‘Culinary Class Wars’ Crowns a Winner After an Emotional Final Cook-Off

Fans of the charged Netflix cooking competition series finally got their winner on Tuesday.

In the finale, Black Spoon chef ‘Culinary Monster’ went up against White Spoon Chef Choi Kang Rok, former MasterChef Korea winner.

The two chefs were prompted to create a “One-of-a-Kind” dish for themselves — a quest that proved to be an interesting and introspective challenge, especially since those in the field spent years, possibly even decades, doing the opposite.

“For people like us, who spent most of their lives cooking for other people, taking the time to try and cook for ourselves is surprisingly difficult,” said Choi.

Who Won the Second Season of ‘Culinary Class Wars’?

Culinary Monster, whose background includes working in the world’s best fine-dining kitchens, re-interpreted a Korean blood sausage soup called ‘soon-dae guk’ that evoked memories of his childhood. Every Sunday, he would go to the bathhouse with his father, and afterward they would grab a steaming bowl of the hearty soup. After spending years abroad, when the chef would revisit South Korea, it was the dish that would taste of home and nostalgia. 

Chef Choi Kang Rok focused on creating a dish built around his favorite ingredients. An udon broth made from roasted chicken bones, dried bonito flakes, kelp, green onions, and shiitake and pine mushrooms was poured over handmade sesame tofu, snap peas, and daikon, with one unexpected addition that sparked curiosity from the judges: uni wrapped in pumpkin leaves.

“Even though I know there’s a chance that it may not be completely to your preference…,” Choi said. He added that he cooked with his heart’s desire.

The dish ended up resonating with the judges the most, and Chef Choi Kang Rok was crowned the winner, along with the prize pot of 300 million won. (Approximately $200,000.)

Chef Choi Kang Rok’s Closing Words

This marks another cooking competition series win for Choi, who won the second season of MasterChef Korea back in 2013. Choi had also competed in the first season of 'Culinary Class Wars,' but was eliminated in the third round.

In his winner’s speech, he remained humble. “I don’t think I’m special," he said. "I’m not an extraordinary chef by any means."

In his final confessional, he even doubled down, choosing to highlight those who work in the industry alongside him. 

“There are thousands of people just like me, who work hard to make food for other people every single day, without any sort of public recognition,” he said. “All of us work incredibly hard. Each of us has a gift for making something, and some of us decide to make a living with that gift.” 

The complete second season is now available for streaming on Netflix.