Wok of Love

Enjoyable even though the script doesn't have depth and sometimes doesn't make much sense. However just watch and be entertained and don't think too much. Then you will enjoy it as the cute lead actor and actress will make you smile and laugh and even teary eyed with their antics.

Since I enjoy cooking, especially Chinese cooking, I was tempted to watch this and gave it a go. It tells the story of an ambitious young chef who has built up the reputation of a posh hotel's kitchen to an award winning standard and has gained a Michelin Star in the process. All is not well, however and he is ousted from his prestigious job by the unscrupulous management. He vows to take revenge and starts a small Chinese restaurant directly opposite the hotel with the aim of drawing their customers away. He is helped in this by a gangster and his henchmen, who at the beginning were annoying and unlikeable. Stick with it though - they improve. The cast are great and work well together, but the star of the show is Jung Ryeo-Won who is an absolute delight to watch as the love interest for the young chef. She is seriously cute and has a terrific flair for comedy too. Watch out too for Jang Hyuk as the gangster boss who is much deeper than he at first appears. Lee Jun-Ho plays the young chef and there is great chemistry between him and Jung Ryeo-Won. It is fascinating to watch a busy Chinese kitchen at work and to watch some of the dishes prepared. Well worth a watch in my opinion.

I really like the chemistry between the lead characters. If you want romance I can fully recommend it. They built it up nicely and it feels very credible.

However, there are obvious misses and lazy screenwriting and it is really a shame. Some characters just disappear like they were never in the show and the last episodes are a bit too cringe to watch. The mother is just insanely annoying and I can't understand how no one can say anything.

But the story is fun to start with and only in Korea you can make it work between a chef, a rich business daughter and a gangster.

So, most of all, I really liked the couple and their acting, the show got me inspired and I enjoyed the bromance so that's why it got an 8.

I love the two male leads, most of the cast. The romance was lukewarm until the end when it was playful, but still not very believable. Jang Hyuk is already an established, great actor, but he wasn't used well. JunHo is even better in Rain or Shine and Confession; has a terrific future because he's super gifted. Enjoyed much of the series but found the writing erratic especially in the final episodes. Really tired of intrusive mother figures, and this one is a dolt. Good series, but not great.

An outstanding chef who is about to be married unfairly loses his job at a top hotel and falls in with a gangster who runs a wok restaurant opposite the hotel. They both have links with a rich young lady who too is about to be married and their separate lives will soon come together. A well acted drama with both the leads portraying a romance blossoming and plenty of wok cooking action.