The Tasty Florida Summary
Title:
플로리다반점
Series Info:
South Korea (2021)
Genre:
Romance
About:
The Tasty Florida is a cute & sweet BL drama.
Plot
Hae Won is a young university student who recently moved to a new city. He lives at his aunt's hostel, which has a popular restaurant on the rooftop. The restaurant is called The Tasty Florida, run by a handsome young chef named Eun Kyu and his three friends Ji Soo, Ha Jin, and Seo Hyeok.
The Tasty Florida is a trendy establishment decorated with a beachy and laidback theme. The restaurant is frequented by female patrons, many of whom find the young male staff attractive. Eun Kyu and his friends are treated almost like celebrities, as the customers ask for selfies and post them online.
Upon arrival, Hae Won meets Eun Kyu outside the hostel, where they strike an instant connection. At the time, he doesn't realize that Eun Kyu runs the restaurant on the rooftop. After settling in, Hae Won visits The Tasty Florida for the first time. He meets the charming Ji Soo, who works as a waiter.
Ji Soo takes a liking to Hae Won, calling him just his type. As Hae Won becomes a regular customer at the rstaurant, Ji Soo's flirty behaviour around him escalates. However, Ji Soo doesn't know that his friend Eun Kyu has also developed an attraction for Hae Won. Not that Eun Kyu would admit his secret feelings, since he's the type to keep these thoughts to himself.
The Tasty Florida Cast
Characters
Hae Won Cha Woo Min (차우민) Cha Woo Min Instagram
Hae Won is a young student who has recently moved to Seoul and lives at his aunt's hostel. He becomes a regular customer at the rooftop restaurant, The Tasty Florida. After his arrival, Hae Won draws the attention of both Eun Kyu and Ji Soo.
Eun Kyu Kim Yoo Hwan (김유환) Kim Yoo Hwan Instagram
Eun Kyu is a chef and the owner of the rooftop restaurant, The Tasty Florida. He runs his restaurant with his three friends, Ji Soo, Ha Jin, and Seo Hyeok. Eun Kyu's mother passed away and he lost contact with his father, who is rumoured to be in Florida.
Supporting Cast
Ji Soo
Moon Kang Hyuk (문강혁)
Ha Jin
Zeze (제제)
Seo Hyeok
Yoo Seung Jun (유승준)
The Tasty Florida Review
Review
Drama Review Score: 6.4
The Tasty Florida might have the recipe to a sweet BL drama, but it's missing a few key ingredients. It looks like an appealing series, at least on the outside. Everything in its visual presentation is attractive, from the crisp camerawork to the colourful decor. Plus, the two leads are pleasant eye candy, like the exact prototypes of a cute couple. If I judge based on aesthetics alone, The Tasty Florida exudes a cool, chic, and contemporary vibe that resonates with me.
Unfortunately, the stylish packaging cannot conceal some noticeable flaws. For starters, the writing is too cliched with contrived circumstances, cheesy dialogue, and schmaltzy romantic moments. A bigger problem is the undynamic storyline, largely devoid of memorable events. The beautiful restaurant setting is wasted because nothing compelling happens. There's hardly any character development either, other than the vague and snoozy subplot about Eun Kyu's missing father.
All the characters are terribly flat. The Tasty Florida stops fleshing out Hae Won after the first episode, making him a generic protagonist with no agency or point of view. Similarly, Ji Soo is a one-dimensional love interest, an aggressive flirt without depth or likability. Only Eun Kyu is more complex, but he suffers from frustrating characterization and becomes too passive with his feelings. These three guys have the personalities of limp noodles, bland and desperately in need of flavour.
The dull characters make their forced love triangle tedious to endure. There's no suspense about Hae Won's feelings, made painfully apparent that he prefers one guy over the other. Yet, the drama drags out each episode when these adult men could've talked and resolved everything in thirty seconds. Also, this love triangle lacks emotional impact because Eun Kyu's bond with Ji Soo is emphasized poorly. I was shocked to learn these two have been pals for 15 years when they don't appear close. Good coworkers? Maybe. Childhood friends? I don't see it.
