Gourmet Affairs (2023)

A hitman and a policeman walk into a bar...

The premise is simple: two guys on the opposite sides of the cops vs. mafia war accidentally become foodie best friends without knowing who the other is, chaos ensues.

This show is exactly 1/2 gratuitously-filmed yummy food and 1/2 the unwinding of a gangster sob story. If that sounds like a winning combo to you, then watch this show right now, you won't be disappointed!

Fu Meng-po plays a gonzo police detective with big feels.
Wang Po-chieh plays a fastidious loner assassin with a heap of trauma.
Jian Man-shu plays a spunky rookie cop determined to solve her own past's riddles.

The three bond over a shared love of food and this friendship becomes a source of support as they wrestle through their personal baggage.

The gangster plot arc isn't anything highly unique, at times it feels almost like a half-remembered dream of a gritty cop show as it whizzes past explanations to deliver only the most dynamic highlights. This may be a flaw if you're expecting a cerebral mystery procedural, it's not that, but anyone easily bored by exposition will appreciate the fast-paced spectacle packed into each episode.

The cinematography is playful and fun, the action scenes feel fresh and quite satisfying. I'm a sucker for wildly-unrealistic color-contrast lighting, and there's plenty of that here. The 3 main actors constantly outdo each other with humorous expressions, and the side cast is endearing as well.

Equal opportunity flirting! A lot of it! No romance plot line is explicitly developed, but the show still reeks with interpersonal emotional intensity. Honestly, it's open-ended, you could ship in any direction you wanted. To me, the boy/girl relationship ultimately reads more like siblings/buddy cops and is even sweeter with that interpretation. As for those wondering about the bromance and/or BL vibes, I will just leave this (paraphrased) tidbit from a Marie Claire Taiwan interview:
Interviewer: so, many viewers came away with a strong BL impression...
Wang Po-chieh: yah, the director basically told us to make eyes at each other the whole time.

But at it's heart, this show is about found family and the healing power of food. Some of the most memorable moments are simple and sublime pairings of food and music. There are many dramas about food, but this one consistently delivers with flair and variety throughout.

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Foodie PD

I don't know why Netflix keeps this for Taiwan audience only so I would like to thank @tertiameimei for giving us perfect subs for this drama. Thank you so much for letting us enjoy this excellent drama!

What do you get when you mix an OCN crime drama and a japanese food drama? You get taiwanese Gourmet Affairs, a perfect mix of a cops&killers and mouthwatering food.

The police part of the drama is nothing outstanding: there are nice cops, there are corrupted cops, there are evil and good assassins, there are bad mobsters and there are mysteriously not bad mobsters. The plot is nevertheless gripping, always waiting for the good guys to figure out what's going on, always one step behind. Until they come on top, suddenly and completely! While the whole mafia plot was rather interesting, the solution fell flat, there was no major flamboyant reveal: the bad guy was simply arrested, far from prying eyes, and the whole mob fell apart. The character who was instrumental to bringing the whole setup down was the most tragic of the lot and I was really shaken by his destiny. One issue was not resolved though, the assassins' organization and who is behind it. Maybe they'll make a second season?

What made this drama outstanding was the food part, the friendship between three main characters and the bromance part thereof! I want to rave about that part. The bromance was bromancing big time: the two main actors had insane chemistry, the looks they exchanged over food were hotter than barbecue flames in front of them and they even kissed once. Unfortunately for us, BL fans, this was not bromance chinese style but your ordinary simple bromance, an amazing friendship between two men. Next is the food: filmed close up, lovingly and I felt I could eat it off the screen, yummy and pretty. I loved the question the two men asked repeatedly each other "Do you know how to eat this?" and then get into explanations about cooking, spices, temperature and the correct way to eat it to be able to taste every nuance of the flavours. The third main character, a rookie policewoman, joined them as a food loving little tomboyish sister.

The actors were all extraordinary and for once the FL was not annoying and held her place on equal footing with the rest. The police station was an amazing place: each one of those police officers was a foodie (and they used the deliveries to plug UberEats! Smooth!), they loved talking about food and when they ate they savoured it slowly. A fun group of smart characters!

The drama's cinematography is correct. It is slick and goes well with the mood of the events: dark and menacing except when food is concerned. Then we have almost slow motion and extreme close ups so I guess the cameraman must have filmed some cooking shows in his career.

The music is good, rocky, corresponds to the rough atmosphere of police vs. the mob fight.
Don't miss the mid final credit scenes which give us a view of a different side of these characters: they are mostly funny and have to do with the food.

This is definitely a good drama though a bit draggy in the second half but the acting and the food saved it.

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