Netflix’s “Culinary Class Wars 2” White Spoon Chefs: Meet the 20-Star Lineup, Their Restaurants and IG

Netflix‘s hit Korean cooking competition series, Culinary Class Wars 2, shot straight to No. 1 when it premiered in December. With a new format and an exceptionally strong cast, the show was instantly captivating and quickly sparked another wave of conversation. This season’s contestants are all acclaimed chefs at the top of their game, and the White Spoon lineup is especially impressive: Michelin-starred chefs, cooking competition champions, a temple-food monk, and even a former presidential chef. We can’t wait to see what happens next.

• Related reading: Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars 2: 19 Black Spoon Chefs Who Proved Their Skills in Round One, Plus Their Restaurants and Instagram Accounts

Along with new faces, this season introduces two “Hidden White Spoons”: Choi Kang Rok, the much-missed fan favorite from Season 1, and Kim Do Yoon, known as the “Bastard Rabbit” chef, who had once vowed not to join Season 2. Their return has reignited the buzz. Ahead, meet the standout chefs in this season’s White Spoon lineup.

Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars 2 White Spoon lineup

#1 Lee Jun (이준)

• IG: @soignejunlee

Two-Michelin-starred chef Lee Jun is known for pairing Korean ingredients and culinary traditions with fine-dining techniques, bringing new dimension to familiar flavors. Since founding Soigné in 2013, he earned one Michelin star for six consecutive years before receiving two stars for three consecutive years beginning in 2023. This year, he was once again included in La Liste 1000, firmly establishing his presence on the international dining scene.

 

在 Instagram 查看這則貼文

 

Bar&Dining 매거진 바앤다이닝（@barndining）分享的貼文

• Restaurant: SOIGNÉ (Instagram)
• Cuisine: Contemporary cuisine
• Address: 652 Gangnam-daero, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars 2 White Spoon lineup

#2 Hou De Zhu (후덕죽)

• IG: N/A
• Restaurant: Haobin (Official website)

With 57 years of culinary experience, Hou De Zhu is a true veteran of Chinese cuisine. He previously worked at Palsun, the Chinese restaurant at The Shilla Seoul, and received the Michelin Guide Mentor Chef Award in 2024. Now the executive chef of the one-Michelin-starred Haobin, he has played an important role in raising the profile of Chinese cuisine in Korea’s dining scene.

Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars 2 White Spoon lineup

#3 Son Jong Won (손종원)

• IG: @jw.sson

A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in New York, Son Jong Won is Korea’s only chef with two Michelin stars across separate restaurants. He runs the one-Michelin-starred French restaurant L’Amant Secret and the Korean restaurant Eatanic Garden at Josun Palace. He ranked No. 25 on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2025 and is also a regular on the Korean variety show Please Take Care of My Refrigerator. According to the producer, he was the hardest White Spoon chef to recruit for Culinary Class Wars 2.

• Related reading: Fell for Him While Watching Culinary Class Wars 2? 8 Things to Know About Son Jong Won, From His Science-Student Past to His Fitness Obsession and Favorite Restaurants

 

在 Instagram 查看這則貼文

 

손종원 Son Jongwon（@jw.sson）分享的貼文

• Restaurant: L’Amant Secret (Instagram)
• Cuisine: French cuisine
• Address: L’Escape Hotel, Seoul, South Korea

• Restaurant: Eatanic Garden (Instagram)
• Cuisine: Korean cuisine
• Address: Josun Palace Gangnam, 36th Floor, Seoul, South Korea

Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars 2 White Spoon lineup

#4 Monk Sun Jae (선재)

• IG: N/A
• Restaurant: N/A

Monk Sun Jae is one of Korea’s foremost masters of temple cuisine and currently chairs the Korean Food Promotion Institute. As a Buddhist monk, she considers cooking a form of spiritual practice. Her temple-food philosophy follows nature and embraces simplicity, avoiding heavy seasoning so that ingredients can take center stage and speak through their pure flavors.

Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars 2 White Spoon lineup

#5 Park Hyo Nam (박효남)

• IG: @chefparkhyonam
• Restaurant: N/A

Because of financial hardship, Park Hyo Nam left school in middle school and began as an apprentice at The Shilla Hotel. An accident later cost him two joints on the fingers of his right hand, leaving him with nine fingers. Still, through hard work, he became the first Korean executive chef at Millennium Hilton Seoul at age 38 and received the highest honor as one of Korea’s Top 10 Master Chefs.

 

在 Instagram 查看這則貼文

 

박효남（@chefparkhyonam）分享的貼文

Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars 2 White Spoon lineup

#6 Jung Ho Young (정호영)

• IG: jung_hoyoung_caden_

Jung Ho Young is a longtime star of Japanese cuisine and a familiar face on cooking shows, including as a regular on Please Take Care of My Refrigerator. His Japanese restaurant, Caden, is regarded as a classic-style destination, with a restrained, pure approach that honors ingredients’ natural character and flavor. Those who know Japanese cuisine can taste that carefully judged balance in his food.

