Meet the Black Spoon Chefs Shaking Up Korean Food Culture (Part 1)

Chinese cuisine chef Jung Ji-sun participates in the ongoing cooking survival show ″Culinary Class Wars.″ (NETFLIX KOREA)

It’s one plot twist after another in Netflix Korea’s ‘Culinary Class Wars’.

The cooking survival show pits the industry’s top professionals, the White Spoon chefs, against the underdogs, the Black Spoon chefs. The big names of the White Spoons garnered public interest before the show aired, but now, halfway through the series, it is clear that the Black Spoons really make the program unique and exciting.

This group of chefs has an unconventional background and cooks with passion instead of rules. She serves flavors that challenge the craftsmanship of the industry’s most trained chefs and respected veterans.

A scene from the ongoing cooking survival show ″Culinary Class Wars″ (NETFLIX KOREA)

A scene from the ongoing cooking survival show ″Culinary Class Wars″ (NETFLIX KOREA)

Many are shaping their city’s incredibly competitive mid-market dining scene. Some work abroad or have returned after working abroad to open their own restaurants. Whatever their stories, Black Spoon chefs offer the latest insight into Korea’s thriving gastro scene.

So who exactly are these Black Spoon chefs, what are they doing now, and – when we visit their restaurants – will we be able to taste the dishes they created on the show?

The Korea JoongAng Daily looked behind the nicknames of their shows to answer some of these questions.

“Hidden Genius” Lee Sang-pil obtains ingredients for his team’s dish in the ongoing cooking survival show ″Culinary Class Wars.″ (NETFLIX KOREA)

Napoli Mafia: Kwon Seong-joon
Chef Kwon Seong-joon’s passion for Italian food is evident in the show, from his fluency in Italian to his pride for the country, which he translates into his dishes. During the show, he cooks a bisque risotto inspired by the Amalfi Coast, and a fagottini-filled pasta that reflects the history of Naples.

Kwon’s first job as a professional chef was at Dani Maison, a two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Ischia, an island near Naples. He still visits Naples regularly, but has added some Neapolitan charm to his restaurant in Seoul, Via Toledo Pasta Bar in the Yongsan district.

It is a gastronomic restaurant that offers a seven-course Sicilian dinner, mainly with different types of pasta and risotto, together with an aperitif and a dessert. The current price is 89,000 won ($67.40) per person, although prices are expected to increase slightly next month, according to the restaurant’s social media. The dishes in the course change approximately every two months.

Hidden Genius: Lee Sang Pill
While many on the show showed off their skills with multiple dishes and elaborate presentations, Chef Lee Sang-pil stuck to the traditional aglio olio and earned high praise from judge Ahn Sung-jae.

Lee’s unconventional cooking method adds extra intrigue. He cooks his linguine for just three minutes, then strains it and brushes it with olive oil while it’s still hot. He then places the noodles in an aluminum baking tray, lets them cool slightly and covers them with another pan until the residual heat reaches al dente perfection.

His restaurant, Pono Buono, in Gangnam district, southern Seoul, does not have aglio olio on its official menu, but there is a “hidden pasta” option where he is currently offering the dish to diners.

The modern food bar features a stylish list of Italian fusion dishes, with just two pasta dishes. Other options include a variety of proteins, seasonal vegetables and seafood, along with house-made sorbet and ice cream.

Goddess of Chinese Cuisine: Park Eun-young
Park is one of the few female chefs specializing in Chinese cuisine in Korea and was a notable student of Lu Ching Lai, a veteran Taiwanese chef in Korea who also appears on the show as a White Spoon.

She worked under him for more than a decade, most recently at Hong Bo Gak, a Chinese restaurant in the Novotel Ambassador Hotel Seoul Gangnam, in southern Seoul. She demonstrated technique and craftsmanship in simple dishes such as dumplings and fish soup, which earned a lot of respect from the jury.

Park is currently in Hong Kong working as a sous chef at Grand Majestic Sichuan in Central. It is an upscale, classic Sichuan restaurant managed by Hong Kong-based hospitality group Black Sheep Restaurants and led by Chef Theign Phan.

The list continues in our second article. Click here to read more.

BY LEE JIAN ([email protected])