Culinary Class Wars Season 2 Episode 13: Who Wins the Final ‘Carrot Hell’ Battle?

The kitchen battle for 300 million won is down to its final moments. Culinary Class Wars Season 2 concludes this week with a highly anticipated finale episode that will reveal the season’s champion. After a tense semi-final that saw one chef advance directly and another fight through a brutal ingredient-specific challenge, the stage is set for the last cook-off. The final episode, Season 2 Episode 13, will be available for streaming globally on January 13, 2026.

The series, a Korean cooking competition on Netflix, pits elite “White Spoon” chefs against aspiring “Black Spoon” challengers in high-stakes culinary battles judged by Paik Jong-won and Ahn Sung-jae. The upcoming finale will answer the question left by Episode 12: who survived the “Infinite Cooking Hell” using only carrots to earn the second spot in the final match?

Release Date and Global Streaming Time for Episode 13

The final episode of Culinary Class Wars Season 2 has a confirmed release date. Netflix will drop Episode 13 on Tuesday, January 13, 2026. For viewers around the world, the episode will become available at the same moment, corresponding to 5:00 PM Korea Standard Time (KST).

This means fans can tune in at these local times:

• USA (EST): 3:00 AM, Tuesday, January 13
• USA (PST): 12:00 AM (Midnight), Tuesday, January 13
• UK (GMT): 8:00 AM, Tuesday, January 13
• Australia (AEDT): 7:00 PM, Tuesday, January 13
• India (IST): 1:30 PM, Tuesday, January 13

The episode will be available exclusively on Netflix, the show’s official global streaming platform. Viewers can find the series by searching for “Culinary Class Wars” on the Netflix app or website.

What Happened in Episodes 11 and 12: The Road to the Final Two

Episodes 11 and 12, released on January 6, whittled the competition down from many contenders to the Top 7 semifinalists, and then began the process of selecting the two finalists. The semi-final round was split into two dramatic missions: “Infinite Cooking Paradise” and “Infinite Cooking Hell”.

The “Infinite Cooking Paradise” mission gave the seven remaining chefs a massive pantry with over 500 ingredients and 180 minutes to cook. They could present as many dishes as they wanted, with the goal of achieving the single highest score from the judges. The leaderboard changed constantly until Choi Kang-rok impressed the judges with his Mushizushi dish, securing the highest score and an automatic ticket straight to the finale.

“This time, I came with determination. I’m going to go for the win,” said Kim Do-yun, a returning “Hidden White Spoon,” about his mindset for Season 2.

The remaining six chefs then entered the “Infinite Cooking Hell.” For this challenge, the only main ingredient was carrots. The chefs faced off in 30-minute knockout rounds, with one chef eliminated after each round until only one remained. This final survivor would become the second finalist. The intense fifth and final round of this challenge pitted Culinary Monster against master Chinese cuisine chef Hu Deok-juk. Culinary Monster prepared a carrot cake, while Hu Deok-juk made a dish called Yuxiang Carrots. The winner of this head-to-head match was not revealed at the end of Episode 12, creating a cliffhanger that will be resolved at the start of Episode 13.

Meet the Finalists and Key Cast of Season 2

The final battle will feature at least one confirmed chef and one determined by the carrot challenge. The cast of Season 2 is a mix of world-renowned culinary experts and fiercely talented newcomers.

The Judges:

• Paik Jong-won: A celebrated restaurateur, CEO of a large food franchise company, and a popular TV personality in Korea. He is known for a judging style that focuses heavily on the flavor and overall appeal of a dish.
• Ahn Sung-jae: The chef-owner of Mosu, the only three-Michelin-star restaurant in South Korea. His approach to judging tends to focus more on technical skill and precise cooking methods.

The Confirmed Finalist:

• Choi Kang-rok: A celebrity chef and winner of MasterChef Korea Season 2. He returned for Season 2 as a “Hidden White Spoon,” a returning chef from the first season who started the competition disguised among the Black Spoons. He won his direct path to the finale by scoring highest in the “Infinite Cooking Paradise” challenge.

The Finalists from the ‘Carrot Hell’ Cliffhanger:

• Culinary Monster (Hasung Lee): A Black Spoon chef and a former head chef at the two-Michelin-star NYC restaurant Atomix. He is a highly skilled chef whose real identity was known early due to his impressive reputation.
• Hu Deok-juk: A White Spoon chef revered as a “legend of Korean culinary history” and a “Chinese cuisine god.” With over 57 years of experience, he is the executive chef of the one-Michelin-star restaurant Haobin.

Other Notable Top 7 Chefs:
The semi-final rounds also featured these standout competitors:

• Brewmaster Yun (Nara Yun): Owner of a traditional tavern and brewery, known for her expertise in making Korean alcoholic drinks.
• Venerable Sunjae: Korea’s first master of temple cuisine, a Buddhist cooking style that uses no meat, garlic, or onions.
• Jung Ho-young: A popular TV personality and chef-owner of a group of Japanese cuisine restaurants.
• Im Seong-keun: Winner of Korean Food War Season 3 and a YouTube cooking channel host.

The elimination of skilled White Spoon chef Son Jong-won in Episode 10, just before the semi-finals, was a major point of discussion among fans. Many viewers expressed disappointment online, with some stating the elimination felt unfair given his performance and teamwork in earlier challenges.

The Final Showdown and What to Expect

Episode 13 will immediately resolve the carrot battle cliffhanger, revealing whether Culinary Monster or Hu Deok-juk won the final knockout round. This chef will then face Choi Kang-rok in the ultimate cooking battle to decide the Season 2 champion.

The winner will take home the grand prize of 300 million Korean won, which is approximately $205,000 USD. Beyond the cash, the title brings significant prestige and exposure in the global culinary world. The series has a history of boosting the profiles of its contestants, with restaurants seeing a surge in interest after the show airs.

The finale promises to be a tense display of skill, creativity, and nerve, judged by the exacting standards of Paik Jong-won and Ahn Sung-jae. As judge Ahn Sung-jae noted during the competition, the final stretch is less about a gap in skills and more about “who seizes the moment”.

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