The Netflix variety show Black & White Chef: Culinary Class Warfare is facing ongoing controversy over the forced elimination process. Viewers have described it as unsettling, akin to witnessing bullying at school or work. Criticism continues to mount, accusing the show of undermining a South Korean culinary master, a rare title awarded to only one person per year, while treating Korean chefs as mere background figures. Since the program is broadcast globally, the backlash has intensified.
On October 6, social media users continued to criticize the introduction of a sudden “elimination” rule in episode 9, released by Netflix on October 1. The chefs, divided into three teams, had already completed their menus, pricing, concepts, and role assignments when a surprise vote was held to eliminate one member from each team.
The three eliminated chefs were then grouped into a new team, effectively penalized since six hours of the mission had already passed. With one less team member compared to the other teams, each chef had to handle the entire cooking process from ingredient prep to completion, leaving them with insufficient time and little chance of survival in the competition.
The process of selecting the eliminated chefs also sparked controversy. Two chefs voluntarily stepped forward due to the uncomfortable situation, but Master Chef Ahn Yoo-sung was voted off by team leader Chef Choi Hyun-seok, adding to the criticism.
In particular, after Ahn’s elimination, Chef Choi introduced the team’s restaurant as “Eoksul’s Diner” and referred to “Imokase” as a “master,” drawing backlash. While introducing a caviar rice dish, he said, “Please wrap it with Master Imokase’s roasted seaweed,” a remark that trivialized the prestigious title.
The casual use of the “master” title for another contestant has led to misunderstandings among viewers, suggesting that anyone who has cooked for a long time could be called a “master.” This is a significant issue, especially given that only 16 chefs have received the officially recognized title of Korean National Master Chef since 2000. Chef Ahn Yoo-sung was awarded this title in 2023, a distinction achieved through years of rigorous testing and professional experience.
As the controversy spread, Netflix responded by releasing a “7 Special Messages” video on YouTube on October 3, featuring interviews with cast members involved in the derogatory remarks. However, public opinion remains cold.
Viewers have expressed their frustration online: “It’s embarrassing to see how our top chefs are being treated,” “The Korean culinary masters were reduced to prep work and ingredient chopping,” “They brought in a national master chef just to cut him after prep work; it’s clear the producers had already chosen the winners and used the masters as props,” and “The real villain here is the production team. Who came up with the elimination idea?”
In response, Chef Ahn Yoo-sung held a live broadcast on his YouTube channel titled Behind the Scenes of Black & White Chef with Chef Ahn Yoo-sung, where he expressed his disappointment. On October 3, shortly after the broadcast, he also shared a personal message on social media: “The hardest moment was when I hadn’t slept for two days and went out alone in the early morning during filming to look at a picture of my mom and calm myself.”
Born in 1972, Chef Ahn Yoo-sung is a Japanese cuisine specialist and runs the restaurant “Game Japanese Cuisine” in Gwangju’s Seo-gu district. He is also known as the “President’s Sushi Chef,” having served former presidents Kim Dae-jung, Roh Moo-hyun, Moon Jae-in, and President Yoon Suk-yeol when they visited Gwangju.
