TV
Chefs Park Eun-young and Kim Si-hyun Shine on 'Problematic Men of Rooftop Room'
On the October 2nd episode of KBS2's variety show 'Problematic Men of Rooftop Room Season 2' (hereafter 'Problematic Men'), episode 308 featured Chinese cuisine chef Park Eun-young and Korean cuisine chef Kim Si-hyun, who gained attention through the variety series 'Black and White Chefs.'
In the opening, Park Eun-young joined Kim Jong-kook's new 'Anyang Sibling' line, drawing attention. As an Anyang native, Park Eun-young revealed, "Kim Jong-kook was really famous in Anyang," making Kim Jong-kook proud. She continued, "There's a rumor that he had a big fight at a tonkatsu restaurant on Anyang's First Street. I even heard he won 100 to 1," bringing up the 'Anyang Kim Dokkiseol' legend and eliciting laughter. Kim Jong-kook, while dismissing it as mere folklore, showed a pleased smile at the lively performance of 'Anyang Sibling' Park Eun-young.
Park Eun-young also drew laughter with her characteristic desire for popularity. When Kim Si-hyun explained the origin of her nickname 'Baby Beast,' saying, "The 'Aang~' pose was something I naturally did without knowing the camera was on," Park Eun-young joked, "'Baby Beast' is so cute. If I had known I had something like that, I would have prepared a pose in advance."
As the protagonist of the 'Wanja Queenka Meme,' Park Eun-young brought up the story of the viral dance. "Actually, it's a dance I learned. When I was in Hong Kong, I learned it from 'Tashani' teacher Annie, who told me, 'It's nice that you're working hard, but you don't have to say you learned it from me,'" she confessed, causing laughter.
Continuing to showcase her talents with the viral 'Queenka' dance and her recent practice of the 'NOT CUTE ANYMORE' dance, Park Eun-young added, "After dancing, I received over 10 advertising offers. I think I've tasted the fun of dancing," and with the continued success of the 'Anyang Sibling,' Kim Jong-kook supported her, saying, "I like it because it's Anyang. It's refreshing."
Park Eun-young, with 14 years of experience in Chinese cuisine, surprised everyone by saying, "I actually had no intention of becoming a chef. I simply chose the culinary department while contemplating college." She added, "I chose it because they offered to send students for exchange programs if I majored in Chinese cuisine." Starting as a 'cooking novice,' she explained that she became so passionate that she even became the top student in her class, drawing admiration.
On the other hand, Kim Si-hyun shared her story of finding her calling in cooking while preparing for art school entrance exams, along with her passionate episodes. She particularly surprised everyone by revealing, "I wanted to work at a Michelin restaurant, but since there were no job postings, I went there with my portfolio and a letter and got hired."
The two chefs also shared stories of injuries they experienced in the challenging kitchen environment. Park Eun-young recounted, "I once injured my hand in a noodle dough machine. My hand was so torn up and bleeding profusely, but with service time approaching, I couldn't go to the hospital and wrapped it with packing tape to continue working." Kim Si-hyun added, "I suffered burns while moving hot water and was hospitalized for a month. It covered about 25% of my body surface area. As soon as I took off my chef's uniform, pieces of flesh fell from my arm."
Finally, Park Eun-young and Kim Si-hyun presented 'Rooftop Room's Simple 10-Minute Recipes,' offering delightful viewing. Park Eun-young showcased the Chinese-style instant noodle 'Goburja,' while Kim Si-hyun presented the seasonal vegetable-packed 'Daechungnamuljeon.'
Meanwhile, Park Eun-young is set to marry her doctor fiancé at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul's Jung-gu in May.
Tae Yuna, Ten Asia Reporter youyou@tenasia.co.kr