Chinese Drama 2020
Cupid’s Kitchen (Chinese Drama Review & Summary)
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Cupid’s Kitchen poster
- Genre: Modern Romance, Kitchen, Cooking, Chef
- Release Date: 13 January 2022
- Origin: China, Adapted from a Jiao Tang Dong Gua’s novel
- Cdrama: 40 Episodes
Cast
- Ethan Juan as Jiang Qian Fan/Oliver
- Song Zu’er as Ling Ke Song (Sekong😊)
- Wang Zhuo Cheng as Victor
- Qiao Hong as Mrs Quentin
- Augusta Xu Holland as Elise Quentin
- Wang Rui Zi as Chu Ting
- Lui Dong Qin as Song Yi Ran
- Wu Hong as Song Yisen
- Liu An Qi as Lin Xiao Yu
- Lan Bo Er as Blu (Bu Lu)
- Wang Kan as Huang Shi
- Zhang Jung Min as Li Yan (Qian Fan’s assistant)
Quick Precis
A girl with an acute sense of taste wanted to be a chef. Though she has the gift of taste she was sadly lacking in the food preparation department.
Nevertheless, gorgeous Jiang Qian Fan was up to the challenge of taking her in as his underling.
Episode 1
I have been looking forward to this drama for ages since 2020. I am a fan of Ethan Juan and lately of Song Zu’er as well
Anyway, the drama looks sumptuous, with many pictures of food.
Apparently, Jiang Qian Fan is a Chinese chef though he was born in London. He had become the Chinese Cooking God and had opened a restaurant in London called Yuxuan who has a 3 Michelin rating.
Meanwhile, Ling Se Kong works at Liang Shi Hotel in Hangzhou.
Ke Song studied Hotel Management and then joined Kiang Shi Hotel because of her one-sided love for her childhood friend, Song Yi Ran, whose family owns Liang Shi Hotel. She waa hoping that she might end up with Yi Ran.
Ethan and Zu’er’s chemistry is off the roof that there have been rumours that they are dating in real life.
Three months ago….
She fell asleep while making sure that the suite was spick and span.
The occupant of the room arrived and was talking to his doctor. He confessed that he seemed to have lost his sense of taste. This was like death to a chef. He was the Jiang Qian Fan.
Anyway, he found Sekong later where they reported her for her shoddy work in the suite and asked that the room should be cleaned again by Sekong.
She cleaned the bathroom again and again. Qian Fan and especially Elise, his assistant seemed to delight in humbling Sekong so to end it, Sekong took a big glass of water from the toilet bowl and drank it.
Later, Yi Ran invited Sekong to test the newly hired chef at the hotel.
Instead, she ended up as one of the tasters for Chef Jiang.
She evaluated the food and said that it was salty but she can taste the Double herbal flavour.
This surprised Qian Fan because it was unusual for anyone to know this. Qian Fan ordered that they find the taster.
It was the end of Sekong’s internship at the hotel. Because of the complaint against her by Elise the hotel was not going to be hiring her.
Qian Fan found her crying over her soup in a restaurant.
She told him that she lost her job. He then offered her a three-day job of showing him around as sort of food trip.
She refused but then he kept offering her more money and food so she accepted.
Yi Ran introduced Chu Ting to Sekong as his new girlfriend.
Kesong was so gutted but she consoled herself that Yi Ran is a playboy and he would drop Chuting in no time at all.
Anyway, Sekong introduced Qian Fan to the many delights of Hangzhou.
Qian Fan asked her how she got her superpower tastebuds.
Sekong readily said that it was during primary school. In order to get her other a present, she entered a chilli eating contest. She ate the chillis in their different of hotness because she was desperate for the price money. In the end, the hotness of the chilli got to her and she ended up in the hospital.
It was in fact, Yiran who brought her to the hospital. When she woke up, she can taste and tell just about everything.
Qian Fan tested her and he found that she was really a genius. She could really tell what is and what went into a food or drink.
She then told him that there is a favorite fish restaurant where she could tell the ingredients except for one.
Qian Fan said that he would like to go with her to the restaurant.
Episode 2
Yiran found out about the fish restaurant dinner and invited himself along.
The dish was as good as normal but Qian Fan had a look at it and said that the mysterious ingredient was chicken powder used to hide the pungent smell of stale fish.
SeKong was shocked because it was illegal to comouflage this kind of things.
Anyway, Qian Fan said that they should call the police but with no evidence…
So the three agreed to meet up later that night and search for the ingredients in the closed restaurant.
So keep the story short, Qian Fan and Sekong ended up falling into the fish pool.
The police were called by the restaurant people.
