How 3 Korean Chefs Make 10,000 Office Workers' Lunch Boxes Every Week | Big Batches | Insider Food

[@LivxLaughxLove]

$5 for a meal of that quality is no joke. I have never had tofu before, but I'd be willing to try that for $5. The head chef is a boss...all that hand mixing and chopping. To be able to turn out dishes this high quality, nobody can afford to slack off and from the looks of it they don't

[@laerwen]

30k won is about US $22, so I suspect that number may be in error :( but it is true the meals are very high quality.

[@jdkgcp]

Tofu just takes on the flavor of whatever the sauce is. It's actually great and Mapo Tofu is really good.

[@PoppyCorn144]

@@laerwen maybe it’s 30k per 5 day working week - that’d be about $5 per day, which would be incredibly good value. I’d definitely subscribe if that service was available to me, even at twice that price.

[@itsgonnabeanaurfromme]

​​@@jdkgcp tofu has it's own distinct flavor actually unless you get really bad one and don't prepare it well

[@fireblossom8544]

@@jdkgcp As mentioned by someone above tofu has its own distinctive flavor. East asians can well recognise the characteristic 'bean protein' flavor of tofu since we are adapted and sensitive to the taste, for myself I really like the flavor of tofu

[@ephemispriest8069]

The variety of ingredients in this is mind boggling. It's more than I typically get in an entire day cooking my own food. Insane.

[@amazingdude9042]

he he. you call this big ? in India there are kitchens which makes meals for upwards of 100k people a day and that is free for all. this is like puppet in front of them.

[@ephemispriest8069]

@@amazingdude9042 You sound like a damn Texan. I'm talking about variety. I'm familiar with what you're talking about, and those meals don't have half the ingredients these do.

[@marcobaek1378]

@@ephemispriest8069well Indians ARE the Texans of Asia and Chinese the MURICANS of Asia

[@xlaff659]

​@@amazingdude9042 so? lets compare to how clean they make food instead lmao.

[@TheRealWinser]

I get about half of this variety in a full days menu.

[@huntakilla1234]

Everything made from scratch, freshly cooked, beautifully seasoned. For 5 bucks. Absolutely incredible

[@chronos13]

It's closer to 25 usd - the narrator said 30,000 krw and did the conversion terribly wrong

[@ibuyfriends4467]

@@chronos13 Probably $5 per meal $25 for 5 for the whole week.

[@killrate3432]

No they made an error in the description, it’s 7000 won which is 5 bucks

[@tatarcavalry2342]

@@ibuyfriends4467 it's in the description

[@Vincent_de_Paul]

There's no effing way it costs $25. Even in restaurants it doesn't cost half of that. Are you kidding me? 😂 ​@@chronos13

[@content-consumer-max]

It is mind boggling that they do not use machines to chop veggies at this scale. Hats off to the chefs to do the whole process by hand!!

[@paulinejackson5861]

They are on camera, of course they will show you that

[@curiousgeorgevs.winniethepooh]

That area of the world the machinery is cheaper because they basically make everything device

[@amityFinder2099]

@@paulinejackson5861 they seem dexterous with a knife for it to be "just for the camera"

[@cristsan4171]

And that is why they are all unsanitary regardless

[@tanishupreti5767]

@@paulinejackson5861 Yea buddy it's easy to tell you have never cooked a proper meal on your own before

[@AuskaDezjArdamaath]

For $5, that’s an amazing deal! And so much healthier than any fast food that would be 4 times the price.😮

[@hteacave]

If you buy this at school, it would be like cold pizza for $15

[@itsgonnabeanaurfromme]

30k won is 22 USD

[@bobroberts7308]

@@itsgonnabeanaurfromme I think the won amount is incorrect. Korean food is generally cheap

[@amazingdude9042]

he he. you call this big ? in India there are kitchens which makes meals for upwards of 100k people a day and that is free for all. this is like puppet in front of them.

[@briannyaanga5857]

​@Amazing Dude so ?

[@TungNguyen-gr6hu]

The fact that he's still using the finger technic when making rice even for big batches like that shows he's really good asian chef

[@OptimusWombat]

Uncle Roger would approve.

