Sam Kim

South Korean chef and television personality

Biography

Sam Kim (born Kim Hee-tae on May 8, 1977) is a South Korean chef and television personality. He is best known for his appearances on variety and cooking programs, and his English-language name has given him visibility beyond Korea.

His culinary training, restaurants, and career before television are not documented in detail here, so his public profile rests mainly on the shows he has taken part in. He was a cast member of Real Men and Please Take Care of My Refrigerator, entertainment programs in which cooking and group living play a prominent role. From 2011 to 2012 he hosted Sam and Raymon Cooking Time, a show centred on cooking in which he shared the spotlight.

For now, his legacy lies largely in his television work. His career illustrates how the cooking programme has become an entertainment genre on South Korean television. Assessing his work as a chef calls for broader accounts of his career.

Key contributions

• Cast member of Real Men, a variety show where cooking and group dynamics come together.
• Cast member of Please Take Care of My Refrigerator, a programme that presents home cooking as entertainment.
• Host of Sam and Raymon Cooking Time from 2011 to 2012, a television format built around cooking.