'Culinary Class Wars' chef Ahn Sung Jae reveals he 'didn't get along' with co-judge Paik Jong Won
Chef Ahn Sung Jae, one of the judges on Culinary Class Wars, looked back on his experience on the Netflix reality cooking competition.
In an interview on JTBC's Newsroom on Oct. 20, the chef and owner of Korea's first three Michelin-starred restaurant opened up about how he and fellow judge Paik Jong Won didn't always see eye-to-eye when it came to judging.
"We didn't get along very well," he said, as per Korean entertainment outlet Allkpop. "It was fair because we could assess things from very different perspectives. Paik 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."
Meanwhile, the winner of the first season of Culinary Class Wars, Kwon Sung Joon, said in a YouTube video that Ahn and Paik took their judging seriously. He recalled his head-to-head battle with Chef Papri where they each got one point from each judge.
"You could actually hear them (the judges) fighting inside. That was the scariest moment for me," Kwon said.
On Oct. 15, Netflix renewed Culinary Class Wars for a second season. Producers Kim Hak-min, Kim Eun-ji, and writer Mo Eun-sol were confirmed to return for season 2.
It hasn't been confirmed yet if Ahn and Paik will return as judges. Asked if Ahn would consider returning, he told Singles magazine, "I'll think about it when the time comes. Timing and conditions need to align."
Ahn is the head chef and owner of Mosu, the first South Korean restaurant to get three Michelin stars. Meanwhile, his fellow judge Paik, whose name is also spelled Baek, is a chef and TV host of Baek Jong-won's Top 3 Chef King, Baek Jong-won's Food Truck, and Baek Jong-won's Alley Restaurant. The latter is also the CEO of Theborn Korea Inc., and 26 restaurant franchises.