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In the drama « Final Table », the best Korean chefs from around the world will compete for first place on «The Table: K-Chef 2026.» However, Choi Song-yi will start out at a serious disadvantage: she simply doesn't know how to cook. The first images from Hong Hwa-yeon reveal why his character will enter the competition anyway, even if it means having to learn the trade on the fly to save the restaurant and the legacy left by his father.
«Final Table» will put gastronomy at the center of a particularly competitive contest. Several Korean chefs working around the world will come together to determine which of them deserves the title of Best K-Chef. Ahn Hyo-seop as Kang Han, a particularly talented and mysterious chef who was originally supposed to return to work in New York before his arrival at the Familia restaurant turned his plans upside down.
The new images now offer a clearer look at the woman behind this change: Choi Song-yi, played by Hong Hwa-yeon.
She grew up in a restaurant but never became a cook
Song-yi lost her mother when she was still young and grew up with her father, a renowned chef, with whom she runs the family restaurant, Familia. But while cooking has always been a part of her daily life, she isn’t the one in the kitchen.
Song-yi works as a floor manager. She greets customers, oversees service, and ensures that the restaurant runs smoothly. She does not yet have any real experience as a cook.
That doesn't stop her from being passionate about food and, above all, from being her father's biggest fan when it comes to his cooking. That balance is shattered, however, when a terrible event strikes her family.
Her father dies following an incident that also ruined her reputation. Song-yi is left with a restaurant on the verge of closing and the feeling that her father’s legacy might disappear along with him.
So she decides to take what seems to be her last chance to save Familia: participating in «The Table: K-Chef 2026.».
A Novice Facing Off Against the Best Chefs
The problem is obvious: Song-yi has to enter a high-level culinary competition even though she’s starting practically from scratch. The first scenes featuring Hong Hwa-yeon show her character in the midst of intensive cooking training. Focused and determined, she is working tirelessly to acquire the necessary skills quickly enough before the competition begins.
Her goal, however, goes far beyond simply winning. By seeing it through to the end, Song-yi hopes to to restore his father's honor and prevent Familia from closing down for good. She won't be completely alone in this battle.
Her life begins to change when she recruits Kang Han as the new leader of Familia. Shrouded in mystery and linked to an as-yet-unknown incident, Ahn Hyo-seop’s character possesses precisely the experience and talent that Song-yi lacks.
The young woman may also have inherited her father's culinary talents without having had the opportunity to develop them so far. Her training with Kang Han should therefore help her discover just how far she can go.
«Final Table» will premiere on October 24 at 10:40 p.m. KST on JTBC and will be available on Prime Video worldwide.
