[Cooking&Food] 'The Tiffin Chef' Im Tae-hoon's Recipe for Lasting Success
Creatrip Team
a month ago
Im Tae-hoon, the 'tiffin (철가방) chef' who rose to fame on Netflix's reality show 'Black & White Chefs', has kept his restaurant Doryang busy a year after the show ended. Without formal culinary training, Im learned Chinese cuisine starting from dishwashing and watching others in the kitchen, later opening his own restaurant in 2014. His memorable entrance line “Jjajangmyeon for the table?” became iconic on the show. Im says the key to maintaining standards is having a responsible manager always present in the restaurant, plus consistent taste and service. He now personally greets customers, explains dishes, and uses guest feedback to refine recipes. Known for his bossam-style braised pork (dongpayuk) and recently launched jjajang and jjambbong meal kits, Im insisted on authenticity — using lard in the jjajang sauce and keeping generous pork portions — and balanced flavors for the jjambbong. Post-show, he is more cautious about public behavior but plans to focus on his restaurant this year while keeping quality high.
