Korea’s representative star chefs are stripping away their titles to return as the youngest staff members in overseas kitchens. tvN’s new variety show ‘Undercover Chef’ is building huge anticipation ahead of its first broadcast on the 21st. Moving beyond a simple cooking show, it promises unique fun by capturing the survival stories of chefs who have secretly taken jobs at actual restaurants abroad. The premise of top-tier chefs like Sam Kim, Jung Ji-sun, and Kwon Sung-jun hiding their names and careers to dive into unfamiliar environments has already become a hot topic. In particular, the production team has kept their intervention to a minimum to capture the scenes as they are, promising a level of realism different from existing cooking shows. Instead of the glamorous image of star chefs, the process of starting again from the very bottom is expected to provide viewers with a fresh sense of immersion.
Star chefs who were once at the top have fallen to the bottom as overseas kitchen rookies.
The biggest highlight of ‘Undercover Chef’ is seeing chefs who were at the peak of their careers become the “maknae” (youngest/lowest rank) overnight. The process of owner-chefs, who once led dozens of employees, starting over with basic tasks under fake names is bound to spark strong curiosity.
First-generation star chef Sam Kim infiltrates a Michelin restaurant in Parma, Italy, under the name ‘Heetae’. Becoming a rookie again after 27 years, he faces the harsh reality of the kitchen, starting with cracking raw eggs and prepping ingredients. Chinese cuisine master Chef Jung Ji-sun transforms into ‘Sunny’, a cooking novice and former boxer, learning how to slice chili peppers in a massive banquet hall kitchen in Chengdu, China. Meanwhile, Chef Kwon Sung-jun is deployed to a traditional restaurant in Naples under the alias ‘Sam Kwon’, a former baseball player, where he is tasked with the labor of peeling 130 potatoes a day.
Seeing chefs who usually show a charismatic side on TV make mistakes, get scolded, and break a sweat creates a different kind of laughter. The reality of having to read the room and follow orders, after being in a position to lead guests, is inevitably unfamiliar to the chefs. However, that very process leads to the core fun of the program. Seeing chefs set aside their glamorous careers to become learners again provides realistic empathy beyond simple entertainment. Viewers who have experienced professional life will naturally relate to the struggles and tension of being the rookie.
“Please give me a script”… A 100% real undercover survival story.
Another reason this program is drawing attention is its thorough commitment to reality. The filming proceeds without the restaurant owners or local staff even knowing about the show’s existence. The chefs must live and work like actual employees and succeed in hidden missions without revealing their identities.
The tension rises as the production team deployed the chefs into the field without any separate help. Chef Kwon Sung-jun prepared so meticulously that he even created a fake social media account to avoid being discovered. However, it is reported that the chefs were flustered by an environment far harsher than expected upon arrival. The scene was so realistic that reactions like “Please give me a script” poured out.
The struggle to survive in overseas kitchens with different languages and cultures provides a vivid sense of presence not seen in previous cooking variety shows. A key point of differentiation is that the show captures raw situations rather than using flashy editing. Every expression and small mistake of the chefs is revealed, which is expected to increase viewer immersion. Additionally, the mission to gain the trust of locals and complete a new menu within a limited time doubles the tension. It will be exciting to see if the Korean chefs can survive among the kitchen masters of various countries.
Beyond a cooking show, it captures a story of human growth.
‘Undercover Chef’ plans to go beyond the process of making food to include a heartwarming growth narrative. The process of gradually getting closer to and understanding the local crews in an unfamiliar environment is cited as another element of fun.
In the Italian restaurant where Sam Kim infiltrated, a sharp-tongued owner creates tension by monitoring every move of the rookie. In the Chinese banquet hall kitchen where Chef Jung Ji-sun entered, an 82-year-old owner with 68 years of experience appears, showing an overwhelming presence. Chef Kwon Sung-jun also goes through a difficult adjustment period under close surveillance at a traditional restaurant passed down through three generations. However, as time passes, the chefs begin to win over the locals with their characteristic skills and sincerity. The process of becoming familiar with a space that was initially awkward and coordinating with colleagues evokes touching emotions. The special charm of this program is that it shows the process of people connecting through cooking, rather than simple competition or provocative missions.
tvN’s ‘Undercover Chef’, which combines laughter, tension, cooking, and a growth narrative, will premiere on the 21st at 8:40 PM.
