Pitting established restaurant chefs against hobbyists and novices, Culinary Class Wars is a one-of-a-kind show on Netflix. All the rage this October, the show garnered massive views and generated endless chatter online. Culinary Class Wars is about 100 people from all walks of life, all with a penchant for cooking, competing in a no-holds-barred culinary showdown. If you are wondering where you can eat the scrumptious dishes cooked by the chefs, here’s our list of the top 11 Black Spoon chefs on Culinary Class Wars, with most of them owning and operating their restaurants.
If you’ve been curious about Culinary Class Wars, check out our story on the restaurants owned by White Spoon chefs.
Cast, episodes and top chefs
With Culinary Class Wars already renewed for a second season, let’s delve into the cast and episodes of Season 1. The judges this season included Paik Jong-won, a veteran restaurateur and celebrity chef, and Anh Sung-jae, the only chef in South Korea with three Michelin stars. Some of the other big names in the show include Edward Lee, Choi Hyun-seok, Kang Seung-won, and Goddess of Chinese Cuisine (real name: Park Eun-young).
The chefs included 20 award-winning White Spoons and 80 Black Spoons. One of the most fun parts of the Culinary Class Wars show was the quirky nicknames given to the Black Spoon Chefs, inspired by their heritage, past experiences, and cooking specialisations.
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Netflix rolled out the first episode on September 17, 2024, with the 12th episode airing on October 8, 2024, marking the end of the show. With each episode of Culinary Class Wars packed with excitement and intense contests, Black Spoon chef Napoli Matfia was ultimately crowned the winner in the thrilling final episode, leaving viewers on the edge of their seats.
Check out the trailer here:
Culinary Class Wars: Dine at the restaurants of top 11 Black Spoon chefs
Auntie Omakase #1
Auntie Omakase #1 (real name: Lee Mi-ryeong) of Culinary Class Wars owns and operates Jeulgeoun Sulsang, a unique restaurant without a fixed menu! Here, she opts for the freshest ingredients that she can find and cooks ethereal dishes with them. At her second restaurant, Andongjip Son Kalguksi, she sells her signature guksu (noodle) dish, a comfort food for many. Combined with her nail-biting knife skills and genius ideas to turn a simple meal into a unique offering, it’s no wonder that people queue up here for a taste.
Address: Andongjip Son Kalguksi, 341 Nohae-ro, Dobong-gu, 117-ho, Changdong, Shinwon Libertel
Comic Book Chef
Comic Book Chef (real name: Cho Kwang-ho) has a unique take on recipes and cooking — taking inspiration only from comic books. The self-taught chef operates two restaurants, Cho Kwang 101 and Cho Kwang 201. Cho Kwang 101 offers a wide variety of Asian-inspired tapas with seasonal ingredients and plenty of little twists and experimental items. Cho Kwang 201 offers a huge selection of Chinese dishes subtly altered to suit the Korean palate.
Address: Cho Kwang 201, Seoul Metropolitan City 8, Saemaeul-ro 10-gil, Songpa-gu.
Side Dish Chef
Craving side dishes so delicious they overshadow the main course? Side Dish Chef has you covered! Currently the CEO of MAMALEE Market, a restaurant specialising in side dishes, the chef boasts extensive experience working at Michelin-starred establishments. Once you’ve savoured the side dishes, move over to the second floor, where a pub and a separate menu await.
Address: MAMALEE Market, Dosigotgan, Seoul Metropolitan City 306, L3, IFC Mall, 10 Gukjegeumyung-ro, Yeongdeun-gu.
Chef Spark
Chef Spark (real name: Shawn Spark) is the culinary genius behind Bistro Spark, an Italian restaurant that has “sparked” much chatter online. However, the restaurant is currently closed for relocation. By the end of October, Chef Spark is expected to open his second restaurant, Things Burger, though details about its location and menu remain undisclosed.
Address: Bistro Spark, 330 Apgujeong-ro, Gangnam-gu.
