Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars reportedly leads to sold-out tables amid soaring popularity

The streaming service Netflix premiered its latest Korean culinary reality show Culinary Class Wars on September 17. The concept of the show revolves around two classes—White Spoon and Black Spoon. While the former includes acclaimed chefs, the latter category involves hidden gems of culinary.

Culinary Class Wars has attracted significant attention due to the intrigue surrounding the reputation of White Spoon chefs as they compete against the underdogs.

The participants of both classes on the show have heightened audience interest in experiencing dishes from their restaurants and eateries. As reported by The Chosun Daily, these restaurants have recently noticed a surge in bookings with sold-out tables.

Viewers are reaching out to the outlets of both Black and White Spoon chefs, including Choi Kang-rok’s Neo, Chef Oh Jun-tak’s Namyeong Chicken, and more, to eat their dishes.

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Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars has a total of 12 episodes

Following the debut of Culinary Class Wars on September 17, Netflix released seven episodes so far. Three consecutive episodes are slated for release on October 1, preceding the two final episodes on October 8.

There are 12 episodes of Culinary Class Wars, and it is the first Korean cooking reality show that Netflix has released. The current cooking show comes after the success of Netflix's Korean dating reality show Single's Inferno, which came out in 2021.

The synopsis of the culinary show on Netflix reads:

“From Michelin-star chefs to amateur cooks, 100 contestants don their knives for a culinary war where you won't guess what's coming next — or who'll win.”

Netflix's Culinary Class Wars is revitalizing the restaurant sector in South Korea. The program showcases competitions between renowned chefs, referred to as White Spoons, and lesser-known cooks, termed Black Spoons. In the premiere episode, 80 Black Spoon contenders battled, resulting in the elimination of 60 participants, with only 20 remaining.

The performances of the contestants are evaluated by two judges, Paik Jong-won (a restauranteur with many awards) and Chef Anh Sung-jae (who works at a MOSU Seoul Michelin-starred restaurant).

Irrespective of which individuals progressed or were eliminated, eateries operated by the participants have reportedly experienced a surge in sales and waiting list requests.

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Both White Spoon and Black Spoon contestants face a surge in customers

On September 21, a lengthy queue assembled outside Namyeong Chicken in Yongsan, Seoul, before its opening. Chef Oh Jun-tak, known by the moniker “Yeongtak” as a Black Spoon, garnered an influx of customers.

The bar Edamame in Namyeong-dong, which featured another Black Spoon contender, “God of Seasoning,” had to close its doors early after depleting its ingredients owing to overcrowding.

Furthermore, at noon on September 22, more than 20,000 individuals browsed the restaurant reservation application CatchTable to secure a booking at Chef Choi Kang-rok’s establishment, Neo. Chef Choi Kang-rok is a White Spoon contestant in the Netflix show.

For those unaware, Kang-rok initially gained recognition for his participation in MasterChef Korea Season 2. All bookings were completely filled within one minute. Despite its existing popularity, such a swift sell-out was unexpected.

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In related news, Culinary Class Wars topped Netflix's list of the top ten global non-English television series on September 25. Within one week of its debut, the show soared to the top of the charts.