Chef Jung Ji-sun fails her 4th attempt at a local meal in Chengdu

Chef Jung Ji-sun's Cantonese Cuisine Fails to Meet Sichuan Local Tastes

Chef Jung Ji-sun, who is working undercover at a local restaurant in Chengdu, China, faced a crisis during her fourth staff meal challenge. In the 9th episode of tvN's 'Undercover Chef - Korea' broadcast on the 16th, Jung chose her specialty, Cantonese cuisine, to develop a new menu. Having gained momentum by succeeding in her third staff meal with 'Eggplant Tangsu,' Jung took a decisive gamble in this mission.

Although Jung learned cooking in Jiangsu Province in the past, this time she utilized Shanghai and Cantonese techniques. She stated, "People in Chengdu like oily and spicy flavors. I was confident that adding plenty of garlic and chili oil would guarantee success." Jung made the choice to use four jars of XO sauce, a premium ingredient that is hard to find locally. The 'XO Garlic Steamed' style dish, made by frying garlic in hot oil and adding XO sauce and oyster sauce, caught the attention of the kitchen staff.

The result was different from what was expected. After tasting the food, local employees expressed disappointment, saying, "But there's too little chili flavor, so it's hard to keep eating," and "It should have been stir-fried more moistly." The restaurant owner, an elderly woman, left the spot after tasting the dish, simply saying, "It's sweet." Zhao Shu-gang, a 'grill senior,' offered advice, noting that just as Sichuan cuisine might be unfamiliar to Koreans, Cantonese cuisine was also foreign to the locals. Jung replied, "I wasn't hurt by the harsh criticism. It is only natural that this is their food culture."

Kwon Sung-jun's Trial and Error and Record-Breaking Ratings

The fifth day of undercover work, conducted in Naples and Parma, Italy, and Chengdu, China, was full of variables. In Naples, Kwon Sung-jun (undercover name Sam Kwon) was promoted to the pasta section and challenged himself with pork fat pasta. While cooking the sauce without knowing the detailed recipe, Kwon faced difficulties as the sauce became excessively thick and salty, leading to the disposal of his first attempt.

Kwon achieved results in his second attempt by reflecting the owner's advice. He then continued operations by handling pasta, risotto, appetizers, and desserts. On the final day, he also performed the mission of completing the restaurant's signature pork fat pasta for the staff meal. He utilized the noodle texture, seasoning, and sauce emulsification techniques unique to the local restaurant that he had learned over the four days.

To restore her bruised pride, Jung visited 'glasses senior' Guo Li-hong to ask about the flavors preferred by locals. Guo Li-hong gave a hint, saying, "Just a regular home-style meal will do. Everyone will probably like dishes based on Doubanjiang or stir-fried vegetables like cabbage or Napa cabbage the most." Jung immediately received permission from 'knife-board boss' Tang Wei to practice overnight after work. She emphasized, "There is nothing impossible in my dictionary. I must try again no matter what."

The broadcast achieved significant results in ratings as well. According to Nielsen Korea, it recorded an average of 5.0% and a peak of 6.7% based on nationwide households. For households in the metropolitan area, it rose to an average of 5.6% and a peak of 7.6%. It not only ranked first in its time slot, including cable and general programming channels, but also achieved a peak target rating of 3.7%, taking the top spot across all channels, including terrestrial, in the same time slot. 'Undercover Chef - Korea' has maintained its position as number one in its time slot since its first broadcast.