Culinary Class Wars 2 Winner Choi Kang-rok Shares Final Dish Secrets

SEOUL – In the content landscape, the sophomore syndrome is a familiar pitfall. Even global breakout hits rarely see their second season match, let alone surpass, the impact of a blockbuster debut. Culinary Class Wars 2 proved to be a rare exception. Returning with familiar game mechanics, but fresh twists and a new line-up of contestants, the South Korean cooking competition on Netflix matched and in some respects surpassed the cultural impact of its debut, dominating conversations during its five-week run. The Jan 13 finale cemented the season’s critical momentum. Choi Kang-rok, a returning contestant from Season 1 in 2024, claimed the championship, completing an arc that resonated strongly with viewers. One of only two returnees from the first season, he began at the bottom and climbed all the way to the top. Already a viral favourite for his awkward yet endearing personality – paired with an otaku-coded charm and undeniable cooking skill – Choi saw his popularity surge further with the win. Central to that appeal was his philosophy towards cooking, one that came into sharp focus during the final round. The theme of the championship match was cooking “for myself”. For his final dish, Choi presented sesame tofu, a deceptively simple dish laden with personal meaning. “Every dish carries meaning for the chef who makes it. What sesame tofu meant to me was a reminder not to become complacent,” he said during an interview held with the press on Jan 16. He continued: “From time to time, as a way of checking myself, there are dishes that make me think, ‘I used to be really good at making this.’ Sesame tofu is one of those dishes for me. I used to make it with ease, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve found myself making it less often. My arms hurt, and it’s physically demanding. By reflecting again on what sesame tofu meant to me, I wanted to be judged as someone who cooks.” To the 48-year-old chef, sesame tofu served as a personal reminder to keep going. “I also made sesame tofu during MasterChef Korea 2, but back then, I set it with gelatin and turned it into a dessert that required relatively less physical effort.” He won that reality cooking competition in 2013. “This time, the sesame tofu was meant as a message to myself as a middle-aged chef, someone who feels their stamina weakening, their creativity fading, and their mind not working as quickly as it used to. With the final dish, I wanted push myself just a little harder,” he added. Unlike many of his fellow contestants, whose restaurants have seen reservations spike following the show’s success, Choi said he has no plans to open a new restaurant in the near future. He shuttered his restaurant Neo just three months after Season 1 ended. “The reason I closed the restaurant is simply that the lease period ended . There was no other special reason ,” said Choi. “As Season 1 did well, more customers came in with heightened expectations, and I’m actually glad there was a clear exit. I closed the restaurant naturally in line with that. ” Asked whether audiences would be able to taste his cooking again, Choi demurred. He said he does not want to risk tarnishing people’s “good memories”. However, he added: “I do plan to run a small restaurant in my senior years. I intend to put the 300 million won (S$262,000) prize money that I won from Culinary Class Wars 2 towards that when the time comes.” Riding the wave of the show’s popularity, Netflix confirmed a third season. It will pivot to a team-based format, pitting restaurants against one another . Each team will consist of four chefs from a single establishment. Further details remain under wraps , including whether judges Anh Sung-jae or Paik Jong-won will be part of it . As for Choi, he appears unlikely to return. “I’m not currently operating a restaurant, so I don’t think I’ll be able to join the third season,” he said with a laugh. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK