Tastefully Yours

Chemistry flop

In theory, this would have been a great drama for me. Love specific interesting jobs and especially love food to inspire my own cooking.
But it was meh (not the cooking, that was great). The characters were ideas, the growth was minimal, and the chemistry was not there.
The only truly believable scene was at the end with the family eating together and the mom minimally smiling. Gold stars for her, best acting. Thank god she didnt have a come to jesus moment as that wouldn't be an accurate portrayal of life.

There was no merit to their relationship, I could not see why they liked each other. Plus there was no chemistry between them. I think kang ha neul is a fine actor separately and the fl seemed fine as well but together made their acting decrease.

The side characters were over the top but entertaining.

The ML's growth was also unbelievable. I don't think he understood what he did was wrong, he just lost the girl and wanted to protect her restaurant. But everyone else? Different story. KHN did well with what he was given. The writing was just not conclusive. This business practice of stealing recipes and shutting down the business is ineffectual. It may have worked the first few times but its a never ending cycle as youre stealing a few recipes but not the recipe generator so eventually all that money spent for the recipes will dry up and you'll need to do it all over again. They would have knocked themselves out of business eventually. They "understood" that at the end though apparently.

Would only rewatch to make food notes

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What should've been

This had the potential to really be a great rom com. It could've, should've, would've been so much better but unfortunately it wasn't. The parts that were supposed to be funny weren't. I kept waiting for the romance to show up but it never did. There was no chemistry between the leads at all.

Now let's talk about the leads:

Kang Ha Neul (he played the 8th Prince in Moon Lovers) and I was really looking forward to seeing him as the male lead... the one who gets the girl. Although he was still just as gorgeous and adorable as the male lead Han Beom U, the character was too much of a doofus and a coward to be all that likable.

Go Min Si as Mo Yeon Ju wasn't a very likable character at all. I get that she took the blame for someone she loved and then had him ghost her but that's no excuse for her attitude toward anyone else. She needed anger management classes not a love interest.

Yoo Yeon Seok (the lead in When the Phone Rings) was a delicious surprise cameo, even though his character in this drama wasn't a very good one.

Is it worth watching? Well, maybe. If it's on your watchlist and your curious (even after all the reviews) by all means give it shot. It's not gonna to hurt.

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garbage

Diving into Tastefully Yours at episode 5 without the context of prior episodes was an intriguing experience—but ultimately a frustrating one, especially when it comes to the male lead (ML), Han Beom-woo (played by Kang Ha-neul). These two episodes—centered around a cozy Jeonju diner and a tangled love triangle—are supposed to blend rom-com charm with emotional drama, but what they actually deliver is a case study in how to write a male lead so spineless, it becomes painful to watch.

Episode 5: The Diner Disaster
The episode takes place largely in a small restaurant run by Beom-woo and the female lead (FL), Mo Yeon-joo (Go Min-si), a passionate, confident chef. On paper, this setup should be a recipe for heartfelt moments and character-driven storytelling. But episode 5 derails all that potential with a single, jarring scene.

After the diner serves a special customer and is getting ready to close, the second male lead (SML), Jeon Min—a rival chef and Yeon-joo’s ex—waltzes in asking for a meal. Beom-woo, rightly, says they’re closed. He’s the owner. It’s his business. But Yeon-joo completely ignores him and lets Jeon Min stay, preparing him a meal like it’s her personal kitchen. Professionalism? Boundaries? Basic courtesy? All tossed out the window.

Worse than her overstep is Beom-woo’s response. He doesn’t confront her. He doesn’t assert himself. Instead, he sulks outside the restaurant like a kicked puppy while his crush (and employee) serves her ex with a warm smile. It's not romantic—it’s tragic. Here's a man who owns the diner, presumably a successful heir of a food company, yet acts like he has no power or pride. The “tap water” metaphor floating around online—that men line up for Yeon-joo because she’s everywhere and emotionally available—feels brutal, but not entirely wrong. Beom-woo seems to trade dignity for any scrap of affection she might throw his way.

Kang Ha-neul’s performance is earnest, but he’s working with hollow material. There’s no tension, no fight, no reason to root for this guy. He’s written as if he’s already given up on himself. Meanwhile, Go Min-si’s Yeon-joo, though charismatic and layered, makes choices that seem inconsistent with a professional chef or someone emotionally grounded. Is she kind? Is she manipulative? Is she clueless? We don’t know—and the writing doesn’t seem interested in answering.

Episode 6: The Fly-Out Fiasco
If you thought episode 5 made Beom-woo look pathetic, episode 6 throws gasoline on the fire.

