Netflix's ‘Culinary Class Wars’ Editing Error Potentially Reveals Finalist

Those who love thrilling shows know just how much spoilers can ruin a viewing experience, whether that’s a mystery or a reality show, or in this case, Netflix’s hit culinary competition series, Culinary Class Wars. Unfortunately for fans, eagle-eyed viewers spotted an editing error that seemed to reveal which contestant might make it all the way to the highly anticipated finals.

The show’s premise features a battle between established chefs, referred to as the white spoons, versus up-and-coming chefs, the black spoons. The experienced chefs compete with their names on display, while the black spoons take on nicknames — until one makes it to the finals, finally getting a chance to showcase their real name to the world.

Which Chef Makes the Cut?

Last week’s episode 10 ended on a dramatic cliffhanger with the results of a tense 1:1 cooking battle between white spoon Chef Son Jong Won and a formidable up-and-coming chef, ‘Culinary Monster,’ left unresolved. Except in that episode, Culinary Monster is shown in his confessional wearing a name tag featuring his real name. Viewers quickly surmised that the black spoon chef would win the 1:1 battle and make it through the semi-finals, all the way to the final two.

Culinary Monster’s real name was revealed to be Lee Hasung, whose background includes stints at prestigious Michelin-starred restaurants such as French Laundry, where he served as sous chef, Atomix, as chef de cuisine, and Geranium, where, in his tenure as chef de partie, it was ranked the best restaurant in the world in 2022. “I’ve only ever worked at the best restaurants in the world,” Lee said of his experiences in the kitchen. “I feel like I should protect my reputation,” before adding, “I came here to win.”

Other contestants have pointed out Culinary Monster as the one chef they wouldn’t want to face in an 1:1 challenge. Amongst the black spoons, “When it comes to Western cuisine, he’s probably the best out of everyone here,” said Michelin-star Chef Kim Geon, a white spoon contestant. “In the industry, he’s widely recognized as a genius in the kitchen,” said another Michelin-ranked white spoon Chef Shim Sungchul. 

When Is the 'Culinary Class Wars' Finale?

In the most recent two-episode drop, Culinary Monster indeed won the round against Chef Son Jong Won, heading into the ‘Infinite Cooking Hell’ semi-finals, where contestants faced off cooking their best carrot-forward dishes. The last two standing before the finals were Culinary Monster and white spoon Chef Hu Deok-juk. 

On who emerges victorious (which, according to the spoiler, might already be apparent) for the final challenge against white spoon Chef Choi Kang Rok, former MasterChef Korea winner, viewers can tune into Netflix on January 13th.

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