I absolutely adore this show! We were able to watch both episodes slowly over the last two days and I just fell more and more in love with it. I hope a streaming service picks it up because it is simply too good to miss. Especially if you love romantic-comedies and really love a nice balance in the romance and comedy.
It makes sense why the comedy is nicely done because the writer of this show is the same writer for Fiery Priest which I also loved. Though this drama is not as hilariously zany as Fiery Priest, it is still delightfully chuckle worthy in many parts. I hope it continues in this vein because I really love every single thing about this drama right now.
Caution: Be wary of typos
Shorthand Character Chart: Dinner Mates Character Chart
How we do this: This live recap will be in two parts and we segment each post around every 10 minutes. Sometimes sooner, sometimes later depending on the scene. There will be typos which we have fantasies of fixing once the episode finishes airing. Also, if there is a preview then we will try and translate it. Look for that at the bottom or on a separate post!
KOREAN DRAMA DINNER MATES RECAP EPISODE 1 & 2 – PART 1
——-dramamilk.com——-
/1/
A taxi drives up an empty street. Moon River plays and a woman voices over, her name is Woo Do-hee.
VO – There is a scene from my favorite movie, Breakfast at Tiffany’s with Audrey Hepburn. It is the Moon River scene.
A woman gets out dressed in black just like Audrey Hepburn is in the movie. She is holding a white paper package in her hand.
VO – Audrey got out of the taxi and walked as if she was the only one in the world.
The woman stops at a shop and looks at the jewelry in the window. She eats her pasty just like Audrey in the movie.
VO – She eats her bread and drinks her coffee.
She drinks her coffee.
VO – The reason I like this scene is because of how she eats alone and looks at a pretty thing without any interruptions. In that moment, my eye gaze and taste and mentality becomes the most harmonious.
But then she is snapped out of her thoughts and transported to reality where she is wearing normal everyday clothing. But she is still eating the pastry. Her boyfriend says her name so she runs to him. (It is her love interest in Crash Landing on You, lol).
They go to a place to eat beef. He adds a lot of pepper to her dish to remove the meat smell. She smiles and blows some off and then smiles again and says it is a bit hot.
VO – People matter in each others life in relationships.
They leave and walk up the street together.
VO – But sharing a moment with the person I love is important also.
They walk past the jewelry store. She asks him where he would like to go? Then she looks at the expensive necklace. But he pulls her away to keep walking.
Vo – Sometimes I can give up everything if I can feel his warmth and eat dinner together. Sometimes the important thing in life is not the combination of all the ideal things, but just one thing.
MOTORCYCLE CHASE
A motorcycle zig-zags through traffic and is chased by a person on another motorcycle.
Then the driver starts to zig-zag through small alley street. But he gets stopped by a car and flips over the hood. The other man stops and takes off his helmet. It is Kim Hae-kyung.
The culprit takes off running so Hae-kyung gives chase. Now it is a chase scene through the sidewalks and shopping area of Seoul.
The man falls and starts to speak Chinese as he pulls out a knife. Hae-kyung asks, um, you speak Chinese, um, Calm down. He starts to try and speak Chinese but he is not very good.
Hae-kyung wonders why this guy is so upset and what he is talking about. People around start to stare. Hae-kyung asks him to maybe say it one more time? My Chinese is not that great, I stopped in the middle of learning.
So the man says “Girlfriend”. Hae-kyung understands that and tells him that he will bring his girlfriend. The bad guy says, he does not want to die! Hae-kyung tells him that he will not die! But your knife down!
But the man attacks him so Hae-kyung defends himself and stops the man from attacking but he does it in a nice way that doesn’t hurt either one of them. So the man is on the ground resting on Hae-kyung foot when another guy runs up.
Hae-kyung tells this guy to call an ambulance.
WOO DO HEE
Cut to Do-hee who is inside somewhere talking to a person on the phone about how her rent is so high. How can she commute from home? it is a four hour return trip. What about appa?
Umma says that he is crazy again. He just dresses up and goes out. I think he has something to do with the new coffee shop owner.
