Imitation is the highest form of flattery, right? Some viewers are saying that Netflix's Culinary Class Wars (right) inspired Tencent's One Dish To Rule Them All (left). (Photos: Tencent, Netflix) Listen 2 min New: You can now listen to articles. This audio is generated by an AI tool. ###### 24 Jul 2025 02:04PM (Updated: 24 Jul 2025 02:14PM) Read a summary of this article on FAST. There is a new cooking competition in China stirring up controversy, and it is not because of its recipes. Chinese tech company Tencent’s One Dish To Rule Them All, a cooking competition fronted by Hong Kong star Nicholas Tse,Haidilao founder Zhang Yong, and Michelin-starred chef Zheng Yongqi, is facing backlash for allegedly copying the format of. The only glaring difference between the two shows appears to be the country’s cuisine and One Dish To Rule Them All’s long list of celeb drop ins. Celebrity guests such as Carina Lau,Charlene Choi andmade appearances, adding star power to Tencent’s version. Everything else, including the format, is painfully similar. Like the Netflix hit,One Dish To Rule Them All's 100 contestants were also split into black and white teams. Sixteen renowned chefs form the white team, while 84 newbies make up the black. Culinary Class Wars also had 100 participants, with 20 experienced chefs classed as White Spoons who competed under their real names, while the remaining 80 newbies were placed as Black Spoons, competing under an alias. Despite some fans pointing out that Tencent’s version adds a more interesting twist with A-listers, viewers are still calling it a blatant imitation. “That is just silly.Culinary Class Wars didn’t need to all these celeb gimmicks to become a success,” retorted a netizen. Culinary Class Wars was fronted by Michelin three-star chef, and celebrity cookas judges. Netflix's original set up for Culinary Class Wars. (Photo: Netflix) Tencent's One Dish To Rule Them All's layout, which seems to be inspired by Netflix's Culinary Class Wars. (Photo: Tencent)

Chinese cooking show hosted by Nicholas Tse and others accused of copying Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars

Tencent's cooking competition show 'One Dish To Rule Them All' faces backlash for allegedly copying the format of Netflix's 'Culinary Class Wars', with similar structures, contestant splits, and celebrity guest appearances.