Between Team Eun Kyu and Team Ji Soo, I don't side with either of them. I hate how Ji Soo claims dibs on Hae Won, treating the romance like some first-come-first-serve restaurant reservation. His character is tough to like, doubling down on the flirty advances once he realizes his "friend" wants the same guy as him. However, Eun Kyu is annoyingly withdrawn and indecisive, taking forever to make up his mind about Hae Won. If you like the guy, just confess instead of avoiding the topic, getting jealous, and harbouring bitter resentment.
As mentioned earlier in my review, I enjoy the vibrant energy from The Tasty Florida. The production is sleek and polished with a visually appetizing ambiance. Those dreamy close-ups of Eun Kyu's handsome face, dimpled smile, and rock-hard abs dazzle me so much that I can almost excuse any shortcomings. Beneath the pretty illusion, I must admit that the story, romance, and character dynamics are all severely undercooked. Ultimately, The Tasty Florida is too much of a flawed drama and not juicy enough to satisfy my BL cravings.
Story
Mundane story
The Tasty Florida has a pretty ordinary story. Basically, Hae Won moves to a new city, finds a part-time job at a restaurant, and falls in love with the chef. I guess the plot is okay, even if it's a little banal and doesn't feel that exciting. Plus, all the events are telegraphed from the start, so there aren't many surprises either. At least the narrative is clear and coherent, a quality threshold that not all BL dramas achieve. 😐
When you have such a simple plot, the character development needs to pick up the slack. Unfortunately, that's where The Tasty Florida falters. Hae Won feels like a bland protagonist without a spark to his personality. We don't learn much about him throughout the eight episodes. He exists to be a love interest and nothing more. Even though Eun Kyu and Ji Soo fight over him, I still don't understand what they see in Hae Won other than his looks.
Missing father
Eun Kyu is relatively better and there's some attempt to give his character a backstory. However, the whole subplot with his missing dad is kinda vague and boring. Supposedly, the father went to Florida and lost touch with his family afterwards. Is he dead? Did he desert his family? Was he abducted by aliens? Who knows? 🤷🏻♀️
But more importantly, who cares? I don't understand this weird, abstract storyline about a character I never even met. Whether Eun Kyu's father is dead or alive, I'm not intrigued either way. The Tasty Florida is supposed to be a casual BL romance series, so it should have more down-to-earth storylines that match the mellow vibe. Just give us some cute, lighthearted drama around the restaurant or Eun Kyu's friends. None of this missing father nonsense please.
Romance
Hae Won and Eun Kyu
Hae Won and Eun Kyu fall in love at first sight during the first few minutes of the drama. However, it takes them forever to actually get together. The blame falls primarily on Eun Kyu, who's feckless, indecisive, and reluctant to admit his attraction. On paper, their relationship should've been straightforward since both characters feel the same about each other. Yet, this romance drags out for a long time because Eun Kyu wouldn't commit even after Hae Won initiates a kiss.
I understand Eun Kyu is hesitant because he doesn't want to pursue the same guy as his best friend. If you wanna respect the bro code, then fine. Tell Hae Won that you don't want a relationship instead of giving him this awkward silent treatment. After the kiss, Eun Kyu sulks in the background, giving Hae Won & Ji Soo dirty looks as they bond in front of him. How annoying. Do you want him or not? Hae Won made a move earlier and you rejected him. Now you're acting jealous. Can you make up your mind already!?
What could've been a cute, endearing couple is bogged down by such frustrating indecisiveness. The series is almost over by the time Eun Kyu finally sorts out his feelings. We end up getting minimal romantic content between the two characters. Although their last few scenes together are kinda cute, I'm unsatisfied with the long, drawn-out journey to get to this point.
