Who is Culinary Monster? All you need to know as Culinary Class Wars 2’s Black Spoon Chef

On December 16, the second season of the South Korean cooking competition series, Culinary Class Wars 2, was released. For those who are unaware, the show stands as a battle between Black Spoon and White Spoon chefs; Black Spoon refers to local and amateur cooks, while White Spoon refers to renowned celebrity chefs.

The premiere's first four episodes already had viewers with the intriguing lineup of chefs for the latest season. Akin to the previous year, the 80 Black Spoon chefs are expected to undergo an elimination process, leaving behind 19 Black Spoon chefs who will be competing with the 20 White Spoon chefs of this season. Among the various contestants on the show, some chefs have garnered the attention of the viewers for their skills, personality, and the choice of dishes.

One such contestant is Culinary Monster, also known by his real name, Lee Ha-sung. However, the reason for his popularity largely varies. While some people were stunned by his skills and commended him for his niche and meticulous interest in cooking, others called out his rather rude demeanor.

There have been speculations about the chef allegedly considering his skills to be on par or even better than the White Spoon chefs, which several people debated on due to the difference experience. Most recently, during the episode that was released on December 30, for the fourth round of the Culinary Class Wars 2, Black Spoon chefs are expected to team up with White Spoon chefs, and Culinary Monster rejected choosing the White Spoon chef, Kim Hee-eun, and chose to work with Song Jong-won instead.

While some stated that it could have been a preference for skills since Son Jong-won is renowned in the industry and is also friends with Culinary Monster, others expressed concerns with his alleged rude attitude. Here are a few reactions from viewers showcasing both positive and negative reviews of Culinary Monster in the ongoing South Korean cooking competition series, Culinary Class Wars 2:

Others also shared their thoughts and opinions regarding the same.

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All you need to know about the Culinary Class Wars 2 contestant, Culinary Monster

Culinary Monster of Lee Ha-sung is one of the Black Spoon chefs participating in the Culinary Class Wars 2. He stands as the former head chef at the New York City restaurant, Atomix, which earned two Michelin stars during his work there. Additionally, he is currently working as a sous chef at The French Laundry in Yountville, which holds three Michelin stars. Other restaurants as part of his work experience include Geranium and Gramercy Tavern.

The South Korean media outlet, Chosun Daily, reported that he's expected to open his own restaurant called Oyatte in New York. Culinary Monster is renowned for his seasonality techniques and for creating new recipe ideas due to his experience. Some of his accomplishments include ranking no. 43 on the World's 50 Best restaurants during his time in Atomix, and also garnering a three-star review from the New York Times.

During his time as a Chef de partie at Geranium in Copenhagen, Denmark, he promoted the restaurant to rank at no.19 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants and gained three Michelin stars in two consecutive years. On the other hand, according to his website, he also holds interests in traveling, art, design, music, and sports. He also graduated with an AOS degree in Culinary Arts from the Culinary Institute of America.

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Fans and interested viewers can now watch the Culinary Class Wars 2 on Netflix, with new episodes releasing every Tuesday.

Edited by Aishwarya Sai