Japanese TV show "The Solitary Gourmet" quietly started in a late-night slot 14 years ago featuring a middle-aged man's joy of solitary dining at a local eatery after finishing a day's work. Yutaka Matsushige, the actor who plays the main character Goro, expected the show to end quietly in a short time. However, it slowly became popular in Japan and later spread across Asia. It has now reached its 11th season. The show has many fans in South Korea, Taiwan, and China. It is based on a popular comic by Masayuki Kusumi and Jiro Taniguchi.

In 2025, it was also made into a movie. Matsushige wrote, directed, and starred in the film. It was filmed in Japan, South Korea, and Paris.

At a media conference in Tokyo, Matsushige said the drama is about a man simply eating food. "But the simple notion of 'delicious' can go beyond the differences of language or ethnicity, something everyone can easily relate to," he said. He hopes to share this idea with people around the world. He suggested Nicolas Cage could play Goro in a Hollywood remake, saying his appearance is closer to the original manga character. He also joked that George Clooney could be a good candidate.