7 best shows to watch if you like Jinny's Kitchen

Jinny's Kitchen, a heartwarming South Korean reality series, debuted in February 2024. After finishing the first season with 11 episodes and a huge fanbase, the show began its second season in June.

A group of well-known entertainers, including Choi Woo-Shik, Park Seo-joon, BTS's V, Lee Seo-jin, and Jung Yu-mi, attempt to open and manage a Korean restaurant in foreign cities. In the first season, the show was set in Mexico, while in the second season, Jinny's Kitchen was shot in Reykjavík, Iceland.

Apart from the foreign location, the bond and collaboration among the cast members become the key reason for watching the show. However, the Korean entertainment industry has various shows like Jinny's Kitchen. This article discusses them further.

Note: This article reflects the author's opinion and is listed in no particular order.

Some of the Korean Variety shows like Jinny's Kitchen

The Sportskeeda team has cherry-picked seven shows like Jinny's Kitchen to binge-watch. These include:

Youn's Kitchen
Unexpected Business
Kang's Kitchen
The Genius Paik
The Backpacker Chef
Coffee Friends
Three Meals A Day

1) Youn's Kitchen

The variety show Youn's Kitchen, which debuted in 2017, is based on the same concept as Jinny's Kitchen. In this show, an owner runs a Korean restaurant abroad where celebrities work as employees.

Celebrities like Youn Yuh-jung, Jung Yu-mi, Lee Seo-jin, and Park Seo-joon participated in this show, which was shot in a Mexican village. However, the show's second season was shot during the pandemic, and with Youn's Stay, they continued the show. It was broadcast on tvN, and viewers can watch the second season on Prime Video.

2) Unexpected Business

Unexpected Business ( Image via Apple TV)

Another popular reality TV show, Unexpected Business, features Cha Tae-hyun and Jo In-sung. The show is slightly different from Jinny's Kitchen. In this show, the cast runs a supermarket and restaurant in the countryside, and Korean celebrities make cameos in this show.

However, Jinny's Kitchen aficionados can thoroughly enjoy the show, as it is based on food and related tasks. The show debuted in 2021 and has completed three seasons so far. Fans can explore the show on Apple TV and Disney+.

3) Kang's Kitchen

Kang's Kitchen is a spin-off of another variety show, New Journey to the West. It portrays the challenges of running a restaurant while adding humor. Five winners from New Journey to the West, Kang Ho-dong, Lee Soo-geun, Eun Ji-won, Ahn Jae-hyun, and Song Mino, participated in this show.

The show's concept is quite similar to Jinny's Kitchen, where Kang Ho-dong and Ahn Jae-hyun are the head chefs while the rest of the cast take care of other tasks like taking orders, serving food, etc. It has finished three seasons, which can be seen on Plex TV.

4) The Genius Paik

Another food variety show in Korea, The Genius Paik, is quite similar to Jinny's Kitchen but adds some twists. The show features a popular chef and businessman, Paik Jong-won, who has to establish a food business in foreign countries.

The celebrities' cameos and candid moments with Paik make the show captivating, while the challenges add an extra layer of excitement. The show's goal is to popularize Korean food worldwide. Actor Lee Jang-woo was part of the show and traveled with the chef to Morocco, Naples, etc.

In a press conference, he said,

"We've talked about the show since three or four years ago. This is Paik's challenge to become world class. Like you've seen from his previous shows like 'Paik Jong-won's Alley Restaurant,' he's a tough mentor. So it would be nice to see the restaurateur side of him and see how well he does."

The show has concluded two seasons so far, streaming on Apple TV and Viu.

5) The Backpacker Chef

The Backpacker Chef ( Image via YouTube/Viu)

While Jinny's Kitchen serves food in a foreign country, The Backpacker Chef travels through mountains and sea to feed their customers. Starring Baek Jong-won, Lee Soo-geun, Heo Kyung-hwan, Ahn Bo-hyun, and Ko Kyung-pyo, the show debuted in 2022.

The cast travels with one backpack filled with culinary tools and ingredients. In 2024, the show launched its second season, and viewers can explore it on Viu for free.

6) Coffee Friends

Coffee Friends debuted in January 2019 and is a well-known variety show in South Korea. Inspired by the idea of two close friends and their Coffee Friends project, the show donated all the money to charity.

Son Ho-jun, Choi Ji-woo, Yang Se-jong, and Yoo Yeon-seok, run a cafe on Jeju Island where they call guests to work as part-time employees in the cafe. Stars like Nam Joo Hyuk, EXO’s Sehun, and TVXQ’s Yunho appeared on the show.

Actor Son Ho Jun expressed on the show in the final episode,

“I think the word ‘bittersweet’ describes [my feelings] perfectly. It was tiring, but whenever customers came in, I was very happy. It was also nice to learn that donations don’t have to be extravagant.”

Jinny's Kitchen fans can enjoy the show, which showcases celebrities' candid moments and is streaming on Viu.

7) Three Meals A Day

Three Meals a Day is one of the most popular variety shows in Korea. It debuted in 2014 and has had several seasons. On the show, celebrities experience village life, using local ingredients to cook three meals daily.

The creators have introduced different themes to bring out more twists. The show has two seasons under the subtitle Jeongseon Village, while Fishing Village has five seasons. The show also had two seasons, which were subtitled Mountain Village and Gochang Village, and three spin-offs.

Over the years, the show has featured Lee Seo-jin, Ok Taec-yeon, Kim Kwang-kyu, Yeom Jung-ah, Yoon Se-ah, Park So-dam, and many other celebrities. Viki is streaming the show.

Like Korean dramas, food variety shows like Jinny's Kitchen have become quite popular among fans. These shows not only entertain people but also promote Korean food and culture. Some shows also donate their proceeds to charity.

Edited by Gayatri Chivukula