Spoilers for episodes 1-10 of Culinary Class Wars ahead. In September 2024, Netflix released Culinary Class Wars, its latest Korean reality show in a series best described as "Squid Game but [insert competition]." Following hits like Physical: 100, The Devil's Plan, and The Influencer, Culinary Class Wars is an intense cooking challenge that Westerners might see as MasterChef or Iron Chef if the intensity was turned way up. The show sees 100 chefs compete to earn bragging rights as South Korea's most-skilled chef. For its class-evoking twist, the series' cast is split into the White Spoons, a.k.a elite chefs who have already made a name for themselves in Korea, and the Black Spoons, the underdogs who are only known by nicknames (as their real names have to be earned.)
Similar to its predecessor Physical: 100, Culinary Class Wars has won over Netflix viewers around the globe with the contestants' talent and great sportsmanship. The final two episodes, released on October 8, saw the remaining chefs compete in a marathon round called "Endless Cooking Hell," before two finalists faced off for the title of the show's best chef. Below, read on to meet some of the standout cast members from Culinary Class Wars, including all of the members of the series' Top 8 contestants.
The Hosts
Ahn Sung-jae
Acclaimed chef Ahn Sung-jae was born in South Korea and grew up in California, briefly serving in the U.S. Army. He apprenticed at fine dining establishments in San Francisco, including Urasawa and The French Laundry, before opening his restaurant Mosu, which focuses on French haute cuisine incorporating Korean fermented ingredients. In 2017, he relocated Mosu to Seoul, where it became a three-Michelin-star establishment in 2022.
In an interview with The Chosun Daily, Ahn said of his time on Culinary Class Wars, "I was trained traditionally and hold strong beliefs, but some contestants completely challenged those beliefs. The dishes were exceptional, and I realized there are many different ways to approach food."
Instagram: @sungmosu
Paik Jong-won
Chef Paik Jong-won (sometimes spelled Baek Jong-won) is an acclaimed restauranteur, author, and TV personality whose YouTube channel has over 6.4 million followers. Culinary Class Wars isn't his first collaboration with Netflix; he also hosted the cooking shows Paik's Spirit and the Rhapsody series (i.e. Korean Pork Belly Rhapsody, Hanwoo Rhapsody, etc.). He's the CEO of Theborn Korea, which sports dozens of restaurant franchises including Paik's Noodle, Paik's BBQ, and Hanshin Pocha in the U.S.
Instagram: @paikscuisine_official
The Top 8
Auntie Omakase #1
Black Spoon chef Auntie Omakase, real name Lee Mi-ryeong, runs two restaurants: Andongjip Son Kalguksi, where she sells her representative guksu (noodle) dish for $6, and Joyful Drinking Table (Jeulgeoun Sulsang), which offers a Korean omakase (a chef's choice dining style from Japan) experience, where about 40 small plates are served over two hours, for 50,000 won (about $40) per person, per Korea JoongAng Daily.
On Culinary Class Wars, Lee revealed that she dealt with poverty as a child, and began running her mother's guksu restaurant after both of her parents became sick. Though she initially disliked guksu due to harsh memories, it has now become her signature dish.
Choi Hyun-seok
White Spoon chef Choi Hyun-seok is a TV personality and one of the most recognized chefs in Korea. He first rose to fame as a regular cast member on Please Take Care of My Refrigerator in 2014. He now runs Choi Dot, a Korean-European fusion fine-dining restaurant in Seoul that focuses on unique, playful interpretations of traditional dishes. He also opened a second restaurant, the Chinese-fusion eatery Central Reducer, in 2020.
According to Korea JoongAng Daily, Choi does not hold a university degree or study abroad experience, like most of Korea's famed chefs. Instead, Choi started working right after high school in the back kitchens of local Italian restaurants. Also, a fun fact: He previously competed on King of Mask Singer in 2016.
Instagram: @crazypenne
Cooking Maniac
Cooking Maniac (real name Yoon Nam-no) runs the casual fusion eatery Deepin, based in the Shindang neighborhood of Seoul, and its sister bar Deepin Oksu. As stated in his Instagram bio, he specializes in bistronomy, a style of cuisine that combines traditional bistro dishes with gastronomic cooking techniques.
