Bon Appetit, Your Majesty (2025) s01e09 Episode Script
Course N° 9 Pressure-Cooked Ogyetang
1
BON APPÉTIT, YOUR MAJESTY
It is time to begin
the second round of the competition
between Joseon and the Ming.
Today's theme is
ji for "know," yeok for "change."
You must cook a dish
from each other's country.
- Our second dish, Peking duck.
- Let us begin.
Where did they get
such a massive lotus flower?
It is overwhelmingly big.
A golden lotus?
Okay. We'll start
by hanging the ducks to roast.
- Pouring oil over it makes it…
- Crispy.
Is that the Northern Capital roast duck?
The Ming cooks in action
are truly an impressive sight.
Trust me this once.
This is a temple dish.
This is Peking duck.
The dishes from both sides are complete.
This concludes
the tasting of the second round,
and the evaluation will follow.
I will announce
the scores for the second round.
ONE
EIGH
JOSEON: 1, MING: 8
- What?
- My goodness.
I do not believe this.
Tang Bailong, step forward.
TANG BAILONG
MASTER OF SICHUAN CUISINE
The skills you learned
from visiting temples all over Joseon
in order to create the ultimate taste
are truly remarkable.
Not only did your temple dish
take us by surprise,
but its flavor also offered
profound insight and serene resonance.
YU KUN
MING'S CHIEF ENVOY
However…
the scores of the second round
are invalid.
Your Excellency, I am not sure
I understand what you are saying.
Bailong's score--
It seems my words fell on closed ears.
What did you say?
Look carefully.
That is the score
the Ming chief envoy gave Joseon's dish.
Just so the Ming could win,
he gave Joseon's dish
a ridiculously low score.
However, Your Excellency,
the rule is that
we score each other's dishes.
What is the matter with that?
Director Yu, do you truly not see it?
We are the two judges of this competition.
If we do not score the dishes honestly,
what is the point of all this?
Your shallow trickery
is embarrassing your own cooks,
who did their best
to make outstanding dishes.
Do you truly not realize that?
However--
In the first round,
the very person who was most ashamed
of winning with a dishonest ingredient
was the Ming cook, Tang Bailong.
Yet you, the chief envoy,
decided to give such a dishonest score.
What you did not only disgraced
the honor of the Ming cooks,
but also that of the Joseon cooks.
He asks how you wish to decide the winner.
We will judge in a way
that eliminates all these problems.
I wonder how.
Listen carefully.
The cooks of each nation
will taste and score their own dish.
Humans tend to be blind
to their own shortcomings.
Score your food with that in mind,
and that very score
will decide the winner
of the second round.
He wants us to score ourselves?
What on earth is he thinking?
COURSE N° 9 PRESSURE-COOKED OGYETANG
First,
Joseon's Chief Royal Cook Yeon Ji-young.
You made a new adaptation
of the Northern Capital roast duck
with an exquisite balance of flavors
that adhered to the theme
of "know" and "change."
How do you score that dish?
Your Majesty, I'm sorry to say,
but it's impossible to score.
What? You cannot score your dish?
Why is that?
It'd be a stretch to say
our Peking duck was perfect.
But Cook Eom, Cook Maeng,
Cook Min, Cook Sim, and Gil-geum
poured their sweat, hard work,
dedication, and hearts into the dish.
We devoted ourselves to making this dish,
so how could we dare
evaluate it ourselves?
Your Majesty,
we can't evaluate and score our own dish.
I apologize.
I see.
Next.
Ming's Chief Royal Cook Tang Bailong.
You have captured profound enlightenment
in the lotus leaf wrap
and presented us
with Joseon's temple fare.
It was truly a refined dish
that showed the noble grace
and skill of a Ming cook.
How do you score your dish?
Tang Bailong also says
he is unable to score the temple dish
that he learned to make
from many Joseon monks.
The truth is,
both dishes were equally good
in every aspect,
including taste, elegance, and appearance.
Joseon's roast duck and Ming's temple dish
were clearly created by cooks who have
reached the highest level of skill.
To judge the dishes on taste alone
is close to impossible.
That is why
I had the two cooks score the dishes
to assess their mindset.
However,
it seems that both cooks
are evenly matched in that aspect as well.
I believe
that both dishes in this round
proved to be equal,
which means
it is another tie.
Do you have more to say?
If the third round is also a tie,
we will win the competition.
This outcome is in our favor.
Your Excellency, I believe that you made
the most appropriate decision.
He says he has nothing to add.
In that case, the third round
will be held here tomorrow
at the same time.
- Yes, Your Majesty.
- Yes, Your Excellency.
I lost.
However,
it was a victory in its own way.
No, I won.
But it feels like
I kind of lost.
If our dishes were evaluated tomorrow,
the result would have been very different.
I'm guessing you're saying
the Ming would've won, right?
As the temple food would have lingered
on their minds until the next day?
I focused heavily on the depth
and meaning of my dish,
that I failed to captivate
their tongues at once.
That also is a shortcoming of mine.
I focused heavily
on captivating their tongues,
that I failed to add depth
and meaning to my dish.
That's my shortcoming.
You always have the last word.
Because you keep talking.
I look forward to your final dish.
Thank you.
All right, let's get going.
What was that just now?
He lost, but he won?
Oh, well…
In this second round,
Tang Bailong's dish touched the heart,
while ours captivated the taste buds.
If today's scoring had been done properly,
we would've won,
but his dish would've been the one
that remained on people's minds.
That's what we said.
Then did you praise yourselves
while standing face-to-face?
Well, we acknowledged each other
and praised ourselves too.
Whatever the result,
the best cook in the Ming
acknowledged our chief royal cook.
- Right?
- Right.
- That alone is a great accomplishment.
- Yes.
It's not just me. It's us.
He acknowledged us.
- Goodness, miss.
- Oh gosh.
Stop it. Let's go.
- Greetings, Chief Eunuch.
- Greetings.
Well done, all of you.
Cook Yeon, His Majesty wishes to see you.
Right now?
Your Majesty.
Cook Yeon is here.
So you asked to see me.
Why do you look so upset?
You did so well today.
Keep it brief and to the point.
I don't have enough time
to prepare for tomorrow.
That is why I summoned you.
Here.
Are you personally offering me wine?
This is not wine.
It is tea.
I called you here
so you could have some rest.
Go on and try it.
A teacup holding the moon.
How fascinating.
That is what you call "moon tea."
If you sit there and look into the teacup,
the tea reflects the moon in the sky.
It's mandarin leaf tea.
How do you feel?
Does it ease your tension?
Yes.
It's almost like a warm consolation.
I was worried you looked too weak
to even hold the duck.
How will you manage the remaining round
with a wounded hand?
I just can't do any delicate cutting,
but I can cook just fine.
"Fine"?
Maid Seo had to do the cutting for you.
You are too fearless.
Why, of course I was afraid.
But I put my trust in the sweat
and hard work the cooks had put into it.
And that
came out to a tie, did it not?
That tie?
Since we're on the topic,
I assumed you changed the rule
in the middle of the competition
because you wanted a fair win.
But then you went,
"Score your dish yourself."
How were we to decide a winner like that?
So that is why you are upset.
We would've won
if only the scores were fair.
You are right.
You did incredibly well today.
The truth is,
I did not know
it would be this hard a competition.
Just like Yu Kun,
I wanted to give you full marks
and Ming's dish one point.
Your Majesty.
It was my mistake
to risk the future of the nation
on a cooking competition.
It is not yet too late.
Let us call off the third round.
All I need to do is just bow
and apologize to the chief envoy.
No.
I want to do the third round.
So don't bow to the Ming.
What do you mean?
I was angry at first
by how they looked down on Joseon.
But now,
seeing Gil-geum, Cook Eom, Cook Maeng,
and the other cooks work so hard
and put in so much effort,
and seeing how sincerely
the Ming cooks participated,
I genuinely want to win.
No.
I'll do whatever it takes to win.
You mean it.
I do.
Has the pressure cooker lid arrived?
Not yet.
But Mister Chun-saeng will come.
I trust he will.
No one can criticize you.
You put in more than enough effort so far.
If things do not go well--
Don't worry, Your Majesty.
Oh, that's hot!
Are you all right? Are you scalded?
No, I'm fine.
This will not do.
Chief Eunuch!
Yes, Your Majesty.
Inform those at Naeuiwon, Royal Clinic,
to treat Cook Yeon's hand promptly.
Yes, Your Majesty.
I'm really okay.
Promise me…
that you will never
let yourself get hurt again.
Your pain…
brings greater pain to me.
Your Majesty.
How does it feel now?
It feels much better.
This ointment will help even more.
Thank you.
Another tie?
