20 Best K-Dramas About Food and Cooking

K-dramas are often associated with genres such as romance and thriller, but some series also implement storylines with cooking. whether It is used as a means to bring characters closer together or simply acts as the series’ main settingFood, restaurants and cooking are featured in some K-dramas. Series such as Mr. Queen And Itaewon Class Use food as a way to push the story forward.

Over the years, Korean entertainment has grown widely in popularity, especially when it comes to K-pop and K-dramas. It is In the forms of entertainment that audiences are exposed to parts of Korean cultureIncluding the food. One of the best outcomes of K-dramas centering around food, aside from the mouthwatering visuals, is the exposure and interest surrounding East Asian cuisine.

20

Business Proposal (2022)

A romance tied to a food company

While most K-drama fans will recognize Business proposal As a very successful rom-com, it is also a K-drama with food. The difference here is that the food in question is not in a restaurant setting, at least not typically. Instead, the company the main character works for is Go Food, which sells packaged foods.

In the series, a woman goes on a blind date at her friend’s place, only to find herself on a date with her boss, who doesn’t realize she’s his employee and wants to get married just to get his family out of his way. Family. Back. The female lead of the series is not just his employee, but a researcher for Go Food. Her family also owns a chicken restaurant, so there are food subplots in the comedy of errors that is their relationship.

The series was very successful thanks to the chemistry of the main cast, who were subsequently nominated for a lot of awards for their work in the show.

19

Temperature of Love (2017)

A writer and chef navigate love

The focus of this particular K-drama isn’t exactly the food, but the food does play a big role. An aspiring screenwriter and the chef at a prestigious restaurant fall for each other. When their career goals take them in different directions, however, they decide to go their separate ways.

The series, however, tells their efforts to build their careers and find success and how their love for one another still plays a role in this. It’s not just focus on their relationship either, as many different types of love – familial, platonic, second chances at it, and more – are shown in the series, all with food playing a role in the relationships along the way.

There is a love triangle in Temperature of love Because it seems rare for a K-drama to have a love story and not make it a triangle. The ending, however, provides the audience with a satisfying conclusion that they will want to see play out.

18

Kkondae Intern (2020)

An intern and manager see role reversals at a ramen company

A lot of the K-dramas that center on food deal directly with love stories or family dynamics with food as the storyline tying the plot threads together. This is not the case in Kkondae Intern. instead, Kkondae Intern is a workplace comedy about what happens when dynamics shift.

When an intern leaves one company after being mistreated by his manager, he rises to the occasion in his new environment and develops a new chicken ramen product that earns him a management position.. His former boss, finding that he is not moving up in the company after 30 years, applies for a senior international position, and finds himself working under the man whose work life he made miserable.

The series is not only funny and award-winning (it won Drama of the Year at the MBC Drama Awards in 2020), but it also features an interesting look at the development of ramen for those who love the dish.

17

Pasta (2010)

A woman wants to run an Italian restaurant

If a K-drama is going to put a big focus on food, the food is usually specific to Korean culture. This is not the case in MacaroniAs the title would suggest. instead, The main character is the daughter of the owner of a Chinese restaurant who wants to become an elite Italian chef. She studies at a cooking school and works in a kitchen for three years before being promoted to cook at the beginning of Macaroni. It’s there that her education really begins though.

When a new chef is hired for the restaurant, he quickly wants all women out of the kitchen since his ex-girlfriend sabotaged him and has since gone on to become a celebrity chef. She, however, also ends up working alongside the two. The owner of the restaurant also plays a sneaky role in all their relationships as they strive to make perfect pasta. It’s equal parts melodrama and culinary drama, which makes for a fantastic blend.

When the series aired on TV in 2010, it nearly doubled its audience from the first to the last episode as interest in the show grew, and it became a K-drama classic.

