Bon Appetit! 4 Dramas About Food for Your Taste Buds

As they say, the way to a person’s heart is through their stomach. I love eating good food as much as I love watching dramas. When prompted, I can talk a person’s ear off about food. My traveling usually revolves around food. Here are four dramas that revolve around culinary arts (and romance) for your consideration.

Dine with Love 陪你一起好好吃饭

DRAMA INSPECT RATING: 8/10

This was another one of my “on-the-whim” dramas which panned out to be a good decision (except on a hungry night). The quality of the production was impressive and stood out. It wasn’t trashy nor disingenuous and didn’t feel cheaply commercialized just for the views. There was clearly effort in terms of artistry in filmmaking and storytelling. The premise of this drama was very heartwarming. The way they expressed how food shapes a person’s life and the big idea of simple happiness acheived through cooking was compelling. The characters are likable even if they have their flaws. The female lead is capable and genuine with a good personality.

Yu Hao is a businessman who created a food platform but ironically has always found cooking to be a waste of time. He is someone who prioritizes optimization of time and work over everything else. Su Kelan, a passionate home cook, is designated as the PR director when the streaming program Yu Hao’s been participating in as a cook to promote the platform hits a scandal. She brings him to the world of cooking and shows him the beautiful and simple way how food connects to people. It kickstarts a healing process for Yu Hao who carries scars from the past.

Royal Feast 尚食

DRAMA INSPECT RATING: 7.8/10

For anyone that was sad about Wei Yingluo and Fuca Fuhen being separated in “Story of Yanxi Palace“, this drama would be your dream come true. Based on true married historical figures from the Ming Dynasty, Wu Jingyan and Xu Kai come together in the context of culinary arts. Xu Kai plays Zhu Zhan Ji, the grand crown prince, while Wu Jingyan plays a talented cook that enters the palace to be a royal chef.

With a political game as the backdrop, they take a journey through the cultivation of food dotted with romantic moments that are as sweet as they are bitter. The cinematography and costume design were carefully crafted and the food presentation is different from anything else I’ve seen in other dramas.

This Is Not What I Expected 喜欢你 (film)

DRAMA INSPECT RATING: 9/10

I am aware there is a drama version of this film but I’d like to share the movie as I loved the way it was filmed and the cast embodied true talent. Award-winning actress Zhou Dongyu plays Gu Shengnan, a cheeky talented chef who works at a restaurant in a hotel. Kaneshiro Takeshi’s character, Lu Jin, is a successful businessman with impeccable taste buds that rules his routines with an iron fist. He arrives at the hotel to complete an acquisition and samples the food as a way to judge management and finds his perfect world completely knocked off its axis by Gu Sheng Nan.

Their vastly different personalities clash again and again but one thing they can’t deny is the mutual respect they have for food. Their dynamic is endearing and captivating and the cinematography of the film left a huge impression on me. Both actors lived up to their reputation and deliver a lovely performance.

Pasta

This is an old one but I remember loving it deeply when I watched it. It was probably my first drama with Gong Hyojin. I don’t know if it aged well but wanted to include it as it had left great memories for me.

Seo Yookyung is the hard-working kitchen assistant of a high-end Italian restaurant who aspires to be a chef. Her career plans are shot to the ground when a new head chef, Choi Hyunwook, enters the kitchen. Through her perseverance and optimism, she is determined to prove her worth in the kitchen and learn from this new chef as well.

(I won’t be posting a rating for Pasta because it’s been over 10 years since I’ve seen this drama)