Chapter 51

Chapter 51

"We'll use two kinds of cheese! First, fresh and soft ricotta cheese! Or stretchy string mozzarella works too! Then prepare a small amount of Parmesan cheese to add more flavor! Not too much though, just enough so it doesn't overpower the doenjang!"

"Doenjang and cheese together? I really can't imagine it."

Hong Man-gi still tilted his head.

"Chef! Just trust Poming and keep listening!"

Poming stamped her feet excitedly and continued.

"Then we need some vegetable friends to make the flavor and texture of the risotto even richer! Finely chopped bamboo shoots for a crisp bite! Cheongyang chili peppers to cut through the richness with some heat! And shiitake mushrooms for their deep aroma and chewy texture! Finally, the finishing touch, sprinkle a little perilla seed powder on top! Yahoo~!!"

[Crunch, crunch]

[Chop, chop]

[Fragrant, fragrant]

Inside their imagination, the colorful vegetables joined the risotto, promising a feast of flavor, aroma, and texture.

The deep savoriness of doenjang, the softness of cheese, and the freshness and varied textures of the vegetables.

Hong Man-gi and Lee Yu-han could not help becoming more and more curious about what kind of flavor would be created.

"Now for the cooking method! First, lightly oil the pan and stir-fry the doenjang with the chopped vegetables! Cook them until the savory aroma of the doenjang and the sweetness of the vegetables fully come out! Then pour in the milk and add the prepared rice, slowly simmering everything together! Let every grain of rice soak up the doenjang milk sauce!"

[Sizzle, sizzle]

[Bubble, bubble]

Inside their imagination, the doenjang and vegetables danced together in the pan, while the milk and rice melted smoothly into one another.

A savory yet creamy aroma seemed to tickle their noses.

"Finally! Just before turning off the heat, add the prepared cheeses and let them slowly melt using the remaining heat! Once the cheese fully melts and becomes one with the risotto, it's finished!"

When Poming's explanation ended, Hong Man-gi and Lee Yu-han looked at each other, speechless.

Doenjang and cheese.

Rice and milk.

And all those different vegetables.

The completed Doenjang Cheese Risotto in their imagination was undeniably unfamiliar, yet strangely, rather than feeling repulsive, it created an odd sense of anticipation.

It was almost like the comforting cooking of a grandmother they had forgotten long ago had perfectly blended with the refined flavor of a trendy restaurant.

"Wow, Poming. This one is honestly difficult to describe with words."

Lee Yu-han spoke first.

"Yeah, Poming. This really feels like something we'd have to taste before we could understand it."

Hong Man-gi also spoke with genuine admiration.

Satisfied by their reactions, Poming fluttered her tiny wings and proudly shouted,

"Right? Right?! That's exactly the charm of Doenjang Cheese Risotto!"

"First! It tastes unfamiliar yet familiar! At first you'll think, 'What is this?' But after one bite, then another, before you realize it, you'll be scraping the bottom of the bowl clean! Imagine the judges going, 'This is strange, but why can't I stop eating it? What even is this?' while getting completely confused! Wouldn't that be hilarious?"

"Second! The incredible harmony created by the deep, savory flavor of doenjang and the soft, creamy taste of cheese! This is one of those flavors you can't explain. Only someone who tastes it will understand!"

"Third! It's trendy enough to break down the boundary between Korean and Western food, while still having enough comforting warmth to satisfy older people too! Isn't that the true definition of fusion cuisine?"

Hong Man-gi and Lee Yu-han nodded, completely convinced by Poming's passionate presentation.

Doenjang Cheese Risotto.

The name alone made the flavor difficult to imagine, but after hearing Poming's explanation, it had become the dish they were most curious and excited about.

Perhaps this could become Hong Man-gi's true ultimate dish, the one capable of delivering the greatest shock and emotion to the judges and viewers of Blue and White Cooking King.

"Good, Poming. The third ultimate-dish candidate is decided."

Hong Man-gi spoke with determination.

"Spicy Cream Jeyuk Rice Bowl, Black Sesame Teriyaki Pork Belly Braise, and Doenjang Cheese Risotto. With these three dishes, I think we have a real chance on Blue and White Cooking King."

Then he thought to himself.

'Now all that's left is to completely make these dishes our own.'

* * *

A few days later, Hong Man-gi and Lee Yu-han stood in front of a broadcasting studio.

Before them stood a grand broadcasting building with a massive Blue and White Cooking King logo displayed across it.

Countless staff members and people who appeared to be contestants hurried back and forth.

A completely different kind of tension and excitement from a dungeon entrance surrounded the two of them.

"Wow, Hunter Hong Man-gi. So this is a broadcasting station. I heard even YouTube content is filmed in proper studios these days... I never thought I'd personally come somewhere I've only ever seen on TV."

Lee Yu-han looked around like a country bumpkin, constantly expressing his amazement.

His face was filled with nervousness and excitement about entering a completely new world.

Hong Man-gi felt the same.

Having spent most of his life around dungeons and the food cart, a broadcasting station filled with bright lights and cameras could only feel unfamiliar and strange.

The two wore the visitor passes Producer Gu Sang-hoon had sent in advance and entered the studio.

Inside, countless chefs and staff members were already moving around.

Ten cooking stations equipped with the latest facilities stood in a row across the center of the massive space.

Dozens of lights and cameras hung from the ceiling.

"Good grief, this kitchen is almost as big as a football field. Those pots and knives over there all look ridiculously expensive."

