Gourmet (kdrama, 2008: 1–3 of 24 eps): the opening scene is curiously affecting, with its ridiculously got-up last Korean emperor and the last meal his lead chef ever cooked for him, but I wonder whether it means that the show takes itself a bit too seriously. Anyway, back to the present: the cook’s heir, Chef Oh, has built a fine dining establishment patronized by the likes of international diplomats, and as he contemplates retirement, he sets up a competition rather than leave the business to his eldest son. Given the air of tradition upheld, this is a very big deal, and it shakes all the characters.

One thing the show takes seriously which I respect in the abstract (I can’t tell to what extent it’s conveyed truly here): taste and memory, and the differences that result from using mass-produced ingredients versus wild plants gathered by someone knowledgeable, line-caught fish, and so on.

Having skimmed detailed recaps through the end, I wanted to wait before starting to watch the show myself. Sadly, I remember too well the show’s resolution of its overarching mysteries—perhaps I should’ve left more time since reading recaps. (Yes, as of last month I’m watching kdramas again after a several-month interruption, thanks in part to the resurgence of dayjob stress and to having a knitting project during which I can kind of read subtitles. Blog-post timing and tv-watching rarely line up, however, because I try to spread out post topics: YB is an exception.) Continue reading less filling…