Qian Fan, Sekong and Yiran explained about the additives.
The police asked if they found evidence. Yiran and Qian Fan could only say no but Sekong said they did. It was in the pool.
The owners knew they had been rambled
Yi Ran asked how Sekong knew that it was in the pool.
Sekong said she could taste it in the water.
Sekong was meeting her friends at a party. She was surprised to see that Chu Ting was acting as the hostess.
Then, Yi Ran announced that since Chuting was opening a branch in Shanghai, he had decided to go live with Chuting in Shanghai. he added that the party was a way of saying goodbye to all his female friends because as respect to Chuting, he had deleted all his female friends from his Wechat.
Sekong realised that her feelings for him were a wasted emotion. She drowned her sorrows in glasses of red wine.
She was almost out of it when a haw-haw vendor gave her his last one because she looks so sad.
She then ended at Qian Fan’s place telling him her unrequited love which he guessed was for Yi Ran.
Qian Fan told her that Yi Ran is still immature.
Sekong rested on the sofa until Elise turned up and got upset.
Elise poured water on Sekong’s face to wake her up.
Her best friend, Xiao Yu told her to confess to Yi Ran before it is really too late. She must come to Shanghai.
Meanwhile, Qian Fan created a dish which was inspired by SeKong. It was called Tears in the heart of a fish.
Elise liked it at first but when she found out that Sekong was the inspiration, she told Qian Fan not to serve it at their restaurant because it is gross and not a western recipe.
Apparently Elise was once the girl friend of Qian Fan. Despite the break-up she remained possessive of him.
And she was so upset when she found out that Qian Fan had a neurological condition which caused his loss of taste.
Elise did not appreciate that it was Sekong who is the answer to his problems.
Episode 3
It turned out that Chu Ting was introduced to Yi Ran by his brother, Yi Sen who ordered that Yi Ran must treat Chu Ting well.
Qian Fan’s cooking was being evaluated by a Russian diner, a blacklisted food vlogger, Boris Rogoff who was not very impressed.
Lin Xiao Yu who is Sekong’s best friend went to a cooking contest.
Sekong went with her for moral support but Sekong was not allowed inside if she does not participate in the contest as well.
Left with no choice, she signed in and even cooked a runny egg and tomato stew.🤣
Episode 4
Kesong got the lowest score and she was given the title of Evil Dragon Princess because of the gruesome technique and style of cooking she had.
Qian Fan caught her name when he was with Mrs Quentin, Elise’s mother.
Qian Fan immediately told Thomas that he found his apprentice; it was the Evil Dragon Princess.
Mrs Quentin was just asking Qian Fan is he could mentor Victor, her son.
Xiaoyu became rather jealous of Sekong as Qian Fan chose Sekong to be his apprentice.
Episode 5
Culinary Prodigy
Qian Fan was a total disciplinarian and made Sekong abide by his many rules. If she does not comply she won’t eat,
Yiran came looking for Kesong.
Episode 6
Sekong was getting fed up because all she does in training with Qian Fan was measure salt.
Meanwhile, Xiaoyu passed the Star contest and she went looking for her mentor, Boris. She was still upset that it was not her idol Qian Fan.
Xiaoyu thought that Boris is a bit of a buffoon as he was too much into his live streaming. But then they had a cookout and Boris’s dish of the same recipe was far superior than what she cooked.
Boris asked her why Qian Fan chose her cousin rather than her? He asked what is special about her cousin.
Xiaoyu said that Kesong is lazy and unimaginative nothing special but she has sensitive taste.
This intrigued Boris.
Xiaoyu said that she will now work with Boris as she wants revenge on both Qian Fan and Kesong.
Meanwhile, Kesong was really desperate for doing repetitive tasks and hunger, she escaped and went back to her uncle for food.
Qian Fan found out that she left when Yiran came looking for her and insisted to speak with her. Of course, she was gone.
After devouring bowls of noodles her indulgent uncle made her, she went to speak to Xiaoyu who was upset with her.
Xiaoyu accused her that she did not come to Shanghai to follow Yi Ran at all. She had always intended to get Qian Fan. Kesong knew that Xiaoyu wanted to be mentored by Qian Fan but as always Kesong got what Xiaoyu wanted first.
Kesong was upset about the unfair accusation. Then Xiaoyu told her to bugger off.
Qian Fan found her by the bridge. This time Kesong was determined to learn to cook because Qian Fan related almost the same story that happened to him previously.
Boris was his senior but Montgomery chose Qian Fan to represent their training school at the Star Culinary Contest.
Kesong asked him how he dealt with it.
Qian Fan said he won the contest and Boris hated him ever since.
