Ahn Hyo Seop is taking on a new challenge as a chef for the first time in JTBC’s upcoming drama Final Table.
Set to premiere on October 24, Final Table combines a scripted drama with the tension of a cooking survival competition. The story centers on The Table: K-Chef 2026, a competition where Korean chefs from around the world compete to become the country’s top chef.
Ahn Hyo Seop plays Kang Han, a talented chef who has worked at restaurants in different countries and experienced a wide range of cuisines.
Known for his confident and free-spirited personality, Kang Han unexpectedly becomes involved with a struggling restaurant called Familia and eventually enters the cooking competition as its head chef.
The role marks a noticeable transformation for Ahn Hyo Seop, who became widely known for playing doctor Seo Woo Jin in Dr. Romantic 2. The SBS drama ended with a nationwide rating of 27.1%, helping establish him as a leading actor.
In Final Table, viewers will instead see him working in a competitive kitchen where chefs must complete different challenges under pressure. In a teaser, Kang Han confidently declares, “If not me, then who can do it?”
Hong Hwa Yeon stars opposite him as Choi Song Yi, the manager of Familia who joins the competition while trying to restore her chef father’s reputation. Despite having little kitchen experience, she begins training under Kang Han and gradually develops her cooking skills.
Jang Ryul and Jung Eugene also join the cast as characters connected to the competition, adding different ambitions and conflicts to the survival setting.
Each round is expected to feature new cooking missions covering Korean, Chinese, Japanese, and Western cuisine while also exploring the personal stories of the participating chefs.
Final Table premieres October 24 at 10:40 p.m. KST on JTBC and is also scheduled to be released globally through Prime Video.
