Culinary Class Wars Viewers Disappointed by Last-Minute Team Member Eliminations in Restaurant Challenge

On Tuesday, October 1, Netflix released episodes eight, nine, and ten of Culinary Class Wars season 1. In these latest episodes, participants engaged in the “restaurant mission,”striving for a coveted spot in the top eight with fifteen players still in the competition.

Ultimately, the top eight positions were secured by Choi Hyun-seok, Ho-jun Jang, Cooking Stone, Imokase No. 1, Triple Star, Jeong Ji-seon, Napoli Matpia, and Edward Lee.

However, viewers expressed their disappointment over a surprising elimination twist during the restaurant mission. The three teams, each consisting of five members, were instructed to secretly vote to eliminate one member from their squad.

Consequently, the three eliminated contestants formed a fourth team that also took part in the mission. This new quartet included Ahn Yu-seong, Torn Apart, and Iron Bag Chef.

Fans of the survival cooking show voiced their outrage over this unexpected development, arguing that the fourth team was at a disadvantage with one less member. They noted that this team faced challenges due to a six-hour time deficit, making it difficult for them to compete effectively given the limitations on menu planning and ingredient sourcing.

Many viewers took to social media to express their dissent regarding the show’s rules. One particularly frustrated viewer tweeted:

“#CulinaryClassWars episode 8 is just straight up cruel like wtf you’re kicking out people from their team”

Another viewer described the twist as “humiliating,”while someone else labeled it as ‘evil.’

“Each team must dismiss an incompetent member….. THIS IS SO HUMILIATING BYEEEEEEEEE,”wrote a viewer.

“No one on culinary class wars is mean so the production team has to be the mean one. What was that rule in ep 9,”commented another user on X.

“The extra team is too evil… Dismissing one member from your team, with the assumption they are the less effective. The way omakase auntie can feel her being excluded already,”another viewer remarked.

A different user on X also expressed concern over the limited time for the fourth team, dubbing it ‘cruel.’

“Not sure if anyone else is watching #CulinaryClassWars but the [spoiler] plot twist about the sudden creation of the fourth restaurant team??? This show is so wildly accurate about sk’s obsession with bureaucracy and class too,”an X user observed.

“Can we just talk about how the elimination rounds kinda’ s*ck with Teams? Would’ve been better if the members of the losing teams went into a face off. Or just all blind tasting all the way. Seeing the dish, tasting it but not knowing who made it,”suggested another fan.

“Culinary class wars is so cruel for that extra team twist when HOURSSSS have passed after everybody else started prepping” – commented yet another viewer.

Culinary Class Wars PD Discusses Restaurant Mission Eliminations

On October 2, Korean media outlet Nate News reported on the response from the PD (Producing Director) regarding the elimination twist during the restaurant mission of Culinary Class Wars.

The PD remarked, “Even so, ‘Culinary Class Wars’ is a groundbreaking program. Without considerable expertise, it would be impossible to film a large-scale survival cooking show with 100 chefs, using fire and knives.”

He further added:

“It’s disappointing that contestants like ‘Cafeteria Guy’ and ‘Master of School Meals’ were eliminated, but it’s impossible to capture everyone’s story in a survival show.”

Culinary Class Wars season 1 is the first Korean cooking reality series available on Netflix. It premiered on September 17, with the season finale scheduled for October 8, totaling 12 episodes.

1) Culinary Class Wars ‘Restaurant Mission’ recap: Team revenues, eliminations, final 8, & more explored

2) Culinary Class Wars: Guide to all cast-owned restaurants you must visit