Do-hee says that is not the first time. if you fight or have an agreement this is none of my business.
Umma tells her, if your boyfriend has an affair just cut his thingy off.
Do-hee tells her, hey, umma, don’t worry I will not marry a person who has affairs like you did, okay? It will never happen.
Her umma tells her that all men are the same.
Do-hee tells her to stop, you shouldn’t say that to your daughter. Just be sure to eat regularly.
She hangs up and wonders why her boyfriend is not calling her (uh oh).
STREET
Hae-kyung sends the patient away and says that this ended well. The guy with him is Lee Byung-jin who is a nurse. Ah, okay, Hae-kyung is a psychiatrist. They both start to walk away and chat but the nurse is still out of breath since he ran and Hae-kyung took the motorcycle.
Byung-jin asks if he ate? But he speaks in Chinese. Hae-kyung tells him to eat alone, in Chinese. They both keep walking.
Later that night, Do-hee calls her boyfriend right at midnight. But he is busy and she goes straight to voicemail. So she texts him to tell him happy birthday. She says it is his third birthday after they started dating and she is sorry she could not be with him on his birthday. One day we will be together every year.
Then she looks up something that says “Recipe for boyfriend”.
/2/
MORNING
We go directly to the 2N Box company with is a pretty nice size building. This is an internet company that looks like it is a YouTube like company that shoots all sorts of small internet shows like food shows or Gaming Tube or ASMR. it is a big production but the goal is to try and make then look like they are shooting out of their house or a small studio.
The camera keeps scrolling through until we get to the bosses office. The boss is fabulous and is checking to see if their content became #1 on the internet. It did become #1 so she stands in celebration and says, NICE!
Do-hee shows up for work and sits in her seat next to her desk mate Park Jin-kyu. He tells her that he heard that she moved closer to work but now you come later? She has a little back and forth with him about if he checks up on her.
He says he is never late. The boss comes out and tells him that he sleeps here, that is why he is never late. Change your clothes, you smell like a mop sitting in the corner of the house on cleaning day.
Then the boss asks Do-hee if she is going somewhere. Jin-kyu asks if she is causing trouble again. Do-hee covers her nose when she talks to him and says that she never causes trouble. Her job is creating B rated spoof videos like Kung Fury. So she tells him that she does not cause trouble, she is supposed to make this content, that is why my viewers watch my content.
He is sarcastic about her videos so they have a tiny tit for tat. Their boss interrupts and says that she will see how they do later.
VIDEO
Do-hee goes to her video set up with their cameras and table and lighting and host all set up. She is watching from behind the scenes. In this one the host says that they will have day time drinking with someone who was just dumped by their boyfriend. People review it realtime with comments and don’t really like it.
Cut to both host and guest becoming drunk. The viewers think this is so boring. But then the host gives Do-hee a signal (they wink) and the host starts to talk to the girlfriend about how she was so controlling. The woman asks if he can have an affair? He says it might have ben true love. So she slaps him with the chicken and the ratings start to go way up.
The boss says to cut but Do-hee says no, no, no! So the fight continues and the host accidentally pulls off the girlfriends wig. Her hair is not done underneath (though it doesn’t look bad) but she is so angry anyway. Anyway, they get a lot o money sent to them from viewers.
The girlfriend is super upset and starts to throw chicken and food at them all and spray alcohol until it is a food fight. This food fight stops when japchae gets thrown and lands on the bosses head. Do-hee tries to stop it from hitting the boss, but actually helps it land on her head even more, lol.
BOSS’ OFFICE
Do-hee goes to the bosses office and tells her that they had more than 100k live viewers, what is the problem? She is pretty casual about it. The CEO says it was a mess. We are like the company game 2N, Not normal. I made this not normal.
The boss reasons this is not a tiny officetel with two monitors anymore. Do-hee tells her that other PD’s are making the high quality content you want. At least I should make this.
But the boss tells her that she is not letting her make spoof videos like this anymore. We will get blocked. Do-hee is a bit sarcastic with pretend good manners and tells her that she is going to take a vacation, just fire me if you want to.