It was just as you predicted,
Your Royal Highness.
How dare a mere chief envoy
do such a despicable thing?
There is a lot more gochogaru
than I thought, Your Highness.
GRAND PRINCE JESAN
SUPERINTENDENT OF SAONGWON
If there is too much,
you can always leave a sack with me.
IM SONG-JAE
CHIEF ROYAL SECRETARY
You are cooks representing the Great Ming!
You brought nothing but humiliation!
How could we let two ties happen in a row?
- Cook Maeng.
- Yes.
This is not just ordinary ginseng.
It is wild ginseng!
Wild ginseng?
- Wild ginseng?
- What? Wild ginseng?
- My gosh.
- This is a precious ingredient.
It is time to begin
the third and final round
of the competition
between Joseon and the Ming.
Today's theme is…
tang for "soup," sam for "ginseng."
You must make a soup containing ginseng.
You may begin cooking now.
We must win today.
Let us begin cooking fo tiao qiang.
- Yes.
- Yes.
It's time for our final dish.
Let's start making ogolgye samgyetang,
Silkie ginseng chicken soup.
Cook Min, please put the ogolgye
on the cutting board.
Yes, Chief Royal Cook.
- Cook Eom.
- Yes?
Please skin three of them
and make a broth.
Cook Sim, you be his sous-chef.
What? What was that?
Oh, "sous-chef." It means to assist you.
What if the lid does not arrive in time?
Right. What do we do then?
We'll go with Plan B.
"Plant Bee"?
I mean an alternative.
The cast iron cauldron.
Though it will be harder.
I see we have an alternative.
That is great to hear.
Yes, it is indeed.
Okay then.
Cook Maeng, please prepare
the green onions and garlic for the broth.
Gil-geum, you be his sous-chef.
- Very well.
- Okay.
All right then.
Let's get started.
Cook Eom, I need the skin
to be as wide as possible.
I understand.
Bring the lu jin.
LU JIN: DEER TENDON FREQUENTLY USED
TO MAKE NOURISHING DISHES
Hou tou gu.
HOU TOU GU: CHINESE NAME
FOR LION'S MANE MUSHROOM
Hai shen.
HAI SHEN: SEA CUCUMBER, A PREMIUM DELICACY
KNOWN AS THE WILD GINSENG OF THE SEA
That is…
Cook Sim.
It looks like the Joseon cooks
are preparing an ogolgye soup.
The Ming cooks are using ingredients
so incredibly rare
that I cannot even fathom
what they are making.
The first ingredient
Kong Wenli is preparing
is deer tendon soaked in oil for days.
It is one of the Eight Treasures,
the most precious ingredients.
What Bailong is preparing
is called lion's mane.
Deer tendon and lion's mane?
That is the rare mushroom
that resembles a lion's mane, is it not?
You truly are a gourmet
who knows your ingredients.
There are also
sea cucumber, abalone,
bamboo shoots, dried scallops,
and even white ginseng,
which is said to be obtainable
only with ancestral blessing.
The soup your cooks are preparing…
It cannot be.
Yes.
A dish where precious, rare ingredients
are cooked together
for a long time with great care.
It is said that the deep aroma
even made a monk abandon his meditation
and jump over the wall to try it.
Thus, named fo tiao qiang,
or Buddha Jumps Over the Wall.
BULDOJANG:
A NOURISHING DISH WITH RARE DELICACIES
So it is buldojang.
"Buldojang"?
Let's prepare the ingredients
to stuff the chicken.
- Okay.
- Okay.
- Peel it thinner.
- Okay.
Tie the legs together tighter.
- Understood.
- Understood.
There.
LIQUOR
Let's wait just a bit more.
- Cook Eom.
- Yes?
- Keep an eye on the broth for me.
- Sure.
Cook Maeng,
please make some jujube rice cakes.
Leave them to me.
Gil-geum, get the morel for me.
Yes, miss.
Mister Chun-saeng,
I really need you to come right now.
Forget about that Chun-saeng
or whatever his name is
and go with your Plant Bee!
He is right. We might fail
to complete the dish and lose.
Let us go with Plant Bee!
I guess we have no choice.
Let's go with Plan B.
Cook Eom, we'll use the cauldron.
Very well.
Cook Min, the lid.
Right, Bong-sik.
Hurry.
There is a strange bird in the sky!
It is coming this way at great speed!
On guard!
Get out of my way!
I have no time to waste with you.
Oh goodness me.
- Jang Chun-saeng!
- Oh, you!
The palace must be treating you well.
You look so much better.
- Did you bring it?
- Would I have come empty-handed?
Thank you.
The chief royal cook is waiting.
You should head inside now.
- This way.
- Let us go.
Mister Chun-saeng!
Jang Chun-saeng.
Chief Royal Cook.
You made it!
Here you go.
What is that?
Who is that man?
He is a new palace attendant.
He brought a cooking tool I ordered.
Let's see.
I said I would bring it to you, did I not?
I was waiting for you.
Thank you so much.
- Was I right on time?
- Yes.
It was perfect timing.
But the lid has weakened a bit
due to the damage,
so you should keep the heat
as low as possible for safety.
What? But I need the heat
to be at maximum level.
Then go for it. What can you do?
Will it be very dangerous?
Well…
You will be in danger if you lose anyway.
I'll trust in your skill,
Mister Chun-saeng.
- I hope you win.
- I will.
- I should go now.
- Thank you.
My gosh.
It's here!
- I need more firewood.
- Sure.
No.
This dish needs to be cooked on low heat.
Relax, Ya Feixiu.
My goodness, miss.
How much more firewood do we need?
The flames are already so huge.
Water boils at 110°C
at 1.5 atmospheric pressures,
and that's enough to make it taste great.
But to ensure it tastes perfect,
I'll raise the internal temperature
to 120°C at 2 atmospheric pressures.
So you are saying we need more firewood.
Yes. Just throw in everything we have.
I might break my back carrying firewood.
She says it is
to create the perfect taste,
so go and get more firewood.
Yes, Man-su.
It seems you have changed a great deal
in the last few days.
Stop talking and bring more firewood.
Okay.
Cook Sim, wait for me.
Please stay strong and hold on.
IGAK, 30 MINUTES, LATER
He is concerned it will explode.
Do not worry.
My chief royal cook
knows what she is doing.
My goodness.
It did it!
It held up two atmospheric pressures.
I knew Mister Chun-saeng could do it.
Oh my, miss.
It looks like their dish is done already.
That is strange.
How could it be done so soon?
It looks like the Ming
is far from being done.
This is the power of science.
It's much faster, isn't it?
And it tastes better too.
It was worth the hard work.
All right.
Now for the last step.
It's a new form of samgyetang
where you can enjoy
the nutritious ogolgye from skin to meat.
When it comes to
slowly cooked fo tiao qiang,
the last touch completes the taste.
Dumplings made with glutinous rice
and ogolgye skin
are lightly parboiled in the broth.
Liquor is poured on a plate
covered in salt.
Maid Seo, we must hurry.
The minced meat is piped into the morels.
A dragon carving,
symbolizing power, is added.
On top of a layer
made with seasoned ogolgye meat
go the dumpling, mushroom, and ginseng.
To complete the dish,
the salt is set aflame to warm the bowl.
To complete the dish,
wild ginseng broth is poured around it.
The crunchy, savory nurungji
is an extra touch.
The dishes from both sides are complete.
The cooks are to step away
from the stations.
Today, we will taste the dish
made by the Joseon cooks first.
Oh, right.
You tap the nurungji
with your spoon to break it,
and eat it with the dumpling,
meat, and broth.
What is this dish called?
This dish is called
wild ginseng-infused ogolgye samgyetang.
I stuffed the ogolgye with 100-year-old
cheonjongsam, premium wild ginseng,
and cooked them in a pressure cooker
with medicinal herb broth,
which enhanced the texture of the meat
and the deep flavor of the broth.
I also added a unique flavor to the dish
with morel stuffed with minced ogolgye
and nurungji.
The aroma is of a herbal chicken soup,
but it is shaped like a dumpling.
He says it does not look refined.
This is "oat sheen,"
an invigorating dish favored
in palaces of the Western world.
I suppose you do not know much
about Western food.
"Oat sheen"?
This is oat sheen?
I know.
A phoenix!
I am an immortal riding a phoenix!
The ogolgye meat is unbelievably tender,
and it is presented neatly
so there is no need to separate the bone.
Each time I taste the broth,
the aroma of the cheonjongsam
and green onions
spreads subtly throughout.
It almost feels as if
it warmly comforts my heart.
Is this truly a ginseng chicken soup
made with Silkie?
The meat melts away in my mouth,
and the broth is incredibly rich and deep.
