Sold-Out Tables Surge as Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars Gains Popularity

The streaming giant Netflix launched its newest Korean culinary reality show, Culinary Class Wars, on September 17. The show’s premise revolves around two distinct classes—White Spoon and Black Spoon. The White Spoon class features renowned chefs, while the Black Spoon class consists of lesser-known culinary talents.

Culinary Class Wars has captured considerable attention as viewers are intrigued by the competitive dynamic between the prestigious White Spoon chefs and the underdog Black Spoon cooks.

The participants from both classes have sparked significant interest among audiences eager to taste the dishes from their respective restaurants and eateries. According to reports from The Chosun Daily, many of these establishments have recently experienced a boom in bookings, leading to fully booked tables.

12 Episodes of Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars to Enjoy

Since its premiere on September 17, Netflix has released seven episodes of Culinary Class Wars, with three more episodes set to drop on October 1, followed by the final two episodes on October 8.

This show, comprising 12 episodes in total, marks Netflix’s first venture into Korean cooking reality television. It follows the success of their previous Korean dating reality show, Single’s Inferno, which premiered in 2021.

The official synopsis for the culinary series states:

“From Michelin-star chefs to amateur cooks, 100 contestants don their knives for a culinary war where you won’t guess what’s coming next — or who’ll win.”

Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars is rejuvenating the restaurant industry in South Korea, presenting competitions between acclaimed chefs (White Spoons) and unique culinary talents (Black Spoons). In its inaugural episode, 80 Black Spoon competitors participated, resulting in the elimination of 60 contestants, leaving only 20 in the race.

The performance of the contestants is critiqued by esteemed judges, including chef Paik Jong-won, a celebrated restaurateur, and Chef Anh Sung-jae, who leads a Michelin-starred restaurant, MOSU Seoul.

Regardless of which contestants advance or are eliminated, the restaurants operated by the participants have reported a notable increase in sales and waiting list inquiries.

Customer Surge for Both White Spoon and Black Spoon Participants

On September 21, a substantial line formed outside Namyeong Chicken in Yongsan, Seoul, before its opening. Chef Oh Jun-tak, affectionately dubbed “Yeongtak” as a Black Spoon contestant, saw a surge in patrons.

The bar Edamame in Namyeong-dong, featuring another Black Spoon competitor known as the “God of Seasoning,” had to close early due to overwhelming demand as it ran out of ingredients.

Additionally, on September 22, over 20,000 users flocked to the restaurant reservation app CatchTable to book a table at Neo, owned by Chef Choi Kang-rok, a White Spoon contestant in Culinary Class Wars.

For those who may not know, Chef Kang-rok first garnered attention as a contestant on MasterChef Korea Season 2. All reservations were filled within a minute, an unexpected development given the restaurant’s existing popularity.

In related news, Culinary Class Wars secured the top spot on Netflix’s list of the most popular non-English television series globally on September 25, skyrocketing to the top within just one week of its debut.

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