Late Night Restaurant (2015)

I thought I'd write a review for this drama since the only other review is one that I don't agree with. I finished the drama a few days ago and I already miss the cast members. I didn't think the story is boring. It's kinda slow paced but it's like really short episodes. It's not like you have to wait until the every end of the series to find out the plot ending. It's like reading or should I say watching short stories. I tried watching the original Japanese version but I had to stop at episode 1 for a while, I couldn't find the motivation to watch the next one. Unlike this version where I couldn't wait to watch the next episode.

STORY
The story revolves around a restaurant that's only open from 12 midnight to 7 in the morning. He doesn't really have a menu, if he has the ingredients, he'll make you whatever you want. The whole show is about the people that come and go through the restaurant. In all the times that he's been the proprietor of the restaurant, Master (that's what his customers call him), has met interesting people. His regular customers get their story told too. Some episodes are not as memorable as the rest.

ACTING/CAST
I actually watched this drama for Nam Taehyun. I really think he's not that bad of an actor. He acts the way he's supposed to act, I think. But the other actors are great too.
Kim Seung Woo as Master, I think did a good job to appear the friendly restaurant owner.
I love the regular customers who pop up from time to time.
Nam Taehyun plays Minwoo, a student who has so many part time jobs.
Choi Jae Sung who plays Ryu, the mysterious gangster with a heart of gold.
Jung Han Hun (Mr. Kim, the fisherman) & Joo Won Sung (quack doctor), I love their friendly banter.
Jin Seo Yun as Cherry, she works at the bar close by
Park Jun Myun as the manga writer
Ban Min Jung, Song Hwa Ryeong & Jang Hee Jung as the Noodle sisters. Compared to their Japanese counterparts, I like them better.
Son Sang Gyeong as Deongchi, Ryu's scary looking but kinda like a big teddy bear bodyguard.
At the end of most episodes, there's like scenes of his customers going home. I cried seeing the very last one because the show made me like the camaraderie between all of them.
There were a lot of the well known actors as guests like Ji Jin Hee, Oh Ji Ho, Seo Woo, Ahn Jae Wook, Lee Ki Woo etc.

MUSIC
There's not really that much of a music. But I love the opening song "Till the Morning Comes" by Younha.

REWATCH VALUE
Definitely! The episodes are only 30 minutes and like I said, I really like the cast. They made me laugh, they made me cry.

OVERALL
Compared to the original version, I'd rather watch this than that one. I maybe k-drama biased but I really think the original was more boring.

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As i started this drama as well as watching other dramas at the same time i noticed i kept going back to this particular drama to get basically a break from the other dramas with the intense story lines, dramatic scenes, etc....when i read and saw some comments about it being slow paced....i thought boring or snooze fest as also described. But i was pleasantly surprised it is not a snooze fest.... The underlying theme is of tranquility and a sort of peacefulness and calmness told and expressed through FOOD.

****Highly recommend for food drama lovers and people that appreciate foods for thought :)

***Obviously not recommended for those looking for thrillers, suspense rom-coms, melodramas :(

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