After five years, 'Please Take Care of My Refrigerator' captivated viewers by adding novelty to familiar flavors.
JTBC's entertainment program 'Please Take Care of My Refrigerator' (directed by Lee Chang-woo and Lee Rin-ha) announced its comeback on the 15th. The show brought back original chefs who are inseparable from 'Please Take Care of My Refrigerator', along with challenger chefs who issued a challenge, and introduced new rules for upgraded fun. The viewership rating for the broadcast recorded 5.7% in the metropolitan area and 5.2% nationwide, marking a pleasant start. The target viewership rating for ages 2049 was 2.9% in the metropolitan area.
In the first broadcast, MCs Kim Sung-joo and Ahn Jung-hwan, original chefs Lee Yeon-bok, Choi Hyun-seok, Kim Poong, and Jeong Ho-young, along with challenger chefs Edward Lee, Choi Kang-rok, Lee Mi-young, and Park Eun-young, participated. The moments of the MCs and original chefs reuniting after a long time showcased their unchanged chemistry, adding to the excitement.
Additionally, first-time participants Edward Lee, Choi Kang-rok, Lee Mi-young, and Park Eun-young engaged in exciting talks about their latest updates and the opponents they wish to compete against. In particular, in this competitive setup between original chefs and challenger chefs, Edward Lee expressed his desire to compete against Choi Hyun-seok, who had appeared on the same cooking show, while Park Eun-young, the goddess of Chinese cuisine, hoped to challenge Lee Yeon-bok, the master of Chinese cuisine. Choi Kang-rok drew attention by saying, "I want to avoid if possible."
As the first guests, Young-tak and Chimchak-man appeared, with Young-tak requesting a nourishing dish to replenish energy during his performance and a dish that would allow him to taste heaven with eggs he ate during his unknown days. This led to a nourishing dish competition between Lee Yeon-bok and Lee Mi-young, and an egg dish competition between Choi Hyun-seok and Edward Lee.
The benefits given to the unfamiliar challenger chefs during the 15-minute competition also caught attention. They could choose between starting to cook one minute earlier, giving them a total of 16 minutes, or stopping their opponent's cooking for one minute. As it was a time-sensitive competition, the unique rules drew focus.
In the tense competition, the chefs' cooking skills and senses shone. In the opening match, the chef with the highest win rate, Lee Yeon-bok, presented 'BOK SHOW', which included rice cakes made by himself, tteokbokki with octopus, and handmade fried dumplings. Lee Mi-young, the master of school meals who has captivated everyone from elementary school students to chefs, made 'Octopus Kimchi Stew' with octopus kimchi stew, seasoned chili pepper with soybean paste, and radish salad.
After much back and forth, Young-tak tasted the two completed dishes and chose Lee Yeon-bok as the winner of the opening match. Young-tak praised Lee Yeon-bok's dish, saying, "The rice cake in the tteokbokki was slightly undercooked, but it was delicious, and I felt a bit more of the vibe of 'Eat this and gain strength'."
In the match between the same-age competitors Choi Hyun-seok and Edward Lee, their comedic chemistry was also evident. Most notably, Edward Lee, who used the benefit to prevent Choi Hyun-seok from cooking for one minute, paused his own cooking to wear a mask pack for a fair competition, leaving a legendary moment from the first broadcast.
Additionally, the essential course of 'Please Take Care of My Refrigerator', where the MCs rummage through the refrigerator and the chefs undergo a mid-check that shakes their hearts, provided laughter. Kim Sung-joo and Ahn Jung-hwan donned gloves and thoroughly searched the refrigerator, showcasing their stable hosting and delightful banter.
'Please Take Care of My Refrigerator' airs every Sunday night at 9 PM, and on the 22nd, the results of the competition between Choi Hyun-seok and Edward Lee, as well as Chimchak-man's refrigerator, will be revealed.
[Ji Seung-hoon, Star Today Reporter]
