Baek Byung-yeul is a journalist at The Korea Times focused on cultural content, including films and cultural events in South Korea. You can contact him at baekby@koreatimes.co.kr to share your insights.
‘Culinary Class Wars’ Season 2 returns with fiercer lineup
A poster for Netflix's cooking show "Culinary Class Wars" Season 2 / Courtesy of Netflix
By Baek Byung-yeul
Judge Paik Jong-won controversy looms over upcoming release
“Culinary Class Wars,” Netflix’s hit cooking show that sparked a global sensation with its heated kitchen battle between 20 renowned “White Spoon” chefs and 80 highly skilled but lesser-known “Black Spoon” chefs, is set to launch its second season on Tuesday. The new season once again features a prominent lineup of chefs poised to defend — or overthrow — the current culinary elite.
The newly released posters and promotional videos immediately boosted anticipation for the return of the high-and-low culinary class struggle, promising a competition with greater stakes.
Chinese cuisine chef Hou Deok-juk is seen in a teaser for Season 2 of the Netflix cooking show “Culinary Class Wars.” Captured from Netflix’s YouTube channel
Who to watch for in Season 2
The new season boasts a formidable array of White Spoon contestants, encompassing a mix of Michelin-starred chefs, veteran masters and well-known media figures.
Headlining the star power is Jun Lee, founder and executive chef of the two-Michelin-starred Soigne in southern Seoul. He is joined by Son Jong-won, who holds a Michelin star for each of his two restaurants, L’Amant Secret and Eatanic Garden, and is also recognized as a regular on the JTBC cooking show “Please Take Care of My Refrigerator,” helping to elevate the profile of Korean fine dining.
Also in the mix is Kim Hee-eun of the one-Michelin-starred Soul, known for her modern take on Korean cuisine, and Kim Geon of the one-Michelin-starred Goryori Ken.
International star power comes from the likes of Jennie Wallden, winner of “MasterChef Sweden” in 2013, and Shim Sung-chul, the owner-chef of New York’s Kochi and Mari, both of which have one Michelin star.
The new season also features culinary legends with decades of expertise. These include Ven. Seonjae, Korea’s first temple cuisine master; Chinese cuisine authority Hou Deok-juk, an executive chef at the Ambassador Seoul hotel; and Park Hyo-nam, a master chef in French cuisine. Cheon Sang-hyun, former executive chef to the presidential office at Cheong Wa Dae, also brings a level of prestige to the new season.
From left, prominent chefs Jung Ho-young, Sam Kim and Raymon Kim join Season 2 of Netflix’s cooking show “Culinary Class Wars.” Courtesy of Netflix
Chefs familiar to Korean variety show audiences — including Jung Ho-young, Sam Kim and Raymon Kim — are set to appear as well. They will be competing alongside Song Hoon, a former judge on culinary contest show “MasterChef Korea,” and Im Seong-keun, the winner of “Hansik Battle” Season 3.
On the opposing side, the Black Spoons are once again introduced using only aliases, as only the champion is allowed to reveal their identity. The promotional videos and posters hinted at a diverse group of underground masters determined to dethrone the established culinary stars.
Show producers Kim Hak-min and Kim Eun-ji expressed their commitment to showcasing the skills of every chef, noting that many talented cooks decided to take on the challenge in Season 2.
“Gratefully, more chefs have resonated with the spirit of ‘Culinary Class Wars’ and decided to participate,” the producers said. “We worked hard to properly lay out a stage where the chefs, in gratitude for their courage to take on the challenge, could play to their hearts’ content.”
Paik Jong-won controversy
A key question for the new season remains whether it can successfully navigate the controversy surrounding one of its two judges, Paik Jong-won, CEO of restaurant franchise operator Theborn Korea.
Paik and his company have been embroiled in a series of controversies since the beginning of the year, including quality control issues with the company’s Paik Ham canned ham products, alleged violation of farmland laws, accusations of creating an employee blacklist, country-of-origin labeling errors and claims of poor franchise management. These issues led to Paik temporarily suspending his broadcasting activities starting in May.
Perhaps in light of the ongoing public scrutiny, Netflix’s press conference for the Season 2 launch, scheduled for Wednesday, will only be attended by the producers, four White Spoon chefs and four Black Spoon chefs. The continued highlighting of the controversy remains a major point of interest regarding how the public will receive the new season.