White Spoon Chefs Revealed: Meet The Culinary Class Wars S2 Contestants (So Far)

Hot on the heels of the Physical: Asia (and fan-favourite Amotti) hype, the second season of Culinary Class Wars is coming soon to our screens, with a fresh wave of culinary extraordinaires ready to cook up a storm.

The first season of the culinary reality show saw 100 contestants, with 80 Black Spoon chefs pitted against 20 famous White Spoon chefs. Following an intense series of cook-offs and team showdowns, Black Spoon chef Napoli Matfia (Kwon Sung-jun) narrowly edged out White Spoon chef Edward Lee with a lamb and pasta dish to claim the top spot and bag 300 million Korean won (approx. S$291,383 then).

When is Culinary Class Wars Season 2 airing

Culinary Class Wars season 2 is set to premiere on Dec 16, 2025 (4pm SGT) on Netflix. According to the showrunners, the second season will switch things up in more ways than one.

Directors Kim Hak-min and Kim Eun-ji explained, “We added one-on-one missions and applied new rules to intensify the class war. Our key guideline was, ‘No elimination rules ever again.’ We focused on creating more exciting and tense missions.”

This season will also highlight chefs from a more diverse range of culinary backgrounds, along with Korea’s regional specialties, in an effort to spotlight the country’s diverse food culture and local traditions.

Culinary Class Wars Season 2 contestants: Who are the White and Black Spoon chefs?

The streaming giant dropped a teaser on Nov 18, showing the White Spoon chefs who’ll be appearing on the show. Chef Anh Sung-jae of the three-Michelin-starred Mosu (it lost its stars in 2025 as the restaurant temporarily closed and relocated) as well as celebrity chef and entrepreneur Paik Jong-won will return as the judges. Here’s the scoop on the new faces entering the fray.

Chef Jun Lee

Jun Lee is the founder and executive chef of the two-Michelin-starred Soigne in Gangnam, Seoul, which opened in 2015. The restaurant specialises in contemporary cuisine that’s rooted in Korean flavours, while drawing on French, Italian and American influences. Subsequently, he launched Doughroom, which showcases artisanal pasta made fresh each day.

He pursued a degree in Culinary Arts from Kyunghee University, then later furthered his studies at the Culinary Institute of America.

Chef Son Jong-won

Son Jong-won helms two one-Michelin-starred restaurants in Seoul: the French-inspired L’Amant Secret and Eatanic Garden, which focuses on Korean flavours given a creative spin.

If you find him familiar, that’s because the 41-year-old has appeared on the popular cooking variety programme Chef & My Fridge. He’s also been affectionately dubbed the ‘good vibes’ chef for his charm and well, good vibes.

Chef Hou Deok-juk

With over 50 years of experience under his belt, Hou Deok-juk is a master in Chinese cuisine and currently helms the kitchen at Haobin restaurant as head chef. His signature dish? Buddha Jumps Over The Wall, which he is credited with first introducing to Korea (Source: Michelin Guide).

In 2024, he was honoured with the Michelin Mentor Chef Award, which spotlights the dedication and influence of mentor chefs who serve as industry role models. In fact, his dishes won praise from Jiang Zemin, the former President of the People’s Republic of China, during his visit to South Korea in 1994.

Venerable Sun-jae

And surprise, surprise, there’ll be a Buddhist nun among the White Spoon competitors. Venerable Sun-jae, recognised as Korea’s first master of temple cuisine (a culinary tradition that originated in the Buddhist temples of Korea), will be taking part.

In an online interview, she shared that she believes that Buddhist cuisine (which excludes meat and fish, and pungent ingredients) contributes to not only a healthy body but also a healthy mind.

Watch this space for more updates on Culinary Class Wars Season 2.