These ‘Culinary Class Wars’ chefs are serving their dishes at this Makati pop-up

MANILA, Philippines – If you binged Culinary Class Wars and are wondering what it would be like to taste the dishes of your favorite White Spoon chefs, this might be your best chance yet.

Two of the acclaimed Korean chefs from Netflix’s hit cooking competition show Culinary Class Wars are bringing their signature dishes to Makati through a limited pop-up with Your Local at The Chef’s Table in The Balmori Suites, Rockwell.

From April 6 to 23, Chef Young Sook-lee and Chef Jihyung Choi — known for their skills and deep reverence for Korean culinary traditions — will kick off Mat Nam, a chef collaboration series that means “where the flavor meets,” featuring four chefs from the show, running from April 6 to June 1, 2025.

The three-month-long event marks Your Local’s first Southeast Asian Culinary Class Wars collaboration, made possible through the initiative of Tasteless Food Group’s Charles Paw, who connected Your Local’s Chef Patrick Go with Korean partners.

Set in Balmori Suites, the ambiance reflects the White Spoons’ signature elegance — sophisticated yet approachable, with a refined but relaxed vibe that’s perfect for a date night or a dressed-up dinner with friends.

A taste of tradition

A crowd favorite from the White Spoon team, Chef Young Sook-lee, is a master of heritage Korean cuisine and owner of the beloved restaurant Nakyung, where she brings her deep roots in tradition to the table. Known for winning Korean Food Battle Season 2, Chef Sook-lee’s food is classic, authentic, and humble; her dishes pay tribute to tradition rather than trends.

True to her forte, Sook-lee brings two simple dishes to the pop-up: her Classic Japchae (P690), which is exactly that — classic. Her rendition of Korea’s banquet noodle dish — which is usually served on special occasions like birthdays and weddings — is as pure as it gets; no tweaks, no gimmicks, and no frills. Just smooth, bouncy glass noodles tossed with crisp bell peppers, onions, fresh herbs, and pork slivers, dressed in a light but flavorful, sesame-forward, soy-sugar dressing.

Unlike its Filipino versions that are often sticky and too sweet, this japchae is clean, balanced, lightly seasoned, and elegant in its comforting simplicity.

Her Mushroom Chicken Gangjeong (P780) — a love letter to mushrooms, her favorite ingredient — is her old-school take on Korean fried chicken. Bite-sized, juicy, and breaded chicken pieces are fried until crisp and then tossed in a sweet-spicy gochujang-ketchup glaze. It’s sticky, but not overly so, with just the right mild hum of heat; it’s a familiar-tasting dish that sits in the middle of casual and refined.

Modern and meaningful

Chef Jihyung Choi, the visionary behind Michelin Guide-recognized Leebukbang, is known for creating the world’s first North Korean course tasting menu. His culinary style usually bridges North and South Korean cuisine with thoughtfulness and innovation.

Choi brings his Gochujang Sauce Chicken (P920), a deconstructed ode to dakgalbi that layers chicken and rice with a flavorful curry base, herb puree, bright calamansi vinaigrette, zucchini, charred pickled leeks, and a crispy chicken skin disc on top, meant to be cracked and mixed into the dish. It’s like an elevated comfort bowl of chicken, rice, and veggies.

And his favorite Filipino ingredient discovery? The well-rounded calamansi, which he said he wants to bring back home to Korea. “In Korea, we only have yuzu and mandarin. Calamansi has all the flavor notes I look for — sweet, sour, and bright.”

Good for sharing, the Maekjeokgui (P1,050) is his take on a 1,000-year-old Korean recipe, featuring grilled pork that is marinated in Korea’s traditional doenjang soybean paste, which he makes himself. Just a few bites of the tender, fatty pork are all it takes to understand why this ancient dish still resonates.

The flavor profile is just like miso: umami-forward, savory, and slightly smoky, with the fresh chive oil, green onion slivers, and slight acidity cutting through the richness. Served with vegetables on the side, it’s a soulful take that elevates Korea’s classic KBBQ into refined restaurant fare.

From Your Local’s table

Chef Patrick Go of Your Local also brings his Southeast Asian prowess to the table, rounding out the menu with familiar flavors in new dishes exclusive to the Balmori pop-up.

There’s the MSG (P450) — mantou toast topped with shiitake mushrooms, gorgonzola, seaweed, and parmesan — and the Mackerel (P650), which was great on its own but even more enjoyable paired with Chef Sook-lee’s japchae. The Mackerel’s acidity and creaminess come from a tomato-sambal coconut sauce that’s citrusy and smooth, and the mackerel itself was moist and not overly salty or fishy.

The Halibut (P950) is a standout: delicately steamed fish with its subtle, buttery texture, complemented by the bold ginamos rendang curry sauce and then brightened with kaffir lime, sesame leaf, and charred lettuce.

The River Prawns (P890) are indulgently fatty, topped with torched mentaiko, soy brown butter sauce, ebiko, and served with mentaiko mayo. The prawn meat isn’t overcooked — it’s soft, creamy, and full of flavor.

The Palabok Rice (P380), packed with umami flavor, can be eaten on its own — the smoked fish fried rice is topped with chicharon, Korean seaweed, and a dashi-based palabok sauce (but if you want to focus on the other dishes’ flavors, maybe plain rice would be a better option).

And if your stomach can still handle it, don’t skip dessert! Your Local’s Choco na Gatas v2 (P450) is burnt milk ice cream with chocolate mousse and toasted rice, a sweet and nutty ending to the meal reminiscent of tutong and hojicha.

The YuzuMansi Cake (P450) is a citrus-forward dessert with citron-calamansi cake, salted cream, and banana chips.

Your Local’s chef series continues with Culinary Class Wars’ Chef Byung Mook-kim on May 17 to June 1, and Chef Kisu Bang from April 26 to May 14.

For reservations, you can message 0945 427 0054. – Rappler.com