“Culinary Class Wars,” Netflix’s hit cooking competition, returned Tuesday, with its producers stressing that the new run remains centered on the pure intensity of cooking, despite ongoing scrutiny surrounding star judge Paik Jong-won. “We put a lot of thought into how to prepare for Season 2, especially given the immense love the first season received,” producer Kim Hak-min said during a press conference in Seoul Wednesday. “We concluded that changing for the sake of change could be poisonous. Instead, we focused on maintaining the elements people loved while refining the flaws to create a more polished program. In a way, staying true to the original essence was a harder path than total transformation.” Kim Eun-ji, another producer, said the positive response to the show’s debut season gave the team courage to invite culinary legends who once seemed out of reach. “The courage we gained from Season 1 allowed us to approach masters like Ven. Seonjae and chef Hu Deok-juk. We were worried it might be an impolite request, but their swift acceptance shocked us. When the 100-