The Witch’s Diner | K-Drama | Be Careful What You Wish For

The Witch’s Diner is a K-Drama series, based on a novel of the same name; released in 2021, and started streaming on Viki in March 2023. It is categorized as dark fantasy but it was actually quite a delightful fantasy. There is a restaurant where you can go to have your wish granted. But at a cost. So! Be careful what you wish for.

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Always Read Contracts Very Carefully

Jeong Jin (played by Nam Ji-Hyun, “100 Days My Prince”) is an attractive young woman who is industrious and intelligent. Any employer would be happy to have such a dutiful hard worker. Unfortunately, her boss has an extremely jealous wife who believes they are having an affair. Consequently, she loses her job. She has done nothing wrong but her boss can’t fire his wife, can he? So he fires her instead. She goes home to tell her mother the bad news but her mother views it as an opportunity to start a new business. Together they invest all the money they have into a restaurant.

Shortly after they open for business their chef begs to go on vacation, leaving them to prepare food for their customers. Since neither of them is a skilled chef, they begin to lose customers. Not having a chef is not the only reason they lose customers. The previous owner of the restaurant they invested in boldly and maliciously sets up another restaurant directly across the street. That chef who had asked to go on vacation actually went back to work for his old boss. When they confront the previous owner, about this “betrayal of trust”, the owner says there was nothing in the contract that said she couldn’t operate another restaurant right across the street and compete for business. Jeong Jin and her mother lost their money. Jeong Jin is furious!

The Restaurant Gets a New Owner

One day Jeong Jin is at her empty restaurant when a strange exotic-looking woman walks through the door and offers to buy the business. Jeong Jin agrees to a partnership with this woman and eventually realizes she has just entered into a contract with a witch. Not only does the witch eliminate her financial distress by buying the restaurant but she tells Jin that she can have one wish. One wish? What should she wish for? What does she really want? Jeong Jin is still angrily fuming over the dirty business dealings of the restaurant’s previous owner and tells the witch that she wants REVENGE! The witch prepares a meal for her to eat and instructs Jin to think about her wish while she is eating. When she finishes the meal, her wish will come true.

Jin’s wish is granted. The previous owner died suddenly from a cardiac arrest and her restaurant was closed. Jin is shocked! She didn’t wish for the woman’s death. The witch asks Jin if she thought revenge was something soft and sweet. It’s too late! Jeong Jin wished for revenge and she can’t take it back. Words and thoughts are powerful!! The witch redecorated the restaurant and changed the name to The Witch’s Diner.

One Wish Granted ~ Guaranteed!

Technically, Jeong Jin was the first customer at The Witch’s Diner. Having her wish fulfilled has left her with deep regret. She does her best to try to caution others who eat at the diner. When customers come in she tries to advise them to think carefully about their one wish because it’s not free. It comes at a great cost. Once the wish is granted it can’t be reversed. Even though she warns them, the customers are determined to make that one wish. They can’t take it back but the witch also can’t go back on her word. The sign outside the restaurant says wishes will be granted. Guaranteed!

Viewership and Rating

“The Rakuten Viki March 2023 schedule also includes popular titles Love Is for Suckers, Unlock My Boss, Jinxed at First, Miracle, My Sweet Dear, and The Witch’s Diner. These binge-worthy titles which are normally only available with a subscription, are now available to watch for free for all to enjoy (with advertisements).” (Source)

Season 1 was 8 episodes and the title of seven episodes was the dish that the witch prepared for her wishing customers to eat. Episode 8 was titled The Last Supper. Personally, I would like to try the Mind Comforting Tomato Soup (Episode 2).

There is talk of a Season 2, but nothing has been confirmed. Hopefully, there will be another season as intriguing as the first. The “one wish storyline” can go on and on and on. Creative scriptwriters can imagine numerous different characters in various life situations who … if they had one wish … what would they wish for?

Viki viewers rated The Witch’s Diner 9.3 out of 10 stars. I agree.

(NOTE: In 2022, The Witch Store Reopens was released as a Viki Original series with 10 episodes. If there is no Season 2 for The Witch’s Diner, this series could serve as a substitute. Watch official trailer.)