I feel the warmth
and the energy build up inside of me,
which is definitely the effect of ginseng.
However, the taste is completely new.
This is truly a magnificent dish!
It is delicious.
Now, we will taste the dish
made by the Ming cooks.
What is this dish called?
It is buldojang.
It is made with delicacies
from land and sea,
including deer tendon,
lion's mane, white ginseng,
sea cucumber, pine mushrooms, and more.
He says each bite will taste different,
as the ingredients will bring out
their flavors in your mouth.
This is a dish
truly worthy of the Great Ming!
There is a reason
this is called a food of the gods.
There is no need for words.
This is truly a taste
beyond compare.
This concludes
the tasting of the third and final round.
To ensure
the third round is scored fairly,
the cooks will taste each other's food
and score it.
Each cook can give up to ten points,
which would make the full score 30 points.
He says that he has accepted
His Excellency's scoring method
to apologize for the prior
unsavory scoring process,
and for the cooks
to score each other fairly.
Now, you may taste each other's food.
This buldojang is no joke.
We wouldn't have stood a chance
without the pressure cooker.
You are right.
Having a bite of this dish
I had only heard of
makes me feel energized already.
Our ogolgye samgyetang
is just as nourishing as this.
They did use rare ingredients,
but the taste is not that impressive.
Why won't he eat?
He can't score unless he tastes it.
I have been watching him,
and he does not seem to eat at all.
The maids say
he cooks without even tasting the food.
He doesn't taste the food?
It can't be.
Is he anorexic?
What is that?
It's an illness
that makes one unable to eat.
That makes no sense.
How could a cook have such an illness?
I've seen it before.
Once their cooking reached
a certain level,
they couldn't eat any food.
An anorexic cook.
If he cannot eat…
How will he score our food?
Why has that cook not tasted the food?
Ever since Kong Wenli reached
the highest level of cooking skill,
he has not been able to eat any food.
He has the ability
to create the best flavors
without ever tasting them.
What?
How will he score the food then?
He cannot score what he cannot taste.
I wonder how this will affect the scores.
Yesterday, you reprimanded me
for not scoring honestly.
He says you can have them score
as fairly as you wish, Your Majesty.
He looks guilty for trying to eat.
He might eat
if the food isn't plated nicely.
Cook Yeon, what are you doing?
What are you doing?
He has to taste it to score it.
My goodness.
He says the chief royal cook must be
perplexed after tasting Ming's dish.
Chief Royal Cook.
To make food is joy for the cook,
and to taste
is joy for the people who eat.
That's what makes cooking rewarding,
isn't it?
To be honest,
it tastes extra good when everything
is thrown together like this.
Regardless of the result,
as a cook,
I present you with this food
with the hope that you'll also be happy.
Why do you care so much about taste?
Do not be complicated.
So what if you cannot cook well?
Nothing tastes better
than when you throw everything in
and cook it together.
Try it.
Come on. Try it.
It is delicious.
It is so good.
This is…
the taste I had forgotten
and missed for so many years.
I once was left in shock
after tasting my grandmother's food
that was made with all sorts of
ingredients thrown in together.
For many years,
I tried to cook something
that tasted better,
but nothing I made ever tasted like it.
Since then,
I have gained the ability to cook
without tasting the food.
However…
the more I cooked,
the harder it became for me to eat.
He says you recreated
the taste of his grandmother's food.
He says he cannot
call himself the best cook,
for he cannot surpass
his grandmother's cooking.
The most important virtue of a wise man
is said to be benevolence.
To care and be considerate of others.
I made this out of consideration for you,
Cook Kong Wenli.
The dish your grandmother made for you
was probably made with the same heart.
I see it now.
A cook who can bring joy
to both themselves and others
is a true wise man.
He says that he has lost
to the chief royal cook.
How is this possible?
I will announce
the result of the third round,
where the cooks scored each other's food.
First, we will reveal the score
given by the Joseon cooks for Ming's dish.
It is 27 points.
Next, we will reveal the score
given by the Ming cooks for Joseon's dish.
It is 28 points.
Miss!
Cook Eom! Oh my!
It was such a pleasure
to compete against such great cooks.
Thank you for the generous score.
Thank you.
I hope
to compete against you properly one day.
Just one cook against another.
Anytime.
What is this?
Where I'm from, this is a greeting.
We call it a handshake.
"Handshake"?
Handshake.
It was a great match.
I learned a lot.
I also realized
I have a lot more to learn.
- Thank you.
- I learned a lot.
It looks like we have a final winner.
Yes, Your Excellency.
He says he will relinquish the right
to harvest Joseon ginseng as promised
and return to the Ming with just one
tribute item to show their appreciation.
And what is that?
He says he will offer the chief royal cook
to the Emperor as a tribute woman.
What?
You want the chief royal cook
as a tribute woman?
What is this utter nonsense?
You've got to be kidding me.
He's asking to take me as a tribute woman?
- Your Majesty!
- Your Majesty!
Your Majesty!
Your Majesty!
He is the chief envoy from the Ming…
He struck him with his head!
How could this happen?
Blood?
I am bleeding!
How dare the King of Joseon
behave this way
toward the envoy of the Emperor?
Oh dear.
I only meant to show you
the Joseon greeting.
Are you all right?
He says in any case, he will take
the chief royal cook with him.
Guards, take her.
- Oh no!
- No!
Miss.
Director Yu,
it seems
that you brought
far too few attendants with you
to take my chief royal cook
as a tribute woman.
What?
You should have brought
at least an army of a hundred thousand
to make it worth my time.
He asks if you will dare challenge
the envoy of the Emperor of the Ming.
Anytime.
The Grand Royal Queen Dowager has arrived.
What in the world
is happening in this place?
Grandmother.
I was bidding the Ming envoy farewell,
and there was a minor misunderstanding.
A misunderstanding, you say?
I do not know
what that misunderstanding could be,
but Your Majesty,
as the ruler of a nation,
you must never act recklessly.
Yes, Grandmother.
I have something to inquire
of Envoy Yu Kun.
You have come as an envoy
of a great nation.
Why is it that you have
set aside your official duties
and suggested
such an imprudent competition?
I have the Emperor's command to demand
the right to harvest Joseon ginseng
and take tribute women--
How dare you, Yu Kun!
"How dare you, Yu Kun"?
I now see
that your insolence knows no bounds.
Both the King of Joseon
and his grandmother have lost their minds.
An insult to me
is an insult to the Emperor himself.
Do you all wish to be punished at once?
Yu Kun.
Do you know what this is?
It is a letter from my aunt
and the late Emperor's second wife,
Consort Yeon.
Do you still dare insist your Emperor
requested the right to harvest our ginseng
and our women as tribute?
So the aunt of the
Grand Royal Queen Dowager of Joseon
is the late Emperor's second wife,
- Consort Yeon?
- Yes.
I have deceived the Emperor
and dishonored the Ming imperial family.
He begs for your forgiveness
and benevolent grace.
Then let us return
to the original matter at hand.
You should keep your promise.
He says he will supply
the requested items at any time.
Can I
trust your words?
He says he swears on the heavens
to keep his promise.
He thanks you for the hospitality
and says he will take his leave.
There is no need to hurry.
Be sure to take the tribute items
we prepared for you.
Yes, Your Excellency.
My lord.
I appreciate it.
Well done.
It was very delicious.
What brought you all the way here,
Grandmother?
Your Majesty.
Why did you act so rashly?
Matters could have gotten out of hand
if I had not requested
a letter from the Ming imperial family.
I apologize, Grandmother.
The nation does not belong to you alone.
Does it?
I will be more cautious.
Your Royal Highness.
I think it is best to leave it at this.
Your Majesty.
I have a request.
Please tell me what it is.
Grand Prince Jinmyeong
is quite curious
about the chief royal cook's food.
Would you allow him
the chance to taste her food?
Is that so?
Grand Prince Jinmyeong?
Then I will arrange a meal tomorrow.
Thank you, Your Majesty.
Now, hurry and bring an end
to the competition.
Yes, Grandmother.
GRAND PRINCE JESAN'S RESIDENCE
What on earth do you wish to do with this?
The plan has already been set in motion.
His Majesty will have his natsura,
midday meal,
with Grand Prince Jinmyeong tomorrow.
- Cook Yeon.
- Yes, Chief Royal Secretary.
His Majesty will have his natsura
with Grand Prince Jinmyeong tomorrow.
I'll prepare buttered and roasted
whole ogolgye with ginseng.
They will be having
roasted chicken with ginseng.
Grand Prince Jinmyeong?
Are you concerned because he will play
an important part in our plan?
Are you saying
you do not mind sacrificing him?