After Yeon-joo literally leaves the country without a proper goodbye—no conversation, no closure, just a note—Beom-woo flies out to see her. Yes, he abandons his diner to chase a woman who didn’t even have the decency to tell him in person she was leaving. She goes with her ex to visit an old teacher who, plot twist, doesn’t even recognize her due to dementia. That whole subplot feels empty and forced—like a lazy attempt at depth that lands with a dull thud.

But let’s get back to Beom-woo.

He arrives, confronts her with maybe two lines of dialogue, and that’s it. That’s the grand gesture. And what does the SML do? He laughs at him. And honestly, we all do a little. Because what else is there to do when the male lead looks like the biggest fool in the entire narrative?

He’s flown across borders for a woman who doesn’t love him, doesn’t respect him, and clearly doesn’t even think of him as a real presence in her life. She treats him like a backup, an option, a placeholder for emotional comfort. And yet there he is, clinging to some romantic notion that his devotion will eventually matter.

Let me be blunt: she is not worth it. Yes, she’s pretty, talented, and has layers. But none of those things mean anything when she treats him like he’s disposable. And the worst part? He keeps proving her right. He acts disposable. He lets her walk all over him. He doesn’t stand up for himself, doesn’t confront her properly, doesn’t even demand a real conversation. He remains a loser because he refuses to value himself.

Final Thoughts
Episodes 5 and 6 of Tastefully Yours had the potential to be emotionally resonant and character-driven. Instead, they waste that potential on tired tropes, weak character development, and a male lead so lacking in pride or self-worth that he’s hard to watch.

The romantic triangle isn’t romantic—it’s depressing. The show seems more interested in stirring up melodrama than actually exploring why these characters behave the way they do. And while the acting is decent across the board, the writing undermines every emotional beat.

Rating: 1/10, mostly for the performances and aesthetic. But unless the show gives Han Beom-woo a spine and finally forces Yeon-joo to confront her actions (without her ex playing emotional chauffeur), it’s hard to see this as anything more than a frustrating, empty romance.

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Tastefully Frustrating

Tastefully Yours could’ve been a solid drama if it didn’t get bogged down by unnecessary drama, weak resolutions, and frustratingly poor communication between characters.

Han Beom U is the only character with actual development. Everyone else either causes problems or stalls the plot. His brother betrays him, pushes him out of La Lecel, then forces him back in — and the show never clearly explains why. It feels like conflict for conflict’s sake.

La Lecel is completely unrealistic. Fraud seems to be their business model, and it’s a miracle the place hasn't been shut down. Beom U could’ve reported them and ended everything, but instead, we get 10 episodes of avoidable nonsense.

Most conflicts could’ve been resolved with one honest conversation between Beom U and Jang Yeong Hye. Instead, we’re left with a cliché “You did all this to hurt me?” scene and an unsatisfying ending.

One cool moment is the Weak Hero Class 2 reference through a cameo by Park Ji-hoon, linking the two dramas in a shared universe. It’s a nice Easter egg and possible shared universe for fans of both shows.

There’s also a subtle nod to Lovely Runner with the mention of “Lovely Jogger” — a playful little Easter egg that fans of Lovely Runner will appreciate.

If you're looking for smart writing or emotional payoff, this drama won’t deliver. But if you don’t mind the frustration and clichés, maybe it’s worth a try.

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Review: Tastefully Yours (2025) — Disappointment Served on a Silver Platter

I really wanted to love this show. The beginning promised so much: a brilliant female chef (Mo Yeon-joo) with passion, skill, and even that CIA-certificate. The romance was believable, the tension over quality vs. business was interesting. It hooked me.

But somewhere late-midway, this drama lost its head. And the ending? It felt like giving a lukewarm apology when a straight up confession and consequence were due.

Here’s where Tastefully Yours failed—big time:

1. Lack of Accountability
Han Beom-woo (the male lead) had plenty of chances to own up. He didn’t just watch things happen: his company’s chefs stole Yeon-joo’s recipes (his mother, Young-hye, and assistant Yoo-jin). Motto got three stars by using her work. And what does he do? It’s vague excuses, soft apologies. He never publicly admits what they’d done, never faces the blowback fully. That weakens the integrity of his “redemption.”


2. The Mother’s Role Whitewashed
The mother is billed as someone who built the company so her kids could eat, so blah blah. Even if that were true (and the show sort of hints it), it doesn’t erase how many people she hurt. She cultivated an environment where cheating, recipe-theft, corporate scheming were allowed. That needed to be exposed, not glossed over. Yet the ending tucks her “change” into a few nice scenes, as if that undoes years of wrongdoing.


3. Yeon-joo’s Hurt Ignored or Minimized
Every betrayal was serious: her recipes stolen, her restaurant burned, her trust smashed. But the story treats her anger as something to move past, rather than something that demands respect and resolution. The hurt doesn’t get its due. Her being the moral center doesn’t excuse how lightly the show treats what she endured.


