Netflix has made waves with its debut Korean culinary series, Culinary Class Wars, launched on September 17, 2024. The show features a diverse competition among 100 chefs consisting of both professional and amateur contestants, all vying for the title of Korea’s best chef. Contestant identities remain somewhat enigmatic as they are referred to by their nicknames.
In Culinary Class Wars, these 100 talented chefs face off in various culinary challenges to prove their skills and creativity. The competition is judged by esteemed culinary figures, Paik Jong-won and Chef Anh Sung-jae. To date, four episodes have aired, capturing the excitement and intrigue of fans eager to learn more about the chefs’ stories and their culinary journeys.
Everything You Need to Know About the Contestants of Culinary Class Wars
This exciting South Korean reality cooking show, Culinary Class Wars, showcases a unique competition where 80 Black Spoon Chefs, representing the underdogs in the culinary world, challenge 20 elite White Spoon Chefs through a variety of cooking tasks. The judges’ backgrounds have also played a captivating role in the series.
Paik Jong-won, well-known from multiple television programs, including his own hit series, Paik’s Spirit, and Chef Anh Sung-jae, the acclaimed chef behind the three-star Mosu Seoul restaurant, are on hand to provide their expert critiques. Upcoming episodes of Culinary Class Wars have a set release schedule on Netflix, with episodes 5 to 7 dropping on September 24, followed by episodes 8 to 10 on October 1. The grand finale, featuring the last two episodes, is slated to premiere on October 8.
While not all details of the 100 contestants have been disclosed yet, the first two episodes have provided insight into some of their backgrounds, including their real names, occupations, and Instagram IDs. Here’s what we know:
Park Eun-young
- Nickname: Goddess of Chinese Cuisine
- Apprentice under White Spoon Chef Lu Chinglai; Former Chef at Hong Ba-gak.
- Instagram ID: @eunyoungo__o
Kim Tae-sung
- Nickname: Hidden Genius
- Chef and Owner of PONO BUONO; Former Executive Chef at SAV Seoul; past experience at Toc Toc Seoul and ATOBOY New York.
- Instagram ID: @urbantae
Cho Seo-hyeong
- Nickname: Genius Restaurateur
- Owner of Eujiro Boseok and DAMA K-Gimbap House; participant in The Skip Dating (Ep 5 and 6).
- Instagram ID: @seohy2ong
Song Ha Seyl Ram
- Nickname: Side Dish Chef
- CEO of MAMALEE Market; past experience at Michelin restaurant Zuberoa (San Sebastian) and La Paloma (Madrid).
- Instagram ID: @songhaseulram
Jason Oh Un-tak
- Nickname: Chef-owner of Namyeong Chicken
- Worked at Michelin-starred restaurants Yarbird and RONIN in Hong Kong.
- Instagram ID: @jason.j.oh
Jacob Hyun Sang-wok
- Nickname: God of Seasoning
- Chef and Owner of Edamame; Former sous-chef at Michelin 2-star Jungsik Seoul and Head Chef of DOTZ.
- Instagram ID: @jacobhyun
Bae Kyung-jun
- Nickname: One Two Three
- Head Chef of Bornyon; Culinary Institute of America graduate; worked at Michelin-starred restaurants including Mosu Seoul.
- Instagram ID: @kj_bae
Scott Kang Seung-won
- Nickname: Triple Star, Chef and Owner of Trid
- Experience includes top Michelin 3-star establishments Benu and Atelier Crenn (San Francisco) and Mosu Seoul.
- Instagram ID: @scottiey_
Auntie Omakase #1
- Owner of Cheerful Drinking Table near Chang-dong Station and Andongjip Song Kalguksi at Gyeongdong Market.
- Instagram ID: N/A
Lim Tae-hoo
- Nickname: Self-Made Chef; Chef and Owner of Doryang.
- Instagram ID: @chulgabangchef
Cho Kwang-hyo
- Nickname: Comic Book Chef; Chef and Owner of Cho Kwang 201 and 101.
- Instagram ID: @cho__kwang
David Lee
- Nickname: Meat Master; Chef and Owner of Guunmong
- Past experience at The Spotted Pig, Picholine, and Osamil in New York.
- Instagram ID: @meatthegangster
Lim Hee-won
- Nickname: Celebrities’ Chef; Chef and Owner of BUTO.
- Instagram ID: @lim_stagram
Jin Hwa-mok
- Nickname: Seung-woo’s Dad; Cooking YouTube channel with 1.4 million subscribers; apprentice of Chef Edward Kwon.
- Instagram ID: @swab_official
- YouTube Channel: @swab85
Kim Byoung-mook
- Nickname: Yakitoro King; Chef and Owner of Yakitori Mook, Michelin Bib Gourmand 2021-2023.
- Instagram ID: @yakitorimook
Park Ji-young
- Nickname: Kitchen Boss; Chef and Owner of Nawoo.
- Instagram ID: @jyp_jijipark
Kwon Sung-jun
- Nickname: Napoli Matfia; Chef and Owner of Via Toledo Pasta Bar.
- Instagram ID: @napolimatfia
Yoon Nam-no
- Nickname: Cooking Mania; Head Chef of Deepin; previous contestant on Master Chef Korea 4.
- Instagram ID: @ynncook
Shawn Park Sung-woo
- Chef and Owner of Bistro Spark; Former sous-chef at White Spoon Chef Fabrizio Ferrari’s AI Porticciolo 84 in Italy.
- Instagram ID: @chefshawnpark
Lee Mi-young
- Nickname: Master of School Meals; Former meal cook at Habuk Elementary School in Yangsan.
- Instagram ID: @schoolfood_chef
Austin Kang
- Nickname: Chef of All Trades; Model and TV personality; Top 5 on Master Chef Korea 4.
- Instagram ID: @austinkangg
Park Jung-hyun
- Nickname: Underestimated; Chef and Owner of SUM; participant in the dating show, Love Catcher in Bali.
- Instagram ID: @junghyuniiii
As new episodes of Culinary Class Wars premiere on Netflix, fans are eagerly anticipating more revelations about the talented chefs participating in the competition.
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