They went back to Qian Fan’s house where Yi Ran was waiting and asked her to leave with him but she refused
Kesong was surprised later with a feast cooked by Nina for her as ordered by Qian Fan.
She went to ask him what punishment he will give her.
He said nothing but he was seducing her with his almost bare chest. He is sexy.
Now the contestants have been announced:
Victor mentored by Mrs Quentin,
Xiaoyu mentored by Boris
Kesong mentored by Qian Fan
Blu, the Canadian artist mentored by Huang Shi.
Shin Got mentored by Higgins.
Anyway, Elise has some dastardly thoughts against Qian Fan. Her mother was concerned when Elise said that she would rather see Qian Fan ruined rather than someone else has him.
Victor went to Xiaoyu’s place to challenge her to cook abalone for him.
Episode 7
To get rid of Yi Ran, Qian Fan sent him a voucher for a military training camp.
Victor went to Xiaoyu’s restaurant thinking that she was Kesong the Evil Dragon Princess. He said that she looked more like a scared chicken.
Yuxuan sent a selection of snacks to Qian Fan. Kesong had a taste and said it was delicious and sweet.
Qian Fan went mental and told her to go to her room to study while he went to the restaurant to scold his chefs for adding sugar to their snacks.
Elise said she told them to yo make the food exciting.
Qian Fan went ballistic and said that it was her last warning, never interfere in his kitchen even if it he had a mistake, his kitchen, he decides.
Elise guessed that it was Kesong who told him.
Qian Fan does not trust Elise anymore so he sent Kesong to Yuxian for dinner and sample a menu he specially chose.
Sure enough, Elise had varied the recipes which made Qian Fan really annoyed.
Elise said that she changed recipe to remember their time in Spainl
Qian Fan said he did not like it then, he later texted her to move on, they had broken up.
Kesong was so curious of the two so she asked Nina.
Nina said that the two used to date but they have very different personalities.
Elise was clingy time, very possessive, and wanted Qian Fan with her 24/7 while Qian Fan live and breathe cooking and making Yuxian a three-star Michelin rated.
They used to have fights so Qian Fan initiated a breakup.
Qian Fan told Kesong to get ready at 2:00 in the morning to look for ingredients.
Apparently, peppers when newly harvested tasted sweet with hardly any spicy taste, it was the oxidation that happened that turned it more piquant.
They were waiting for the catch of the day from a man who catches fish through hooking because netted fish dies immediately with their flesh going limp.
Anyway, they were too late because Victor had gone fishing with the fisherman and bought all the fish caught
Victor told Kesong that he was willing to give them some if she competes with him
Episode 8
Boris tried to bribe Li Yan to tell him what was wrong with Qian Fan.
Li Yan declined to be his spy.
Poor Qian Fan’s condition is getting worst. He seemed to have lost his taste for salt.
Episode 9
He was so worried about it, it was causing him nightmares. He went to his kitchen and tried different tastes which only made him sick.
This woke Kesong who went to check up on him but he just screamed at her to leave him alone.
The next morning was no better after he returned from his doctors. He was told that his illness has to do with an extreme allergy which is causing the death of neurons which affects his sense of taste.
He was told that he needed to be quarantined for half a year to make sense of his allergies and even then Dr Xie could not confirm if Qian Fan would be totally cured.
Some of his frustration he took on Kesong, who did not know what was really going on.
It really got really bad, Kesong started packing her things to leave but Nina came to speak to her to tell her the sad story of Qian Fan.
Qian Fan’s parents died in an accident when he was young and his mentor, Montgomery had already passed on as well. Nina was the closest to a family but they don’t really talk. Nina added that since Kesong arrived, Qian Fan is more chilled.
Qian Fan’s being an orphan twisted Kesong’s heart and forgave Qian Fan immediately.
Yiran is back from his training camp and went directly to see Qian Fan and Kesong.
Kesong realised that she was not into YiRan that much anymore. She did not miss him while he was away and she would rather not see him often anymore. She was over him.
Yiran got a call from his brother castigating him for neglecting Chuting.
Blu is becoming a permanent fixture at Xiaoyu’s restaurant.
Episode 10
Li Yan got a call from his mother who was asking for money
So there is only one person that could give him the money. He went to Boris ready to sell Qian Fan.
This is becoming more romantic.
Qian Fan pretended that he and Kesong were in a relationship in front of Yi Ran and Chuting who they invited for dinner.
Yi Ran was not happy seeing Kesong in a relationship with someone.
Episode 11
Chuting and Yiran were throwing a party and they asked Kesong to do the hors-d’œuvre. They asked Kesong where Chef Jiang was but she said he was busy.
