Youn's Kitchen (Korean: 윤식당; RR: Yun Sikdang) is a South Korean television reality show that aired on tvN on Fridays nights from March 24, 2017, to March 23, 2018, for a total of twenty episodes.[1]
Youn's main ingredient was bulgogi, which was available in three dishes: Bulgogi Rice, Bulgogi Noodles and Bulgogi Burger. Prior to filming, Youn met with Lee Won-il and Hong Seok-cheon to ask for advice, and received expertise on how to operate Youn's Kitchen, including menu development and restaurant management. From the 4th episode, new items were added to the menu, such as fried dumplings and buns, egg rolls, dumplings, and ramyeon. From the 5th episode, chicken was added.[4]
Season 2
The main dish of Youn's Restaurant was bibimbap, and there were initially three varieties: bulgogi bibimbap, spicy pork bibimbap, and vegetable bibimbap. For this season, Youn again met chef Lee Won-il and Hong Seok-cheon for advice and received further know-how on restaurant operations. Kimchi was also on the initial menu. From the 2nd episode, a traditional noodle dish called japchae was added. From the 3rd episode, the spicy pork bibimbap was removed and Korean fried chicken was added. From the 4th episode, ribs were added. From the 6th episode, kimchi fried rice was added.[4]
Viewership and ratings
Viewership
Youn's Kitchen : South Korea viewers per episode (millions)
In the tables below, blue marks the lowest ratings in each season and red marks the highest ratings.
This show airs on a cable channel/pay TV which normally has a relatively smaller audience compared to free-to-air TV/public broadcasters (KBS, SBS, MBC & EBS).
While the first spin-off is a result of an unanticipated change of format due to the COVID-19 pandemic,[8] all spin-offs starting from Jinny's Kitchen have been developed with the goal of forming a franchise.
While the initial plan was to produce the third season of Youn's Kitchen, the cast and crew weren't able to travel abroad due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and shutdown in 2020. Instead of opening a small Korean restaurant overseas, the production choose to open a traditional hanok guest house in South Jeolla Province in Korea to share part of the Korean culture to the guests who were mainly foreigners.[8]
In December 2020, the new season is renamed "Youn's Stay" to reflect the change of format.[9] The show premiered on tvN on January 8, 2021.[10]
The reality TV show stars original Youn's Kitchen cast members Youn Yuh-jung as the owner and CEO, Lee Seo-jin as the Vice President, Jung Yu-mi and Park Seo-joon as managers.[11] Actor Choi Woo-shik[11] also joined as the new intern of the hotel. He starred in Summer Vacation alongside Jung Yu-mi earlier in the year[12] and known for the highly awarded movie Parasite in which actor Park Seo-joon also played.
Early 2023, a second spin-off series is announced. The original cast of Youn's Stay-minus Youn Yuh-jung-is back, with Lee Seo-jin as the new owner whose philosophy is all about revenue.[13]
^Hwang, Hye-jin (July 2, 2020). "나영석PD 新예능 '여름방학' 17일 첫방 확정, 정유미X최우식 출연(공식)" [PD Na Young-seok's new entertainment 'Summer Vacation' first aired on the 17th confirmed, and Jung Yu-mi X Choi Woo-shik appeared (official)] (in Korean). Newsen. Archived from the original on January 9, 2022. Retrieved January 9, 2022 – via Naver.
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