Visitors dine at a restaurant located at a gourmand alley in Namyeong-dong, Seoul, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Lee Hae-rin

On Friday, at 11:30 a.m., the door of a small izakaya (Japanese-style pub) named Keebo Edamame opened in the middle of a back alley in Namyeong-dong, Yongsan District, in central Seoul.

The small restaurant was quickly filled as the people standing in front of the door entered the izakaya with excitement. Outside stood dozens of other visitors still waiting for their turn.

"I came here after (recognizing) it as a restaurant run by ‘Gangui' in Netflix's ‘Culinary Class Wars,'" said a 32-year-old visitor surnamed Jeong. "I knew that there were many delicious eateries around Yongsan these days, but I especially like these alleys because they are cute and hip."

Since its premiere in September, the Netflix original broke records as the first Korean unscripted title to hit No. 1 on the global rankings for non-English shows, staying on top for three consecutive weeks.

The 12-episode show pits 80 lesser-known, underdog chefs against 20 celebrity culinary masters, classified respectively as "black spoon" and "white spoon" classes.

Netflix's original series "Culinary Class Wars" reached 4 million views between Sept. 30 and Oct. 6. Screenshot from Internet

Bloomberg reported that the show's appeal extends beyond Korea to international viewers and has injected new life into Korea's food and beverage, or F&B, scene, which had been struggling since the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The show's popularity has created online buzz, memes and colorful characters of the chefs from the culinary battles, (the show also) reinvigorated Korean food businesses, many (of which) had been struggling since the pandemic," Bloomberg reported, Oct. 9.

Surprisingly, this small back alley in Namyeong-dong has enjoyed unique enthusiasm among domestic foodies after being revealed as the business site of four of the 20 final black spoon chefs.

Across the street from Keebo Edamame stands another restaurant named NY Chicken, operated by a black spoon chef who starred in the series. The oak tree roasted chicken grill bistro that opened in 2021 saw over 80 groups of people waiting in line as of 8 p.m., Friday.

Notably, the series' ultimate winner Kwon Sung-jun, who competed with the stage nickname Napoli Matfia, also runs the Italian restaurant Via Toledo in this neighborhood.

Italian cuisine chef Kwon Sung-jun prepares a dish at his restaurant Via Toledo in Namyeong-dong, Seoul, in this undated photo. Courtesy of Via Toledo

The alley, known for decades as a culinary hot spot, now boasts trendy coffee shops, chic bars and restaurants tucked away along its hidden paths. Visitors can indulge in a diverse array of delicious offerings, from Asian fusion to upscale dining.

In the 1970s and 1980s, the area was called the American Meat Street and Steak Alley because of the U.S. troops stationed nearby.

Dasarang Steak House, which opened 40 years ago, is one of the decades-old restaurants standing in the alley. The steak house once used beef, sausage and bacon from the U.S. military base as its main ingredients.

The assorted steak dish, which is sprinkled with roasted garlic powder, is cooked with melted butter, beef, bacon, sausage, onion and mushrooms.

The grill dish was adapted to Korean taste buds over time, as it is now being served with kimchi and chopped chives mixed with red pepper powder, instead of the classic pickles or barbecue sauce.

Korean-style assorted steak is served at Dasarang Steak House in Namyeong-dong, Seoul, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Lee Hae-rin

According to the August 1982 issue of Women's Dong-A, the alley grew famous for featuring restaurants that served affordable, generous helpings of American-style meat, which were rare in the early 1970s.

Hwang Byung-sun, 83, who has worked in the alley while running Daewoo barber shop since the 1980s, is a living witness to this history.

"At that time, a lot of office workers came because the meat was delicious. Many TV celebrities and actors came, too," he said.

The alley became quiet for some time after the U.S. military base moved out, but regained its vigor since "a lot of young folks started coming these last few years," Hwang said, adding that he thinks they came here because Gyeongnidan-gil became too expensive, referring to the neighboring foodie district in Itaewon-dong.

As Hwang put it, Namyeong-dong's reputation dulled as U.S.-style meat became more common, and the Yongsan U.S. military base moved to Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. In turn, the restaurants could no longer keep their previous tradition of receiving supplies from the base.

According to real estate agents in the area, as rent in Samgakji and the surrounding commercial district of Yongridan-gil rose, more new restaurants started springing up in relatively cheap places.

In recent years, Namyeong-dong has become a vibrant hub for young entrepreneurs, revitalizing the restaurant industry that had stagnated during the COVID-19 pandemic and economic recession. However, some residents remain concerned that gentrification may persist.

A grilled chicken dish served at NY Chicken, a restaurant in Namyeong-dong, Seoul / Courtesy of NY Chicken

Born and raised in nearby Huam-dong, Kim Sung-gyu, 41, opened a restaurant called Eat-da here eight years ago because he saw the growth potential in the flatland back alley where "there was nothing."

"It's located on flatland and (it is) close to subway stations and (the) university area, which means it is easily accessible to visitors. Back at the time (I opened the restaurant), there were only two to three restaurants in this alley," he said.

However, along with the neighborhood's soaring popularity, rent prices also surged, to the point that those who settled here years ago were now kicked out of the vicinity, Kim and several restaurant owners said.

"This neighborhood will continue to prosper, but many of us will have to leave," he said, associating it with what happened in other commercial districts that enjoyed popularity among tourists and foodies in Seoul.