If it means we can eliminate
the chief royal cook
and make His Majesty explode with fury.
However,
poison leaves a trace.
Only when a poison is a poison.
However, this right here
is not originally a poison.
A poison that is not a poison?
What is the matter, Your Highness?
To be honest,
I expected you
to betray me at a certain point.
The position of a young king's consort
is quite an enviable one.
You are the reason
I was able to live decently.
That is enough for me.
When the time comes,
I will make you my official spouse
so you can live freely.
GANGNYEONGJEON
Thoroughly investigate the military camps
all around Joseon,
focusing especially on those
who have deserted or transferred units.
Identify them all.
Is it to find out
those who attacked you, Your Majesty?
No.
Treachery.
I must uncover who harbors such a heart.
Yes, Your Majesty.
I will do as you command.
This feels so good.
I wish I could just lie down forever.
- Don't you?
- I do.
I am tired,
but I really enjoyed the competition.
I will never forget it
for the rest of my life.
I could never. I almost died.
I even almost got dragged away
to the Ming.
Oh my goodness.
That would have been terrible.
Come to think of it,
did we save our country today?
We almost lost all our ginseng.
Seeing that I'm worrying
about such things,
I guess I've really become
a Joseon person.
This room.
Gil-geum, Cook Eom, Cook Maeng.
His Majesty.
I guess you all grew on me.
MANGUNROK
Well done, Cook Yeon.
How do you feel?
Thanks to your concern,
I went back to Naeuiwon.
They said
I don't have much longer to live.
What?
That's what I thought they'd say.
I'm just a bit overworked,
but nothing's wrong with me.
How could you joke about that?
Did I scare you?
I'm sorry.
Then what about your hand?
Oh, I received acupuncture,
and my condition got better.
"Condison"?
It's in a much better state.
Then are you in
a good enough condison to cook?
Of course. There's no problem.
I'll make sure
to prepare a really great meal.
Is this where you'll dine
with Grand Prince Jinmyeong?
Yes.
The special meal for today is battered
roasted whole chicken, correct?
Yes, it's buttered and roasted
whole ogolgye with ginseng.
He is young, so prepare the…
What was it? Macrong? Serve those as well.
Okay.
This is the perfect place
to have a natsura with a younger brother.
It would also be
a good place for us to eat in private.
In private?
Would you not like that?
If you are preparing a dish, Your Majesty,
I will gladly taste it.
What?
Me? Cook?
You dare tell me to set foot in a kitchen?
It's a joke, Your Majesty.
I won the competition,
so please accept my humble jest
with grace, Your Majesty.
Fine.
I'll get going then.
Wait.
I am not done yet.
What is it?
Open it.
This is…
It is a new cook's attire.
It's beautiful. Look at the colors.
Well? Do you think
this is a flattering color for me?
"Flattening collar"?
I'm asking if the colors suit me.
But…
I must leave once I find Mangunrok.
So why are you giving me this?
Who says you can leave?
Even if you do leave,
you will still need a cook's attire,
will you not?
A cook's attire.
Right.
Thank you for this.
One more thing.
After my meal with Grand Prince Jinmyeong,
meet me at Jangwonseo,
Office of Royal Horticulture.
Oh, but I have a prior engagement.
A prior engagement?
With whom?
The Ming cooks asked to see me.
Do you want to see them again
when you almost died?
I want to give them a gift
and say my last goodbye.
I will not allow it.
But…
Your Majesty.
Then make it brief
and come to Jangwonseo.
Okay, I will.
Do not be late.
Yes, of course, Your Majesty.
Today's natgeotsang, daytime meal,
is roasted whole ogolgye.
We'll cook it the same way
as the Peking duck.
You will serve chicken again?
There is no "again"
when it comes to His Majesty's meals.
You are so silly.
We should hurry up and get started.
I have never seen
a cook's attire in this color.
Of course you have not.
His Majesty gifted it to her.
Does it suit me?
- Of course it does.
- Good.
I will get the ingredients
to fill the chicken with.
- Okay.
- I will go get two ogolgyes.
- Cook Min, please get some suyu for me.
- Yes, of course.
- Cook Sim, please get me some firewood.
- Sure.
Shall I clean the ginseng now?
Jinmyeong.
This is the first time
we are dining together.
Yes, Your Majesty.
It is an honor.
You can call me brother when we are alone.
Yes, Your Majesty.
I mean, Brother.
I see you feel uncomfortable around me.
We should do this more often from now on.
Can we really? Do you mean that?
I do.
Are you that pleased?
Yes. Everyone in the palace
is praising the chief royal cook.
I wanted to taste everything
that was served
in the competition against the Ming.
I am pleased to see you are excited.
We shall make time to eat everything.
Yes.
Your Majesty, the natgeotsang is ready.
It smells light
but rich at the same time.
Just looking at it makes my mouth water,
Your Majesty.
This is roasted whole ogolgye
made by stuffing the chicken
with glutinous rice,
jujube, chestnuts, and milkvetch root,
and roasting it by hanging
just as we did for the Peking duck.
Then this time,
did you roast the ogolgye whole?
Yes.
But I coated the outside with butter…
I coated it with suyu
and stuffed it with ginseng.
Do you eat this too?
It is bitter, but it is a root vegetable
that is good for you,
so chew it carefully.
This was made with ground mustard seeds,
salt, vinegar, and honey.
It's a Joseon-style mustard sauce.
"Mustache sauce"?
Take the chicken and dip it.
Oh, dip and eat.
Exactly.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Dip and eat.
The skin is chewy
and the meat is moist.
I have never tasted
anything like this in my life.
It is chewy, light, and flavorful.
This would have been a dish
worthy of presenting at the competition.
You are as skilled as I heard.
Thank you, Your Highness.
Jinmyeong.
Try this.
Dip and eat.
Dip and eat it.
Is it good?
Yes, it is delicious.
I was worried for no reason.
If His Majesty is the man
I believe him to be,
the purge might not happen.
Wait.
Did I change the course of history?
Ginseng?
When did you prepare this for us?
I thought Ya Feixiu could use it
to create a new dish.
Thank you.
We, too, are grateful for these.
Are you not traveling
with the chief envoy?
With his permission,
the three of us will go our separate ways
to study and improve our cooking skills.
That's amazing.
I'm envious.
We should compete again someday.
Properly.
I'd love to,
if we have the chance.
You taught me a lot.
I wish you happiness.
Travel safely.
I wish you peace.
Chief Royal Cook.
I am not interested
in another nation's politics,
but do relay this message to your king.
The edges of objects
are always harder to see,
and when you sleep,
be sure to lock the latch securely.
Okay.
Is that all you want me to tell him?
Okay.
Then let us say our farewells.
- Thank you.
- I learned a lot.
Thank you.
"The edges of objects
are always harder to see,
and when you sleep,
be sure to lock the latch securely"?
You should have asked him what he meant.
Yes, you should have.
I have a bad feeling about it
for some reason.
- Your Royal Highness.
- Your Royal Highness.
- Miss!
- Chief Royal Cook…
Your Royal Highness.
You will never cook for His Majesty again.
I'm not sure I understand what you mean.
My son Jinmyeong
is at death's door
after he ate the chicken you made for him!
Your Royal Highness.
Are you saying Grand Prince Jinmyeong
is unconscious?
Why would the food I made…
You should know better than anyone.
Take this wench away this instant!
I will interrogate her myself.
- Yes, Your Royal Highness.
- Yes, Your Royal Highness.
- Chief Royal Cook.
- Wait. Your Royal Highness.
- Oh no, miss!
- Chief Royal Cook!
- Your Royal Highness, it can't be!
- Miss!
- There must be a misunderstanding!
- Chief Royal Cook!
Your Royal Highness…
Chaos must be unfolding by now.
Yes, Your Grace.
The Queen Dowager is furious,
and she will interrogate
the chief royal cook herself.
Very well.
What about the female physician?
I brought her out in secret
and sent her to that place.
Well done.
I wish I could see the face
of the chief royal cook
as she is being interrogated and tortured.
Your Royal Highness, I'm innocent!
Something isn't right!
Shut your mouth!
Until the wench confesses the truth,
torture her!
- Yes, Your Royal Highness!
- Yes, Your Royal Highness!
No, wait. Your Royal Highness.
Your Royal Highness!
GOCHO
BON APPÉTIT, YOUR MAJESTY
Are you implying
that I was behind all this?
You know better than anyone
that I wouldn't do such a thing.
Please prove my innocence.
This is not His Majesty's doing.
I guess it would not be so bad
to stand by and watch.
It means the time has come.
I do not want you to leave.
We must silence that female physician.
Did Consort Kang put you up to it?
If you wish to punish me,
bring forth the evidence.
