The year he turned 34, he started his Korean career as head chef of L’Amant Secret, newly opened at L’Escape Hotel. He had graduated from a private high school in Texas as valedictorian, studied civil engineering at Rose-Hulman and left in his fourth year, then went through the Culinary Institute of America in New York and worked as a sous chef at Noma in Denmark and Queens in the U.S.
In 2021, L’Amant Secret earned its first star in the Michelin Guide Seoul. In 2022, Eatanic Garden, the Korean restaurant at Josun Palace hotel, reopened after a renovation with his arrival.
In 2023, Eatanic Garden also earned a Michelin star, so both restaurants held stars at the same time. That November, he won New Talent of the Year at La Liste 2024 in France, the only Asian chef among the winners.
The breakthrough yearThe year he turned 41, he made his first appearance on JTBC’s Please Take Care of My Refrigerator in January. In March, Eatanic Garden entered Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants at No. 25 and received the Highest New Entry award, and in November he worked with Emart24 on “Family Meal” ready meals. In December, he appeared as a White Spoon on Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars season 2 and became known.
In January 2026, he was eliminated from Culinary Class Wars 2. In April, he led the cooking for the Korea–France state dinner at the Blue House.
Son Jong-won (born Mar 19, 1984) debuted in 2018, the year he turned 34, as head chef of L’Amant Secret at L’Escape Hotel, and became known when he appeared on Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars season 2 on Dec 16, 2025, the year he turned 41. Since 2023, both L’Amant Secret and Eatanic Garden have held a Michelin star.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.
02 / QUICK ANSWERS
Q & AFrequently asked
- How old was Son Jong-won when he debuted?
- In 2018, the year he turned 34. After a Texas private high school and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, he trained at the Culinary Institute of America and worked at Noma in Denmark and Queens in the U.S., then came to Korea as head chef of L’Amant Secret, newly opened at L’Escape Hotel.
- How old was Son Jong-won when he became famous?
- In 2025, the year he turned 41, when Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars season 2 was released on Dec 16, 2025 with him as a White Spoon. He had also appeared on JTBC’s Please Take Care of My Refrigerator from January that year. He was eliminated from Culinary Class Wars 2 in the episode released on Jan 6, 2026.
- How old was Son Jong-won when he earned Michelin stars?
- L’Amant Secret earned its first star in 2021, the year he turned 37, and Eatanic Garden earned one in 2023, the year he turned 39. Woman Donga wrote that Son was the only chef in Korea with Michelin stars at two or more restaurants at the same time.
- Which restaurants does Son Jong-won lead?
- He leads L’Amant Secret, a French restaurant at L’Escape Hotel in Seoul, and Eatanic Garden, a Korean restaurant at Josun Palace Gangnam. Both kept one star in the Michelin Guide Seoul & Busan 2026.
- How old is Son Jong-won?
- Born in 1984, he turns 42 in 2026 (42 as of Sep 28, 2026).