"I will resolve the 'han' I couldn't overcome on Culinary Class Wars 2 here today."
At 12 p.m. on the 15th at the Hanssem flagship Nonhyeon in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Chef Lee Mun-jung said this before the full-on showdown at the现场 of "Culinary Class Wars RE:MATCH (Rematch)." Lee appeared on the Netflix variety show "Culinary Class Wars: Cooking Class War Season 2 (hereafter Culinary Class Wars 2)" as a Black Spoon chef under the name "Chinese Cuisine Witch."
Lee's opponent was Chef Jung ho-young (Japanese cuisine), a White Spoon chef who appeared on Culinary Class Wars 2. The two chefs held a 30-minute cooking battle in the black-and-white island kitchen space prepared by Hanssem that day. Lee prepared ▲ mala squid cold appetizer ▲ Yeongdeok live king crab soup ▲ sweet shrimp shumai, while Jung presented ▲ chawanmushi (Japanese steamed egg custard) topped with monkfish liver ▲ king crab terrine ▲ futomaki.
After the tasting, influencers and regular customers invited to the现场 voted for the dish they liked best. The result was decided by just one vote. The win went to Lee that day.
Another protagonist of this rematch was the "kitchen space." The kitchen where the battle unfolded was a Hanssem product designed for actual cooking, with the island width set at 2,700 mm to accommodate wide movement lines. It also featured an integrated induction cooktop that minimized visual obstructions. Jung said, "The flow from cooking to plating connects naturally," adding, "Not only professional chefs but also general consumers who enjoy cooking are likely to be highly satisfied."
After the event, questions continued about how the extra-large pantry and island kitchen used in the semifinals and finals of Culinary Class Wars 2 were designed. So Mi-hyun, deputy general manager of product marketing at Hanssem, said, "We didn't make them separately just because they were filming sets. Basically, the products on sale were installed as-is," adding, "Only some spaces were separately designed to fit the program concept." The island kitchen also used Hanssem's Euro 900 series, which is actually on sale, Lee explained.
So said, "We revised the layout several times so that even if the chefs moved quickly, they wouldn't collide," and "We were especially asked for a much longer size than a home island, so we reinforced the structure to support the countertop."
On the sales impact after the broadcast, Lee said, "It's hard to say direct inquiries have surged, but interest in the products has clearly grown." Sales of Hanssem's premium line increased about 80% year over year as of December last year.
Hanssem's Euro series is a flagship product that reflects consumers' individual needs and daily lives. Every element, including layout, color, and material, can be freely designed to fit the user's everyday life.
A Hanssem official said, "The key to this collaboration with Culinary Class Wars 2 is to highlight the strengths of customized kitchen spaces tailored to preferences, home layouts, and environments not only for professional chefs but also for general consumers," adding, "We will introduce various programs so consumers can experience the philosophy and product competitiveness of Hanssem's kitchen spaces."