Filipino celebrities test their nerve in Seoul pop-up resto in ‘Kumusta’

A restaurant kitchen in Seoul becomes the unlikely stage for a new cross-cultural television experiment that pairs Filipino and South Korean stars in a cooking challenge with real diners and real pressure.

The upcoming reality series Kumusta brings together South Korean actors Ji Chang-wook, Kim Min-seok, and Seo In-guk with Filipino celebrities Jodi Sta. Maria, Janella Salvador, Francine Diaz, and Arci Muñoz. Guiding them in the kitchen is chef JP Anglo, whose restaurant Sarsa Kitchen + Bar holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand distinction.

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Instead of competing in a studio, the cast travels to Seoul and runs a temporary Filipino pop-up restaurant in the city’s upscale Gangnam district. For several days during filming in 2025, the actors took on full restaurant shifts, shopping for ingredients, preparing dishes, and serving customers while cameras rolled.

The show’s title comes from the familiar Filipino greeting “kumusta,” meaning “How are you?” The phrase captures the spirit of the project, which aims to turn food into a conversation between cultures.

Chang-wook, known internationally for dramas such as Healer and Empress Ki, serves as host and cultural guide for the Filipino cast as they adjust to life and restaurant service in Seoul.

“Actually, there is one reason that I chose to serve in the restaurant,” Chang-wook said with a laugh during a press interview. “It’s because I’m not good at cooking.”

Chef JP Anglo (left) and South Korean actor Ji Chang-wook discuss their roles in the upcoming television project

Instead of working the stove, he focused on assisting diners and supporting the kitchen team led by Anglo. “I just supported and followed our boss, Chef JP,” he said.

The menu reads like a showcase of Filipino comfort food, including sisig, lechon, kare-kare, sinigang, and palabok, along with desserts such as halo-halo.

For Anglo, the challenge of turning actors into restaurant staff was daunting. “I actually told them that it’s impossible,” he said. “Non-chefs opening a restaurant and cooking Filipino food—the stakes were very high.”

Yet the cast embraced the task. “They were troopers,” Anglo said. “They embraced their roles the same way they would embrace their characters when they act. The heart was really there.”

Filming days stretched as long as 12 to 16 hours, mirroring the pace of a real kitchen. Actress Salvador spent much of her time working alongside the chef behind the scenes.

“It was my first time cooking,” she said. “I was mostly in the kitchen with Chef the whole time.”

Even familiar dishes proved demanding. “Ang palabok, ang hirap palang gawin,” she said with a laugh. “I now have a renewed respect for people who work in the service and kitchen industry.”

The show also reveals the cultural parallels between Filipinos and Koreans, particularly around food.

“Even though we are from different nations, in front of delicious dishes we are just all the same people,” Chang-wook said.

From left: Arci Muñoz, Janella Salvador, Francine Diaz, Jodi Sta. Maria, chef JP Anglo, and Ji Chang-wook pose for the cameras at the launch of their new show

For Sta. Maria, the project offered a chance to share Filipino hospitality. “It’s not only about taking care of each other while working,” she said. “It’s also making sure every person who visited the restaurant felt cared for.”

Some of the most memorable moments came quietly in the kitchen as the cast watched Korean diners finish their plates.

“Janella and I would pinch ourselves when we saw them eating and enjoying the food,” Sta. Maria said. “It was a pretty cool moment for Filipino cuisine.”

Kumusta is produced by E&S Partners, a subsidiary of Echolive Korea, with filming and post-production handled by PODO Creative. Food company Rebisco serves as the show’s main sponsor.

The series premieres May 24 on TV5 as part of its Weekend Trip block and will stream internationally on Viu.

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