Watch, and then binge

From Carmy's Italian beef sandwich to TSITP's margaritas and Laapataa Ladies's lotus stem curry, these 10 onscreen treats had us drooling and googling recipes

- Christalle Fernandes [e-mail]

Rice and Peas, from When Life Gives You Tangerines (2025).

The K-drama is set in 1950s Jeju, a time when men ate separately from women and were served the best parts of the meal. Gwan-sik, a fisherman, not only chooses to sit with his wife and child, but also saves the peas in his barley-rice-and-peas meal for his daughter, who loves them. Nothing on Jeju island is dull, why would this dish be?

Pomegranate Margarita, from The Summer I Turned Pretty S1 (2022).

TSITP was a pain to get through, but the scene in S1, in which Belly, Jeremiah and Conrad secretly make a batch of the cocktail is cute. Belly's version of the drink had red Kool-Aid, pomegranate juice, and lots of ice. She lost control sipping "two or five" of them, tripped and caused her birthday cake to get smashed. Utter chaos. Those must have been some good margaritas.

Italian Beef Sandwich, from The Bear (2022 -).

Carmy's Chicago-style Italian beef sandwich looks so good, it got vegetarians rethinking their life's choices. He refined The Original Beef of Chicagoland's signature sandwich, standardising the portion sizes and improving the jus and vegetable relish. It's hearty, flavourful, and deliciously messy. You will get stains on your shirt. But it's worth it.