Okay, I finally did it. I pressed play on the 2007 classic Coffee Prince , and Episode 1? It hit me like a shot of cold espresso on a humid day — unexpected, bracing, and instantly addictive.
First Sip: Why ‘Coffee Prince’ Episode 1 is Still a Perfect Rom-Com Brew coffee prince ep 1
On the other side of the tracks is Choi Han-kyul, played by the charismatic Gong Yoo. Han-kyul is a wealthy, carefree bachelor who spends his days avoiding the responsibilities of his family’s food empire. His grandmother, frustrated by his playboy lifestyle, begins setting him up on a string of blind dates to force him into marriage. Okay, I finally did it
Enter Choi Han-kyul (Gong Yoo). Rich, arrogant, chaebol heir with a food empire in his future. He hates his family’s control. He hates blind dates. He’s basically a golden retriever in a suit — playful but prone to tantrums. First Sip: Why ‘Coffee Prince’ Episode 1 is
Han-kyul offers Eun-chan a bizarre proposition: he will pay her to act as his "gay lover" to scare off the persistent blind dates his grandmother has arranged. Desperate for money to support her family, Eun-chan accepts the role, setting the stage for one of the most unique and complicated romances in K-drama history. The episode ends with the two striking a deal, completely unaware of the gender swap that will soon turn their business arrangement upside down.
The paths of Eun-chan and Han-kyul cross in a series of comedic misunderstandings. When Han-kyul mistakes Eun-chan for a delivery boy—and then for a small-time thug—he hatches a plan. To sabotage the blind dates arranged by his grandmother, he decides to hire Eun-chan to play his "gay lover." He believes that showing up to dates with a boyfriend will effectively end his family's matchmaking efforts once and for all.
Next up: Episode 2 — “The Prince Training Montage”