In an interview with Vogue Korea, Yoon revealed that he began his cooking career after his mother was diagnosed with cancer, leading him to take over her naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodle) restaurant. He quickly stood out on Culinary Class Wars for his vibrant personality and truly cooking like a maniac.
Instagram: @ynncook
Edward Lee
White Spoon chef Edward Lee is perhaps the most familiar face to Culinary Class Wars viewers in the U.S., as he was previously the winner of Iron Chef: America. The Korean-American chef is a second-generation immigrant born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, who moved to Louisville, Kentucky, in 2002. He's been nominated for several James Beard Awards—his book Buttermilk Graffiti won the 2019 award for writing— and he owns the restaurants 610 Magnolia, Succotash Prime, and Nami.
Lee is also an advocate for change in the restaurant industry. In 2018, he founded the LEE (Let’s Empower Employment) Initiative, which helps find "innovative and impactful solutions" to "increase diversity, equity, sustainability, and compassion in the restaurant industry," per the organization's website. It received the 2024 Humanitarian of the Year James Beard Award.
Instagram: @chefedwardlee
Jang Ho-joon
White Spoon chef Jang Ho-joon is the CEO of the food and beverage company Negi, which operates seven restaurants ranging from casual eateries to Japanese fine-dining cuisine. Per Korea JoongAng Daily, he started his career working at the kitchens of five-star hotels like Grand Hyatt and Ritz Carlton, before starting his own career as an entrepreneur. He also recently started his own YouTube channel.
Some of the restaurants under Negi include Negi Live, a high-end Japanese restaurant in Seoul; the fish cake bar Modern Odeng; and Negi Silbi, which is seafood-based and pays homage to his southern coastal hometown of Tongyeong.
Instagram: @fly.hojoon
Jung Ji-sun
White Spoon chef Jung Ji-sun is known as the "Queen of Dim Sum," and a representative Chinese cuisine chef in Korea, per Korea JoongAng Daily. After putting herself through school at Yangzhou University’s Department of Culinary Arts in China, she returned to Korea and worked in the male-dominated world of Chinese cuisine for two decades, including serving as a protégé of renowned chef Lee Yeon-bok.
Jung's popular restaurant chain Tian Mimi, which focuses on Sichuan-style cuisine and dim sum dishes, has locations in the trendy Seoul neighborhoods Gangnam and Hongdae. She has also published three books, and she is a mother to a 10-year-old son.
Instagram: @chef_jisunjoung
Napoli Matfia
Black Spoon chef Napoli Matfia, real name Kwon Seong-joon, is a now-famous cooking personality specializing in pasta, risotto, and Italian dishes. He formerly worked in the two-Michelin-star Dani Maison near Naples, where he learned the Italian culture and flavors that now inspire his cooking. He's currently the chef-owner of Toledo Pasta Bar in Seoul, which offers a single, seven-course Sicilian dinner with courses changing every two months, per Korea JoongAng Daily.
Following Culinary Class Wars' final episodes, one of Kwon's standout recipes from the series will be available for purchase throughout South Korea. The convenience store chain CU has announced that it will sell a tiramisu cup similar to Kwon's chestnut tiramisu from the convenience store recipe challenge in episode 8.
Instagram: @napolimatfiia
Triple Star
Triple Star, real name Kang Seung-won or Scott Kang, chose his nickname because he has worked in several Michelin-starred restaurants. Kang formerly worked under judge Ahn Sung-jae as the sous-chef at Mosu; before that, he worked at Benu, a three-star American dining restaurant in San Francisco (where Ahn also previously worked).
The celebrated chef now owns the contemporary fine-dining restaurant Trid, which has been featured in the Michelin Guide Seoul for three years. Per the Guide, as head chef at Trid, Kang "makes bold and interesting choices while pursuing new tastes and combinations of ingredients."
Instagram: @scottiey_
The White Spoons
Ahn Yu-seong
Chef Ahn Yu-seong is known as the 16th culinary master of Korea, specializing in Japanese cuisine. He's the owner-chef of the restaurant Gamae in the city of Gwanju in southwest Korea.
Bang Ki-su
Chef Bang Ki-su owns the restaurant Gitdeun, which specializes in pork BBQ and traditional Korean dishes.
