Lee Sun Kyun and Gong Hyo Jin's chemistry as they embark on this love-hate, mentor-flirtatious relationship for its first half sold it for me. You could feel the pining and romantic anticipation they showed in its first 10 episodes and it was clearly delightful to watch. Those two people were clearly opposite – Lee Sun Kyun’s character as Choi Hyun Wook is a complex man who seems to have a lot of resentment (with a woman) but was an extremely great chef but with a very strict personality and Gong Hyo Jin’s character as So Yoo Kyung was persistent, understanding and down-to-earth. They were clearly opposites of one another but they clicked at one thing – both were clearly stubborn, Yoo Kyung was stubborn in reaching her dreams and won’t stop even at this jerk of a great chef in front of her, eventually convince him to mentor her so she would be a good chef, and stubbornly won’t stop liking him even if he tried to shut her out. While Chef Hyun Wook was extremely stubborn too in his way of teaching other chefs, criticisms about food going out of ‘his’ kitchen, and not going out of his own ways but was ready to lose when it comes to Yoo Kyung. Both were stubborn even when in the relationship, but their fights never got too big as one gave in to another. One of the hurdles in their relationship that was a tough watch for me was when Choi Hyun Wook needs to be the fair Chef in the kitchen and exudes strictness with Soo Kyung’s cooking – Chef acknowledged this when the San (Alex’s character) bows to treat Yoo Kyung better but he needs to continue being strict with her (and that includes shouting at her when making mistake as that was his way of teaching and managing the kitchen as the Chef).

Lee Sun Kyun's performance as Choi Hyun Wook is very solid. He was a jerk in times of the drama – no doubt, this was especially true in the first episode and when he berated the other chefs with their mistakes and led to Eun Su, the kitchen assistant crying. He was prideful, arrogant and had extreme prejudice towards women (apparently because he was betrayed by the woman chef he loved in Italy). However, he was also an honest person both as a chef and as a person, albeit his strictness, he is a great chef who actually knows what he's doing and he wants the other chefs improve and learn though they couldn’t understand it as they kept on mulling over the discrimination they’re feeling due to the arrival of korean chefs who studied in Italy. He was like the personification of tough love. We could call him out on his strict ways in the kitchen especially when they were still battle wars as the original chefs couldn’t still understand and accept his ways as he never truly reached out to them properly, but as a person and not just as a chef, he didn’t tolerate corrupt doings, clearly established the line on his ex, and have always trusted in Yoo Kyung’s judgment, loyalty and love for him even when San the real president of La Sfera confesses his three years of love to her.

His character could be tough to watch, but even at his tough moments, I appreciate all the solid acting of Lee Sun Kyun. His character’s best moments for me except all his comedic timings, were when he helped Soo Kyung clear her name from being framed by the acting-president Seol and when he reached out to Eun Su and gave him his name tag back.

Gong Hyo Jin’s performance as Seo Yoo Kyung was charming. Her character was naive but persistent and stubborn. She’s actually extremely tenacious all throughout the drama despite her naive appearance. She knows what she wants and she takes pride in what she does in the kitchen. Despite hardships in the few first episodes as a woman, she never stopped to prove her skills and eventually won her spot as a chef in La Sfera through a blind audition without any single pity from anyone. Her way of liking the chef was also foolishly stubborn but was adorable to watch as this was complemented with Chef’s tsundere behavior over her behavior. I just wished that I could’ve seen more tenacity in her character instead of passiveness in her outside appearance as she navigates the kitchen. Good thing that those moments were addressed at the end of the episode as a result of navigating their relationship in the kitchen. There were also moments were I didn’t appreciate her actions like when she was encouraging Chef to give in to the rather narrow-minded chefs who doesn’t appreciate to be taught, however, since all turned out for the best and in return created a harmonious environment in the kitchen, I took that as she did the right thing and her stubbornness even in their relationship created a way for him to be more gentle with his subordinates.

There was not really much big plot going on to the drama, but its best parts for me were when they’re just navigating their attraction to one another, it was incredible to watch. I believe it would’ve been better if the drama was only 16 episodes as they would have made the plot tighter. The attitude of the original chefs weren’t also welcomed by me as I take their stubbornness as complete arrogance and inferiority complex. It might have seemed like they were being discriminated against in the kitchen, but it was all due to inferiority, insecurity and their own arrogance that they couldn’t admit to themselves; having them admit it as early in the episodes, the kitchen would have a rather better atmosphere. The way they also treated Yoo Kyung after finding out she’s dating Chef was terrible, including the acting-president Seol. I believe this drama’s main villains were the pride, corrupt behaviors, prejudices and insecurities that all characters couldn’t admit to themselves but once acknowledged with one person taking the first step, it leads to a better and harmonious relationship in the kitchen.

Other shoutouts to the most heartwarming character – Eunsu! I also liked the President San and even Chef Of especially when she admitted her mistake in the end.

Since this drama never really delved deeper in the issues it provided, I just wished that instead of kitchen politics and wars, I could’ve witness proper relationship development and skinship with Chef Choi Hyun Wook and Seo Yoo Kyung because their chemistry was really good and a little seductive in the first half.

Nevertheless, I truly hated the acting-president’s character and I disliked all his scenes. I’m glad that the trio-girl chefs were brought back to the kitchen again, but I believe their characters were a waste all throughout the drama and I didn’t enjoy their shenanigans and revenge scheming for Chef which only hurted the two lovers, especially Yoo Kyung, which was ‘supposed’ to be their friend.

Pasta is a charming drama, albeit not being brilliantly written, it has solid performances from the leads. Some scenes could be tough to watch and the kitchen seemed like a battle war, and the main characters weren’t really the likable ones, you might end up hating them or you might keep an open mind and probably learn from them or they could grow on you, or any of these combinations.

For a romcom, it was really enjoyable and a really adorkable watch for me. I’m giving this an 8, solely for the performance and chemistry of the main leads!