The Netflix cooking survival show Culinary Class Wars winner Kwon Sung-joon got candid about everything from the secret behind his success to his go-to strategy for landing ads.
On the January 22 episode of KBS2 variety show Problem Child in House, Kwon appeared alongside Chef Jung Ho-young, who finished in the Top 4 on Culinary Class Wars Season 2.
Smiling with confidence, Kwon said, "I was the first among chefs to shoot a hamburger commercial. Last year alone, around six million were sold," proudly adding the achievement. When a comparison to runner-up Edward Lee came up, he joked, "It was almost double," sending the studio into laughter.
Kwon's post-show ad lineup is stacked. "Burgers, fried chicken, pizza, coffee, alcohol, pet products, even sodas—if it's something you eat or drink, I've pretty much done it," he said, proving he's the chef of the moment. Hearing this, Jung Ho-young admitted, "I wish even one of those would come my way."
Kwon also revealed the outreach formula he figured out himself for ad bookings. "When you've got momentum, casually drop on social media that you like a certain brand, and they'll reach out," he explained, stressing, "Timing is everything." Jung quipped, "Come to think of it, I mentioned an L-brand yesterday—does that mean I can look forward to a call, too?"
Riding high on TV and at his restaurant, Kwon still keeps operations intimate—just six guests a day. Even though reservations crash the server every time they open, Kwon said, "I wanted to fully meet the expectations of everyone who comes in," explaining his reasoning.
In a recent interview, Kwon personally confirmed he purchased a five-story building in Seoul's Sindang-dong and is preparing a new restaurant. "We plan to use the first and second floors as dining rooms and take the concept a notch closer to fine dining than before," he said, aiming for an official opening in May.
At the end, Kwon added, "Right before I went on TV, I was seriously wondering if I should keep running the restaurant because the F&B industry was in a slump. Then I got the offer to join the show, and my life changed."