Ahn Hyo Seop reveals he studied 'Culinary Class Wars' to prepare for his genius chef role in 'Final Table'

Actor Ahn Hyo Seop has revealed that he turned to popular cooking competition shows, including Netflix's Culinary Class Wars, to prepare for his role as a genius chef in JTBC's upcoming drama Final Table.

During the drama's press conference held in Seoul on October 22, Ahn Hyo Seop shared how he prepared to play a professional chef for the first time and why watching real cooking competitions helped him understand the role.

Final Table is a new JTBC weekend drama centered on The Table: K Chef 2026, a fictional cooking competition that brings together Korean chefs from around the world to compete for the title of best Korean chef.

Ahn Hyo Seop plays Kang Han, a naturally gifted chef with an extraordinary talent for cooking and a mysterious past.

Describing his character, the actor explained, "He's a chef with a natural talent for cooking, someone who has a genius side to him. His personal history is completely hidden, so it's difficult to know what kind of life he's lived."

He added that Kang Han eventually visits a restaurant called Familia, which holds memories of his father, and becomes involved in a cooking competition alongside the restaurant.

Since this was his first time playing a chef, Ahn Hyo Seop wanted to make sure his cooking scenes looked convincing.

He explained, "Because I'm playing a professional, I thought there shouldn't be any obvious weaknesses. I worked hard to prepare in the short time I had so I could properly show skills like knife work, wok cooking, and plating."

The actor also shared a small challenge he experienced while practicing, saying, "I always felt bad about throwing away the vegetables."

One of the most interesting parts of his preparation was studying how real chefs behave under pressure.

Ahn Hyo Seop revealed that he watched popular cooking shows such as Culinary Class Wars and MasterChef to observe the expressions, movements, and techniques of experienced chefs.

He said, "There were many great references, including the famous Culinary Class Wars and MasterChef, so I tried to study the chefs' facial expressions and gestures. What impressed me the most was how calm they were."

His comments highlighted how important it was for him to portray not only a chef's cooking abilities but also the confidence and composure needed in a competitive kitchen.

Meanwhile, actor Jang Ryul, who plays rival star chef Cha Woo Jin, also discussed his preparation for the drama.

Jang Ryul revealed that he attended cooking lessons for approximately one to two months before filming, spending two hours every morning learning from a professional chef who served as an adviser.

He practiced basic knife techniques, wok cooking, and preparing vegetables to become more comfortable handling kitchen equipment.

Ahn Hyo Seop also explained how his character's cooking style differs from that of Jang Ryul's character.

According to the actor, Cha Woo Jin approaches cooking with careful precision and attention to detail, while Kang Han places more personal meaning and emotion into his dishes.

With both actors undergoing cooking training and Ahn Hyo Seop drawing inspiration from real competition shows, Final Table aims to bring a convincing look at professional cooking to the screen.

JTBC's Final Table is scheduled to premiere on October 24, 2026, at 10:40 PM KST.