“I saw it as a chance to highlight South Korea’s culinary scene. It’s a significant platform, much like the Michelin Guide,” said Chef Ahn Sung-jae (42) of “MOSU Seoul,” a restaurant that recently earned a prestigious 3-star rating in the 2024 Michelin Guide Seoul.
Chef Ahn, who appeared as a judge alongside Paik Jong-won, CEO of THEBORN KOREA, on the Netflix cooking competition “Culinary Class Wars,” released on Sept 17., now holds the distinction of being Korea’s only 3-star Michelin chef. While other local restaurants like “Gaon” and “La Yeon” previously held 3-star ratings, La Yeon was downgraded to 2 stars last year, and Gaon has since closed. Chef Ahn’s Michelin journey began with 1 star in 2019, progressed to 2 stars from 2020 to 2022, and reached the coveted 3 stars in both 2023 and 2024.
Unlike celebrity chefs such as Gordon Ramsay, Chef Ahn is known for his reluctance to appear in the media. Although he made a brief appearance on a cable cooking show in 2015, he quickly withdrew, stating that he “didn’t want to become a joke.” Since then, he has largely stayed out of the spotlight. When interviewed by The Chosunilbo on Sept 11., he remained hesitant to embrace the label ‘chef-tainer’ (chef + entertainer), saying, “Many chefs pour their heart and soul into cooking. After confirming with the producers that this show wouldn’t turn us into a laughingstock, I agreed to participate in ‘Culinary Class Wars.’” He added, “The dining industry is tough these days, especially in fine dining, because the pool is small. It’s dangerous to think, ‘It’s enough if I succeed alone.’ I thought being on the show might help expand the market and demand for dining out.”
Chef Ahn’s decision to join the show drew attention, particularly since it came shortly after MOSU Seoul temporarily closed. The restaurant, which opened in Hannam-dong, Seoul, in 2017 with investment from CJ CheilJedang, closed earlier this year when the contract ended, sparking speculation. Addressing the situation, Chef Ahn explained, “They were incredibly supportive partners who trusted me deeply, but our visions didn’t align, so I decided to part ways. I’m currently working on a new restaurant with a different partner, not a large corporation, that better matches my vision.”
In “Culinary Class Wars,” Chef Ahn plays the role of a discerning judge who emphasizes the fundamentals but isn’t shy about praising certain contestants. The show features 80 unknown chefs competing against 20 well-known chefs, with participants ranging from those who learned to cook from comic books to those with decades of experience preparing school meals. Chef Ahn noted, “I was trained traditionally and hold strong beliefs, but some contestants completely challenged those beliefs. The dishes were exceptional, and I realized there are many different ways to approach food.”
The solid foundational skills displayed by the contestants offer valuable insights into the rapidly evolving dining industry, where trends often rise and fall quickly under the influence of social media. “Some chefs seem to achieve overnight success thanks to influencer endorsements, but in reality, that’s rarely the case. Many struggle or fade away after a few years,” Chef Ahn pointed out. “To consistently innovate, you need to live and breathe as a chef, making your business and life inseparable. Academic success doesn’t automatically make someone a great cook, but the more you immerse yourself in and understand the evolution of the cuisine you want to create, the more you can achieve. However, if you chase trends with enthusiasm alone, the food becomes superficial, something people try once or twice and then move on from.” He expressed hope that the show would inspire chefs to share and learn from each other’s challenging experiences.
