Meet the Cast of 'Culinary Class Wars' Season 2: Your Guide to the Contestants on the Netflix Cooking Competition

Spoilers for episodes 1-12 of Culinary Class Wars ahead. After a year's wait, Netflix's Culinary Class Wars returned to introduce the world to a new set of famed chefs. In September 2024, the Korean reality show debuted as the streamer's answer to a Physical: 100-style cooking show. In the intense competition, renowned White Spoon chefs compete against underdog Black Spoons, who are only known by nicknames unless they become the last chef standing. (Black Spoon chef Napoli Matfia rose above the season 1 chefs to win it all, so it is possible!)

For the second installment, led by returning judges Ahn Sung-jae and Paik Jong-won, Culinary Class Wars raised the bar even higher after season 1's all-star cast. This time, several of the Black Spoons are already local culinary celebrities, and the White Spoons are among the best chefs in the world. Plus, the December 16 premiere introduces the new Hidden White Spoons, two returning chefs who were White Spoons in season 1. The familiar duo competed in the qualifying round with the Black Spoons, which ended with 19 White Spoons and 19 Black Spoons continuing on.

After several weeks of intense challenges, the January 6 drop brings viewers into the final stretch, as season 2's Top 7 begin their fight for the 300 million won (roughly $205,000) prize. For anyone who needs a refresher on the contestants, read on for everything to know about the cast of Culinary Class Wars season 2, from the famed White Spoons and standout Black Spoons, to the seven remaining finalists.

The Hosts

Ahn Sung-jae

Ahn Sung-jae is the chef-owner of Mosu, South Korea's only three-star Michelin restaurant. Born in Korea, Ahn moved to Southern California when he was 13 and briefly served in the U.S. Army before attending culinary school, per The New York Times.

Before opening Mosu in San Francisco, he trained at several famed restaurants, including L.A.'s Urasawa and San Francisco's French Laundry and Benu. In addition to running Mosu, which focuses on French haute cuisine incorporating Korean fermented ingredients, Ahn also runs a popular YouTube channel.

Instagram: @sungmosu

Paik Jong-won

Chef Paik Jong-won (sometimes spelled Baek Jong-won) is an acclaimed restaurateur and TV personality whose YouTube channel has over 6 million followers. Before Culinary Class Wars, he also hosted the Netflix cooking shows Paik's Spirit and the Rhapsody series (i.e. Korean Pork Belly Rhapsody, Hanwoo Rhapsody, etc.).

Paik is 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. Earlier this year, Paik was "cleared of allegations that he was involved in his company’s alleged false labeling of ingredient origins," per The Korea Herald.

Instagram: @paikscuisine_official

The Finalists

Brewmaster Yun

Brewmaster Yun (real name Nara Yun) is the owner of both Haebangchon Yunjudang, a jumak (or traditional tavern) serving home-brewed traditional alcohol and Korean dishes, and the liquor studio Yunjudan Brewery. Per her intro, she has been brewing alcohol for over 10 years, and patrons at her pub call her "jumo," a Joseon-era term for a female barkeep. Earlier this year, she published the cookbook Makgeolli Recipes for All Four Seasons.

Instagram: @yunjudang

Choi Kang-rok

Chef Choi Kang-rok is a celebrity chef and TV personality who won the second season of MasterChef Korea in 2013. His Japanese eatery Neo, which specialized in Japanese cuisine, closed in December 2024, and it was rumored that he was working on a new restaurant. Earlier this year, he hosted the Netflix cooking show The Blank Menu For You; he was also a featured chef on Chef & My Fridge, and he published the essay collection Cooking for Life.

In his reintroduction, Choi explains his decision to return to Culinary Class Wars as a Hidden White Spoon. "They say if you do nothing, nothing will happen. And it did seem like nothing would happen, so I decided to come back."

Instagram: @roi_choi

Culinary Monster

Culinary Monster is one of the few Black Spoons whose real name (Hasung Lee) is immediately mentioned by another chef, due to his fame. He's the former head chef at the N.Y.C. restaurant Atomix, which earned two Michelin stars during his tenure; he is also a former sous chef at The French Laundry, and he previously worked at Geranium and Gramercy Tavern.

According to Chosun Daily, he's currently preparing to open his own restaurant in New York, called Oyatte.

Instagram: @hasunglee

Hou Deok-juk

Hou Deok-juk has been a master chef of Chinese cuisine for over 57 years. He's referred to as "a legend of Korean culinary history" and "Chinese cuisine god" on Culinary Class Wars. He's currently the executive chef of Haobin, a one-star restaurant that serves the signature soup dish Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. In 2024, Hou received the MICHELIN Mentor Chef Award.