No!
Subtitle translation by: Jennifer Jean Lim
BON APPÉTIT, YOUR MAJESTY
It is time to begin
the second round of the competition
between Joseon and the Ming.
Today's theme is
ji for "know," yeok for "change."
You must cook a dish
from each other's country.
- Our second dish, Peking duck.
- Let us begin.
Where did they get
such a massive lotus flower?
It is overwhelmingly big.
A golden lotus?
Okay. We'll start
by hanging the ducks to roast.
- Pouring oil over it makes it…
- Crispy.
Is that the Northern Capital roast duck?
The Ming cooks in action
are truly an impressive sight.
Trust me this once.
This is a temple dish.
This is Peking duck.
The dishes from both sides are complete.
This concludes
the tasting of the second round,
and the evaluation will follow.
I will announce
the scores for the second round.
ONE
EIGH
JOSEON: 1, MING: 8
- What?
- My goodness.
I do not believe this.
Tang Bailong, step forward.
TANG BAILONG
MASTER OF SICHUAN CUISINE
The skills you learned
from visiting temples all over Joseon
in order to create the ultimate taste
are truly remarkable.
Not only did your temple dish
take us by surprise,
but its flavor also offered
profound insight and serene resonance.
YU KUN
MING'S CHIEF ENVOY
However…
the scores of the second round
are invalid.
Your Excellency, I am not sure
I understand what you are saying.
Bailong's score--
It seems my words fell on closed ears.
What did you say?
Look carefully.
That is the score
the Ming chief envoy gave Joseon's dish.
Just so the Ming could win,
he gave Joseon's dish
a ridiculously low score.
However, Your Excellency,
the rule is that
we score each other's dishes.
What is the matter with that?
Director Yu, do you truly not see it?
We are the two judges of this competition.
If we do not score the dishes honestly,
what is the point of all this?
Your shallow trickery
is embarrassing your own cooks,
who did their best
to make outstanding dishes.
Do you truly not realize that?
However--
In the first round,
the very person who was most ashamed
of winning with a dishonest ingredient
was the Ming cook, Tang Bailong.
Yet you, the chief envoy,
decided to give such a dishonest score.
What you did not only disgraced
the honor of the Ming cooks,
but also that of the Joseon cooks.
He asks how you wish to decide the winner.
We will judge in a way
that eliminates all these problems.
I wonder how.
Listen carefully.
The cooks of each nation
will taste and score their own dish.
Humans tend to be blind
to their own shortcomings.
Score your food with that in mind,
and that very score
will decide the winner
of the second round.
He wants us to score ourselves?
What on earth is he thinking?
COURSE N° 9 PRESSURE-COOKED OGYETANG
First,
Joseon's Chief Royal Cook Yeon Ji-young.
You made a new adaptation
of the Northern Capital roast duck
with an exquisite balance of flavors
that adhered to the theme
of "know" and "change."
How do you score that dish?
Your Majesty, I'm sorry to say,
but it's impossible to score.
What? You cannot score your dish?
Why is that?
It'd be a stretch to say
our Peking duck was perfect.
But Cook Eom, Cook Maeng,
Cook Min, Cook Sim, and Gil-geum
poured their sweat, hard work,
dedication, and hearts into the dish.
We devoted ourselves to making this dish,
so how could we dare
evaluate it ourselves?
Your Majesty,
we can't evaluate and score our own dish.
I apologize.
I see.
Next.
Ming's Chief Royal Cook Tang Bailong.
You have captured profound enlightenment
in the lotus leaf wrap
and presented us
with Joseon's temple fare.
It was truly a refined dish
that showed the noble grace
and skill of a Ming cook.
How do you score your dish?
Tang Bailong also says
he is unable to score the temple dish
that he learned to make
from many Joseon monks.
The truth is,
both dishes were equally good
in every aspect,
including taste, elegance, and appearance.
Joseon's roast duck and Ming's temple dish
were clearly created by cooks who have
reached the highest level of skill.
To judge the dishes on taste alone
is close to impossible.
That is why
I had the two cooks score the dishes
to assess their mindset.
However,
it seems that both cooks
are evenly matched in that aspect as well.
I believe
that both dishes in this round
proved to be equal,
which means
it is another tie.
Do you have more to say?
If the third round is also a tie,
we will win the competition.
This outcome is in our favor.
Your Excellency, I believe that you made
the most appropriate decision.
He says he has nothing to add.
In that case, the third round
will be held here tomorrow
at the same time.
- Yes, Your Majesty.
- Yes, Your Excellency.
I lost.
However,
it was a victory in its own way.
No, I won.
But it feels like
I kind of lost.
If our dishes were evaluated tomorrow,
the result would have been very different.
I'm guessing you're saying
the Ming would've won, right?
As the temple food would have lingered
on their minds until the next day?
I focused heavily on the depth
and meaning of my dish,
that I failed to captivate
their tongues at once.
That also is a shortcoming of mine.
I focused heavily
on captivating their tongues,
that I failed to add depth
and meaning to my dish.
That's my shortcoming.
You always have the last word.
Because you keep talking.
I look forward to your final dish.
Thank you.
All right, let's get going.
What was that just now?
He lost, but he won?
Oh, well…
In this second round,
Tang Bailong's dish touched the heart,
while ours captivated the taste buds.
If today's scoring had been done properly,
we would've won,
but his dish would've been the one
that remained on people's minds.
That's what we said.
Then did you praise yourselves
while standing face-to-face?
Well, we acknowledged each other
and praised ourselves too.
Whatever the result,
the best cook in the Ming
acknowledged our chief royal cook.
- Right?
- Right.
- That alone is a great accomplishment.
- Yes.
It's not just me. It's us.
He acknowledged us.
- Goodness, miss.
- Oh gosh.
Stop it. Let's go.
- Greetings, Chief Eunuch.
- Greetings.
Well done, all of you.
Cook Yeon, His Majesty wishes to see you.
Right now?
Your Majesty.
Cook Yeon is here.
So you asked to see me.
Why do you look so upset?
You did so well today.
Keep it brief and to the point.
I don't have enough time
to prepare for tomorrow.
That is why I summoned you.
Here.
Are you personally offering me wine?
This is not wine.
It is tea.
I called you here
so you could have some rest.
Go on and try it.
A teacup holding the moon.
How fascinating.
That is what you call "moon tea."
If you sit there and look into the teacup,
the tea reflects the moon in the sky.
It's mandarin leaf tea.
How do you feel?
Does it ease your tension?
Yes.
It's almost like a warm consolation.
I was worried you looked too weak
to even hold the duck.
How will you manage the remaining round
with a wounded hand?
I just can't do any delicate cutting,
but I can cook just fine.
"Fine"?
Maid Seo had to do the cutting for you.
You are too fearless.
Why, of course I was afraid.
But I put my trust in the sweat
and hard work the cooks had put into it.
And that
came out to a tie, did it not?
That tie?
Since we're on the topic,
I assumed you changed the rule
in the middle of the competition
because you wanted a fair win.
But then you went,
"Score your dish yourself."
How were we to decide a winner like that?
So that is why you are upset.
We would've won
if only the scores were fair.
You are right.
You did incredibly well today.
The truth is,
I did not know
it would be this hard a competition.
Just like Yu Kun,
I wanted to give you full marks
and Ming's dish one point.
Your Majesty.
It was my mistake
to risk the future of the nation
on a cooking competition.
It is not yet too late.
Let us call off the third round.
All I need to do is just bow
and apologize to the chief envoy.
No.
I want to do the third round.
So don't bow to the Ming.
What do you mean?
I was angry at first
by how they looked down on Joseon.
But now,
seeing Gil-geum, Cook Eom, Cook Maeng,
and the other cooks work so hard
and put in so much effort,
and seeing how sincerely
the Ming cooks participated,
I genuinely want to win.
No.
I'll do whatever it takes to win.
You mean it.
I do.
Has the pressure cooker lid arrived?
Not yet.
But Mister Chun-saeng will come.
I trust he will.
No one can criticize you.
You put in more than enough effort so far.
If things do not go well--
Don't worry, Your Majesty.
Oh, that's hot!
Are you all right? Are you scalded?
No, I'm fine.
This will not do.
Chief Eunuch!
Yes, Your Majesty.
Inform those at Naeuiwon, Royal Clinic,
to treat Cook Yeon's hand promptly.
Yes, Your Majesty.
I'm really okay.
Promise me…
that you will never
let yourself get hurt again.
Your pain…
brings greater pain to me.
Your Majesty.
How does it feel now?
It feels much better.
This ointment will help even more.
Thank you.
Another tie?
It was just as you predicted,
Your Royal Highness.