4. The False “Happy Ending” Illusion
The finale tries to wrap things with a “we’re still family” vibe, forgiveness, reconciliation. But not everyone is okay. The series needed to show real consequences: public shame, industry fallout, personal restitution. Instead, we got vague statements (“the chef quits” etc.). That is not enough. For a story so built on stolen work, this should’ve been a reckoning.


5. Missed Opportunities & Weak Plot Resolutions

The ex-boyfriend storyline (Jeon Min) pops up, teases things, then fades. Could’ve added more weight to Yeon-joo’s past.

The company (Hansang/Motto) should’ve been affected in reputation. The narrative suggests hush hush, but we never got a clear exposure.

Redemption arcs are fine, but they need to be earned. Beom-woo’s growth felt rushed and under-shown.

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What worked: The food scenes are beautiful. Yeon-joo is a strong protagonist, the acting is good. I wanted to root for them. The core theme—creativity vs corporate greed—is solid.

What didn’t: The ending weakens the story. The lack of public accountability. The minimal recognition of the female lead’s pain. The scripting choices that prioritize romantic reunion over fairness.

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If you ask me, this could have been one of the best food + ethics + romance dramas. But instead, it settled for “feel-good enough.” And for all the buildup, that feels like a waste.

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Such a disappointment

Things I liked

1 The premise. It has food, it has a feisty chef, it has conflict. All things I love. If only it delivered.

2 The 2FL. The 2ML. They were funny and better actors than the main couple.

Things I disliked

1 The ML. Bad acting, not handsome enough, not even a great character. During the first episodes I found him charming from time to time, so I pushed through. But after episode 5, I sped up the episodes to arrive at the end. It became a chore. He overacted, I can't find another word to describe his acting although it doesn't seem that way at first.

2 The female chef. I get her character, I still didn't like her. She was beautiful though.

3 The FL. I was so happy to see her in the first episode. I thought she was beautiful and that her character would loosen up and make her charming and sympathetic. The opposite happened. I disliked her more and more. The acting was too wooden and the character got on my nerves in the end. She didn't make me feel anything I didn't care about her, not an iota. As for the chemistry with the ML awful. No chemistry at all. and I blame both leads or rather the casting person.

Things I hated

1 The brother. I shouldn't, yet I did.

2 The grandmother. I wanted her to die a painful death. Such an awful character. No redeeming qualities for me. What was the point of this character? Actually what was the point of the whole series?

3 The drama for the sake of drama. Too much angst, not enough humor, not enough romance. A disaster. It staretd well, it went fast downhill.

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Enjoyable series (for foodies :) but not memorable

Short-lentgth series (10 episodes) food & romance

PLOT: The ML and his brother compete to inherit Hansang (a major culinary group), via their respective restaurants. The ML goes to the countryside to practice—as usual—"gourmet recipe theft." He meets the FL, a genius chef, whose restaurant is in decline. They will get it back on track, while constantly clashing over their values.

+++ the ML, Kang Ha Neul (who delivers a great performance, as usual). I'm not very convinced by Go Min Si, who plays the pretty but expressionless FL.
+++ Good OSTs / Very beautiful food images / More or less realistic story

### Not an addictive series, lacking tension and spice
### FL's acting skills could be improved.

=> Enjoyable series (for foodies :) but won't be remembered.
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Série courte (10 ép) food & romance

PLOT: Le ML et son frère s'affrontent pr hériter de Hansang (gd gpe culinaire), via leur restaurant respectif. Le ML part à la campagne pr pratiquer -comme d'habitude- le "vol de recette gastronomique". Il rencontre la FL, cheffe de génie, dont le restaurant est en perdition. Ils vont le remettre sur pied, tout en s'affrontant en permanence sur leurs valeurs.

+++ le ML, Kang Ha Neul (qui assure, comme d'habitude). Je ne suis pas très convaincue par Go Min Si, qui joue la FL jolie mais inexpressive.
+++ Bons OSTs / Très belles images de cuisine / Story à peu près réaliste

### Série pas addictive, qui manque de tension, de piquant
### Acting skills de la FL à améliorer.

=> Série agréable (pr les foodies :) mais qui ne restera pas dans les mémoires.

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A step back in the right direction

The first two episodes of this drama infuriated me. I was convinced the writer was pushing another girl-boss and subverted masculinity narrative. The females were so unlikable and unrelatable, and the men were fighting by pulling each other's hairs out. LOL. And then starting in episode 3, I realized this might be going in a different direction than I thought.