Im Seong-keun

Im Seong-keun is the winner of the third season of the cooking show Hansik Battle (a.k.a. Korean Food War). He also runs a YouTube cooking channel called Imjjang TV. Following the season 2 premiere, he revealed that he's preparing to open a restaurant in Paju City, around 20 miles northwest of Seoul.

Instagram: @imchef00

Jung Ho-young

Jung Ho-young is a popular chef of Japanese cuisine and a television personality who's a longtime cast member on Chef & My Fridge. He's also the chef-owner of the Kaden restaurant group, which includes the restaurants Udon Kaden and Izakaya Kaden, as well as "udon and shabu-shabu restaurants in Hapjeong, Jeju, Apgujeong, and Bucheon."

Instagram: @jung_hoyoung_caden_

Venerable Sunjae

Venerable Sunjae is Korea's first master of temple cuisine, a cooking style that doesn't use meat, onion, garlic, chives, green onions, or leeks. She became a Buddhist monk in the 1980s and went on to spread awareness about Buddhist cuisine and healthy eating. During her intro, one of the Black Spoons says, "The White Spoons all look like Black Spoons next to her."

White Spoons

Cheon Sang-hyun

Cheon Sang-hyun is the former executive chef at the Blue House (a.k.a. Cheong Wa Dae), the residence of the president of South Korea. According to the show, Cheon worked at the residence for 20 years and cooked for five different presidents.

Instagram: @chunsang_chef

Choi Yu-gang

Choi Yu-gang is the chef-owner of Kojacha, a one-star Michelin restaurant "where Korean ('Ko') chefs serve Japanese ('ja') and Chinese ('cha') cuisine," per its description. Before opening Kojacha, Choi worked in the kitchen of the esteemed Shilla Hotel for 16 years.

Instagram: @choi.yoogang

Jennie Walldén

Jennie Walldén is a famed Korean-Swedish chef who previously won MasterChef Sweden in 2013. She's also one of Sweden's best-selling cookbook authors and a mainstay of Swedish cooking shows. She's also a successful entrepreneur who owns NAMU, specializing in modern Korean-Scandinavian fine dining; Gaji, a "Korean meets Sweden" cocktail bar; and the condiment brand Uma.

According to her bio, Walldén grew up in Korea and moved to Italy in her teenage years before living in London and Sweden.

Instagram: @jenniewallden

Kim Do-yun

Chef Kim Do-yun is the chef-owner of two restaurants: YUN, a fine-dining eatery that has received a 1-star Michelin designation for four years in a row, and Myeon Seoul, a casual noodle spot that holds a Bib Gourmand designation. "His culinary philosophy is deeply rooted in traditional Korean fermentation and aging techniques," per Michelin.

In season 1, Kim became known for wearing headphones while cooking and keeping his eyes closed on camera to help manage his panic disorder. "I approached season 1 like it was a game," Kim said in his re-introduction as a Hidden White Spoon. "However, this time, I came with determination. I'm going to go for the win."

Instagram: @projectsyun

Kim Geon

Kim Geon is a powerhouse chef of contemporary Japanese cuisine who owns and operates the one-star seafood restaurant Goryori Ken. Per the Michelin Guide, the chef "showcases highly seasonal ingredients in creations inspired by the freshness of the produce and his own creative intuition." Kim also owns Ichie, a popular Japanese izakaya.

Instagram: @ichieseoul

Kim Hee-eun

Kim Hee-eun is the chef-owner of SOUL, a fine-dining restaurant that has held one Michelin star since 2023. SOUL is the brainchild of Lee, who specializes in Korean cuisine, and her husband, Western cuisine chef Yoon Dae-hyun. The couple also runs the fresh-pasta eatery Egg & Flour, which has been included on Michelin's Bib Gourmand guide for the past three years.

In an Instagram post ahead of season 2's premiere, Kim reminisced on her career, which began when she supported herself through culinary school "against [her] father's wishes." She's now a renowned chef who "focuses on the value of transmitting heartfelt emotion through food."

Instagram: @chef.heeeun

Kim Sung-woon

Kim Sung-woon is the chef behind seafood restaurant Table for Four, which held a Michelin star from 2018 to 2022. There, Kim serves seasonal ingredients from his hometown, Taean, "spun into delicate dishes that transport the diner from the busy city to the seaside."

