Choi Hyun-seok

Choi Hyun-seok
Choi in 2015
Born (1972-07-06) July 6, 1972
Seoul, South Korea
Culinary career
Cooking styleKorean-European fusion
Current restaurant(s)
  • Choi
    Central Reducer
Korean name
Hangul
최현석
Hanja
崔鉉碩
RRChoe Hyeonseok
MRCh'oe Hyŏnsŏk

Choi Hyun-seok (Korean최현석; born July 6, 1972)[1] is a South Korean chef and television personality.[2] He gained mainstream recognition for his appearances on the variety show Please Take Care of My Refrigerator, from which he became known for his flamboyant stage presence.[3]

Career

He worked in Seoul in the Italian restaurant La Cucina before becoming the head chef at Elbon the Table, which has two branches in Seoul and one in Goyang.[4]

He is currently the head chef at Choi, a Korean-European fusion restaurant in Seoul.[5] In 2020, he opened his new restaurant Central Reducer (중앙감속기).[6]

In 2024, he appeared on the competitive cooking show Culinary Class Wars and made it to the final eight contestants.[7]

On March 23rd and 24th, 2025, Chef Choi Hyun-suk, joined Seoul Gourmet Pop-up at Solbit Island in Banpo. It was hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government to celebrate the second consecutive year of hosting Asia's 50 Best Restaurants. Choi, along with other star chefs, presented signature dishes paired with traditional liquor cocktails.[8]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
2010 The Table by Choi Hyun-seok Cast
2011 Olive Cooking Time Cast
Chef Choi Hyun-seok's Crazy Time Season 1
Chef Choi Hyun-seok's Crazy Time Season 2
2014 Olive Show Cast Season 2014
Korean Food Battle 2 Judges
2015 Wednesday Gourmet Club Advisory Board
Olive Show Cast Season 2015
Korean Food Battle 3 Judges
The human condition Cast 3rd period
Chefs together
2016 Olive Show Cast Season 2016
Cook's representative participant
Chefs 2 Cast
2017 Please take care of the refrigerator
Long live the independence of the old men!! See you there Cast
Man giving dog food 2
2018 Sumine's side dishes student
Law of the Jungle in Mexico Cast
Delicious story dirty talk
Delicious story dirty talk
2019 Extreme Table Cast
Strange Village
2023 Challenge! Michelin iChef Cast
2024 Culinary Class Wars Participant White Spoon
Please Take Care of My Refrigerator Original Chef
2025 Jungle Bob 2 - Peruvian Bob Cast

Book

  • Chef Choi's Crazy Recipe (2010)
  • Art food by the 5 elements of cooking (2013)
  • Monography Magazine 01 (2015)
  • Camera and Apron (2015)
  • Great Library Job Show
  • Sumine's Side Dishes

Award

Year Award Ceremony Category Result
2015 The 10th A-Awards Creativity Section Won
2016 The 10th Cable TV Broadcasting Awards Hot Issue Entertainment Impressions Won

References

  1. ^ 최현석 [Choi Hyun-seok]. Daum 100 (in Korean). Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  2. ^ "Chef Tells About Journey to Fame". The Chosun Ilbo. June 23, 2015. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  3. ^ Kim, Hansol (May 2, 2015). "One Crazy Chef". Seoul Selection. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  4. ^ "Celebrity chef gives modern European cuisine a 'crazy' Korean twist". World's 50 Best Restaurants Academy. William Reed Business Media. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  5. ^ "Choi". Michelin Guide Seoul. Archived from the original on July 17, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  6. ^ Han, Ryu-gyeong (January 16, 2020). [스브스타] "진짜 멋있다..." 최현석이 음식점 이름을 '중앙감속기'로 지은 이유 ["Really cool" Why Choi Hyun-seok named his restaurant 'Central Reducer']. Seoul Broadcasting System (in Korean).
  7. ^ Lee, Yoon-seo (October 7, 2024). "'Culinary Class Wars' producers deny trying to spice up results". The Korea Herald. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
  8. ^ 이정미 (March 12, 2025). "최현석부터 강민구까지, 3월의 미식 팝업". Vogue korea (in Korean). Retrieved June 9, 2025.