# I Asked Michelin Chefs to Make $20 Budget Meal

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEtB7NCuLgw
Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/yEtB7NCuLgw
Generated: 2026-02-17T23:33:56.515+00:00

---
## Quick Overview

Michelin chefs Sungchul Shim and Mitsunobu Nagae successfully create a high-quality Naju Gomtang (beef soup) and a Japanese Cordon Bleu, both staying within a strict $20 budget for the main components of each dish, demonstrating budget-conscious gourmet cooking techniques.

**Key Points:**
- Sungchul Shim prepared Naju Gomtang for $19.95 (excluding the optional egg) using beef bones, beef shank, green onion, onion, ginger, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- The Naju Gomtang preparation involved soaking and blanching bones/meat twice to achieve a clear broth, charring vegetables (onion, green onion, ginger) for depth, and slow-cooking in a pressure cooker for 30 minutes followed by a 45-minute rest.
- The final Naju Gomtang was seasoned with a house-made soy sauce (sake, mirin, soy sauce, sesame oil, lime, ginger) and garnished with seaweed, pickled ginger, wasabi, and egg yolk strips.
- Mitsunobu Nagae prepared Japanese Cordon Bleu using a $4 pork chop ($4.00 total for the meat), stuffed with mozzarella cheese ($4.25), and served with an arugula and gooseberry salad ($4.00) dressed with ginger ponzu.
- A key technique for the Cordon Bleu was pan-frying in sunflower oil and basting with butter, thyme, and sage to achieve a crispy exterior and perfectly melted cheese interior.
- The total ingredient cost for the Naju Gomtang (serving five people) was $19.95 (excluding the optional egg), and the Cordon Bleu meal cost $17.25, proving high-quality meals can be made on a budget.
- The chefs emphasized techniques like using vegetable scraps (onion skins, garlic roots) for stock and properly preparing sushi rice (1:1 rice to water ratio, cutting technique) to maximize flavor and minimize waste.

![Screenshot at 0:00: Host introduces the challenge by asking Michelin chefs to cook their best $20 budget meal, setting up the theme of high-quality cooking on an economy budget.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/yEtB7NCuLgw/00-00-00.jpg)

**Context:** The video features a culinary challenge where two Michelin-starred chefs, Sungchul Shim (Chef at GUI/Hwaro, specializing in Korean cuisine) and Mitsunobu Nagae (Chef at Shota Omakase, specializing in Japanese cuisine), compete to create a gourmet dish for under a $20 budget, referencing the rising cost of groceries as motivation. Sungchul Shim focuses on making traditional Korean Naju Gomtang, while Mitsunobu Nagae prepares a budget-friendly Japanese Cordon Bleu.

## Detailed Analysis

The video documents a challenge where two Michelin-starred chefs, Sungchul Shim (Korean cuisine) and Mitsunobu Nagae (Japanese cuisine), aim to create signature dishes for under a $20 budget. Sungchul Shim prepares Naju Gomtang, a Korean beef soup, using $19.95 worth of ingredients (beef bones, beef shank, vegetables, seasonings). Key steps involved meticulously cleaning the beef bones and meat by soaking and blanching them twice to ensure a clear broth, charring aromatics like onions and green onions for depth, and using a pressure cooker for 30 minutes followed by a 45-minute rest to tenderize the meat. The final broth was pure and richly colored, and the dish was finished with a house-made soy sauce reduction and garnishes like pickled ginger and wasabi. Meanwhile, Mitsunobu Nagae makes a Japanese Cordon Bleu using a $4 pork chop, stuffed with mozzarella cheese ($4.25), and served with an arugula and gooseberry salad ($4.00) dressed with a ginger ponzu. He emphasizes pan-frying in neutral oil and then basting with butter, thyme, and sage for flavor and a crispy crust, avoiding deep frying to save on oil costs. The total ingredient cost for the Cordon Bleu was $17.25. Both chefs highlighted techniques for maximizing flavor on a budget, such as using rice vinegar for sushi rice and using vegetable scraps for stock. The video concludes with both chefs tasting their respective creations, praising the quality achieved despite the low budget.

### Naju Gomtang Preparation (Sungchul Shim)

- Ingredients totaled $19.95; Step 1 involved soaking/rinsing bones and meat in cold water overnight for a clearer broth
- Step 2 was a cold water blanch, boiling hard for a few minutes, then straining out impurities
- Steps 4 & 8 repeated blanching/rinsing for the bones and meat shank
- Step 5 involved charring onions, ginger, and green onions on a grill to add sweetness and flavor before adding them to the stock
- Step 9 cooked the beef shank in a pressure cooker for 30 minutes at low heat, followed by a 45-minute rest
- Step 15 involved straining the broth and reusing the clean bones/meat for a second boil/simmer
- Step 12 prepared rice using a 1:1 rice-to-water ratio, mixing the vinegar in using a 'cutting technique' to prevent mushiness
- Step 16 involved slicing the chilled fish (Amberjack Kampachi) and arranging it over the seasoned rice, topping with ginger, wasabi, and seaweed.

### Japanese Cordon Bleu Preparation (Mitsunobu Nagae)

- Ingredients totaled $17.25; Step 1 involved slicing the $4 pork chop into two pieces, then pounding them thin between plastic wrap using a meat pounder
- Step 3 seasoned the pounded pork with salt and pepper
- Step 4 involved slicing mozzarella cheese to fit inside the pork
- Step 5 sealed the cheese inside the pork and fully breaded it using the flour-egg-panko sequence, ensuring excess panko was removed
- Step 8 involved pan-frying in sunflower oil over medium heat, adding butter, thyme, and sage during basting
- Step 13 finished the Cordon Bleu in a 375°F (190°C) oven for 2 minutes
- Step 14 created a ginger ponzu dressing by stirring (not emulsifying) sunflower oil, ponzu, lime juice, and grated ginger
- The dish was plated with the Cordon Bleu, arugula salad tossed with segmented lime and gooseberries, and a drizzle of the dressing.

### Budget & Conclusion

- The Naju Gomtang served five people for $19.95, while the Cordon Bleu meal cost $17.25; Both chefs agreed the final results were high-quality and delicious.

### Mise en Place & Tips

- Chef Shim emphasized ordering high-quality rice directly from a factory in Japan and using double-filtered water for the rice; Chef Nagae stressed the importance of not over-stuffing the Cordon Bleu with cheese to prevent leakage during frying.

![Screenshot at 0:01: Chef Sungchul Shim uses a blowtorch to flambé the liquid in a saucepan while preparing the Naju Gomtang base.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/yEtB7NCuLgw/00-00-01.jpg)
![Screenshot at 0:15: The host displays a Whole Foods receipt totaling $17.82, emphasizing the low ingredient cost for the challenge.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/yEtB7NCuLgw/00-00-15.jpg)
![Screenshot at 1:36: The ingredients for Naju Gomtang are displayed on a tray, totaling $19.95, including beef bones, beef shank, vegetables, and seasonings.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/yEtB7NCuLgw/00-01-36.jpg)
![Screenshot at 10:03: The three-step breading process for the Cordon Bleu is shown: flour, egg wash, and fresh panko crumbs.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/yEtB7NCuLgw/00-10-03.jpg)
![Screenshot at 12:21: The finished Japanese Cordon Bleu is cut open, revealing perfectly melted mozzarella cheese oozing out, confirming successful cooking.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/yEtB7NCuLgw/00-12-21.jpg)