Exploring Culinary Spaces with Netflix's 'Black and White Chef' Stars on MBC's 'Save Me! Holmes'

On the October 26th episode of MBC's 'Save Me! Holmes' (hereafter referred to as 'Holmes'), the show featured a special segment titled 'Black and White Zone Part 2,' focusing on the spaces of chefs who appeared on the Netflix variety show 'Black and White Chef.'

Following the previous episode that highlighted the commercial districts of Yongsan and Gangnam, 'Black and White Zone Part 2' took viewers on a tour of restaurant districts and kitchens with the chefs from 'Black and White Chef.' Notably, the episode featured 'Rebellious Genius' Chef Lee Chanyang, who gained attention for showcasing his home in the previous episode, and Chef Fabry, known for his 'Kotalian' style that combines Korean and Italian cuisine from 'Black and White Chef 1.' Together with MC Yang Se-hyung, the trio explored the chefs' spaces from various angles.

The first location visited was a building in the heart of Sinsa-dong. This culinary hotspot houses two Michelin-starred restaurants and three restaurants run by chefs from 'Black and White Chef.' The trio embarked on a detailed exploration of restaurant kitchens, starting with Chef Lee Joon's restaurant, who appeared in 'Black and White Chef 2' and was noted for his mentor-mentee relationship with Chef Lee Chanyang. The sleek, angular open kitchen was praised as a fine dining standard. They also visited Chef Park Eun-young's restaurant, who had previously appeared on the 'Black and White Zone' episode, to examine the structure of a Chinese kitchen.

Next, they visited the home of 'Seoul Mom' Chef Woo Jung-wook in Ichon-dong, Yongsan-gu, who gained attention from 'Black and White Chef 2.' Having lived there for 22 years, the remodeled home exuded a warm atmosphere, featuring a dedicated 'dish room' and a neatly organized refrigerator stocked with various ingredients, showcasing her 'Seoul Mom' persona. After the tour, a traditional Korean meal prepared by 'Seoul Mom' was served, including her signature rice cake soup, which is a favorite among executives, leaving the guests in awe.

The next stop was the restaurant of Chef Kim Do-yoon, who gained fame as the 'Hidden Silver Spoon' on 'Black and White Chef 2' and has maintained a Michelin 1-star rating for five consecutive years. Known as a noodle master, he showcased a variety of equipment, including a noodle-making machine worth 40 million won, and a storage room filled with ingredients, capturing attention. He also presented 'Anseong Noodles,' a reinterpretation of a dish he showcased on 'Black and White Chef 2,' explaining the menu name's inspiration from Anseong's beans. The exploration continued to Chef Kim Do-yoon's duplex studio apartment in Seongsu-dong.

The final visit was to the hideout of first-generation makeup artist Park Tae-yoon. Having appeared on 'Black and White Chef 1,' he impressed with his culinary skills, revealing the kitchen space he currently uses as a hideout. In this converted residential-commercial space in the alleys of Seongsu, he introduced anchovy kimbap and black soybean cake, dishes he showcased on 'Black and White Chef 1,' concluding the tour.

Lee So-jung, TenAsia Reporter forusojung@tenasia.co.kr