Chef Ahn Sung Jae has shared his thoughts on appearing in 'Culinary Class War.'

Ahn appeared as a guest on JTBC's 'Newsroom' on October 20, where he discussed his role as a judge on the hit Netflix original variety show, 'Culinary Class War.'

First, Chef Ahn addressed the rumor that the production team had suggested he go on a diet before filming. He said, "They told me I couldn't appear unless I did. I had already been eating a lot, exercising, and losing weight, so I took the opportunity to slim down."

He continued, "With my wide-ranging experience and studies, I thought I could bring fairness as one of the two judges. I knew it might come off as arrogant, but at the time, I believed there wasn't anyone like me in Korea, so I spoke up."

When asked about his dynamic with fellow judge Baek Jong Won, Ahn confessed, "We didn't get along very well." However, he added, laughing, "It was fair because we could assess things from very different perspectives. Baek was incredibly skilled, and as we filled in the gaps in each other's knowledge, I grew to respect him. Still, if we meet again, I won’t back down from my opinions."

Ahn also expressed his surprise at the work of Chinese cuisine chef Jung Ji Sun. "I was amazed by dishes like the caramelized 'basi.' I couldn’t believe they made dishes like this using dried radish greens."

When asked about his former students, including those from 'Triple Star,' Ahn clarified, "I don’t really like the term 'students,' as I’ve never formally had any. But I supported them, and seeing how much they had improved nearly brought me to tears."

Regarding speculation that he looked excited when Chef Choi Hyun Seok was eliminated, Ahn explained, "Choi's dish, mapo tofu with lamb, was much more complicated than I had expected, and I couldn’t explain it well at the time. Internally, I was thinking, 'There's not enough tofu in here,' but I definitely wasn’t excited about his elimination."

As for his potential appearance in Season 2 of the show, Ahn said cautiously, "They've mentioned it to me, but we need to have more discussions."

Chef Ahn Sung Jae played a significant role as a judge on 'Culinary Class War,' a competition between 20 famous chefs ("silver spoons") and 80 skilled amateur chefs ("black spoons"). The show gained massive popularity, ranking No. 1 in Netflix’s Global Top 10 Non-English TV category in its first week of release.

Have you enjoyed Season 1 of the show?

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