I wish I hadn't read this, because now I'm hungry.
No, it was good. I loved your (incomplete) list of how food was featured in different shows. I have learned how to make Korean pancakes and Korean dumplings, just because they looked so tasty while I was watching Korean dramas. My Girlfriend is a gummiho. "MEAT!" (or cow.) Thank you for writing this. Now I'm going to go into the kitchen and build me some lettuce wraps.

What a lovely post! I was laughing so hard at “Temperature of Love (the special engagement dessert for another guy and your girl)” because that was honestly the most ridiculous move a second lead ever pulled.

I usually only crave ramen whenever I watch k-dramas. Korean food looks amazing but their seasoning doesn’t sit quite right with me. I tried several dishes in Korean restaurants but nothing really intrigued me.

LOVE THE TITLE. And the content of course - I tried cooking with bulgogi sauce one day (first acquisition at the kfood shop), and it was a petite disaster. So I admire all these beanie chefs. *bows in respect*

Also: "Cereal... never far away, better will someday, never far awaaaaay" ....I associate dramas with songs - and I hear about cereal in Goblin. Random contribution of the day.

@owl22 Owl,

Many thanks for a wonderful essay. You had me drooling on my keyboard. ;-)

Thanks so much for your pointer to the Koreatown cookbook. Co-author Deuki Hong currently works at Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong in Midtown NYC. Holy cow! Just looking at their website was a trip. It's almost enough to make me willing to cross the Hudson.

One of my fave Kshows has been THREE MEALS A DAY with Eric as chief cook. I found it so relaxing and meditative to watch him work. I haven't seen the series with Chajumma, which by all accounts are replete with terrific grinds.

What a loverly write-up, @owl22! K-dramas and food are a mix that must always be kept together, just in terms of necessity. I always need some ramen or kimchi on hand when I’m watching, or else I’ll get all hangry and annoyed. 😂

“Eat deliciously” seems like such a caring phrase, I’m glad you were able to see your friends do so with your food.

This was a really well written story of a great threesome (you, food, and kdramas), and makes me wish I was one of your friends so that I could also eat your Korean food deliciously ~ ^_^

You had me at Cereal Killer. Thanks for the laugh.

I don't eat cereals for breakfast but it's always been bread. That makes Korean breakfast look like a banquet if you know what I mean.

How was your pajeon? I'd prefer them to be lighter and a little crispy at the edges instead of the doughy pancake which I sometimes get. I've tried various mixes and recipes without much success. I managed to get hold of a premix which gave what I wanted but alas the store doesn't carry it anymore.

@owl22 This was incredibly funny and heartwarming to read because it took me down memory lane, recalling all the memories associated to food in the drama. The kimbap in Father Is Strange was apt and so were all the other linkings.
I wished we had Korean ingredients here but cooking variety shows will have to do. Please Take Care of My Refrigerator is my current fav because they're fighting against time(and I too have watched GD's +Taeyangs 2 eps countless times)

@owl22 I had so much fun reading this but I was also spazzing when you mentioned GD and Taeyang's Please Take Care of My Refrigerator and Kang's Kitchen aaaaaaAAAAAAAAaaaaaa my loves

Thank you for your wonderful story @owl22 :-)
So how did the pajeon & Andong jjimdak turn out on your first try? (you haven't mentioned it, although it probably turned out well, I'm just asking out of curiosity 😛)

And now I'm hungry for some ramen cuz I'm a noodler.🍜 *dashing to the kitchen to make some run!*

Food was definitely one of the first things that I noticed about kdramas starting from my very first kdrama Secret Garden and the fact that Kim JooWon refused to eat certain foods at first cause he was so snooty but Gil Raim ate them with so much gusto. Anyway I enjoyed reading your paragraph about what foods you associate with dramas...for me personally I always associate Coffee Prince with kimchi rice and when I think of Temperature of Love i think of truffles (which are apparently a type of mushroom), homemade caramels, and of course gourmet food.

I should pick up a korean recipe book...I did buy a jar of kimchi recently so have been thinking of making a kimchi pancake :D

I love this! Reminded me of my slightly similar experience venturing into Korean food. My only favorite cuisine was Chinese for the longest time,but after Kdramas came into my life sometime in 2000,I first drooled over the food featured in kdramas, and then I accidently found some great Korean restaurants in Metro Manila run by Koreans who lived here even before the explosion of K-wave here.

But since I live few hours away from the Business District (mainly cause of traffic! 😳) and was curious & wanted to try cooking on my own so I bought a Korean recipe book. My first attempt at making pajeon was a total disaster 😳

And as luck or fate would have it,right after college grad in 2006,I got restless at home & cut short my "rest from 16 years of continued education" break and ended up as a tutor to Korean kids who were here for Korean summer and learning basic English.

One of the Moms saw me enjoying the lunchbox (bulgogi with about 8 side dishes) her kids gave me as a present for that week, and she told me she's glad that I seem to like their food and how I enjoyed it. The next day, she gave me ingredients for Kimchi Stew. And that was how I started really learning and trying how to cook Korean food. Plus a had kimchi supply for those 2 months. 😜

These days, I seldom cook anything (except for ramyun or instant noodles) and when I do crave for Korean food there's always one nearby. But I still make my own lettuce/cabbage kimchi 😉

I love those scenes in dramas where the lead girl/ family makes bibimbap. Get a bowl of fluffly white rice and add hot pepper paste, and add everything edible in the fridge and mix and eat with a huge spoon and within seconds gobble everything down. I would want to try that someday , those days i feel too lazy to cook. That kind of bibimbap informal though, but it seems really delicious.

You made me remember that I first made omurice because it looked so easy in Rooftop Prince. Thank you for all the inspiration, I need a korean cookbook myself🍜🍛🍱🍙