 

在 Instagram 查看這則貼文

 

정호영（@jung_hoyoung_caden_）分享的貼文

• Restaurant: Caden (Official website)
• Cuisine: Japanese cuisine
• Address: 173 Yeonhui-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars 2 White Spoon lineup

#7 Sam Kim (샘킴)

• IG: chefsamkim

A graduate of the Hollywood Culinary Institute, Sam Kim is a familiar name in Korea’s Italian dining scene. He owns Trattoria Sam Kim and Osteria Sam Kim, and is also a regular chef on Please Take Care of My Refrigerator. His food pairs the sunshine of Italy with Korean flavor sensibilities, making you want to head straight to his restaurant.

 

在 Instagram 查看這則貼文

 

Sam Kim（@chefsamkim）分享的貼文

• Restaurant: Trattoria SamKim (Instagram)
• Cuisine: Italian cuisine
• Address: 10-3 Dosan-daero 49-gil, Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea

• Restaurant: Osteria SamKim (Instagram)
• Cuisine: Italian cuisine
• Address: 55 Yanghwa-ro 3-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars 2 White Spoon lineup

#8 Raymon Kim (레이먼 킴)

• IG: @raymonkim
• Restaurant: N/A

Korean-Canadian chef Raymon Kim is a celebrity chef and frequent cooking-show guest who was once a regular on Please Take Care of My Refrigerator. He specializes in bringing Korean flavors into Western dishes and currently runs a YouTube channel where he shares recipes and dining experiences.

 

在 Instagram 查看這則貼文

 

K-EXPO CANADA 2025（@kexpocanada2025）分享的貼文

Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars 2 White Spoon lineup

#9 Kim Geon (김건)

• IG: @ichieseoul

Often called a force in contemporary Japanese cuisine, Kim Geon has said he never worked at a well-known restaurant and is entirely self-taught. His one-Michelin-starred restaurant, Goryori Ken, is known for seasonal ingredients and intuitive creativity. With just eight counter seats, guests can watch the cooking process up close.

 

在 Instagram 查看這則貼文

 

메티즌（@metizen_official）分享的貼文

• Restaurant: Goryori Ken (Reservations)
• Cuisine: Modern Japanese cuisine
• Address: 15-3 Eonju-ro 152-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars 2 White Spoon lineup

#10 Kim Sung Un (김성운)

• IG: @tableforfour_chef

Kim Sung Un earned a Michelin star for his restaurant Table For Four, where he turns everyday ingredients into memorable dishes through precise technique. He insists on using seafood and produce delivered directly from his hometown of Taean-gun, Chungcheongnam-do, interpreting Korea’s four seasons through European fine-dining methods. He is an early advocate for Korea’s farm-to-table movement.

 

在 Instagram 查看這則貼文

 

테이블포포 Table For Four（@tableforfour_official）分享的貼文

• Restaurant: Table For Four (Instagram)
• Cuisine: European fine dining
• Address: 25-12 Daesagwan-ro 31-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars 2 White Spoon lineup

#11 Kim Hee Eun (김희은)

• IG: chef.heeeun

Kim Hee Eun is the chef behind the one-Michelin-starred Soul, a fine-dining restaurant she created with her husband that blends a modern sensibility with Korean flavors. Her cooking remains true to the essence of taste while focusing on emotional expression, allowing diners to find memories and connection in its nuanced flavors. She also runs the Bib Gourmand-recognized pasta restaurant Egg & Flour, showing another side of her cooking.

 

在 Instagram 查看這則貼文

 

김희은 l 셰프 Heeeun Kim（@chef.heeeun）分享的貼文

• Restaurant: SOUL (Instagram)
• Cuisine: Modern Korean cuisine
• Address: 35 Sinheung-ro 26-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea

• Egg & Flour (Instagram)
• Cuisine: Italian cuisine
• Address: 1-549 Yongsan-dong 2(i)-ga, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars 2 White Spoon lineup

#12 Song Hoon (송훈)

• IG: @chefhoonsong

Song Hoon graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and previously worked as a sous-chef at New York’s three-Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park. He was also a judge on Season 4 of MasterChef Korea. His restaurant Crown Pig is known for pork dishes and strikes a balance between casual and refined, making reservations hard to come by.

 

在 Instagram 查看這則貼文

 

👑크라운돼지 신사본점（@crown_pig5109）分享的貼文

• Restaurant: Crown Pig
• Cuisine: Korean cuisine
• Address: 17-1 Gangnam-daero 156-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars 2 White Spoon lineup

#13 Shim Sung Chul (심성철)

• IG: @sung.shim

Shim Sung Chul is a New York chef with two Michelin stars and a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. He has transformed Korean street foods such as gimbap and skewers into fine-dining dishes New Yorkers line up to try. His restaurants Kochi and Mari have each earned a Michelin star, and he recently opened a steakhouse as he continues his path toward becoming a multi-star chef.

