At the Netflix ‘Black & White Chef: Culinary Class War 2’ press conference held on the 17th at JW Marriott Dongdaemun, the four White Spoon chefs (left) and the four Black Spoon chefs strike a pose. Courtesy of Netflix
Baek Jong-won’s appearance wasn’t particularly important. ‘Black & White Chef 2’ goes the distance on cooking alone.
Before it even premiered, the Netflix variety show ‘Black & White Chef 2’ drew gossip over Baek Jong-won’s appearance amid controversies such as alleged violations of food laws. Yet by the time episode 3 was released, it seemed to have suffered no major blow.
Within a day of release, it topped the domestic Top 10 series chart, and after the press conference that day, long lines formed again to eat and snap photos of the finger foods prepared by the eight chefs. It appears the focus of the direction on the food and the chefs, rather than on Baek Jong-won, paid off.
Some criticized the fact that Baek Jong-won did not participate in the event that day. However, with the new rules shown over three episodes, the arrival of new chefs, and their competition, the Baek Jong-won issue was not the priority. Even so, the production team offered a cautious outlook regarding Baek Jong-won.
At the Netflix ‘Black & White Chef: Culinary Class War 2’ press conference held on the 17th at JW Marriott Dongdaemun, the four White Spoon chefs (left), PD Kim Eun-ji, PD Kim Hak-min, and the four Black Spoon chefs are posing. Courtesy of Netflix
Asked whether Baek Jong-won’s appearance would continue into season 3, PD Kim Hak-min said, “Fortunately, we survived and were able to meet you with a second season,” and added, “We don’t yet know whether a season 3 will be produced, so it’s hard to say. We are taking viewers’ feedback seriously and carefully. We’ll listen to any reaction, keep an open mind, and prepare the next step.”
At the ‘Black & White Chef 2’ media session held on the 17th at JW Marriott Dongdaemun were White Spoon chefs Monk Seonjae, Hudeokjuk, Son Jong-won, and Jeong Ho-young; Black Spoon chefs French Papa, the Witch of Chinese Cuisine, Brewing Yoon Jumo, and Baby Beast; along with PD Kim Hak-min and PD Kim Eun-ji.
‘Black & White Chef’ is a competition variety show that portrays a fiery culinary class war between master ‘Black Spoon’ chefs from outside the mainstream and star ‘White Spoon’ chefs. The concept of accomplished chefs splitting into Black and White classes to wage fierce contests delivered a distinctive kind of fun, and season 1, which aired last year, swept buzz at home and abroad, topping Netflix’s global Top 10 non-English list for three consecutive weeks.
At the Netflix ‘Black & White Chef: Culinary Class War 2’ press conference held on the 17th at JW Marriott Dongdaemun, the four White Spoon chefs (from left) Jeong Ho-young, Monk Seonjae, Son Jong-won, and Hudeokjuk are posing. Courtesy of Netflix
With anticipation high for the new season, the producers chose to focus more on straight-up showdowns through cooking rather than major changes. In episodes 1-3 released on the 16th, there were no significant changes in either direction or the competition system.
PD Kim Hak-min said, “We wrestled with a lot while producing season 2. Season 1 received so much love that the weight felt immense,” adding, “We concluded that changes for their own sake could be poison to the program. We refined the elements that were loved in season 1, and we replaced parts that fell short with new elements to raise the level of completion.”
Explaining that they added new fun with features like the ‘Hidden White Spoon’ system and a local specialty showdown enhanced by special effects, he said, “This week will be fun, but next week, and the week after that, will be even more fun. The dopamine viewers expect will gradually build.”
At the Netflix ‘Black & White Chef: Culinary Class War 2’ press conference held on the 17th at JW Marriott Dongdaemun, the four Black Spoon chefs (from left) Brewing Yoon Jumo, French Papa, the Witch of Chinese Cuisine, and Baby Beast are posing. Courtesy of Netflix
PD Kim Eun-ji likewise said, “The concept is to see it through with cooking,” adding, “After last season ended, many asked to see head-on battles decided by cooking alone. We’ll take the cooking missions to their limit.”
French Papa, who drew attention for giving up a glittering career for his son with developmental disabilities, also predicted that the chefs’ devotion to cooking would be the force that drives the program.
He said, “I watched the broadcast with my son yesterday. He watched with intense focus and loved it,” adding, “For me, ‘Black & White Chef’ has been a great comfort. I believe cooking has tremendous power. I hope you’ll feel that power at home through the competition. I do, and all 100 chefs have their own stories. If you focus on that, we can be comforted together.”
Brewing Yoon Jumo also said, “There is fierce competition, but please also take an interest in the chefs’ philosophies and stories, and in the cultural keywords,” while the Witch of Chinese Cuisine added her “strong resolve to break the glass ceiling in the culinary world and open a new horizon as a woman.”
