![Chef Yoon Nam-no. [Newsis]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/06/04/news-p.v1.20260604.7fdca7be4fce4c769df8217ebd922fe1_P1.jpg)
Chef Yoon Nam-no is set to reveal the restaurant he built after taking on 600 million won (about $396,000) in debt.
The MBC variety program "All-Knowing Talking Show," airing Saturday, will follow Yoon's daily life as a first-time restaurant owner who poured that sum into opening his debut establishment.
The restaurant is stocked with eye-catching equipment, including a multimillion-won high-end oven and an oversized walk-in facility. Yoon had previously appeared on a segment featuring chef Park Eun-young, where he revealed he had spent 46 million won on an oven. "That was my dream," he said.
Particularly striking was his investment of more than 30 million won in cutlery, plates and glassware — a detail that reportedly left both the cast and fellow junior chefs in awe.
But the price of pouring everything into his kitchen has been steep. Yoon now faces an immediate shortfall of tens of millions of won, including wolse payments due right away.
With his wallet nearly empty, Yoon has been making the rounds among close chef friends, admitting he has been "scrounging meals off others." He also shares what he calls his personal luxury "scrounging map" — a guide to the best free meals he can get from colleagues.
The episode also reveals how his staff meals have changed since he became a boss. Where he once prepared elaborate spreads featuring abalone, beef, mackerel pike and scallops, Yoon is now seen sheepishly pulling out 10 packs of ramyun in front of his employees.
He goes on to demonstrate a jjamppong ramyun recipe — only to end up eating it with a fork because there are no chopsticks on hand.
choigo@heraldcorp.com
