[Weekender] From underdogs to culinary stars: How 'Culinary Class Wars' brings chefs into spotlight

A promotional poster for Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars. (Netflix)

On the second floor of a modest building in Seoul’s Songpa-gu, a hidden gem of a Chinese restaurant awaits: Jokwang 201.

Previously known among food lovers for its bold dishes like marasyanggwo, maratang and soy sauce-braised pork belly, also known as dongpayuk, the restaurant has recently attracted broader attention after its owner, Jo Kwang-ho, appeared on Netflix’s "Culinary Class Wars" as a chef on the black team, referred to in Korea as "the black spoons."

The black spoon title reflects Jo's unconventional path to cooking: teaching himself through comic books rather than formal culinary training or working in professional restaurant kitchens. His nickname, "Manjjitnam" which translates to "a man torn out of a comic book," reflects this background. On the show, Jo impressed the judges, especially with his signature dish, dongpayuk, getting his restaurant into the spotlight.

In contrast, Jung Ji-sun, head chef of acclaimed Chinese restaurant Tian Mi Mi in Seoul's Gangnam-gu, entered the show as a chef on the white team. With years of experience as an executive chef and formal training in China, Jung represents the well-established side of the show.

This contrast between the black and white teams' chefs is the central theme of "Culinary Class Wars." Unlike other cooking shows, it divides the chefs into two groups: the black team, with chefs like Jo, who are talented but relatively unknown, and the white team, with chefs like Jung, who are already well-established and well-known in the culinary world.

The show’s format allows these lesser-known chefs to challenge their more famous counterparts, competing in a series of intense cooking battles with two well-known judges leading the competition: food business tycoon Paik Jong-won and Ahn Sung-jae, a Michelin three-star chef known for his refined palate and sharp critiques.

According to Netflix, "Culinary Class Wars" achieved nearly 100 million viewing hours within just three weeks of airing and secured a spot in the platform's global top 10, sparking curiosity among local viewers about the restaurants owned by the chefs featured on the show.

Kwon Hye-jung, in her 30s, was among the people waiting in line outside Andongjip, a small eatery in the basement of Gyeongdong Market in central Seoul. The restaurant’s chef, Kim Mi-ryung, appeared on "Culinary Class Wars" as a black team chef. Andongjip is known for its simple, homestyle dishes like noodles and baechu-jeon, or napa cabbage pancakes.

"I came here after watching 'Culinary Class Wars.' The white team chefs were already familiar from TV shows, but I found myself rooting for the underdog black team chefs," Kwon said. "I was disappointed when Kim was eliminated, but I wanted to support her by visiting her restaurant."

The restaurant, which had quietly served its local regulars for years, has recently seen a sharp rise in customers from other regions. "We’ve always had our regulars," said a staff member, "but now we see a lot of new faces, many of them saying they came because they saw us on the show."

The support for black team chefs like Kim also coincided with the show’s final outcome.

In the final round of the contest, Kwon Sung-jun, 29, representing the black team chefs, defeated 52-year-old Korean American chef Edward Lee, a white team contestant, with his Piedmontese-style lamb. Kwon is known for having developed a deep passion for cooking after watching Gordon Ramsay videos on YouTube and later training in Italy.

As the show’s popularity grew, Kwon’s restaurant, Via Toledo Pasta Bar, became a highly sought-after dining spot. Known for its fine dining experience, the restaurant features multicourse meals with handmade pastas, risottos and a carefully curated selection of Italian wines.

Priced at 89,000 won ($65.30) per person, the restaurant now requires advance reservations exclusively through the CatchTable app. The surge in demand even led to reservation scalping, prompting Kwon to implement stricter policies, including permanently banning those caught attempting to reselling their reservation.

For the show’s popularity, Lee Eun-hee, professor of consumer economics at Inha University, noted that the way viewers connected with the chefs’ stories was partly a significant factor.

"The public has likely been deeply moved by seeing the black team chefs succeed, especially as they faced more established chefs," she said. "It’s great to see them gaining the recognition they deserve, and it’s even better to see their restaurants thriving as a result."

Riding high on the success of the first season, Netflix has already confirmed that a second season of "Culinary Class Wars" will be filmed, with plans to release it in late 2025.

By Hwang Joo-young(flylikekite@heraldcorp.com)