Hou Deok-juk, a legendary chef in the Chinese cuisine world who is gaining popularity after appearing on the Netflix variety show "Culinary Class Wars: chef caste war season 2," credited his wife as the driving force behind his 57-year cooking career.
A teaser video for the Jan. 21 broadcast released on the official YouTube channel of tvN's variety show "You Quiz on the Block" on the 20th featured Hou Deok-juk's cooking life and the behind-the-scenes of appearing on "Culinary Class Wars 2."
To the question about "the driving force that led me for 57 years," Hou Deok-juk answered without hesitation, "My wife." He recalled, "When I met my wife, her family strongly opposed it," and "We decided to get married without our parents' permission."
In response to Hou Deok-juk's remark, "If you said you were a chef, they wouldn't even look at you," Yu Jae-seok said, "Looking at the wedding photos, there were no guests from your wife's side." The released wedding photos showed Hou Deok-juk entering the ceremony hall and the guest seats on his left side completely empty.
The broadcast also revealed his connection with the late Lee Byung-chul, the founding chairman of Samsung Group. When Yu Jae-seok asked, "I heard you went around looking for food because Chairman Lee Byung-chul's health was not good," Hou Deok-juk said, "There was medicinal cuisine at the time," and noted that he even went abroad to learn recipes directly for Lee.
He recalled, "I went to a restaurant as a customer, ate the food and took photos, and the owner told me to get out, saying, 'We won't sell to you,'" and "I waited outside the restaurant until 10 p.m., and when the head chef got off work, I told him, 'I came because I like your food,' and he told me what I was curious about and even made it for me himself."
He also shared his thoughts on appearing on "Culinary Class Wars 2." Hou Deok-juk said, "To be honest, it was a bit tough. It was to the point where I thought it might be better to be eliminated," and added, "At first I wanted to make it to the final, but after being eliminated in the top three, I was left with regret."
From 1977 to 2019, Hou Deok-juk worked at the Shilla Hotel's Palmsun, leaving a mark on Chinese cuisine. He handled the VIP banquet when Korea and China established diplomatic ties in 1992, and in 1994 became executive director of culinary operations at Hotel Shilla. In 2005, he earned the title of managing director, becoming the first in Korea's culinary industry to rise to an executive position at a major conglomerate.
He is currently serving as the executive chef of Hobin, the Chinese restaurant at Ambassador Seoul Pullman Hotel, which received one Michelin star for two consecutive years, 2024–2025.