Kang Han uses fish cake to rescue failing restaurant Familia

Genius chef Kang Han attempted to save the struggling restaurant Familia by creating an improvised five-course meal using fish cake as a substitute for noodles. The restaurant faces an existential crisis following the death of owner chef Choi Seung-yu and a severe shortage of staff and ingredients.

The early stages of the drama Final Table depict the downfall of Familia, a once-renowned restaurant, and the culinary philosophy that emerges from its ruins. Familia faces an existential crisis following the sudden death of owner chef Choi Seung-yu, which occurred after the restaurant faced turmoil for criticizing Plate, the gourmet evaluation system of Pyeongyeong Group. Choi Song-i, the daughter of Choi Seung-yu, struggles to protect the restaurant her father left behind, but the kitchen has become impossible to operate normally as ingredient supplies have been cut off and staff members have departed.

"Buying a nightmare with money"... The chaotic kitchen of Familia

Genius chef Kang Han visited Familia, remembering the flavors of the past. However, he was met with disastrous dishes that ruined his memories. The kitchen was in a state of poor hygiene, the signature risotto featured old rice that was clumped together like rice cakes, and the scallops and ravioli had a fishy taste. Kang Han expressed anger at the kitchen's failure to maintain basics, pointing out the condition of the ingredients, the viscosity of the sauces, and the doneness of the meat. While Choi Song-i argued by emphasizing her father's original intentions, the restaurant was already in shambles, compounded by an accident involving an exploding faulty fire extinguisher.

A crisis of missing ingredients and people: Kang Han's proposed 'Super VIP' course

Kang Han reappeared before Choi Song-i, who had been forced to turn away customers who had traveled from afar expecting Familia's food. To comfort the grieving Song-i, Kang Han decides to soothe her heart through cooking, following the methods he learned from her father. He asks Song-i, who is currently a "kid" with only one year of cooking experience, to handle dinner service, and personally composes a five-course meal ranging from scallops to dessert. Given the shortage of ingredients, Kang Han begins to create new recipes by utilizing the available environment.

'Perfect quality' dishes reborn with fish cake and cuttlefish

Kang Han used his ingenuity to overcome the lack of ingredients. When the scallops were not in perfect condition, he masked the taste with a chorizo sauce that had a strong meaty aroma, and since there was no one to make fresh noodles, he used fish cake as a substitute for noodles. The 'Primo Tomato Pasta,' which combined tomato sauce and fish cake, showed a high level of completion despite being an improvised recipe. He further enhanced the flavor of the dishes by adding fresh cuttlefish and barley that Song-i hurriedly sourced from the market. Despite the messy kitchen and insufficient ingredients, Kang Han did not blame the materials and worked to complete dishes worthy of Familia's reputation.

Source: DRAMA Voyage (YouTube)