Culinary Class Wars star Kim Mi-ryeong faces harsh criticism

Kim Mi-ryeong, the chef known as the first 'Imo-kase' who gained fame through 'Culinary Class Wars,' experienced an unexpected blow to her pride. Despite her outstanding culinary skills and high popularity, she could not avoid harsh criticism regarding the most critical factor on-site: customer satisfaction.

In the sixth episode of the tvN variety program 'Street Restaurant Fighter' aired on July 26, 18 representative restaurateurs who passed the first round engaged in 1-on-1 battles at the Street Beer Festival, competing with menus at the same price point.

On this day, 'Gotgan,' operated by Kim, faced off against 'Star is in My Heart,' operated by Cho Seo Hyung and Lee Jae-beom, in a 10,000 won menu battle.

In the first half, Kim chose fried boiled pork (suyuk) and pork skin. As a fried menu that pairs well with beer, sales rose quickly. In terms of actual revenue, 'Gotgan' recorded approximately 1.17 million won, significantly outpacing 'Star is in My Heart,' which recorded approximately 780,000 won.

However, there was an unexpected variable: the customers' star ratings.

While customers gave high marks to the spicy pork menu from 'Star is in My Heart,' they expressed disappointment with the fried boiled pork from 'Gotgan.'

Comments such as "It's too dry," "It feels like only the outside of the boiled pork was fried," "If it's fried food, it should be warm or crispy, but it's disappointing," and "It has cooled down a lot" followed.

The issue lay in the cooking method. While 'Star is in My Heart' maintained temperature by keeping food in a cauldron, 'Gotgan' sold pre-fried boiled pork, causing the texture and temperature to drop over time.

Ultimately, while she led in revenue, she fell behind in taste evaluations. 'Gotgan' recorded a star rating of 2.6, while 'Star is in My Heart' recorded 4.5. In the final combined result, 'Gotgan' recorded 962,516 won and 'Star is in My Heart' recorded 943,680 won, narrowly securing a victory. The difference was a mere 18,836 won.

It was such a fierce battle that Cho expressed regret, saying, "I should have sold just five more," but for Kim, this confrontation left a lesson more painful than the revenue margin.

However, 'Gotgan' staged a perfect comeback in the second half.

Kim presented Jeju boneless silver hairtail fry and bone fry, and this time, she ensured freshness and crispiness by frying them immediately upon order. The result was different. Customers reacted with "It's delicious," showing high satisfaction, and the star rating reached 4.5.

This episode demonstrated that even the reputation of a famous chef can crumble in the face of small details. Just as important as good ingredients and excellent recipes are the temperature and texture at the moment the food is eaten, and the overall experience delivered to the customer.

Through the harsh criticism of the first half, Kim confirmed the difference between 'delicious food' and 'food loved on-site,' and through her second-half reversal, she proved her true capabilities. Ultimately, the deciding factor in cooking is not a flashy name, but the perfection of those final few minutes captured in a single plate.