Quick answer: Culinary Class Wars Season 3 is coming to Netflix in Q4 2026, but as of October 19, 2026, Netflix hasn’t announced an exact date. This season is team-based: each team is four chefs who work at the same restaurant, and solo chefs couldn’t apply. Studio Slam, producer Kim Eun-ji and writer Mo Eun-seol are all back. The winners so far are Kwon Sung-jun (“Napoli Matfia”) in Season 1 and Choi Kang-rok in Season 2 (Deadline; MK; Korea JoongAng Daily; Marie Claire).
Culinary Class Wars (in Korean, Heukbaek Yorisa) takes a simple idea and gives it Squid Game-sized production. Eighty little-known “Black Spoon” cooks, competing under nicknames, take on 20 famous “White Spoon” chefs. In the early rounds, the judges taste the food blindfolded, so the hierarchy can be flipped by flavour alone. It’s also one of Netflix’s biggest Korean hits: according to Deadline, it led the global Top 10 for non-English shows two years in a row (Deadline; Wikipedia).
Here’s everything that’s confirmed about Season 3, and a refresher on how the first two seasons ended.
When is Culinary Class Wars Season 3 coming out?
Netflix’s official window is Q4 2026, which means October to December. Yoo Ki-hwan, Netflix’s director of Korean unscripted content, announced the timing at Netflix Korea’s 2026 slate event on January 21, 2026. He promised the new season would bring “a different kind of fun and change” (MK; Yonhap).
As of October 19, 2026, Netflix still hasn’t named a premiere date. In April, Korean outlet SPOTV News reported that filming was expected to start in May. Netflix wouldn’t confirm it: an official told the outlet that because it’s a survival show, they couldn’t share production details (SPOTV News).
For reference, Season 1 launched on September 17, 2024, and Season 2 started on December 16, 2025. Both released a few episodes a week. If Season 3 keeps to the Q4 plan, an announcement should be close. Netflix Korea’s 10th-anniversary festival in Seoul runs October 24–25, 2026, which would be an obvious moment for news. but Netflix hasn’t said whether Culinary Class Wars will be part of it (What’s on Netflix). We’ll update this page when there’s a date.
What’s new in Season 3? The team format
Season 3 changes the basic unit of competition, from one chef to one kitchen. According to Netflix’s casting call, as reported by Deadline and Korea JoongAng Daily:
- Teams of four. Every application had to be a four-person team of chefs who currently work together at the same restaurant.
- No solo chefs. Individual applicants weren’t eligible this time.
- Same creative team. Studio Slam returns, with producer Kim Eun-ji and writer Mo Eun-seol.
(Deadline; Korea JoongAng Daily)
Producer Kim Eun-ji said: “Thanks to the incredible support from viewers around the world through Season 2, we’re grateful to move forward with Season 3. We’ll do our best to deliver an even more exciting format and entertainment that lives up to expectations” (Deadline).
Netflix hasn’t said whether the Black Spoon/White Spoon split will survive the switch to teams, how many restaurants will compete, or what the prize will be. Seasons 1 and 2 each paid ₩300 million.
Who are the judges for Season 3?
Seasons 1 and 2 were judged by Paik Jong-won, the restaurateur and TV personality, and Anh Sung-jae, chef of Seoul’s Mosu, whom Wikipedia describes as the only Michelin three-star chef in Korea (Wikipedia). Deadline’s renewal report described the show as “hosted by” the pair. As of October 19, 2026, though, Netflix hasn’t officially confirmed the Season 3 judging panel. Korean media have openly questioned whether both will return, and Netflix has declined to comment on production details (SPOTV News). We’ll update this section once the panel is officially confirmed.
Culinary Class Wars winners: every season
| Season | Winner | Runner-up | Prize | Finale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 (2024) | Kwon Sung-jun, “Napoli Matfia” (Black Spoon) | Edward Lee (White Spoon) | ₩300 million | October 8, 2024 |
| Season 2 (2025–26) | Choi Kang-rok (White Spoon) | Lee Ha-seong, “Culinary Monster” (Black Spoon) | ₩300 million | January 13, 2026 |
| Season 3 (2026) | To be revealed | — | Not announced | Q4 2026 (window) |
Season 1 winner: Kwon Sung-jun, “Napoli Matfia”
Season 1 started with 100 chefs and ended with an underdog win. Kwon Sung-jun, who competed as a Black Spoon under the name “Napoli Matfia,” beat Korean American star chef Edward Lee in the 12th and final episode. His last dish was lamb and pistachio with a Barolo sauce, fried morels, black truffle and a raviolo filled with lamb’s heart and shoulder. Lee answered with a deconstructed tteokbokki reimagined as a dessert. Kwon is the chef-owner of Via Toledo, a pasta bar in Seoul’s Yongsan District (Korea JoongAng Daily).
