Underdogs vs. elites: ‘Culinary Class Wars’ to return with second season

The second season of Netflix’s global hit cooking survival show “Culinary Class Wars” (2024-) will premiere on December 16 with new stories and new rules, the streaming giant said on November 18.

“We’re deeply grateful for the unexpected love that the first season received,” said producers Kim Hak-min and Kim Eun-ji. “We’ve poured our hearts into crafting the second season to meet the audience’s expectations. We hope viewers will affectionately cheer on all the chefs.”

“We built the second season on what fans loved in the first season while refining aspects that received criticism,” the producers added. “Expect upgraded rules, new missions and plenty of surprises.”

For this upcoming season, self-taught underdogs, dubbed “Black Spoon” chefs, will be pitted against top-tier culinary stars, or “White Spoon” chefs. The contestants will also come from a wide range of culinary backgrounds, from Korean to Western, Chinese, Japanese and fusion cuisines.

Netflix unveiled a new poster and teaser ahead of the season premiere on November 18. The poster features the Black Spoon chefs, while the teaser spotlights the formidable lineup of White Spoon chefs, including two-Michelin-star chef Lee Jun; Son Jong-won, who holds one Michelin star in both Korean and Western cuisine; Venerable Sunjae, Korea’s first officially recognized master of temple cuisine; and Hu Deok-juk, a Chinese cuisine master with 57 years of experience.

The first season of “Culinary Class Wars” captivated audiences with the drama that unfolded as its elite chefs fought to prove their standing while the underdogs challenged them for newfound glory. It became the first Korean unscripted show to top Netflix’s global Top 10 non-English TV chart for three consecutive weeks.

Like the first season, the second will be produced by Studio Slam, a subsidiary of SLL JoongAng.

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG  [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]