# Gourmet (TV series)

Gourmet (Korean: 식객; RR: Sikgaek) is a 2008 South Korean television series starring Kim Rae-won and Nam Sang-mi. It aired on SBS TV from June 18 to September 9, 2008 on Mondays and Tuesdays at 21:55 for 24 episodes.
It was adapted from Sikgaek, a popular manhwa by Huh Young-man, which was first serialized in newspapers in 2002. The TV series explores the theme of cooking through the rivalry between two hansik (Korean cuisine) chefs, as one of them travels around the nation looking for the best ingredients and recipes.

## Plot

Kim Rae-Won stars as the warm hearted chef-in-training Lee Sung-Chan, while actress Nam Sang-Mi plays a silly country girl, Kim Jin-soo, who trails Lee with high hopes of becoming a food columnist. Veteran actor Choi Bul-Am appears as Master Oh Sook-soo, Lee's stepfather and the only person who truly believes in Lee's potential.
Sung-Chan is a happy and bright young man who loves to cook. Leaving the heavy responsibility of becoming the head chef of Oh's famous restaurant to his stepbrother, he explores the world of cooking and discovers that he's actually good at it. When Oh announces that he will not choose his own son to become the owner and head chef, cold-hearted jealousy and competition arise.

## Cast
### Main characters

* Kim Rae-won as Lee Sung-chan
** Noh Young-hak as teenage Sung-chan
** Kang Yi-seok as young Sung-chan
* Kwon Oh-joong as Oh Bong-joo
** Ahn Yong-joon as teenage Bong-joo
* Nam Sang-mi as Kim Jin-soo
* Kim So-yeon as Yoon Joo-hee
* Won Ki-joon as Gong Min-woo
* Choi Bool-am as Oh Seung-geun

### Supporting characters

* Kang Nam-gil as Director Han (Jin-soo's boss)
* Jung Jin as Ja-woon
* Shim Yang-hong as Director Yoon (Joo-hee's father)
* Kim Ae-kyung as Madam Jo
* Lee Won-yong as Jong-goo
* Lee Won-jong as Dal-pyung
* Hoon Ki as Ki-jung
* Kim Sun-hyuk as Sang-ki
* Lee Kyung-jin as Jin-soo's mother
* Choi Jae-hwan as Seok-dong
* Do Yoon-joo as General manager
* Kim Hye-jung as Manager Kang
* Yang Taek-jo as President Seo
* Kim Sung-kyum as President Jang
* Lee Ki-young as Matsumoto Junichi
* Jung Young-sook as Soon-boon (Seung-geun's friend)
* Jo Sang-goo as legendary butcher Kang Pyun-soo
* Choi Song-hyun as cooking contest MC
* Jang Moon-seok as towing truck driver
* Choi Jae-kwon as Sung Sik-gaek (Sung-chan's friend)
* Yeo Jin-goo as Ho-tae
* Kim Da-in

## Episode ratings

| Date | Episode | Nationwide | Seoul |
| 2008-06-16 | Special | 6.5% | 7.5% |
| 2008-06-17 | 1 | 13.2% (5th) | 13.9% (5th) |
| 2008-06-17 | 2 | 16.1% (3rd) | 17.5% (3rd) |
| 2008-06-23 | 3 | 16.4% (4th) | 17.7% (2nd) |
| 2008-06-24 | 4 | 16.0% (3rd) | 17.3% (2nd) |
| 2008-06-30 | 5 | 16.4% (3rd) | 17.0% (3rd) |
| 2008-07-01 | 6 | 18.3% (2nd) | 19.4% (2nd) |
| 2008-07-07 | 7 | 18.1% (3rd) | 19.3% (2nd) |
| 2008-07-08 | 8 | 20.2% (2nd) | 20.7% (2nd) |
| 2008-07-14 | 9 | 18.9% (3rd) | 20.1% (2nd) |
| 2008-07-15 | 10 | 20.7% (2nd) | 21.8% (2nd) |
| 2008-07-21 | 11 | 22.0% (2nd) | 23.5% (1st) |
| 2008-07-22 | 12 | 22.4% (2nd) | 23.3% (2nd) |
| 2008-07-28 | 13 | 21.7% (2nd) | 21.6% (2nd) |
| 2008-07-29 | 14 | 23.5% (2nd) | 24.4% (1st) |
| 2008-08-04 | 15 | 20.7% (2nd) | 21.1% (2nd) |
| 2008-08-05 | 16 | 23.4% (2nd) | 23.8% (2nd) |
| 2008-08-11 | 17 | 23.5% (2nd) | 24.0% (1st) |
| 2008-08-18 | 18 | 22.1% (2nd) | 23.0% (2nd) |
| 2008-08-25 | 19 | 23.3% (2nd) | 23.9% (2nd) |
| 2008-08-26 | 20 | 22.9% (2nd) | 23.0% (2nd) |
| 2008-09-01 | 21 | 20.6% (3rd) | 21.5% (2nd) |
| 2008-09-02 | 22 | 19.1% (2nd) | 20.5% (2nd) |
| 2008-09-08 | 23 | 20.5% (3rd) | 21.2% (3rd) |
| 2008-09-09 | 24 | 26.7% (2nd) | 27.9% (1st) |
| Average | Average | 20.3% | 21.1% |
Source: TNS Media Korea

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
| 2008 | 2nd Korea Drama Awards | Best Drama | Gourmet | Nominated |
| 2008 | 2nd Korea Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actor | Kim Rae-won | Won |
| 2008 | SBS Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor | Kim Rae-won | Nominated |
| 2008 | SBS Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actor in a Special Planning Drama | Kim Rae-won | Nominated |
| 2008 | SBS Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actress in a Special Planning Drama | Nam Sang-mi | Nominated |
| 2008 | SBS Drama Awards | Best Supporting Actor in a Special Planning Drama | Won Ki-joon | Nominated |
| 2008 | SBS Drama Awards | Best Supporting Actress in a Special Planning Drama | Kim So-yeon | Won |
| 2008 | SBS Drama Awards | Best Supporting Actress in a Special Planning Drama | Kim Ae-kyung | Nominated |
| 2008 | SBS Drama Awards | Best Young Actor | Yeo Jin-goo | Won |
| 2008 | SBS Drama Awards | Top 10 Stars | Kim Rae-won | Won |
| 2009 | 45th Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Director (TV) | Choi Jong-soo | Nominated |

## DVD release

The television series was released on DVD in November 2008 by YA Entertainment in two-volume boxed sets. Each volume included four discs, with Korean audio and English-language subtitles.

## International broadcast

It aired in the Philippines on the GMA Network beginning July 18, 2011.
It aired in Thailand on Channel 3 every Monday to Friday at 1.40 p.m. starting from August 14, 2012.