Youn's Kitchen 2: Get Inspired to Eat & Cook Korean Food
After finishing Youn’s Kitchen 2 my heart is full. And I’m craving Korean food! I stumbled upon this Korean reality TV show (that originally aired in 2018) when looking to see what else one of my new favorite actors has done. I first discovered Park Seo-Jun in Itaewon Class (Netflix), when Park Sae-ro-yi (played by Park Seo-Jun) captured my attention pretty much from the get-go. Completely opposite of Sae-ro-yi is the character of Lee Yong-Joon in What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim (Viki) also portrayed by Seo-Joon. Yong-Joon is a loveable narcissist who made me laugh out loud. Yeah. Who knew there could be such a thing?
I’m not gonna lie. Youn’s Kitchen 2 started out slow for me. I did not see season one and wasn’t sure what the premise of the show was other than the fact they were opening a Korean restaurant in a small town in Spain. Had it not been for Seo-Jun I’m not sure I would’ve had the patience to watch beyond the first episode but the one word I would use for season two of this reality series is endearing.
It definitely helps if you’re familiar with one or more of the four actors (Youn Yuh-Jung, Lee Seo-Jin, Jung Yu-Mi, or Park Seo-Jun). It was a bit difficult to watch them go through the early growing pains of setting up and establishing the restaurant because there was no explanation as to the purpose or premise of the show. I’d seen a couple of episodes before I Googled and realized I’d seen Yu-Mi in Train to Busan and she was also in What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim. The second filmed after Youn’s Kitchen 2, ironically had her as a restaurant owner. The CEO and Director (as they liked to refer to them in the show) are also actors but I haven’t seen any of their work—yet. Okay. So acting is their day job and the reality part of the show is them trying to set up and run a pop-up Korean restaurant in a foreign country. Garachico, a small town on Tenerife, which is one of the seven Canary Islands of Spain. If I ever go to Spain, Garachico looks like a wonderful place to visit. I really want to swim in that natural pool by the ocean they showed several times.
One of the first things I noticed is the format of this show is nothing like American reality TV shows. No competing, no backstabbing, and no drama between the participants. What a relief! These folks were pleasant, worked well together, and seemed to enjoy each other’s company. In the U.S. this show would never get the green light. Thankfully, Korea sees the value of a show like this. For fans of the actors, it gives you a limited glimpse into what these four are like without a script in a somewhat unfamiliar situation that could bring out the worst in any of us. They are not professional chefs nor does it appear any of them have experience running a restaurant.
If you already like Park Seo-Jun, Youn’s Kitchen 2 is going to make you an even bigger fan. Responsible, respectable, hardworking, gracious, and humble. Seo-Jun is the only one who learned to speak Spanish for the show and the fact he had a number of part-time jobs before he became a successful actor seems to be a big factor in helping keep things on track and run more smoothly. Anyone would be lucky to have him as a “part-timer,” especially since he put in full-time hours! I loved how Seo-Jun knew how to prepare zucchini (better than Youn) because he’d watched his mom cook. At one point a customer asked Seo-Jun if he was a star and when he said no I literally laughed out loud (see this scene in the third video at the bottom). Granted I watched this show 2.5 years after it originally aired (in 2018) and 11 million MORE Instagram followers since Jeffrey from Belgium couldn’t believe the guy who served him wine had 4.4 million followers on Instagram. You’ll get a kick out of Jeffrey in the first YouTube video at the bottom. Meanwhile, for anyone wondering how Park Seo-Jun learned how to cook like a pro you can read here.
Watching Youn Yuh-Jung and the others cook gave me more confidence as I try to learn to make more Korean dishes. My japchae recipe is definitely legit, as is the bibimbap my youngest likes to make. We can’t wait to try and make hotteok (Sweet Korean pancakes). [*Update: see the pics below of my hotteok!] Youn’s Kitchen 2 also gave me the additional encouragement I needed to try more Korean food. In the first episode, they’re doing a practice run and the two European women who were there to be the test customers were clearly not comfortable trying Korean food. I’m gonna be honest it made me kind of mad even though I’m not the most adventurous eater myself. I’m not big on veggies and picky when it comes to the texture of foods but not long after watching Youn’s Kitchen 2 I went to Jang Su Jang in Duluth (northern suburb of Atlanta) with my kids and we tried every single banchan (side dish) for the very first time. I normally skip the banchan because they’re primarily vegetable dishes but I ended up eating pretty much all of my banchan—which is huge for me, and I can honestly say I liked them. Instead of the bulgogi I usually order I got kimchee pancakes (a Youn’s Kitchen staple) and I tried a beef soup. Being interested in trying Korean food (and brave enough) is just one more thing Korean dramas/television/movies have inspired me to do.
One of my favorite episodes is when the staff from the Restaurante Arístides on the square comes to eat. Watching the professional chefs’ reaction to eating Korean food for the first time and trying to figure it out was interesting. The best part is the camaraderie between the staff of the two restaurants and how enjoyable the experience was for all of them.
Restaurante Arístides staff visits Youn’s Kitchen
By the second to the last episode which featured the closing of the restaurant, I was truly sad to see them go. I wasn’t the only one. It seemed the entire town of Garachico had embraced Youn’s Kitchen and the lovely Korean actors who were running it. It made me proud to see Seo-Jun, Seo-Jin, Yu-Mi, and Youn represent Korea and Korean people so lovingly and sincerely.
Youn’s Kitchen 2 is the calm I needed as I try to hold on during the coronavirus pandemic and 2020 general election in the U.S.
Which actor is in two other Korean reality shows?
Which actor is in Train to Busan?
Which actor has over 16 million followers on Instagram?
Released: January 2018, Episodes: 11
Cast: Youn Yuh-Jung (Ceo), Lee Seo-Jin (DIrector), Jung Yu-Mi (Cook), Park Seo-Joon (Part-timer)
**UPDATE 12/24/20: Youn has been getting quite a bit of attention for her role in the movie Minari. LA Film critics named her Best Supporting Actress for the role.
~Youn’s Stay: The Show You Didn’t Know You Needed ~
Season 3 of Youn’s Kitchen is titled Youn’s Stay and is set in a hanok (traditional Korean home) in the South Jeolla Province. The original cast members return including Park Seo-Jun with the addition of newcomer Choi Woo-Sik. The new season is set to begin airing on tvN in mid-January 2021.**
