Secret Ingredient is a slow-burn romantic drama casting Sang Heon Lee as the main lead actor, who is Korean, and Julia Barretto, a Filipino actress.
The drama series originally streamed on Viu, and it has a blend of Korean and Filipino touch. The Secret Ingredient has 6 episodes, and it’s a perfect one for someone to finish in one day, as each episode is only 30 minutes long. It’s very fun to see Sang Heon Lee in another drama apart from XO Kitty. He gained a lot of fame after being cast as one of the main leads in XO Kitty.
Viewers enjoyed seeing him in a drama and getting to know about his acting and other skills. Secret Ingredient is a recent drama by Sang Heon Lee that was released in 2024. It’s not that old, and back to the trends due to Sang Heon Lee again capturing the hearts of the fans for XO Kitty Season 2.
Plot Summary
Secret Ingredient is a perfect drama for food lovers who also enjoy kitchen-themed dating. It’s a blend of love, food, family, and past traumatic events. The drama follows the story of Ha Joon and Maya.
Ha Joon is a young and inspiring Korean man who lives a very luxurious life in Korea. He is a chaebol who has left everything behind in search of his childhood sweetheart. From his name to his fame, Ha Joon gives up on everything and comes to Jakarta to learn about his love.
On the other hand, Maya is a beautiful, talented chef who works in the kitchen of Arif, the head chef. Maya has always been very determined to earn money and enjoys cooking as it is her only way to connect with her mother. She loves to cook, and the kitchen seems to be her only escape from the harsh world. But things start to get tough for her when the head chef introduces challenges for the cooks to win promotion to a higher position.
Maya eagerly wants to win and get promoted so she can pay off her debts. Amidst all this, Maya becomes involved with Ha Joon, who is living as Jack in Jakarta, and love blooms between them in flavors.
A Beautiful Ending With No Unnecessary Add-ups
Secret Ingredient is a must-watch because of its plot and the star cast it has. Apart from these, the drama also has great songs. The intro of the drama is beautiful, and the same goes for the outro.
The storyline goes very smoothly without adding any unnecessary plot to it. From the first episode till the last one, the drama showcases love, passion, and failures in a detailed way and the perspective of each character has been portrayed very well by the respective actors.
As it is a miniseries, things could have been rushed, but the drama is written in a slow-paced manner, and viewers would stay hooked till the end. The ending of the drama is also beautiful as the main leads have a happy ending despite having so many differences. So, overall, viewers would love to see a drama that is slow, romantic, cute, and has a happy ending.
A Combination of Cute, Romantic, and Heart-fluttering Package
The chemistry between the main leads is no joke. The tension between Sang Heon and Julia has the power to make someone feel the butterflies all over their stomach. They did a great job in portraying their characters, and viewers did enjoy watching those cute little moments between them.
Secret Ingredient Kdrama stands strong in the genre of romance and passion. It’s a whole lot of love, career, passion, and family. The drama is interesting, cute, and those little moments of the leads can make someone feel so single.
The characters are very strong and independent, making the drama more fun to watch till the end. With its plot, songs, and cast line-up, it is a must-watch drama for romantic and food-loving viewers.
Verdict
Secret Ingredient Kdrama involves cooking as the main element, and the love story of the leads revolves around it. So if you are into romantic kitchen dating-themed stories, this Kdrama is definitely for you.
Trailer
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