Chris K challenges Jang Ryul's dominance in JTBC drama Final Table

Chris K has joined Familia as the new head chef to challenge Jang Ryul, the "overwhelming number one" who has never experienced defeat. The confrontation follows a Belgian cooking competition seven years ago where Chris K led a victory as a sous chef.

The identity of the opponent who caused Jang Ryul, an "overwhelming number one" who has never experienced defeat in his life, to taste loss for the first time has been revealed. The main narrative of the JTBC drama 'Final Table' contains the past glories, current crises, and the conflicts of chefs attempting to overturn them.

Broken honor of Familia and the emergence of a new head chef

The restaurant 'Familia', led by Chef Choi Seung-ho, is currently facing a crisis. The poor environment, characterized by a kitchen that lacks even basic organization, hygiene issues, and having only one staff member to prepare signature dishes, clearly demonstrates Familia's predicament. In particular, the honor of Familia suffered a major blow when the world-renowned heavyweight chef Henri Beignet visited to honor his late father, but was sent away because the basic culinary completion was insufficient, including the state of ingredients, the seasoning of the food, the viscosity of sauces and purees, and overcooked meat. Henri Beignet criticized the quality of the food and the state of the ingredients, asking if they were not ashamed to be tarnishing the name Familia.

New movements have begun to save the crumbling Familia. Song-i, who decided to participate in the competition to restore the honor of her father, Chef Choi Seung-ho, establishes a strategy to save Familia and listen to people's voices by winning the competition. In this process, a figure emerges who will become a new breakthrough for Familia. Chris K, a chef who is highly regarded in the United States and previously led a victory as a sous chef in a Belgian cooking competition, joins Familia as the new head chef, changing the flow of the drama. Chris K shows his attitude toward the competition, stating, "It is about who wins."

A bad relationship from seven years ago: The reunion of Jang Ryul and Chris K

The appearance of Chris K brings up a complex narrative intertwined with figures from the past. During a cooking competition held in Belgium several years ago, it became a major topic of conversation when reporters flocked only to Chris K, as he was the protagonist of the winning recipe rather than the head chef. This incident, which became a sensation due to the large score gap between the winner and the runner-up, proves the presence of Chris K. This presence of Chris K holds a meaning for Jang Ryul that goes beyond being a simple competitor.

Jang Ryul issues a warning to Chris K, reminding him of their past match, saying, "You will end up losing to me this time too, just like seven years ago." Their confrontation goes beyond a mere contest of culinary skill and leads to a psychological war involving past matches and honor. In particular, the actions shown by Chris K as he performs the role of head chef act as a variable that shakes the order of the "overwhelming number one" established by Jang Ryul. Jang Ryul creates intense tension by telling Chris K that he will regret it, mentioning the time seven years ago.

Cooking that breaks boundaries: Communication crafted with doenjang and seaweed

As the competition begins, the chefs compete with plates that contain their respective philosophies. Cha Woo-jin presents a dish featuring chicken breast filled with custard alongside egg meringue. This dish, modeled after the shape of an island in the West Sea, is shaped by filling chicken breast with custard and is designed so that the taste of each of the 12 ingredients can be felt to the maximum.

In particular, the approach using traditional Korean ingredients drew attention. A dish utilizing doenjang, rice, abalone, and finely chopped seaweed aims for communication between generations. By using doenjang and seaweed, this dish hoped to allow the parent generation to feel a familiarity with unfamiliar Western food through the doenjang, while inducing curiosity in the children's generation through the unique taste and aroma of the ravioli, encouraging them to converse with each other. This attempt to help the harmony between Western and Korean ingredients supports the description of a "chef who breaks boundaries."

The crisis of the overwhelming number one and the direction of the match revealed

The skills of the chefs revealed during the competition increase the tension of the drama. Cha Woo-jin approaches the competition by showing his own color through the chicken breast dish. Meanwhile, unlike his past where he only won, Jang Ryul faces a new phase as he encounters a powerful opponent in Chris K. To Jang Ryul, who holds the title of "overwhelming number one," Chris K is a wall that must be overcome and a nemesis entangled in a past bad relationship.

Amidst the fierce struggle over who will win, the collision between those trying not to repeat past defeats and those trying to maintain an overwhelming position continues. Along with the desperate cry, "Save it, no matter what," the battle of the chefs is becoming more intense as the bad relationship from seven years ago leads to results in the current competition.

Source: DRAMA Voyage (YouTube)