Kesong did not really know where Qian Fan was except that it was his birthday and he was with Elise with a big bouquet of roses.
Qian Fan was by the sea, remembering and talking to Montgomery. Qian Fan told him his current trials and tribulations which he said was offset by the arrival of a special girl who had lightened his heart.
Not wanting to be left out, Elise interrupted and asked if she was the girl.
Qian Fan told her that she is important to him but this was not enough for Elise who wanted to be the only girl for him.
Qian Fan said that they were only business partners now.
They were interrupted by the arrival of Boris who started playing his piano accordion to honour Montgomery.
It looks like Qian Fan is allergic to essential oils.
Episode 12
Elise paid Li Yan to steal all the essential oils at Qian Fan’s house.
Unfortunately for him, Sekong woke and disturbed him.
The police were called and asked Sekong for a description.
The police said that there was no forced entry or breaking so the culprit is someone who has a key to the house.
With Sekong’s description and no forced entry, Qian Fan gave Li Yan’s name to the police.
Li Yan gave the essential oils to Elise.
Elise told him that Liyan has to leave because he was compromised. She gave him money to live on for the rest of his life.
Before leaving, Liyan met up with Boris.
Liyan told Boris that there is something wrong with Qian Fan’s sense of taste.
Boris beat Liyan up after getting the information and took back the wads of money he gave Liyan.
Sekong began to notice that there is something off with Qian Fan’s taste because his recipe started not to make sense.
Episode 13 – 14
Kesong was thinking that she was beginning to be addicted to Qian Fan’s or his smell? She used some of Qian Fan’s essential oil so she could sleep.
Unfortunately, the effect almost made her permanently asleep. Qian Fan’s brought her to the hospital; she was critical for a while.
Her Uncle was called who turned up at the hospital and berated Qian Fan strongly. He told Qian Fan that if anything happens to Kesong…
Qian Fan assured Uncle that if anything happens, he will give his life to Uncle.
The untrustworthy Dr Xie was keeping Elise in the loop of what was going on including the poison in the essential oil.
Qian Fan did not know who to trust anymore so he fire the loyal Nina, his housekeeper, Liyan was gone and Elise told him that she had nothing to do with it and put all the blame on Li Yan.
Mrs Quentin asked Elise if she did it.
Elise denied it at first but her mother said she knew her so well and she remembered Elise saying that she would rather have him fallible and die where she can be next to him.
Her mother warned her that even when Qian Fan has lost his sense of taste, he had not gone to Elise. Instead, he found another girl.
Mrs Quentin advised her daughter to get all the shares to Yuxuan so at least she has got the restaurant.
Kesong was unbelievably sad and annoyed that Nina was gone. She did everything she could to punish Qian Fan. He tolerated it at first but when she ran to Yi Ran, he came to get her and showed her a document she had supposed to sign that she will stay next to Qian Fan for three years otherwise, she had to remunerate him a million yuan.
Episode 15
Kesong went back to the house but she was lackluster in her training until Victor came barging in one day and challenged her.
It was the gala night before the contest.
Qian Fan seemed to know how Sekong’s brain works. So he wanted her to wear a lovely yellow printed cocktail dress but knowing if he tells her to wear if she would refuse contrarily. So he chose another yellow dress next to it which made Sekong choose the dress Qian Fan really wanted her to wear.
At the venue, the trainee and the mentor are introduced one by one.
Sekong got so nervous, she locked herself in the toilet.
Qian Fan had to force himself into the toilet cubicle and carry Sekong out.
During the introduction, Sekong was specially asked by the Emcee to say something because she had become famous for being the Devil Princess.
Episode 16
Sekong saw Boris forcing Qian Fan to drink a cocktail and had to describe how it tasted. The very annoying and vindictive Xiaoyu was avidly taking a video of Qian Fan.
Miraculously, Qian Fan correctly enumerated the ingredients to the cocktail which astound Boris. His plan backfired but he was in no way giving up. He was absolutely convinced that Qian Fan had lost his sense of taste and only a matter of time before he rambles him.
Elise and Qian Fan went to the first floor to talk which was overheard by Sekong.
Sekong thought that perhaps Boris was right because that would explain why some of Qian Fan’s cooking like the orange crab was bad.
The chef and staff at Yuxuan were beginning to have concerns about Qian Fan’s ability as his latest dish beef with crawfish on top was verging on the inedible.
Qian Fan took Sekong camping to look for herbs in the forest, the Okinawa spinach.
Episode 17
It was the cooking contest for the 8 choice contestants which of course included, Sekong, Xiaoyu, Victor, and Blu.
It did not start well for Sekong because she got a fright when she found a bleeding doll as a good luck present for her.
