Tastefully Yours Episode 3 opens with Beom-woo drunkenly leaving Young-hye a voicemail, threatening to steal Yeon-joo’s recipes and use them to crush both her and his brother. Yeon-joo overhears this just as a drunk Chun-seung barges in, ready for a fight. But Yeon-joo quickly shuts him down, effortlessly flooring him.

Later, she confronts Beom-woo about his past and reveals she knows he came to the countryside to recover after losing his girlfriend. Beom-woo denies it, but Yeon-joo clearly doesn’t buy his story. The next morning, Beom-woo receives a text from Manager Lee Yu-jin, urging him to get the recipe for the seopsangjeok so they can begin planning a new restaurant. However, when he asks Yeon-joo for the recipe, she doesn’t give in so easily.

Things take a tense turn when Yeon-joo’s landlady shows up, giving a tour of the restaurant to prospective tenants. She tells Yeon-joo that rumors are spreading about her restaurant’s downfall. Suspecting Chun-seung is behind the gossip, Yeon-joo and Beom-woo confront him. But Yeon-joo stops things before they escalate into a brawl.

The pressure mounts when Yeon-joo’s restaurant is reported for fire regulation violations and improper health certification. She ends up having to pay a fine for using a half-Chinese chili powder. Frustrated, Beom-woo and Myung-sook retaliate by reporting Chun-seung’s illegal garage extension. In return, Chun-seung parks his car right in front of the restaurant, further angering Yeon-joo.

That night, Myung-sook informs Beom-woo that Yeon-joo plans to take the day off to find a rare ingredient called meju, due to supply issues that she originally thought were caused by Chun-seung. Beom-woo joins her on the early bus ride. They reach the home of Mr. Chang-su, who’s injured and unable to send her the meju. Realizing Chun-seung wasn’t at fault, Yeon-joo decides to make the fermented soybean bricks herself and ropes Beom-woo into helping.

On their way back with the meju, it begins to rain. They take shelter at a bus stop, and share a quiet, meaningful moment when Yeon-joo pulls Beom-woo close to shield him from the water. But the mood is shattered when Beom-woo receives a shocking phone call — someone has set Yeon-joo’s restaurant on fire.

Yeon-joo, Beom-woo, and Myung-sook confront Chun-seung. He admits to breaking the window but insists he didn’t start the fire. Beom-woo tries dragging him to the police station, but Chun-seung offers money instead. Yeon-joo rejects the bribe and gives him three days to fix the kitchen.

Elsewhere, Young-hye presents her truffle neobiani dish to Chairman Han. But once she leaves, he tells Sun-woo the dish tastes terrible and could never be a signature offering. Unfortunately, Young-hye overhears this insult. Sun-woo then calls someone and orders them to find out what Beom-woo is up to.

The next morning, Chun-seung begins working on the kitchen repairs. During cleaning, Myung-sook discovers a degree certificate from the Culinary Institute of America under the name “Sophie Mo” — along with a photo of Yeon-joo among other CIA chefs. The discovery raises questions about Yeon-joo’s hidden past.

After failing to make much progress, Chun-seung breaks down in frustration. He confesses he’s overwhelmed by his own shortcomings and the pressure from his father. Beom-woo steps in to show him how to fix things, and later, Yeon-joo cooks a comforting Jeonju-style Jajjang dish. Though hesitant at first, Beom-woo finds it absolutely delicious.

Just then, the grocer — now friendly with Beom-woo — informs them about a food truck contest with a prize of five million Won, more than enough to cover their repairs. But they only have 15 minutes to register. Chun-seung volunteers, and thanks to his reckless motorcycle riding, he and Beom-woo manage to submit the application just in time.

That night, while lighting a cigarette, Chun-seung suddenly remembers that he didn’t set the fire. A flashback confirms someone else did it. Meanwhile, Beom-woo is surprised by a visit from Young-hye. When Yeon-joo approaches them, Beom-woo lies and pretends Young-hye is his ex-girlfriend to shut her up before she can expose him. Young-hye warns Yeon-joo about who Beom-woo really is.

But Yeon-joo calmly replies that she’ll find out for herself — she doesn’t need warnings from his so-called ex-girlfriend.