‘Napoli Mafia’ Kwon Sung-joon crowned winner of ‘Culinary Class Wars’

The winner of Netflix’s hit cooking competition ‘Culinary Class Wars: Black and White Chef’ (흑백요리사) has been announced, and Kwon Sung-joon (권성준), also known as Napoli Mafia (나폴리 맛피아), has claimed the title .

The latest episode, released on October 8, showed the intense culmination of the cooking battle between 20 top chefs from the “white spoon (백수저)” and 80 talented “black spoon (흑수저)” underdogs. After weeks of fierce competition, the Napoli Mafia emerged victorious and secured the top prize of KRW 300 million.

Napoli Mafia were through to the finals after winning the “Cook Your Life” challenge. In the final showdown, he took on Edward Lee (에드워드리) in the ultimate “Signature Dish” battle. In the end, it was Kwon Sung-joon who claimed the victory.

Reflecting on his victory, Kwon Sung-joon said: “Today I achieved my dream. I have lived my whole life back and forth between the kitchen and the house, wondering if this was the right path, if living like this was meaningful .and if cooking was the only thing I had to do. Now that I’ve won, I realize those ten years weren’t bad.

Edward Lee, who took second place, shared an emotional reflection on his journey. “I am a Korean-American and I have worked hard to bring the beauty of Korean ingredients to the US. That is my life and my passion. Being here has given me a truly wonderful experience. Korea is another home for me ,” he said in tears.

Third place went to Kang Seung-won, also known as Triple Star (트리플스타), followed by Yoon Nam-no, known as Cooking Maniac (요리하는 돌아이), in fourth place. The remaining contestants were ranked as follows: Jang Ho-jun (장호준) in fifth place, Kim Mi-ryeong, known as Imokase #1 (이모카세 1호), in sixth place, Jung Ji-sun (정지선) in seventh place, and Choi Hyun-seok (최현석) in eighth place.

During a press conference in Seoul on October 7, prior to his victory, Kwon Sung-joon had expressed his determination to return for a possible second season. “If I am invited to Season 2, I would compete as a ‘White Spoon’ contestant. I want to make history as the first contestant to compete in two consecutive seasons and achieve great results. I am confident I can make that happen the top 3,” he said.

Since its premiere on September 17, ‘Culinary Class Wars’ has dominated Netflix’s global rankings, spending two consecutive weeks at number one in the non-English TV category. According to Netflix’s Top 10 website, the show was viewed 4.9 million times between September 23 and 29, topping the charts in four countries including South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong, and in the Top 10 in 28 countries around the world.

In collaboration with CU convenience stores, Napoli Mafia (Kwon Sung-joon) will launch a popular menu item from the show, the “Chestnut Tiramisu Cup,” available from October 12.