[Sportschosun Lee Woo-joo] Lee Jin-hwan shared an update on his life in "Special Report World," revealing that he has become a successful omakase chef.
The MBN program "Special Report World," which aired on the 16th, featured an update on comedian Lee Jin-hwan.
Lee Jin-hwan, who made a name for himself with his deadpan comedy, has recently become a hot omakase chef on social networking service. The restaurant he runs is a high-end one-person omakase venue that blends Korean and Japanese cuisine.
Lee once drew attention after saying on a past broadcast, "My monthly sales are around 18 million to 20 million won."
Word of mouth among younger customers has already filled reservations for the next three months. Lee, who has worked as a chef for 15 years, serves guests fresh seafood sourced daily from across the country.
Lee said, "I work on my mother's dishes together with mine. Typical omakase restaurants do not serve things like aged kimchi, but I focus on Korean food, so my mother's dishes are mixed in here and there."
Lee debuted in 2000 as part of the 11th open recruitment class of comedians at Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC). He rose to popularity with his deadpan comedy and even secured a main corner despite being a rookie. Lee recalled, "I made a lot of money from late-night performances and commercials. It was money I could not have handled at 20 or 21. But because I went to the military late, deadpan comedy had already become a forgotten style."
After completing his military service, Lee supported himself by running a food business. His restaurant became a hit through word of mouth, but he said he also faced hardships. Lee said, "The kitchen is open, and customers would say, 'If a comedian falls from grace, this is the kind of small neighborhood business he ends up doing.' Customers can say things after drinking, but I heard it. I pulled myself together again and, at the time, just thought I should make money. I wanted to earn enough to live without asking anyone for help."
After teaching himself and building his skills, Lee opened an omakase restaurant and is now a well-known premium omakase chef in Gangnam. His parents farm on a 4,000-pyeong plot of land, and most of the ingredients used at his restaurant are organic crops grown in their own garden.
Lee said his ultimate goal is to cook dishes that others cannot easily make, and he is currently preparing for the highest-level certification in blowfish cuisine, the master craftsman qualification. He added, "I want to keep running my restaurant for a long time."
wjjlee@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
