K-Drama Recommendation of the Week – ‘The Legend of Kitchen Soldier’: Stratagem of Culinary Warfare

Cooking isn’t an easy skill to master. Some people can prepare restaurant-quality meals on their first try, while others struggle not to ruin instant noodles. That isn’t to say it can’t be learned.

Grieving the recent loss of his father, Kang Seong Jae (played by Park Ji Hoon) enlists in the Korean military and is sent to Ganglim outpost after being evaluated as a soldier requiring special attention due to his circumstances. In lieu of this, he’s assigned to serve as an assistant cook under Sergeant Yoon Dong Hyeon (played by Lee Hong Nae), despite never having picked up a knife in his life.

Given the responsibility of feeding the soldiers of the outpost and no other alternative than to cook, Seong Jae astonishingly acquires a game-like system, leading him on the path of becoming a chef.

Series: The Legend of Kitchen Soldier

Where to watch: TVING, Rakuten Viki, HBO Max

Cast: Park Ji Hoon, Lee Hong Nae, Yoon Kyung Ho, Han Dong Hee, Lee Sang Yi

Written by: Choi Ryong

Directed by: Jo Nam Hyung

The Plot

Based on a webtoon and J Robin‘s web novel of the same name, ‘The Legend of The Kitchen Soldier’ follows Kang Seong Jae, a young military cadre who enlists in the military after his father’s death. Assigned as a cook at Ganglim outpost, he’s faced with the task of balancing his superior’s wishes, following orders, feeding the soldiers and proving his mettle as a cook, with instant ramyeon being the only dish he can cook well.

Assigned to a position he has no experience in, he suddenly acquires a game-like system which assigns him ‘quests’, opening up the path of becoming a chef. However, as with most things in life, everything comes with a price. While being surrounded and supported by fellow soldiers at Ganglim outpost, he slowly falls in love with the art of cooking and develops his skills as a chef.

But not everything is as it seems. Seong Jae uncovers and battles numerous hurdles, ranging from expired and rotten ingredients to overbearing superiors and including something more malicious on his quest of becoming a legendary chef.

The Characters

Kang Seong Jae (played by Park Ji Hoon)

A 22-year-old private who was a top scorer at his military training and is transferred to serve at Ganglim outpost of Republic of Korea Army. Despite being an ‘ace’ and graduating at the top of his class, he’s assigned the label of ‘soldier requiring special attention’ due to his family background and the recent death of his father. While the initial disapproval by his superiors lands him in the outpost’s kitchen, he soon discovers his love for the art of cooking with the help of a game-like system and begins his quest of becoming a chef.

Yoon Dong Hyeon (played by Lee Hong Nae)

A sergeant tasked with managing the outpost’s mess hall and kitchen as the head cook. Despite his duty assignment, his cooking skills leave the soldiers with tasteless and unappetizing meals, consumed largely because of his intimidating personality. For someone whose criteria of a good meal consists of maximum protein and something ‘cooked’, his initial resistance of Kang Song Jae’s presence in his ‘territory’, soon turns into irrevocable support as the meal quality of the outpost’s mess starts getting better and his discharge date gets closer.

Cho Ye Rin (played by Han Dong Hee)

A female military officer who is assigned to serve as Ganglim’s Outpost Commander. She’s shown as a righteous and kind individual, unafraid of speaking up for things that matter and for the betterment of the outpost and its soldiers. Although often dismissed and seen as a stubborn subordinate by her superiors, she’s held in high regard by the soldiers stationed at the outpost.

Park Jae Yeong (played by Yoon Kyung Ho)

A veteran who is unable to get promoted and thus, serves as the Master Sergeant at Ganglim outpost. While he boasts of his rather rebellious past, he’s known for being a caring senior who supports and cares for the outpost and its soldiers on his own terms. 

Hwang Seok Ho (played by Lee Sang Yi)

The Company Commander in charge of Ganglim’s operations who graduated the military academy at the bottom of his class. He is shown as a prideful individual pretending to be a sophisticated ‘gourmet’ who’s not beyond deploying any measure necessary to achieve his goals. He’s also often shown to be in a rivalry with captain Lee Min Gu (played by Han Min), the top scorer in the same class as him.

Why should you watch ‘The Legend of Kitchen Soldier’

• Character Development: The plot revolves around Kang Seong Jae and his journey of growth and healing as an individual, a soldier, and a skilled chef. The characters surrounding Seong Jae each showcase a myriad of qualities, making it hard to paint or segregate the characters into clearly divided good or bad categories. The drama showcases the ripple effect of Seong Jae’s introduction into their lives and how it has affected them, bringing about changes and development in unprecedented ways.

• Wholesome Comedy: The cause and effect dynamic of Seong Jae’s cooking adventures often leads to very comedic instances, including but not limited to parodies, reenactments and performances of real-life situations and art.  

• New Perspective: The drama offers a new perspective into the military life of the soldiers. While military related dramas often focus on the weight and responsibility of serving as a soldier, this drama offers an insight into the rather mundane daily life of the soldiers stationed at a small outpost without the prospect of impending action.

• Quest System: The series centers heavily on the actions of the main character, who in return relies on the instructions of a game-like ‘quest system’ to gain his prowess. While the idea of a human being able to interact with a system is not novel in the field of Korean entertainment media, it is one of the very few live adaptations with such plot.
• Food and Recipes: The drama places a strong emphasis on the depiction, use and preparation of food as its main theme. The quest system’s mechanics often reveal a master-chef level of recipes and food prep, introducing diverse cuisines and different preparation methods in depth and urging viewers to try the recipes if they feel so.

The Final Verdict

‘The Legend of Kitchen Soldier’ is the type of drama which is good for a weekend binge as well as to savor bit by bit over weekday dinners. Each of the 12 episodes has its own storyline and in the true game-like pattern, it showcases a gradual level-up from the last one. It is also a drama that does not need a lot of mental fortitude as the events unfold in a sequential order at a leisurely pace. 

It strikes the perfect balance between the sweet relationships and savoury rivalry, making it a worthwhile watch for anyone looking for a hearty laugh and a chance to unwind from the stress of day-to-day life (and perhaps some inspiration for what to cook for the next meal).

Written By: N.V.S. Akanksha

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