On 'Problem Child in House', the "trend-setting chef" Jung Ho-young and Kwon Seong-jun burst out with appetizing banter as much as their cooking, perfectly capturing viewers' tastes.
On the 22nd, the 299th episode of KBS2 variety show 'Problem Child in House season 2' (hereinafter 'Problem Child') invited Jung Ho-young, the popular star of the 'Culinary Class Wars' series known as the "White Spoon chef of season 2," and Kwon Seong-jun (Napoli Maffia), the "season 1 champion chef," who faced off in a dopamine-filled quiz war over outlandish questions with Song Eun I, Kim Sook, Kim Jong Kook, Hong Jin Kyung, Yang Se-chan and Joo Woo-jae. At the same time, 'Problem Child' recorded a nationwide rating of 3.4% amid a rising trend, solidifying its title as the No. 1 variety show in its time slot. (Nielsen Korea provided)
Jung Ho-young and Kwon Seong-jun, the first chef guests in 'Problem Child' history, showed sharp variety show wit from the start. In particular, Jung Ho-young drew attention by expressing jealousy over Jung Ji-seon, who rose to fame as the 'queen of pass' through 'Culinary Class Wars' season 1. Jung Ho-young said, "At the 'KBS Entertainment Awards' Jung Ji-seon won the popularity award and it really hurt," complaining that the 'Culinary Class Wars' cost him the 'Chef Jung' title, which cracked up the audience. He also revealed behind-the-scenes stories about appearing in season 2, saying, "I was invited during season 1 but declined because I felt pressure. But when the show did so well it made me jealous. So when I heard about season 2, I subtly greeted the writer first," showing his 'professional jealousy' and making people laugh.
Kwon Seong-jun provided laughs as a "professional rival." Despite being the season 1 champion, he showed competitiveness toward runner-up Edward Lee. When Kim Jong Kook said, "I thought the champion until now was Edward Lee," Kwon Seong-jun, whose hot button was touched, bristled for a moment then said, "People comfort me by saying 'you also did well in first place,'" drawing laughter. He added, "Right now I'm keeping an eye on chef Son Jong-won," saying, "Know your enemy and know yourself. I know everything about not only season 1 but also the season 2 chefs," expressing pride. Meanwhile, Kwon Seong-jun coldly evaluated Jung Ho-young, saying, "He's not the kind of character who can win," and Jung Ho-young countered with the class of a 'broadcast-savvy' person, saying, "Still, I have the most screen time in season 2. If I don't speak, the show can't capture me," adding to the laughter.
That day, interesting quizzes again stimulated viewers' appetites. Questions included "Anh Sung-jae's remark that blew away the production team's worries about recruiting judges for 'Culinary Class Wars'," "a vocational school in Sinan County to produce the 81 certified experts nationwide," and "the first task the oldest three-star Ono Jiro made apprentice cooks do," among others, and Jung Ho-young, with no desire to get the answers right, was single-mindedly intent on being funny, causing bursts of laughter.
Guests' quiz-related episodes also heightened interest, as Kwon Seong-jun made the MCs shake their heads with his meticulous(?) 'Culinary Class Wars' preparation story. Kwon Seong-jun revealed, "Before participating, I studied the two judges' hometowns, soul foods, birthdays and upbringing. Choosing chef Fabri in a one-on-one match was part of a big plan to make sure I appeared on the show." When Yang Se-chan asked, "When making 'night tiramisu' didn't you sit in front of the fridge and eat chocolate—was that a strategy?" Kwon Seong-jun confessed, "I aimed for that a bit," and Joo Woo-jae reflected, "This is how we should do shows," while Hong Jin Kyung admired, "If Mr. Maffia hadn't been a chef, he probably would have been a PD." Also, Kwon Seong-jun said, "I'd be disappointed if they don't call me for season 3," adding, "I want to face the season 2 champion (Choi Kang-rok)," and even Song Eun I, the program's Midas touch, gave a thumbs up saying, "Wow, you're picking good broadcast moments."
Meanwhile, Jung Ho-young and Kwon Seong-jun, who kept audiences laughing with nonstop variety skills, showed serious looks when it came to cooking. Jung Ho-young said, "I used to shape tissue into rice-grain shapes and carry it in my hand to make sushi well," and recalled studying abroad at the Tsuji school, one of the world's three top culinary schools, saying, "On weekends I worked unpaid fish-preparation part-time jobs. The junior who introduced me to a shop when I graduated was Choi Kang-rok," heightening interest with an unexpected connection. He also boasted of his grit, saying, "When I first got a job at a Japanese restaurant, I gained weight and couldn't crouch to prepare fish, so I was told 'why are you so bad at this job.' I lost 25kg in three months and received praise like 'why are you so good at this job now.'" Kwon Seong-jun also shared his unique feelings, saying, "At a two-star Michelin restaurant in Italy I worked unpaid for 100 hours a week. I lost 8kg in a month. Newcomers start with desserts. At the time I hated desserts so much, but that led to 'night tiramisu.'"
Problem Child in House, where dopamine-exploding chatter and quiz wars unfold on the rooftop room, airs every Thursday at 8:30 p.m. on KBS2.
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