Instagram: @gitdeun_bang
Cho Eun-ju
Cho Eun-ju is the owner and head chef at Touch the Sky, a high-end French restaurant in Seoul's famous 63 Building. She's also the first female chef to secure two gold medals in top culinary competitions.
Choi Ji-hyung
According to his Instagram, Chef Choi Ji-hyung's restaurant Lee Buk Bang specializes in Korean-style sundae (blood sausage) and North Korean dishes. It has also been listed in the Michelin Guide Seoul for five years.
Instagram: @leebukbang
Choi Kang-rok
Chef Choi Kang-rok is the winner of the second season of MasterChef Korea. His restaurant Neo specializes in Japanese-style meals, and he also shares cooking tutorials and vlogs on his YouTube channel.
Instagram: @roi_choi
Fabrizio Ferrari
Fabrizio Ferrari, known as Chef Fabri in Korea, is an Italian seafood chef who worked at several Michelin-starred restaurants, including Noma and Piazza Duomo, before running his family restaurant Al Porticciolo 84 in Lake Como. The establishment has held a Michelin star for 15 years. In 2016, he won the Global Taste of Korea competition, and, in 2018, he began appearing on Korean variety shows. He now works as a culinary lecturer at Sejong University in Seoul, per Korea.net, while running his YouTube channel.
Instagram: @fabrilicious
Hwang Jin-seon
Hwang Jin-seon is a chef and YouTuber who specializes in Korean-style Chinese cuisine. His restaurant Jinjin has been featured in the Michelin Guide Seoul.
Instagram: @jinseon.hwang
Joseph Lidgerwood
Joseph Lidgerwood is the Australian owner and executive chef at Evett, a fine-dining restaurant which boasts one Michelin star and "reinterprets Korean cuisine from a foreign perspective." In an interview with The Chosun Daily, he told the outlet, "There are many great dishes and ingredients in Korean cuisine that are still not widely known. I find this very regrettable."
Instagram: @josephlidgerwood
Kim Do-yoon
Chef Kim Do-yoon is the chef behind two restaurants: Yun Seoul, a fine-dining eatery which has received a 1-star Michelin designation for three years in a row, and Myeon Seoul, which focuses on housemade noodle dishes and landed on the 2025 Michelin Guide Seoul. Kim specializes in aging, drying, and fermenting techniques.
Instagram: @projectsyun
Kim Seung-min
Kim Seung-min is the winner of MasterChef Korea season 1, who now runs the Japanese-style bakery Morino Aruyo on Jeju Island, which serves a small menu of donburi (rice bowls).
Lee Young-sook
Lee Young-sook is the winner of the second season of Korean Food War, known for her mastery of mushroom-based dishes. She runs the restaurant and farm Nakyung Mushroom Farm.
Lu Ching Lai
Chef Lu Chinglai (Korean name Yeo Gyeong-rae) is considered the grand master of Chinese cuisine, who puts a modern twist on traditional Chinese dishes. As seen in Culinary Class Wars, he has been cooking since 1975 when he was 16, and his restaurant Hong Bo Gak (located in the Grand Ambassador Seoul) has been in business since 1994.
Instagram: @lu_chinglai
Nam Jeong-seok
Nam Jeong-seok is known as the master of plant-based Italian cuisine, made from local vegetables. He runs two restaurants, The Local Eater in Seoul, and Green Bowl in Gangneung, a city in Gangwon Province, South Korea.
Instagram: @the_local_eater
Oh Se-deuk
Oh Se-deuk is a chef behind two restaurants: Chinmeal Jeju, which highlights the flavors of Jeju Island, and Oh Pan Fire. He first rose to fame with his French-Korean fusion restaurant July in the early 2010s. He's also a long-time TV personality who started as a regular cast member on Please Take Care of My Refrigerator in 2014.
Instagram: @sedeukoh
Park Joon-woo
Park Joon-woo is a "cuisinier-pâtissier-traiteur" (French for "cook, pastry chef, and caterer"), who runs the European-style café Aux Petits Verres in Seoul, which is famous for its Belgian tarts and beers. He was a semifinalist in MasterChef Korea.
Instagram: @seoul_1983
Seonkyung Longest
Seonkyoung Longest is a culinary YouTuber, whose channel Asia at Home has over 2.2 million subscribers. Per her intro video, she was born and raised in South Korea and began cooking in 2010, after moving to the U.S. in 2009. She previously competed on MasterChef season 4, and she won the Food Network series Restaurant Express. She also launched her first restaurant at The M Resort Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas in 2013.
