Who is Cooking Maniac aka Yoon Nam-no? Everything we know about the Culinary Class Wars contestant who debuted on BTS’ j-hope’s Instagram

On Wednesday, October 2, BTS’ j-hope posted a few pictures on his official Instagram account, which also featured a picture of Cooking Maniac, aka Yoon Nam-no, from Culinary Class Wars. The photo suggested that the K-pop idol had been following Netflix's ongoing survival cooking show. Besides, j-hope also shared Cooking Maniac’s photo on his Instagram story.

For the uninitiated, Culinary Class Wars isn't the first reality show of Cooking Maniac. Earlier, he participated as a contestant in MasterChef Korea season 4. He received great recognition from the judges, ranking among the top five contestants. However, at the boot camp, which served as the absolute hurdle for progression to the finals, he was disqualified.

Currently, he operates a dining bar restaurant in Seoul called Deepin. Also, he looks after his ailing mother, as revealed by netizens.

Netflix’s TUDUM website highlighted Cooking Maniac’s profile and his experiences in the culinary world:

“This impassioned chef is a veteran of competition cooking shows — he’s a former contestant on MasterChef Korea Season 4. Off-camera, he’s worked at Bennelong, the iconic restaurant at the Sydney Opera House, and now heads up the kitchen at Deepin, a natural wine bar and restaurant in Seoul.”

Netflix's cooking reality show has two classes, Black Spoon and White Spoon, as the name suggests. And Cooking Maniac belonged in the Black Spoon category, which represented the hidden gems of cooking.

---

Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars season 1 finale episodes are scheduled for release on October 8

Culinary Class Wars premiered its inaugural episode on Netflix on September 17, 2024. Following the recent release of the eighth, ninth, and tenth episodes on October 1, viewers are eagerly anticipating the final episodes of this 12-part series. The finale is scheduled for October 8.

The 100 culinary chefs were assembled and segregated into two teams: the White Spoons and the Black Spoons. The distinction pertains to a Korean cultural expression, wherein a "black spoon" signifies a beggar, whereas a "white spoon" implies an individual born into affluence.

Eighty underdog participants, each an expert in their culinary field, were conferred the title of Black Spoon in the beginning of this show. Twenty esteemed chefs, each awarded Michelin stars, were chosen as the White Spoon chefs.

The White Spoon chefs were granted an exemption to move forward through the initial round due to their proven expertise in the culinary field.

The judges of the show comprise South Korean celebrity chef Paik Jong-won and Ahn Sung-jae, the sole three Michelin-star chef in Korea and owner of MOSU Seoul. The prize money for the winning chef of Culinary Class Wars is 300 million KRW.

The show gave the Black Spoon chefs various nicknames, including Cooking Maniac, Triple Star, Auntie Omakase #1, Comic Book Chef, and Master of School Meals.

---

BTS’ j-hope is currently serving the last few days of his military service. The K-pop idol will be discharged on October 17, after completing his 18-month mandatory service.

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

2) What is Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars about? Black spoon vs White spoon battle, eliminations, & more explained