Culinary Class Wars Season 2 Episode 5: Top 21 & Super Pass
Culinary Class Wars Season 2 Episode 5 finally reveals the complete lineup of professional chefs moving on to the next major round. The long-awaited final results are here. Episode 5 of the series brings us the Top 21 Survivors, concluding the most intense head-to-head battles yet..
1. Park Hyonam vs French Papa
This match became a fascinating “French vs. French” showdown, as both chefs specialize in French cuisine.
- Region: Sokcho
- Ingredient: Sea Snail (Cham-golbaengi)
Park Hyonam’s Sea Snail Mastery: The Art of French-Korean Fusion
- White Spoon Park Hyonam: One of Korea’s Top 10 Culinary Masters and Executive Chef at Millennium Seoul Hilton (1983-2015).
Park Hyonam’s Sea Snail Risotto
- Dish: Sea Snail Potato Risotto with Seasoned Seaweed Sauce
- He poached the snails in a court-bouillon (a quick-simmered broth used for seafood) to ensure a tender texture.
- He then created a fusion sauce by blending Korean seasoned seaweed (Gim) with sesame oil and heavy cream. Finely diced potatoes were cooked in a blue crab bisque to complete the risotto.
French Papa’s Modern Escargot Reinterpretation
- Black Spoon French Papa
French Papa’s Korean Escargot
- Dish: Korean Escargot de Sokcho
- To reinterpret the ingredient as French escargot, he poached the sea snail for 50 minutes. He blended the innards with butter and herbs to create a “Sea Snail Innards Herb Butter,” stuffed the shells, and baked them with breadcrumbs. He served this with a velouté sauce and vol-au-vent.
- The Judge’s Feedback: Judges praised Park Hyo-nam’s sea snail dish for the harmony between snail and potato, calling the seaweed sauce remarkably original.
- Winner: Park Hyo-nam
Blonde Kimchi’s Foodie Insight: A Creative Twist on Sea Snail
Seeing Park Hyonam’s sea snail risotto and French Papa’s reinterpretation was a brilliant cultural bridge. As a Korean, it was fascinating to watch the sea snail (Golbaengi) being reimagined as French escargot. In Europe, escargot is traditionally enjoyed with aromatic garlic herb butter. However, in Korea, sea snails are a staple ‘Anju’ (side dish for drinks), usually served as a spicy salad with noodles (Golbaengi-muchim) or boiled in clear, savory soups.
2. Choi Kangrok vs Iron Arms
This match was a highly anticipated clash between two masters of Japanese culinary arts.
- Region: Jindo
- Ingredient: Green Onion (Daepa)
Choi Kang-rok’s Green Onion Extraction: The Triple-Layer Technique
- White Spoon: Choi Kang-rok
Choi Kangrok’s Green Onion Soup with Chawanmushi
Dish: Green Onion Soup Chawanmushi
- He showcased incredible depth by creating two different stocks – one from boiled onions and another from sautéed onions.
- His signature “Jorim” (braising) technique was the highlight, where he glazed grilled onions in a savory soy reduction.
- This Choi Kang-rok’s green onion masterpiece was topped with crispy fried onion threads, offering every possible texture of the ingredient.
Iron Arm’s Sweet Charcoal Grilling & White Miso Pairing
- Black Spoon Iron Arm: Owner-chef of Sauvage.
Iron Arm’s Charcoal-Grilled Green Onion with White Miso Ang-sauce
- Dish: Grilled Green Onion with White Miso Ang-sauce
- He aimed to bring out the natural essence of the green onion by grilling it over charcoal. After charring the outer skin to concentrate the sugars, he peeled it away to reveal the tender heart of the green onion.
- He then topped the grilled green onion with a warm, thick Japanese white miso “Ang-sauce” to highlight its sophisticated sweetness. The dish was finished with finely minced beef jerky, raw green onions, and fresh wasabi.
- Critical Review: Upon tasting Choi Kang-rok’s green onion Chawanmushi, the judges praised it by saying, “It feels like every possible dish you can make with a green onion is contained within this one bowl.” For Musoepal’s dish, they evaluated it as “an exceptional creation that elevated the very essence of the green onion to its highest level.”
- Winner: Choi Kang-rok (White Spoon)
3. Lee Geum-hee vs Brewmaster Yun
A profound battle representing the legacy and innovation of Korean traditional cuisine.
- Region: Gongju
- Ingredient: Chestnut
Lee Geum-hee’s Honest Chestnut Deep-Simmering
- White Spoon Lee Geum-hee: Cooking Executive Director at Mayfield Hotel and Korea’s first female Executive Chef at a luxury hotel. A 39-year veteran dedicated to traditional Korean flavors.
Lee Geumhee’s Chestnut Porridge
Dish: Chestnut Porridge (Bam-juk)
- She steamed chestnuts in a traditional cauldron and blended them. This was mixed with ground glutinous rice and simmered to highlight the deep, unadorned flavor of the chestnut.
- The dish was elegantly topped with Yullan (traditional chestnut sweets). She chose honesty over flashy techniques to capture the essence of the ingredient.
Brewmaster Yun’s Innovation: Fresh Chestnut Rice Cake Soup
- Black Spoon Brewmaster Yun: Owner-chef of ‘Yunjudang’ in Haebangchon.
Brewmaster Yun’s Chest Nut Soup
- Dish: Fresh Chestnut Rice Cake Soup
- He mashed steamed chestnuts and stuffed them into hand-kneaded rice cake dough, slicing them into bite-sized pieces.
