On May 12, Genie TV’s original drama Tastefully Yours aired its first episode, showcasing the charged first meeting between Han Beom-woo (Kang Ha Neul) and Mo Yeon-joo (Go Min Si), marked by a fierce clash of pride. The premiere recorded a 1.6% rating in both the Seoul metropolitan area and nationwide.
Tastefully Yours opens with the daily life of Han Beom-woo, the second son of the Hansang Foodfield Group and director of Seoul’s top fine-dining restaurant, Moto, who tolerates no mistakes from his staff. The intense rivalry between Beom-woo and his older brother, Han Seon-woo (Bae Na-ra), an executive at Larsel, vying for the successor position by securing the Diamang Guide’s three-star rating first, heightens the tension.
To outshine his brother, Beom-woo needs a unique, standout new dish. After much deliberation, he selects Chef Jang Young-hye’s (Hong Hwa-yeon) neobiani. However, the day before the launch, Beom-woo learns that a similar dish is being served at a restaurant in Jeonju. To resolve the issue, he visits Jeonje, the restaurant in question.
Entering the elegant Jeonje, Beom-woo inadvertently tramples on cabbages cherished by the restaurant’s owner and chef, Mo Yeon-joo, earning her disapproval. His seemingly indifferent attitude toward cooking further clashes with Yeon-joo’s values, leading to a frosty first encounter. Beom-woo’s determination to taste Yeon-joo’s seopsanjeok, which resembles Moto’s neobiani, shines through. He goes to great lengths, flexing his resources to secure premium beef from Mawon Farm and trekking up a mountain with Yeon-joo to gather matsutake mushrooms, sweating through the effort.
Thanks to his relentless pursuit, Beom-woo finally tries the seopsanjeok and devours it with gusto, tantalizing viewers’ taste buds. Captivated by Yeon-joo’s dish, he boldly proposes to acquire Jeonje, only to be sharply rebuffed by Yeon-joo, who snaps, “Do people obsessed with money make or sell food?” Her rejection foreshadows the challenging journey ahead for Beom-woo.
Despite rejecting Beom-woo’s offer, Yeon-joo faces financial struggles, with overdue rent threatening to force her to close Jeonje within a month. Meanwhile, Beom-woo’s position is also precarious, as a board meeting at Hansang Foodfield approves his dismissal as director. With both facing the risk of losing their livelihoods, curiosity grows about the choices they will make.
Kang Ha-neul has been promoting Tastefully Yours through press conferences and social media. At the May 8 press event, he described his character as “salty,” complementing the cast’s diverse “flavors.” Go Min-si, who likened her character to “spicy” flavors, has been active on Instagram, sharing behind-the-scenes content from the drama.
The drama’s mix of corporate intrigue, culinary challenges, and personal stakes offers a fresh take on the rom-com genre, potentially setting trends for food-centric K-dramas.