Chefs Lee Yeon-bok, Jeong Ho-young, and Fabri showcased a dazzling cooking competition on a deserted island.
The MBC entertainment program ‘Pook Swaem Da Haeng-iya’ (hereafter ‘Pook Da Haeng’), aired on the 16th, featured the episode ‘Chefs of the Deserted Island’ with the new master of Chinese cuisine Lee Yeon-bok, Japanese cuisine expert Jeong Ho-young, and the ultimate Western cuisine chef Fabri. According to Nielsen Korea, the broadcast recorded a nationwide rating of 5.7%, ranking first among all entertainment programs aired on Monday. Additionally, it also topped the 2049 ratings, demonstrating its dominance as the strongest Monday entertainment show.
On this day, Boom invited the top chefs Lee Yeon-bok, Jeong Ho-young, and Fabri, who create something from nothing, to a 0.5-star deserted island. With 23 years of cooking experience for Fabri, 25 years for Jeong Ho-young, and 53 years for Lee Yeon-bok, these chefs, boasting a total of 101 years of experience, gathered in one place, raising expectations for the best dishes.
First, they set out to find ingredients in the unknown territory of the back mountain. Lee Yeon-bok, Fabri, and Boom, who were in charge of the upper search, did not stop exploring even during the arduous journey of crawling up the steep slope. While following a deer path, they discovered various foods such as figs, citrons, pepper berries, and bracken. In particular, they were captivated by the expensive natural fruit ‘Kkuji-bong’, which is hard to buy in stores. Meanwhile, Jeong Ho-young and Heo Kyung-hwan, exploring the bottom of the mountain, found a persimmon tree and diligently shook the branches with a long pole, harvesting a basket full of persimmons.
Before the guests arrived, they decided to make a snack. In the chilly weather, Lee Yeon-bok wanted to make the representative winter snack, steamed buns, and declared that he would make ‘Mala Steamed Buns’ using the pepper berries he picked from the mountain. Hearing this, Fabri said he would use the canned tomatoes he brought to make ‘Pizza Steamed Buns’ and turn Kkuji-bong into a jam-like spread for ‘Kkuji-bong Steamed Buns’. Lee Yeon-bok fermented the dough for the steamed buns using a hot pack, and the ‘Mala Steamed Buns’ full of Chinese flavors, ‘Pizza Steamed Buns’ with Italian colors, and dessert-like ‘Kkuji-bong Steamed Buns’ were completed with their unique characteristics.
Jeong Ho-young prepared turtle hand okonomiyaki using his secret weapon, ‘Whole Bonito’. However, he accidentally folded the batter in half while flipping it on the pan. Fabri, who stepped in to fix it, ended up completely collapsing the batter, shocking everyone. Ultimately, the most senior chef, Lee Yeon-bok, stepped in to flip the batter. With Jeong Ho-young’s carefully grated bonito flakes added, the best okonomiyaki was completed.
Next, the chefs, Boom, and Heo Kyung-hwan went shrimp fishing to gather dinner ingredients. On the boat, which was filled to capacity, they each claimed their ingredients. The first to obtain was Lee Yeon-bok with a scallop. Jeong Ho-young secretly coveted a cuttlefish, but Fabri also desired it, creating a competitive dynamic. The two even clashed over the next choice, the sea bass, engaging in a fierce psychological battle. Eventually, under Boom's mediation, Jeong Ho-young got the sea bass, and Fabri obtained the cuttlefish.
The competitive dynamic formed during the ingredient claiming process heated up even more when deciding the order of the dinner course. All the chefs wanted to finish with the final course, and ultimately, under the judgment of the most senior Lee Yeon-bok, the order was decided as Fabri’s ‘Cuttlefish Ink Gnocchi’, Lee Yeon-bok’s ‘Deserted Island Seafood Nurungji Soup’, and Jeong Ho-young’s ‘Soup Curry Udon’.
To ensure smooth progress, when the main chef was cooking, the other two chefs agreed to assist as sous chefs. The first to take the role of main chef was 23-year veteran Fabri, with 53-year veteran Lee Yeon-bok and 26-year veteran Jeong Ho-young naturally becoming sous chefs. The impatient Chinese chef Lee Yeon-bok and the meticulous Italian chef Fabri bickered throughout the cooking process. Eventually, Lee Yeon-bok dumped the gnocchi into the pot all at once, causing Fabri to panic about the shape of the gnocchi being ruined. However, despite the initial hiccups, both showcased their top cooking skills, and the cuttlefish ink gnocchi was successfully completed.
For the second dish, Lee Yeon-bok showcased his mastery by toasting and frying the nurungji. When presenting the nurungji soup to the guests, he created a performance by spreading the nurungji on a hot plate and pouring the broth over it, eliciting admiration. Finally, Jeong Ho-young served the soup curry udon, which combined warm broth and chewy udon noodles, along with ‘Gamttugi’ (a mix of persimmon and diced radish) that had been soaked in advance. The guests enjoyed a culinary journey through three countries—Italy, China, and Japan—on the deserted island, providing great satisfaction to the viewers.
Meanwhile, the preview released at the end of the broadcast depicted Lee Yeon-bok, Jeong Ho-young, and Fabri competing for the title of the only chef on the deserted island, raising curiosity. MBC’s ‘Pook Swaem Da Haeng-iya’ episode 30 will air on January 6 at 9 PM.
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
