Culinary Show Sparks 303% Spike
Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars has driven a reported 303% jump in restaurant bookings as viewers flock to Asia’s gourmet‑street food scenes. The viral show is already reshaping food tourism demand for specific regional street cuisines (x.com).
CatchTable’s own trend report compared roughly five‑week windows before and after Season 2 (Nov. 4–Dec. 15 vs. Dec. 16–Jan. 13) to quantify shifts in searches and reservations on its platform. (en.sedaily.com) The company publishes a curated “Top Tables” guide for Culinary Class Wars chefs on its app, listing seat availability and booking routes for dozens of featured restaurants. (catchtable.net) CatchTable search rankings put Ok Dong‑sik first, followed by Choi Kang‑rok, Son Jong‑won, Sam Kim and Jung Ho‑young, while Son’s Itanic Garden and L’Amant Secret claimed the top two restaurant search slots. (en.sedaily.com) Platform data showed broader category gains after broadcast: pubs searches rose 52.1%, snack foods 35.8%, Western cuisine 26% and pasta 16.8% in the post‑vs‑pre period analyzed by CatchTable. (en.sedaily.com) Demand overwhelmed systems at peak moments: CatchTable recorded more than 110,000 users on the app one day after a finale, triggering a 20‑minute outage, and a Seoul pop‑up that opened 150 slots attracted roughly 450,000 booking attempts in November 2024. (koreajoongangdaily.joins.com(abcnews.com) Season 2 also landed at No.1 on Netflix’s Global Top 10 (Non‑English TV) in December and remained on the chart for five consecutive weeks, with Netflix confirming a third season. (yahoo.com) Government and industry moves followed: South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism included food and cultural content in its 2026 “quality growth” tourism blueprint, and overseas activations—such as Season‑2 finalist Jung Ho‑young appearing at a limited Singapore pop‑up in March 2026—have begun to appear. (korea.net(sgfoodonfoot.com)
