"U.S. troops in Iraq become the best chef in the 亞"...CNN, Ahn Sungjae lighting.

CNN in the U.S. focused on chef Ahn Sung-jae, a judge of the Netflix program "Black and White Cook."

On the 17th (local time), CNN introduced Ahn Sung-jae, who served in the U.S. military in Iraq, saying, "He is now Asia's best chef and a judge on Netflix's 'Black and White Cook'." Ahn Sung-jae, the owner chef of "Mosu," the only one in Korea to receive three Michelin stars, has recently attracted hot attention with his appearance as a "Black and White Chef."

Ahn Sung-jae, who said he immigrated to California at the age of 13, recalled, "We were an immigrant family from Korea chasing the 'American Dream,' and "We arrived in the United States without knowing English."

"I thought that was the only way I could travel," he said, adding, "I grew up hearing about the Korean War and the Vietnam War from my grandfather and father's relatives. The reason I applied to Iraq was because I thought this was my only chance to experience war," he said.

"It's an eye-opening experience," Ahn Sung-jae said of his life in the U.S. military, adding, "The four-year military experience is one of the best moments in my life and it was the most interesting."

Meeting chefs who worked at California's Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School after his discharge changed his fate. Ahn Sung-jae said that after a series of consultations, he entered Le Cordon Bleu in a surprise move and entered his cooking life.

Yonhap News Agency

Becoming a chef was an impulsive decision, but for him, who grew up eating the taste of his grandmother's hands, cooking was like a fate to travel around blood vessels, CNN said.After finishing


Le Cordon Bleu, Chef Ahn opened Parasur San Francisco in 2015 after his career in restaurants such as Giraffe in the United States. The restaurant immediately received a Michelin star, but returned to its native Korea in 2017 and opened Parasum Seoul. In 2022, Parasur Seoul received three Michelin stars.

Ahn Sung-jae said, "I wanted to come back to Korea and take advantage of what I know and what I understand. I wanted to use native ingredients, Korean culture, and heritage," he explained why he returned to Korea.

He also affirmed that he was often uncomfortable with his sudden fame after appearing on "Black and White Cook," but he was never himself in front of the camera.

Ahn Sung-jae said, "I have to speak accurately, logically and carefully. "Because they rely on what I say," he said. "I've never acted, I wanted to be myself. I paid tribute to the participants for their courage and wanted to encourage them," he explained.

Finally, he said, "The whole world is fascinated by Korean culture, food, and fine dining," and expressed pride, "Seoul was once a passing stop, but now it is becoming a final destination."

Reporter Lee Yu Na from Digital News Team.