Edward Lee may have lost the final, but he became the season’s breakout star. He had already cooked as a visiting chef for the White House state dinner for South Korea in April 2023.
Season 2 winner: Choi Kang-rok
Season 2 premiered with three episodes on December 16, 2025 and ended on January 13, 2026 (Wikipedia). It brought back two Season 1 White Spoons as “Hidden White Spoons,” who had to win their way back in during the opening round. Michelin-starred chef Kim Do-yoon didn’t make it through. Choi Kang-rok did, impressing both judges with braised eel and vegetables (Marie Claire).
In the 90-minute final, themed “Just One Dish For Myself,” Choi faced Black Spoon Lee Ha-seong (“Culinary Monster”). Lee made a sundaeguk inspired by meals he ate with his father after trips to the bathhouse. Choi served a soup with sesame tofu, paired with a bottle of soju, and Anh Sung-jae called it “a really honest dish.” Both judges voted for Choi, which won him ₩300 million, roughly $203,000 (Marie Claire; MK).
Choi was the only Season 2 contestant who had competed on the show before. He was already known in Korea for winning MasterChef Korea Season 2 in 2013, and he hosted Netflix’s The Blank Menu For You. “I’m just like all the unseen chefs across the country who quietly and diligently work in their kitchens,” he said in the finale. He has also talked about turning down fame since his win (Marie Claire; The Korea Herald).
How does Culinary Class Wars work?
Here’s the basic format of Seasons 1 and 2. The 80 Black Spoons cook a signature dish, and only 20 survive. Then come one-on-one battles against the White Spoons, judged blindfold. After that, team challenges, restaurant missions and themed rounds narrow the field to a final two. All the food is thrown away after judging so nobody else can taste it and argue with the verdict, and the blind tastings are meant to keep reputations out of it (Wikipedia). Season 3’s team-of-four rule means much of this will have to be rebuilt, which is exactly what Netflix is teasing.
Where to watch Culinary Class Wars in the US and UK
Culinary Class Wars is a Netflix original. Seasons 1 and 2 are streaming on Netflix in the US and the UK, with English subtitles, and Season 3 will be on Netflix too. New Netflix episodes usually land at 12 a.m. PT / 3 a.m. ET, which is 8 a.m. UK time. Check the show’s Netflix page closer to launch, because Netflix hasn’t announced the Season 3 schedule.
If you like Culinary Class Wars, watch these next
- Physical: 100, from the same “100 contestants, one winner” playbook (Wikipedia notes that Culinary Class Wars follows a similar elimination format): see our guide to the best Korean reality shows on Netflix
- The Devil’s Plan: Dead Again, Netflix’s Korean strategy game show, back on November 10, 2026
- Every Korean show we cover: Korean Reality hub
Sources
- Deadline, “Netflix Orders Third Course Of ‘Culinary Class Wars’” (Jan 15, 2026): deadline.com
- Korea JoongAng Daily, Season 3 team format: koreajoongangdaily.com
- MK, “Season 3 of ‘Culinary Class Wars’ Coming in Q4” (Jan 21, 2026): mk.co.kr
- Yonhap, Netflix Korea 10-year slate (in Korean): yna.co.kr
- SPOTV News, Season 3 filming report and Netflix response (Apr 28, 2026; in Korean): spotvnews.co.kr
- Korea JoongAng Daily, Season 1 winner: koreajoongangdaily.com
- Marie Claire, “Who Is the ‘Culinary Class Wars’ Season 2 Winner?” (Jan 13, 2026): marieclaire.com
- MK, Choi Kang-rok wins by unanimous decision: mk.co.kr
- The Korea Herald, Choi Kang-rok interview: koreaherald.com
- What’s on Netflix, Netflix Korea 10th-anniversary event: whats-on-netflix.com
- Wikipedia, “Culinary Class Wars” (retrieved Oct 19, 2026): wikipedia.org
