[OSEN=Choi Kyu-han] Actor Ahn Hyo-seop poses during the production presentation for the JTBC weekend drama ‘Final Table’ held at The Link Seoul in Sindorim-dong on the afternoon of October 22.
Actor Ahn Hyo-seop, taking on a chef role for the first time in the new JTBC drama Final Table, revealed that he drew inspiration from the hit show ‘Culinary Class Wars’.
On the afternoon of the 22nd, a production presentation for the new JTBC Saturday-Sunday drama ‘Final Table’ (written and directed by Kim Do-hoon) was held at The Link Hotel Seoul in Sindorim-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul. During the event, Ahn shared his thoughts on playing a chef for the first time and discussed the preparation process.
Regarding his character, Ahn explained, ‘He is a chef with a natural, genius talent for cooking. Because his personal history is completely veiled, he is a figure whose past life is not clearly visible. When he stops by Korea, he visits a restaurant called Familia, which holds memories of his father, and ends up participating in a cooking competition alongside Familia.’
To prepare for his role as a professional chef, Ahn practiced various techniques, including knife skills. He shared, ‘Since he is a professional, I thought there should be no flaws. I worked hard for a short period to seamlessly demonstrate various techniques such as knife skills, wok skills, and plating, though I always felt bad about wasting vegetables.’
He added, ‘There were many great reference points, such as the famous ‘Culinary Class Wars’ and ‘MasterChef’, so I tried to study their expressions and gestures. The most impressive thing was their composure.’
Additionally, Chang Ryul, who plays star chef Cha Woo-jin, stated, ‘Before filming started, I took cooking classes for two hours every morning for one to two months. A consulting chef taught us daily, covering basic knife and wok skills. I realized that handling tools in a short time is extremely difficult. Wanting to have the basics firmly in place before shooting, I practiced cutting onions and carrots a lot.’
Comparing his character with his rival played by Chang Ryul, Ahn remarked, ‘Cha Woo-jin has a very detailed and meticulously precise cooking style. Kang Han seems to put a lot of meaning into his cooking, infusing it with genuine sincerity, and the director filmed it so beautifully that that dedication really shows.’ He also asked viewers for their anticipation.
‘Final Table’ is scheduled to premiere on the 24th at 10:40 PM.
