Culinary Class Wars, the hit Korean cooking competition show, is ready to serve its second season. The show was a massive hit in late 2024, and no wonder it was renewed for a follow-up season.
Earlier this year, Netflix announced the variety show lineup, and fans were excited to see Culinary Class Wars season 2 in it. It is worth noting that the second season was confirmed a month after its premiere.
On November 18, Netflix dropped the first teaser trailer for Culinary Class Wars 2, and the competition looks pretty intense.
Culinary Class Wars Season 2 Release Date
Netflix will globally release Culinary Class Wars second season on December 16, 2025. The show’s renewal was first announced in October 2024, and Netflix later confirmed that it is scheduled to debut in December 2025.
Although earlier reports suggested a possible October premiere, Netflix clarified in April that while a second-half release is planned, the exact date was still being finalized.
As the name suggests, it is focused on class-based rivalry in the culinary world. Season 2 will build on that foundation with upgraded challenges, new rules, and a stronger lineup of chefs.
Plot and Format: What to Expect in Culinary Class Wars 2
The basic structure of the show remains the same, much to the fans’ delight. Viewers will witness a clash between “Black Spoon” chefs, who are mostly up-and-coming or lesser-known, and “White Spoon” chefs, who are established veterans.
Season 2 aims to upgrade everything viewers loved about the show. It will rekindle the fiery “Black vs. White” rivalry that made the first season a global hit. Producers Kim Hak Min and Kim Eun Ju stated they worked hard “to supplement the elements that were loved in Season 1 and revise the aspects viewers felt were lacking.” They guaranteed a “more polished” season with “new rules, missions, and twists.”
Season 2 introduces a stronger “White Spoon” lineup featuring several Michelin-recognized chefs:
- Lee Jun — owner of the two-Michelin-starred Soigné
- Son Jong Won — chef with one Michelin star each for L’Amant Secret and Eatanic Garden
- Venerable Sunjae — Korea’s first master of temple cuisine
- Hu Deok Juk — Chinese cuisine grand master with 57 years of experience
The judges remain the same:
- Paik Jong-won
- Ahn Sung-jae, a Michelin three-star chef
The returning directors have also said Season 2 will feature “fiercer clashes.”
Culinary Class Wars Season 2 Trailer
On November 18, Netflix gave fans a first glimpse into the second season of Culinary Class Wars. The teaser revealed bigger sets, harder challenges, and the talented “White Spoon” chefs.
The season teaser also hints at a more intense rivalry. One “Black Spoon” contestant says, “I’m going to pour out everything I’ve prepared,” while another adds, “I came here to win.”
How Season 1 Performed
Season 1 became popular for its high-stakes cooking battles between 20 elite “White Spoon” chefs and 80 ambitious “Black Spoon” cooks. Everyone competed for a grand prize of 300 million won (about $223,000).
The variety show made history as the first Korean Netflix variety show to rank number one in the Netflix Global Top 10 non-English TV category for three consecutive weeks. More impressively, it became the first-ever online streaming variety program to top Gallup Korea’s prestigious “Koreans’ Favorite Programs” survey in September last year.
Restaurants owned by the contestants saw a dramatic surge in popularity, and reservation rates on platforms like CatchTable increased by 148%. The first season winner was “Black Spoon” chef Kwon Seong Jun, better known as “Napoli Matfia,” who defeated Korean-American chef Edward Lee in the final round.
The Controversies Surrounding the Show
Season 2 arrives with renewed interest, but it also follows controversy linked to Season 1 contestants.
The most notable scandal involved the chef “Triple Star” (real name Kang Seung Won), a fan-favorite from Season 1. In late October 2024, he faced multiple allegations from two women from his past. A woman claiming to be his ex-wife alleged that he used her connections to advance his career and shared concerning details about his behavior during their relationship.
Simultaneously, another woman claiming to be an ex-girlfriend alleged that Kang ghosted her without explanation. She later heard rumors of his marriage and suggested he was dating multiple women concurrently.
Winner Kwon Seong Jun also addressed his own conduct after Season 1 aired. He posted a public apology on Instagram, stating that watching the broadcast showed him “a lot of [his] arrogance and shortcomings”.
He specifically apologized for the remarks made during the final episodes. He explained that his overconfident “I will step on you” comment came across as “arrogant and careless”. His final opponent, Edward Lee, graciously responded, telling him, “You deserved the win and don’t ever lose your confidence”.
Judge Paik Jong Won was embroiled in ongoing legal issues related to food labeling and hygiene at one of his companies. However, Netflix chose to continue with him for Season 2.
Culinary Class Wars Season 2 is set to be a must-watch culinary event when it premieres on December 16, 2025.
