For director Monti Parungao, The Lost Recipe, the fantasy-romance series airing tonight on GMA News TV, is a delectable visual masterpiece. Also, it’s a small screen project that banks on the interesting characters that the actors play with so much dedication and panache.
“When you don’t know the actors too well and when they play certain characters, you’d believe that they are the characters that they are playing. That’s how effective and dedicated they are in playing their roles. They opened themselves up to make their characters relevant and likable,” the television director told Manila Standard Entertainment in a virtual interview.
Parungao had nothing but good words about the project even before the camera started rolling. It is the first locally produced daily primetime show on GMA News TV.
“The moment I saw the script, I instantly got excited to tell the story. I just feel so lucky that it was me who they tapped to direct the series,” he said.
“The script is well written in such a way that all the characters are likable. In fact, this is the story that doesn’t need a contravida. Lahat mamahalin mo. It’s an actor’s piece because every character requires the actor’s craft in telling the story emotionally,” Parungao added.
The Lost Recipe promises to charm viewers with its flavorful mix of love, comedy, and fantasy set in the picturesque Manila. It not only highlights Filipinos’ love for food but also takes viewers to the gastronomic journey of reaching for one’s dreams.
“The intention of The Lost Recipe is similar to any other series, which is to tell a story that everyone can relate to. But the dynamics of our series, well, what’s new about the series is that it is the first local drama that is revolving around culinary, around food. You will get delighted not just because of the storytelling, it also trains the spotlight on food,” Parungao underscored.
The latest GMA Public Affairs offering features the story of Harvey (Kelvin Miranda), a failed chef who gets the chance of a lifetime when he manages to travel back in time to steal a famous recipe and make it his own. While chasing his dream to build a culinary empire for his family, he meets Apple (Mikee Quinto), an aspiring chef who gets to work in his company.
As GMA Artist Center stars, both Mikee and Kelvin have already made a niche for themselves in their previous projects. Together, the fast-rising actors are set to make hearts flutter in this series.
Mikee looks forward for viewers to get to know Apple and Harvey. Even before beginning the taping for the series, Mikee has been exploring the kitchen herself, saying that cooking has helped her during the pandemic.
“Being stuck at home because of the quarantine, a lot of time to explore the kitchen and cook. I find it therapeutic because you focus on cooking, you have no other thoughts, so I hope the pandemics I learned in this show can help. Kelvin and I are working together to best show the viewers the story of The Lost Recipe and hopefully, this series will somehow give hope and inspire people to dream, ”she shared.
The Lost Recipe is Kelvin’s first-ever lead role in a primetime series. A certified foodie, he shares that his role as Harvey is an unexpected blessing.
“This is my first time doing this kind of project. Everything I did was serious so it was a big change for me from seriousness to romance and comedy. I am excited,” he said.
Mikee has distinguished herself in the acting industry with her role as Lira in the sequel of the fantasy series Encantadia, which earned her the Best New Female TV Personality award in 2017 PMPC Star Awards for Television. She recently starred in the drama series The Gift and was one of the leads in the well-loved drama series Onanay. She was also part of GMA Network’s Sherlock Jr., Sirkus, and Alyas Robin Hood.
Meanwhile, Kelvin has received praises for his excellent acting skills in the first-ever Filipino Netflix Original, Dead Kids. He earned his first acting award at the 6th Urduja International Film Festival, winning the Best Actor honor for the indie movie “The Fate.” This year, he was named as Best Young Actor at the 7th Urduja Heritage Film Awards. Kelvin previously starred in various TV programs such as Madrasta, Contessa, and Kambal, Karibal. He also bannered Beauty and the Hypebeast alongside Angel Guardian in the second installment of GMA’s digital short film series One Hugot Away.
The Lost Recipe also stars Thea Tolentino, Paul Salas, Lucho Ayala, Maureen Larrazabal, Almira Muhlach, Sue Prado, Topper Fabregas, Ariella Arida, Phytos Ramirez, Prince Clemente, Anton Amoncio, Faye Lorenzo, and Crystal Paras. Taking on special roles in the series are Manilyn Reynes, Gabby Eigenmann, and Kim Rodriguez.
Written by Erwin Caezar Bravo, the series airs weeknights at 8:00 p.m. on GMA News TV.
