Heo’s Diner (2025) – Based on the Webtoon of the Same Name
“Heo’s Diner” is a 2025 Viki Original Korean drama series with 10 episodes, categorized as Fantasy, Romance, Time Travel; based on the webtoon of the same name.
SUMMARY: A culinary chef in Joseon travels 400 years to the future and gets a job at a small diner owned by a mother and daughter.
♦ The Land I Dreamed Of Really Does Exist?
In “Heo’s Diner”, Heo Gyun can best be described as a kind and gentle soul. He has a heart that reaches out to touch everyone he meets, regardless of class. He believes everyone has VALUE. Everyone? Slaves? Commoners? Kisaengs? That kind of thinking in Joseon is UNACCEPTABLE and DANGEROUS. He dared to challenge the “order of society” by asking the king to allow illegitimate sons of noblemen to hold government posts. He dared to say that the kingdom was wasting talent. Everything he said was true, and that’s probably why he ended up being exiled.
When you’re exiled, it’s supposed to be punishment. But when Inspector Lee Yi-Chum came to check on his current status, he found that everyone on the island adores him, even the magistrate! He was happy! Heo Gyun is not supposed to be happy. He’s in exile! Lee Yi-Chum came there to persuade him to return to Hangyang and be accepted back into the king’s good graces. All he had to do was compromise his principles. Heo Gyun refused the offer to return.
Mae-Chang is a close friend of Heo Gyun. She asked Lee Yi-Chum to let her talk to him, and she might be able to persuade him. He told her NO. Since Heo Gyun had refused, Lee Yi-Chum had to go with Plan B. He sent an assassin to kill him. The kingdom of Joseon can’t have someone walking around freely who has “dangerous thoughts” that upset the “order of society”. The assassin found his target. But at the exact moment that he thrust his sword, Heo Gyun vanished into thin air.
Bong Eun-Sil found Heo Gyun on the streets and tried to assist him even though he seemed to be mentally ill. He was in modern-day Seoul, but he dressed strange and his manner of speaking was also strange. Bong Eun-Sil’s mother fed him and gave him work to do. She didn’t mind having him around. Bong Eun-Sil, on the other hand, wanted him to find somewhere to go. Where was this relationship headed?
The mother/daughter diner was located right next to a fancy high-end restaurant run by Lee Hyeok, a famous chef. Bong Eun-Sil does not know it, but he has plans to get rid of the diner and replace it with a high-end Korean dessert shop. She doesn’t know he made her mother an offer, but her mother refused and now he is thinking of taking more drastic measures to have it his way. Bong Eun-Sil thinks Lee Hyeok is a kind neighbor, who happens to be a famous chef. But he’s not! Where was this relationship headed?
Main Characters:
- Heo Gyun (played by Xiumin, “CEO-dol Mart”)
- Bong Eun-Sil (played by Chu So-Jung, K-pop group “WJSN”)
- Lee Yi-Chum / Lee Hyeok (played by Lee Sae-On, “CEO-dol Mart”)
- Mae-Chang / Jung Mi-Sol (played by Lee Soo-Min, “The Dude In Me”)
Viewership and Rating:
My personal rating is the same as the Viki viewing audience.
If you like “Heo’s Diner”, you might also like “The Witch’s Diner” or “Wok of Love”.
NOTE: There are lots of Kdramas based on webtoons or that are in the time travel genre, reviewed here on PopGeeks.
LINKS OF INTEREST:
WJSN’s Exy Keeps A Close Eye On EXO’s Xiumin As He Adapts To Modern Life In “Heo’s Diner” | Soompi
EXO’s Xiumin To Lead EXO’s Time-Traveling Culinary Rom-Com, “Heo’s Diner” | kdramadiary
‘Heo’s Diner’: A Fantasy Rom-Com Drama, Starring EXO’s Xiumin | Rolling Stone India
TRAILER/TEASER:
KDTeaser tv. “Heo’s Diner (2025).” YouTube, 19 Mar. 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-RNvxQfGgU.
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