Netflix’s reality show Black and White Chefs: Culinary Class Warfare has secured the top spot in the platform’s non-English global rankings for two consecutive weeks. Ahead of the final round and the reveal of the ultimate winner on Oct. 8, a press conference was held in Seoul, where the show’s producers and top eight chefs shared their experiences and addressed recent controversies.
Producers Kim Hak-min and Kim Eun-ji, along with the top contestants, including Chefs Choi Hyun-seok, Jeong Ji-seon, Jang Ho-joon, Edward Lee, Naples Matfia, Cooking Stone, Triple Star, and Imokase No. 1, were present at the event. The show features a competition between self-taught ‘black spoon’ chefs and celebrity ‘white spoon’ chefs in a high-stakes culinary battle.
Kim Hak-min expressed surprise at the show’s success, admitting that the team didn’t expect such overwhelming love from viewers. “The feedback we received, particularly that viewers couldn’t stop watching, was the most satisfying,” he said. Kim Eun-ji added that the show has boosted the restaurant industry, with contestants’ restaurants seeing a spike in reservations.
Edward Lee, who has extensive experience in U.S. cooking competitions, shared that despite his earlier decision to avoid culinary contests, he was honored to participate in Korea’s first large-scale cooking competition. “As a Korean-American, I’ve often felt like an outsider, neither fully American nor fully Korean. But being a part of this show and meeting so many Korean chefs made Korea feel like home to me,” he said.
Naples Matfia, one of the standout contestants, mentioned that although his daily life hasn’t changed much, he has felt the growing recognition through increased social media followers and numerous offers. “I don’t go out much, so I haven’t been recognized on the streets, but I’ve certainly felt the impact online,” he noted.
Chef Choi Hyun-seok reflected on his experience, saying, “This show gave me confidence in the direction I’ve been pursuing, constantly developing new dishes and exploring fresh ideas.” He emphasized that the opportunity to focus purely on cooking, without entertaining elements, set this show apart from others he has appeared in.
The show was not without its controversies. Some viewers questioned whether the even distribution of surviving black and white chefs was intentional, and others raised concerns about fairness in certain elimination rounds. Producer Kim Hak-min addressed these concerns, clarifying that the rules were pre-determined, and the outcomes were not manipulated. However, both producers declined to comment on specific accusations of the unfairness of dropping out of certain candidates.
The final episodes, airing on Oct. 8, will feature the last rounds of the competition, including the intense “Infinite Cooking Hell” mission, where the chefs will face their toughest challenges yet. Creativity and endurance will be tested, leading to the selection of the final contestant to challenge Napoli Mafia in the ultimate showdown for the prize of 300 million won ($222,600).
