Chef Lee Yeon-bok showcased the magic of making menbosha without shrimp.
The episode of MBC's entertainment program ‘Pook Shwim Da Haeng’ (hereafter ‘Pook Da Haeng’), which aired on the 6th, featured culinary masters Lee Yeon-bok, Japanese cuisine expert Jeong Ho-young, and Western cuisine king Fabri, along with 0.5-star deserted island host Boom and trot prince Park Ji-hyun in the second part of ‘Chefs of the Deserted Island’. According to Nielsen Korea, the broadcast recorded a nationwide rating of 5.4%, the highest among all entertainment programs aired on Monday, demonstrating the supremacy of Monday entertainment.
On that day, Boom and the chefs engaged in a fierce battle to find ingredients in the 0.5-star mudflat. The chefs couldn't hide their excitement at the ingredients like cockles and clams that emerged every time they put their hands into the mudflat. Boom's remark, “You have to catch what you will use in your dish,” ignited a competitive spirit among the three, bringing laughter. Additionally, Park Ji-hyun, who came to the nearby Goheung Yuzu Festival and ended up working as a laborer, joined in to add to the excitement.
Amidst this, everyone burst into laughter at Lee Yeon-bok's childish remark, “Yay! I caught them all. I want to go first,” as he proudly announced after catching enough clams to cook. Boom teased him, saying, “But please maintain your adult demeanor,” which made Lee Yeon-bok reflect and refocus on gathering clams. Energized by Park Ji-hyun's work song, they returned to the 0.5-star deserted island with a bountiful supply of ingredients.
With the shrimp caught the day before and the clams gathered from the mudflat, expectations for breakfast rose. However, Boom decided to unify the breakfast menu to one dish due to time constraints for the hungry guests. Fabri chose ‘Vongole Pasta’, while Jeong Ho-young selected ‘Cold Udon’, showcasing their specialties. Not to be outdone, Lee Yeon-bok introduced a new dish called ‘Shrimp Noodle Jjamppong’. This dish piqued the curiosity of both the guests and the chefs, making it the breakfast menu.
Lee Yeon-bok finely chopped shrimp to make the noodles and created a spicy and rich jjamppong broth infused with his know-how, giving birth to the unprecedented dish ‘Shrimp Noodle Jjamppong’. Jeong Ho-young and Fabri were amazed, exclaiming, “This is so fascinating,” while Ahn Jung-hwan, watching from the studio, marveled at the “Emperor Jjamppong.”
After serving breakfast to the guests, they headed back to the sea for dinner. They split into two teams: Boom, Park Ji-hyun, and Fabri versus Lee Yeon-bok and Jeong Ho-young for fishing. Both teams, determined to catch more than the other, eagerly pulled up their fishing lines, catching various fish including red snapper, sweetfish, and eel. Particularly, Fabri, who was desperately seeking a large fish for a fish steak, cheered “Miracle” when he finally caught a big fish at the end.
As dinner time arrived with an abundance of ingredients, the chefs decided to work together for the guests, unlike the previous day’s competitive menu order. Lee Yeon-bok proudly declared, “My menbosha is the best in Korea,” and prepared ‘Menbosha’, while Fabri made ‘Fish Steak’, and Jeong Ho-young created ‘Fish Cake Soup’ using premium fish.
Among them, Lee Yeon-bok's cooking process of making menbosha without fish or shrimp caught attention. He used blue crab and red snapper meat for the filling and created a unique bread shape using potatoes instead of bread, crafting an unparalleled menbosha. Everyone couldn't help but admire Lee Yeon-bok's ability to create the best dishes even in extreme conditions. Along with Fabri's special sauce for the ‘Sweetfish Steak’ and the world’s first premium ‘Homemade Fish Cake Soup’ made with red snapper, it was a feast of dishes that could only be enjoyed on the 0.5-star deserted island, tantalizing the viewers' taste buds.
Meanwhile, the preview released at the end of the broadcast featured the world-renowned golden swordsman Oh Sang-wook, who appeared as a ‘cowardly swordsman’ lost on the deserted island, sparking curiosity. MBC’s ‘Pook Shwim Da Haeng’ airs every Monday at 9 PM.
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