16

Bread, Love and Dreams (2010)

A runaway studies to become a baker

The series finale was watched by just over 50% of Korean households…

Food sometimes takes a back seat in this series, also called The Baker King. This is because it is set up more like a soap opera, or more accurately, like a twisty telenovela. The series begins with the fact that the chairman of a company has an illegitimate child with his mistress and his wife is upset about it. 12 years later when the mistress is kidnapped, the son runs away to find her, ends up in a baking school and studies under the man who taught his father.

From there, the drama only gets more dramatic, and the superstitions that all the bakers have in their kitchens is something to see. The food they make, however, looks delicious. It will certainly leave the audience wanting to learn to make many of the baked goods spotlighted in the series.

The series finale was watched by just over 50% of Korean households, making it one of the most watched K-dramas of all time.

15

Dinner Mat (2020)

Two strangers bond over meals

While many K-drama series that center on food feature characters working in a kitchen, dinner dinner is different. The focus is, instead, on two strangers eating together. When they meet by chance, they end up sharing space in a restaurant for their meal. They decide to plan to meet and eat together regularly, simply to enjoy new food with new company.

Although the two characters know nothing about each other at first, their shared interest in a good meal brings them closer.

One of the characters is a content producer, while the other is a psychiatrist who specializes in topics related to food, giving a unique perspective on the different meals. The series is less about the food itself and more about the sense of community that can come from sharing a meal with someone. Although the two characters know nothing about each other at first, their shared interest in a good meal brings them closer.

14

Dae Jang Geum is Watching (2018)

Food “superpowers” make this series a gem

Also translated to Jang Geum, Oh My GrandmaThe K-drama offers multiple perspectives on food, a rarity in K-drama that features the subject. The premise of the show was to examine how the descendants of Dae Jang Geum, the first prominent female doctor in Korean history who was also an accomplished cook, would relate to her. Three siblings get the spotlight, and each of them has a different relationship with food.

The oldest brother reviews restaurants around Seoul. The middle brother has a cooking video blog. The youngest sister creates unique food combinations from what she can find in a convenience store. Each of the characters clearly loves food, but they show that love in very different ways through what the show terms their “superpowers.” The result is some interesting recipes and a great showcase of Korean food.

13

I’m Not A Robot (2017)

A woman pretends to be a robot for a job

I’m not a robot Is not strict about food. Instead, this K-drama is part sci-fi, part romance. The series follows a young woman who ends up taking a job pretending to be a robot that shares her likeness in order to be a companion to a wealthy heir who is believed to be allergic to physical human contact. The food comes in as a result of her living with him.

Because he spent so long isolated from other humans, he learned how to prepare elaborate meals on his own. Because he believes that his new companion is an artificial intelligence unit being tested, there are many scenes of him preparing the elaborate meals and eating in front of her with her pretending to be a robot. It becomes a running theme throughout the series and one that will make the audience sympathize with her because everything he makes looks delicious.

12

Mystic Pop-Up Bar (2020)

A fantasy series uses food as consolation

Mystic Pop-Up Bar is actually a fantasy K-drama with a focus on making up for past misdeeds. The main character is a woman who must help 100,000 humans before she is allowed to move on to the afterlife as a way to atone for her past crimes. In order to do this, she runs a pop-up restaurant with two other people with supernatural abilities and focuses on helping the customers who visit her.

For much of the series, helping the customers is not only listening to their problems and finding a solution, but also providing them with comfort through the food and drinks she makes. The food may not be the focus, but it paves the way for its own redemption in the series, and there are some fantastic-looking dishes that audiences will likely want to try at home.

11

Late Night Restaurant (2015)

A remake of a Japanese restaurant anthology

Late night restaurant is not an original K-drama. It is actually a remake of a Japanese anthology series that adapts a manga. The Japanese TV series was so popular that it prompted both a Korean and Chinese remake, but the Korean remake is much closer to the spirit of the original. The show is about how a restaurant can be neutral ground, bringing even the most disparate groups together.

