Gourmet is a 2008 South Korean television series starring Kim Rae-won and Nam Sang-mi. It aired on SBS TV from June 18 to September 9, 2008 on Mondays and Tuesdays at 21:55 for 24 episodes. It was adapted from Sikgaek, a popular manhwa by Huh Young-man, which was first serialized in newspapers in 2002. The TV series explores the theme of cooking through the rivalry between two hansik (Korean cuisine) chefs, as one of them travels around the nation looking for the best ingredients and recipes.

Plot

Kim Rae-Won stars as the warm hearted chef-in-training Lee Sung-Chan, while actress Nam Sang-Mi plays a silly country girl, Kim Jin-soo, who trails Lee with high hopes of becoming a food columnist. Veteran actor Choi Bul-Am appears as Master Oh Sook-soo, Lee's stepfather and the only person who truly believes in Lee's potential. Sung-Chan is a happy and bright young man who loves to cook. Leaving the heavy responsibility of becoming the head chef of Oh's famous restaurant to his stepbrother, he explores the world of cooking and discovers that he's actually good at it. When Oh announces that he will not choose his own son to become the owner and head chef, cold-hearted jealousy and competition arise.

Cast

Main characters

Supporting characters

Episode ratings

Source: TNS Media Korea

Awards and nominations

DVD release

The television series was released on DVD in November 2008 by YA Entertainment in two-volume boxed sets. Each volume included four discs, with Korean audio and English-language subtitles.

International broadcast

It aired in the Philippines on the GMA Network beginning July 18, 2011. It aired in Thailand on Channel 3 every Monday to Friday at 1.40 p.m. starting from August 14, 2012.