Seoul, Part 13: Watch Out for Flying Cabbage!

Are those knives real?!

Sliced cabbage flew toward the audience as the chefs excitedly chopped along in a rhythmic pattern. I never knew a performance with very few words could be so comical and have me gasping for air as I continuously roared in laughter. 

I had booked tickets worried that we may not make it to the show after a long day outside of Seoul. But with our bellies full and feeling re-energized after a quick stroll down Myeongdong shopping street to grab some tasty Korean street food snacks, we were ready to enjoy South Korea's most popular award-winning (and internationally famous) comedy show, Cookin' NANTA. The energetic performance is centered around a group of talented chefs who are under the pressure of the restaurant manager to prepare a big meal for a special wedding by 6 o'clock. As you can imagine, chaos ensues...

Between explosive drumming sessions of kitchen knives on cutting boards, brooms, and pans, you'd hear shouts between the chefs as the troublemaker nephew would try and stir the pot...literally. The incompetent nephew, bless his heart, was my favorite character and had me bursting in laughter throughout the show.

But not only will you enjoy the percussion and comedic delights of the cast, a little martial arts, acrobatics and dance is thrown into the performance as well. This show really had it all, and even with the show being 90-minutes long, I felt myself sad that the fun was over at the end of the night. This show became one of the highlights of our trip.

Our hilarious group of performers for the night

Running since 1997, it is clear to see why Cookin' NANTA has done so well. Audiences fill the theater with laughter as the hard-working cast provide the performance of a lifetime.  I would absolutely go see this show again. The talented actors are changed up, so each new group brings opportunity for a slight variation in comedic highlights. The next time we are in Seoul, I will certainly be grabbing tickets for another night of until-you're-in-tears laughter. 

Oh, and yes, those knives are very real!