The second season of Netflix’s intense cooking battle Culinary Class Wars is now streaming, and the lineup of elite chefs is even more impressive. The show, which debuted its new season on December 16, 2025, brings back its central conflict: celebrated White Spoon chefs versus underdog Black Spoon challengers. For this season, eighteen of South Korea’s most decorated culinary masters form the White Spoon team, facing off against 80 skilled but less famous Black Spoon chefs. The competition also introduces a new twist with two “Hidden White Spoons,” returning chefs from the first season who must fight their way back into the contest.
Meet the Judges Leading the Culinary Class Wars
The competition is overseen by two of South Korea’s most respected culinary figures. Returning as judges are Ahn Sung-jae and Paik Jong-won.
Ahn Sung-jae is the chef-owner of Mosu, the only restaurant in South Korea to hold three Michelin stars. Born in Korea, he moved to the United States as a teenager, served in the U.S. Army, and trained at world-renowned restaurants like The French Laundry before opening his own acclaimed establishment.
Paik Jong-won is a celebrity chef, successful restaurateur, and a major television personality. He leads a vast restaurant empire with franchises in both Korea and the United States and has hosted several popular Netflix cooking shows, including Paik’s Spirit. His YouTube channel boasts over 6 million followers.
The Complete White Spoon Chef Lineup for Season 2
The eighteen White Spoon chefs represent the peak of culinary achievement in Korea and beyond. Their ranks include Michelin-starred restaurateurs, pioneers of Korean fine dining, and chefs with decades of service at the highest levels.
Here is the full list of White Spoon competitors:
- Cheon Sang-hyun: Former executive chef at the Korean presidential residence, the Blue House, where he cooked for five different presidents over 20 years.
- Choi Yu-gang: Chef-owner of the one-Michelin-star restaurant Kojacha, which blends Korean, Japanese, and Chinese cuisines.
- Kim Geon: Owner of Goryori Ken, a one-Michelin-star seafood restaurant known for its intimate, counter-style Japanese dining experience.
- Kim Hee-eun: Co-owner and chef of the one-Michelin-star restaurant SOUL, which focuses on modern Korean cuisine. She also runs the popular pasta eatery Egg & Flour.
- Kim Sung-woon: Former chef-owner of Table for Four, a seafood restaurant that held a Michelin star from 2018 to 2022.
- Hou Deok-juk: A legendary master of Chinese cuisine with over 57 years of experience. He is the executive chef of the one-Michelin-star Haobin and received the MICHELIN Mentor Chef Award in 2024.
- Im Seong-keun: Winner of the third season of the cooking competition Hansik Battle (Korean Food War) and a popular YouTube cooking personality.
- Jennie Walldรฉn: A Korean-Swedish chef who won MasterChef Sweden in 2013. She is a bestselling cookbook author and runs the restaurant Namu in Malmรถ, which has Bib Gourmand recognition from the Michelin Guide.
- Jung Ho-young: A well-known chef specializing in Japanese cuisine and a longtime cast member on the TV show Chef & My Fridge. He owns the Kaden restaurant group.
- Lee Geum-hee: A trailblazer who became the first female head chef of a Korean restaurant at a luxury five-star hotel, the Mayfield Hotel.
- Lee Jun: Chef-owner of Soignรฉ, one of only nine restaurants in South Korea to hold two Michelin stars. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, he is credited with helping to popularize bar-style fine dining in Korea.
- Park Hyo-nam: A pioneer of French cuisine in Korea with a 47-year career. He has served as executive chef at major hotels like the Grand Hyatt Seoul and was the first Korean Star Chef for Lufthansa Airlines.
- Raymon Kim: A Korean-Canadian chef and TV personality known for his appearances on variety shows like Chef & My Fridge. He specializes in pork dishes.
- Sam Kim (Kim Hee-tae): A famous chef and television regular, also from Chef & My Fridge. He owns the Italian restaurant group Samkim Company.
- Shim Sung-chul: A New York City-based chef who owns two one-Michelin-star restaurants: Kochi, which serves skewers, and Mari, a handroll bar.
- Song Hoon: A fine-dining legend who trained at the Culinary Institute of America and worked at the renowned Eleven Madison Park in New York. He now operates restaurants under his Crown Pig brand and was a judge on MasterChef Korea Season 4.
- Son Jong-won: The only chef in South Korea to own and operate two different one-Michelin-star restaurants at the same time: L’Amant Secret (French cuisine) and Eatanic Garden (Korean cuisine).
- Choi Kang-rok: Winner of MasterChef Korea Season 2 and a published writer. He returns this season as one of the two “Hidden White Spoons”.
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The Hidden White Spoon Twist and the Black Spoon Challenge
A major new element in Season 2 is the introduction of the Hidden White Spoons. Two chefs who were White Spoons in the first seasonโChoi Kang-rok and Kim Do-yunโwere secretly placed among the 80 Black Spoon contestants. To stay in the competition, they faced a tougher standard: they needed approval from both judges, whereas a regular Black Spoon chef only needed one judge’s approval to advance.
This twist created high drama in the early episodes. Kim Do-yun, chef-owner of the one-Michelin-star restaurant Yun Seoul, was eliminated after failing to win over both judges. Judge Ahn Sung-jae critiqued the aftertaste of his perilla oil noodle dish, stating, “For my taste budsโฆ I don’t think I would call this delicious”. Choi Kang-rok, however, impressed both judges with his braised freshwater eel and survived, earning a spot in the next round.
The initial Black Spoon elimination round saw 80 chefs whittled down. Only 19 Black Spoons ultimately advanced to face the White Spoons. The survivors include chefs with intriguing nicknames like Chef Brewmaster Yun, who distilled her own soju on the spot; Chef Culinary Monster, the head chef from the Michelin-starred Atomix in New York; and Chef Boss in the Kitchen, who is noted as a chef the White Spoons particularly feared.
Where to Watch Culinary Class Wars Season 2
All episodes of Culinary Class Wars Season 2 are available to stream globally on Netflix. The season consists of multiple episodes, each running between 60 to 75 minutes.
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