[@MultiSciGeek]

hahahaha

[@heretocomment2337]

For people talking about the price: the video description corrected the error and said it is around 7,000 Won which is around 5US$, but for those saying it is cheap for the quality: you can't compare it like that. You have to compare like for like. The average wage for an office administrator is $14 USD an hour so 5$ is just over 20% of one hour's worth of working. According to Numbeo, a meal at an inexpensive restaurant in a major like New York, is $25 USD, which is over 4x that of a same comparison in Seoul, a capital city. Everything in South Korea is comparatively cheaper when compared to a country like the USA with higher costs of living and wages. By this standard, food is even cheaper in India, Thailand, Indonesia etc but if you move there and get a local job, your wages will also be lower. I just hate it when people talk about how cheap something is without considering the local context.

[@birphon]

i mean, though you are not wrong in terms of not considering local context, a lot of people will still just compare it to what they have had in their life. So getting this for $5 is a bloody good deal. Is it accurate the Won to USD ratio in terms of pricing? Nah, I'd expect this to be more expensive in the likes of America due to ingredient sourcing which will bump the prices up a bit

[@DoHyunKil]

Comparing New York's price is an even more of overshoot, though. In most big cities across the world the a meal at an inexpensive restaurant is more like around $15. South Korea is a relatively developed nation with a fairly strong currency. $5 in Korean currency is mostly similar in value with $5 in France, Italy, Japan etc.

[@TheSultan1470]

Pfff, you think people think about context

[@heretocomment2337]

@@TheSultan1470 If they don't, they should. There are just too many people making comments like "how can someone not afford XYZ when it only costs $50" and forget the context of the video is set in the 1960's, or those travel videos that say "buffet lunch for just $3" and the catch is it's $3 USD when people in the local place survives on something like $10 a day. Of course this doesn't apply to this video, this video is great, but I am referring to people in the comments who forget they have to fly there first, or the difference in population and wages and currency.

[@heretocomment2337]

@@DoHyunKil I am not comparing New York, a large city in the USA to Seoul, a large city in Korea. Since people are saying how cheap $5 USD is for a meal, I am comparing 5 US Dollars in New York, a large city in the home of said currency, and the costs of other things in the same city, vs the equivalent South Korean currency, the Won, in Seoul, a large city in their own home country vs costs of other things in Seoul.

[@syren4731]

All that work and the kitchen is PRISTINE! Thank you hard working people 🙏🏽

[@Belbecat]

Rofl so true - meanwhile most make more mess at home cooking for only 1-4 😆

[@blissfullyunhinged2316]

I really appreciate seeing videos like these as it shows all the hard work that goes into making these delicious lunch boxes! They pour all of their energy on a container that once it is consumed, it gives back the energy needed to press on and do what needs to be done. Thank you very much!

[@jaideepsingh2405]

That 1 second lag in between big and batches during the intro really made me smile. Fantastic attention to detail!

[@amazingdude9042]

he he. you call this big ? in India there are kitchens which makes meals for upwards of 100k people a day and that is free for all. this is like puppet in front of them.

[@DanielLamando]

​@@amazingdude9042 those Big Batches videos are also excellent, it's nice to see inside the different types of big kitchens on this channel :)

[@dnichl]

@@amazingdude9042 ingredient prep, number of ingredients, attention to cleanliness, precision and all the different cooking techniques. you're comparing apples to oranges. give me a dozen helpers, a giant pot, some rice, flour, ghee, vegetables, garam masala and chutney and i can say i cooked for 200k 🙄 it's not a competition.

[@amazingdude9042]

@@dnichl go and see Akshay Patra kitchens, you will know what a sophisticated large kitchen looks like.

[@AnnapolisGirly]

It’s so beautiful to see this is all done by hand. It surely makes the food taste better.

[@iliketacos6067]

I cannot thank you enough for producing/publishing this video. I love this

[@peter_parkour]

They still use the finger method to cook their rice. I trust these guys with my whole belly.

[@moderneducationalstandard]

The level of cleanliness is absolutely unreal. I would try their food at any time.

[@WilburGarysMum]

Those meals looks absolutely delicious! Love how it’s all made from scratch. Real quality right there!

[@usamaepekonis]

1:54 That one tofu: "adios" Or should I say "annyeong"

[@ranithesheepful]

30 000 krw is definitely not 5 usd 😂 Props to these amazing workers for prociding such fresh, healthy and delicious food!