This was the first kdrama I've watched after a long hiatus. I was convinced there was no more value left in kdramaland for me. The new dramas were following a new formula that seemed to be a hit with newer, younger kdrama viewers but just didn't do anything for veterans like me. I love conflict in my dramas, and by that I mean conflict in the relationship. I really enjoy going through the pain with the protagonist and feeling that sweet catharsis in the end. New drama watchers don't seem to get this. All they want is fluff and they are allergic to any form of third party or any sign of trouble in the relationship. They want a perfect relationship and then a parade of fluff from the happy couple. And then a forced serial killer comes in at the end to serve as the "conflict." That's perfectly fine as long as the happy couple stays happy from start to finish. This formula does not sit well with me. I HATE it to the core.

I was pleasantly surprised that this drama did not follow that formula. Instead, it seems to be going back to the old tried and true method of just writing a good story with normal conflicts and character progression. I was happy to find out this drama:

- has no unnecessary and totally cringe childhood connections
- has no forced serial killer twist in the end
- does not turn the main leads into a fluffy happy couple at episode 5
- has real conflicts that actually involve the relationship
- actually does a relatively good enough job of establishing connection between the leads

Most importantly, even though it was a bit too rushed and felt a bit inorganic, almost all the characters go through what I thought were good character arcs, especially the ML. He goes from the typical arrogant chaebol and bad boy to a real person who cared about the people around him. This takes me to the second half of my review.

While I liked this drama generally, it is not perfect. First off, the narrative felt rushed, and this includes the story of the ML. His transition from arrogant to kitten was too sudden. It just felt unrealistic.

Also, I am not sure if it was the way the actress portrayed her but I never got to a point where I really liked the FL. She IS sort of a girl boss (which is different from just a regular strong female character. Whereas the latter is human, has vulnerabilities and imperfections, the girl-boss is often superior and perfect in every way). Later in the story, they do show her cracks and we get to see her as a real person with struggles of her own but for most of the story she is just this badass chick who is the perfect chef and can throw men around like they're cardboard even though she looks so frail.

And while I liked the way they portrayed how the main couple established a connection, it lacked enough development. It was also too rushed. And while the lead actors did have some chemistry, it was not enough to really make my heart race.

Also, while I like the fact that the romance was somewhat of a slower burn than in the other new dramas, it was not slow or meaty enough for me.

To conclude, this drama lacks depth and detail. I loved the character arcs but they were a bit too rushed. While I enjoyed this more than I have any new drama in a long while, I feel like I would soon forget the story. There is nothing in it that is memorable, really. That being said, I really think this is a step (back) in the right direction.

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Really enjoyed the story and the acting

Man, there are a lot of pretty bad reviews, and as is not uncommon I can't agree. I really enjoyed this series. The acting was good, the story was good, the OST was good. Yes, the FL was a bit cold and distant. The ML was a bit manic. But... These are flawed characters by design and the world is filled with lots of type of people, not just those who have just the right character "for me."

The only downside for me was the, again not uncommon, fact that the happiness and romance happens all at the end. But the series was short, and it wrapped up nicely for it is fine by me.

I not just the FL and ML, who were great, but the secondary characters as well. For example, Kim Shin-Rok was so different than her last role that I saw, and she knocked it out of the park.

Congrats to the writers, director, and cast.

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A high quality light drama that ended too quickly

Amidst all the hate that this drama is getting, i have to admit that i really enjoyed it. I started this drama last week thinking that it has already ended, only to be surprised that only 7 episodes were aired. It was so hard to wait that long week.

The start was so entertaining, the character buildup and realations between them did not feel forced or awkward at all which is so important to me.

Go Minsi carried and totally nailed the role. Her acting, face expressions, dialect, voice, everything about her was great for the role. Kang Haneul did great as usual.

The spin-off in Japan was a bit forced to be fair, wasn't really related or enjoyable. It would have been much better if they replaced it with more depth into the original story. The ending was good but again too quick.

Overall i enjoyed it a lot. It's not "deep" or "heavy" drama, it's a light story that was excuted in a fun way.

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Kang Ha Neul’s acting is doing all the heavy lifting to make this work.

The premise promises all the lovely feelings and great comedy but I seriously did not expect such an inexperienced and flaccid actress to be paired with Kang Ha Neul. He is really good. Like, KHN is a _really_ good actor. Even his dorky comedy is on point. When he is stunned by her beauty in the first episode, I can feel his heart beating faster because of how disoriented and shocked he seems WITHOUT WORDS.

Who is this new lady though? I’ve been carefully watching her through each episode thus far and I can safely say, neither her eyebrows nor her mouth move all that much in any given scene, regardless of how she’s feeling.

Will update this when it’s over, cause rn, not much else can salvage the FL’s barbie persona and I don’t know how much of it I can handle.
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Edit// Nothing got better, the plot got more diluted and the characters whittled away to nothing but vague crime scene outlines. Dropped it at ep 4 : /

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