Overview of Wok of Love

The funny scenes, the intense scenes, and the romance are all balanced in the soothing South Korean drama ‘Wok of Love’ starring Lee Jun-ho, Jang Hyuk, and Jung Ryeo-won in lead roles. Set in a small Chinese restaurant, the drama follows the attempts at love, food, and survival of three lead protagonists.

Profile

• Drama: Wok of Love
• Director: Park Seon-ho
• Writer: Seo Sook-hyang
• Network: SBS TV
• Episodes: 38
• Release Date: May 7 – July 17, 2018
• Language: Korean
• Country: South Korea

Cast

• Lee Jun-ho as Seo Poong
• Jang Hyuk as Doo Chil-sung
• Jung Ryeo-won as Dan Sae-woo

Supporting

• Lee Mi-sook as Jin Jung-hye
• Park Ji-young as Chae Seol-ja
• Tae Hang-ho as Im Geok-jeong
• Jo Jae-yoon as Oh Maeng-dal
• Kim Hyun-joon as Kwang Dong-sik
• Choi Ki-sub as Jeon Yi Man
• Cha In-ha as Bong Chi-soo
• Choi Won-myeong as Yang Kang-ho
• Choi Won-myeong as Yang Kang-ho
• Oh Eui-shik as Maeng Sam-seon
• Kang Rae-yeon as Koong Rae-yeon
• Lee Mi-sook as Kim Sun-nyeo
• Lee Ki-hyuk as Na Oh-jik
• Lee Ki-young as Dan Seung-ki

Synopsis

Doo Chil-sung (Jang Hyuk) is a former loan shark gangster from the ‘Big Dipper’ gang, and he seems intimidating but is a very kind-hearted person. After serving his time in prison, he ends up running a failing Chinese restaurant, The Hungry Frying Pan, with his ever-so-loyal gang members.

Another character is introduced, Seo Poong (Lee Jun-ho), who is a tough and hard-working spirit who starts from a very low level and is raised to a star chef position in a Chinese restaurant in a big hotel. Seo Poong’s co-workers were jealous of his position as a top chef at a high-class restaurant, and this cost him his job. After losing his job, he ends up working at a run-down Chinese restaurant right across the road that is owned by the former gangster Doo Chil-sung.

Suffice it to say that Seo Poong is not very happy about his situation. After less than a month of marriage, Seo Poong’s wife informs him she is in love with another man, and it shakes Seo Poong as she is leaving him for the owner and CEO of the hotel, where he was unjustly fired from his position as a chef.

Seo Poong is helpless, and he has a strong determination to get revenge for losing his job. He worked hard to open his restaurant and steal away the hotel restaurant customers by serving better food at a reasonable and cheaper price.

Later, a privileged chaebol heiress named Dan Sae-woo (Jung Ryeo-won) is introduced. She is a smart girl born into the lap of luxury; however, her entire life collapses when, during her wedding rehearsal, her father is arrested and all his assets frozen. She receives the bad news that her beloved pet horse, Imma, has cancer. Due to her rich father’s arrest, her fiancé’s parents called off the wedding, and her fiancé never showed up. The parents demanded a divorce since she had already legally registered her marriage to their son.

Sae-woo has no money and joins a private lending company owned by a reformed mob boss, Doo Chil-sung, to secure the funds necessary for her horse’s operation. Later, to obtain income to pay back the loan, she gets a job at the Chinese restaurant named Hungry Wok of Chef Poong, where she earns the nickname Ladle. She also learns to love cooking with the help of her boss, Chef Poong.

Untold Past of Doo Chil-sung

When Doo Chil-sung was a young boy, his mother abandoned him at a Chinese restaurant. As an orphan, his resources towards success were limited, and when he grew up, he ended up being the boss of his gang. After he got arrested for the third time and after the convictions, Chil-sung decided to buy a building and open a restaurant called The Hungry Frying Pan for the members of his gang to run. Chil-sung also owns a private lending company, and he falls for Dan Sae-woo the minute he meets her. When she asks to borrow money to pay for an operation, he mistakenly thinks she is dying and helps her by giving her money.

Ending Explained

After working so hard, Doo Chil-sung finally got ownership of the Giant Hotel, and he saved everyone from sleeping in the streets. Now it’s time for Chil-sung to make up for the lost time with his long-lost mom. Meanwhile, Seo Poong, Doo Chil-sung, and Dan Sae-woo are happy and comfortable in their mutual friendship.

Theme

‘Wok of Love’ tells stories of love and healing mixed with action, romance and comedy. When a kind-hearted gangster, an heiress whose assets have recently been frozen, and a chef out for revenge come together with the common goal of wanting to see a failing Chinese restaurant succeed, through the journey—broken hearts are mended and sincere friendships are formed along the way.

• SBS Drama Awards – 2018
  Best Supporting Actor – Im Won-hee

Interesting Facts about Wok of Love

1. The first script reading of the drama ‘Wok of Love’ took place in March 2018.
2. The drama takes over the SBS Monday and Tuesday 22:00 time slot previously occupied by the K-drama ‘Exit’.
3. ‘Wok of Love’ has been shortened from 40 episodes to 38 episodes due to airing delays caused by the Singapore political summit and FIFA World Cup.
4. The drama features some appetising varieties of Chinese foods, including their preparations.
5. The drama received a lot of attention for its outstanding lead cast and memorable supporting characters showing great chemistry.