[@SillyScribe263]

they corrected their error. its actually 7'000 won

[@kulled]

before Tsujioka family taxes its five dollars. do your research pls.. google does not know everything..

[@mailinglist2451]

You’re right. It’s not. But generally speaking, prepared food in SoKo is far less expensive than it is in the US.

[@Gaookami]

The chefs and the rest of the kitchen crew do an amazing job. Watching the whole process while each step was explained wants me to try my hands on the cucumber and chive salad🤤

[@banealsmanana3672]

The kitchen is cleaner than my own room. Damn respect this guys

[@eclopeenhaimer.7247]

many ppl talking about price and some are douting about its not $5. well i googled it easy and got price of it. the month sub of price is 7000원(7000korea won) its about $5. btw 7000원 is quite cheap as lunch meal. most lunch meal in korea is about 10000원($7.5). but in convineant store(like seven eleven, CU, GS25) also have about 4000원-5000원($3) price which is lot of worker eat for cheap lunch. TLDR; Yep its indeed $5, lot of meal in here are about and over $7.5 and cheap food are $3. so i think its just decent choice yet so mouth watering

[@magdoh]

The issue is that the person doing the audio said 30 000₩ not 10 000₩ or less, that's where the comments come from...

[@itsgonnabeanaurfromme]

Did you watch the video? She said 30k won. That's why people are questioning it

[@kvntree]

@@itsgonnabeanaurfromme They made a mistake in the video and each box actually costs 7000₩

[@divyaa155]

I am always amazed with the Korean style of cooking. So much varieties of veggies in one meal!

[@bentcn8511]

They need more chefs and deserve a raise.

[@sunghyunhong1898]

30,000won is about 25 US dollars, but these lunch boxes would usually go for 5~8 dollars. thankyou for the video! this is a typical lunch I get, and I have more respect now :)

[@musanyathi2298]

Maybe he meant 6000 won. Min order is 5 boxes so 30000.

[@OriginalCovfefe]

It’s impressive. Looks like they took what they learned from being cooks in the Army into their business. Very smart!

[@goudagirl6095]

unbelievable amount of food they prepare every day AND unbelievable how many varieties of foods the workers gets too, wow! Extremely commendable!

[@jshbld6582]

Its so satisfying to watch people do their work

[@thegoodbyegirl27]

I absolutely love this series especially with Claudia’s voiceover

[@Marie-v4p]

I bet there's no small talk in this kitchen! Such an intense job, with all the chopping you gotta be focused and on the ball. Looks yummy!

[@MoeTea4U]

Wow! I might never get to eat their lunch boxes but I'd like to thank the Chef's and team that make them everyday!

[@BigMuff75]

I would love to try their food some time. It looks so delicious.

[@serhii_himself]

0:16 seems a lot more than "three chefs"

[@nursetazzi]

Asia is known for fresh meals like this. I can remember as a child, mu mother ordering food from a restaurant and it would be delivered in a "hot box" on serving plates, and several hours later someone would come back to collect the empty plates. The food was always outstanding and fresh.

[@protolanhan9824]

9:10 30,000 won is NOT 5 usd For quick maths: 1,000 won ~ 1 usd (think of the comma as the decimal point) For preciseness: 30,000 won is 22.41 usd

[@caithemburrow5569]

Over a working week of 5 days it’s £5

[@frosttree1873]

read editor note in description

[@kvntree]

They made a mistake in the video and each box actually costs 7000₩

[@todorrusinov9149]

working in the same type of kitchen, this is possible only because it's ordered in advance, and in large amounts.. but for me it's impressive how clean is everything, no matter how hard i try to keep it clean, when the time is pushing me i always drop something here and there on the tables while i fill the boxes

[@gonnagetya1433]

Assuming they would have a varied menu from day to day, Would really love to have had this available where we lived even at twice the price.

[@MacwinsTV]

I really like how high standard of Hygiene is maintained , I wish other countries can learn from this !

[@BeeRich33]

Apply a tiffin application and make the trays from stainless steel. Used, returned, washed.

[@gwot]

Korea does have places that deliver regular plates and bowls with saran wrap, and they'll come pick up after you're done.

[@eesullivan88]

That kitchen is spotless

[@stynerca]

well, I live in Korea and I was hoping if I could order from them for my lunch. 1.They only deliver within Daegu where I don't live at. 2. You have to order minimum of 5 lunch boxes per a order.

