Chef Ahn Sung-jae appeared as a guest on JTBC’s “Newsroom,” which aired on October 20, discussing his role as a judge on the Netflix original variety show.
Ahn Sung-jae began by addressing rumors that he was asked to lose weight before joining the show. He shared that he was already on a diet, having been exercising and losing weight, so he took the opportunity to shed more pounds.
He added, “With the varied experiences and studies I’ve had, I thought I would be the fair judge if there were 2 judges. I thought it might come off as arrogant, but I truly believed there wasn’t anyone like me in Korea.”
Regarding his collaboration with fellow judge Baek Jong-won, Ahn Sung-jae joked that their chemistry wasn’t good. However, he acknowledged the fairness of the judging process, saying, “We could see things from many angles. Baek Jong-won did a great job, and our conversations filled in each other’s knowledge gaps, which made me respect him a lot. But I won’t bend my opinions if we meet again.”
Ahn Sung-jae expressed surprise at the culinary skills of Chef Jung Ji-seon, recalling, “I was amazed at how she prepared the seasoned dried radish.” He also denied rumors about him being excited when Chef Choi Hyun-seok was eliminated.
When asked about his students, he replied, “I don’t really like the term ‘students,’ as I’ve never had any. I supported those friends and almost cried seeing their growth.”
Regarding a potential Season 2 appearance, he said cautiously, “They mentioned it, but I think we need to talk more to figure things out.”
Chef Ahn Sung-jae contributed significantly as a judge on “Culinary Class War,” which showcased a cooking competition between 20 famous chefs and 80 skilled cooks. The show quickly gained popularity, ranking first in Netflix’s Global Top 10 Non-English TV category during its first week.
Source: Naver