These were boiled in a broth with whole chestnuts. She also created savory meatballs by mixing mashed chestnuts with beef shank to enhance the savory aroma.
- The Judges’ Review: The judges described Lee Geum-hee’s porridge as an honest, gentle, and deep flavor. For Brewmaster Yun, they praised the perfectly cooked rice cakes and the harmonious blend of sweet chestnut aroma with the savory broth.
- Winner: Brewmaster Yun (Black Spoon)
4. Kim Hee-eun vs Little Tiger
An emotional “Teacher vs. Student” rivalry between a Michelin-starred mentor and her pupil of 10 years.
- Region: Sancheong
- Ingredient: Black Pork Shank
Kim Hee-eun’s Pressure-Cooked Shank & Smoke Infusion
White Spoon Kim Hee-eun: Owner-chef of Michelin 1-star ‘Soul’.
Smoked Tenderness Technique
- Dish: Black Pork Shank Steamed Dish
- Recognizing that the shank is a lean and tough cut, she utilized a pressure cooker for long-duration cooking to achieve maximum tenderness.
- She then placed the meat and thyme in a container, using a torch to infuse it with a deep smoky aroma. The meat was shredded like Jangjorim and served with rice, potato dumplings (Ongshimi), sea cucumber, and pickled apple for extra flair.
Little Tiger’s Cold Shank & Fresh Choseon Japchae
- Black Spoon Little Tiger: Chef at Michelin 1-star ‘Solbam’.
Little Tiger’s Cold Shak & Japchae
Dish: Shank Jangjorim and Choseon Japchae
He braised the shank in a soy-based seasoning using a pressure cooker, then vacuum-sealed and chilled it in ice to create a texture similar to “Naeng-jeyuk” (cold pork). This was paired with “Choseon Japchae” featuring shrimp, asparagus, and wild herbs, topped with raw seasonal mushrooms and garlic scapes to capture the freshness of spring.
- The Judgment: The judges found Little Tiger’s shank tender and the herbs fragrant. However, they chose Kim Hee-eun because her dish offered a more “intuitively delicious” flavor that they wanted to eat again.
- Winner: Kim Hee-eun (White Spoon)
5. Sam Kim vs Trend King
A battle of Mediterranean influence using a pungent Korean fermented ingredient.
- Region: Jeju
- Ingredient: Mel-jeot (Salted Anchovies)
Sam Kim’s Soraegi Mel-jeot Pasta
- White Spoon Sam Kim: Owner-chef of Trattoria Sam Kim and Osteria Sam Kim.
Sam Kim’s Meljeot Pasta
- Sam Kim’s Soraegi Mel-jeot Pasta with Paccheri
- He boiled Paccheri pasta and prepared a broth using Soraegi (small octopus) and calamari. He sautéed the Mel-jeot with garlic to release its aroma before simmering the pasta slowly in the sauce, topped with radish greens and breadcrumbs.
Trend King’s Potato Pancake with Bagna Cauda
- Black Spoon Trend King: Owner-chef of ‘SamSamSam’.
Trend King’s Crispy Potato Pancake
- Dish: Potato Pancake
- He prepared two styles of potato pancake—one extremely crispy and one focused on the potato’s natural aroma. These were served with Bagna Cauda (an Italian sauce made with olive oil, anchovies, and garlic) and topped with grilled shrimp.
- Critical Review: While the pancake was crispy, the judges felt the Mel-jeot flavor didn’t shine through. Sam Kim was praised for bringing out the savory, nutty side of the Mel-jeot.
- Winner: Sam Kim (White Spoon)
6. Additional Survival Results
The remaining matches of Culinary Class Wars Season 2 Episode 5 showcased incredible regional creativity:
- Pig Skin (Jungpyeong): Jenny Walden vs. Chinese Cuisine Witch (Winner). She finely minced pig skin, attached it to bones, and fried it with cumin.
- Garlic (Danyang): Kim Gun vs. Kall-mase (Winner). He created a “Black & White Garlic Ramen” using thinly sliced squid as noodles.
- Gopchang-gim (Wando): Shim Sung-chul vs. Annyeong Bonjour (Winner) with Fried ‘Chi-Gim’ (Chicken-Seaweed fusion).
- Dried Red Sole (Gunsan): Cheon Sang-hyeon (Winner) (Former Presidential Chef) vs. Banchan-sulsa. He made a soy-braised semi-dried red sole.
- Beef Boseopsal (Jangsu): Choi Yoo-gang (Winner) vs. Cheonsaeng-yeonbun with a colorful “Yangjang-fit” dish.
R2 1:1 Results & Top 21 Survivors
The intense 1:1 matches of Culinary Class Wars Season 2 Episode 5 concluded with these resilient survivors:
- Black Spoon Survivors: Brewmaster Yun, Chinese Cuisine Witch, Kall-mase, Annyeong Bonjour, and more.
- White Spoon Survivors: Park Hyo-nam, Choi Kang-rok, Kim Hee-eun, Sam Kim, Cheon Sang-hyeon, Choi Yoo-gang, etc.
The Unexpected Super Pass Survivors
Just before the end of Culinary Class Wars Season 2 Episode 5, the producers announced a shocking twist. The judges used their “Super Pass” to save two eliminated chefs who showed exceptional potential:
- Jung Ho-young (White Spoon)
- Venerable Sunjae (White Spoon)
With these Super Pass Survivors, the final count for the next round is 12 White Spoons and 9 Black Spoons, making up the Top 21 Survivors. The competition is just getting started!
