South Korea · Variety · 2018
Baek Jong-won’s Alley Restaurant
Binge Brief
- 200 episodes on SBS, 5 January 2018 to 29 December 2021
- Cha Eun Woo appears in episode 54, broadcast on 20 February 2019
- Four co-hosts in turn: Kim Se-jeong, Jo Bo-ah, Jeong In-sun and Geum Sae-rok
- Nominated for Best Entertainment Program at the 2019 Baeksang Arts Awards
Synopsis
Baek Jong-won's Alley Restaurant (백종원의 골목식당) is an SBS show in which restaurant entrepreneur Baek Jong-won takes on one run-down alley at a time. He eats at each small restaurant, tells the owner what is wrong with the food, the menu or the kitchen, and comes back weeks later to see whether anything changed. SBS's own page calls it a textbook for people opening a restaurant. It grew out of his earlier SBS show Top 3 Chef King. The first episode aired on 5 January 2018, at the three-way junction outside Ewha Womans University, and the 200th and last on 29 December 2021. Most neighbourhoods filled four or five weeks.
Baek and MC Kim Sung-joo were in all 200 episodes. The third seat changed hands four times: Kim Se-jeong for episodes 1 to 10, Jo Bo-ah from 23 March 2018 to the Geoje finale on 27 March 2019 (episodes 11 to 59), Jeong In-sun from 3 April 2019 to 5 May 2021 (episodes 60 to 168), and Geum Sae-rok from 12 May 2021 to the end. The show began in a Friday 23:20 slot and moved to Wednesdays at 23:10 from 29 August 2018. English Wikipedia credits Kim Joon-soo, Lee Gwan-won and Jung Woo-jin as directors.
Cha Eun Woo of ASTRO is in episode 54, broadcast on 20 February 2019, the fifth and last part of the Hoegi-dong mural alley visit. He came in as a customer at the alley's pizzeria to taste its new menu with Baek. After the bacon rosé pizza he said the rosé flavour hardly came through and that it did not look as full as it seemed; asked which one he would order again, he chose pepperoni. SF9's Chani and Dawon visited a different restaurant in the same episode.
Baek Jong-won’s Alley Restaurant cast
Themes and messages
The show is about running a small restaurant more than about cooking. Baek tastes, says what is wrong and agrees a fix with each owner, and the later visits check whether the owner stuck to it. In December 2018 one of those was an unannounced check on a Pobangteo Market restaurant, after which Baek said its owner still did not seem to have come to his senses.
Interesting facts
- Pizza verdicts. After Cha Eun Woo's comments on the Hoegi-dong pizzeria's menu, Baek asked him whether he wanted to go round the alleys with him from then on (SBS preview, 18 February 2019).
- No Daesang, by choice. At the 2019 SBS Entertainment Awards on 28 December 2019 Baek said he was not an entertainer and that the grand prize should go to people who had worked in variety all year; asked whether he would take it if offered, he said no. He received the Achievement Award instead.
- A tearful exit. Jo Bo-ah cried on her last broadcast, saying that after a year on the show she could not hold back (27 March 2019).
