Korean food fans will love these K-food reality shows as they are packed with a unique sense of humor and distinct format. Here are 5 reality shows you must check out!
The global success of BTS and Blackpink brought K-pop to global doorstep. Parasite paved the way for Korean cinema. And K-dramas have become commonplace in our favorites, especially after the pandemic. Now, K-fans are turning their attention to food reality shows, thanks to exceptional success of Culinary Class Wars on Netflix.
Well, if you are also one of the people who loves the humor and format of these reality shows, here are 5 Korean food themed reality shows you can add to your watchlist.
Culinary Class Wars
“Culinary Class Wars” is an exiting K-food reality show where 100 top chefs from all over the world compete in a battle of wits and skills. They are divided into two teams: the “white spoons,” made up of famous chefs, and the “black spoons,” made up of talented but not-so-famous chefs. The prize for the winner? A whopping KRW 300 million (that’s about USD 230,000)!
The show’s judges are none other than the legendary restaurateur and celebrity chef Baek Jong-won and the only Michelin three-star chef in South Korea, Anh Sung-jae. When the first season of “Culinary Class Wars” hit Netflix this year, it was a huge hit. Now, fans can’t wait for the second season to come out!
Please Take Care Of My Refrigerator (Chef & My Fridge)
Have you heard of “Chef & My Fridge”? It’s a super fun show where two famous guests and their fridges come to the studio. The fridges are literally pulled out of their homes and displayed for everyone to see. The guests can be anything from K-pop legends like Big Bang and BTS to famous actors and comedians from Korea. The chefs, usually the owners of trendy restaurants in Seoul, have to cook amazing dishes using all the food in the guests’ fridges. They only have 15 minutes to do it, so it’s a real challenge! The results are usually pretty incredible. Even Gordon Ramsay made a guest appearance as a competing chef in one of the episodes.
The show was on JTBC in South Korea from 2014 to 2019, but some episodes are still available on YouTube, the official JTBC website, and Apple TV. And guess what? They’re bringing it back for a new season in 2025!
The Backpacker Chef
“The Backpacker Chef” is another popular South Korean reality show that takes cooking to a whole new level. It stars Baek Jong-won and a rotating cast of celebrities, who are taken to different places around the world and have to cook delicious meals for the locals. But here’s the catch: they only have a few kitchen tools to work with. This cooking adventure tests their cooking skills, but it also shows off their creativity and teamwork. Each episode is a feast for the eyes and the taste buds. In the first season, the cast went on 18 different business trips and cooked for over 3,000 people, making more than 100 different dishes. The second season is still going strong and you can watch it on Trakt.
Delicious Rendezvous
This show features chef Baek Jong-won, known for “Culinary Class Wars.” It started as a way to promote underused ingredients by showing how yummy they can be in creative recipes. The cast created new menus using local specialties. They sold cooked food at places like rest stops, airports, and train stations that get a lot of visitors. The show wasn’t just about selling food; it also wanted to change people’s minds about local foods and help farmers. Viewers got a taste of South Korea’s regional food scene and learned about how food is made and how it’s priced. The cast later sold their products on live home shopping channels, which was so popular that the items often sold out. “Delicious Rendezvous” ran from 2019 to 2021 on SBS TV and won a bunch of awards. You can watch this K-food reality show on Trakt.
Jinny’s Kitchen
“Jinny’s Kitchen,” the second spin-off from “Youn’s Kitchen” (2017), is a refreshing departure from the usual drama-filled food reality shows that dominate the genre. This show, which premiered in 2023, features famous South Korean celebrities preparing delicious Korean street food for international guests. This is one of the K-food reality shows that’s a delightful mix of flavors and entertainment! In its first season, the stars, including Lee Seo-jin, Jung Yu-mi, Park Seo-jun, Choi Woo-shik, and even BTS’ V, ran a restaurant in Bacalar, Mexico. In the second season, they moved to Iceland. They continued to serve mouthwatering Korean dishes like oxtail gomtang and bibimbap to the locals. The show highlights the close bond between the cast members and introduces viewers to the incredible richness of South Korean cuisine. You can catch it on Amazon Prime.
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