There is something irresistible when a handsome chef rolls up his sleeves, deftly wields a kitchen knife, cuts vegetables, mixes ingredients and cooks meat on the grill, performing complex culinary movements with the skillful ease of a maestro. If you’re wondering where you can find this epitome of perfection that even serves food with a twist, you don’t have to go too far. K-dramas gave us a prototype of a whole person who challenged the stereotypical image of a hero in pop culture narratives. The kitchen belonged to the men in these dramas, who proved their culinary abilities in addition to their many skills by expertly cooking delicious dishes.
Without further ado, here are seven talented Korean doram chefs who tempted and craved the audience.
“Wok of love”
A super talented star chef at a luxury hotel, Seo Poong (Lee Junho) is a rising star whose popularity annoys the senior chef and his team. However, proud of his abilities and innovative cooking methods, Poong remains indifferent until a turn of events leads to him losing his job. He gets a double whammy when he discovers his wife’s affair with the hotel’s CEO.
Poon lands at Hungry Wok, a dilapidated Chinese restaurant owned by a gangster named Doo Chil (Jang Hyuk), and runs into a Jajangmyeon-loving heiress in debt named Dan Se Woo (Jung Ryo Won), who has been abandoned by her husband. Determined to succeed, Poong takes over Hungry Wok and redesigns the menu, creating mouth-watering dishes and adding his signature touch to the usual dishes, which makes Hungry Wok popular. Poon finds the perfect cheerleader in the person of Sae Woo, who not only becomes his assistant in the kitchen, but also penetrates into his heart. The chemistry of Poong and Se Wu adds piquancy.
Lee Junho, who has completed master classes in cooking, from basic knife skills to cooking ingredients and using a wok, is as convincing as Poong. He enlivens the kitchen. Caution: “Wok of Love” should not be viewed on an empty stomach, as cooking sweet and sour pork and jjajangmen with Pung will only aggravate your hunger pangs.
