Michelin-Starred Couple Kim Hee-eun and Yoon Dae-hyun Reveal Their Humble Beginnings on 'Same Bed, Different Dreams 2'

On the latest episode of SBS's variety show 'Same Bed, Different Dreams 2 - You Are My Destiny', Michelin-starred chefs Kim Hee-eun and Yoon Dae-hyun opened up about their financial journey.

During the episode, the couple humorously claimed each other to be a 'silver spoon'. Yoon Dae-hyun admitted, "I originally didn't want to marry someone in the culinary field," while Kim Hee-eun revealed, "For a while, I lived as 'Yoon Dae-hyun's wife' because he was a senior in the fine dining world. Now, it's the opposite, and I like it."

Addressing rumors of being a 'diamond spoon' couple, Yoon Dae-hyun clarified, "There's a misconception that we're building owners or that one of us is wealthy. But if you look closely, we have nothing. We started from scratch and are paying rent regularly." Kim Hee-eun added, "We're not building owners; we're 'no spoon'."

Kim Hee-eun, who runs a restaurant with 30 employees, shared her past, "Before cooking, I studied ceramics but felt it wouldn't make me happy. When I told my father I wanted to switch to culinary arts, he was strongly opposed and even threw an ashtray."

Recalling the incident, Kim Hee-eun said she was injured by glass shards from the ashtray. "My father must have been shocked too. Instead of helping, he threw a rag and told me to clean up," she recounted.

Feeling rejected, Kim Hee-eun left home with a piggy bank containing 240,000 won. "I rented a room near school for 200,000 won a month, just enough for one month's rent. I decided to earn money to study culinary arts, doing promotional jobs and saving on essentials by using public restrooms," she shared.

Kim Hee-eun expressed regret that her father, who opposed her career choice, never tasted her food. "I worked hard to gain his approval, but he never got to try my cooking," she lamented.

The couple also discussed their financial goals, stating, "After marriage, we aimed to earn 500 million won to afford a lease near our restaurant. We've since moved from a monthly rental to a studio lease, achieving our early marriage goal."

Reported by Kim Eun-jung, TenAsia. Contact: eun@tenasia.co.kr