Chef Hu Deok-juk (Michelin Guide)


The release of Netflix’s “Culinary Class Wars" Season 2 on Tuesday has once again set Korea’s dining scene abuzz.
Among the new lineup, two names stand out for entirely different reasons: Hu Deok-juk, a towering figure in Korean Chinese cuisine whose very presence 릴짱 has sparked debate over who could possibly judge him, and Sam Kim, a television-familiar Italian chef whose quietly disciplined kitchen tells a story that goes far beyond his warm on-screen persona.
카카오야마토 Hu, appearing as a “White Spoon” contestant, is regarded not merely as a veteran but as a benchmark in Korean Chinese cooking. Born in 1949 in Seoul’s Sogong-dong, he grew up in a Chinese-Ko 릴게임가입머니 rean household where food was a way of life. He joined The Shilla Seoul’s Chinese restaurant Palsun in 1977. Palsun would become the stage on which Hu reshaped high-end Chinese dining in Korea.
바다신2다운로드Within three years, he elevated the restaurant to the top tier of Korea’s fine-dining hierarchy. In 1987, he introduced Buddha Jumps Over the Wall to Korean diners for the first time, a labor-inte 바다이야기합법 nsive Cantonese dish reserved in China for banquets of the highest order. Made by slowly simmering ingredients such as abalone, sea cucumber, fish maw and poultry for hours, the dish reflected Hu’s belief that restraint, rather than seasoning, should define flavor.
Today, Hu presides over Hobin at The Ambassador Seoul — A Pullman Hotel, a restaurant whose name translates to “welcoming a treasured guest.” During a weekday lunch, the “Gung” course reveals the essence of Hu’s cooking. A series of cold appetizers — jellyfish dressed lightly in vinegar, abalone with chili sauce, shrimp paired with whole-grain mustard — offer clean, precise flavors.



Crabmeat with egg white at Hobin (Hong Yoo/ The Korea Herald)


The warm dishes follow with similar clarity. Crab meat with egg white arrives sealed inside a crab shell, opened tableside to reveal a dish that is delicate, almost porridge-like, emphasizing texture over richness.



Fried sea cucumber rolls at Hobin (Hong Yoo/ The Korea Herald)


Fried sea cucumber rolls stuffed with shrimp maintain the prized elasticity of the ingredient, while vegetables provide contrast without distraction. Noodles or fried rice, offered as a final savory course, are refreshingly restrained. Dessert — a purple sweet potato pudding paired with blueberry syrup — keeps sweetness in check.



Sam Kim (Netflix)


If Hu represents continuity, Sam Kim embodies refinement through repetition. Best known to the public as the real-life inspiration for the television drama “Pasta” and as a long-time cast member of tvN’s “Chef & My Fridge,” Kim appears approachable, even gentle. Yet at Trattoria Sam Kim in Apgujeong, the open kitchen reveals a different side: a chef deeply involved in every plate that leaves the pass.
The restaurant’s bar seating faces the kitchen, allowing diners to observe a quiet, almost meditative workflow. The pasta tasting lunch menu begins with naturally fermented sourdough and grissini, served alongside olive oil, followed by a thoughtful series of amuse-bouches. A persimmon wrapped in gorgonzola balances sweetness and umami, while a beet ravioli-shaped bite offers acidity softened by cream. Mushroom tartlets and lightly cured, fried cod complete the set.



Scampi risotto at Trattoria Sam Kim (Hong Yoo/ The Korea Herald)


Kim’s cooking favors clean lines and subtle layering. Sea bream, lightly cured with sugar and salt, is paired with a bright yuzu-green chili sauce and finished with scallion-smoked oil. The fish is firm, fresh and aromatic.
Warm dishes include sous-vide scallops with peas and prosciutto, where salinity is carefully moderated, and grilled octopus served with mashed potatoes that temper the dish’s natural intensity. A scampi risotto arrives al dente, enriched with Parmigiano Reggiano, while undercooked sweet shrimp add sweetness rather than weight.



Beef-tail tagliatelle at Trattoria Sam Kim (Hong Yoo/ The Korea Herald)


Despite a full dining room at lunchtime, pacing remains deliberate. Kim is visibly present, checking plates until serving. A beef-tail tagliatelle showcases a pasta texture that is unusually firm for fresh noodles, followed by a dessert of chestnut ice cream encased in a white chocolate dome, layered with citrus compote to close the meal on a light note.
Together, Hu Deok-juk and Sam Kim represent two ends of a spectrum that “Culinary Class Wars" Season 2 brings into conversation: one rooted in legacy and preservation, the other in contemporary technique shaped by experience rather than spectacle. Their restaurants, like their careers, are less about competition than about continuity — proof that mastery, in any cuisine, is built quietly over time.