-Right. -I wish I could.
-Thank you for your dish. -Please enjoy.
A dish for Lee Ha-sung.
Please enjoy.
The smell makes me so hungry.
-I'll try it as is first. -Please eat.
I was really curious about how the sundae would be done.
It really is sundae.
It's completely different with the broth.
The way I see it,
sundaeguk has that unique flavor when the sundae bursts open.
Damn it.
-Gosh, I'm hungry. -No, I mean…
It must be really delicious.
-They're trying it with the soup too. -They're really savoring it.
He keeps nodding.
That looks like a good sign.
He must be so nervous.
No appetite?
No, not really.
-With every spoonful… -Yes?
I'm reminded that this is sundaeguk,
but there's also a certain refined touch in here.
And my thoughts keep going back and forth between those two.
You've managed to retain that originality
while expertly showcasing a subtle balance of flavors.
Thank you.
That reward after the bathhouse.
I can understand that through the flavors in this dish.
I feel like I just had a bath.
If you did bathe beforehand, this would taste much better.
No, it's delicious even without a bath.
Judge Paik Jong-won seems to be really enjoying it.
The feedback's pretty good.
-They're eating all of it. -They're finishing it.
He's scraping the bowl.
Dishes like that are impressive.
-This will be a landslide for Ha-sung. -Right?
It must be delicious. I'd really like a taste.
I think he might win this.
Thank you for the dish.
-Great work. -Thank you.
Thank you.
Well done.
Great job!
-Excellent job. -Well done!
He didn't eat much of it.
-What? -He couldn't eat.
As if he could.
That left quite an impression.
Right?
Gosh, to think he would interpret sundaeguk like that.
This is really hard to tell.
Their vibes are so different, so I wonder what will happen.
He's really amazing.
He's advanced every round since the first one.
If Chef Choi Kang-rok wins,
it means fortune really does favor the bold.
Chef Choi Kang-rok, please head up to the judges' table.
Let's go!
-Good luck! -You got this!
-Good luck! -You can do it!
I feel like I worked really hard,
so I feel a bit emotional too.
-Well done today. -Thank you.
-Great work, Chef. -Thank you.
Please serve the one dish made just for Chef Choi Kang-rok.
It's a soup with sesame tofu.
SOUP WITH SESAME TOFU
But I made it the way I wanted.
To be honest, for a dish made for myself,
I didn't want to do anything hard.
However,
since I was given 90 minutes, as a means of self-evaluation,
I decided to make sesame tofu.
I have this really fond memory from a while back
of eating sesame tofu in a hot soup.
Teaching me to have grit
and to not grow lazy or complacent
was what this sesame tofu did.
-It's a really hard process. -Really?
He used the term "self-evaluation."
And I filled the dish with ingredients I like.
PINE MUSHROOM, SNAP PEA, PUMPKIN LEAF, UNI, SESAME TOFU
It may not be to your liking though.
I like udon broth.
The things I experienced from my restaurant are in this broth.
I'd grill and add leftover chicken bones to the broth to make use of them.
I'd also add a bunch of green onions
to cure my hangover.
I also mixed in katsuobushi broth and made what I felt like making.
Why did you want to make this dish for yourself?
I'm…
a braise man.
Yes.
So…
I once won a competition before.
Back then, I made a lot of braised dishes.
"The Braise Man."
"Serial Braiser."
"Mr. Braise."
I picked up those nicknames along the way,
so even though I wasn't good at braises,
I pretended I was.
To be honest, I studied a lot too.
I did put in a lot of effort,
but I still spent parts of my life trying to keep up this appearance.
So I didn't want to make a braised dish as a dish for myself too.
-It's somewhat sad. -Yes, I'm tearing up.
I wanted to comfort myself.
I was always so hard on myself.
I've never even spent 90 seconds on a dish meant for myself.
The thought of someone cooking just for me makes me tear up.
Here in this alternate reality,
I wanted to give it a shot.
And this is what I wanted to make.
That's so inspiring.
Is this the first dish you've made for yourself?
