It’s a given: Netflix’s Korean cooking series Culinary Class Wars is turning chefs into celebrities. With the show’s high-stakes gastronomic drama, viewers have tuned in to root for their favorite restaurateur to bring home the proverbial bacon. The fans’ one way of showing support? Flocking to the chefs’ real-life restaurants.
Local news reports state that several restaurants of the competing chefs have seen an upward spike in reservations, so much so that they’re being sold online for as much as 700,000 Korean won, or approximately P30,000.
READ: “Culinary Class Wars” Restaurant Reservations Are Being Sold for P30,000
An article by The Korea Times and Hankook Ilbo pinpoints the case of Kwon Sung Jun, a “Black Spoon” chef known on the show as “Napoli Matfia.” According to the report, the chef’s reservations for his Seoul restaurant have skyrocketed in online markets, with prices reaching 700,000 Korean won for two people.
The Italian cuisine connoisseur addressed the scalping on his Instagram page, alongside a post that advertised the reservations being sold. “Anyone caught reselling reservations will face a permanent ban from the app, and deposits will not be refunded,” Song Jun wrote in Korean, as translated by the outlet.
The news also cited the reservation system Catchtable crashing due to an overwhelming demand, with 110,000 users vying for the open slots for October 16 to October 31.
“We've received reports that the server crashed due to high traffic. The app became unresponsive due to physical limitations," the chef said. “I’ll work to restore it as quickly as possible. This is the first time I've experienced something like this, and I’m sorry.”
Elsewhere, other chefs from the reality show have also witnessed a demand. According to the outlet, the restaurants of Chef Jung Ji Sun and Chef Kim Tae Sung (a.k.a. “Hidden Genius”) have reached a full booking capacity. Slots and the waitlist for “Comic Book Chef” Cho Kwang Hyo’s restaurant are now fully booked as well, while the reservation hotline for “White Spoon” Chef Lu Ching Lai is said to be unreachable due to the demand.
The news source cites Catchtable, which reports that searches for the chefs’ restaurants surged 74 times compared to the previous weeks, with the average number of reservations increasing by nearly 150%
What Is “Culinary Class Wars” About?
In the South Korean cooking competition series, 100 chefs are pitted against each other, divided into two distinct classes: “White Spoons,” featuring 20 experienced celebrity chefs, and “Black Spoons,” made up of 80 up-and-coming chefs. Competing for a grand prize of 300 million Korean won (approximately P12.7 million), the chefs face elimination across various rounds, showing off their skills while navigating the pressures of competition.
The series is judged by two culinary powerhouses: veteran restaurateur and TV personality Paik Jong Won and Anh Sung Jae, Korea’s only Michelin three-star chef. With a mix of talent, rivalry, and gripping challenges, Culinary Class Wars doesn’t just highlight the chefs’ cooking abilities—it’s a showcase of their drive, ambition, and the clash between established stars and rising talent.
Culinary Class Wars is streaming on Netflix.
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