French Papa, a French cuisine expert and restaurant owner, entered the competition floor for Culinary Class Wars Season 2 with a calm smile. As one of 80 Black Spoon chefs, his attitude stood out. While many might feel tense, he said he was not nervous. He joined the Netflix show looking for a new test of his skills. His journey is part of the new season, which started streaming on December 16, 2025.
The show’s format remains a major draw. It creates a battle between 80 lesser-known “Black Spoon” chefs and 20 elite “White Spoon” chefs. Judges Ahn Sung-jae and Paik Jong-won return to oversee the contests. This season also introduces two “Hidden White Spoons,” past competitors getting a second chance. For chefs like French Papa, it is a stage to move from behind a small bistro counter into an international spotlight.
Meet French Papa: The Bistro Chef Seeking a Bigger Stage
French Papa’s introduction on the show was straightforward. He walked in, saw his name tag, and sat down. He owns and operates Bistrot De Yountville, a small French restaurant. His calm confidence comes from a desire to push himself. “I wanted a challenge, so I’m excited,” he told the cameras.
His path to French cuisine is not traditional. He specialized in it without ever having lived or studied in France. He openly shared that when he started, he sometimes felt like an impostor, cooking in a small bistro with no major awards or titles. This honest admission makes his presence on a show with world-famous chefs more compelling. He is not just competing for a prize; he is proving his place in a culinary world he taught himself to master.
A Look at the Fierce Competition in Season 2
The level of competition in Culinary Class Wars Season 2 is higher than ever. The producers stated they focused on polishing the show rather than changing it completely. They assembled an even more impressive lineup of chefs.
The White Spoon team includes some of Korea’s most decorated culinary figures:
- Lee Jun: Chef-owner of Soignรฉ, one of only nine restaurants in South Korea with two Michelin stars.
- Park Hyo-nam: A pioneer of French cuisine in Korea with over 47 years of experience, referred to by other chefs as “part of culinary history”.
- Hou Deok-juk: A master chef of Chinese cuisine with 57 years of experience, called a “legend” on the show.
- Jennie Walldรฉn: A Korean-Swedish chef who won MasterChef Sweden and owns several restaurants.
Interestingly, many of the Black Spoon chefs this season are also highly accomplished. Some run eateries so popular that getting a table is extremely difficult, leading even the show’s crew to question why they are classified as “unknowns”. This blurs the line between the two groups and promises more intense and unexpected matchups.
French Papa’s Emotional and Technical First Test
The early episodes put chefs to the test immediately. In Season 2 Episode 2, French Papa faced the Black Spoon Elimination Round, where each chef is judged on a single plate with no room for error. For his dish, he chose bouillabaisse, a classic French seafood stew.
He cooked with more than just technique in mind. He shared a personal reason for being there: his son, who has a developmental disability. French Papa said he hoped appearing on television would make his son happy. He also wanted to show his son that he could still be a great chef. This added a deep emotional layer to his performance.
โI wanted to show him that I could still be a great chef,โ French Papa said during the competition.
The judges, however, focused squarely on the food. Paik Jong-won noted the importance of serving the stew very hot to suit Korean tastes, a detail French Papa had already considered. His survival in the competition was confirmed only after the judges verified the dish’s temperature, aroma, and balance were all correct. His personal story framed the moment, but it was his technical skill that earned him the right to stay.
How to Watch Culinary Class Wars Season 2
The new season of the cooking battle is now available for streaming. The first three episodes of Culinary Class Wars Season 2 arrived on Netflix on December 16, 2025. New episodes are expected to be released weekly, following Netflix’s common pattern for Korean reality shows.
The show is available globally wherever Netflix is offered. It features subtitles in multiple languages, making the intense kitchen rivalries and expert judging accessible to an international audience. For viewers in the USA, UK, India, and around the world, the release schedule is synchronized.
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