Chef Jung Ho-young admitted he grew anxious waiting for a call to join Season 2 of Netflix’s "Culinary Class Wars".
Speaking at a press conference on Dec. 17 at the JW Marriott Dongdaemun Grand Ballroom in Seoul, Jung said, “I was invited to Season 1 but turned it down for various reasons ― and I regretted it so much.”
“When they announced casting for Season 2 and I still hadn’t heard anything, I started to panic,” he continued. “Then the call finally came, and I signed on.”
Jung also broke down his game plan for the competition. “I’ve judged and competed on survival shows before. My winning strategy is to show the fundamentals and not get greedy. But once you’re in the arena, greed creeps in, nerves kick in, and it’s hard to cook your best. I had my share of regrets, too,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve ever experienced a survival like 'Culinary Class Wars' ― it’s electric and wildly fun.”
He added, “Dining out is in a slump these days. I hope 'Culinary Class Wars' gets more people excited about cooking. If chefs keep pushing and serve great food, our food culture will only grow. Please keep watching.”
"Culinary Class Wars" pits underdog “Black Spoon” chefs determined to upend the hierarchy against top-tier celebrity “White Spoon” chefs. Its first season, released last year, became the first Korean unscripted series to rank No. 1 for three consecutive weeks on Netflix’s Global Top 10 for Non-English TV. It also set a record as the first OTT variety show to top Gallup Korea’s “Koreans’ Favorite TV Programs” list in September 2024, sparking a wave of buzz at home and abroad ― momentum that has Season 2 hotly anticipated even before launch.
This season ups the stakes with even fiercer Black vs. White showdowns. On Team White, competing under their own names, are Michelin two-star Lee Jun; Son Jong-won, who has earned one Michelin star each in Korean and Western cuisine; Korea’s first master of temple cuisine, Ven. Seonjae; 57-year Chinese-cuisine veteran Hu Deok-juk; 47-year French-cuisine maestro Park Hyo-nam; celebrity chefs Jung Ho-young, Sam Kim and Raymond Kim; MasterChef Korea Season 4 judge Song Hoon; and Korean Food War Season 3 champion Lim Sung-geun ― among 18 in total. Choi Kang-rok and Kim Do-yoon also return as “Hidden White Spoons,” reprising their Season 1 twist roles in Season 2.
The challengers are no slouches either. Eighty Black Spoon chefs ― from beloved neighborhood gems you’d rather keep secret to owners of line-around-the-block hot spots and rising power players ― have jumped into the survival melee. Through the first three episodes, standouts include “French Papa,” “The Chinese Witch,” “The Brewer, Yoon Jumo,” and “Baby Beast.”
Episodes 1-3, released Dec. 16, wrapped the first-round Black Spoon qualifiers, sending 19 Black Spoons and 19 White Spoons ― 38 chefs total ― to Round 2. The 13-episode season will continue rolling out weekly on Tuesdays at 5 p.m. KST on Netflix.
[Photo: Netflix]
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)