Then just before the start of the contest, Victor grabbed the envelope of her secret herb ingredients and then returned it to her when she got annoyed.
But during the cooking time, she found out that the envelope that was given back to her Victor contained different herbs which does no go with her prepared dish, the Shepherd Purse.
It then started to go wrong for her.
The contest was televised. Sekong’s parents were flabbergasted when they saw her because she was really not good of a cook.
They were not surprised when Sekong ended up embarrassing herself for not being able to finish the dish and getting zero points for this contest.
Victor later told Sekong that he took the herb because she was unworthy. His sister Elise planted the herb by drone for Qian Fan only.
Sekong’s parents rushed to Shanghai and into Qian Fan’s house after they have gotten the address from a vindictive Xiaoyu.
Qian Fan was out when they saw Sekong.
Her father insisted that she goes home with them.
Episode 18
Sekong brought her parents to Yuxuan.
Qian Fan told Sekong to find a table for her parents, he then asked Sekong if she really wanted to leave. If not she has to prove to her parents what she can do. He ordered her to change into her uniform and cook for her mother and father.
Her parents were so impressed with her cooking and could not believe she learned so much in just a month under the tutelage of the gorgeous chef, according to her mother.
Sekong was quick to assure them that Qian Fan was purely a mentor to her.
Her parents were very happy to leave her to study some more and continue on with the contest.
Qian Fan later said that she should have not let her parents leave so soon because he wanted to cook for them.
Sekong reminded him that she was still very upset with him.
Qian Fan offered to talk about what happened during the contest but Sekong declined.
She was absolutely ecstatic the next morning to find that Qian Fan had honoured and gifted her with one of his precious 8-inch chef knives. He has acknowledged that she is now a true chef.
Meanwhile, Dr Xie was doing his courting of Elise through Victor.
Mrs Quentin asked Elise again if she has gotten all the shares of Yuxuan.
Elise said that she could not see Yuxuan without Qian Fan but Mrs Quentin said that once the contest is over and that Victor had won it, Victor would be popular in his own right.
Their family could run Yuxuan and get the three-star Michelin themselves.
Boris reserved a table that night at Yuxuan and would surely order the steak and crawfish dish.
Elise went to Sekong to find a solution on how to marry the beef and crawfish without the pungent smell and aftertaste.
Sekong tried smoking it (not like a cigarette but treating it like bacon 🤣🤣🤣)
It worked a treat but Qian Fan found out about it and went ballistic. He spoke to Elise who put all the blame on Sekong saying that Sekong called Elise at the restaurant because Sekong saw some comments denigrating the beef and crawfish. It was all Sekong’s idea to change the preparation method.
Qian Fan serve his own version of the dish to Boris who was very dismissive of the taste. But Qian Fan told Boris that Boris will always be a loser.
Qian Fan was so annoyed he ordered Sekong to come to Yuxuan and clean up the restaurant floor and the vegetables.
When Sekong asked Elise why she did not explain what happened to Qian Fan, Elise just shrugged her shoulders and smiled wickedly.
Qian Fan went to the rooftop and started drinking. He felt so sorry for himself. His life is cooking, without his sense of taste, his life is over.
Elise had to escort and carry him home.
Elise asked Sekong to help her put Oliver to bed. Sekong heard Oliver say for Elise not to leave him ever again.
Sekong was upset especially when Elise immediately changed into Oliver’s pajama top.
Elise received a call from her mother telling her that as Oliver was so drunk, it was the best time for him to fully sign over Yuxuan to Elise.
Episode 19
Elise put the drunk, unconscious Oliver’s thumbmark of the deed transferring his shares to Elise.
As soon as she got home, Mrs Quentin took the deeds from Elise’s bag.
Meanwhile, Yiran and Chuting broke up again because Chuting found a fulsome letter about Sekong in the high school wechat group written by YiRan.
Yiran said that it was because he was trying to encourage Sekong who was down in the dump due to her zero score before.
Chuting told Yiran that the letter is more like a love letter and when Yiran asked someone to read it impartially, he was told that it was definitely a love letter.
He went to see a very busy Sekong preparing for the next leg of the contest. Yiran realised that he might actually be attracted to Sekong all along.
Meanwhile, Qian Fan/Oliver spoke to Elise and he told her that he saw on CCTV that she left his house pretty late and that he would like to take responsibility for what happened to them that night and would like to be her boyfriend.
Elise was shocked. She was thinking that he found her out. Anyway, she told him that she though she did not expect it, she had been waiting for Oliver to tell to reconcile but as it is such an out-of-the-blue confession, she would like to think about it.
Who is the actor who plays Boris?!!!
He is pretty good and quite charismatic. Usually foreigners in Chinese & Kdramas can’t act. They look like they were just drag from their holidays to appear in a drama as a token English or American but they sounded Eastern European.
The one who plays Boris is likeable with believable acting.
Episode 20
Elise was excited and asked her mother to give the deed back to her.
Mrs Quentin told Elise to forget it. There was a bigger picture than mere feelings that would not last as Oliver had played with Elise’s emotions before.
Oliver saw that Sekong had been practising hard with her Spanish-style seafood recipe but he found it to be too spicy.
He offered to show her how to make the perfect Spanish seafood casserole. He told her that seafood must not be overcooked and when to add the chili spice.
It was the day of the second contest and the theme was spicy hot to stimulate the palate.
Each of the cooks was given a Carolina Reaper, the hottest chili on the Richter scale or Scoville Scale.
Victor was arrogantly confident with chocolate shell ice cream.
Xiaoyu perfected Boris’ piece de resistance which was spicy foie gras.
Meanwhile, Sekong started clumsily.
Oliver was concerned for her.
Mrs. Quentin was playing chocolate chess with Master Huang Shi, Blu’s mentor. Mrs. Quentin dismissively said that Oliver’s protege had not improved from the first contest.
Master Huang Shi disagreed. He said that Sekong has natural talent better than Boris’s trainee. For a very Zen Master, Master Huang Shi said that if Xiaoyu had been his trainee, he would have given her a good slapping. 🤣🤣🤣
Anyway, the contest was tense and Sekong was doing everything she could to make her paella look good and taste even better.
Now, the cooking was over and winners were announced. Only the first four will have the chance to win the top prize in the finals.
First place was Xiaoyu. She did justice to Boris’s recipe.
The second was Victor, who walked out as soon as he realised he did not get the first place.
Not sure who the third, might be Blu but the fourth place went to a very jolly Sekong.
Just outside the studio, Xiaoyu started berating Sekong for being like her father. She said that Sekong is as dramatic as her father when he was really nothing compared to Xiaoyu’s father.
Sekong slapped a shocked Xiaoyu. Sekong told her that she could be nasty towards her but never involved Sekong’s father.
Xiaoyu was not finished, she pulled Sekong’s hair and Sekong had had enough and grabbed Xiaoyu’s hair as well. Blu saw them and tried to separate them but they started on him so he shouted for Boris who came in immediately followed by Oliver.
Oliver hugged Sekong against the wall while Boris calmed Xiaoyu and took her away.
Sekong started laughing because she was so happy to see Oliver and tell him that she did well.
They were called by Thomas, organiser of the show. He warned the girls that they will only receive two warnings and then they will be expelled from the contest.
The hair pulling and Blu joining in the fight were so hilarious, Boris and Oliver could not help smirking.
Meanwhile, Elise searched for the deed amongst her mother’s documents but she can’t find it.
Xiaoyu’s father found out about the fight and he went mental.
He called both Sekong and Xiaoyu to explain themselves.
Xiaoyu made it sound like Sekong started it. Oliver, who was waiting outside intervened and said that Sekong was being bullied.
Uncle believed it but Sekong does not want to make the issue deeper so she denied that she was being bullied.
She and Xiaoyu made up but Oliver overheard Xiaoyu whispering that everything is far from over.
Love this drama so much.
Episode 21
This episode is a filler and not very interesting at that.
Elise continued to look for the deed but her mother caught her.
Mrs Quentin told her that she will not find the deed because she had already given it to her accountant?!!!
Anyway, Sekong had a bit of a headache so she went to get pills at Oliver’s bathroom. She was thinking that the taste of the tablet was not unfamiliar though she could not place where she tasted it from before.
She remembered and decided to consult the corrupt Dr. Xie about taste and explained that the headache tablet tasted like an ingredient from a congee made by Elise.
Dr Xie assured Sekong that it was only in her mind. The taste was irrelevant.
But Dr Xie immediately contacted Elise about it.
Elise confessed everything and that she was now being blackmailed by Li Yan. Liyan will continue to need money from Elise because his mother is addicted to gambling.
Anyway, Dr Xie told Elise that if Oliver is continuously subjected to the toxin that Elise was giving him, Oliver will not only lose his sense of taste but …
Elise did not let him continue because she said that she was fine with it. She wanted Oliver to be completely reliant on her.
Dr Xie should be struck off the medical professional and jailed for malpractice. He comforted Elise who was deranged.
Meanwhile, the chefs at Yuxuan were plotting to leave for another restaurant.
Sekong noticed that she finally has Yiran’s love and attention but realised that she was so over him. Sekong is now feeling jealousy and a heavy heart every time she thinks of Oliver with Elise.