Episodes
| Ep | Title | Air date | Status | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2018-01-05 | Aired | ||
| 2 | 2018-01-12 | Aired | ||
| 3 | 2018-01-19 | Aired | ||
| 4 | 2018-01-26 | Aired | ||
| 5 | 2018-02-02 | Aired | ||
| 6 | 2018-02-16 | Aired | ||
| 7 | 2018-02-23 | Aired | ||
| 8 | 2018-03-02 | Aired | ||
| 9 | 2018-03-09 | Aired | ||
| 10 | 2018-03-16 | Aired | ||
| 11 | 2018-03-23 | Aired | ||
| 12 | 2018-03-30 | Aired | ||
| 13 | 2018-04-06 | Aired | ||
| 14 | 2018-04-13 | Aired | ||
| 15 | 2018-04-20 | Aired | ||
| 16 | 2018-05-04 | Aired | ||
| 17 | 2018-05-11 | Aired | ||
| 18 | 2018-05-18 | Aired | ||
| 19 | 2018-05-25 | Aired | ||
| 20 | 2018-06-01 | Aired | ||
| 21 | 2018-06-08 | Aired | ||
| 22 | 2018-06-15 | Aired | ||
| 23 | 2018-06-29 | Aired | ||
| 24 | 2018-07-13 | Aired | ||
| 25 | 2018-07-20 | Aired | ||
| 26 | 2018-07-27 | Aired | ||
| 27 | 2018-08-03 | Aired | ||
| 28 | 2018-08-10 | Aired | ||
| 29 | 2018-08-17 | Aired | ||
| 30 | 2018-08-29 | Aired | ||
| 31 | 2018-09-05 | Aired | ||
| 32 | 2018-09-12 | Aired | ||
| 33 | 2018-09-26 | Aired | ||
| 34 | 2018-10-03 | Aired | ||
| 35 | 2018-10-10 | Aired | ||
| 36 | 2018-10-17 | Aired | ||
| 37 | 2018-10-24 | Aired | ||
| 38 | 2018-10-31 | Aired | ||
| 39 | 2018-11-07 | Aired | ||
| 40 | 2018-11-14 | Aired | ||
| 41 | 2018-11-21 | Aired | ||
| 42 | 2018-11-28 | Aired | ||
| 43 | 2018-12-05 | Aired | ||
| 44 | 2018-12-12 | Aired | ||
| 45 | 2018-12-19 | Aired | ||
| 46 | 2018-12-26 | Aired | ||
| 47 | 2019-01-02 | Aired | ||
| 48 | 2019-01-09 | Aired | ||
| 49 | 2019-01-16 | Aired | ||
| 50 | 2019-01-23 | Aired | ||
| 51 | 2019-01-30 | Aired | ||
| 52 | 2019-02-06 | Aired | ||
| 53 | 2019-02-13 | Aired | ||
| 54 | Last part of the Hoegi-dong mural alley visit: the cup-rice shop's new menu, advice for a chicken restaurant about to move, and Cha Eun Woo judging the pizzeria's new pizzas with Baek Jong-won. | 2019-02-20 | Aired | |
| 55 | 2019-02-27 | Aired | ||
| 56 | 2019-03-06 | Aired | ||
| 57 | 2019-03-13 | Aired | ||
| 58 | 2019-03-20 | Aired | ||
| 59 | 2019-03-27 | Aired | ||
| 60 | 2019-04-03 | Aired | ||
| 61 | 2019-04-10 | Aired | ||
| 62 | 2019-04-17 | Aired | ||
| 63 | 2019-04-24 | Aired | ||
| 64 | 2019-05-01 | Aired | ||
| 65 | 2019-05-08 | Aired | ||
| 66 | 2019-05-15 | Aired | ||
| 67 | 2019-05-22 | Aired | ||
| 68 | 2019-05-29 | Aired | ||
| 69 | 2019-06-05 | Aired | ||
| 70 | 2019-06-12 | Aired | ||
| 71 | 2019-06-19 | Aired | ||
| 72 | 2019-06-26 | Aired | ||
| 73 | 2019-07-03 | Aired | ||
| 74 | 2019-07-10 | Aired | ||
| 75 | 2019-07-17 | Aired | ||
| 76 | 2019-07-24 | Aired | ||
| 77 | 2019-07-31 | Aired | ||
| 78 | 2019-08-07 | Aired | ||
