Han Seok-kyu‘s ‘Recipe for Farewell’ a local hit

Han Seok-kyu plays Chang-wook, a middle-aged man who learns to cook for his terminally ill wife in "Recipe for Farewell." (Watcha)

Watcha’s latest drama series “Recipe for Farewell” has staked out a spot in the streaming market's fierce year-end competition with its heartwarming story.

The series revolves around a middle-aged man named Chang-wook (played by Han Seok-kyu) whose wife is terminally ill. The series develops as the husband learns to cook for his sick wife.

“Recipe for Farewell” remained in the No. 1 slot on the service’s viewership chart for three consecutive weeks after its premiere on Dec. 1. The series is expected to surpass the smash-hit project “Semantic Error,” which topped the chart for eight consecutive weeks.

According to the homegrown streaming service, the drama led an increase in paid subscribers in the first week following its release.

Proving its popularity, the 12-part human drama also received an average rating of 4.5 out of five at Watchapedia, a South Korean app for movie and TV show recommendations, recording the highest score among 190 TV series that were released this year.

Adapted from an autobiographical essay of the same title by author Kang Chang-rae, “Recipe for Farewell” features Chang-wook, who has never cooked before in his life, and his journey to preparing food for his family.

With each episode named after Korean dishes and focusing on how the character progresses in cooking, including making japchae – a stir-fried glass noodle dish with meat and vegetables that requires multiple steps -- the series is considered a new style of food drama.

Actors Kim Seo-hyung (left) and Han Seok-kyu star as a married couple in "Recipe for Farewell." (Watcha)

With top actor Han Seok-kyu’s small screen return in two years after SBS’ medical drama “Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim 2,” “Recipe for Farewell” drew attention from many drama fans even before its release.

Four of the 12 episodes were screened at this year’s Busan International Film Festival in October.

“Recipe for Farewell” is available on streaming platforms Watcha and Rakuten Viki. The remaining episodes will air on Dec. 29 and Jan. 5, 2023, at 5 p.m.

By Lee Si-jin(sj_lee@heraldcorp.com)