Your Local offers a multi-episode collaboration with renowned chefs from the hit South Korean cooking competition “Culinary Class Wars“.
Third time’s the charm. After two successful stints at the helm of Balmori Suites’ chef’s table, the Your Local team returns with an international collaboration like no other. Dubbed MAT NAM—a Korean wordplay loosely translating to “where taste meets”—the exclusive pop-up series brings together Culinary Class Wars fan favorites with Your Local’s very own executive chef, Patrick Go, for a cross-cultural dining experience.
MAT NAM offers diners a taste of Korea and homegrown Filipino creativity all in one place.
“It was a no-brainer to bring these talented chefs in for a series of exclusive dining experiences,” shares Chef Patrick. “Expect bold, authentic Korean and Japanese flavors that blend seamlessly with our signature Your Local Balmori menu.”
For the visiting chefs, each one esteemed and featured on the hit South Korean cooking competition show Culinary Class Wars, this marks their first-ever international collaboration. Across the three “episodes,” each installment will showcase four signature dishes that display their unique approaches to Korean cuisine: from its deep-rooted traditions and border-spanning influences to reimagined techniques and modern takes. To top it all off, diners will also be able to taste new and exclusive Your Local pop-up dishes that continue to play on modern Asian cuisine.
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Episode 1: Reintroducing Korean Flavours to the Filipino Palate
The premiere episode of MAT NAM kicked off with a heartwarming duo—Chef Young Sook Lee, lovingly known as “Auntie,” and Chef Jihyung Choi—each serving dishes that offered comfort, craftsmanship, and boasted of authenticity.
There’s something deeply comforting about Chef Young Sook Lee’s food. It’s familiar yet elevated, nostalgic but never basic. Her take on japchae—a dish that is actually reserved for special occasions in Korea—was a standout. Stir-fried glass noodles topped with her signature ingredient—mushrooms, pork loin, and an array of vegetables were lightly seasoned with soy sauce. Her japchae was a vibrant and textured plate that let each ingredient shine. She also put her twist on the universally loved Korean Fried Chicken. This chicken was glazed in a sweet-spicy gochujang-ketchup mix, then plated with sautéed mushrooms, presenting a classic and comforting bite.
From the get-go, the camaraderie between the chefs was apparent. Chef Choi spoke openly of his admiration for Auntie, even before Culinary Class Wars.
“She’s always been someone I looked up to,” he shared. The fruits of their relationship, combined with his past culinary experience, translated into the food, particularly in two signature dishes that not only reintroduced elements of familiar South Korean food but also a few staples of the more elusive North Korean cuisine.
First, the maekjeokgui—a smoky, savory grilled pork dish marinated in traditional doenjang (fermented soybean paste). The recipe dates back over 1,000 years and was served with root crops, a North Korean staple. Then came his modern take on gochujang dakgalbi, tender pieces of chicken paired with rice, root vegetables, a hint of curry, and, the star of the show, a crispy chicken skin layered on top. It was rich, soulful, and textured.
We hope to see Chef Choi back in Manila to try his hand at lechon. “It’s my favorite Filipino food—I want to learn how to cook it myself one day,” he said.
What’s Local, But Not in the Usual Menu
Alongside these visiting chefs, Chef Patrick Go and his team presented dishes exclusive to this MAT NAM run. Some highlights were the MSG, mackerel, and palabok rice.
The MSG is an umami-packed starter that combines pillowy mantou buns with shiitake mushrooms and a creamy gorgonzola filling. The mackerel was a bright and fresh plate that featured torched mackerel, citrus greens, coconut, and kamatis sambal. The mouthwatering palabok rice was also introduced in this iteration. The dish is a smoked fish fried rice with sprinkles of chicharon, Korean seaweed, dashi, and palabok sauce. It is the ultimate pair to new mains like their river prawns or halibut. The Your Local team also curated a drink list that brought crisp, refreshing notes to balance the richness of the courses, creating a well-rounded dining experience.
What’s Next: Upcoming Episodes You Don’t Want to Miss
Don’t miss out on the rest of the MAT NAM series—it’s a limited-time event where each chef, Filipino or Korean, brings a different layer to the story. It’s blend of both Asian cuisines that creates a unique experience.
Episode 2 (April 26 – May 14) features Chef Kisu Bang, best known as the first Korean head chef to earn a Michelin star and the culinary force behind Gitdeun. Gitdeun is a Seoul-based restaurant that specializes in modern Korean barbecue and traditional flavour. He is also one of the coveted “white spoon” chefs (the veterans of the industry) on Culinary Class Wars.
Episode 3 (May 17 – June 1) features Chef Byung Mook Kim–a “black spoon” chef (newcomers) on Culinary Class Wars known as “Yakitori King” and for his experimental Korean-Japanese fusion dishes. He is also the owner-chef of Yakitori Mook, a Michelin Guide-rated restaurant.
Reserve your table now via @yourlocalph or contact 0945 427 0054 to experience this one-of-a-kind collaboration.
Photographs courtesy of Your Local