The boss asks, are you going to leave after this big mess? Do-hee says she will go to Jeju island and bring her back oranges. Then she runs off.
PSYCHIATRIST OFFICE
Hae-kyung gets to his office. The nurse is talking to another person saying that his doctor does not want to be on TV. If he changes his mind then I will call you.
Byung-jin sees that Hae-kyung has showed up and runs to him to ask why he does not do the TV show? You have a good face and figure and you are smart and can talk well. Why not be on TV?
Hae-kyung playfully says he wants the nurse to die from stress since he is not going to be on TV, that is why. The nurse asks, do you have generational debt or someone who wants to kill you or something?
Hae-kyung asks if he is a fortune teller then laughs and says he will take care of it, don’t worry. he also asks him to pick him up tonight from the airport. The nurse asks, why don’t you have a good time there and drink and spread your business card around. At least date someone at least since you don’t want to be on TV. Research says that single people die even before fat people.
Hae-kyung asks, really? Byung-jin tells him, yes! So Hae-kyung sarcastically tells him he needs to eat a lot tonight to live more than a solo person. he walks out. The nurse mutters curses angrily.
2N BOX
Do-hee walks to her friend Sora. Sora asks if she is really going there without telling him? Do-hee says yes, it is a complete surprise.
Sora says that makes her nervous. Do-hee thinks oppa will propose to her. Sora thinks that is daeback, do you have a real feeling this time?
We see a flashback where Do-hee got a text with the picture of a ring.
So in the present she tells Sora that she got a text with the picture of a ring last week. He sent it to me for me to check it out. Sora tells her that is cute. Are you going to live like Lee Ho-ri in Jeju island and run a cafe with oppa?
Do-hee sings, maybe and happily leaves to head off to Jeju. Sora waves her off and mutters that she envies her.
/3/
AIRPORT
Do-hee talks to her selfie camera and says, “Hi Oppa, right now it is May 4th at 1:30pm. It is three hours before arriving at Jeju Island. You don’t even guess that I am coming. I feel like a historical thing will happen between you and me so I want to document it. I will show it to our kids later.”
Then she swoons and mentions that she is so embarrassed. She gets her ticket and continues talking in the selfie camera about getting it and hopefully she can stretch her legs. She also gets a surprised upgrade to business class. So she thinks this is great, the world is helping me and is giving us blessings. Ii feel good Oppa. Business class!!!!
She goes to the business class and still has her selfie camera stick on as she gets to her seat and looks at how nice everything is.
Hae-kyung comes in right then and sits in the seat next to her. So she puts up her selfie camera.
The stewardess comes up to see what they would like to drink. Hae-kyung says water. Do-hee asks for rice water. But they do not have it so she asks for cola.
The plane takes off. Hae-kyung looks at his patients charts and Do-hee plays with all the buttons on her seat. Hae-kyung gives her a slightly annoyed look. She whispers, why is he so serious? Then she gets the flight attendants attention and tells her that she thinks her boyfriend will propose to her today.
The flight attendant says congratulations. Do-hee tells her that she is actually making a congratulations message for the camera, can you do it for me? So the flight attendant starts to say a congratulations message for Do-hee. But she has to clear her voice when she first starts which seems like a bad omen. But she is able to say her congratulations message well after that.
Hae-kyung asks the attendant if he can have another water so he heads off to get it. Do-hee also asks Hae-kyung if she can ask a favor but he basically ignores her and says no thank you.
She mumbles to herself about how he might be a psychic. He overhears her but doesn’t really ask her to repeat what she says.
JEJU
Do-hee goes to get her car and finds out that her car is upgraded for free due to some event going on. So Do-hee thinks the world if giving her luck as promised. She talks to the camera about how this Jeju trips is so blessed.
She happily drives off in the rental and sings a love song talking about how her and her boyfriend will be together fo-evaaaaaah.
Meanwhile, Hae-kyung gets a text from the nurse. Byung-jin asks, when we go to Seoul, would you like to eat dinner together (which is the Korean Title of the drama “Would you like to Eat Dinner Together”). Hae-kyung tells him no, you can eat it.
