What Makes Chef Woo Jung-wook’s ‘Seoul Mom’ Tteokguk So Special? Discover on ‘Home, Please!’

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Chef Woo Jeong-wook—affectionately known as “Seoul Mom”—is opening up his Han River–view home to viewers.

MBC’s Save Me! Homes (Homes), airing at 10 p.m. on the 26th, picks up where the first Black-and-White District left off. The show heads out to visit the restaurants and homes of chefs who starred on Netflix’s Black-and-White Chefs.

Buoyed by the buzz from Season 1, Black-and-White District returns bigger and better for Season 2. After Season 1 spotlighted Kim Sook, Chef Yoon Nam-no, and Chef Park Eun-young, the stars of Black-and-White Chefs are back. Variety-show regular Fabri, the contrarian genius Chef Lee Chan-yang, and TV personality Yang Se-hyung will roam Sinsa-dong, the hotspot where these chefs’ restaurants cluster, and deliver lively on-site reports.

The trio visits Woo’s house in Ichon-dong, Seoul—right on the river. Built in 1977, the home has been his for 22 years, and he’s kept it lovingly maintained. His kitchen, where roughly 1,000 students have learned to cook, is packed with utensils and ingredients, drawing immediate attention. Fabri, Lee Chan-yang, and Yang Se-hyung—who owns a building valued at 10.9 billion KRW (approximately 8.175 million USD)—were so impressed they briefly forgot they were on assignment.

Woo then lays out a full Korean spread he prepared for the three hosts. Dish after dish arrives, and they can’t help but dig in. The warm hospitality and homemade flavors live up to his “Seoul Mom” nickname. When his signature tteokguk (rice cake soup) appears, the mood gets even cozier. Lee Chan-yang teased, “They say how close you are to Chef Woo depends on whether you’ve eaten his tteokguk,” and Woo added with a smile, “Even company chairmen come to my home for this dish.” Viewers will be curious to see—and taste—the tteokguk that won everyone over.

As the meal continues, conversation naturally turns to home-cooked food. The cast swaps memories of family meals, and the show even reveals a surprising story about entertainer Jang Dong-min—known for his fiery persona—having once lost his temper with his mother, which adds an unexpected, human moment. With candid talk from the cast, the segment promises laughs, empathy, and relatable stories about food and family.

Tae Yuna, TenAsia reporter youyou@tenasia.co.kr