On ‘It’s a relief to take a good rest’, Lee Yeon-bok successfully made Chinese food with monkfish for the first time on broadcast.
The episode aired on the 3rd featured the second story of the deserted island Chinese restaurant with cast members Kim Dae-ho, Chinese cuisine master Lee Yeon-bok, and celebrities Myung Se-bin and Yang Se-hyung. According to Nielsen Korea, the broadcast recorded a nationwide rating of 6.8%, ranking first among all entertainment programs aired on Monday. It also achieved the highest 2049 rating, a key indicator of channel competitiveness and topicality, among all Monday entertainment shows.
On that day, Kim Dae-ho, Lee Yeon-bok, Myung Se-bin, and Yang Se-hyung set out to catch monkfish from the sea early in the morning. Monkfish, which is difficult to prepare and expensive, is not commonly used as a Chinese ingredient. Lee Yeon-bok, who was attempting to make Chinese food with monkfish for the first time on broadcast, expressed his confidence, saying, “I’ll show you once.”
They pulled up a large net that had been lowered to the bottom to catch monkfish living in deep waters. The net was filled with various seafood, including large conchs, blue crabs, yellow corvinas, flatfish, catfish, red snapper, and cuttlefish, resembling a mixed gift set, but the monkfish they were hoping for was nowhere to be found.
To cheer up the tired workers, the captain made soy sauce marinated crabs on the spot with freshly caught blue crabs. Lee Yeon-bok was impressed by the soy sauce marinated crab with the captain's special seasoning, saying, “There are truly various flavors in the world.” Despite the captain's suggestion to stop eating and get back to work, Kim Dae-ho couldn’t pull himself away from the soy sauce marinated crab, responding, “You go ahead and work first.” Seeing this, Boom humorously remarked, “He became bold after taking a break.”
Just as they were nearing the end of the net, they dramatically caught a monkfish. Lee Yeon-bok, while pulling a large monkfish from the net and almost getting bitten, showed satisfaction, saying, “If I can catch something this big, I wouldn’t mind getting bitten ten times.”
After finishing their fishing, they satisfied their hunger with a snack before the guests arrived. Lee Yeon-bok decided to make handmade dumplings with the cuttlefish they caught. His apprentice Myung Se-bin made a fresh salad with oysters and apples. The combination of the mouthwatering dumplings and salad captivated the viewers.
Additionally, they went sea diving nearby to prepare a hearty meal for the guests. During this time, Myung Se-bin successfully caught clams, known to be more expensive than beef, which costs 150,000 won per kilogram. Along with conchs and octopus, they secured a variety of seafood, raising expectations for a rich menu.
Lee Yeon-bok planned a spicy ‘Sichuan course meal’. First, he made his signature dish, ‘Eo-hyang Dong-go’. He made meatballs from minced conch and fish, placed them on shiitake mushrooms, steamed them, and poured a spicy sauce containing his secret recipe, captivating everyone with its visual appeal. The chewy texture of the meatballs and the spiciness of the sauce elicited admiration.
Next, Lee Yeon-bok made ‘Kkanpunggi’ with the prepared monkfish. The monkfish fried to perfection with the master’s skill was crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, surprising everyone. When coated with Kkanpung sauce, the ‘Kkanpungui’ that could only be tasted at the deserted island Chinese restaurant was completed. After tasting it, Kim Dae-ho exclaimed, “Why didn’t I think of frying monkfish?” while Yang Se-hyung said, “I want to sell this,” praising it highly. Lee Yeon-bok also emphasized its uniqueness, saying, “Since I fried freshly caught monkfish, this flavor can’t be replicated in a restaurant.”
Finally, Lee Yeon-bok made ‘Sichuan seafood noodle soup’. The spicy broth with clams, octopus, and conchs melted away the cold, captivating everyone. The broadcast featured special dishes that could only be tasted at the ‘Pook Daehang’ deserted island restaurant, stimulating the viewers' appetites.
Meanwhile, the preview released at the end of the broadcast featured the opening of ‘Muin-gak’ with Chinese cuisine master Lee Gyeong-rae and chef Lim Tae-hoon, raising viewers' expectations. MBC’s ‘It’s a relief to take a good rest’ airs every Monday at 9 PM.
[Lee Da-kyum, Star Today Reporter]
