Chef Ahn Sung-jae Reflects on the Success of Netflix’s 'Culinary Class Wars'
Oct 18, 2024
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'Culinary Class Wars' is a Netflix original entertainment program that showcases a cooking competition between 20 renowned chefs as ‘White Spoon’ and other 80 chefs as 'Black Spoon.' In its first week, the show became a massive hit, topping the Netflix Global Top 10 non-English TV category.
When asked if he expected such popularity, Ahn Sung-jae said, "This boom wasn’t anticipated or planned from the start. As I observed the chefs around me and the state of the industry, I felt the need to inject something new and fresh."
Ahn Sung-jae also commented on the pride and persistence of the chefs, stating, "As someone who takes food very seriously, I wanted the chefs to showcase their dedication and pride, rather than simply trying to entertain. I hoped that through such an authentic portrayal, we could create a meaningful show that would contribute to the restaurant industry. Thankfully, the production team understood and embraced my perspective," he said, expressing his gratitude.
In 'Culinary Class Wars', Ahn Sung-jae often asked chefs about their motivations for entering the competition. When questioned why, he explained, "Everyone comes with their own unique flair, but the food must be delicious. I asked for their intentions because I was looking for something more distinctive."
He added, "No matter how experienced I am, it’s dangerous to think my judgment is absolute. It didn’t feel fair to take one bite and decide whether a dish was good or bad without first hearing the chef’s vision. It’s only natural for me to ask about their intentions, as every dish is an expression of what a chef imagines and brings to life."
When asked if he had seen the memes circulating online featuring his appearances on 'Culinary Class Wars', Ahn laughed and said, "Even if I didn’t want to, I saw them—people kept sending them to me! What would you like to ask about?"
The interviewer mentioned a meme of Ahn looking excited to eliminate Chef Choi Hyun-seok. To this, Ahn Sung-jae replied, "That’s the most unfair interpretation. I wasn’t thinking that at all. It was my own affectionate way of expressing that the dish had a lot of different layers of flavor. And wasn’t there a moment where Chef Choi Hyun-seok was smiling as he looked back? That was when I truly felt his passion—it was great and inspiring. But people ran with it in their own way," he said, laughing.
lunamoon@sportschosun.com