[@joshuahashem6094]

A nice added touch was the use of the blow torch at around 2:30 to add that smokey sorta flavour to the pork that you usually get from traditional wok stir frying

[@TolstoyPlastic]

those are some happy happy office workers! :)

[@anggaprananta]

Delicious and mind blowing too... Doing it manual by hand, they must be fully trained with no jokes experience... Good job cheff..

[@MisadventuresOfJason]

crazy how all the ingredients are freshly cut.

[@simpledj509chromo7]

That is incredible quality and a very nicely balanced meal for five bucks. I would be more than happy to pay that.

[@Baller14_]

I love Korean food. Some of the healthiest Asian food out there.

[@delafontaine]

These chefs cook fresh, even for big batches. If I go to our Restaurant, everything is convenience food. They only have to heat up veggies and fry fries.

[@idrinktapwater6174]

I like how clean everything is

[@johnan3398]

These meals have to be the most nutritious and delicious things ever.

[@RobinMarconeCassidyRN]

Much respect for these guys. That's a lot of work! They probably forgot how to make a meal for 2 people.

[@jsteeew]

looks incredibly delicious and at such scale … mind blowing

[@MultiSciGeek]

Damn that looks good actually! Probably my fav episode of the series!

[@ahadullohsamiyev4078]

as a person who lived in Seoul for a long time i can say 30 000 won is around 20$ USD 5 dollars is around 6 000 won. There was a mistake because Nowhere in Seoul dosirak costs 30 000 won

[@gegenton3953]

Make the plates more sturdy and recycle them back into the system. The delivery guy can simply take back the trays used the day before. This should also improve customer experience due to better quality trays. Overall very impressive and healthy food!

[@billylee4460]

eh... that would be a two way street. if the buyer is too lazy to recycle, well sucks aint it?

[@timothyree8653]

sorry but no one cares for quality trays in korea because the whole food delivery/package system has been around for ages. whilst chinese food like jajamyun and such do use proper bowls and plates so the delivery people come pick it back up most shops/businesses dont have the time to make second rounds

[@gegenton3953]

@@timothyree8653 That's sad to hear actually. Such good food and presented in throw-away trays. Anyway, thanks for the info!

[@dertasdert2419]

@@gegenton3953 why is it sad

[@gegenton3953]

@@dertasdert2419 because the food is poorly presented and we generate tons of trash every day. If a tray weighs 50g and is made from 75% recycled material, each tray is 12,5g of new plastic. Times 10.000 meals a day, times 240 working days a year is 30mt of NEW plastic trash, not recycled. And this is only one company.

[@PuddilyOops]

Everything looked really good! I think it’s nice that the office workers that subscribe all eat together too.

[@tenzo_san]

The cleanliness 🫡

[@11120771]

Never underestimate the finger/hand methods for rice cooking. The Asian way is the right way.

[@aimeem]

It doesn't work for small quantities, but for large quantities it works really well

[@11120771]

@@aimeem like 1 adult portion?

[@B4godtherewaslight]

Those meals looks nice and balanced…happily eat that everyday just to keep in shape. Korean food is tasty

[@B0H0]

I never realized I wasn't subbed to the channel. I just always get your vids in my recommended

[@OurHereafter]

look how clean and futuristic that kitchen looks. its fancier than a Louie Vuitton outlet store

[@jaskknd]

love it that even at this scale, you'll still measure water for rice with your finger

[@RWP98]

Imagine the insane amount of water it is used in only a day, from cleaning the veggies and packages on arrival to the cooking itself. Not to mention the cleaning of the kitchen itself. Insane

[@TOYZOOREVIEWS]

30000 won is $22, wth.. Someone didn't research correctly. $5 is 6783 won.

[@kyuree]

When they have subscriptions it would be nice if they used reusable containers though. Looks really yummy and I'm jealous. The chefs and employees can be proud of themselves 😊

[@maxdc988]

It's fantastic in theory but another story in practice. Just imagine the collection and cleaning involved, The labour and cost would be at least doubled and there is the question of hygiene. Sadly idealism does not exist on earth. 😂

[@계란-x3r]

It's alr been mentioned but 30,000 won is ~23USD and ~30CAD

[@tomlee45]

30,000 won is not 5 dollars - the base amount to make things easy is 1000 to 1 USD. or 30 dollars. It's currently at 23 dollars with the current exchange rate.

