septimarhay
The 'Dating in the kitchen' part was charming; the rest.. not so much.
The ML is a CEO in a strict, cold, business profession; he finds refreshment in the FL's artful cooking and cheerful/mischievous personality. The FL, while struggling to maintain financial security, finds security and support in the gentle-mannered ML. The leads were yin and yang, balancing one another well, savoring the genuine connection with one another, and certainly the best part of the show. The food/cooking was a welcome third wheel and added interest to the romance. Any viewers suddenly feel the urge to up their cooking game? I know I did. The 'age gap' didn't look or feel awkward as expected. Their differences in personality and social statuses were more prominent. A larger topic to consider was the intergenerational dynamics between elders in family/business and the impact they have over younger counterparts.
Unfortunately, it's downhill from there.
The story got off to a strong start; you could grasp the 'Dating in the kitchen' theme quite well; it had a nice charm. However, the story evolved into something else - a business/family/power struggle - and there were long stretches with no food or cooking. There were several times I wondered "Does the FL still have their cooking job or are they getting an allowance from the rich ML"? It is as if that part of the story was ignored and then brought back in an abrupt way at the very end. The romantic charm quickly wore off in the second half of the show.
The supporting characters and their storylines were unremarkable, and at times, simply irritating. Li Man was the strongest support and well-acted, but ultimately let down by the writing. The story would have been more complex and enjoyable if the kitchen and business side staff weren't so dull and untalented unlike the sparkling leads who never make mistakes.
The show attended to a few social themes, but often in an inconsistent or contrary manner. For example, they would criticize an implied sexist remark accompanied by the touching of someone's wrist, but then we see the ML pinning the FL down, grabbing her wrists aggressively, and even forcing the FL to give up their address and invite the ML for personally cooked meals as a debt; I guess it's okay since they're charming and bound to fall in love.
Don't think too logically while watching this show, otherwise you may get aggravated. Just know there's some delicious food being cooked here and there.
Unfortunately, it's downhill from there.
The story got off to a strong start; you could grasp the 'Dating in the kitchen' theme quite well; it had a nice charm. However, the story evolved into something else - a business/family/power struggle - and there were long stretches with no food or cooking. There were several times I wondered "Does the FL still have their cooking job or are they getting an allowance from the rich ML"? It is as if that part of the story was ignored and then brought back in an abrupt way at the very end. The romantic charm quickly wore off in the second half of the show.
The supporting characters and their storylines were unremarkable, and at times, simply irritating. Li Man was the strongest support and well-acted, but ultimately let down by the writing. The story would have been more complex and enjoyable if the kitchen and business side staff weren't so dull and untalented unlike the sparkling leads who never make mistakes.
The show attended to a few social themes, but often in an inconsistent or contrary manner. For example, they would criticize an implied sexist remark accompanied by the touching of someone's wrist, but then we see the ML pinning the FL down, grabbing her wrists aggressively, and even forcing the FL to give up their address and invite the ML for personally cooked meals as a debt; I guess it's okay since they're charming and bound to fall in love.
Don't think too logically while watching this show, otherwise you may get aggravated. Just know there's some delicious food being cooked here and there.
Was this review helpful to you?
