Who is Hu Deok-juk from Culinary Class Wars season 2? Everything to know about the chef explored

Hu Deok-juk is a veteran Chinese cuisine chef appearing as a White Spoon contestant in Culinary Class Wars Season 2 on Netflix, which premieres on December 16.

He has over five decades of experience in professional kitchens and currently leads Haobin, a Chinese restaurant at the Ambassador Seoul Pullman Hotel in Jangchung-dong.

In 2024, Hu received the MICHELIN Mentor Chef Award, which highlights the contributions of chefs serving as mentors in the culinary industry.

Over his career, he trained under chefs in Korea and Japan, developed Cantonese cuisine techniques, and contributed to the growth of junior chefs, including Soogeun Choi, now director of the Korean Cooking Museum.

Meet Chef Hu Deok-juk of Culinary Class Wars Season 2

Role in Culinary Class Wars Season 2

Netflix revealed Hu Deok-juk as part of the White Spoon lineup in the main trailer for Culinary Class Wars Season 2.

He is introduced as a Chinese cuisine chef with 57 years of experience, competing alongside chefs from Korean, Western, French, and Buddhist temple cuisine backgrounds.

The White Spoon group includes chefs introduced by their professional backgrounds and competes under blind-tasting rules, where dishes are judged solely on flavor.

Season 2 introduces revised rules and returning masked contestants from the Black Spoon group, according to Netflix.

The program previously became the first Korean unscripted series to lead Netflix’s Global Top 10 Non-English TV list for three consecutive weeks, based on Netflix data.

Culinary career and early training

Hu​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ Deok-juk started working with food in the 1960s. His first cooking experience was at a hotel grill restaurant. After that, he went to learn Chinese cuisine at Yonggung, a Chinese restaurant at the former Bando Hotel in Seoul.

He became an unpaid worker in the kitchen at the age of 21 and only after he was promoted from his basic tasks, he started a formal apprenticeship training.

Later on, he went to Japan and there he trained in a Chinese restaurant but he didn't tell them that he was already experienced.

During that time, he picked up the basics with Chef Kwang, who was his mentor and came from mainland China. The mentor put great emphasis on Cantonese cuisine principles and kitchen discipline.

Three years later, Hu went back to Seoul in 1977 and he was at the Shilla Hotel when it collaborated with the Okura Hotel, thus, making his senior hotel kitchens ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌transition.

Leadership at Haobin and MICHELIN recognition

Hu Deok-juk has led Haobin, a Chinese restaurant at the Ambassador Seoul Pullman Hotel in Jangchung-dong, since 2022, which received one MICHELIN star in the year it was evaluated.

Haobin serves Chinese cuisine to hotel guests, visiting Chinese delegations, and the general public, according to the MICHELIN Guide Seoul & Busan.

On April 10, 2024, the MICHELIN Guide announced Hu as the recipient of the 2024 MICHELIN Mentor Chef Award.

The award recognizes chefs who contribute to the industry through mentorship and long-term professional influence.

The announcement was made during the MICHELIN Guide Seoul & Busan Ceremony, with remarks delivered by Blancpain Korea, the award sponsor.

Cooking philosophy and mentorship

Hu​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ employs mainly Cantonese methods in his cooking, such as steaming and using gentle heat, and his main focus is on the natural flavors of the ingredients.

Without the use of any kind of chemical seasonings, he makes the flavor more appetizing in his recipes by using dried seafood, mushrooms, and shellfish.

His method is in agreement with the idea that food and health come from the same source, which he mentioned in his MICHELIN Guide interview.

He also looks after the kitchen on a daily basis through the staff meetings before the service, tasting the dishes before the service, and checking the guest ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌comments.

He has trained numerous junior chefs, including Soogeun Choi, now director of the Korean Cooking Museum and a university professor.

Hu continues to work in the kitchen while focusing on passing technical knowledge and operational discipline to younger chefs, according to the MICHELIN Guide interview.

Stay tuned for more updates.