Culinary Class Wars Season 3

Culinary Class Wars Season 3 — Confirmed! This Time It's a "Restaurant Team Battle"

Netflix's global cooking-survival sensation Culinary Class Wars has officially confirmed a Season 3. The renewal was reported on January 16, 2026, and as of late April the show was said to be entering filming in May. With Seasons 1 and 2 having topped the global non-English TV charts, here's what's changing this time.

What's New in Season 3

The biggest change is the format of the competition. Unlike the individual battles of Seasons 1 and 2, Season 3 will be a restaurant-versus-restaurant team battle. Chefs apply as a team of four representing a single restaurant, and any cuisine genre is welcome. The focus shifts from "survive on your own" to "prove your restaurant's identity as a team."

The release date has not been announced yet (listed only as a Netflix original coming in 2026). Whether judges Baek Jong-won and Anh Sung-jae — who anchored Seasons 1 and 2 — will return is still being discussed rather than confirmed, so treat any "confirmed" reports with caution until there's an official announcement.

Seasons 1 & 2 Recap (for newcomers)

The concept of Culinary Class Wars is simple and intense. Star chefs with big reputations — the "White Spoons" — face off against talented but unknown challengers — the "Black Spoons" — with all titles stripped away. Judging is handled by culinary giant Baek Jong-won and Michelin-starred chef Anh Sung-jae, whose blind, taste-only evaluations became must-watch moments.

• Season 1 (2024) was won by "Napoli Matfia" Kwon Seong-jun, who took home the 300-million-won prize and went on to major business success.
• Season 2 was won by "White Spoon" Choi Kang-rok.

In both seasons, the "White Spoon vs Black Spoon" class structure and the drama of challengers betting their lives on a single plate were the heart of the show's success.

Why It Became Such a Phenomenon

Culinary Class Wars went beyond a simple cooking contest to top the global non-English entertainment charts two years running. Three things explain the appeal: ① a fair fight with titles removed — White Spoon or Black Spoon, you're judged only by what's on the plate; ② the tension of blind judging — verdicts based purely on taste, not on who cooked it, produced a highlight every episode; and ③ the contrasting chemistry of Baek Jong-won and Anh Sung-jae, where popular taste and fine-dining standards clashed and made the judging itself a spectacle. Every time an unknown chef toppled a star, social media lit up.

What to Watch For in Season 3

• The new variable of team play: No matter how skilled an individual is, a restaurant's four-person chemistry, role division, and menu concept will decide the outcome. "One star chef vs a tight-knit team" is the biggest question.
• Genre-free competition: With Korean, Western, Chinese, and dessert all colliding on one stage, the key is how each restaurant distills its "identity" onto a single plate.
• Judging and rule details: How elimination and survival work under team-based evaluation (individual responsibility vs collective accountability) will be a hot topic once revealed.

Where and When to Watch

The Culinary Class Wars series is a Netflix original, and Season 3 will likewise stream on Netflix. The exact release date and lineup will follow the production team and Netflix's official announcements. Until then, rewatching Seasons 1 and 2 to revisit the White Spoon vs Black Spoon showdowns is the best way to get ready. For more mukbang and cooking content, see Mukbang.

※ Unconfirmed details such as cast and release date may change per official announcements, and will be updated when confirmed.