| 79 | 2019-08-14 | Aired | ||
| 80 | 2019-08-21 | Aired | ||
| 81 | 2019-08-28 | Aired | ||
| 82 | 2019-09-04 | Aired | ||
| 83 | 2019-09-11 | Aired | ||
| 84 | 2019-09-18 | Aired | ||
| 85 | 2019-09-25 | Aired | ||
| 86 | 2019-10-02 | Aired | ||
| 87 | 2019-10-09 | Aired | ||
| 88 | 2019-10-16 | Aired | ||
| 89 | 2019-10-23 | Aired | ||
| 90 | 2019-10-30 | Aired | ||
| 91 | 2019-11-06 | Aired | ||
| 92 | 2019-11-13 | Aired | ||
| 93 | 2019-11-20 | Aired | ||
| 94 | 2019-11-27 | Aired | ||
| 95 | 2019-12-04 | Aired | ||
| 96 | 2019-12-11 | Aired | ||
| 97 | 2019-12-18 | Aired | ||
| 98 | 2019-12-25 | Aired | ||
| 99 | 2020-01-01 | Aired | ||
| 100 | 2020-01-08 | Aired | ||
| 101 | 2020-01-15 | Aired | ||
| 102 | 2020-01-22 | Aired | ||
| 103 | 2020-01-29 | Aired | ||
| 104 | 2020-02-05 | Aired | ||
| 105 | 2020-02-12 | Aired | ||
| 106 | 2020-02-19 | Aired | ||
| 107 | 2020-02-26 | Aired | ||
| 108 | 2020-03-04 | Aired | ||
| 109 | 2020-03-11 | Aired | ||
| 110 | 2020-03-18 | Aired | ||
| 111 | 2020-03-25 | Aired | ||
| 112 | 2020-04-01 | Aired | ||
| 113 | 2020-04-08 | Aired | ||
| 114 | 2020-04-22 | Aired | ||
| 115 | 2020-04-29 | Aired | ||
| 116 | 2020-05-06 | Aired | ||
| 117 | 2020-05-13 | Aired | ||
| 118 | 2020-05-20 | Aired | ||
| 119 | 2020-05-27 | Aired | ||
| 120 | 2020-06-03 | Aired | ||
| 121 | 2020-06-10 | Aired | ||
| 122 | 2020-06-17 | Aired | ||
| 123 | 2020-06-24 | Aired | ||
| 124 | 2020-07-01 | Aired | ||
| 125 | 2020-07-08 | Aired | ||
| 126 | 2020-07-15 | Aired | ||
| 127 | 2020-07-22 | Aired | ||
| 128 | 2020-07-29 | Aired | ||
| 129 | 2020-08-05 | Aired | ||
| 130 | 2020-08-12 | Aired | ||
| 131 | 2020-08-19 | Aired | ||
| 132 | 2020-08-26 | Aired | ||
| 133 | 2020-09-02 | Aired | ||
| 134 | 2020-09-09 | Aired | ||
| 135 | 2020-09-16 | Aired | ||
| 136 | 2020-09-23 | Aired | ||
| 137 | 2020-09-30 | Aired | ||
| 138 | 2020-10-07 | Aired | ||
| 139 | 2020-10-14 | Aired | ||
| 140 | 2020-10-21 | Aired | ||
| 141 | 2020-10-28 | Aired | ||
| 142 | 2020-11-04 | Aired | ||
| 143 | 2020-11-11 | Aired | ||
| 144 | 2020-11-18 | Aired | ||
| 145 | 2020-11-25 | Aired | ||
| 146 | 2020-12-02 | Aired | ||
| 147 | 2020-12-09 | Aired | ||
| 148 | 2020-12-16 | Aired | ||
| 149 | 2020-12-23 | Aired | ||
| 150 | 2020-12-30 | Aired | ||
| 151 | 2021-01-06 | Aired | ||
| 152 | 2021-01-13 | Aired | ||
| 153 | 2021-01-20 | Aired | ||
| 154 | 2021-01-27 | Aired | ||
| 155 | 2021-02-03 | Aired | ||
| 156 | 2021-02-10 | Aired | ||
| 157 | 2021-02-17 | Aired | ||
| 158 | 2021-02-24 | Aired | ||
| 159 | 2021-03-03 | Aired | ||
| 160 | 2021-03-10 | Aired | ||
| 161 | 2021-03-17 | Aired | ||
| 162 | 2021-03-24 | Aired | ||
| 163 | 2021-03-31 | Aired | ||
| 164 | 2021-04-07 | Aired | ||
