*This content was translated by AI.
It's an indomitable 'iron arm'. Chef Park Joo-sung (28), a cast member of "Black and White Chef 2", resonated with the public by eagerly working on his main job after overcoming an incurable disease.
Global OTT Netflix's "Black and White Chef: The War of Cooking Classes 2" (hereinafter referred to as "Black and White Chef 2") made its debut last month and successfully ended with Chef Choi Kang-rok, the final winner, on the 13th of this month.
This season, 100 strong players, regardless of the black spoon and white spoon teams, challenged. Among them, there is a participant who gave a great scene from the beginning of season 2 by showing the game with extraordinary determination and spirit. It's Chef Park Joo-sung of Cast Iron Arm. Although Chef Park was unfortunately eliminated, she advanced to the second round with praise from judge Ahn Sung-jae, and played a head-to-head match in a 1-1 black-and-white match with Chef Choi Kang-rok, who was considered a strong favorite early on, imprinting three letters of her name on viewers.
Above all, chef Park Joo-sung showed outstanding skills despite being diagnosed with benign focal muscular dystrophy in his right hand, making him an example for many. The scene where he held a heavy knife, kneaded and polished buckwheat noodles were presented stimulated even by the touching emotion and increased the immersion of "Black and White Chef 2."
Chef Park Joo-sung is a disciple of Chef Jang Ho-joon, who shines in the top five of "Black and White Cooks 1." After working under Chef Jang for about seven years, he opened buckwheat omakase restaurant Sobaju in 2024. Less than a year after its opening, Sobage was selected as the 'Michelin Guide 2025 Selected Restaurant'.
Star News recently visited Sobaju in Mapo-gu, Seoul, and listened to chef Park Joo-sung's challenge to "Black and White Cook 2" and related thoughts.
First of all, when asked about his recent status after appearing on "Black and White Chef 2", Chef Park said, "There is nothing to do with the current situation. We have eight reservation guests together every day," he said in a casual manner.
Will you feel the popularity of "Black and White Cook 2". Chef Park said, "When the broadcast was aired and the reservation window was first opened, 7 to 8,000 people gathered. It was a number I had never seen before," he was surprised.
When asked about the reason for supporting "Black and White Chef 2", he said, "In fact, while working as a chef, I was cursed a lot because of my hands and had a lot of difficulties. That's why I wanted to challenge myself with a feeling of proof that I can do well even if my hands are not good."
In the end, chef Park Joo-sung, who was recognized for his true value by leading the praise of senior chef Ahn Sung-jae, saying, "It's perfect." He said, "In fact, when I was being judged at the time, I didn't even know Chef Ahn was complimenting me because I was overwhelmed and puzzled. I also found out after watching the broadcast at home. I don't have a big reaction, but I was so moved that I cried. I felt recognized," he said.
What was the reason for pointing out Chef Choi Kang-rok, who has already won a cooking survival once, as a one-on-one opponent.
Chef Park Joo-sung said, "I've always been a fan of Chef Choi Kang-rok. I felt a sense of homogeneity because the character was attractive and he was a person who did the same eclipse. I thought he was very good at cooking, so I thought if he was going to get in, he should get in with the most talented person. I didn't think I'd have another chance like this. So I wasn't worried about falling or anything. As soon as I was judged by Chef Choi Kang-rok, I immediately felt "Oh, I fell." As a result, I was eliminated against the winner, so I have no regrets."
However, as many viewers cheered for Chef Park Joo-sung, they received a lot of DMs (direct messages) asking why they chose Choi Kang-rok. There were many people who were disappointed," he said, referring to the unexpected hardships.
Chef Park Joo-sung learned a lot from "Black and White Cook 2" He said, "All the chefs who participated with me are amazing seniors in the industry, so I was inspired a lot by 'That's how they do it' when I met them in person. I learned the attitude of cooking and everything was learning, experience, and good memories. I also learned a lot about the hard work of the broadcasters. I also think it's a good program to prove myself as a chef," he pointed out.
Looking back on the hard times. Chef Park Joo-sung said, "There were a lot of difficulties while working, so there was a stagnation period. At this time, I thought a lot about what I could do other than cooking the same as others, but my mother and family came to mind. I have a great affection for my family, so I opened a restaurant specializing in buckwheat that is meaningful to my family. It was a time when I had a hard time mentally, so I opened a soba juice to open a store for the last time. He confessed, "I opened it with the heart of 'die or being dark'."
Why didn't they give up even though they were suffering from abusive language that was hard to say in the kitchen in the past. Chef Park Joo-sung said, "I cried a lot, but I was embarrassed to quit. And above all, I was very attracted to the dish itself and I had a sense of joy," he said, expressing keen enthusiasm.
In particular, chef Park Joo-sung said, "Everything was a challenge for me. It wasn't easy to use a knife at all. Basically, it was hard to cut it. I always had to get the hang of whatever I did. There were people who asked if I was disabled even in finding my own thing, and even though I was criticized a lot, I went to work earlier than others to get recognized, so I left work the latest and practiced at home. I think so. "There's nothing you can't do." If you really like it, and if you want to do it unconditionally, even if you are slow, if you do it slowly and steadily as much as you can, you will get good results unconditionally. I don't know if the symptoms in my right hand have stopped or if it will get worse. I don't know how long I can cook, but my goal is to do my best to welcome customers every day," he said.
Finally, he said, "I want to say thank you so much to those who supported me. Buckwheat is meaningful to my mother, so I think I should make it a career and work harder. I can't waste my time. I'll be more humble," he said.
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*This content was translated by AI.