But then his nurse calls and tells him that when he has a consultation over a meal then he never eats anything so I am being considerate for you by suggesting that we can eat dinner together. You should say yes, okay, let’s eat together.
Hae-kyung tells him he wants to eat dinner and relax alone. Goodbye.
GROCERY STORE
Elsewhere, Do-hee is still on her video and tells her oppa that she will make a big dinner for his birthday. She starts to buy lots of groceries and tells her self that they also need to have a strong drink.
Cut to Haekyung who is at a consultation with a patient. This patient looks like she might be wealthy. He says he like to come to Jeju so it is no problem.
He starts to analyze her on the sly and sees that she has a few recent cut marks on her wrist. he tells her that they can eat first. She asks what they should eat so he explains the menu to her and thinks about all the doctorly things about omega 3 in salmon and how it should boost her mood and mind.
After their food comes, she starts to mutter how things are all her fault. In his mind he says that her speech and behavior are getting slower. So is her reason and decision making. She says that she is a weak person. Maybe I am being punished. He thinks that she is self blaming so her misfortune might be due to herself.
Third, she puts all the dishes and side dishes and everything in front of herself so he thinks that she has no room to consider others. She says that other people live well after breaking up but I feel like I am getting deeper in my hole.
She pokes at her food and softly says it is difficult to get out of it. He thinks, 4th, she does not eat.
DO HEE
Meanwhile, Do-hee gets to the same restaurant and tells her camera tht she is going in now. She sees a waiter who is happy to see her and says that his boss is inside. But then he realizes something and runs in to secretly give the other waiter the X signal that this is bad.
So two waiters try to act like everything is fine and if her boyfriend knows she is coming? She says no, she will wait upstairs for him. But they look so worried about that. However all they can do is kind of follow her upstairs and try to get her to change her mind.
But then she hears a woman’s voice with her boyfriend. The waiters squinch their eyes in pain at what is coming. She starts to go up the stairs even fasts and sees that he has balloons and cake and flowers and a sees the flight attendant with her boyfriend!
She is so shocked that she falls backwards into an imaginary glass of water like she is brad Pit in Snatch and watches this kiss happening from under the water.
She drops her bag in shock which makes her boyfriend notice her. The flight attendant is shocked as well so it seems like both women are being played by him.
Do-hee tells her boyfriend to tell her something. He starts to mumble something else to change the subject. He mentions her hair, she says it has been the same for two years. Then lunges forward like she is about to slap him or something.
But we cut to the eating area where Hae-kyung is still talking with his patient about how she is so depressed and other people are fine but she is so sad. He tells her to think of it as a long flu.
But then the boyfriend comes flying out and hits the railing. He says something to calm the situation and then goes back inside. But Do-hee yells at him again and pushes him back out. How can you say you have a new woman and are dumping me!
He tells her not to hit him, violence is bad, calm down. He goes bak in. She hits him and pushes him back out. He falls down a few steps and hits his head lightly.
She comes out like a mob boss and tells him to come out. Hae-kyung recognizes her from the airplane and that she was supposed to be proposed to today.
Do-hee tells him to come back inside. The boyfriend stands up. The flight attendant tells him to stop doing physical comedy and end it with her. Do-hee tells her to shut up. The boyfriend says no to hit her. The attendant asks if she is going to record this? It is a critical moment.
Hae-kyung can’t believe that the flight attendant is the cheater.
The flight attendant tells her that she can still give her a congratulations message. Do-he is about to hit her with her camera but the boyfriend stops her because the flight attendant shouldn’t have a scar on her face.
Do-hee asks, her face can’t be hurt, but what about my pride! The flight attendant says that she also does not like this situation. Why don’t you just release all your anger by pulling my hair or something? She keeps talking and making Do-hee even more angry.
Do-hee is about to go into the room and rip her a new one. The boyfriend tries to stop her but Do-he pushes him back into the room to.
END PART ONE
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Hi, it this drama being shown on any of the good websites??