Okay, technically not a movie but it’s a Netflix show, so I decided to classify it under a Movie Review haha

—- Since I know Japanese, I used to thjnk that any time consuming Korean media was a distraction from watching Japanese shows to level up in Japanese.

Since Physical 100, Netflix has managed to sweep aside my affiliation for Japanese media - deeply etched in my neural pathways - as if my love for Japanese shows never happened. It has gotten me hooked, line and sinker. I watched The Devil’s Plan. I watched The Influencer. Heck, I even watched Single’s Inferno.

In this case, upon realising that Culinary Class Wars is a Korean reality TV show, I promptly dropped Extremely Inappropriate and The Uglies from my TV diet and focused exclusively on it. It’s such compelling TV.

South Korea is a class-conscious and proud society, and it’s so fun to watch the 20 more established White Spoons looking down at their 80 lesser cousins. Snide comments might or might not have been uttered. The Black Spoons, having their pride assaulted, promise to seek “revenge”. Just like that, the production crew effortlessly created an emotion-resonating narrative. Will the underdogs survive to take down the gurus?

Bitchy but not toxic. Just the way Sensei likes it!

The tension among the contestants doesn’t take away from the show’s main ingredient: food. My wife will be the first to tell you that I don’t care very much about taste and that I eat to live. Nonetheless, it’s fun to watch all these different cuisines being featured, all these culinary techniques being wielded.

A lunch lady who has been cooking school lunches for picky elementary kids was advanced to the next round, as were chefs who had worked in Michelin 3-starred restaurants. The lesson strikes as powerfully (but more pleasantly) as an electric eel shock. There is no shame in doing what you do. As long as you do your job with love and pride, you are as worthy as all the shining stars. Am I projecting myself on this meek-but-must-be-super-determined lunch lady? Your guess is as good as mine.

Another layer of fun is unravelled when each Black Spoon competes directly against one White Spoon. Both contestants are given the same ingredient - and it’s life-affirming when all these seasoned veterans come up with innovative ways to breathe life into traditional Korean ingredients. Through this process, they shatter myths. Some part of beef (told you I’m not into food haha) cannot be used for broths. But no matter. The veteran lady chef used other ingredients that would bring out the juiciness of the beef and served beef-and-vegetable rolls to the judges.

I’m inspired because I get to see consummate professionals creating something original, showcasing to the world the unique Value for Value only they can wield. If that isn’t motivating enough for me to step up my game, I don’t know what is!