| Secret Ingredient | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Romantic comedy Food |
| 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 (2024-04-30) – June 4, 2024 (2024-06-04) |
Secret Ingredient is a Philippine mini-drama series created by Corinna Vistan, written by Baek Dong-hoon, directed by Cho Young-gwang, and starring Philippine actress Julia Barretto, Korean actor Lee Sang Heon and Indonesian actor Nicholas Saputra. The show premiered on Viu on April 30, 2024 as a Viu Original series.
This is the 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
Secret Ingredient is about the story of a Korean man who gives up his affluent life in Seoul in search of the childhood friend he’s never forgotten. It follows the story of the three main leads as they navigate life's journey.
Cast
- Lee Sang Heon as Ha Joon, a Korean social elite who left Seoul to find his lost love
- 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
- Nicholas Saputra as Arif Hadi, a headstrong executive chef who is perfectionist
Production
Casting
Korean actor Lee Sang Heon who rose to prominence from his acting debut in Netflix original series, "XO, Kitty", revealed that he received a direct casting for the lead role instead of an audition in an interview.
Development
Sang Heon worked in a Hanwoo omakase restaurant for a month as preparation, meanwhile Julia Barretto revealed she attended a short course in a culinary school to prepare for her role, where she learnt about preparation, fabrication, deboning, etc.
Event
An official media launch event of the series was held on April 28, 2024 in Taguig City. The exclusive press conference, and screening event took place at a hotel in BGC. The family of the leading actress, Julia Barretto, also attended to show their support.
The pilot screening allowed selected press and influencers an opportunity to watch the first 2 episodes ahead its premiere.
Episodes
| 1 | "Hors d'oeuvre" | April 30, 2024 (2024-04-30) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 (2024-05-07) | |
| 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 (2024-05-14) | |
| 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 (2024-05-21) | |
| Maya, Ha-Joon and Stella join the International cooking competition in order to create more opportunities for Maya. | |||
| 5 | "Cheese" | May 28, 2024 (2024-05-28) | |
| Little Ha-Joon and his mom must leave Korea and start their new life in an unknown country. | |||
| 6 | "Dessert" | June 4, 2024 (2024-06-04) | |
| 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. | |||
References
- "EXCLUSIVE: Marjorie kinilig, natakam sa 'Secret Ingredient' ni Julia". INQUIRER.net. April 29, 2024. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
- Deveza, Reyma (April 15, 2024). "WATCH: Viu releases trailer of Julia Barretto's 'Secret Ingredient'". ABS-CBN News.
- ^ "'Secret Ingredient' star Sang Heon Lee on his love for food and growing up in Hong Kong". Lifestyle Asia Hong Kong. May 27, 2024. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
- Daza, Pat-P. "Julia Barretto channels her love for cooking in Viu's 'Secret Ingredient'". Philstar.com. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
- "We're Eating What Secret Ingredient Is Serving, So Far". nylonmanila.com. April 30, 2024. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
- "Nicholas Saputra Blak-blakan soal Alasan Bintangi Secret Ingredient". Hiburan (in Indonesian). April 27, 2024.
- ^ "'Secret Ingredient' ni Julia siguradong pakikiligin, patatakamin ang fans". INQUIRER.net. April 29, 2024. Retrieved July 23, 2024.