Instagram: @tableforfour_chef

Lee Geum-hee

Lee Geum-hee is the first woman to be head chef at the luxury Mayfield Hotel in Korea. According to Namuwiki, the trailblazing chef of Korean cuisine "overcame fierce competition [and] gender discrimination" over her 30-year career, which included several years cooking at the renowned Lotte Hotel. In the show, the standout Black Spoon Boss in the Kitchen says that he fears Lee the most.

Lee Jun

Lee Jun is the chef-owner of Soigné, one of only nine restaurants in South Korea to have two Michelin stars. Since it opened in 2015, Soigné has focused on seasonal menus that change every three months, which "present a mixture of American cuisine, European cuisine, as well as Korean cuisine, memories and habits," per Michelin.

Before opening the restaurant, Lee studied at the Culinary Institute of America and trained at famed restaurants like N.Y.C.'s Per Se and Lincoln. According to the show, Lee is a trailblazer who's considered "the first to bring bar-style restaurants to Korea."

Instagram: @soignejunlee

Park Hyo-nam

Park Hyo-nam is an esteemed pioneer of French cuisine in Korea with over 47 years of experience. Over the course of his career, he has been the executive chef at the Grand Hyatt Seoul, the Millennium Seoul Hilton, and the Sejong Hotel; he was also the first Korean Star Chef for Lufthansa Airlines.

He also received the Medaille du Merite Agricole, a prestigious decoration awarded by the French government, in 2006, and became a national culinary master of Western cuisine in 2014. On the show, the Black Spoons refer to Park as "the chef of chefs" and "basically part of culinary history."

Raymon Kim

Raymon Kim is a Korean-Canadian chef and television personality specializing in cooking with pork. He's another long-time Chef & My Fridge cast member who has also appeared on shows like Convenience Store Restaurant and Half-Star Hotel in Lost Island. He currently has a YouTube channel, which often features his wife, actress Kim Ji-woo, and their 10-year-old daughter.

Instagram: @raymonkim

Sam Kim

Sam Kim (Korean name Kim Hee-tae) is a famous chef who has been a regular cast member on Chef & My Fridge since its first season in 2014. He owns the restaurant group Samkim Company, which includes the Italian eateries Trattoria Sam Kim and Osteria Sam Kim.

Instagram: @chefsamkim

Shim Sung-chul

N.Y.C.-based chef Shim Sung-chul is currently the owner of several eateries in the city. Kochi and Mari are one-star Michelin restaurants specializing in skewers and hand rolls, respectively. He also owns Don Don Korean BBQ, Marine Handroll Bar, and recently opened a steakhouse called Gui.

According to Resy, Shim began his career in Korea and rose to working in the prestigious Park Hyatt Hotel kitchen before deciding to move to the U.S. to study at the Culinary Institute of America.

Instagram: @sung.shim

Song Hoon

Song Hoon is a legend on the Korean fine-dining scene. Like many other White Spoons, Song studied at the Culinary Institute of America; he went on to become a sous chef at Eleven Madison Park, per The Chosun Daily.

Currently, Song runs Crown Pig, two casual restaurants in Seoul and Jeju that specialize in Nanchukmatdon, a Korean-native pork. Outside of his culinary career, Song is also a TV personality, best known as a judge from MasterChef Korea season 4.

Instagram: @chefhoonsong

Son Jong-won

Song Jong-won is the only chef in South Korea to own and operate two separate one-star Michelin restaurants simultaneously. During his introduction, the Black Spoons point out that he's especially impressive because the eateries are very different: L'Amant Secret focuses on French cuisine, while Eatanic Garden serves Korean cuisine.

Like Lee Jun, Son also attended the Culinary Institute of America and trained at restaurants like Copenhagen's Noma and San Francisco's Benu, Quince, and Coi. Also, in addition to Culinary Class Wars, Son is also a regular cast member on Chef and My Fridge!.

Instagram: @jw.sson

Black Spoons

Annyeong Bonjour

Annyeong Bonjour (real name Mathieu Moles) is the chef-owner of Chez Nou Private Kitchen in Seoul. In his introduction, the chef shares that he was adopted at the age of six and grew up in France; he now incorporates Korean influences into his classic French cuisine. According to the Michelin Guide, Chez Nou focuses on "French home-style cooking prepared by a French chef and his Korean wife."

Instagram: @machef75

Barbecue Lab Director

Barbecue Lab Director (real name Yoo Yong-wook) is the chef-owner of both Imok Smoke Dining, an award-winning restaurant specializing in wood-fired cooking, and Yoo Yong-uk Barbecue Lab. In his intro, he says that Imok has been fully booked ever since they opened, and that Pharrell Williams once ate there.

