Ahn Hyo Seop is stepping into a completely new role for his next project. The actor, known for romantic comedies like A Business Proposal and Sold Out on You, is trading his suit for a chef’s uniform in JTBC’s upcoming weekend drama Final Table. The series pairs him with Hong Hwa Yeon for their first on-screen collaboration, and it is set to bring a high-stakes cooking competition to screens worldwide this October.
What Final Table Is About
Final Table follows talented Korean chefs from around the world as they gather to compete in The Table: K-Chef 2026, a survival competition to determine the best Korean chef. The drama is written and directed by Kim Do Hoon, who previously worked on Moon Embracing the Sun and Chimera. Produced by SLL, B.A. Entertainment, and DZoongFilm, the series blends the tension of a reality-style cooking show with scripted personal stories.
The production team shared that the competition within the drama will be formatted like a reality show, allowing viewers to enjoy both a scripted series and a competition program at the same time.
Ahn Hyo Seop As Chef Kang Han
Ahn Hyo Seop plays Kang Han, a Korean chef who has spent most of his career working at restaurants overseas. Known internationally as Chris K., he possesses exceptional culinary talent and an outstanding palate. Every detail about him, from his family background to his nationality, remains a mystery.
Kang Han has a free-spirited personality and a strong wanderlust. He travels the world and moves to a different restaurant every year. He already has a contract with a famous restaurant in New York, but he stays in Korea for a while to enjoy a simple life close to nature. During his stay, he visits Familia, a small Italian restaurant filled with memories of his father, and unexpectedly becomes its head chef. This leads him to enter The Table: K-Chef 2026, even postponing his planned trip to the United States.
This marks Ahn Hyo Seop’s first time playing a chef in his career. In a digital interview with Marie Claire Korea, he described the drama as a warm and familiar story.
“It feels like freshly cooked rice and a warm meal prepared by my mother. It may be a familiar taste, but it makes you think about the precious things within it once again.”
He also shared that his character shares similarities with his real self. “This character has a similar way of speaking and thinking to me,” he said.
Hong Hwa Yeon As Choi Song Yi
Hong Hwa Yeon stars as Choi Song Yi, the only daughter of Choi Seung Hyo, a chef considered the godfather of Western cuisine in Korea. After her father passes away due to an unfortunate accident, Song Yi fights to keep his struggling restaurant Familia afloat. She works as the restaurant’s hall manager and refuses to give up despite facing various incidents and accidents while trying to protect her father’s legacy.
Song Yi crosses paths with Kang Han, and the two form a partnership that could change the fate of the restaurant. The drama explores whether Chef Han can win over the judges with his own flavor while helping Song Yi save what her father built.
Hong Hwa Yeon previously appeared in Buried Hearts and Filing for Love. Final Table marks her first on-screen collaboration with Ahn Hyo Seop.
Supporting Cast And Rivalries
Chang Ryul plays Cha Woo Jin, the head chef of Exception, Korea’s top contemporary restaurant backed by Pyeongyeon Group. A strict perfectionist, Woo Jin follows set routines in everything he does and places great importance on precision when it comes to cooking. A culinary prodigy since childhood, he once placed second in a cooking competition after being defeated by an anonymous chef—the only time he ever failed to take first place. When he learns that the chef who defeated him is entering The Table: K-Chef 2026, he decides to compete and settle the score.
Jung Yoo Jin portrays Seon Jung Won, the executive producer of The Table: K-Chef 2026. She fell in love with the world of food by chance and meets many diverse chefs while planning the competition.
Jang Young Nam plays Moon Hye Seon, the chairwoman of Pyeongyeon Group, the country’s leading food company. Her character forms a tense rivalry with her half-sister Baek Hyun Joo, played by Cha Ji Yeon, driving much of the drama’s family and business conflict.
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Release Date And Streaming Details
Final Table premieres on October 24, 2026, on JTBC. The drama airs every Saturday and Sunday at 10:40 p.m. KST.
For viewers in South Korea, the series will be available on JTBC and Disney+. International audiences can watch it on Amazon Prime Video, which will release the series simultaneously worldwide. The show will be available in over 240 countries and territories, making it accessible to fans across the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, India, and beyond.
The first stills of Ahn Hyo Seop in character were released on September 9, showing him in a crisp white chef’s uniform with a confident smile and sharp gaze. More stills of Chang Ryul were released on September 21, giving viewers a look at his character’s intense preparation for the competition.
The drama follows Ahn Hyo Seop’s successful 2026 run, which included the romantic comedy Sold Out on You. Final Table marks his return to television about five months after his last project.
Also Read: Ahn Hyo Seop Is a Genius Chef in Final Table: Cast, Release Date, Streaming Details and More
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