Photo = News 1 Foreign media attract attention by introducing chef <a href="http://www.world-today-news.com/baek-jong-won-i-have-a-lot-to-say-black-and-white-chef-was-very-popular-so-i-bought-a-stock-and-hit-the-jackpot-%ec%a7%84%ec%98%81%ea%b8%b0%ec%9d%98-%ec%b0%90%ea%b0%9c%eb%af%b8-%ec%b0%90/" title="Baek Jong won "I have a lot to say"… 'Black and White Chef' was very popular so I bought a stock and hit the 'jackpot'[진영기의 찐개미 찐투자]”>Ahn Seong-jae, a judge on the Netflix show ‘Black and White Chef’.
On the 17th (Korean time), the US CNN broadcast explained about Chef Ahn, “He was in the US military in Iraq. Now he is the best chef in Asia and a judge on Netflix’s ‘Black and White Chef’.
CNN said, “There is nothing ordinary about Ahn Seong-jae’s journey, from the battlefields of Iraq to a Michelin-starred chef to a popular Netflix show,” and covered in detail the process of a boy who immigrated to California at age of 13 to be known around the world as Asia’s top chef.
Chef Ahn recalled to this media, “We were a Korean immigrant family chasing the ‘American Dream,'” and “We arrived in the United States without even knowing English.”
He described the process from serving in US Forces Korea to volunteering to be deployed to Iraq after 9/11. He then revealed that the reason he joined the US Army was, “I thought it was the only way I could travel. “
Chef Ahn said, “When I volunteered to send soldiers to the Iraq War, everyone asked, ‘Why are you doing such a crazy thing?’ I grew up hearing about the Korean War and the Vietnam War from my grandfather and my father’s relatives. The reason I volunteered to go to Iraq was because I “thought it was my only chance to experience war,” he said.
He described his military service at the time as an “eye-opening experience” and emphasized, “My four years of military experience were one of the best and most interesting “
He loved racing cars and wanted to be a Porsche mechanic after he was discharged from the army. However, with two weeks left before his mechanic training began, he met chefs who were working at the then Le Cordon Bleu cooking school in California, which was an opportunity that changed his fate.
Chef Ahn said, “They were all wearing white shirts and spotted pants. I didn’t even know what that school was for,” and after a series of consultations, he suddenly entered Le Cordon Bleu. “I never looked back or took I regret,” he joked, saying, “It’s okay because I’m driving a Porsche now.
CNN assessed that although it was a sudden decision for him to enter the culinary life, cooking was the destiny that ran through his veins, who grew up watching his grandmother cook and helped his immigrant parents run their Chinese restaurant after school.
After graduating from Le Cordon Bleu, Chef Ahn built his career at prestigious restaurants that received three Michelin stars in the United States, including French Laundry and Benu. After that, Mosu San Francisco opened in 2015. The restaurant immediately received one Michelin star.
But he took another adventure again. In 2017, he returned to his native Korea and opened Mosu Seoul. Chef Ahn said, “When I returned to Korea, I wanted to use what I knew and understood. I wanted to use native food ingredients, Korean culture, and heritage.”
It is said that ‘innovation’ is the theme that runs through Seoul, the model it founded. He said, “At Mosu, I cook what I think is best, without limits or gender.” That’s how Mosu Seoul got three Michelin stars in 2022.
He also admitted that he often felt uncomfortable because of his sudden fame after appearing on Black and White Chef. However, he emphasized that he was never himself in front of the camera.
“I try to speak correctly, logically and carefully, because they depend on what I say,” said chef Ahn, “I never did, I tried to be myself, I appreciated the courage of the participants and I tried to encourage them.
He expressed his pride by saying, “The whole world is getting interested in Korean culture, food, and fine dining.
An image of him eating at home with his mother-in-law was also released. In the video, he is seen cooking and eating kimchi, bulgogi, seasonal vegetables, and stew with his family, including his mother-in-law. In particular, there was a scene where he was grinding bulgogi himself. When my mother-in-law gave me a bite of the delicious vegetables and asked, “Isn’t it good?” said chef Ahn, “It’s not good.”
He said, “For me, inspiration comes from different places. It also comes from when I go to my mother-in-law’s house. Every weekend, I go to her house with my children .She goes to the market and buys vegetables and cooks.
Shin Hyun-bo, Hankyung.com reporter greaterfool@hankyung.com
