Kang Ha-neul Brings Humor and Depth to His Role in Genie TV’s New Drama ‘The Taste of You’

On May 8th, the production presentation for Genie TV’s original drama ‘The Taste of You’ was held at a hotel in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul. The event brought together creator Han Jun-hee, director Park Dan-hee, and stars including Kang Ha-neul, Go Min-si, Kim Shin-rok, and Yoo Soo-bin to discuss the much-anticipated romantic drama.

‘The Taste of You’ follows a dynamic, high-stakes romance between Han Beom-woo, played by Kang Ha-neul, a wealthy heir who becomes a ‘recipe hunter’ in a bid to inherit the nation’s top food conglomerate, and chef Mo Yeon-joo, played by Go Min-si, who runs a single-table restaurant with no signboard in Jeonju.

Kang takes on the role of Han Beom-woo, the ambitious director of food giant ‘Hansang’ and the head of ‘Moto,’ a fine dining restaurant that has earned one star from the ‘Diamant Guide.’ In the series, Beom-woo’s mission is to achieve three stars in the ‘Diamant Guide’ to secure his legacy as the future leader of Hansang Group.

“I’ve never lived as a chaebol heir in real life, so it was a challenging role,” said Kang during the event. “Rather than trying to act how a chaebol might act, I focused on how to portray the character in a fun and delightful way for the audience. I found that thinking about ‘what if I were a chaebol?’ helped me approach Han Beom-woo with a lighter, more comedic tone.”

He added, “Sometimes, it’s easier to be ignored than to ignore others. For this project, I made an effort to become more open-eared. I listened a lot to the creator, the director, and my fellow actors. I tried to soak in their insights to deliver a more vivid portrayal of Han Beom-woo.”

‘The Taste of You’ will premiere on ENA on May 12th at 10 PM KST. Streaming will be available immediately after the broadcast on KT Genie TV and Genie TV Mobile, free of charge.