SINGAPORE — You wouldn’t have guessed it from looking at Korean actress Kang So-ra’s svelte figure, but the star of Korean drama Warm And Cozy likes eating fried junk as much as the next girl.

“When I am away for work, I mostly crave sweet, spicy and greasy food. Occasionally, I eat to relieve stress and to energise myself, although I know it’s not healthy,” she said in an email interview, adding that her mother’s cooking is her comfort food. “Her food is always filled with warmth and affection. It would be great to eat her food every time I am exhausted or feeling down.”

Food is a key element in the drama, in which the actress (whose other noted dramas include Dream High 2, Ugly Alert and Doctor Stranger) plays a city girl who leaves her failed career and love-life behind and relocates to Jeju Island. There, she meets her childhood flame (played by Yoo Yeon-seok), a wealthy and privileged drifter who owns the Warm And Cozy Restaurant.

She probably didn’t need her mum’s cooking while working in Jeju, though. “The best part was the refreshing air and beautiful landscape. I love how the amazingly beautiful scenery and fresh air is only an hour’s plane ride away from Seoul,” said this self-professed city girl, who enjoys vacationing in places that are a combination of the countryside, the city and the beach.

“That’s probably why I chose to go to Hawaii earlier this year,” she said. “I choose places where I can find all three elements. Am I being too greedy? I like to go to places where I am in the city, with the countryside and ocean nearby. I want to enjoy every moment, from observing people’s daily lives in the city, visiting museums and galleries and shopping, to relishing the tranquil scenes of the countryside and enjoying the sunset over the ocean. If I have the chance, for my next trip I would like to go to Barcelona.”

So what was the most difficult part about filming in Jeju? “Not being able to make the most of the nice weather because of work commitments. I find it so difficult when something you really want is right in front of you but you can’t enjoy it,” she said.

That applies to diets too, doesn’t it?

Catch Warm & Cozy on Thursdays and Fridays at 8.55pm on Oh!K (StarHub TV Ch 816 and Singtel TV Ch 525 or 611). The double-episode finale airs July 24.