How Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars season 2 stays ‘true to the original essence’
Amid off-screen scrutiny on one of the show’s judges, season two of Culinary Class Wars returns with a focus on its intense cooking battles
By Baek Byung-yeul
“We put a lot of thought into how to prepare for season two, especially given the immense love the first season received,” producer Kim Hak-min said during a press conference in Seoul on December 17.
“We concluded that changing for the sake of change could be poisonous. Instead, we focused on maintaining the elements people loved while refining the flaws to create a more polished programme. In a way, staying true to the original essence was a harder path than total transformation.”
Kim Eun-ji, another producer, said the positive response to the show’s debut season gave the team the courage to invite culinary legends who once seemed out of reach.
“The courage we gained from season one allowed us to approach masters like Ven. Seonjae and chef Hu Deok-juk [of Haobin restaurant]. We were worried it might be an impolite request, but their swift acceptance shocked us. When the 100-chef line-up was finalised, I couldn’t wait to show it to the world,” she said.