The stakes reached their highest point yet in Culinary Class Wars Season 2, Episode 11. The remaining Top 7 Semifinalists entered the Infinite Cooking Heaven, a final challenge with an overwhelming array of ingredients and a crushing twist: from the seven chefs, only two would advance to the final round . The episode, which became available for streaming on January 6, 2026, along with Episode 12, focused entirely on the start of this ultimate kitchen battle .
The High-Stakes Rules of The Infinite Cooking Heaven
The challenge was introduced with clear, brutal rules designed to push the chefs to their creative and technical limits. The structure was unlike any previous round in the competition.
The most shocking revelation was the elimination count. The announcer stated directly, “From among the seven chefs that remain, the total number of survivors who will advance to the finalsโฆ is two”. This meant five chefs would be eliminated in this penultimate stage. Black Spoon Chef Brewmaster Yun reacted candidly, saying, “I don’t know, I thought they might be nice and pick three of us. But no” .
The chefs were granted 180 minutes (3 hours) to cook. They had access to the Infinite Pantry, which was stocked with every imaginable premium ingredient, including Korean beef, seafood, a vast selection of meats, vegetables, fruits, and seasonings. There was no restriction on how many dishes a chef could prepare. They could make a single, elaborate dish or attempt multiple plates.
“There are no limitations to how many dishes you make. You may choose to make a single attempt, but you are free to make multiple attempts. Each dish will be judged immediately upon completion, and the results will be revealed in real time,” the announcer explained .
Judging would happen in real-time. As soon as a chef finished a dish and rang a bell, the judgesโPaik Jong-won and Anh Sung-jaeโwould taste and score it immediately . The goal was simple: earn the highest possible score to secure one of the two spots in the finals.
Chefs’ Reactions and Initial Strategies
Facing the limitless pantry and intense pressure, the chefs had mixed reactions. While the prospect of unlimited ingredients seemed like a dream, it also created a mental challenge.
White Spoon Chef Im Seong-keun saw the round as a perfect opportunity to leverage his experience. He planned an aggressive strategy focused on speed and volume.
“You can’t just make one dish. They won’t open the Pearly Gates for one good deed. There’s no guarantees here. That’s why I decided to make as many quick dishes as I could, as fast as I could,” shared Chef Im Seong-keun .
For others, the abundance was overwhelming. Black Spoon chef Culinary Monster confessed, “Honestly, because there were so many ingredients, I couldn’t make a decision. I had too many ideas in my head” . Chef Brewmaster Yun described the mental strain, saying seeing all the ingredients made her head hurt, calling it “hell on Earth” despite the “heaven” name .
The First Dishes and Early Scores
The battle commenced with chefs rushing to gather ingredients. Chef Im Seong-keun was the first to present a dish. He prepared Pogye, a Joseon-era dish said to be eaten by King Sejong and considered a precursor to modern Korean fried chicken. He opted to use beef fat for frying, noting plant-based oils were rare during that historical period .
His quick work surprised the other competitors. Judges Paik Jong-won and Anh Sung-jae recognized the dish from an ancient cookbook. Chef Im Seong-keun received scores of 82 and 83 points, respectively, for a first-round total of 165 points. This set an early benchmark for the other six chefs to surpass.
The episode built tension around whether this rapid-fire approach would triumph or if other chefs would bet everything on a single, show-stopping creation. The real-time judging format meant scores and standings could change instantly with each new plate presented to the judges.
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How to Watch the Culinary Class Wars Finale
Culinary Class Wars Season 2 is streaming exclusively on Netflix. Episode 11 and Episode 12 were released together on January 6, 2026 . The season finale, Episode 12, is available to watch now, concluding the competition and revealing which chef wins the grand prize .
The show features a diverse cast of renowned White Spoon chefs, including Venerable Sunjae, Son Jong-won, Hu Deok-juk, and Jung Ho-young, alongside anonymous Black Spoon contenders competing under nicknames like Culinary Monster and Brewmaster Yun . The series is a global hit, with Season 1 becoming the first Korean unscripted series to top Netflix’s global non-English TV chart for three consecutive weeks .
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