To be honest, I've only made instant noodles.
-Really? For yourself? -Yes.
So then,
Mr. Braise, Serial Killer, and…
Not Serial Killer. Serial Braiser.
-I'm sorry. -Don't say that!
Serial…
He said "Serial Killer."
He just said "Serial Killer."
Serial… Serial Braiser.
To the Choi Kang-rok with all these nicknames,
-before you eat this… -Yes?
Is there anything you'd like to say?
Well done, Braise Man.
At least for today, take a break from braising.
Shouldn't we pour our drinks before we eat?
The purpose of this soju is…
Rather than for the pairing,
it's for that post-work drink or a nightcap.
It's to help you sleep.
It's a way to wash away that fatigue in one go.
It's just a drink.
-Exactly. -Because it's what he wants.
-Soju. -A soju pairing too.
That's a must.
-The red cap soju. -You need the red cap soju.
After a hard day in the kitchen,
having some soju feels great.
When it comes to seeking comfort,
-I'd think of soju too. -Yeah, soju.
Cheers.
-That looks refreshing. -Everyone's clapping.
That's amazing.
What a great idea of serving soju.
That will definitely ease their fatigue.
How should we eat this?
The sesame tofu is the main ingredient, so please start with that.
I recommend taking a gentle bite.
-Please eat. -Okay.
Is the texture of the tofu okay?
Was it made to your liking?
Yes, it was for me.
-Then, it's fine. -Yes.
It's a dish for Choi Kang-rok, after all, right?
Yes.
What's this? There's a pouch.
I put some sea urchin inside the leaves.
It's hidden inside.
I had this feeling that sea urchin
and pumpkin leaves
would pair well together.
Pumpkin leaves and uni work well together.
They pair well.
I've never tried this before.
I've never had uni wrapped in pumpkin leaves before.
It sounds like it goes well with the pumpkin leaves.
His dish must taste really good too.
-They seem excited. -Yeah.
It feels like they enjoy this one more. It just feels like it.
This will be interesting. This will make him nervous.
Then, in the future,
do you want to be called Serial Braiser or Serial Broth Maker?
Or maybe Serial Killer?
I'm a law-abiding citizen.
-He's law-abiding. -He's a law-abiding citizen.
So…
some people ask these kinds of things.
"What's special about your dish?" "What's your signature dish?"
To be honest, I don't have many signature dishes.
I'm not really a special kind of chef.
All the chefs in this world
are in their kitchens and out of sight as they do their jobs day in and day out.
And I'm one of them, but I got lucky,
and I got the chance to become Mr. Braise.
-That's so nice. -Yes, he's so admirable.
Perhaps, a great number of chefs, as you just mentioned,
are pretending.
I think all chefs go through that phase at some point.
I also keep up a lot of appearances.
So I think this is…
a truly honest dish.
It just really felt like that.
Chef Anh's drinking from the bowl. It must be really good.
-They're eating the whole thing. -You're right.
He's drinking it.
-They emptied their bowls. -They did.
They polished them clean. There's no telling now.
-It's neck and neck. Who knows who'll win? -This will be fun.
Thank you for the dish.
It was very delicious.
Thank you.
That's some high praise.
-I wonder what will happen. -I can't wait to see the result.
He really is brilliant. He can work with whatever you give him.
-He's so good. -Exactly. It's amazing.
Now, it's time to find out if the judges reach a unanimous decision
to determine the final winner.
Choi Kang-rok versus Lee Ha-sung.
Lee Ha-sung versus Choi Kang-rok.
Please select one chef out of the two
to be crowned as the ultimate culinary champion of Korea.
God, how am I supposed to choose?
They'll have a hard time deciding.
Number one is for Lee Ha-sung.
Number two is for Choi Kang-rok.
Please press your buttons now.
They must be so nervous.
I guess both tasted good.
-It must be really close. -Yes.
Look how hard it is for them to decide.
Yeah. This is the right choice.
JUDGE ANH SUNG-JAE VOTING COMPLETE
Judge Paik, please press the button now.
Just a moment!