Late night restaurantAs the title implies, centers on a restaurant that is only open late at night. The doors open between midnight and 07:00, they see a diverse assortment of guests. There is no real menu and the chef for the establishment, known only as “Master,” will make whatever a guest requests as long as the ingredients are on hand. Each episode spotlights a different guest and a different dish as the guest tells their story. Usually the dishes play a part in the story and are an important memory for them, connecting sentimentality to food.

10

Jewel in the Palace (2003-2004)

Inspired by Korea’s first female doctor

Set during the Joseon Dynasty in Korea, Jewel in the Palace follows Seo Jang-geum, A cook who uses food and medicine to serve the king. Seo Jang-geum, wanting to cook in the palace kitchen like her late mother did, builds her skills in the medical field and kitchen to achieve her goals. Jewel in the Palace was widely popular and even prompted an animated spin-off series. For its authentic displays of Korean culture, namely its cuisine and traditional medicinal practices, Jewel in the Palace is often noted as boosting interest in Korean cuisine, locally and abroad.

The series can even be considered as the unofficial prequel Jang Geum, Oh My Grandma Since both shows use the same historical figure as their inspiration. The fusion of food and health here is a theme in many food-focused K-dramas after that.

9

Let’s Eat (2013-2018)

There is passion for food in every new life milestone

Over three seasons, Let’s eat Follows Goo Dae-young as he moves through different phases of his life. Whether he befriends his neighbors or reunites with a former college classmate, One thing that is consistent in Goo Dae-young’s life is his passion for delicious food. Every season of Let’s eat Finds a way to explore this, as he finds a common love for food with those around him. Accompanying the exploration of cuisine are typical storylines audiences can expect in a K-drama, including romance and comedy.

The series actually begins with a similar premise to dinner dinner How these four single people are linked by their desire not to eat alone. It just so happens that one of them is actually a gourmand, So much of the food here is gourmet cuisine, providing a more high-end look at Korean dishes.

8

Walk of Love (2018)

A love story in a Chinese restaurant

As his name would suggest, Walk of love is a romance K-drama. Unlike many K-dramas, The focus here is not on Korean food, but instead, on Chinese food. A Chinese restaurant, Hungry Wok, is run by Doo Chil-sung and his gang and gains two new employees after Seo Poong is fired from his job and Dan Sae-woo goes bankrupt.

Walk of love is a light watch and the friendship between the characters is entertaining to watch develop. Although there is a budding romance between the two co-workers, The biggest takeaway from Walk of love is the food. Scenes that take place in the kitchen are the essence of the series, showing a variety of savory meals from preparation to consumption and all the drama that can accompany this process.

7

My Lovely Sam Soon (2005)

The food does not outshine the romance

Inspired by a novel of the same name, the series is often called Korea’s version of Bridget Jones’s Diary. Sam Bald (whose name translates to “third daughter”) is a great baker, but incredibly insecure, and after a series of mishaps, ends up taking a job for someone she doesn’t like as his new pastry chef.

One of the top-rated K-dramas, My lovely Sam soonis about the title character, Kim Sam-bald, who is hired by Hyun Jin-hoon to work in his restaurant. Following the popular romance trope in K-dramas of enemies-to-lovers, the two begin an opposing relationship as They constantly argue with each other, but this quickly develops into romantic feelings. The restaurant, and Sam Bald’s pastry business, take a back seat My lovely Sam soonMaking room for the romance storyline, but there is still enough food content to satisfy audiences.

6

Itaewon Class (2020)

A revenge drama with food on the table

Park Sae-ro-yi opens his own bar-restaurant in Itaewon ClassHoping to overshadow others in the area. His reasons for doing so are rooted in revenge after the son of a CEO caused Sa-ro-yi’s father to be killed. Sae-ro-yi’s restaurant is staffed with a mix of personalities and backgroundsMade for an entertaining watch. It’s no wonder audiences became invested in the character’s journey Itaewon Classleading to a finale that left audiences feeling mixed. Itaewon Class Hooked audiences from the start as the series skillfully balances lightheartedness with vengeance.