| 165 | 2021-04-14 | Aired | ||
| 166 | 2021-04-21 | Aired | ||
| 167 | 2021-04-28 | Aired | ||
| 168 | 2021-05-05 | Aired | ||
| 169 | 2021-05-12 | Aired | ||
| 170 | 2021-05-19 | Aired | ||
| 171 | 2021-05-26 | Aired | ||
| 172 | 2021-06-02 | Aired | ||
| 173 | 2021-06-09 | Aired | ||
| 174 | 2021-06-16 | Aired | ||
| 175 | 2021-06-23 | Aired | ||
| 176 | 2021-06-30 | Aired | ||
| 177 | 2021-07-07 | Aired | ||
| 178 | 2021-07-14 | Aired | ||
| 179 | 2021-07-21 | Aired | ||
| 180 | 2021-07-28 | Aired | ||
| 181 | 2021-08-04 | Aired | ||
| 182 | 2021-08-11 | Aired | ||
| 183 | 2021-08-18 | Aired | ||
| 184 | 2021-08-25 | Aired | ||
| 185 | 2021-09-01 | Aired | ||
| 186 | 2021-09-08 | Aired | ||
| 187 | 2021-09-15 | Aired | ||
| 188 | 2021-09-29 | Aired | ||
| 189 | 2021-10-06 | Aired | ||
| 190 | 2021-10-13 | Aired | ||
| 191 | 2021-10-20 | Aired | ||
| 192 | 2021-10-27 | Aired | ||
| 193 | 2021-11-03 | Aired | ||
| 194 | 2021-11-10 | Aired | ||
| 195 | 2021-11-24 | Aired | ||
| 196 | 2021-12-01 | Aired | ||
| 197 | 2021-12-08 | Aired | ||
| 198 | 2021-12-15 | Aired | ||
| 199 | 2021-12-22 | Aired | ||
| 200 | 2021-12-29 | Aired |
Awards
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Entertainment Program | Baek Jong-won's Alley Restaurant | Nominated |
| 2019 | SBS Entertainment Awards | Achievement Award | Baek Jong-won | Won |
Frequently asked questions
Which episode of Alley Restaurant is Cha Eun Woo in?
Cha Eun Woo is in episode 54 of Alley Restaurant, broadcast on SBS on 20 February 2019. He tasted the new pizzas at a Hoegi-dong pizzeria with Baek Jong-won.
How many episodes of Baek Jong Won Alley Restaurant are there?
Baek Jong-won's Alley Restaurant has 200 episodes, broadcast from 5 January 2018 to 29 December 2021. It was not split into seasons.
Is Paik Jong Won's Alley Restaurant the same show?
Yes. Paik Jong Won's Alley Restaurant is the spelling English Wikipedia uses for 백종원의 골목식당; Baek Jong-won is the same person written in the Revised Romanization.
Who were the co-hosts of Alley Restaurant?
Alongside Baek Jong-won and Kim Sung-joo, Alley Restaurant had four co-hosts in turn: Kim Se-jeong (episodes 1 to 10), Jo Bo-ah (11 to 59), Jeong In-sun (60 to 168) and Geum Sae-rok (169 to 200).
Which Baek Jong Won show visits small restaurants in one alley?
That is Alley Restaurant (골목식당), the SBS show in which Baek Jong-won works with the owners of a single struggling street for four or five weeks before moving on.
When did Alley Restaurant move to Wednesdays?
Alley Restaurant moved from Friday nights to Wednesdays at 23:10 from the broadcast of 29 August 2018, the first Daejeon episode.
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