How dare a mere chief envoy
do such a despicable thing?
There is a lot more gochogaru
than I thought, Your Highness.
GRAND PRINCE JESAN
SUPERINTENDENT OF SAONGWON
If there is too much,
you can always leave a sack with me.
IM SONG-JAE
CHIEF ROYAL SECRETARY
You are cooks representing the Great Ming!
You brought nothing but humiliation!
How could we let two ties happen in a row?
- Cook Maeng.
- Yes.
This is not just ordinary ginseng.
It is wild ginseng!
Wild ginseng?
- Wild ginseng?
- What? Wild ginseng?
- My gosh.
- This is a precious ingredient.
It is time to begin
the third and final round
of the competition
between Joseon and the Ming.
Today's theme is…
tang for "soup," sam for "ginseng."
You must make a soup containing ginseng.
You may begin cooking now.
We must win today.
Let us begin cooking fo tiao qiang.
- Yes.
- Yes.
It's time for our final dish.
Let's start making ogolgye samgyetang,
Silkie ginseng chicken soup.
Cook Min, please put the ogolgye
on the cutting board.
Yes, Chief Royal Cook.
- Cook Eom.
- Yes?
Please skin three of them
and make a broth.
Cook Sim, you be his sous-chef.
What? What was that?
Oh, "sous-chef." It means to assist you.
What if the lid does not arrive in time?
Right. What do we do then?
We'll go with Plan B.
"Plant Bee"?
I mean an alternative.
The cast iron cauldron.
Though it will be harder.
I see we have an alternative.
That is great to hear.
Yes, it is indeed.
Okay then.
Cook Maeng, please prepare
the green onions and garlic for the broth.
Gil-geum, you be his sous-chef.
- Very well.
- Okay.
All right then.
Let's get started.
Cook Eom, I need the skin
to be as wide as possible.
I understand.
Bring the lu jin.
LU JIN: DEER TENDON FREQUENTLY USED
TO MAKE NOURISHING DISHES
Hou tou gu.
HOU TOU GU: CHINESE NAME
FOR LION'S MANE MUSHROOM
Hai shen.
HAI SHEN: SEA CUCUMBER, A PREMIUM DELICACY
KNOWN AS THE WILD GINSENG OF THE SEA
That is…
Cook Sim.
It looks like the Joseon cooks
are preparing an ogolgye soup.
The Ming cooks are using ingredients
so incredibly rare
that I cannot even fathom
what they are making.
The first ingredient
Kong Wenli is preparing
is deer tendon soaked in oil for days.
It is one of the Eight Treasures,
the most precious ingredients.
What Bailong is preparing
is called lion's mane.
Deer tendon and lion's mane?
That is the rare mushroom
that resembles a lion's mane, is it not?
You truly are a gourmet
who knows your ingredients.
There are also
sea cucumber, abalone,
bamboo shoots, dried scallops,
and even white ginseng,
which is said to be obtainable
only with ancestral blessing.
The soup your cooks are preparing…
It cannot be.
Yes.
A dish where precious, rare ingredients
are cooked together
for a long time with great care.
It is said that the deep aroma
even made a monk abandon his meditation
and jump over the wall to try it.
Thus, named fo tiao qiang,
or Buddha Jumps Over the Wall.
BULDOJANG:
A NOURISHING DISH WITH RARE DELICACIES
So it is buldojang.
"Buldojang"?
Let's prepare the ingredients
to stuff the chicken.
- Okay.
- Okay.
- Peel it thinner.
- Okay.
Tie the legs together tighter.
- Understood.
- Understood.
There.
LIQUOR
Let's wait just a bit more.
- Cook Eom.
- Yes?
- Keep an eye on the broth for me.
- Sure.
Cook Maeng,
please make some jujube rice cakes.
Leave them to me.
Gil-geum, get the morel for me.
Yes, miss.
Mister Chun-saeng,
I really need you to come right now.
Forget about that Chun-saeng
or whatever his name is
and go with your Plant Bee!
He is right. We might fail
to complete the dish and lose.
Let us go with Plant Bee!
I guess we have no choice.
Let's go with Plan B.
Cook Eom, we'll use the cauldron.
Very well.
Cook Min, the lid.
Right, Bong-sik.
Hurry.
There is a strange bird in the sky!
It is coming this way at great speed!
On guard!
Get out of my way!
I have no time to waste with you.
Oh goodness me.
- Jang Chun-saeng!
- Oh, you!
The palace must be treating you well.
You look so much better.
- Did you bring it?
- Would I have come empty-handed?
Thank you.
The chief royal cook is waiting.
You should head inside now.
- This way.
- Let us go.
Mister Chun-saeng!
Jang Chun-saeng.
Chief Royal Cook.
You made it!
Here you go.
What is that?
Who is that man?
He is a new palace attendant.
He brought a cooking tool I ordered.
Let's see.
I said I would bring it to you, did I not?
I was waiting for you.
Thank you so much.
- Was I right on time?
- Yes.
It was perfect timing.
But the lid has weakened a bit
due to the damage,
so you should keep the heat
as low as possible for safety.
What? But I need the heat
to be at maximum level.
Then go for it. What can you do?
Will it be very dangerous?
Well…
You will be in danger if you lose anyway.
I'll trust in your skill,
Mister Chun-saeng.
- I hope you win.
- I will.
- I should go now.
- Thank you.
My gosh.
It's here!
- I need more firewood.
- Sure.
No.
This dish needs to be cooked on low heat.
Relax, Ya Feixiu.
My goodness, miss.
How much more firewood do we need?
The flames are already so huge.
Water boils at 110°C
at 1.5 atmospheric pressures,
and that's enough to make it taste great.
But to ensure it tastes perfect,
I'll raise the internal temperature
to 120°C at 2 atmospheric pressures.
So you are saying we need more firewood.
Yes. Just throw in everything we have.
I might break my back carrying firewood.
She says it is
to create the perfect taste,
so go and get more firewood.
Yes, Man-su.
It seems you have changed a great deal
in the last few days.
Stop talking and bring more firewood.
Okay.
Cook Sim, wait for me.
Please stay strong and hold on.
IGAK, 30 MINUTES, LATER
He is concerned it will explode.
Do not worry.
My chief royal cook
knows what she is doing.
My goodness.
It did it!
It held up two atmospheric pressures.
I knew Mister Chun-saeng could do it.
Oh my, miss.
It looks like their dish is done already.
That is strange.
How could it be done so soon?
It looks like the Ming
is far from being done.
This is the power of science.
It's much faster, isn't it?
And it tastes better too.
It was worth the hard work.
All right.
Now for the last step.
It's a new form of samgyetang
where you can enjoy
the nutritious ogolgye from skin to meat.
When it comes to
slowly cooked fo tiao qiang,
the last touch completes the taste.
Dumplings made with glutinous rice
and ogolgye skin
are lightly parboiled in the broth.
Liquor is poured on a plate
covered in salt.
Maid Seo, we must hurry.
The minced meat is piped into the morels.
A dragon carving,
symbolizing power, is added.
On top of a layer
made with seasoned ogolgye meat
go the dumpling, mushroom, and ginseng.
To complete the dish,
the salt is set aflame to warm the bowl.
To complete the dish,
wild ginseng broth is poured around it.
The crunchy, savory nurungji
is an extra touch.
The dishes from both sides are complete.
The cooks are to step away
from the stations.
Today, we will taste the dish
made by the Joseon cooks first.
Oh, right.
You tap the nurungji
with your spoon to break it,
and eat it with the dumpling,
meat, and broth.
What is this dish called?
This dish is called
wild ginseng-infused ogolgye samgyetang.
I stuffed the ogolgye with 100-year-old
cheonjongsam, premium wild ginseng,
and cooked them in a pressure cooker
with medicinal herb broth,
which enhanced the texture of the meat
and the deep flavor of the broth.
I also added a unique flavor to the dish
with morel stuffed with minced ogolgye
and nurungji.
The aroma is of a herbal chicken soup,
but it is shaped like a dumpling.
He says it does not look refined.
This is "oat sheen,"
an invigorating dish favored
in palaces of the Western world.
I suppose you do not know much
about Western food.
"Oat sheen"?
This is oat sheen?
I know.
A phoenix!
I am an immortal riding a phoenix!
The ogolgye meat is unbelievably tender,
and it is presented neatly
so there is no need to separate the bone.
Each time I taste the broth,
the aroma of the cheonjongsam
and green onions
spreads subtly throughout.
It almost feels as if
it warmly comforts my heart.
Is this truly a ginseng chicken soup
made with Silkie?
The meat melts away in my mouth,
and the broth is incredibly rich and deep.
I feel the warmth
and the energy build up inside of me,
which is definitely the effect of ginseng.
