Picture: Culinary Wars, Business Proposal, and Mr. Queen
Got a taste for Korean shows about food? Here’s what to watch! From heartfelt dramas to chefs battling out in the kitchen, there’s a lot for foodies to enjoy from Korean shows on Netflix.
The brand new Netflix Original Korean series Tastefully Yours is making us hungry. Kang Ha-neul (When the Camellia Blooms) plays Han Beom-woo, pompous heir to a food conglomerate on the hunt for the perfect recipe. Gifted small-town chef Mo Yeon-joo (The Frog‘s Ko Min-si) agrees to help him on the condition that he get his hands dirty working in her restaurant. Romance ensues. You can read our full preview of Tastefully Yours here.
This new series got us wondering: what are the best food-themed K-dramas on Netflix? And what are some great unscripted Netflix shows about Korean cuisine? Let’s dig in!
Best Food-themed K-dramas
Business Proposal (2022)
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 12
Cast: Ahn Hyo-seop, Kim Se-jeong, Kim Min-gue, Seol In-ah, Lee Deok-hwa
Like Tastefully Yours, Business Proposal is another Netflix Original romantic comedy with ties to a food conglomerate. Culinary scientist Shin Ha-ri (Kim Se-jeong, The Uncanny Counter) impersonates her rich friend on a blind date, only to discover that her date Kang Tae-moo (Ahn Hyo-seop, A Time Called You) is the CEO of the company where she works. When Tae-moo offers to pay Ha-ri to pretend to be his girlfriend to placate his overbearing grandpa, she has to figure out how to keep her day job a secret from him — all while inventing the company’s next hit product!
Watch Business Proposal on Netflix
Mr. Queen (2020)
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 20
Cast: Shin Hye-sun, Kim Jung-hyun, Bae Jong-ok, Kim Tae-woo, Jo Yun-hee
We can’t say enough good things about Mr. Queen. An arrogant, womanizing chef nearly dies, only to wake up more than 100 years in the past. Worse, he’s in the body of the newlywed queen — and the king is ready for their honeymoon night. As if time-travel and body-swapping weren’t bad enough, Joseon-era cuisine leaves a lot to be desired. Time for this unusual queen to get in the kitchen and get to work! This historical romantic comedy offers an interesting peek back in time, and it’s incredibly funny thanks to a wonderful performance by Shin Hae-sun (See You in My 19th Life) as a man trapped in a woman’s body.
Watch Mr. Queen on Netflix
Chocolate (2019)
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 16
Cast: Yoon Kye-sang, Ha Ji-won, Jang Seung-jo, Min Jin-woong, Kang Boo-ja
The Netflix Original romance Chocolate combines the culinary arts with medical drama. Family pressure forces Lee Kang (The Frog‘s Yoon Kye-sang) to become a surgeon and give up his dream of running a restaurant like his mother, but their restaurant inspires Moon Cha-yeong (Manhunt) to become a chef. Kang and Cha-yeong reunite years later working on a hospice ward, where her delicious dishes provoke strong reactions.
Watch Chocolate on Netflix
Tastiest Unscripted Korean Shows
Culinary Class Wars (2024)
Seasons: 1 (for now)
Episodes: 12
Cast: Baek Jong-won, Ahn Sung-jae, Choi Hyun-seok, Jung Ji-seon, Yeo Kyung-rae
Culinary Class Wars is one of the most bingeable cooking competition shows out there. 20 famous chefs are pitted against 80 up-and-coming chefs in a battle to determine the best of the best, as judged by restaurateur Paik Jong-won and Michelin three-star chef Ahn Sung-jae. The challenges are high-stakes, with all the tension deriving from the task at hand (no manufactured interpersonal drama here). The series was so popular that Netflix almost immediately picked it up for a second season, which is expected to air later in 2025.
Watch Culinary Class Wars on Netflix
Chef & My Fridge (2025)
Seasons: 1
Episodes: new episodes weekly
Hosted By: Kim Sung-joo
After a several-year hiatus, the long-running competition show Chef & My Fridge (aka “Please Take Care of My Refrigerator“) is back! A new episode of the rebooted series arrives on Netflix each Sunday, a few weeks after it premieres on terrestrial television in South Korea. In each episode, two celebrity guests bring their refrigerators to the studio. Eight chefs — including several of the competitors from Culinary Class Wars — face off using just the contents of the fridges to make dishes designed to win the hearts and taste buds of that celebrity guest — but they only get 15 minutes to cook! Not only is Chef & My Fridge an impressive display of skill and creativity, it’s hysterically funny as the chefs who aren’t competing cheer and heckle those engaged in battle.
Watch Chef & My Fridge on Netflix
Rhapsody collection
Number of limited series: 6
Total episodes: 12
The Rhapsody collection is made up of six separate shows consisting of two episodes each: Korean Fried Chicken Rhapsody, Soju Rhapsody, Jjajangmyeon Rhapsody, Korean Pork Belly Rhapsody, Hanwoo Rhapsody, and Korean Cold Noodle Rhapsody. Host Paik Jong-won, chefs, and other experts delve into the history and cultural significance of each type of food in this beautifully filmed educational series.
Watch Korean Fried Chicken Rhapsody on Netflix
Korea No. 1 (2022)
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 8
Regular Members: Yoo Jae Suk, Lee kwang Soo, Kim Yeon Koung
While Korea No. 1 covers various traditional arts, four of the episodes specifically focus on methods of food preparation or harvesting. Host Yoo Jae-suk (Busted), actor Lee Kwang-soo (The Sound of Your Heart), and volleyball player/Kwang-soo doppelganger Kim Yeon-koung learn from master craftspeople and compete against one another to see who’s the best student. In Episode 2, they learn the art of making Jang (fermented sauces). Episode 3 finds them hunting for octopus in a mudflat. in Episode 5, they use use a 600-year-old method to harvest anchovies. They try their hands at traditional makgeolli-brewing in Episode 7. Their friendly rivalry makes this hands-on history lesson a joy to watch.
Watch Korea No. 1 on Netflix
Which of these food-themed Korean shows has whetted your appetite? Let us know in the comments below!
