It’s been a few weeks since the Netflix hit show Culinary Class Wars has wrapped up the intense cooking battle. Aren’t you curious about what those skilled chefs have been up to? From winning awards to starting their own vlogs, here’s a little run down on what the top 8 finalists of the show have been busy with after the nerve-wracking competition concluded.
Choi Hyun-seok
Choi Hyun-seok | Photo from La Liste
When one of Korea’s most renowned celebrity chefs and a veteran of 30 years in the industry participated in the show as a contestant, it came as a shock to most people. His appearance in the show not only highlighted his years of experience and creativity, but also showed how great his business acumen as well.
Just recently, Chef Choi Hyun-seok received the La Liste 2025 Korea – Game Changer Award and his restaurant, Choi.DOT, has also been recognized as one of La Liste 2025 Korea World’s Top 1,000 Best Restaurants.
Choi also signed recently as an honorary adviser and an Intellectual Property (IP) distribution contract with convenience store food brand, Fresheasy, where he will be actively participating in the planning and development of the new products to enhance product competitiveness and lead the trends for convenience food.
Jeong Ji-seon
Jeong Ji-seon | Image from @knifejisun on YouTube
Chef Jeong Ji-seon has been cooking as a Chinese cuisine chef for 22 years. The Netflix show definitely proved to us how she was able to gain the nickname as “The Queen of Dimsum.” She fought hard and cooked with her all, sharing not only the charm of dimsum, but also Chinese cuisine as a whole.
After her appearance in Culinary Class Wars, she has appeared as a guest in multiple shows such as KBS CoolFM’s Park Myung-soo’s Radio Show, Bestie Talkumentary – 4-Seat Table, and Boss in the Mirror.
Chef Jeong has also started her own Youtube channel two months ago and has been consistently uploading content about Chinese food. If you’re still not over Culinary Class Wars and have a taste for Chinese cuisine, head on to her channel and give her some support.
Imokase No. 1
Imokase No. 1 | Image from GS25
We can arguably call Chef Lee Mi-ryeong the country’s favorite auntie after making her way to the top 6 of the show. She definitely proved her skills with her simple but yummy roasted seaweed that made all the mukbang vloggers crave for more. Ottogi, a pioneer South Korean food company brand, also did not miss the chance to promote their products in an Instagram post as “Imokase No.1’s Pick” after visibly being used by Lee during the show.
The success of the show also triggered a spike in convenience store food popularity due to the convenience store challenge. In line with this, convenience store chain GS25 will be releasing new precooked meal products in collaboration with Culinary Class Wars and recipes from its contestants. Our favorite auntie just happened to be one of these chefs! She developed a napa lettuce wraps with boiled pork, side dishes and a French toast sandwich recipe especially for The Convenience Store Spoon Series.
Jang Ho-joon
Jang Ho-joon | Image from @flyjohoon on YouTube
Dubbed as the “King of Japanese Cuisine” on the show, Chef Jang Ho-joon definitely proved to us the skills that comes with experience as he prepared flounders during their team mission, which won their team a 54:46 vote. Chef Jang is also one of the chefs that was tapped by GS25 for their Convenience Store Spoon Series, where he will be developing a fish cake soup and beef green onion udon recipe.
Due to his relatively less air time on the show, his presence was perceived to be weak by some viewers compared to the other contestants. He consequently decided to start his own Youtube channel and named it as “The Chef who wants to rise, Jang Ho-joon.” Go take a look and support his channel.
Cooking Maniac
Cooking Maniac | Image from Aussie Beef Korea
Despite always leaving a strong impression on people around him, Chef Yoon Nam-no is no doubt a very kind-hearted person. He came onto the show ultimately to reassure his mother that was battling cancer, and to make her happy. His passionate attitude towards cooking has paid off as he was able to receive the La Liste 2025 Korea – Rising Star Restaurant Award for his restaurant, Deepin.
Chef Yoon continues to make an influence as he becomes one of the ambassadors of Aussie Beef Korea. He has also commercially released two types of miso beef dishes in partnership with GS The Fresh, a supermarket chain in South Korea.
Triple Star
Triple Star | Photo from Mosu Seoul
Chef Kang Seung-won, or also known by his English name Scott Kang, was considered one of the biggest contenders to win the cooking competition. Given his impeccable skills in wielding a knife, his keen attention to detail, and his leadership when handling team missions, many believed he had what it takes to become the last man standing. He may not have claimed the title, but he definitely caught the eyes of the public.
Chef Kang was last seen in the “2024 A50BR Seoul Special Pop-up Event,” together with fellow chefs Ahn Sungjae, Bae Kyung-jun, Jung Young-hoon, and Oh Jong-il. The event was done in celebration of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants and promotes Seoul’s continuous influence in global dining. He has also been featured in ads for brands such as Thom Browne, Munsinsa and Project M.
Edward Lee
Edward Lee | Photo from Pulmuone
After surviving the Infinite Cooking Hell of Tofu, Chef Edward Lee secured his spot as one of the show’s finalists. And due to his creative ideas during the challenge, he has also been announced as the new brand ambassador for Korean Tofu brand, Pulmuone.
Chef Edward Lee shares, “I have always been a fan of Pulmuone’s brand philosophy and have often used their products in America, so I am honored to serve as its brand ambassador at this time. I will continue to work with Pulmuone on its campaigns to promote Korean cuisine and culture further.”
As brand ambassador, Lee will help promote their plant-based food brand “Pulmoune Global Diet” and their premium food brand “Straight Food.” The brand also plans to release a new product by next year in collaboration with Lee.
Napoli Matfia
Napoli Matfia | Image from CU
The chef that was able to successfully win the intense cooking battle was no other than the Black Spoon Chef, Kwon Seong-jun. The support for Kwon continues to overflow as even the reservation system for his restaurant, Toledo Pastabar, had crashed due to the high volume of people wanting to get a taste of the famous Napoli Matfia’s creations.
One of his show stopper moments was during the convenience store episode wherein he conjured a chestnut tiramisu dessert for the judges. This recipe has been commercialized into dessert cups and is only being sold in CU, one of Korea’s biggest convenience store brands. Yonsei University also collaborated with Kwon and did a Cream Bread version of his recipe.
Amidst all of the abundance that he has been able to experience, he has announced plans of doing a charity and volunteer work by the end of the year. He intends to do a pop-up restaurant event, and eventually releasing merch as well, in which all the proceeds would be donated as his way of giving back to the society. Kwon has given his word on supporting animal shelters by way of giving pet food, and financing spay and neuter programs that will be done in collaboration with Dolgo Donation.
Overall, in spite of the worries of all the chefs by coming on to Culinary Class Wars, more good has come out of it than they had expected. The show was able to help each finalist’s business to grow as they have all seen an increase in customers, reservations, and supporters.
Congratulations to all the chefs! Who is your favorite Culinary Class Wars contestant? Let us know in the comments!