[@BoliceOccifer]

Immensely based. You've got to applaud people who produce something of actual value. Quality food for five bucks is hard to find.

[@anm60forjesus.]

wow $5 for a home cooked meal....Amazing! I would buy me one everyday! Looks super delicious 😍

[@gwot]

This is hardly home cooked. Every restaurant would be home cooked by your standard

[@sosososososo4148]

All of these are very well nutritionally balanced

[@akulanarayana5284]

Very clean work wonders how possible for 10000 people😮👌🙏👍

[@enooeeelelee_]

This looks delicious! Why did I watch this on a empty stomach? 😭

[@wezlo8733]

Korean look so clean and efficient when cooking.

[@bobelgv3]

In america I would love to have something like this. This sounds amazing and would make me feel so good. I barely can make time to eat let alone cook such an amazing assortment of foods!

[@ZiIIionaire]

The best thing is they use the wok. Fuiyoh!

[@mirrorflame1988]

This is incredible!!!

[@enam9000]

Man everything looks do clean 😍

[@charlenemack7040]

Looks very healthy.😊❤

[@gwot]

better than fast food, but they use high amounts of oil and salt, which is bad for you, many people with health issues are connected with eating take out food such as this.

[@mikaha8389]

Wow…. After i saw them cleaning the packaging of the tofu i already knew its gonna be so clean like the cleanliness is on top

[@subhradeepsharma]

Language and accent is through the roof in this video 😂😂

[@youtube_chose_word_for_you]

it amazing chef can maintain quality cooking that much food in one batch.

[@hangny98]

Glad to see that the finger in rice trick also works for very large batches 😅

[@AS__J]

Wow the hygenic is amazimg😮😮😮

[@Yoruichi__Shihouin]

The cost of food in South Korea is a lot cheaper then in the states, highly recommend trying some of their fermented sauces.

[@SnapVibeClips]

Tofu running for his life 1:55

[@sarahpear201]

No way, $5 for this high quality lunch box?!!! I will subscribe to it for 365!

[@GROOD-rg8lb]

This just makes me realise school chefs can do better.

[@RobertJuKim]

Um, not to be "that guy," but maybe next time get someone who maybe has a background in asian cuisine or at least a knowledge of cullinary cooking to narrate the video. It was really hard to listen to this person because of the stuttering, continous pauses, and odd choices when prounouncing the names of ingredients. It's clear to me that this person is out of their depth when it comes to this topic and made it hard to listen to the video at many points due narrated sound bites.

[@inactiveaccount998]

i agree. as a native s korean, it really bothers me.

[@jeffreysokal7264]

That looks absolutely wonderful. I wish we had food like this in America.

[@emilyswanagon2521]

great video, one of my favorites so far

[@drgokilz]

I suddenly have an even bigger appreciation for the ajummas and other workers in my cafeteria. They even provide non pork options for the non pork eaters.

[@mario08133]

yep, measuring the water using your finger stll works.

[@jcjacobsung4245]

for your information, I'm a korean, and 30,000 won is 22.49 USD dollars

[@gracekim3186]

9:47 did he just nervously receive the box and bonk it on the office chair 😂

[@Charleskumar-em4rl]

Fantastic, indeed!!

[@ninggouma]

Amazing to watch this video, I love it. My great respect for all people working really hard there, absolutely incredible. Thank you for sharing 😁😍❤️👍👍👍💪💪💪

[@rookhobbes9055]

I hope these guys are well compensated for the work they do, that's a massive mess of food to whip up daily and they so it all so well!

[@pww4293]

4:26 Uncle Roger approve this method

[@rosec1137]

this is rad but 10 hour shifts with such manual work is crazy

[@patrickvernon4766]

That looks good! What a great service

[@angeldyankov2238]

Great stuff, 10k plastic packages + 2x10k plastic cups for rise and the other stuff + 20k plastic utensils.... per day. Nicely done.

[@hbhb7900]

That would sure be better than the carb heavy lunches that are available at fast food places. I am always impressed at how Asian countries continue to hold on to their healthy eating habits. Every meal has soup, and vegetables, usually pickled. Also, they eat many different dishes, which I think would be a more satisfying meal, than just a big burger and fries.

[@webdev217]

Rice is carbs