MBN 'Cheonha Jebbang' has publicly revealed the 10 distinctive "points to watch" of the TOP10 who advanced to the "semifinal": Hwang Ji-o, Kim Jin-seo, Kwak Dong-wook, Lee Hye-seong, Seong Min-su, Joo Young-seok, Lee Kyung-mu, Kim Si-yeob, Jang Kyung-ju and Yoon Hwa-young.
MBN 'Cheonha Jebbang' is the country's first "K-bakery survival" to select the world's strongest pastry and bakery master, leading the craze of "K-bread," which has become a trend beyond simple food. As the TOP10 enter the "semifinal" on their way to the final, episode 8, which will air on the 22nd (Sun), will feature a "local heritage" mission that will showcase a new world of K-local breads and determine the TOP7 who will advance to the final, drawing intense attention.
In this context, we summarized the decisive killer-point highlights shown by the TOP10, who have declared a life-or-death competition to secure a ticket to the final, as they reached the semifinal.
◆ "idea bank" in action! Hwang Ji-o, Kim Jin-seo, Kwak Dong-wook, "they make you clap every moment!"
Hwang Ji-o, Kim Jin-seo and Kwak Dong-wook have been active as "idea banks" that make you clap at every moment. "Crazy patissier" Hwang Ji-o amazed with a "ballerina" dessert in round 1 featuring caramel made from soy sauce, gochujang and doenjang and ballerina accessories made of xylitol, and in the mission to make a "K-local bread" using Icheon rice he drew gasps by adding a personalized seal to a jar-shaped loaf. The youngest of the TOP10, Kim Jin-seo, showed the power of youth with outstanding storytelling. His fresh idea that began with "Bukhansan Mountain snow" led in round 3 to a Korean-style mugwort and baekseolgi cream bread, and in the mission to make a "K-local bread" using Imsil cheese he bloomed with a "burrata bread" that wrapped cheese in cheese, quickly surpassing 680,000 views on shorts. "The Edison of baking" Kwak Dong-wook, who developed bakery products for large corporations, has helped broaden the world of bread by attempting various breads rarely seen in Korea from round 1. Moreover, in the "1-on-1 death match" he proved his power as "the Edison of baking" by defeating Jo Song-a, who had been first in round 1, with "spoliatos," which perfectly recreated the taste of Cheetos without the Cheetos snack.
◆ underdog uprising! Lee Hye-seong, Seong Min-su, Joo Young-seok, "upend the prejudice!" a "reversal" narrative
Lee Hye-seong, Seong Min-su and Joo Young-seok each attracted attention with nicknames such as "announcer who bakes bread," "prince of cannoli" and "baking idol," but they were also subject to prejudice. However, Lee Hye-seong surprised the judges with a sourdough using a levain she had personally cultivated for five years despite not running a bakery, and in the "soboro showdown" she produced an upset by comfortably defeating Lee Hong-gyu, who had singled her out, with a supreme combination of soboro and monte cristo that bread fans would love. Seong Min-su reinterpreted the Italian dessert "cannoli" in round 1 and received sharp criticism from Kwon Seong-jun, but he wrote a thrilling reversal narrative by earning a unanimous pass in the "30-minute no-oven mission" of the redemption round. Joo Young-seok, burdened by the former idol label that masked his skills, revealed himself as a "quiet powerhouse," receiving consistent praise from master Lee Seok-won for his fundamentals and creams since round 1. In particular, in the "1-on-1 death match" he boldly targeted and decisively defeated Im Dong-seok, who had been considered a contender, proving himself a dark horse.
◆ "power-true" characters Lee Kyung-mu, Kim Si-yeob, "this is what mastery looks like"
Lee Kyung-mu and Kim Si-yeob are "power-true" characters with solid mastery that shines as the episodes progress. "Dessert macho" Lee Kyung-mu's rugged charm was highlighted by his macho look and relentless mind games before the "1-on-1 death match," but he is in fact a skillful practitioner who finished runner-up at the 2024 baking world cup held in France and possesses exceptional delicacy. In the "1-on-1 death match," which required reinterpreting Monika, Lee Kyung-mu used tiger beans, makgeolli and lemon butter yet balanced the flavors fantastically, fully showcasing his "vibe born of experience." Kim Si-yeob received a disappointing 27th place in round 1, but he rose rapidly from the team-based round 2 and demonstrated his worth as the "Jeju blue ribbon heir." In round 2's "a gloomy day" team, Kim Si-yeob was in charge of the "bûche" with a cloudlike fluffy texture and baked a perfect bûche with no moisture loss, earning high praise from master Lee Seok-won, and in round 3's "shrimp snack battle" he shaped the dough into shrimp forms, delivering precision and the essence of crispy outside, moist inside.
◆ "insurmountable" skilled contestants! Yoon Hwa-young, Jang Kyung-ju, "the class is different"
Yoon Hwa-young and Jang Kyung-ju have drawn attention with the presence of "insurmountable" skilled contestants who elicit the remark "the class is different" each episode. "Fine-dining baker" Yoon Hwa-young passed round 1 with an excellent harmony of flavors even as pastry chefs and bakers fell out in succession, and in round 3 she created "BabaOCK," which allows the liquid ingredient "sikhye" to be enjoyed with the bread in three stages, pioneering "fine-dining baking." Jang Kyung-ju, who won first place as the first Korean woman at the world's top pastry and bakery competition, the IBA Cup, presented the essence of K-bakery in round 1 with chia butter full of olives, and in team round 2 she showed her multiplayered abilities by overseeing everything related to the team's "cloud" concept that led the team to first place. In round 3 she proved her mastery with the "choco-choco pie chewy silt bread," raising expectations for continued performance.
The producers said, "With only one step to the final, all of the TOP10 will fight an unforgiving match in the semifinal with resolute will, and we ask for much anticipation and interest to see what amazing pastry and bakery creations will come out of the 'local heritage' mission that will open a 'new world of K-bread.'"
[Photo] Provided by MBN
[OSEN]