Hae Won and Ji Soo
Ji Soo is a pretty unsympathetic character. I think he's supposed to be playful and charming, but I find him sleazy and calculating instead. Even though Hae Won and Eun Kyu clearly have feelings for each other, Ji Soo insists on getting involved and forcing a love triangle. For some reason, Ji Soo feels entitled to Hae Won, acting like he has exclusive rights to a relationship simply for being ~first~. Loving Hae Won is like a supermarket checkout line and I got here before you!
The love triangle is boring and obnoxious to watch, reflecting terribly on all characters involved. It's pathetic Ji Soo and Eun Kyu would jeopardize their fifteen-year friendship over a guy they barely know. Ji Soo should have backed off as soon as he suspected that Hae Won liked Eun Kyu. Instead, he became more aggressive with his flirting and then accused his friend of being conniving. Oh my god, Ji Soo has such rotten sportsmanship. Stop acting bitter just because Eun Kyu scored some ass and you didn't. 😒
Acting
Okay acting
The acting in The Tasty Florida is pretty unremarkable. I can't think of any outstanding moments from the cast, but everyone's efforts are generally acceptable. Some scenes could have been better performed, but it's a rookie cast and I won't hold them to impossibly high standards.
I must say, the camera loves Eun Kyu's actor (Kim Yoo Kwan). There are so many gorgeous close-up shots of him, exuding almost like an ethereal beauty. Whether his character is smiling or sulking, this guy radiates on screen and he looks handsome from every angle.
Ending
Happy ending
The Tasty Florida has a happy ending where Eun Kyu gathers the courage to confess his feelings for Hae Won. They share a kiss on the rooftop, a brief but cinematically beautiful moment that captures the start of their romance. Meanwhile, Ji Soo comes to his senses and bows out of the love triangle after realizing his coworkers are in love. After Eun Kyu and Hae Won become boyfriends, Ji Soo smiles and seems happy to see them together.
Hae Won encourages Eun Kyu to travel to Florida to search for his dad. The series jumps forward to a year later. Hae Won is still working at the restaurant, running it smoothly with the rest of the gang. In the final scene, Eun Kyu returns to the restaurant after spending a year overseas. We don't know the investigation results for his missing father, but it doesn't really matter. Upon his arrival, Hae Won greets his boyfriend in a deep and tender embrace.
This ending is pretty predictable and straightforward. I'm relieved the tedious love triangle drama got resolved without too much annoying conflict. Eun Kyu's one-year departure to Florida feels unnecessary, taking away precious time that could be used for cute relationship scenes instead. However, I guess the missing dad storyline needs closure after being introduced. Overall, I'm okay with how The Tasty Florida ends, even if it doesn't feel like a super exciting conclusion.
The Tasty Florida Episodes
Episode Guide
The Tasty Florida has a total of 8 episodes. Each episode is around 10 to 12 minutes long. It is a short BL drama, and you can finish the entire series in under 2 hours. The Tasty Florida started airing on September 24, 2021 and finished its last episode on October 15, 2021.
★★☆☆
★★★☆
★★☆☆
★★★☆
★★☆☆
★★☆☆
★★☆☆
★★☆☆
⭐ Best episode
Episode 4
The love triangle in The Tasty Florida got really annoying during the second half of the series. Eun Kyu and Ji Soo's behaviour agitated me too much to be enjoyable. That's why I didn't pick any of the later episodes, even though they were packed with more drama, romance, and action.
Episode 4 is a pleasant episode with some decent progress in the plot. It has some character development scenes for Eun Kyu, giving us more insights into his tragic background. There's also a cute and schmaltzy conversation between the two leads in bed. Nothing physical happened, but I like the emotional rapport between them.
The episode ends with a fun, vibrant segment where Hae Won goes for an interview at the restaurant. He impresses Eun Kyu enough with his cooking skills and gets the coveted job. Overall, it feels like a satisfying showcase of The Tasty Florida with a bit of everything that makes it great.
