Secret Ingredient (miniseries)
2024 Philippine miniseries
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Secret Ingredient is a Philippine romantic miniseries starring South Korean actor Sang Heon Lee, Filipino actress Julia Barretto, and Indonesian actor Nicholas Saputra. The show was created by Corinna Vistan, written by Baek Dong-hoon, and directed by Cho Young-gwang. It premiered on Viu on April 30, 2024, as a Viu Original series.
| Secret Ingredient | |
|---|---|
| |
| Genre | Romance Drama |
| Created by | Corinna Vistan |
| Written by | Baek Dong-hoon |
| Directed by | Cho Young Gwang |
| Starring | Sang Heon Lee Julia Barretto Nicholas Saputra |
| Country of origin | Philippines |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production companies | Viu Unilever SEA |
| Original release | |
| Network | Viu |
| Release | April 30 – June 4, 2024 |
This is Viu's first regional original drama production featuring an ensemble Asian cast - from the Philippines, South Korea and Indonesia. It is also the first collaboration between Viu and Unilever Nutrition SEA.
Synopsis
Cast
- Sang Heon Lee as Ha-joon, a Korean social elite who left Seoul to find his lost love[2]
- Julia Barretto as Maya, an aspiring chef in Jakarta who's desperate to win a cooking competition in order to pay for her mother's medical bills[3][4]
- Nicholas Saputra as Arif Hadi, a headstrong executive chef who is perfectionist[5]
Production
Casting
In January 2024, the casting of South Korean actor Sang Heon Lee, Filipino actress Julia Barretto, and Indonesian actor Nicholas Saputra for a Viu original series was announced.[6] Lee later revealed in an interview that he received a direct casting for the lead role instead of auditioning.[2]
Pre-production
Lee worked in a Hanwoo omakase restaurant for a month as preparation[2] and Barretto attended a short course in a culinary school to prepare for her role.[7]
Release
Viu released the first trailer in April 2024.[8] An official media launch was held on the same month in Taguig City, Philippines.[7]
Episodes
| 1 | "Hors d'oeuvre" | April 30, 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Ha-joon struggles to adjust to his life in the kitchen. Maya is determined to win the cooking challenge set by Arif who is the Executive Chef for a chance to become promoted as Chef de Partie. | |||
| 2 | "Soup" | May 7, 2024 | |
|
Maya tries to redeem herself to Arif by preparing a dish using a hard to find ingredient. Ha-joon tries to make for his mistake by helping Maya find this rare fruit called kepel. | |||
| 3 | "Appetizer" | May 14, 2024 | |
|
Although it goes against company policy, Ha-joon and Stella encourage Maya to create a side business by selling food to hotel employees in order to pay back her debt. | |||
| 4 | "The Main Course" | May 21, 2024 | |
|
Maya, Ha-joon and Stella join the International cooking competition in order to create more opportunities for Maya. | |||
| 5 | "Cheese" | May 28, 2024 | |
|
Little Ha-joon and his mom must leave Korea and start their new life in an unknown country. | |||
| 6 | "Dessert" | June 4, 2024 | |
|
Maya must find her voice and shine in order to win the culinary competition. Ha-joon flies back to Korea in order to fight for what is rightfully his. | |||