Secret Ingredient (miniseries)
| 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 |
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.
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
[edit]A story about a Korean man who gives up his affluent life in Seoul in search of the childhood friend he’s never forgotten.[1][2]
Cast
[edit]- 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
[edit]Casting
[edit]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
[edit]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
[edit]Viu released the first trailer on April 2024.[8] An official media launch was held on the same month in Taguig City, Philippines.[7]
Episodes
[edit]| 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. | |||
References
[edit]- ^ Deveza, Reyma (April 15, 2024). "WATCH: Viu releases trailer of Julia Barretto's 'Secret Ingredient'". ABS-CBN News.
- ^ a b c d "'Secret Ingredient' star Sang Heon Lee on his love for food and growing up in Hong Kong". Lifestyle Asia Hong Kong. May 27, 2024. Archived from the original on 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. Archived from the original on July 23, 2024. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
- ^ "Julia Barretto, Lee Sang-heon, Nicholas Saputra to star in rom-com series". ABS-CBN News. January 20, 2024. Retrieved January 21, 2025.
- ^ a b "'Secret Ingredient' ni Julia siguradong pakikiligin, patatakamin ang fans". INQUIRER.net. April 29, 2024. Archived from the original on July 23, 2024. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
- ^ Deveza, Reyma. "WATCH: Viu releases trailer of Julia Barretto's 'Secret Ingredient' | ABS-CBN Entertainment". ABS-CBN. Archived from the original on December 20, 2024. Retrieved January 21, 2025.