Who Is Venerable Sunjae? Meet the Monk Chef in "Culinary Class Wars" Season 2
She’s known as Korea’s first master of temple cuisine.
Published on Dec 24, 2025
Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars is back and currently streaming its second season, bringing together an eclectic mix of culinary figures—from Michelin-starred White Spoon chefs to unexpected newcomers with unique approaches to food. Among them is Venerable Sunjae, a Buddhist monk and leading authority on Korean temple cuisine, a style of cooking built on seasonality, restraint, and long-standing Buddhist tradition.
Her appearance has quickly become one of the season’s most talked-about moments. For viewers curious about the monk chef navigating the competition with quiet confidence, here are five things to know about Venerable Sunjae.
Who Is Venerable Sunjae? 5 Things About the "Culinary Class Wars" Season 2 Monk Chef
1. Venerable Sunjae is Korea’s first master of temple cuisine.
Venerable Sunjae, also known by her pen name Mayul Sunjae, is recognized as Korea’s first master of temple food, according to The Sungkyun Times. Unlike typical Korean cooking, temple cuisine is entirely vegetarian and avoids the five pungent vegetables—garlic, onion, chive, green onion, and leek. It focuses on seasonal ingredients, fermentation, and minimal intervention, letting the natural flavors of each ingredient shine.
2. She didn’t start out planning to be a monk.
Growing up in a Buddhist household, Sunjae never imagined she’d take monastic vows. In an interview with The Sungkyun Times, she revealed that she once dreamed of becoming a nurse or a stenographer and even moving abroad. Everything changed after attending a monk’s lecture on filial piety and parental love, which inspired her to dedicate her life to Buddhist practice.
3. She views food as medicine.
For Sunjae, what’s on your plate affects more than just your appetite. She told Danivalent.com that eating well is essential for both body and mind. During a period of serious illness, it was temple food that helped her recover, not medication. Her philosophy is simple: good ingredients, grown in healthy soil and prepared with care, translate into healthier, more balanced bodies and minds.
4. She’s bringing temple food to the world.
As president of the Korean Food Promotion Institute, Sunjae has taken temple cuisine far beyond Korea. According to Korea.net, she has lectured in Italy, France, and Australia, drawing thousands to learn about Korean food traditions. She says temple food appeals internationally because it avoids ingredients many people find difficult and emphasizes balance, seasonality, and respect for nature.
5. Her approach to cooking is about mindfulness.
Cooking, for Sunjae, is not just technique—it’s intention. In an interview with Danivalent.com, she reflected on the cabbage in kimchi, noting how it needs air, water, and sunlight to thrive. “Kimchi is a way to give new life to a cabbage,” she said. “And as we do that, we also give new life to our own bodies.” It’s a small, thoughtful philosophy that carries over to her dishes on Culinary Class Wars, where precision, care, and respect for ingredients take center stage.
Kat is Preview's Lifestyle Editor, explorer, and occasional rhymer. When not globe-trotting, she's over her computer, writing her next big novel.