"You deserved the win" — Culinary Class Wars' Edward Lee sends support to Napoli Matfia amid viewers disappointment

On Instagram, Culinary Class Wars finalist Edward Lee showcased support for winner Kwon Seong-joon, aka Napoli Matfia. On October 8, Napoli Matfia took to social media to share a selfie with the Korean-American veteran chef and apologized for his comments about him on the show.

In the showdown battle shown in episode 12 of Culinary Class Wars between Chef Lee and Kwon, the latter stated he would “crush”, the former during the mission. Many netizens expressed their discomfort hearing Napoli Matfia's remarks towards Chef Lee. Later, Napoli Matfia formally apologized to Edward Lee for his words.

This is because Chef Lee is a veteran chef and is renowned worldwide for his culinary skills. He is the winner of Iron Chef America and has appeared as the judge on Gordon Ramsay's show Culinary Genius. Chef Lee also authorizes award-winning books titled ‘Smoke and Pickles’ and ‘Buttermilk Graffiti’.

Some viewers also believed the White Spoon Chef should have won the show. Amid the criticism against Kwon Seong-joon, Edward Lee commented on his apology and acknowledged his win.

He wrote,

“Chef, you deserved the win and don't ever lose your confidence. It is a competition and we all compete to win. No apologies ever needed. Congratulations!”

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Culinary Class Wars winner Kwon Seong-joon's apology statement to Edward Lee

On October 9, Black Spoon Chef Kwon Seong-joon was crowned the Culinary Class Wars winner title. The chef is known for his passion for Italian cuisine and has garnered massive attention for his dishes at the Netflix cooking competition.

After the last episode, Kwon Seong-joon drew criticism from netizens for his alleged rude remarks towards Edward Lee. He moved to the finals directly after winning the Cook Your Life mission. Before the final battle, he said:

"I feel relieved when I see you two (Triple Star, Edward Lee). I think I can easily subdue you. I'll crush whoever comes up."

On October 8, Napoli Matfia took to social media to reflect on his actions while apologizing to the finalist.

He said:

“When I saw myself in person on TV, I saw a lot of my arrogant and lacking sides, and it became an opportunity for me to reflect. Although my story about Chef Edward was almost entirely edited out on the show, I said in an interview that I was goosebumps-inducing and couldn't help but admire Chef Edward's crazy tofu competition, creativity, and spirit of challenge that I saw firsthand."

He further apologized for his remarks towards the Korean-American chef during the show and spoke about the true intentions behind it.

He said:

"The comment, 'I'll trample on you,' was intended to be a stimulus to encourage everyone to keep going and not give up until the end, as this was the last dish when everyone was exhausted, but I think it was an arrogant and reckless comment that was different from my intention. I'd like to apologize once again.”

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Napoli Matfia and Edward Lee to appear on You Quiz on Block

The top 2 contestants, finalists Edward Lee from the White Spoon Team and Napoli Matfia from the Black Spoon Team of Culinary Class Wars have been confirmed as the upcoming guests of You Quiz on the Block. On October 9, You Quiz on the Block shared some glimpses of the chefs on the show alongside the host and South Korean comedians Yoo Jae-suk and Jo Se-ho.

The episode starring the two Culinary Class Wars chefs will be released on Wednesday, October 16 on tvN at 8:45 pm KST and streamed on the South Korean OTT platform TVING.