Hidden Genius
Hidden Genius (real name: Kim Tae-sung) operates Pono Bueno, a wine bar that specialises in Italian dishes with twists and additions from other cuisines and cooking techniques. While the menu included only two pasta dishes, a new addition was made after a dish gained fame on the Culinary Class Wars show. His traditional aglio e olio with an unconventional twist is now on offer at the restaurant.
Address: Pono Bueno, 8-7, Dosandaero 45-gil, Gangnam-gu, 2nd Floor.
Cooking Maniac
Cooking Maniac (real name: Yoon Yoo-nam) operates Deepin, a casual fusion restaurant in Seoul, and Deepin Oksu, its adjoining bar. Specialising in a unique blend of traditional bistro dishes and gastronomic cooking techniques, Cooking Maniac launched his culinary career by taking over his mother’s naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodle) restaurant.
Address: Deepin, Seoul Special City 411 Toegye-ro, Jung-gu.
Napoli Matfia
Spoiler alert! Crowned the ultimate winner of the Culinary Class Wars after a fierce showdown with Edward Lee, Napoli Matfia (real name: Kwon Sung-jun) owns and operates Via Toledo Pasta Bar. The popular eatery serves traditional Sicilian dishes with a twist. Armed with recipes and memories from his time at the two-Michelin-starred Dani Maison near Naples, he offers a seven-course Sicilian meal with the dishes changing every couple of months.
Address: Via Toledo Pasta Bar, Seoul Metropolitan City 7-2, Wonhyo-ro 83-gil, Yongsan-gu, 1st Floor.
Self-Made Chef
The owner and operator of Doryang, the Self-Made Chef (real name: Lim Tae-hoon) had humble beginnings in food delivery. The restaurant specialises in Chinese delicacies, from traditional dishes to fusion items. The highlight of the menu is his Eight Treasures meatball, which blew away the judges on Culinary Class Wars.
Address: Doryang, Seoul Metropolitan City, 6 Jahamun-ro 6-gil, 2nd and 3rd floor, Jongno-gu.
Triple Star
Having worked in three restaurants with three Michelin stars, Triple Star (real name: Kang Seung-won) owns and operates Trid, a fine-dining restaurant that serves Western-style course-by-course meals. Kang used to work closely with Judge Ahn Sung-Jae as the sous-chef at Mosu. Interestingly, Triple Star’s restaurant has been featured on the Michelin Guide Seoul for three years now.
Address: Trid, 16, Seolleung-ro 162-gil, Gangnam-gu, 2nd Floor.
Goddess of Chinese Cuisine
As her name suggests, the Goddess of Chinese Cuisine (real name: Park Eun-young) specialises in exquisite Chinese delicacies. She trained under Lu Chinglai, a White Cpoon chef from Culinary Class Wars, at Hong Bo Gak, a renowned Chinese restaurant in Seoul. Currently serving as the sous chef at Grand Majestic Sichuan, she also runs a YouTube channel where she shares various recipes along with tips and tricks for achieving stunning presentations in her dishes.
Master of School Meals
A recently retired school chef, Master of School Meals (real name: Lee Mi-young), does not operate a restaurant but used to cook healthy and delicious meals at Habuk Elementary School in Yangsan.
Note:
The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.
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FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
There are plenty of Korean cooking shows that are popular among viewers, including Youn’s Kitchen, Is it Cake?, School of Chocolate, The Backpacker Chef and Chef’s Table.
The top eight chefs in the Culinary Class Wars are Edward Lee, Jeong Ji-Seon, Jang Ho-Jun, Choi Hyun-Seok, Triple Star, Napoli Maftia, Cooking Maniac, and Auntie Omakase #1.
Choi Hyun-Seok’s Choi Dot, Central Reducer and Dahlia Dining; Gitdeun by Bang Ki-soo, and Cho Eun-ju’s Touch The Sky are some of the best restaurants by White Spoon Chefs.
Written By
Esha Dasgupta
Senior Digital Writer – Growth, Travel
Esha is a traveller at heart, with a penchant for exploring the unchartered. She has previously worked ..Read More
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