However, the taste is completely new.
This is truly a magnificent dish!
It is delicious.
Now, we will taste the dish
made by the Ming cooks.
What is this dish called?
It is buldojang.
It is made with delicacies
from land and sea,
including deer tendon,
lion's mane, white ginseng,
sea cucumber, pine mushrooms, and more.
He says each bite will taste different,
as the ingredients will bring out
their flavors in your mouth.
This is a dish
truly worthy of the Great Ming!
There is a reason
this is called a food of the gods.
There is no need for words.
This is truly a taste
beyond compare.
This concludes
the tasting of the third and final round.
To ensure
the third round is scored fairly,
the cooks will taste each other's food
and score it.
Each cook can give up to ten points,
which would make the full score 30 points.
He says that he has accepted
His Excellency's scoring method
to apologize for the prior
unsavory scoring process,
and for the cooks
to score each other fairly.
Now, you may taste each other's food.
This buldojang is no joke.
We wouldn't have stood a chance
without the pressure cooker.
You are right.
Having a bite of this dish
I had only heard of
makes me feel energized already.
Our ogolgye samgyetang
is just as nourishing as this.
They did use rare ingredients,
but the taste is not that impressive.
Why won't he eat?
He can't score unless he tastes it.
I have been watching him,
and he does not seem to eat at all.
The maids say
he cooks without even tasting the food.
He doesn't taste the food?
It can't be.
Is he anorexic?
What is that?
It's an illness
that makes one unable to eat.
That makes no sense.
How could a cook have such an illness?
I've seen it before.
Once their cooking reached
a certain level,
they couldn't eat any food.
An anorexic cook.
If he cannot eat…
How will he score our food?
Why has that cook not tasted the food?
Ever since Kong Wenli reached
the highest level of cooking skill,
he has not been able to eat any food.
He has the ability
to create the best flavors
without ever tasting them.
What?
How will he score the food then?
He cannot score what he cannot taste.
I wonder how this will affect the scores.
Yesterday, you reprimanded me
for not scoring honestly.
He says you can have them score
as fairly as you wish, Your Majesty.
He looks guilty for trying to eat.
He might eat
if the food isn't plated nicely.
Cook Yeon, what are you doing?
What are you doing?
He has to taste it to score it.
My goodness.
He says the chief royal cook must be
perplexed after tasting Ming's dish.
Chief Royal Cook.
To make food is joy for the cook,
and to taste
is joy for the people who eat.
That's what makes cooking rewarding,
isn't it?
To be honest,
it tastes extra good when everything
is thrown together like this.
Regardless of the result,
as a cook,
I present you with this food
with the hope that you'll also be happy.
Why do you care so much about taste?
Do not be complicated.
So what if you cannot cook well?
Nothing tastes better
than when you throw everything in
and cook it together.
Try it.
Come on. Try it.
It is delicious.
It is so good.
This is…
the taste I had forgotten
and missed for so many years.
I once was left in shock
after tasting my grandmother's food
that was made with all sorts of
ingredients thrown in together.
For many years,
I tried to cook something
that tasted better,
but nothing I made ever tasted like it.
Since then,
I have gained the ability to cook
without tasting the food.
However…
the more I cooked,
the harder it became for me to eat.
He says you recreated
the taste of his grandmother's food.
He says he cannot
call himself the best cook,
for he cannot surpass
his grandmother's cooking.
The most important virtue of a wise man
is said to be benevolence.
To care and be considerate of others.
I made this out of consideration for you,
Cook Kong Wenli.
The dish your grandmother made for you
was probably made with the same heart.
I see it now.
A cook who can bring joy
to both themselves and others
is a true wise man.
He says that he has lost
to the chief royal cook.
How is this possible?
I will announce
the result of the third round,
where the cooks scored each other's food.
First, we will reveal the score
given by the Joseon cooks for Ming's dish.
It is 27 points.
Next, we will reveal the score
given by the Ming cooks for Joseon's dish.
It is 28 points.
Miss!
Cook Eom! Oh my!
It was such a pleasure
to compete against such great cooks.
Thank you for the generous score.
Thank you.
I hope
to compete against you properly one day.
Just one cook against another.
Anytime.
What is this?
Where I'm from, this is a greeting.
We call it a handshake.
"Handshake"?
Handshake.
It was a great match.
I learned a lot.
I also realized
I have a lot more to learn.
- Thank you.
- I learned a lot.
It looks like we have a final winner.
Yes, Your Excellency.
He says he will relinquish the right
to harvest Joseon ginseng as promised
and return to the Ming with just one
tribute item to show their appreciation.
And what is that?
He says he will offer the chief royal cook
to the Emperor as a tribute woman.
What?
You want the chief royal cook
as a tribute woman?
What is this utter nonsense?
You've got to be kidding me.
He's asking to take me as a tribute woman?
- Your Majesty!
- Your Majesty!
Your Majesty!
Your Majesty!
He is the chief envoy from the Ming…
He struck him with his head!
How could this happen?
Blood?
I am bleeding!
How dare the King of Joseon
behave this way
toward the envoy of the Emperor?
Oh dear.
I only meant to show you
the Joseon greeting.
Are you all right?
He says in any case, he will take
the chief royal cook with him.
Guards, take her.
- Oh no!
- No!
Miss.
Director Yu,
it seems
that you brought
far too few attendants with you
to take my chief royal cook
as a tribute woman.
What?
You should have brought
at least an army of a hundred thousand
to make it worth my time.
He asks if you will dare challenge
the envoy of the Emperor of the Ming.
Anytime.
The Grand Royal Queen Dowager has arrived.
What in the world
is happening in this place?
Grandmother.
I was bidding the Ming envoy farewell,
and there was a minor misunderstanding.
A misunderstanding, you say?
I do not know
what that misunderstanding could be,
but Your Majesty,
as the ruler of a nation,
you must never act recklessly.
Yes, Grandmother.
I have something to inquire
of Envoy Yu Kun.
You have come as an envoy
of a great nation.
Why is it that you have
set aside your official duties
and suggested
such an imprudent competition?
I have the Emperor's command to demand
the right to harvest Joseon ginseng
and take tribute women--
How dare you, Yu Kun!
"How dare you, Yu Kun"?
I now see
that your insolence knows no bounds.
Both the King of Joseon
and his grandmother have lost their minds.
An insult to me
is an insult to the Emperor himself.
Do you all wish to be punished at once?
Yu Kun.
Do you know what this is?
It is a letter from my aunt
and the late Emperor's second wife,
Consort Yeon.
Do you still dare insist your Emperor
requested the right to harvest our ginseng
and our women as tribute?
So the aunt of the
Grand Royal Queen Dowager of Joseon
is the late Emperor's second wife,
- Consort Yeon?
- Yes.
I have deceived the Emperor
and dishonored the Ming imperial family.
He begs for your forgiveness
and benevolent grace.
Then let us return
to the original matter at hand.
You should keep your promise.
He says he will supply
the requested items at any time.
Can I
trust your words?
He says he swears on the heavens
to keep his promise.
He thanks you for the hospitality
and says he will take his leave.
There is no need to hurry.
Be sure to take the tribute items
we prepared for you.
Yes, Your Excellency.
My lord.
I appreciate it.
Well done.
It was very delicious.
What brought you all the way here,
Grandmother?
Your Majesty.
Why did you act so rashly?
Matters could have gotten out of hand
if I had not requested
a letter from the Ming imperial family.
I apologize, Grandmother.
The nation does not belong to you alone.
Does it?
I will be more cautious.
Your Royal Highness.
I think it is best to leave it at this.
Your Majesty.
I have a request.
Please tell me what it is.
Grand Prince Jinmyeong
is quite curious
about the chief royal cook's food.
Would you allow him
the chance to taste her food?
Is that so?
Grand Prince Jinmyeong?
Then I will arrange a meal tomorrow.
Thank you, Your Majesty.
Now, hurry and bring an end
to the competition.
Yes, Grandmother.
GRAND PRINCE JESAN'S RESIDENCE
What on earth do you wish to do with this?
The plan has already been set in motion.
His Majesty will have his natsura,
midday meal,
with Grand Prince Jinmyeong tomorrow.
- Cook Yeon.
- Yes, Chief Royal Secretary.
His Majesty will have his natsura
with Grand Prince Jinmyeong tomorrow.
I'll prepare buttered and roasted
whole ogolgye with ginseng.
They will be having
roasted chicken with ginseng.
Grand Prince Jinmyeong?
Are you concerned because he will play
an important part in our plan?
Are you saying
you do not mind sacrificing him?
If it means we can eliminate
the chief royal cook
and make His Majesty explode with fury.