Episode 22
The theme for the next contest was Fermentation.
Oliver took Sekong to the Yuxuan Farm to show her how the produce was fermented.
He told Sekong that there was a dish that he wanted her to learn but not from him but from the best one that makes it who turned out to be Elise.
It was Fermented Squid. At first Sekong was moody while watching Elise makes the dish but when she tasted the prepared squid, she was blown away.
Elise made her do it again and again but was still not quite satisfied with Sekong’s effort.
Elise asked Oliver why he wanted her to teach Sekong?
Oliver said because he did not want Elise to teach Victor the recipe.
When Elise got home, Victor wanted her to sample his fermented squid.
Elise said that it was delicious, much better than Sekong’s cooking.
Mrs Quentin went ballistic. She branded her daughter a traitor who put her boyfriend first before her own family. Just because Oliver wanted her to teach Sekong, Elise did.
Victor threw a tantrum as well and said that he will not make fermented squid anymore.
No wonder, both Elise and Victor were quite damaged children, the mother is a harridan.
The chef and sous chef and maitre’d at Yuxuan were ready to walk out but Oliver for once went back his own word which satisfied the chefs. He admitted that his beef and crawfish combo was unpleasant.
Yiran called Sekong to talk. He told her that he might have to ask Chuting to get married.
He wanted Sekong’s opinion. He said that she had been rating his past girlfriend and no one was good enough for him.
Sekong told him that she could not tell him to get married because it is way different from merely dating.
She added that Chuting is quite perfect.
Episode 23
Dr Xie was bonding with Victor in a club. He set up Victor to render. song. Victor sounded really but his lip-synched is one of the most terrible things I have ever seen.
Meanwhile, Boris is hounding Xiaoyu to practice but she had gone awol much to the fury of Boris.
Xiaoyu, however, assured him the she has everything under control as she had been cooking fermented ingredients since she can remember.
Though Sekong was fine with Yiran getting together with Chuting, she felt a little sad about all the emotions of her one-sided love for Yiran for so many years.
It was the Third Round. Thomas announced that the recipe should incorporate a fruit.
When Sekong saw the hawthone berries, she knew what to cook.
It would be the Tanghulu, just like what the old man had given her one rainy day after finally accepting that Yiran never saw her as a potential lifemate.
Unfortunately, the recipe requires sugar which was a major No-No for Oliver. Sugar is banned in his house, in Yuxuan, and everywhere else and everyone knows this.
His protege incorporating it in her recipe says a lot about Oliver’s authority and respect from his mentee.
Boris rubbed this on Oliver’s face.
He ended up walking out.
In the Third Round, the champion was Victor and the second was Sekong, and a fulminating Xiaoyu got third place.
Oliver was already gone when Sekong went to the waiting area for the mentors.
Poor Xiaoyu got a rollicking from Boris.
When Sekong got home, she found that Oliver had already packed her things. He told her that she was so great and he had nothing to teach her anymore so she should not show her face to him anymore.
The person happiest that Oliver had chase Sekong away was Elise. She told Oliver that she will release a statement that Oliver and his protege are withdrawing from the competition.
Meanwhile, Xiaoyu’s punishment from Boris was to scale and gut fish for 15 hours (overnight).
Episode 24
Yiran tried to apologise to Chuting but found it was not as easy as he thought. She was ignoring him and had refused to talk with him.
Mr. Ma, the gourmet came back and wanted to try the discontinued beef and crawfish combo. As he was a well-known foodie, they could not refuse him so Oliver made him the dish.
Yuxuan could not believe that Mr. Ma absolutely loved the combo. He was all praises in the review he wrote.
Oliver was so sad, he can’t help but miss his little cheeky chef. He sees her everywhere in his house and in his cooking room. He can’t settle.
Meawhile, Li Yan sees Elise as his purse. He told her that it was only right because he had lost his life as a decent human being and chef because she made him cover for her crime.
Dr Xie went with Elise to give the money to Li Yan. He told Liyan that Elise has no money and if he wanted more in the future, never to contact Elise but to contact him.
Oliver was creating another recipe of egg, chicken and bacon. Elise was just in time to taste test it.
Oliver asked her to review it sincerely.
Elise cannot prevaricate as he saw her face when she first tasted it. In the end, Elise was forced to say that the egg omelet sushi was boring.
Oliver was gutted. He then asked Elise to rate the taste of the ingredients just like Sekong used to do.
Elise tried but she surrendered quickly because it was an impossible task. She then reminded Oliver that he asked her a question a few days ago. She said that she wanted to get back together.
Oliver said sure.
