Kang's Kitchen Review

Show: Kang's Kitchen (강식당)

Screenwriter: Lee Woo-jung, Choi Jae-young

Director: Na Young-seok, Shin Hyo-jung

Cast:- Kang Ho-dong, Lee Soo-geun, Eun Ji-won, Ahn Jae-hyun, Cho Kyu-hyun (Kyuhyun), Song Min-ho (Mino), Pyo Ji-hoon (P.O)

About the Show:-

Kang’s Kitchen or 강식당 is a South Korean Variety Show. It is a spin-off of the variety show New Journey to the West. The members of New Journey to the West Season 4 run a restaurant in Jeju Island.

During Season 4 of New Journey to the West, the members succeeded in winning prizes like Lamborghini and Porsche by completing absurd and crazy missions set by the producers and the screenwriters. The crew added the prizes as a joke and thought it would be funny since the members would never be able to win them. The producers and the screenwriters soon realised that they underestimated their crazy cast. The crew is soon brought to their knees, begging the cast to strike a deal with them, rethink the situation and look for an exchange for their prizes. They give the members an opportunity to shoot their version of Youn’s Kitchen in exchange for the prizes. This is where the idea for Kang's Kitchen was born.

Kang Ho-dong, the head of Kang’s kitchen along with his team of 5 (later 7) take up the challenge of running a restaurant in Hallyum, Jeju Island. They are responsible for preparing everything from scratch. They learn how to cook every dish from Chef Baek Jong-won, they buy their own ingredients, cook and serve the food and also make sure to entertain the guests and also the viewers. The guests are selected through lottery. The first season consists of 5 members excluding Kyuhyun (who was enlisted in the military at that time) and P.O (who wasn’t a part of the show yet). The second and the third season continued with all seven members.

What I love about the show:-

Kang's Kitchen (강식당) is one of those shows that I came across when I needed humour and comedy the most in my life. Filled with some of the best comedians, singers, actors and staff of the Korean Entertainment Industry, this show is one of my favourite Korean variety shows. I cannot recollect the number of times I have watched the show. Even when I come across a random Kang's Kitchen video on the internet, no matter how many times I have watched it previously, I will re-watch it.

Created by the variety show King and legend himself Na PD (Na Young-seok PD), Kang's Kitchen is a genius product in my opinion.

Kang's Kitchen has had 3 seasons till now and every season is filled with amazing comedy, food, editing, cast and is a perfect watch for every Korean show lover and for anyone venturing into Korean variety shows. It's simple yet very appealing. The show also helped me with my Korean listening skills (a great practice session).

Cast and the Crew:-

Kang Ho-dong – The head of the show and the kitchen, the oldest member of the Kang's Kitchen family, former wrestler and now one of the biggest MC's of the Korean entertainment industry

Lee Soo-geun – Kang Ho-dong’s favourite dongsaeng and comedy legend

Eun Ji-won - the original crazy one/K-pop idol and entertainer

Ahn Jae-hyun - the second crazy one and actor and model

Kyuhyun - the pessimistic member and ballad singer/K-pop idol

Mino and P.O - the maknaes and slapstick comedy rookies/K-pop idols

Na Young-seok / Na PD - the maker of some the best Korean variety shows (he makes guest appearances in all his shows which I look forward to).

Some of my favourite moments of the show :-

1) The bickering between the older members (Kang Ho-dong, Lee Soo-geun and Eun Ji-won)

2) The readjustment of the screen with Shin Myohan and family whenever a fight is about to erupt

3) The camaraderie between the OB and the YB (the Old Boys team and the Young Boys team, that is the Hyungs and the Dongsaengs)

4) How Lee Soo-geun is the saviour for every problem and issue in the kitchen. He keeps taunting himself that he has not learnt how to cook one dish because of unavailability of free time and yet the kitchen only survives because of him. Kang's Kitchen would be doomed if not for the presence of Lee Soo-geun. Kang Ho-dong's right hand man and the best critic and biggest supporter of the dongsaengs, Lee Soo-geun is the MVP for me.

Lee Woo-jung, the writer for Kang's Kitchen, is one of my favourite South Korean Writers. She has written for beautiful variety shows like Youn's Kitchen (cooking) and Youth Over Flowers (travelling) and hilarious comedy variety shows like New Journey to the West. She has also worked as Screenwriter for my favourite dramas like Reply 1988 and Hospital Playlist.

Na Young-seok is a Variety Show King and a Comedy Show Genius. Fondly known as Na PD or NaNa, he has produced some of the best Variety shows of South Korea. My favourites are Youth Over Flowers : Africa, Kang's Kitchen, New Journey to the West, Youn's Kitchen and my recent favourite The Game Caterers.

If you are looking for a Korean show with some excellent comedy and are also into food videos, give Kang's Kitchen a watch.