😡 Most triggering episode
Episode 7
In Episode 7, the tension finally culminates between Eun Kyu and Ji Soo. It begins with a casual chat, where Ji Soo offers to take Hae Won sightseeing around the city. However, Eun Kyu butts in and wants to be the tour guide instead. The two friends get snippy over their disagreement as their words intensify.
Ji Soo accuses Eun Kyu of plotting against him and sabotaging his relationship with Hae Won. From his perspective, Eun Kyu is trying to steal a guy that Ji Soo called dibs first. He implies his friend is "playing games", a provocative insult that pushes Eun Kyu over the edge. The two friends throw punches at each other, even though Eun Kyu still suffers from an arm injury. The others step in to break up the fight before it gets any more violent.
Ji Soo walks away from the fight, claiming their fifteen-year friendship means nothing. However, the two of them cooled down after their expensive confrontation. At the end of the episode, Eun Kyu and Ji Soo talk out their feelings and successfully reconcile.
💕 Most romantic episode
Episode 8
The most romantic in The Tasty Florida is Episode 8, where Eun Kyu and Hae Won officially become boyfriends. It's the episode where Eun Kyu gives his big love confession, and they share a majestic kiss on the rooftop.
After becoming boyfriends, they also share a few cute moments together. There's a bedroom scene with them dressed in pyjamas, sharing the same bed together. They do a little playful flirting and Eun Kyu starts kissing his boyfriend on the neck repeatedly. Afterwards, they fall into a comfortable silence as the two of them stare lovingly into each other's eyes. Nothing sexually explicit happens, but I like the affection and intimacy between them.
💋 Episodes with kissing
Episode 6, 8
There are two kisses in The Tasty Florida. The first kiss happens at the start of Episode 6, continuing from the events in the previous episode. Hae Won is taking care of an intoxicated Eun Kyu in his bedroom. Eun Kyu is mildly drunk and lucid enough to have a conversation. They talk for a while and Hae Won springs an impulsive kiss on him. The next day, Eun Kyu wakes up and doesn't want to address their kiss. He isn't ready to confront his feelings for Hae Won yet.
The second kiss occurs in Episode 8. Both characters are in the rooftop restaurant together. Eun Kyu finally confesses his feelings, admitting that he likes Hae Won. Then, Eun Kyu initiates a kiss. They lock lips for a few seconds before pulling away and staring into each other's eyes. Afterwards, they resume kissing as the screen fades out.
💪🏻 Episodes with skin
Episode 6
The Tasty Florida has one shirtless scene, which only lasts a couple of seconds. It happens at the start of Episode 6, where Eun Kyu is in the dojo with his uniform inexplicably half-open. During those few seconds, we see just the tiniest glimpse of DEM ABS.
Holy crap, he was hiding that spectacular body underneath those clothes. Now we know precisely what the ~TASTY~ part in The Tasty Florida is referencing. 🍫
The Tasty Florida Information
Links
- MyDramaList The Tasty Florida MyDramaList
- Viki The Tasty Florida Viki
- Website The Tasty Florida website
- YouTube The Tasty Florida YouTube
Idol Romance
Idol Romance is a Korean BL studio that made Wish You (2020), Nobleman Ryu's Wedding (2021), The Tasty Florida (2021), and Tinted With You (2021). It also produced Once Again (2022) and Roommates of Poongduck 304 (2022).
omg omg THANK U FOR WATCHING IT AND WRITING A REVIEW ABOUT IT!! .. i agree with you in most things too 😊
oops i forgot to say … YES OMG EUN KYU'S ACTOR IS SO HANDSOME AAA 😩✨😍
i do not agree with anything you said about this bl.
I think your review is lacking. You don’t seem to recognize Hae Won’s allure. Hae Won’s quiet and sensitive manners and subtle, on-another-level beauty makes the viewer believe how the two guys could become obsessed and enamored, because Hae Won puts everyone else around him to shame. If you don’t recognize this, you are missing a key element. This carries the plot forward, I think. I’m not saying the series is without faults. But it is very successful in some ways.
The actors have chemistry, but their potential is wasted with the underwhelming storyline.