Culinary Class Wars Star Anh Sung-jae Discusses His Journey with Public Fame After Season 1

On Thursday, October 17, Chef Anh Sung-jae reflected on his journey during the Netflix culinary competition show, Culinary Class Wars. In a conversation with the Korea JoongAng Daily, Anh Sung-jae, who serves as a judge on the program, shared his thoughts following the conclusion of the first season earlier this month.

When queried about his reaction to the significant viewer attention, the chef responded:

“I was just being myself, so I don’t really understand what that is all about.”

He acknowledged feeling nervous at various points throughout the series:

“Honestly, I was nervous at times on the show, but I wasn’t nervous when there was food in front of me.”

Chef Anh Sung-jae values the professionalism showcased in Culinary Class Wars

In his interview, Anh Sung-jae expressed admiration for the show’s distinctive approach. He praised Culinary Class Wars for highlighting the seriousness of chefs’ craft rather than forcing them into comedic roles, a common trend in many prior Korean food reality shows. He likened the dedication of chefs to that of professional athletes.

“Think about an athlete, for instance. They put everything into their life to become champions, and not by making people laugh. They impress people because they are serious about what they do, and that’s why they are so cool, and people want to pursue that dream as well.”

He added:

“I think chefs are similar to athletes. We put in our all for every game, and every day is game day at restaurants.”

Throughout the show, Anh Sung-jae aimed to motivate young chefs, especially as Korea’s local restaurant scene faces challenges. He shared that fellow competitors and colleagues from Culinary Class Wars reached out to express their gratitude for representing them and noted their fully booked restaurants, attributing their success to his visibility on the show.

“I’ve been very emotional because my colleagues and contestants from the show have contacted me to say that their restaurants are fully booked, and they were thanking me for it, saying that I represented them well.”

Looking ahead, Sun-jae emphasized his intention to represent the Korean culinary scene throughout Culinary Class Wars.

“I was on the show on behalf of Korea’s dining scene.”

Currently, Anh is focused on reopening his Michelin-starred restaurant, Mosu Seoul, which has been closed since January. The acclaimed establishment is expected to resume operations in the forthcoming year. Ultimately, Anh Sung-jae conveyed his desire to preserve the essence of his work and team at Mosu, despite his newfound fame.

“I’m very proud of myself and the work that my team has achieved with Mosu. I want to keep all that going and not lose it because of fame.”

The first season of Culinary Class Wars is available for streaming on Netflix, featuring the competition between White Spoons and Black Spoons in pursuit of 300 million KRW across twelve thrilling episodes.

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