Culinary Class Wars

CULINARY CLASS WARS: The Off-Screen Chaos Hotter Than Any Kitchen Blowtorch

Netflix sold you a cooking competition. Korea got a full-blown telenovela in chef’s whites. From cheating scandals to spoiler leaks and legal threats, Culinary Class Wars is serving mess on a silver platter—and we’re digging in.

Scandals & Controversies: Michelin Stars, Red Flags

Triple Star’s Dating Disaster Platter

The show’s breakout “it” chef, Kang Seung-won—better known as “Chef Triple Star”—was hit with a brutal Dispatch exposé that played out like a toxic romance anthology. His ex-wife “A” and ex-girlfriend “B” described a pattern of cheating, ghosting and double-timing, claiming he dated multiple women at the same time and vanished without explanation .

• He and “A” held a lavish wedding at the Hyatt in May 2022, but never registered the marriage—so their union evaporated on paper after roughly three months ^[1][2].
• “B” says he suddenly dumped and ghosted her, only to later discover she’d allegedly been the side dish to his secret marriage ^[1][2].
• In texts shared with Dispatch, he reportedly threatened to “stab [A’s new boyfriend] to death” after their split. Kang doesn’t deny sending it but insists there’s “context”; Dispatch insists the screenshot is complete ^[1][2].

Chanel Bags & Michelin Kitchens

The drama didn’t stop at the bedroom. “A” claimed she used her industry connections—and allegedly gifted Chanel bags to intermediaries—to help Triple Star land externships and jobs at Michelin darlings Atelier Crenn and Benu ^[1][2]. Kang admits the bags existed but insists “Is a Michelin restaurant a place where Chanel bags can get you a job?”, saying he was hired on skill, not swag ^[1][2].

Self-Own Letters From Hell

Dispatch got hold of over 40 letters Kang wrote to “A,” where he describes himself as “trash,” admits to secretly watching a scantily dressed customer on CCTV, and calls himself “dirty and full of greed” ^[1]. These were meant as confessions and apologies; instead, they became Exhibit A in the court of public opinion.

Judges in Hot Water: From Ham Prices to Fake Politics

Paik Jong-won vs. The Paik Ham Backlash

Judge Paik Jong-won—Korea’s franchise king—brought gravitas to the show, but his off-screen business dealt him a major PR burn. His company The Born Korea faced allegations of:

• Price manipulation on a BBQ ham gift set that was marketed with a dramatic “discount”
• Incorrect origin labeling and possible Food Sanitation Act violations

Under the pressure, Paik announced he’d halt broadcast activities, even as Culinary Class Wars Season 2—already filmed with him—was airing ^[3][5]. Producers basically shrugged and told the audience, “We’ll show you the work, you judge,” kicking the controversy back to viewers ^[3].

Anh Sung-jae & the CCP Rumor Mill

Judge Anh Sung-jae, the Korean-American chef behind 3-Michelin-star Mosu Seoul, became the target of wild online conspiracy theories. Rumor-mongers falsely claimed he was secretly Chinese and tied to the Chinese Communist Party, and that he allegedly favored Chinese cuisine on the show . Reality check: Anh publicly clarified he was born in Korea, moved to the U.S. at 13, holds U.S. citizenship, and even served in the U.S. Army during the Iraq War ^[4][6]. The production company, Studio Slam, slammed the rumors as baseless and promised “strong legal action without leniency” against malicious commenters ^[4][5][6].

Leaks & Secrets: The Finale That Spoiled Itself

The Name Tag Heard ’Round the Internet

In Season 2, a single piece of plastic broke the entire suspense arc. Black Spoon chef “Culinary Monster” is supposed to stay anonymous—like all Black Spoons—until the finale… unless he makes it to the final round. But in Episode 9, viewers noticed his confessional name tag showed his real name: Lee Ha-sung . Translation: the show basically announced, “Congrats, he’s in the final two!” mid-season.

Winner Revealed, Drama Unleashed

Once that name tag slipped on screen, online sleuths quickly connected the dots that Choi Kang-rok would ultimately win Season 2, with Culinary Monster as runner-up, spoiling one of the biggest reveals before the finale aired ^[7]. Co-producer Kim Hak-min publicly apologized, calling it an “editing mistake” and saying there were “no other words” but sorry, even as Netflix reportedly probed whether the leak was intentional ^[7][8].

Legal Threats, Fake Tickets & Toxic Kitchens

Producers Lawyer Up

With rumors of “chef cartels,” power abuse and workplace bullying flying around online, Studio Slam said enough is enough. They announced they were collecting evidence and would pursue defamation cases over “malicious comments” and direct abuse sent to contestants’ personal accounts ^[5]. They framed it as a duty to protect mostly non-celebrity chefs whose reputations and mental health were getting shredded for sport ^[5].

Scam Alert at Mosu

As the show’s popularity skyrocketed, scammers hopped in the gravy boat. Fake “dining tickets” for Mosu Seoul started circulating; Anh had to go on social media to warn fans that Mosu does not issue tickets like that and beg people not to fall for the scam ^[6].

Palsun Kitchen Horror Stories

On the contestant side, former Palsun chef and White Spoon contestant Choi Yoo-kang’s old YouTube interview resurfaced. He described the legendary Chinese restaurant’s kitchen as a “closed-off world” with harsh hierarchy, claiming Korean staff were treated as disposable and iced out as Chinese staff switched to speaking Chinese during service ^[6]. Another white-team veteran, Hu Deok-juk—who originally opened Palsun in 1979—got dragged into online speculation, though he’s stayed quiet publicly so far ^[6].

Wild Trivia & Casting Tea

The Judge Who Didn’t Show Up

At a high-profile Season 2 press event hyping new twists—like hidden White Spoon chefs and real-time advancement quotas—both Paik Jong-won and Anh Sung-jae were notably absent, leaving producers and contestants to field controversy questions on their own ^[3][5].

The Hard-to-Get Chef

Producers confessed the toughest catch wasn’t a dish—it was Chef Son Jong-won. He initially turned down Season 2 before finally agreeing to join, making him one of the most chased-after gets of the cast ^[3][5].

Culinary Class Wars said it was about class, cooking, and competition. Instead, it’s become the most chaotic food-adjacent soap opera on Netflix—a heady mix of Michelin stars, Chanel bags, spoiler leaks, fake tickets, and very real lawyers. And with Season 3 on the horizon, you just know the next course of drama is already simmering.