Lee Yu-han whispered with wide eyes.

Hong Man-gi nodded.

It was far more luxurious and professional than the old kitchen at Full Moon Restaurant.

He briefly felt intimidated.

But he quickly steadied himself.

'The important thing isn't the equipment. It's the heart you put into the food.'

When the two reached their assigned Station 9 and put on their aprons, the other contestants nearby began glancing toward them.

Every chef participating in today's Blue and White Cooking King preliminary round was an impressive expert.

There was the head chef of a Michelin-starred restaurant.

A chef who had graduated at the top of a famous culinary school overseas.

The matriarch of a traditional family whose cooking techniques had been passed down for generations.

Even celebrity chefs with millions of followers on social media.

To their eyes, Hong Man-gi, who had no official career or impressive background, and Lee Yu-han, who looked like an inexperienced assistant, were complete unknowns.

"Hey, those guys at Station 9. I've never seen them before. Who are they?"

Edward Kang, the owner-chef of a famous French restaurant, asked the Italian chef Antonio standing beside him.

His expression and tone carried subtle contempt and caution.

"Who knows? I heard Producer Gu brought in some strange amateur this time. Maybe that's them. Judging from their appearance, they look like chefs from some neighborhood restaurant. I wonder what connections got them this far."

Antonio snorted and looked Hong Man-gi up and down.

At that moment, Master Lee Seon-young, a Korean cuisine expert dressed elegantly in hanbok, joined their conversation.

"You two shouldn't judge people carelessly based only on appearances. Look at that young man's eyes. His clothing may be humble, but his gaze is more serious and deeper than anyone else's here. He may even be the hidden master who surprises us the most today."

At Master Lee Seon-young's words, Edward Kang and Antonio briefly fell silent.

However, their expressions still showed plenty of doubt and distrust.

"Well, he can try his best."

"He's kind of cute, at least."

Despite the gazes and whispers around him, Hong Man-gi silently organized his cooking station.

Lee Yu-han was extremely nervous and restless, but after watching Hong Man-gi remain calm, he slowly began settling down.

"Hunter Hong Man-gi. I feel like everyone here is staring at us. I'm seriously nervous."

"It's fine, Yu-han. We just have to do what we always do. It doesn't matter how those people see us. What matters is what story and emotion we put into the food we make."

Hong Man-gi patted Lee Yu-han's shoulder.

A short while later, every light in the studio came on.

Producer Gu Sang-hoon took a microphone and walked to the center of the stage.

The moment he appeared, the atmosphere inside the studio tightened.

"All right! The one and only survival competition to determine Korea's greatest cook! The preliminary round of Blue and White Cooking King begins now!"

With Producer Gu Sang-hoon's booming voice, the fierce cooking battle finally began.

"Today's preliminary theme is, Memories!"

As Producer Gu Sang-hoon announced the theme, quiet murmurs spread among the contestants.

Memories?

It was an extremely broad and abstract theme.

"You will each create a dish containing the most precious and special memory of your life. We're not simply looking for delicious food. We want food containing your sincerity and your personal story. The time limit is one hour! Begin!"

At the starting signal, every contestant immediately moved.

The sharp sounds of knives.

Ingredients sizzling inside pans.

The aroma of boiling broth.

All of it filled the studio.

Edward Kang began making Kimchi Confit, inspired by the kimchi his mother had sent him while he studied in France and struggled with homesickness.

Antonio began preparing Truffle Lasagna using a secret recipe personally passed down by his grandmother.

Master Lee Seon-young began making Royal Sinseollo, a dish that seemed worthy of being served at a king's table.

Every dish was glamorous and luxurious.

While everyone's attention was drawn toward them, Hong Man-gi quietly took out pork shoulder, fresh cream, and gochujang.

"Hunter Hong Man-gi, are you really sure? Everyone else is making incredible dishes like those... Are we really going with Spicy Cream Jeyuk Rice Bowl?"

Lee Yu-han asked nervously.

Perhaps standing before the dazzling dishes of all those famous chefs made their own menu feel too simple and ordinary.

Hong Man-gi smiled at him.

"Yu-han, the best food doesn't come from the most expensive ingredients or the flashiest techniques. It comes from the most sincere heart. For us, the theme of 'memories' is Full Moon Restaurant itself. The feelings we had when we first tried to comfort exhausted and wounded people. That's what we're putting into this dish."

Lee Yu-han's eyes trembled at Hong Man-gi's words.

Then he nodded.

Right.

The important thing was not the result.

It was the process.

Putting their sincerity into the food.

"Understood."

Hong Man-gi and Lee Yu-han synchronized their movements and began cooking.

Hong Man-gi prepared the jeyuk.

Beside him, Lee Yu-han fried garlic chips and grilled green onion for the toppings.

The two were now working surprisingly well together.

[Sizzle, sizzle]

The other contestants still glanced toward them with a mixture of doubt and curiosity.

But Hong Man-gi and Lee Yu-han no longer cared about the gazes around them.

They focused only on their own dish.

Time passed.

The studio became increasingly filled with delicious aromas and intense heat.

Finally, the one-hour time limit approached its end.

"All right, 10 seconds remaining! 10, 9, 8!"

Along with Producer Gu Sang-hoon's countdown, Hong Man-gi sprinkled the final Parmesan cheese powder over the finished Spicy Cream Jeyuk Rice Bowl.

"Time's up! Everyone, put down your tools!"

Every gaze turned toward Station 9, toward Hong Man-gi and his dish.