Pasta

Pasta (2010) is one of my favorite Korean dramas because it concentrates so well on profound character growth during its delectable and often amusing twenty episodes. Most American television shows today have cookie cutter, cartoonish characters: the way they are as people in the first episode is how they will still be by the last episode.

In the best Korean dramas, like this classic one Pasta, you see incredible, tremendous character growth in the main characters, especially in that of lead actor Lee Sun Kyun's Chef. He softens over time as he falls in love with endearing Gong Hyo Jin's kitchen assistant character in the luxury restaurant they both work at. I have re-watched this charmer four times since the year it premiered. I also loved the supporting cast and the excellent soundtrack. I actually cried the day I learned of Lee Sun Kyun's suicide in 2023. When I miss him I will often rewatch favorite scenes from his work in Pasta, My Mister, and Coffee Prince K-dramas. May his soul rest in peace. Saranghae!

"Pasta" is the first Korean drama I saw in Netflix (Hulu also offers a lot of Asian shows) attracted for the theme focusing in a restaurant and food. I enjoyed this show because I like learning about different cultures and after watching the first episode I was totally captured for the plot and the high quality of this production.

"Pasta" is about a girl who wants to become a chef of an Italian restaurant in South Korea. At this point I should say that Korean dramas are very close related to Mexican soap operas but also have a lot of Manga elements. There is always a love story (many times a love triangle), a lot of comedy and, of course, a lot of drama. "Pasta" in particular has a lot of fun and you learn some cooking too.

So far I have watched three Korean dramas and I noticed that they usually have between 16 to 20 episodes of one hour each. The only thing that could bother a little bit about Korean dramas to Americans is the way women are portrayed kind of passive, but seeing this behavior in the three shows I guess is part of the culture over there. I can recommend also "You Are Beautiful".

This is hans down the best Korean Drama ever made its starts out slow and builds through out the 20 episode, the only KD that didn't get stale or repative.Learn the characters and let it breath

I love the comedy of this show and make me laugh every time I watch it. The cast are so cute tho.

You should definitely watch it and enjoy! I like it.

I watched 6 episodes of this before giving up on it. The female lead is easy to root for and the usual trajectory of korean romantic dramas means you have every reason to expect her character to triumph by the end of the series. But the male leading character is so objectionable that it becomes ever harder to stick with it. It is also increasingly impossible to believe that she would want to go anywhere near him.

Nevertheless the mismatched couple might have kept me watching.

However, the problems are compounded by virtually every other character offering almost nothing to draw on. Their characters are paper-thin and their behaviours beyond credibility. Korean dramas excel at characters and relationships. It's hard to understand how this one lost the plot so badly.