Burgers developed by Mom's Touch in collaboration with chef Hu Deok-juk are displayed during a media event in central Seoul on Oct. 21, a day before their official launch. WOO JI-WON Fast food has long promised an affordable meal. But in Korea, that promise is being tested as chains increasingly turn to celebrity chefs to give their menus a gourmet makeover. From burgers to pizza, star-chef collaborations have become the industry norm. New York-based burger franchise Shake Shack teamed up with Son Jong-won in July, while Burger King collaborated with Yoo Yong-wook and McDonald's with Choi Kang-rok, all of whom are celebrity chefs from Netflix's cooking show "Culinary Class Wars" (2024-). The trend has also reached pizza chains, with local brand No More Pizza partnering with chef Raymon Kim and Domino's Pizza introducing a lemon butter pizza developed with chef Lee Jun in October. 모바일 손오공게임 다운로드 The latest to join the trend is Mom's Touch, which recently launched three burgers developed with Hu Deok-juk, a veteran Chinese-cuisine chef. Featuring Sichuan-inspired kung pao sauce or seafood-based XO sauce, plus extra patties, the burgers promise customers new flavors beyond the usual fast-food fare. But that gourmet makeover comes at a higher price. A poster for Domino's lemon butter pizza developed with chef Lee Jun DOMINO Mom's Touch's Kung Pao Thigh Burger and XO Mozzarella Shrimp Burger each cost 7,600 won ($5.30), roughly 46 percent more than the chain's regular chicken burger, priced at 5,200 won. The XO Shrimp Thigh Flex Burger costs 8,600 won, a 65 percent premium. 알라딘게임잭팟 At that price, one could buy two rolls of gimbap (rice roll) or a bowl of jajangmyeon (black bean noodles), based on average prices reported by the Korea Consumer Agency, or even enjoy an all-you-can-eat meal at some Korean buffet restaurants for just 8,000 won. Lotteria's Mafia Mozzarella Burger Tomato Basil, developed with chef Kwon Seong-joon, known as Napoli Matfia, costs 9,300 won, more than twice the chain's basic 3,800-won burger. These premium offerings arrive as consumers already pay more for regular fast-food items. Earlier this year, McDonald's raised prices on 35 menu items by an average of 2.4 percent, while Mom's Touch increased prices on 43 items by an average of 2.8 percent. Against these higher-priced offerings, even regular menu items could begin to look like bargains, despite their own price increases. 인터넷릴게임 Chef Yoo Yong-wook serves Burger King's new Smoke Beef Rib Whopper, developed with the chef, to a customer during a promotional event in Seongsu-dong, eastern Seoul, on April 1. BURGER KING The chains say these collaborations offer consumers a wider range of flavors and choices. For some brands, the partnerships have also driven strong sales, helped by the initial buzz around the celebrity chefs. Lotteria said its two mozzarella burgers developed with chef Kwon sold more than 4 million units in their first three months, setting a new sales record for the chain's newly launched products. Mom's Touch also reported an 80 percent increase in beef burger sales in the month following the April launch of its burger collection developed with chef Kim Poong, compared to the preceding month. 바다이야기 게임 다운로드 But not every celebrity-chef collaboration has received an equally enthusiastic response. Shake Shack's tteokgalbi (Korean grilled beef patty) burger, developed with chef Son Jong-won and priced at 14,900 won, drew some criticism over whether its taste justified the price. "The tteokgalbi was a little disappointing. Am I expecting too much for 15,800 won?" said food YouTuber Seungppa, who has 177,000 subscribers, in a review of the burger. The price he paid included an additional 900 won for delivery. Launched in early July, the limited-time burger was no longer available by mid-October. Shake Shack did not disclose sales figures for the collaboration when asked. "These collaborations give customers a chance to experience recipes they might not otherwise have access to at reasonable prices, while also expanding menu choices and helping boost sales," said Kim Eun-young, head of external relations at Mom's Touch, during a recent media tasting event. 카지노릴게임 Lee Eun-hee, a professor of consumer science at Inha University, said celebrity-chef collaborations can renew excitement around familiar fast-food offerings. "With fast food and franchise restaurants, flavors tend to become standardized," Lee said. "But that standardization can also leave consumers feeling that the food lacks a certain vitality." Mom's Touch's XO Shrimp Thigh Flex burger WOO JI-WON But introducing new flavors does not necessarily justify higher prices, she said. "Even when a famous chef is involved in developing a product, companies should try to keep price increases to a minimum. […] Consumer expectations can rise significantly even without a large price increase, and that alone can help boost sales, which is already a considerable benefit for the brand." BY WOO JI-WON [] ed with ch