Korean Celebrity Chefs from Culinary Class Wars Visit Taipei, Praise Market Delicacies, and Boost Taipei TourismPost date：2026-05-19
Updates：2026-05-19
Press bureau：Department of Information and Tourism
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To further expand the Korean market, the Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government partnered with the International Chefs Summit Asia (ICSA) to invite chefs from two of Korea's popular cooking programs, Culinary Class Wars and Please Take Care of My Refrigerator. The visiting chefs included leading celebrity chef Choi Hyun-seok, rising Asian female chef Park Eun-young, Oh Se-deuk, culinary consultant for the Korean drama The Tyrant's Chef, and Fabrizio Ferrari, chef of a one-Michelin-star restaurant in Italy. They personally toured Nanmen Market to experience some of the most authentic market delicacies in Taipei. In addition to tasting local foods, the chefs exchanged culinary inspiration throughout the visit. Choi Hyun-seok especially praised Taipei as a "food capital" and said he could not wait to recommend the market snacks to his friends and family in Korea. The Department of Information and Tourism also worked with the chefs to produce two short videos, using local cuisine and the chefs' international influence to promote Taipei tourism.
The Department of Information and Tourism noted that in recent years, "Taipei sensibility" and "Taipei cuisine" have become major reasons Korean travelers visit Taipei. Driven by social media, Taiwan's distinctive snacks and Night Market culture have attracted many Korean visitors eager to check out these experiences for themselves, and Korean queues can often be seen in well-known districts such as Ximending, Xinzhongshan, and Yongkang Street. To sustain this wave of culinary interest, the Department of Information and Tourism took advantage of the visit by some of Korea's most representative contemporary chefs and specially invited them to tour Nanmen Market. The aim was not only to let the chefs experience the food and charm of a traditional market, but also to showcase to international visitors, through the chefs' popularity and social media reach, Taipei's distinctive market culture beyond the Night Market.
Korean celebrity chef Choi Hyun-seok said he had never visited a traditional market before, and seeing the dried goods and fresh ingredients at Nanmen Market made him even more excited than visiting a Night Market. What impressed him most was the Southern Taiwanese Rice Dumpling, whose soft, glutinous texture and the fragrance of bamboo leaves made him exclaim that it was so delicious he could not stop eating. Park Eun-young praised Taipei as a city that is wonderful for travel. She was especially interested in the freshly sliced beef hot pot at the market, where tender pink slices of meat were perfectly complemented by simple shredded ginger and chopped scallions. She was also particularly impressed by the Egg Dumpling, whose lingering flavor left a lasting impression.
Fabrizio Ferrari said he would invite his Italian friends to travel to Taipei, adding enthusiastically that tasting Mijian (Candied Fruit) and Stinky Tofu had inspired even more culinary ideas, and that incorporating candied fruit into dishes would certainly spark fresh discussion in the food world.
Oh Se-deuk revealed that this was his first time in Taiwan. In addition to enjoying Night Market snacks, he appreciated the Department of Information and Tourism for arranging a daytime visit to a traditional market, allowing him to explore a wider range of food experiences on his very first trip. He said he was already eager to scout locations in Taipei for a future restaurant. Wang Chuan-guo, chair of the Nanmen Market Self-governing Association, also noted that Nanmen Market underwent a full renovation completed in 2023, comprehensively upgrading its shopping environment, and expressed hope that international visitors would be able to experience the everyday atmosphere and human warmth of Taipei's markets.
The Department of Information and Tourism noted that in recent years, "Taipei sensibility" and "Taipei cuisine" have become major reasons Korean travelers visit Taipei. Driven by social media, Taiwan's distinctive snacks and Night Market culture have attracted many Korean visitors eager to check out these experiences for themselves, and Korean queues can often be seen in well-known districts such as Ximending, Xinzhongshan, and Yongkang Street. To sustain this wave of culinary interest, the Department of Information and Tourism took advantage of the visit by some of Korea's most representative contemporary chefs and specially invited them to tour Nanmen Market. The aim was not only to let the chefs experience the food and charm of a traditional market, but also to showcase to international visitors, through the chefs' popularity and social media reach, Taipei's distinctive market culture beyond the Night Market.
Korean celebrity chef Choi Hyun-seok said he had never visited a traditional market before, and seeing the dried goods and fresh ingredients at Nanmen Market made him even more excited than visiting a Night Market. What impressed him most was the Southern Taiwanese Rice Dumpling, whose soft, glutinous texture and the fragrance of bamboo leaves made him exclaim that it was so delicious he could not stop eating. Park Eun-young praised Taipei as a city that is wonderful for travel. She was especially interested in the freshly sliced beef hot pot at the market, where tender pink slices of meat were perfectly complemented by simple shredded ginger and chopped scallions. She was also particularly impressed by the Egg Dumpling, whose lingering flavor left a lasting impression.
Fabrizio Ferrari said he would invite his Italian friends to travel to Taipei, adding enthusiastically that tasting Mijian (Candied Fruit) and Stinky Tofu had inspired even more culinary ideas, and that incorporating candied fruit into dishes would certainly spark fresh discussion in the food world.
Oh Se-deuk revealed that this was his first time in Taiwan. In addition to enjoying Night Market snacks, he appreciated the Department of Information and Tourism for arranging a daytime visit to a traditional market, allowing him to explore a wider range of food experiences on his very first trip. He said he was already eager to scout locations in Taipei for a future restaurant. Wang Chuan-guo, chair of the Nanmen Market Self-governing Association, also noted that Nanmen Market underwent a full renovation completed in 2023, comprehensively upgrading its shopping environment, and expressed hope that international visitors would be able to experience the everyday atmosphere and human warmth of Taipei's markets.
