The intense kitchen battles are back on Netflix, but the real story of Culinary Class Wars Season 2 lies in the chefs themselves. The show, which divides elite White Spoon veterans against rising Black Spoon challengers, returns with a roster filled with unique personal histories that are as compelling as their food. From chefs who have cooked for presidents to masters of ancient temple cuisine, their journeys to this competition add a rich layer of drama to every dish they create.
What Is Culinary Class Wars?
Culinary Class Wars is a South Korean cooking competition that first launched on Netflix in September 2024. Its format is simple but intense: 100 chefs are split into two classes. The White Spoons are 20 established, often famous chefs who compete under their real names. They face off against 80 Black Spoons, who are talented newcomers competing under creative nicknames, only revealing their identities if they win. The final prize is 300 million Korean won.
The show is judged by two culinary giants: famed restaurateur and TV personality Paik Jong-won and Anh Sung-jae, the only chef in Korea to hold three Michelin stars. Their judging is famously meticulous. In the head-to-head rounds, they often taste food blindfolded to ensure their decisions are based purely on flavor, not a chef’s reputation.
Season 2 began releasing episodes in December 2025 on a weekly schedule, with the finale scheduled for January 13, 2026.
The White Spoons: Veteran Chefs With Incredible Histories
The White Spoon chefs in Season 2 are a collection of Korea’s top culinary talent, each with a distinguished career.
Cheon Sang Hyun carries perhaps the most prestigious resume. For nearly 20 years, he served as the executive chef at South Korea’s presidential residence, the Blue House, preparing daily meals for five different presidents and their families. This role taught him extreme discipline and attention to detail. After leaving, he opened his own restaurant, Kochi, in 2019, and later expanded to New York with Mari in 2025. He joined the show to mentor others and demonstrate the skills honed at the highest level.
Another standout is Venerable Sunjae, recognized as Korea’s first master of Buddhist temple cuisine. This style of cooking is rooted in ancient traditions, using seasonal mountain vegetables and eschewing strong flavors like garlic and onion. He entered the competition to showcase this profound and historically significant culinary art, proving its place among modern gourmet cooking.
The season also features young stars like Lee Jun, the chef-owner of Soigne in Seoul, a restaurant that has already earned two Michelin stars. His training took him from Seoul to the Culinary Institute of America and to famed kitchens like Per Se in New York before he opened his own celebrated establishment.
Other notable White Spoons include French cuisine expert Park Hyo-nam, Son Jong-won, and chefs familiar from other Netflix shows like Jung Ho-young, Sam Kim, and Raymon Kim from Chef & My Fridge.
The Black Spoons And Hidden White Spoons
The 80 Black Spoon contestants enter the competition with colorful nicknames that hint at their style, like “Barbecue Lab Director,” “Culinary Monster,” and “Wok Rider”. Their real names and full stories are revealed only as they progress, creating an ongoing narrative of discovery.
Early in the season, two fan favorites emerged. Brewmaster Yun (Nara Yun), a tavern owner who brews her own soju, quickly won over viewers with her relatable nerves and skillful bar-style snacks. Another is French Papa, a chef who stated he joined the competition to bring joy to his son, who lives with a developmental disability, finding a special language through food.
A major twist for Season 2 was the introduction of two Hidden White Spoons. These are chefs who were White Spoons in the first season but returned disguised among the Black Spoons, facing a stricter rule where they must impress both judges to advance from the first round.
The two returning chefs are Choi Kang-rok and Kim Do-yun. Choi, a former winner of Master Chef Korea, is known for his dry humor. On returning, he remarked, “They say if you do nothing, nothing will happen. And it did seem like nothing would happen, so I decided to come back”. Kim Do-yun, the owner of the Michelin-starred Yun Seoul, is famed for his obsession with ingredients and fermentation.
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Standout Moments And Fan Reactions From Early Seasons
As the competition heats up, certain chefs and moments have captured the audience’s attention, sparking discussions online.
Chef Lim Seong-geun, a White Spoon and previous winner of Korean Food Decalogue, became a central figure during the team battles in Round 3. His confident declaration, “To tell a little lie, I know about 50,000 types of sauces,” created tension with some teammates but was backed up by his skilled performance. After his team’s victory aired, he took to social media to thank his collaborators with humor and grace, particularly shouting out Hou Deok-juk, a master of Chinese cuisine.
“Especially Master Hou Deok-juk… Watching the broadcast, I could see how hard you supported me, so I’d like to sincerely thank you again. I always respect you,” Lim wrote.
The show’s format continues to evolve. New challenges in Season 2 include a round where chefs must create dishes using only ingredients from a convenience store and a restaurant challenge where their creations are judged by a group of mukbang (eating show) vloggers.
The release schedule for Culinary Class Wars Season 2 is weekly. The first three episodes debuted on December 16, 2025. Episodes 4-7 followed on December 23, and Episodes 8-10 on December 30, 2025. Episodes 11-12 are set for January 6, 2026, with the season finale concluding on January 13, 2026.
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