Gourmet (TV series)

Gourmet (Hangul: 식객; RR: Sikgaek) is a 2008 South Korean television series starring Kim Rae-won and Nam Sang-mi. It aired on SBS 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.

Kim Rae-won

Kim Rae-won (born March 19, 1981) is a South Korean actor. He rose to fame in 2003 romantic comedy series Rooftop Room Cat, and is also known for his leading roles in My Little Bride (2004), Love Story in Harvard (2004), Gourmet (2008), A Thousand Days' Promise (2011) and Punch (2014-2015)

Career

Kim Rae-won initially wanted to become a professional basketball player, but when an injured ankle tendon ended that childhood dream, he turned to acting and studied Theater and Film at Chung-Ang University. He made his acting debut in the 1997 teen drama Me, in the role of a newbie at the broadcasting club of his high school. This was followed by another teen drama, School 2 (1999) and coming-of-age film Plum Blossom (2000).

In 2003, Kim became a household name after playing a law student slacker who cohabitates with a girl (Jeong Da-bin) in the popular series Rooftop Room Cat. He then played a carefree photographer who enters the life of an introverted girl in ...ing, followed by a return to the romantic comedy genre with My Little Bride, in the role of a college graduate forced to marry a high school girl (Moon Geun-young). My Little Bride became a sleeper hit and was the second top-grossing Korean film of 2004.

Nam Sang-mi

Nam Sang-mi (born May 3, 1984) is a South Korean actress.

Career

Nam Sang-mi was working in a fast food restaurant near Hanyang University in the fall of 2001 when someone posted her personal photos on the internet. Her popularity as an ulzzang led to her discovery as an actress. She made her debut in the 2003 melodrama series Love Letter, and began her acting career by taking small roles in films, TV dramas, and commercials. Her first leading role came with Sweet Spy in 2005.

Nam said regarding her role in horror film Possessed (2009), "The moment I read the script, I wanted this part badly. After such a long time away from films, it excited me, and I can show a completely different side than I've shown in dramas."

After starring in close friend Ku Hye-sun's short film You (2010), Ku cast her as the leading lady of her second feature film The Peach Tree (2012).

In 2014, Nam reunited with Time Between Dog and Wolf costar Lee Joon-gi in the period drama Gunman in Joseon. This was followed by a starring role in the comedy film Slow Video.