'Street Food Fighter 2' explores European, American food

Sep 23, 2019

Star chef Baek Jong-won, left, speaks at a press conference for "Street Food Fighter 2" at the Imperial Palace Hotel in southern Seoul on Friday. The director, Park Hee-yeon, also joined the conference.

This fall, tvN's variety food program "Street Food Fighter" airs its second season. The show stars chef Baek Jong-won, who travels the world in search of the best food destinations.

The first season aired eight episodes starting in April 2018, and was shot in various places including China, Japan, and Hawaii. "Street Food Fighter 1" peaked in its final episode with a 2.2 percent viewership rate.

Being a hit in not only Korea but also abroad, the show was the recipient of the Asian Television Awards 2018 for the Best Infotainment Program.

At a press conference held on Friday at the Imperial Palace Hotel in southern Seoul, Baek and the "producing director" (PD) Park Hee-yeon expressed their thoughts on the first season as well as their preparation and expectations for Season 2.

"News of a second season was an indication that the first one had been a success," said Baek.

"Street Food Fighter 2" will expand upon the destination list from Season 1 and will include places such as Istanbul and New York. Rather than being a show just about food, "Street Food Fighter" is about discovering the story behind different locations around the world through food culture.

"This show is about portraying stories of the cities […] it's not just about finding famous food venues, but more so about learning about a city through its food," said Park.

The locations were chosen based on what Baek found interesting, and the amount of information available.

At the conference, Baek mentioned the importance of thoroughly understanding the culture and history of a place before visiting.

Such preparation requires lots of prior research, one reason why the show had such a long production process. The research is not only reflected in the informational content of the show, but also influences the cinematography, another facet of Season 2 that has been improved on from the pilot season.

The increased budget resulted in more footage, which better portrayed the food, landscape, and unique essence of each city.

The show's success is attributed to the diligence and teamwork between Baek, Park and the crew. As each location involves the work of different crewmembers and producers, their diverse talents and knowhow render the show abundant in its offerings.

"The teamwork is incredible on this show," said Baek. "P.D. Park is extremely passionate and diligent […] I always enjoy watching the final product." Park also mentioned that without Baek's expertise in the culinary industry, the show would not have been possible. "Even if a location does not have high relevance to Korea, Baek is able to express the food in his own words."

"Street Food Fighter" is known to be what Koreans refer to as "healing," meaning it is relaxing to watch and is a stress-reliever.

Through watching Baek visit different countries and taste diverse food, viewers vicariously embark on a global food tour.

Closing off the conference, Baek thanked them for their continuous support. "Because of you, I am able to achieve healing of my own."