Who is Son Jong-won? All you need to know about Culinary Class Wars 2 White Spoon chef

The latest sequel of the South Korean cooking competition, Netflix's Culinary Class Wars 2, premiered on Tuesday, December 16, and chef Son Jong-won was one of the participating contestants. For those who are unaware, the series revolves around fierce battles between Black Spoon chefs, amateur and local cooks, and White Spoon chefs, renowned and celebrity cooks.

A total of 100 chefs are gathered for the show, 20 White Spoon chefs and Black Spoon chefs. Previously, for the first season, the 80 Black Spoon chefs had to undergo an elimination process, where the last-standing 20 Black Spoon chefs would compete with the White Spoon chefs. However, since two White Spoon chefs are hidden in this season, the elimination will reduce the 80 Black Spoon chefs to 18, for the final competition between the two chef classes.

The final winner will be awarded a cash prize of 300 million won. Given that the White Spoon chefs include some of the most renowned chefs of South Korea, Son Jong-won's participation didn't come as a surprise to many. Regardless, many were honored to see him appear on the show, and several fans have been eagerly looking forward to learn more about his skills through the show.

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All you need to know about the Culinary Class Wars 2's White Spoon chef, Son Jong-won

Son Jong-won, born on March 19, 1984, is a South Korean chef. He initially started his education at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology to pursue Civil Engineering, but soon dropped out to pursue his passion for culinary. He then joined the Culinary Institute of America and graduated from the same. He currently stands as a fine dining chef in South Korea.

He is the head chef at the Korean restaurant, Eatanic Garden, located at the Chosun Palace Hotel, a Michelin-starred fine dining place. Son Jong-won also works as a head chef at L'Amant Secret, a fine dining restaurant in Seoul, located at the L'Escape Hotel. It opened back in 2018 and served contemporary dishes inspired by Korean cuisine. L'Amant Secret is also listed among the top 1000 global restaurants in La Liste.

Apart from his activities as a chef, he has also made multiple TV appearances, such as Cook Representative (2016), Vegetable District (2021), Sigor Rice Meal (2021), and Please Take Care of My Refrigerator (since 2025). Most recently, he participated in Netflix's South Korean reality cooking competition series, Culinary Class Wars Season 2, as a White Spoon chef.

On December 17, a press conference on the show was held at the Grand Ballroom on the LL Floor of JW Marriott Dongdaemun in Jongno-gu, Seoul, where the producer and a few participants of both White Spoon and Black Spoon chefs were gathered. Among the White Spoon chefs, Son Jong-won was also spotted, and the long-awaited reveal of his casting was made.

The producer, Kim Eun-ji, expressed that the team had a hard time recruiting him since he was fixed on rejecting the offer. Here's what the producer expressed:

"He once gave a perfect refusal. So I thought, 'I understand if it's difficult,' and I swallowed my tears and gave up, but in the meeting room I felt like 'just one more time.' I couldn't forget Chef Son Jong-won's face. I pretended to be crazy one more time and made the offer. After that last try, he is now with us. I want to say thank you."

As a response, Son Jong-won stated that he was complex because he had to make time for the competition since his roles as a head chef of two restaurants were his priority. He also added that he was glad he could afford to take the opportunity to participate in this new challenge. Moreover, he also commended the show for the exposure and promotions it's providing for the restaurant industry. Here's what he stated:

"On the broadcast, I acted confident and tough, but I was actually nervous and shaken during the match. I'm glad I survived. It was a challenge for me too. Culinary Class Wars was a big challenge, and I thought it could be an opportunity for growth, so I appeared. The restaurant industry was stagnant in the past, but season 1 created a lot of buzz. I hope season 2 will also help the food service industry."

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Therefore, fans and netizens are eagerly looking forward to the upcoming battles and challenges on the Netflix show sequel, Culinary Class Wars 2.

Edited by Aishwarya Sai