This K-Drama Started at 1%, Climbed to Global No.2 — and Yoo Yeon-seok Just Entered the Chat!

The Genie TV and ENA original series 'Tastefully Yours' starring Kang Ha-neul and Go Min-si is making serious waves both in Korea and abroad. Though the show premiered with a modest 1.5% viewership rating, it has more than doubled its audience by its fourth episode, hitting a new high of 3.1%.

Even more impressively, it has soared to No.2 globally among non-English Netflix series, according to Netflix’s official stats site Tudum. From May 12 to 18, the drama recorded 6.6 million global viewing hours, placing it 5th overall across all languages and platforms.

The series has taken the No.1 spot in 17 countries including South Korea, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Indonesia, and ranked in the Top 10 in 53 countries worldwide.

💥 A Recipe for Romance and Rivalry

‘Tastefully Yours’ tells the story of Han Beom-woo (Kang Ha-neul), a chaebol heir with an eye on the throne of his family’s food conglomerate, and Mo Yeon-joo (Go Min-si), a headstrong chef who runs a one-table restaurant in Jeonju. What starts as a culinary clash soon simmers into an unlikely romance — with high-stakes cooking competitions and power struggles on the side.

In episode 4, aired recently, Beom-woo goes head-to-head with his older brother Han Sun-woo (played by Bae Na-ra) at a food festival sponsored last-minute by their family company. Despite Beom-woo’s efforts to support Yeon-joo — from sourcing ingredients himself to revamping the menu — sabotage from Sun-woo and Jang Young-hye (Hong Hwa-yeon) leads to their defeat.

But that setback sparks something deeper: Beom-woo finally admits his feelings for Yeon-joo, leading to their first kiss and a fast-moving shift in their relationship. Yeon-joo, who initially dismissed him as arrogant, begins to see a different side of him.

🌍 Why Is It Blowing Up Globally?

The show cleverly mixes K-drama’s classic chaebol fantasy with fresh elements like gourmet cooking and an inheritance battle. Strong performances and sizzling chemistry between the leads, especially Kang Ha-neul and Go Min-si, are also credited for captivating international viewers.

Other Korean dramas are also performing well: 'Dear Hongrang' starring Lee Jae-wook and Cho Bo-ah debuted at No.6 globally with 2.2 million views in just three days. tvN’s 'Resident Playbook' also hit No.9 with 1.9 million views.

🔥 What’s Next?

Episode 4 ends with a mysterious twist — Yeon-joo finds a strange lighter in a burnt kitchen. And the preview for episode 5 teases a surprise appearance by actor Yoo Yeon-seok, hinting at more intrigue ahead.

'Tastefully Yours' airs every Monday and Tuesday at 10 PM KST on the ENA channel and is available as free VOD on Genie TV immediately after. Global viewers can stream it on Netflix.

Ep. 1 (May 12): 1.5%

Ep. 2 (May 13): 2.0%

Ep. 3 (May 19): 2.4%

Ep. 4 (May 20): 3.1%

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