17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Meet Culinary Class Wars' Comic Book Chef, self-taught cook and Netflix star
The story of chef Cho Kwang-hyo is a testament to life's unpredictable twists.
A decade ago, he was a bicycle designer in South Korea with no culinary training or particular interest in food.
Today, he is widely known as the Comic Book Chef from Netflix's cooking survival show
Culinary Class Wars – in which he stood out as a self-taught chef against Korea's most acclaimed culinary legends.
In early July, the chef, who runs two Sichuan restaurants in Seoul, was in Hong Kong for a four-hands collaboration with Kyle Lee, executive chef of Honjokko in the city's Quarry Bay neighbourhood.
Kyle Lee (left) and Cho Kwang-hyo prepare food during their four-hands collaboration at Honjokko. Photo: Jelly Tse
The pair's menu blended Korean, Japanese and Chinese influences paired with
soju
makgeolli and champagne. It also featured Cho's signature Dongpo pork and mapo tofu, which were both spotlighted on Culinary Class Wars. The menu will be available at the restaurant until August 3.
Cho admits he is as surprised by his journey as anyone. He recalls lying on his bed watching YouTube when he saw the advertisement that changed his life.
