Michelin-starred Labyrinth's LG Han becomes first Singapore chef on South Korea reality show ‘Chef & My Fridge' (VIDEO)
For the first time ever, the hit reality cooking show Chef & My Fridge featured a Singaporean chef — none other than LG Han of Michelin-starred Restaurant Labyrinth — in a special '50 Best' episode aired on May 11.
The concept? Chefs must whip up a dish using ingredients found in a celebrity's fridge.
Representing 'Team Asia' alongside Japan's Yusuke Takada (La Cime) and Hong Kong's Antimo Maria Merone (Estro), Han faced off against 'Team Korea', which included seasoned TV personalities Son Jeong-won, Kwong Seong-jun (aka Napoli Mafia), and Choi Hyun-seok — Han's chosen rival and longtime friend.
'He's the chef who has been on the show the longest and has the highest win rate,' Han said of Choi in an interview with Channel News Asia (CNA).
'When they asked me, 'Can you win against Choi? Why did you pick the oldest chef?' I said, 'He's a legend, and I would love to try to defeat the legend.''
The fridge he raided belonged to none other than Kim Jae-joong, former member of K-pop juggernaut TVXQ.
'My fridge had a lot of Korean ingredients: ssamjang, perilla leaves, gochujang, squid,' Han shared. 'Kim Jae-joong likes really spicy food, like, make you sweat kind of spicy.'
The episode also revolved around the K-pop star's new makgeolli brand.
'So, we had to create a dish suited for makgeolli,' Han explained.
Han's answer? A bold, Singapore-meets-Seoul take on chilli crab — reimagined with Korean pantry staples.
He swapped mantou for grilled rice cakes boiled in makgeolli, added heat with Korean 'death sauce', and used ssamjang in place of garlic and shallots. He also made a side of julienned pear wrapped in kimchi.
'I've been to South Korea quite often and tasted ssamjang, so I kind of knew it should work... but I'd never put those things together, so it was really just pure instinct,' he was quoted as saying.
'Towards the end, my hands were shaking because I was running out of time.'
Though known for his innovative approach at Labyrinth, Han opted for something traditional. 'I didn't want to do a modern, Labyrinth-style dish... I wanted to do something that could showcase Singapore's traditional foods to the world.'
Shooting took 13 hours, and language proved another hurdle. 'I had an earpiece with 'live' translation,' he said.
Asked what he took away from the experience, Han quipped, 'That I still have it in me to cook a delicious Singaporean dish in 15 minutes.'
Han and Choi will reunite in Singapore for a two-night collab at Labyrinth on July 13 and 14, serving their Chef & My Fridge creations and other dishes, paired with makgeolli. Watch Labyrinth's socials for booking updates.
The episode drops on Netflix on June 20.
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