Chef Oh Jun-tak of 'Culinary Class Wars' takes chicken to the next level at T.A.K.

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Chef Oh Jun-tak of 'Culinary Class Wars' takes chicken to the next level at T.A.K.

Published: 09 Nov. 2024, 07:00 Updated: 11 Nov. 2024, 09:04

Chef Oh Jun-tak holds his signature pate monaka. [KIM SUNG-HYUN]

Have you ever waited ten months for a single dining experience or made over 800 phone calls to secure a reservation? Well, food content editor Kim Sung-hyun has, and his passion for exceptional dining has led him to discover and introduce T.A.K., a fine-dining restaurant run by Chef Oh Jun-tak, known as “Yeong Chicken” from Netflix’s hit cooking show “Culinary Class Wars.”

Chef Oh gained fame on Netflix's show with his creative chicken dishes. In May 2016, he moved to Hong Kong to work at Yardbird, a Michelin-starred izakaya specializing in yakitori, and the Japanese fine-dining restaurant Ronin. “I handled and cooked so much chicken at Yardbird. In addition to customer dishes, I experimented with rare and unfamiliar chicken parts, creating dishes for the staff,” said Oh, describing the experience as “a huge asset.”

Awoken to chicken's charms, Oh returned to Korea, where he worked at a yakitori place and eventually opened his own wood-fired chicken restaurant, Namyeong Chicken, in Seoul’s Yongsan District. His appearance on “Culinary Class Wars” further boosted the restaurant’s popularity, drawing even longer lines.

Namyeong Chicken’s popularity also drew attention to Oh's one-table private dining place and his cooking studio, T.A.K.

Here, he showcases diverse dishes beyond chicken, including beef, vegetables, pork and seafood. He also offers different multicourse dinners using seasonal ingredients. While T.A.K. does not offer a typical fine-dining experience, it highlights Oh’s distinct approach to cuisine — balancing familiarity with creativity.

At T.A.K., Chef Oh continues to invent new dishes every day, hoping to spark curiosity among future customers and inspire more people to try his creations — a desire that has only grown since his appearance on the Netflix show.

Chef Oh Jun-tak on Netflix's ″Culinary Class Wars″ [SCREEN CAPTURE]

“It would be a lie if I said I was not disappointed when T.A.K’s dishes, our tsukune and monaka, were edited out. But it was still meaningful because customers still recognized my dishes from the show. I am so happy that there are people who visit my restaurant after watching the show," said Oh.

“I am putting in my best effort on what I have learned on the show to ensure that every visitor leaves satisfied, especially now that more people are coming to my restaurant,” he added.

The edited-out tsukune is a signature dish at T.A.K., reinterpreted in a hotdog style with truffle, egg yolk, whole-grain mustard and cucumber pickle. Its appearance and taste may resemble a hotdog, but it has deeper, more complex flavors by pairing it with unique ingredients and flavors never tasted before. His tare sauce, developed over nine years, along with his Michelin-starred yakitori experience, adds a rich sweetness that enhances the dish.

Chef Oh Jun-tak finishes his tsukune dish with truffles. [KIM SUNG-HYUN]

Despite being recognized for his distinct chicken dishes, another standout dish at T.A.K is a Korean-style sashimi plate. He serves fresh fish secured from diverse regions and inventive ingredients and sauces, introducing customers to various new combinations. For instance, he pairs a ten-day fermented yellowtail with sesame leaves, white kimchi, salted seafood and green plum sauce while complementing mackerel with makjang (spicy paste) and sesame oil. His goal is to create exciting combinations with familiar ingredients and creative ideas.

Pâté monaca — a creamy pate of chicken and duck livers served inside a chicken-shaped monaka shell from Japan — is also popular at T.A.K. Accompanied by lavender apricot jam, hazelnut, cheese and shiso, it delivers a sensational taste. The sweetness of the jam and chewiness of the pâté create a good balance, and the monaka adds an enjoyable crunch.

BY KIM SUNG-HYUN, WOO JI-WON [woo.jiwon@joongang.co.kr]