The production team of JTBC‘s ‘Please Take Care of My Refrigerator’ foreshadowed even more intense fun.

‘Please Take Care of My Refrigerator’, which will air for the first time on the 15th, is a program where guests bring their refrigerators to the studio and famous chefs compete to create dishes using ingredients inside the refrigerator in 15 minutes. ‘Please Take Care of My Refrigerator’, which brought about the ‘Cookbang(cooking show)’ syndrome in South Korea by producing numerous cheftainers (chef+entertainers), is set to make a splendid return with an upgraded appearance that will make you not feel the 5-year hiatus.

‘Please Take Care of My Refrigerator’ original staff member PD Lee Chang-woo and self-proclaimed ‘Cold Father’ PD Lee Rin-ha raised expectations by saying that the energy on set exploded from the first recording.


The following is a Q&A with PDs Lee Chang-woo and Lee Rin-ha


Q. What did you think was most important while preparing the new ‘Cold Father’?

A. PD Lee Chang-woo: We tried not to lose the identity of ‘Cold Father’. I think the identity of ‘Naengmyeon’ that viewers want is famous chefs competing in a 15-minute cooking competition using limited ingredients from a celebrity’s refrigerator, so I tried not to deviate from that identity even if I made changes.


Q. What‘s different about ‘Naengmyeon’ now that it’s back?

A. PD Lee Rin-ha: I think the change in the chef lineup is the most noticeable. The ‘Naengmyeon’ chefs are not just individual contestants but also hosts, which seems to be receiving a lot of attention.
In terms of the show, we‘re trying to provide something new within the established structure of ‘15-minute Cooking Competition’. While the competition structure used to be more of an individual competition, this time it will also have a team competition feel. You’ll be able to feel this change from the first episode, and we plan to try more of it as the show goes on.


Q. The chef lineup is a hot topic. I‘m curious about the process of forming the chef lineup.

A. PD Lee Chang-woo: I had the most trouble with it. In the end, we came up with a direction after thinking from the viewer’s perspective. We focused on, “Which chef‘s 15-minute cooking do viewers want to see?”, “Which chefs do viewers want to see compete against each other?”

At the same time, we thought that we needed original chefs who could take the center stage among the new chefs who were awkward with TV entertainment and “15-minute cooking.” So we recruited original chefs who could lead them and new chefs who could provide a fresh picture.




Q. What was the atmosphere like filming after 5 years?

A. PD Lee Rin-ha: Before filming, I felt pressured as I was directing a program that I had previously watched live, and I was worried about what I would do if it wasn’t fun. But when we actually recorded it, it was more fun than the broadcast.

The realism of the ‘15-minute cooking competition’, which is the identity of ‘Cold Father’ that we talked about earlier, was incredible. The energy was so overflowing that the 15 minutes felt shorter than the broadcast.

A. PD Lee Chang-woo: The MCs had amazing energy. The MC duo of Kim Sung-joo and Ahn Jung-hwan were truly legendary, and while recording, I really felt ‘We can‘t do this without them’.

The atmosphere was awkward because there were some chefs we were meeting for the first time, but the MCs did a great job bridging the gap. Thanks to them, the chefs were able to quickly become close after the first recording, and the process of them gradually becoming close was also fun.


Q. Who would you pick as the dark horse of the first recording?

A. PD Lee Chang-woo: Chef Edward Lee. Even with the tough schedule of a 15-hour flight and jet lag, he did his best.

If his seriousness and creativity toward cooking were highlighted in ‘Black and White Chef’, his entertainment sense exploded in ‘Cold Father’. Although he has a lot of experience as a variety show PD, I felt that ‘This person is a ’complete entertainer’.

A. PD Lee Rin-ha: Chef Choi Kang-rok. Chef Choi Kang-rok is a really fun person.

He doesn’t get much media exposure, so he feels fresh, but even when he doesn‘t do anything, his aura is different. We expect to see a lot of fun pictures thanks to Chef Choi Kang-rok, and his growth process will also be a point of interest.




Q. Compared to other cooking programs, what are the advantages of ‘Naengbuhae’?

A. PD Lee Chang-woo: The first is the fun. ‘Naengbuhae’ has set rules and restrictions, but since it focuses on the process rather than the result, both the viewer and the maker maintain a pleasant fun.

Next is something different to see. You can see the refrigerators of celebrities that you don’t usually see, and you can get a glimpse into their eating habits. Add to this the spectacular performances of the chefs, and it provides a variety of things to see.

Lastly, it‘s viewer-centered. ‘Naengbuhae’ is conducted like a cooking show, but it’s ultimately a program where you cook with only the ingredients in your refrigerator. Celebrities‘ refrigerators are similar to viewers’, and since all the cooking recipes are revealed, it‘s easy to follow.


Q. Is there a chef or guest you would most like to invite?

A. PD Lee Chang-woo: Chef Gordon Ramsay. He was so much fun when he appeared on the show before that he asked to do it in England too. Viewers, including myself, would probably want to see a showdown between Gordon Ramsay and Edward Lee.

I would also like to invite Chef Ahn Sung-jae and CEO Baek Jong-won. I’m curious about their refrigerators, and if they appear as chefs themselves, it would create interesting competitions such as ‘Black and White Chef Judge vs. Black/White Spoon’, ‘Michelin 3-Star vs. Dark Chef’.

I would like to invite G-Dragon and Taeyang again as guests. They were a hot topic when they appeared last time, and since both they and we have changed a lot, it would be good to reveal their refrigerators once again.

A. PD Lee Rin-ha: Chef Kim So-hee. Not only is she good at cooking, but I think a competition between ‘Master Chef Korea’ judge Chef Kim So-hee and winner Chef Choi Kang-rok would be fun. While we‘re at it, I’d like to combine the worlds of various cooking programs.

I think celebrities who live alone would be good as guests. In fact, regardless of whether they are celebrities or ordinary people, the 2030 generation who live alone don‘t cook much at home, so their refrigerators are all similar. We want to show guests who live alone but have relatively limited ingredients to make a comeback and show that you can still eat delicious food even with limited ingredients.



Q. Any final words?

A. PD Lee Rin-ha: The show has been so fun since the first episode. There are so many fun scenes that it’s hard to pick and choose within the given broadcast time, so I think you can look forward to it.

A. PD Lee Chang-woo: We‘re making it while only thinking about the viewers. We’re continuously recruiting chefs that the viewers want to see, and we‘re trying to show as many scenes as possible because the pool of chefs has expanded compared to before. I want to hear from viewers that ‘Please Take Care of My Refrigerator’ is back really well.

‘Please Take Care of My Refrigerator’ will first air at 9 p.m. on the 15th.

Hong Se-young, Donga.com reporter, projecthong@donga.com