Scott Kang Explains Why He Joined Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars: “I Needed to Earn a Living”

The top three finalists of Culinary Class Wars, known as Triple Star or Scott Kang, participated in an interview with fellow competitor Cooking Maniac, also referred to as Yoon Yoo-nam, on CBS. In this conversation, Kang shared his motivation for entering the Netflix cooking competition, which stemmed from his need to make a living amidst the ongoing recession affecting the restaurant sector in South Korea.

“The restaurant industry has faced a downturn since last year, and we felt that impact. I was quite concerned about earning a stable income, which is why I decided to join the competition. Beyond that, I’ve been in the culinary field for quite some time, and I realized my passion was waning. I felt like I needed a fresh spark to reignite my excitement for cooking.”

Scott Kang, also known as Triple Star from Culinary Class Wars, shares his journey on the show. (Image via X/@harunocloud)

Scott Kang, whose full name is Kang Seung-won, served as a sous chef at the prestigious Mosu Seoul, a three-Michelin-star restaurant owned by renowned chef Ahn Sung-jae, who also judged the Culinary Class Wars. Mosu Seoul stands out as the only restaurant in South Korea with this elite rating. Kang expressed his deep admiration for Ahn, stating,

“He embodies perfection in many ways. In my opinion, successful individuals harmonize effort and talent, and he exemplifies this balance. His immense dedication and skill are qualities I genuinely respect, even though he did provide many critiques.”

Insight into Netflix’s renowned series Culinary Class Wars

Premiering its first seven episodes on September 17, 2024, Culinary Class Wars quickly gained popularity on Netflix. Following that, three additional episodes (8 to 10) were made available on October 1, culminating in the final two episodes released on October 8. The show features an exciting competition among 80 chefs from diverse culinary backgrounds pitted against 20 distinguished celebrity chefs.

The 80 competing cooks, known as Black Spoons, adopted this nickname to keep their identities concealed, with only the top finalists revealing their actual names. The competing celebrity chefs were referred to as White Spoons. In a dramatic first episode, 60 Black Spoons were eliminated in Round 1, leaving just 20 to advance to the next level, where they faced off against the 20 White Spoons in an intense grilling contest.

Both Cooking Maniac and Triple Star proudly secured spots among the top 20 Black Spoon chefs, advancing to the final four before their elimination. Ultimately, the finalists for the competition were White Spoon Edward Lee (birth name Lee Kyun) and Black Spoon Napoli Matfia (real name Kwon Sung-jun), with Napoli Matfia emerging as the champion.

Triple Star, Scott Kang, has notable experience working in prestigious Michelin-starred establishments such as Benu, Atelier Crenn, and Mosu Seoul. He also operates his own contemporary fine-dining restaurant in Seoul called Trid. Cooking Maniac, on the other hand, serves as the head chef at Deepin in Seoul.

Fans of culinary arts can stream Culinary Class Wars globally on Netflix.

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