'The Korean Chef' Premieres 'Culinary Class Wars 2' Lee Ha-sung's New York Journey Revealed

As Part 1 of SBS’s "The Korean Chef" sparks a documentary buzz by hitting No. 3 in Netflix’s Today’s Top 10 in South Korea (Series), Part 2 will, for the first time, unveil chef Lee Ha-sung―nicknamed the “Cooking Monster” on Netflix’s "Culinary Class Wars 2"―and his high-stakes push into New York.

Airing on the 19th, "The Korean Chef" Part 2, titled “Crossing Boundaries,” follows Korean owner-chefs battling to survive in New York, one of the world’s toughest dining arenas. Beyond the glow of the K-cuisine boom, the episode captures their unfiltered choices, doubts, and moments of conflict as they fight to stay in the game.

This episode spotlights ATOMIX in New York, which ranked No. 1 on a 2025 list evaluating the best restaurants in North America, and its co-CEOs Park Jung-hyun and Park Jung-eun. Eight years after opening, the restaurant still triggers a “reservation war” every time bookings go live. Rather than simply expanding Korean cuisine, they’ve designed every element―ingredients, plating, service, space, even the reservation system―into one seamless experience, drawing global culinary attention. The show explores the strategy behind turning “Korean fine dining” into a competitive brand in New York.

Meanwhile, chef Shin Chang-ho―owner of the Seoul restaurant Joo Ok, which held two Michelin stars―left behind his hard-won 2024 success and moved to New York. With a proven track record, he chose not to “maintain,” but to “re-challenge.” New city, new language, new system, new guests―he started from scratch. He put his name on the line again, dived back into the competition, and, just 1 year and 2 months after opening in New York, earned two Michelin stars―proving his choice was right. The episode traces the day-to-day that powered such a rapid rise.

The broadcast also offers the first on-site look at chef Lee Ha-sung―who left a bold impression as the “Cooking Monster” on Netflix’s "Culinary Class Wars 2"―as he prepares to open his first namesake restaurant in New York. In fine dining, success isn’t decided only in the kitchen. Construction timelines, staffing, costs and contracts, building an operations system―the road to opening becomes another test for any chef. Through Lee’s step-by-step process of launching his debut spot, Part 2 of "The Korean Chef" captures the exact moment a dream turns into reality.

SBS’s "The Korean Chef" Part 2, “Crossing Boundaries,” which chronicles chefs who put everything on the line to survive in New York’s cutthroat market, airs Thursday the 19th at 9 p.m.

(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)