They both made soups, so it's hard to tell.
Here goes nothing.
BOTH JUDGES HAVE COMPLETED VOTING
It's done. They've decided.
The voting is complete.
Great job!
The winner will only be determined
if the judges' decision is unanimous.
Now, for the results.
The two judges have made a decision that is…
Why is my heart pounding? Why am I so nervous?
-Oh, my god! -Hurry up and tell us!
…unanimous.
UNANIMOUS DECISION REACHED
Seriously?
…unanimous.
Oh, my god!
Oh, my gosh.
It's two to zero.
Who is it?
Who's the winner?
My palms are sweating.
Goodness.
I was thinking, "It must be me."
Rather than think I was going to win,
I wanted to win.
-Lee Ha-sung. -Oh, my gosh.
Who do you think won?
-Kang-rok won. -I'm praying it's Chef Choi.
The chef who will receive the 300 million won prize is…
I know the result, but I'm still sweating.
Congratulations…
White Spoon Chef Choi Kang-rok!
WHITE SPOON CHEF CHOI KANG-ROK WINS
Unbelievable!
You did it!
This is crazy.
My goodness, Choi Kang-rok. This is amazing.
Gosh, this is insane.
I was so unsure. I thought you'd…
Gosh, he entered a second time and won.
If the theme…
of the final round mission
wasn't to create a dish for oneself,
Chef Monster… I mean, Culinary Monster
would have presented an even more impressive dish.
So,
as I mentioned earlier,
I'm not someone who makes food that's exceptional.
I'm just…
Like all the unseen chefs across the country
who quietly and diligently work in their kitchens,
and like all the people who simply cook for a living,
I'm just one of them.
I'll keep your words close to my heart.
And…
I'll cherish the connections I've made here,
and I'll continue to devote myself and my thoughts to food.
Thank you.
Great job.
First, to all the chefs present here and all the chefs who couldn't be here,
you all are truly amazing and did an exceptional job.
Personally, I had a really fun time.
And in the end, I got to compete with Chef Choi Kang-rok,
which I'm grateful for and proud of.
As a chef, I want to be someone who's really good at cooking.
I want to rise to the level
where I can say to myself that I'm a pretty good chef.
And through this profession and ability to cook well,
I want to make the people around me happy, including myself.
I want to become someone
who can look after them without difficulty.
Of course, this is just a game of survival
that was designed to divide us into Black Spoons and White Spoons.
But it immediately made me think about the meaning of this win.
There are a great number of cooks out there.
Some are skilled experts.
Others are just starting out.
And there are those who've worked incredibly hard.
They all have dishes they're good at making.
These 11 years of making sausages have been the happiest times of my life.
I think it's my life's work.
Some people make a living from those dishes.
I started cooking as a way to survive.
I wanted to open a great burger joint and live a happy life.
Instead of my story,
I wanted to share stories
of people who cook
as I ended my journey.
To me, cooking is what I do.
It's my work, and I stake everything on my work.
Because it's my job. It's something I must do.
There are plenty of good chefs but not many who keep working hard.
So I'm going to keep at it and do my best.
I realized I'm still a chef. I still love to cook.
I've just wanted to give my best every day without feeling ashamed.
I'm so glad I've been cooking all my life.
If I hadn't been cooking, I wouldn't be here today.
I've been cooking for 57 years now.
My goal is to make it to 60 years.
I'm sure everyone is the same.
We all desperately want this,
and I don't think anyone's desire is bigger or smaller than anyone else's.
I used the last bit of energy from my twenties to open my restaurant.
I'd do the shopping at dawn, prep, and do the dishes.
I'd wake up at dawn to study and look up ingredients.
I've even collapsed once while working.
I think it's a dish that requires patience.
It was so delicious that I couldn't give it up.
In that moment when I'm cooking,
I'm just so happy.
Okay, let's think of myself as being here in their place and do my best.
I'll keep my two feet on the ground.
I'm glad I came back and tried again.
CHOI KANG-ROK
Subtitle translation by: Hyesoo Lee