According to Gallup Korea's survey of Koreans' Favorite TV Shows and Videos (conducted from September 24-26) on 1,001 people aged 18 and over in Korea, the program "Culinary Class Wars" ranked first with a 5.3% popularity rating, while SBS's drama "Good Partner" took second place.
According to Gallup Korea, the survey has been expanded to include OTT (online streaming) programs in addition to traditional TV broadcasts since 2023. “Culinary Class Wars” is the first web variety show to take the top spot in this expanded category.
Premiering on September 17, “Culinary Class War” is a cooking competition show about a flavor-based culinary battle between “underdog” chefs and Korean star chefs.
A total of 100 chefs participated, including celebrities such as Chinese culinary expert Yeo Kyung Rae, “MasterChef Korea 2” winner Choi Kang Rok, and star chef Choi Hyun Seok, representing the so-called “white spoon” chefs.
They compete against “black spoon” chefs – individuals who may be lesser known but possess exceptional culinary skills. The show is judged by restaurant owner and TV personality Baek Jong Won and Korea’s only three-star Michelin chef Ahn Sung Jae.
Upon its release, “Culinary Class Wars” rose to the top of Netflix’s global non-English TV shows list, reaching 3.8 million views from September 16-22 and reaching the top 10 in 18 countries.
At the same time, it topped the Non-Drama Popularity Ranking for 2 consecutive weeks (3rd and 4th weeks of September) in a survey conducted by Good Data Corporation.
Daum commented that the reason “Culinary Class Wars” became a hit was because each episode brought unpredictable results, creating interest among viewers.