 

在 Instagram 查看這則貼文

 

New York Locals（@newyorklocals）分享的貼文

• Restaurant: Mari (Instagram)
• Cuisine: Modern Korean cuisine
• Address: 679 9th Ave, New York, NY 10036

• Restaurant: KOCHI (Instagram)
• Cuisine: Modern Korean cuisine
• Address: 652 10th Ave, New York, NY 10036

Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars 2 White Spoon lineup

#14 Lee Geum Hee (이금희)

IG: @limehee11

Lee Geum Hee is Korea’s first female executive chef at a five-star hotel. Throughout her more than 30-year culinary career, she has insisted on making every restaurant sauce and batch of kimchi by hand, preserving Korea’s most traditional, time-honored flavors. A guardian of royal court cuisine and ban-ga, or aristocratic family cooking, she now serves as food and beverage director at Mayfield Hotel.

 

在 Instagram 查看這則貼文

 

이금희（@limehee11）分享的貼文

• Restaurant: Mayfield Hotel Seoul’s Bongraeheon (Official website)
• Cuisine: Korean royal court cuisine
• Address: Mayfield Hotel, 94 Banghwa-daero, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars 2 White Spoon lineup

#15 Lim Sung Geun (임성근)

• IG: @imchef00
• Restaurant: N/A

Lim Sung Geun joined the White Spoon lineup as the winner of Season 3 of Korean Food Battle. Though he does not have a Michelin star, he is known for his intuition and command in live competition. He began his culinary career at 16 and became a chef at 19, making him a representative competitive-cooking talent. He now runs his own YouTube channel, sharing cooking tutorials.

 

在 Instagram 查看這則貼文

 

임성근（@imchef00）分享的貼文

Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars 2 White Spoon lineup

#16 Jennie Walldén (제니 월든)

• IG: @jenniewallden

Korean-Swedish chef Jennie Walldén was born in Gwangju and adopted by a Swedish family at age 6. In 2013, she won Sweden’s MasterChef. After gaining recognition, she opened the Korean restaurant Namu in Malmö, where Nordic minimalism meets Korean flavor. She also runs the Korean cocktail bar Gaji and the sauce brand UMA.

 

在 Instagram 查看這則貼文

 

Jennie Walldèn（@jenniewallden）分享的貼文

• Restaurant: Namu (Instagram)
• Cuisine: Modern Korean cuisine
• Address: Landbygatan 5, Malmö, Sweden

• Restaurant: Gaji (Instagram)
• Cuisine: Korean cocktail bar
• Address: Engelbrektsgatan 2, Malmö, Sweden

Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars 2 White Spoon lineup

#17 Chun Sang Hyun (천상현)

• IG: @chunsang_chef

Chun Sang Hyun is a former Blue House presidential chef who prepared meals for South Korean presidents for 20 years. He is the only chef in history to have served five consecutive presidents. His cooking is known for its sense of ceremony and precision, and is regarded as a true national taste. After leaving the Blue House, he opened the Chinese restaurant Tianchuang.

 

在 Instagram 查看這則貼文

 

천상현（@chunsang_chef）分享的貼文

• Restaurant: Tianchuang (Instagram)
• Cuisine: Chinese cuisine
• Address: 189 Misari-ro, Seorak-myeon, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea

Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars 2 White Spoon lineup

#18 Choi Yoo Gang (최유강)

• IG: @choi.yoogang

Choi Yoo Gang originally studied architecture, but after taking a leave from school, he found work washing dishes at a hotel and unexpectedly became a kitchen apprentice. That was the start of his culinary career. He worked at Palsun, the renowned Chinese restaurant at The Shilla Seoul, and traveled to Hong Kong and Japan to learn. In 2020, he opened KOJACHA, bringing Korean, Japanese, and Chinese culinary traditions together in his own way. The restaurant earned a Michelin star in just two years, a testament to his ability to cross culinary boundaries.

Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars 2 Hidden White Spoon chefs

#19 Kim Do Yoon (김도윤)

• IG: @projectsyun

Season 1 contestant Kim Do Yoon makes a surprise return. His narrow eyes, flowing long hair, and signature look of cooking with headphones on made him a breakout figure with an unmistakable presence. A devoted noodle lover, he uses traditional Korean fermentation and aging techniques to develop layered flavors. He is currently the chef of the one-Michelin-starred YUN Seoul.

• Restaurant: YUNSEOUL (Instagram)
• Cuisine: Modern Korean fine dining
• Address: 1st Floor, 805 Seolleung-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars 2 Hidden White Spoon chefs

#20 Choi Kang Rok (최강록)

• IG: @roi_choi
• Restaurant: Sikdang NEO (temporarily closed)

Also appearing as a Hidden White Spoon, Choi Kang Rok is the eccentric talent who learned to cook by reading the manga Shota no Sushi, then went on to win MasterChef Korea. His distinct personality and formidable skills won him countless fans in Season 1, though he was unexpectedly eliminated in the team challenge. That disappointment has made his return for Season 2 even more anticipated.

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