I figured that I had avoided this series of dramas for long enough, and it seemed to be pretty popular, with good reviews, so I decided to finally give this one a try. It was nothing like I expected. It's a light hearted comedy, with a touch of romance and mystery, and an overwhelming abundance of food porn. I read "food porn" in a lot of reviews, and thought I knew what it meant, but this show gave me a whole new understanding of the term. If you're not a foodie, there's still plenty about this drama that may charm you, mainly the cast. If you hate the idea of watching people eat, turn away from this drama and never look back.
This show is not your standard romcom formula... the kind where most of the focus is placed on 2 characters, and the rest of the cast revolves around them. The center of the show is Soo Kyung, a bitter divorced woman living alone in an apartment complex, but it's also about all of the characters in her life... her coworkers, her bff, and most importantly her neighbors and her adorable dog. The story has a true ensemble feeling, where I actually cared about what was going on with all of the characters. The more I got to know them, the more I loved the show. There are no weak links, including the kids, and yes, even the dog (one of the show's best characters imo). So, why no perfect acting score? Well, because there are a couple of incidental characters that were too bad to ignore, and some really corny moments where the actors have to play up the comedy a bit too much for my liking.
This drama may be Soo Kyung's world, but she is certainly not my favorite of the bunch. She was even sometimes a bit annoying. Yoon Doo Joon as Dae Yeong is what drives the show. He's such an interesting character, and his weirdness, charm, and food rants made it easy for him to steal any scene he is in. Another scene stealer worth mentioning is Lee Do Yeon as Attorney Oh. It really bothers me that her looks are the constant punchline, but I think she took a role that could have been really superficial, and painful to watch, and made her truly funny. She's the quintessential character actress, and although I've seen her in bit parts before, in this show she shines. There's also super cute Yoon So Hee, who I think is worth mentioning. Even her sickeningly cute character has enough depth to make her much more than the stereotype suggests. Unfortunately all of the depth went into the characters, and none went into the plot.
The general story is... cute... and was engaging enough to hold my interest. 3 single neighbors becoming good friends is the basic premise, while loneliness and isolation being major themes. There's a little bit of romantic drama, and the obligatory love triangle, but don't expect too much focus on romantic moments. There is also a random murder mystery inserted, which I don't think worked. It gave the characters something to do, but it's hard to take a scary murder plot seriously in a show this silly. All that to say, if you're looking for an intriguing plot, this show doesn't have much to offer.
Then of course, as the title suggests, in each episode the characters have to find a reason to eat an obnoxious meal. I felt gluttonous just watching. I'm talking extreme close ups, and at least 5 whole minutes of lip-smacking, slo-mo chewing, and watching them eat food like they might actually reach an orgasm mid bite. This is the part that made me avoid this show for so long, but it ended up being one of the parts I anticipated the most in each episode. There was just something fascinating about watching food being enjoyed this much. I also felt a little like a food tourist, since not every dish was familiar. I even liked watching them eat foods that I hate, and I wasn't disgusted. Yes, sometimes I had to press pause to raid my fridge while watching, but it was less about making me hungry, and more about being inspired to appreciate food this much. I think it also makes you appreciate the company you keep when eating food.
Would I watch this show again? Maybe. I can see the appeal of revisiting these characters, but I should also confess that I've already started watching Let's Eat 2. You can say that I was hungry for more *groan* Sorry, I could not resist.
Overall, This show was easy to binge watch, and what it lacked in plot, it made up for in unique characters, laughs, and foodie moments. I'd say it's definitely worth giving it a chance, and I say that as a person who generally hates food centered shows. There's also some hidden depth underneath all of the silliness, which I appreciated, with a nice resolution at the end that got me a little bit in the feels.
I may be late to the table, but I'm glad I finally decided to watch. Sometimes it's good to try something new, that you may not think will suit your taste. It may not be joining my list of favorites, but it turns out that this show was exactly what I was craving.
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