Kdramas are in on the trick of making you hungry. We’ve all been there — a lead slurping down a steaming bowl of ramen, throwing meat on a grill at a street vendor, and suddenly searching through the kitchen for a snack. That’s how I felt watching Dang-sin-eui Mat (당신의 맛). I was salivating over gimbap, stews and salivation-worthy side dishes from episode one. But it wasn’t only the food — it was how food was utilised to convey love, ambition, healing, competition. That’s what got me and kept me watching, which is why I craved more Kdramas like Tastefully Yours that do exactly that.
Before jumping into the list, a little aside on why Tastefully Yours is different. Steered by Kang Ha-neul as Han Beom-u and Go Min-si as Mo Yeon-ju, the drama is a story of one man’s turnaround — from corporate avarice to culinary honour. Beom-u, the high-strung son of a giant food chain, starts out scheming to steal Yeon-ju’s signature dishes, but ultimately falls for her food and her honour. All together, they do more than create something greater than a restaurant — it’s an eatery with heart. The enemies-to-lovers arc with spicy hot food and adorably sweet moments is setting the bar high for me.
Therefore, if you are seeking other Kdramas similar to Tastefully Yours, which are emotionally fulfilling and will not leave you hungry, then this is my handpicked list for you.
Kdramas like Tastefully Yours
Wok of Love
If there is a show around that perfectly captures the sizzling, insane chaos of the kitchen and healing together, it is Wok of Love. The series, in which Lee Jun-ho stars as Seo Poong, a former hotshot chef who loses everything and starts anew at a grimy Chinese restaurant, brings more than fried rice and dumplings to the table. There he encounters Dan Sae-woo (Jung Ryeo-won), a onetime heiress who is now his employee. Theirs is a humorous, sweet and unexpectedly heartfelt, poignant chemistry.
And what works in this series is how food becomes the instrument to re-create shattered dreams. Seo Poong’s passion for food and Sae-woo’s newfound technique meet a second-chance romance. Their passion isn’t instant; it seethes, as good stew does, and food is what keeps them together, richer or poorer. If you’re one of those romance-reading females who prefer to find their couples evolving course-wise together and in the sizzling kitchen, well, this one doesn’t fail you.
Crash Course in Romance
At first, this drama feels like it’s about academics, but underneath it’s about sustenance — in every way. Jeon Do-yeon plays Nam Haeng-seon, a single parent who runs a small side-dish stall and cooks to make ends meet in order to pay for her niece’s education. When she meets Jung Kyung-ho’s character, Choi Chi-yeol, a math teacher with emotional baggage and an eating disorder, their worlds collide in unexpected ways.
What is lovely here is the way food is used as a language of love and care. Haeng-seon’s lunchboxes gradually cure Chi-yeol both physically and psychologically. The series talks about burnout, stress and loneliness, which we all undergo, but softens their bitter edges with nourishing food and smouldering romance. And it is not a romance alone; it is a reminder of the way food can repair when words fail.
Itaewon Class
This might not scream “food drama” at first blush, but don’t be fooled — Itaewon Class is full of passion, flavour and pure aspiration. Park Seo-joon plays Park Sae-ro-yi, a ruthless troublemaker who enters the pub business to tackle a corrupt food conglomerate that wiped out his family. Kim Da-mi as Jo Yi-seo, the mercurial prodigy who helps him build a small restaurant into a legend.
What is so great about this drama is the way that food is a form of rebellion. Every single one of the foods they make at DanBam is a step towards justice, and the colourful group of characters is a taste of what Korean food could be. The romance is subtle but powerful, and the emotional payoff for having endured suffering is in the act of nourishing others. If you want a side of inspiration to go with your food, this one is for you.
Business Proposal
Need something light, fizzy, but very fulfilling? Business Proposal is the answer. Ahn Hyo-seop stars as Kang Tae-moo, a rigid CEO, and Kim Se-jeong, Shin Ha-ri, a scientist who studies food, who acts as her alternate when she is set up on a blind date. The angst of pretend dating is a blast, though food subtly leads them. It’s genuinely lovely here, the way Ha-ri’s job as a food creator is matched with depth of character that’s not usually found in a stereotypical rom-com heroine.
Her presence in the flesh and imagination with food becomes symbolic of the way she cares for and develops to love for what she does. And those lovely lunchbox moments? And they’re not just sweet — they’re intimate, having food to share in building trust. Sweet escape with plenty of flavour.
Chocolate
Keep your tissues ready, because Chocolate is a series that sticks the knife in where it hurts and then hugs you in a bowl of something warm. Ha Ji-won and Yoon Kye-sang star as Cha-young and Lee Kang, a chef and doctor who have both given up on cooking ambitions; years later, when both are in a hospice, food is what they resort to as comfort after loss.
Each meal in this show is a story of love, guilt, and forgiveness. It’s slow-building, but richly emotional, and the characters relate on something universal in terms of shared memory and gentle touch. Chocolate reminds us that even close to the end, food can bind us to life and to each other.
Link: Eat Love Kill
This show brings food into the paranormal world, and according to the laws of physics, it works. Yeo Jin-goo stars as Eun Gye-hoon, who starts “linking” emotionally with a stranger, Noh Da-hyun, played by Moon Ga-young. The more they’re connected, he begins to feel her pain, hunger, joy, and sorrow.
What’s poignant is the way food is the emotional bond between them. Gye-hoon’s restaurant is the place where ineffable feelings get cooked up into tangible comfort. It’s suspense, romance and recovery mixed together that comes together in an unlikely but gratifying way. It’s intense, yet with every meal is a heartbeat — and it’s one that you won’t forget anytime soon.
Pasta
Romantic and cosy, Pasta features Gong Hyo-jin as Seo Yoo-kyung, a pretty and gifted chef, and Lee Sun-kyun as her grumpy head chef Choi Hyun-wook. All in the sweltering, frenetic kitchen of a Seoul Italian restaurant, it treats the struggles of being a woman in working kitchens and the ruthless universe of fine dining.
I loved the way food was not just a job: It was personal to them. Yoo-kyung’s obstinacy and Hyun-wook’s fixations are a heaven-brought match, and their affair burns under pride and ego. With every pasta dish plated, their feelings evolve. It’s an office rom-com with a pinch of spice.
Jewel in the Palace
If what you are craving is something with some heft of history, then Jewel in the Palace is your meal. Lee Young-ae plays Jang Geum, an orphan who rises to become the first female doctor of the imperial palace. She will not be the same woman she once was — and here in the palace kitchen, she will not only learn to cook but learn to cherish food.
This soap opera is saturated in Korean culture, down to recipes from centuries ago and traditional medicine. It’s less romance and more about being strong, but the emotional reward is no less satisfying. The way Jang Geum employs food in resistance to adversity is inspiring to watch.
Special Mention: Little Forest
Okay, this is not a Kdrama, but a film, which deserves to be on this list just for its quiet beauty. It’s a slice of life as much as an escape for healing. Little Forest, which stars Kim Tae-ri, and the way she approaches food is worth watching. It’s a return to nature, slowing down and appreciating the simple joy of planting, cooking and consuming with intention. There is minimal dialogue, minimal dramatics, and yet each scene is poignantly and movingly affecting. To watch the heroine reinvent herself as she learns to prepare seasonal cuisine with the harvest from her own garden? It’s like therapy on screen.
Let us know your pick in the comments below!