However,
poison leaves a trace.
Only when a poison is a poison.
However, this right here
is not originally a poison.
A poison that is not a poison?
What is the matter, Your Highness?
To be honest,
I expected you
to betray me at a certain point.
The position of a young king's consort
is quite an enviable one.
You are the reason
I was able to live decently.
That is enough for me.
When the time comes,
I will make you my official spouse
so you can live freely.
GANGNYEONGJEON
Thoroughly investigate the military camps
all around Joseon,
focusing especially on those
who have deserted or transferred units.
Identify them all.
Is it to find out
those who attacked you, Your Majesty?
No.
Treachery.
I must uncover who harbors such a heart.
Yes, Your Majesty.
I will do as you command.
This feels so good.
I wish I could just lie down forever.
- Don't you?
- I do.
I am tired,
but I really enjoyed the competition.
I will never forget it
for the rest of my life.
I could never. I almost died.
I even almost got dragged away
to the Ming.
Oh my goodness.
That would have been terrible.
Come to think of it,
did we save our country today?
We almost lost all our ginseng.
Seeing that I'm worrying
about such things,
I guess I've really become
a Joseon person.
This room.
Gil-geum, Cook Eom, Cook Maeng.
His Majesty.
I guess you all grew on me.
MANGUNROK
Well done, Cook Yeon.
How do you feel?
Thanks to your concern,
I went back to Naeuiwon.
They said
I don't have much longer to live.
What?
That's what I thought they'd say.
I'm just a bit overworked,
but nothing's wrong with me.
How could you joke about that?
Did I scare you?
I'm sorry.
Then what about your hand?
Oh, I received acupuncture,
and my condition got better.
"Condison"?
It's in a much better state.
Then are you in
a good enough condison to cook?
Of course. There's no problem.
I'll make sure
to prepare a really great meal.
Is this where you'll dine
with Grand Prince Jinmyeong?
Yes.
The special meal for today is battered
roasted whole chicken, correct?
Yes, it's buttered and roasted
whole ogolgye with ginseng.
He is young, so prepare the…
What was it? Macrong? Serve those as well.
Okay.
This is the perfect place
to have a natsura with a younger brother.
It would also be
a good place for us to eat in private.
In private?
Would you not like that?
If you are preparing a dish, Your Majesty,
I will gladly taste it.
What?
Me? Cook?
You dare tell me to set foot in a kitchen?
It's a joke, Your Majesty.
I won the competition,
so please accept my humble jest
with grace, Your Majesty.
Fine.
I'll get going then.
Wait.
I am not done yet.
What is it?
Open it.
This is…
It is a new cook's attire.
It's beautiful. Look at the colors.
Well? Do you think
this is a flattering color for me?
"Flattening collar"?
I'm asking if the colors suit me.
But…
I must leave once I find Mangunrok.
So why are you giving me this?
Who says you can leave?
Even if you do leave,
you will still need a cook's attire,
will you not?
A cook's attire.
Right.
Thank you for this.
One more thing.
After my meal with Grand Prince Jinmyeong,
meet me at Jangwonseo,
Office of Royal Horticulture.
Oh, but I have a prior engagement.
A prior engagement?
With whom?
The Ming cooks asked to see me.
Do you want to see them again
when you almost died?
I want to give them a gift
and say my last goodbye.
I will not allow it.
But…
Your Majesty.
Then make it brief
and come to Jangwonseo.
Okay, I will.
Do not be late.
Yes, of course, Your Majesty.
Today's natgeotsang, daytime meal,
is roasted whole ogolgye.
We'll cook it the same way
as the Peking duck.
You will serve chicken again?
There is no "again"
when it comes to His Majesty's meals.
You are so silly.
We should hurry up and get started.
I have never seen
a cook's attire in this color.
Of course you have not.
His Majesty gifted it to her.
Does it suit me?
- Of course it does.
- Good.
I will get the ingredients
to fill the chicken with.
- Okay.
- I will go get two ogolgyes.
- Cook Min, please get some suyu for me.
- Yes, of course.
- Cook Sim, please get me some firewood.
- Sure.
Shall I clean the ginseng now?
Jinmyeong.
This is the first time
we are dining together.
Yes, Your Majesty.
It is an honor.
You can call me brother when we are alone.
Yes, Your Majesty.
I mean, Brother.
I see you feel uncomfortable around me.
We should do this more often from now on.
Can we really? Do you mean that?
I do.
Are you that pleased?
Yes. Everyone in the palace
is praising the chief royal cook.
I wanted to taste everything
that was served
in the competition against the Ming.
I am pleased to see you are excited.
We shall make time to eat everything.
Yes.
Your Majesty, the natgeotsang is ready.
It smells light
but rich at the same time.
Just looking at it makes my mouth water,
Your Majesty.
This is roasted whole ogolgye
made by stuffing the chicken
with glutinous rice,
jujube, chestnuts, and milkvetch root,
and roasting it by hanging
just as we did for the Peking duck.
Then this time,
did you roast the ogolgye whole?
Yes.
But I coated the outside with butter…
I coated it with suyu
and stuffed it with ginseng.
Do you eat this too?
It is bitter, but it is a root vegetable
that is good for you,
so chew it carefully.
This was made with ground mustard seeds,
salt, vinegar, and honey.
It's a Joseon-style mustard sauce.
"Mustache sauce"?
Take the chicken and dip it.
Oh, dip and eat.
Exactly.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Dip and eat.
The skin is chewy
and the meat is moist.
I have never tasted
anything like this in my life.
It is chewy, light, and flavorful.
This would have been a dish
worthy of presenting at the competition.
You are as skilled as I heard.
Thank you, Your Highness.
Jinmyeong.
Try this.
Dip and eat.
Dip and eat it.
Is it good?
Yes, it is delicious.
I was worried for no reason.
If His Majesty is the man
I believe him to be,
the purge might not happen.
Wait.
Did I change the course of history?
Ginseng?
When did you prepare this for us?
I thought Ya Feixiu could use it
to create a new dish.
Thank you.
We, too, are grateful for these.
Are you not traveling
with the chief envoy?
With his permission,
the three of us will go our separate ways
to study and improve our cooking skills.
That's amazing.
I'm envious.
We should compete again someday.
Properly.
I'd love to,
if we have the chance.
You taught me a lot.
I wish you happiness.
Travel safely.
I wish you peace.
Chief Royal Cook.
I am not interested
in another nation's politics,
but do relay this message to your king.
The edges of objects
are always harder to see,
and when you sleep,
be sure to lock the latch securely.
Okay.
Is that all you want me to tell him?
Okay.
Then let us say our farewells.
- Thank you.
- I learned a lot.
Thank you.
"The edges of objects
are always harder to see,
and when you sleep,
be sure to lock the latch securely"?
You should have asked him what he meant.
Yes, you should have.
I have a bad feeling about it
for some reason.
- Your Royal Highness.
- Your Royal Highness.
- Miss!
- Chief Royal Cook…
Your Royal Highness.
You will never cook for His Majesty again.
I'm not sure I understand what you mean.
My son Jinmyeong
is at death's door
after he ate the chicken you made for him!
Your Royal Highness.
Are you saying Grand Prince Jinmyeong
is unconscious?
Why would the food I made…
You should know better than anyone.
Take this wench away this instant!
I will interrogate her myself.
- Yes, Your Royal Highness.
- Yes, Your Royal Highness.
- Chief Royal Cook.
- Wait. Your Royal Highness.
- Oh no, miss!
- Chief Royal Cook!
- Your Royal Highness, it can't be!
- Miss!
- There must be a misunderstanding!
- Chief Royal Cook!
Your Royal Highness…
Chaos must be unfolding by now.
Yes, Your Grace.
The Queen Dowager is furious,
and she will interrogate
the chief royal cook herself.
Very well.
What about the female physician?
I brought her out in secret
and sent her to that place.
Well done.
I wish I could see the face
of the chief royal cook
as she is being interrogated and tortured.
Your Royal Highness, I'm innocent!
Something isn't right!
Shut your mouth!
Until the wench confesses the truth,
torture her!
- Yes, Your Royal Highness!
- Yes, Your Royal Highness!
No, wait. Your Royal Highness.
Your Royal Highness!
GOCHO
BON APPÉTIT, YOUR MAJESTY
Are you implying
that I was behind all this?
You know better than anyone
that I wouldn't do such a thing.
Please prove my innocence.
This is not His Majesty's doing.
I guess it would not be so bad
to stand by and watch.
It means the time has come.
I do not want you to leave.
We must silence that female physician.
Did Consort Kang put you up to it?
If you wish to punish me,
bring forth the evidence.
No!
Subtitle translation by: Jennifer Jean Lim