Time And Forbes Both named the series one of the best K-dramas of 2020. Although audiences may have mixed feelings about the final show, it garnered a lot of attention on the Korean award show circuit. It was nominated for numerous awards, winning Drama of the Year at the APAN Star Awards and the Asian Television Awards.

5

Sweet Munchies (2020)

A show about a cooking show

One day in Sweet munchies, Kim Ah-jin walks into Park Jin-sung’s restaurant and asks if he can host a cooking show She’s hoping to get produced. She is a regular customer at his establishment, which specializes in late-night snacks, but she has a very specific request. The restaurant she works for wants a gay chef to host a cooking show, so he lies about his sexual orientation to get the job and help pay his father’s medical bills.

Although Sweet munchies Has elements of comedy and romance, especially between Ah-jin and Jin-sung, there is also a serious tone when the series touches on social issues. However, there is no lack of food in Sweet munchies. At his restaurant, Jin-sung is uniquely excited in creating the perfect dishes tailored to each customer’s cravings.

4

Eccentric! Chef Moon (2020)

Food and found family center this series

2020 has actually been a popular year for food-centered K-dramas. Several series premiered that year that focused on chefs or those who used food as their primary source of comfort, Creating a wealth of great shows that would give audience members food inspiration. in Eccentric! Chief MoonMoon Seung-mo gave up being a chef after the death of his parents.

A once skilled and passionate chef, Seung-mo made a name for himself, but now lives a quiet life in a small village. That is until he meets Yoo Yoo-jin and, along with developing romantic feelings, Seung-mo rediscovers his passion for cooking. Similar to other shows centered around food, Eccentric! Chief Moon Uses appetizing and detailed images of cooking that appeal to every sense. Eccentric! Chief Moon Also has an endearing plot with the idea of ​​a found family, adding to the overall tone of the series.

3

Oh My Ghost (2015)

A chef is possessed

Combining thriller and romance, Oh my spirit is about Na Bong-sun, a timid girl working in a restaurant who always finds herself on the receiving end of a reprimand from the head chef. She also happens to see ghosts, inheriting her grandmother’s supernatural abilities. Her life changes when she is suddenly possessed by the ghost of Shin Soo-ae.

This completely transforms Bong-sun’s personality, as she is now wildly confident. Her newfound confidence gets the attention of her boss, Kang Sun-woo, but is complicated by the love triangle in Oh my spirit. Although The romance, and mystery about what happened to Shin Soo-ae, are the main focus of the seriesThere are still a decent number of scenes in the kitchen. Despite the supernatural elements, the restaurant scenes are mostly accurate to the industry.

2

Chocolate (2019-2020)

Food is comfort

Chocolate Tells the story of two people, Lee Kang and Moon Cha-young, who are reunited years later while working at the hospice. in the past, He became a surgeon instead of following his dream of becoming a chef, and she became interested in food because of him. While working, the two discover a shared love of food.

A common theme throughout Chocolate Is the comfort food brings to each characterEspecially the hospice patients. The reunion between Kang and Cha-young, as well as their passion for food, contrasts the harshness of their workplace, making for a tear-jerking drama. Viewers will want tissues in addition to a love of food. Additionally, the scenes of food preparation in Chocolate Are nothing short of captivating because the series does a great job of highlighting what goes into the different dishes instead of just the final result.

1

Mr. Quinn (2020-2021)

A time-traveling K-drama with food on the side

Jang Bong-hwa, a head chef, is mysterious Transported back in time after a near-death accident and wakes up in the body of Kim So-yongA queen in Korea. Bong-hwan’s bold personality as Soo-yong is a comical contrast to the expectations and rules in the palace. The mystery of how this happened to Bong-hwan, and more importantly, how to get back to his own body, is a big focus of Mr. QueenBut there are still elements of cooking, notably when Bong-hwan uses his cooking skills to take on the palace chef’s job.

Although the series didn’t make a big splash during award season, Mr. Queen remains one of the most popular K-dramas of all time. It is one of Korea’s highest rated television programs ever, ranking among the top 10 highest ratings for cable television in the country.