Nam Sung-Hoon defeats Lee Hyun-bok in Chinese cuisine authenticity duel

Nam Sung-Hoon defeated Chinese cuisine master Lee Hyun-bok during a JTBC 'Chef & My Fridge' broadcast. The state-certified chef secured victory by serving a spicy Mala Beef dish paired with a mozzarella cheese salad to balance the intense heat.

Chef Nam Sung-Hoon, who identifies as a practitioner of "orthodox" Chinese cuisine holding a professional certification, proved the strength of a new generation by defeating Chinese cuisine master Lee Hyun-bok. The duel, broadcast on JTBC's 'Chef & My Fridge', was a fierce competition between the two chefs regarding the authenticity of Chinese cuisine.

"I am the orthodox faction" Nam Sung-Hoon's direct confrontation using his certification

Ahead of this confrontation, Chef Nam Sung-Hoon expressed confidence by emphasizing that he is part of the "orthodox faction" (Jeong-pa) as a holder of a state-certified Chinese cuisine qualification. After tasting Lee Hyun-bok's cooking, he suggested he would approach the duel based on his own authenticity, stating, "Orthodox Chinese cuisine is weak. That is because it is heterodox (Sa-pa) Chinese cuisine." He also expressed deep affection and pride for Chinese cuisine, remarking, "My Chinese cuisine is better than Italian."

The menu prepared by Nam Sung-Hoon was 'Mala Beef,' which maximized the spiciness of Sichuan Province. He presented an unconventional composition, such as incorporating couscous, a Sicilian ingredient, into a beef dish using chili oil. To neutralize the heat, he employed a strategy to balance the flavors by pairing it with 'European-style Zha cai' (a salad containing mozzarella cheese) that borrowed from the Italian Caprese style.

'Sichuan Mafia's' dish tests the limits of spiciness

During the cooking process, Nam Sung-Hoon demonstrated authentic Chinese techniques, such as skillfully handling a Chinese cleaver and controlling heat. He focused on enhancing the flavor of the dish by creating scallion oil and concentrating the heat. The finished dish delivered such intense spiciness that the tasting panel used metaphors like 'nuclear bomb' or 'bird dropping soup.'

The spiciness of the dish was so intense that even Nam Sung-Hoon had to gulp down milk during the cooking process. During the tasting, while the cast members suffered from the heat, they responded that the mozzarella cheese salad proposed by Nam Sung-Hoon appropriately caught the spiciness. In particular, Chef Choi Hyun-seok left a positive evaluation, stating, "The balance between the spiciness and the cheese is perfect."

The strength of veteran Lee Hyun-bok and the rising curve of Nam Sung-Hoon

The duel ended in victory for Nam Sung-Hoon. While the master of Chinese cuisine Lee Hyun-bok showed his seasoned experience, Nam Sung-Hoon appeared to open a 'new era' by proving his recent upward momentum. Immediately after his victory, Nam Sung-Hoon mentioned his steady efforts, saying, "Because I do the same thing every day, my skills had no choice but to improve."

In the subsequent competitive structure, writer Kim Poong sought change by preparing menus that broke existing molds, such as kimbap using pasta. He attempted an approach differentiated from existing cooking methods, designing a new menu that he would not tire of even if eaten every day and that also considered health.

Source: JTBC Entertainment (YouTube)