Instagram: @seonkyounglongest
The Black Spoons
Celebrities' Chef
Celebrities' Chef, real name Lim Hee-won, is the owner-chef of Buto, a popular modern bar which serves fusion dishes paired with specific drinks. His nickname comes from the famous names who've eaten at his place.
Chef Spark
Chef Spark, real name Shawn Park, is the owner-chef of the Italian restaurant Bistro Spark. Per its Instagram, the restaurant is temporarily closed while moving to a new location. He's opening his second restaurant, Things Burger, in October.
Instagram: @chefshawnpark
Comic Book Chef
Comic Book Chef, real name Cho Kwang-ho, earned his nickname because he is self-taught, and learned how to cook with the help of culinary-themed comic books. He's the owner-chef of the Chinese restaurants ChoKwang101, an experimental tapas bar, and ChoKwang201, which serves trendy dishes, per Korea JoongAng Daily.
Instagram: @cho__kwang
Genius Restauranteur
Genius Restauranteur, real name Jo Seo-hyung, operates several businesses, including Euljiro Boseok, a sake and wine bar with seasonal Korean food; the clothing brand Lamei; the bar Part of Gyeonju; and the gimbap eatery Dama Gimbap.
Instagram: @seohy2ong
God of Seasoning
God of Seasoning (real name Jacob Hyun) runs the bar Edamame Namyoung, which serves Chinese and Japanese-inspired dishes.
Instagram: @jacobhyun
Goddess of Chinese Cuisine
Goddess of Chinese Cuisine, real name Park Eun-young, is a chef who, as her nickname suggests, specializes in Chinese cuisine. She's the protégé of Lu Chinglai, having worked under him for over a decade at Hong Bo Gak, and the pair have a joint YouTube channel.
Instagram: @yeogane
Hidden Genius
Hidden Genius, real name Kim Tae-sung, works at Pono Buono, a wine bar specializing in Italian-fusion dishes, per Korea JoongAng Daily. Though only two pasta dishes are on the menu, he offers a hidden pasta menu with his now-famed aglio e olio (spaghetti with garlic and olive oil, a Korean favorite).
Instagram: @urbantae
Master of School Meals
Master of School Meals, real name Lee Mi-young, is a retired school chef who's known for creating popular, delicious meals for students at Habuk Elementary School in Yangsan. She has recently retired and started a YouTube channel.
Instagram: @schoolfood_chef
Meat Master
Meat Master, real name David Lee, is the owner and executive chef of Guunmong Seoul, which serves a meat-focused fusion of Western and Korean dishes. Per The Korea Times, Lee worked at Michelin-starred restaurants since 2005, before returning to his native Korea around 2018.
Instagram: @meatthegangster
One Two Three
One Two Three, real name Kyung Jun-bae, is a chef who honed his skills in one-, two-, and three-starred Michelin restaurants, hence his nickname. He now works at Bornyon, a Korean woodfire-based restaurant in the private club Playa Wellness.
Instagram: @kj_bae
Self Made Chef
Self-Made Chef, real name Lim Tae-hoon, specializes in Chinese cuisine and is the owner-chef of Doryang. His eye-catching dish in the first round of Culinary Class Wars is the Eight Treasures meatball.
Instagram: @chulgabangchef
Seung-woo's Dad
Seung-woo's Dad, real name Jin Hwa-mok, is a popular Korean-Canadian YouTuber and streamer with over 1.4 million subscribers. In his YouTube bio, he calls his page "a recipe channel that anyone can follow." He formerly owned the Seoul fusion-restaurant Kitchen Maillard.
Instagram: @swab_official
Yakitori King
Yakitori King, real name Kim Byung-mook, founded the restaurant chain Yakitori Mook, which serves the titular Japanese-style chicken skewers, and is featured in Michelin Guide Seoul.
Instagram: @yakitorimook
Yeong Chicken
Yeong Chicken, real name Oh Jun-tak, owns the specialty restaurant Namyeong Chicken, which serves Oh's style of slow-roasted, wood-fire whole chicken.
Instagram: @jason.j.oh
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