I’ve been waiting for a show like this for what feels like too long—a romantic comedy that is self-aware and purposefully comical in a way that borders on corny. The perfect kind of show for summer afternoons when you have nothing to watch. The show tells the story of the heirs of the Hansang Group, one of whom is Han Beom-Woo, who hopes to make his restaurant a 3-star one. But, in the process, he ends up at a low-key home restaurant, where he meets chef Yeon-Joo, who wants to run her own small fine-dining restaurant in the middle of the hanok village. While the two clash at first because they each need something of the other, an interesting alliance is formed, but will this turn into something more? Let’s find out in the first two episodes of Tastefully Yours.
Spoiler Alert
How Do Yeon-Joo and Beom-Woo Meet?
In Tastefully Yours episode 1, we’re introduced to the Hansang Group, presumably a conglomerate, such as Samsung, and Beom-Woo is one of the heirs. He’s a savage director who speaks over his employees, probably overworks them, and does whatever he likes to get his work done. It seems he’s the kind of person who steals recipes with no guilt in order to make his restaurant big and famous. There are even protests against him, but he makes matters worse by threatening another man, who pretends to commit suicide to get Beom-Woo in trouble. Meanwhile, Beom-Woo is hoping to turn his restaurant, Motto, into the biggest restaurant in Seoul, with 3 Michelin stars. His head chef, Young-Hye, is basically an influencer at this point, who is promoting the restaurant through a photoshoot without Beom-Woo’s knowledge. All he needs her to do is follow the recipes he stole and make his restaurant worthy of the stars.
Now, Beom-Woo’s older brother, Sun-Woo, is his biggest rival because they’re both eyeing Hansang for themselves. The current chairwoman, their mom, is the most ruthless of the lot, and tells the boys that whoever gets the first 3 stars gets the company too. But the real conflict in the episode arrives when one of Beom-Woo’s employees shows him a picture of a dish that looks identical to a dish at Motto. Unlike regular food, this is a fancy special menu that cannot be changed last minute, nor is it something that should be available anywhere else, so Beom-Woo makes it his mission to go see who is making his dish. The restaurant serving the dish is in Jonju, and is called Jungjae. The restaurant is a one-table spot in the hanok village, and there’s nobody around when Beom-Woo visits. He makes a fuss about the set-up until he finds a woman digging up cabbages in the backyard. Instead of waiting for her to show up to talk to him, he instead makes a mess by stepping on one of the cabbage leaves and getting thrown to the ground by Yeon-Joo in a comical scene. You can imagine what their dynamic is going to be like.
The dish Beom-Woo is asking for demands a special beef cut that isn’t easily available, but Beom-Woo is desperate to try her dish, so he brings bags full of the cut so she can be satisfied. Fortunately, there’s one that’s good enough to work with. She then takes him on a hike to find a mushroom that is required to complete this dish, and despite it being too hard for him, they end up getting their ingredient. As much as I hope this is not true, it looks like there’s a childhood connection in this show, too, because Beom-Woo is only ever sincere when he talks about his grandmother’s kimchi, and when he tastes Yeon-Joo’s kimchi, he’s reminded of that genuine taste. Anyway, the dish is finally ready, and Beom-Woo realizes just by having seen how it was cooked that it has nothing to do with the dish at Motto, so he starts to walk away. But, since he’s actually hungry, he sits back down and devours the dish. Immediately, he offers to buy the restaurant, and Yeon-Ju refuses just as quickly.
The first episode ends with Yeon-Ju’s landlord asking for rent and Beom-Woo being dismissed as director because of the suicide fiasco. But, it turns out it was his brother who cheated; however, his mom doesn’t care about the cheating at all, she only cares to see who wins.
Why Do Beom-Woo and Yeon-Joo Start Working Together?
Tastefully Yours episode 2 begins with a flashback from a few years ago, where Yeon-Ju is looking for a place to start her restaurant. It’s a snowy day, and the landlady shows her the spot where Jungjae is now open. Interestingly, Yeon-Ju doesn’t even look inside the place, which was a barbershop then. She meets a little dog and is immediately sold on the place. In the present day, Beom-Woo is there to make a deal with Yeon-Joo because he thinks he can possibly win back his company through this tiny restaurant. Yeon-Joo does end up considering it, because she has to make rent. However, she doesn’t agree to the acquisition; she tells Beom-Woo that he has to work in the restaurant so that she can test his skills and see if she wants to work with him long term. They agree on a one-month plan and get to work immediately. The next day, Yeon-Joo finds a woman who is looking for a job and hires her immediately. She’s got experience too, so Yeon-Joo takes her in immediately.
While trying to navigate this new scene with Yeon-Ju, Beom-Woo slowly starts losing all of his assets, including his car and credit, because he can’t even book a room at the hotel anymore. Still, he persists, visits a small hotel/inn, and the next morning, pawns off his watch to buy some pristine white tables and chairs for Jungae. But, Myung-Sook, the new employee, doesn’t seem to understand how much he really cares about running this restaurant well. Interestingly, they all just have just as much at stake here, but they’re not telling each other. When it looks like it’s about to rain, she decides to make some “jeon,” which is the usual dish eaten in the rain in Korea. Beom-Woo tells her not to, but she gets the kimchi out of the jar and then accidentally drops it on his new table. This makes him extra upset (as if he wasn’t already), and he leaves to get some fresh air.
Beom-Woo meets a couple of locals of the village, two men he’s already met before while buying things for the restaurant. They get talking, and the boys take Beom-Woo out for a drink. He expresses his frustration, which basically becomes marketing for the restaurant. The men tell Beom-Woo that Myung-Sook is actually a great chef and would be of good help at the restaurant. One of them even gives him the special chili powder Yeon-Ju wants. The men then return to the restaurant, but not by themselves; they bring a whole gang of people. Beom-Woo tells Myung-Sook to make the jeon she wanted to and feed everybody. It’s a huge success, and hopefully, this will spread word of mouth about the restaurant.
At the end of Tastefully Yours episode 2, it is revealed that Myung-Sook worked at a rival restaurant and lied she’d been offered a higher salary and some fancy stuff so that her old restaurant would pay her better. This backfires, though, and she’s dismissed. However, the restaurant owner Chun-Seung’s dad is the one who wants her back, because she’s an excellent chef. On the other hand, Beom-Woo’s big chef, Young-Hye, ends up switching teams and joining Sun-Woo’s restaurant. They already have 2 stars, so will Beom-Woo be able to defeat his brother? Probably, but we’ll have to wait and find out.
Final Words
The first two episodes are exactly what I imagined them to be. There’s a special talent in Kang Ha-Neul and his ability to do comedy so effortlessly. Nothing looks cringy, even if it’s meant to. There’s a sincerity in everything. Also, there’s already great chemistry between the two leads, and I’m disappointed the show is only 10 episodes, but I guess that’s what happens when it’s romance and a Mon-Tue drama. However, I already feel like it’s better than some of the weekend dramas I’ve seen lately. Go Min-Si is a charm as always, and she’s such a diverse actress because we’ve seen her go from The Frog to Sweet Home to this within the span of a year. Insane to me. I was surprised to see Hong Hwa-Yeon in another drama so soon after Buried Hearts, but this is a supporting role, so I guess it makes sense. It’s good to be booked and busy. I think Tastefully Yours is only going to get better, and it’s a very self-aware show that doesn’t mislead you in what it’s presenting. It can be watched easily in the background but is also very endearing and enjoyable.