In addition to appearing on Culinary Class Wars, he's currently collaborating with Starbucks Korea on the special food item, "Yoo Yong-uk barbecue two-cut beef sandwich," per Chosun Biz.

Instagram: @yooyongwook

Culinary Innovator

Culinary Innovator (real name Shin Dong-min) is a well-known chef beloved by even the White Spoons, who reveal his name quite early in the show. He's a Japanese cuisine chef with over 25 years of experience; as stated in his introduction, he helped introduce molecular gastronomy into Korea in 2006. He also revealed that he purposely applied to be a Black Spoon.

Instagram: @chef.shindongmin

Dweji-Gomtang in NY

Dweji-Gomtang in NY (real name Chef Ok Dong-sik) is the chef-owner of his self-titled restaurant chain, which has locations in N.Y.C., Seoul, Tokyo, and Hawaii. After opening the initial Seoul location—which has held a Bib Gourmand designation since 2018—in Seoul, Ok popularized dweji gomtang, a comforting stew with pork (dweji), in New York. He says in his intro that the waitlist once had a thousand people.

Instagram: @okdongsik

French Papa

French Papa (real name Tommie Lee) is the chef-owner of the renowned Parisian-style bistro Bistrot de Yountville, which first opened in 2009.

In an emotional Instagram post shared ahead of the premiere, he wrote, "I chose to live as a father rather than a chef for my child's treatment, and during that time, I lived with the fear that I might never be able to cook again....Through [Culinary Class Wars], I realized that I still truly love cooking."

Instagram: @tommie.d.lee

Iron Arms

Iron Arms (real name Park Ju-sung) is the chef-owner of Sobajuu, a Seoul restaurant that "offers creative Japanese dishes using buckwheat as the main ingredient," per the Michelin Guide. He lives with a rare and incurable condition that causes muscle loss in his right hand, but when he begins cooking, his arm becomes "tough as iron," per his intro.

Instagram: @jusunggggg

Knife Omakase

Knife Omakase (real name Shin Hyun-do; above, far left) is the chef behind Monologue, a Japanese restaurant that serves omakase-style dining focusing on seasonal ingredients and sake pairings. He opened Monologue in 2018 and recently moved the eatery to a new location.

Instagram: @monologue_seoul

Little Tiger

Little Tiger (real name Kim Si-hyeon) is a chef at Solbam, a one-star Michelin restaurant that specializes in Korean contemporary fine-dining. She has a special connection on season 2: White Spoon chef Kim Hee-eun is her long-time mentor.

Instagram: @_hyeonsi

Loner in a Hole-in-the-Wall

Loner in a Hole-in-the-Wall (real name Kim Sang-heun) is the owner of the Korean pub Dokdo 16 Celsius. He specializes in juansang, a table setting that pairs alcoholic drinks with small plates of traditional Korean food.

Instagram: @ssh.cook

Perfect Match

Perfect Match (real name Park Ga-ram) is the executive chef at Dresden Green, a fine-dining restaurant focused on Western cuisine. Per her bio, she's a Culinary Institute of America grad who previously worked at N.Y.C. Michelin-starred restaurants including Restaurant Daniel, Le Bernardin, and Eleven Madison Park.

Instagram: @chef.garampark

Rebellious Genius

Rebellious Genius (real name Lee Chan-yang; seen above, right) is the head chef of the fine-dining restaurant Original Numbers. He was formerly a sous chef at Soigné; his former boss Lee Jun says that the chef's rebellious nature was apparent even back then.

Instagram: @chan_yanggg

Seoul Mother

Seoul Mother (real name Woo Jung-wook) is a famed chef specializing in Seoul-style comfort food and the owner of a popular restaurant called Superpan. Her bio explains she was a cooking teacher for wealthy families for over 20 years before writing the acclaimed cookbook Anju and Banju.

Instagram: @superpan_woo

Three Star Killer

Three Star Killer (real name Jinho An) has an impressive fine dining resume. The Culinary Institute of America grad worked at N.Y.C.'s famed three-star restaurant Per Se for six years before moving on to become a chef de cuisine at Monsieur Benjamin Seoul. He is also a former sous chef at Mosu, judge Ahn Sung-jae's three-star restaurant.

Instagram: @comfortrueshine

Witch With a Wok

Witch With a Wok (real name Lee Moon-jung) is a chef of Chinese cuisine with over 25 years of experience. She was formerly a chef at Geumryong, a contemporary Cantonese restaurant located in the Grand Walkerhill Seoul resort.

Instagram: @witch_chef