Netflix’s hit Korean cooking survival show Culinary Class Wars is coming back for a second season, set to premiere on 16 December.

Producers Kim Hak Min and Kim Eun Ji expressed their gratitude for the overwhelming support from fans, saying they “poured our hearts into crafting the second season to meet the audience’s expectations.”

They added that they’ve revamped the rules and missions to improve on what resonated before while addressing past criticisms.

The rivalry format remains: self-taught, underdog chefs (called “Black Spoon”) will face off against established culinary stars (“White Spoon”).

But, in this season, the competition is more diverse as chefs from a variety of culinary traditions are competing — Korean, Western, Chinese and Japanese fusion. 

The White Spoon lineup features some very high-profile talents: two‑Michelin‑star chef Lee Jun, Son Jong Won (who holds a Michelin star for both Korean and Western cuisine), Venerable Sunjae (Korea’s first officially recognized master of temple cuisine), and Hu Deok Juk, a Chinese cuisine master with 57 years of experience. 

Celebrity chef Paik Jong Won and Anh Sung Jae of Mosu, a three-Michelin-star restaurant, return as judges.

The first season became the first Korean unscripted show to stay at the top of Netflix’s global Top 10 non-English TV chart for three straight weeks.