However, Elise said under one condition. The condition was that she will announce that they had gotten back together.
Episode 25
Elise wanted that they announce that they were together but Oliver absolutely refused because he wanted to keep business separate from their private lives.
Elise was unhappy about it because she said that Sekong humiliated Oliver so he needed an uplift, still, he declined.
He told her to move back in anytime but she brushed it aside and said that she was going home, she is tired.
Meanwhile, Yiran came looking for Kesong (oops I have been calling her Sekong🤣). He asked Oliver if he was the Kesong crush for the last 10 years?
Oliver confirmed that he was.
Yiran said that he had only found out recently that Kesong has a place in his heart but at the same time he really likes Chuting as well. He wanted advice from the older Oliver how to deal about the situation of liking two women at the same time.
Oliver was surprised and said that age doesn’t equate to experience, in fact, he wanted advice from Yiran who is the more experienced in love.
Anyway, this gave Oliver food for thought. So he called Kesong and told her that he has a couple of bottles of wine which he wanted her to take home to her parents. He added that he will not be home so come and get them.
Her lovely Uncle encouraged Kesong to get the wine for her parents.
She got there and found Oliver at home who had locked all the doors and trapped her.
He then apologised profusely and promised her anything she wanted. He also said that he will try to go throw her out at the drop of a hat.
She also made him promised to cook her crawfish everyday. They made up over a cookery lesson of how to make chicken in salt crust.
Oliver went to see Thomas regarding retracting his withdrawal application.
Thomas was not very happy about it and told Oliver to give him a viable reason why he should be allowed to go back to the contest again.
Oliver showed Thomas the journal of Montgomery. The last entry said “I hate sugar”
That was the reason Oliver hated sugar and would not have it in his kitchen.
Thomas said that he was being unfair to Kesong. If she gets into the finals and it would be likely the way she was performing this would mean will be cooking with sweetness.
Thomas told Oliver to think about that.
It was almost back to normal at Oliver’s mansion. Kesong is cooking while he was in the restaurant.
Oliver noticed that the camera inside the mansion was down. He called Kesong and asked her to check out the router.
While on the phone to Oliver and checking out the router, Kesong saw an intruder. It was Liyan.
Liyan told her that he was not going to hurt her.
Oliver immediately rode his bike to go home to Kesong who was so relieved to see him and hug him tightly.
He hugged her back. Aww!!! At last… Romance in the air?
Mrs Quentin and Huang Shi are having a flirtation.
Episode 26
It was the quarter-finals.
Xiaoyu is nasty to the core. She asked Kesong to have have word with her. Xiaoyu drove her to a
Episode 27
Being in the semi-finals had gone on Kesong’s head. She can’t come down to earth as her friends had began telling her that she was so pretty on television. She was becoming more beautiful.
Episode 28
Kesong cuts her bangs.
Boris told Chef Mai that Oliver had lost his sense of taste. Chef Mai refused to believe it.
Episode 29
Oliver went to see Jubin/Dr Xie for more prescriptions. He asked Jubin if there is really no way to get his taste back.
Jubin asked why it was so urgent?
Oliver said that he wanted to be able to make Kesong’s favourite salty mushroom stalks. He wanted to be able to look after her.
Yiran is finally growing up. He was even thinking of selling his car so he has the money to enroll in an expensive management course.
Mai put sugar on the thermos of hot water. He saw Oliver use the water to make tea and drink it.
Mai then reported to Boris that Oliver’s sense of taste is perfect. He said that after drinking the tea, Oliver went ballistic.
Xiaoyu overheard it and asked if Oliver had really lost his sense of taste.
Boris was happy to see her back as she was now really ready to give her soul to the devil.
Liyan had told her that her mother was hurt terribly and he believes that it was karma so he told Elise to forget everything. Even if he gets arrested he will not drop her in.
This only made Elise felt even more guilty about getting away with her crime against Oliver. She told Jubin that she was ready to face to her transgression even if Oliver hates her forever and she ended up in prison.
Finally, Oliver knew that Kesong knew about his taste problem. He was so upset at first because he thought she was laughing at him but she asked him why it was so hard for him to tell her that he needed her.
He needed her and hugged her. They then talked for hours about his gustatory problem and they had never been closer.
Episode 30
Aww Oliver and Kesong are really getting on. So super cute. Their chemistry is up on the roof. Really something to see.
Anyway, they were in a wet market shopping for seafood and Kesong was in her element. She said she loved shopping for food.
Oliver asked if she like shopping for food more than clothes.
She said food definitely.
Oliver teased her and said that no wonder whe looks like a vagrant when he first saw her.
Oliver had become so protective of Kesong. He wanted her where he could see her every time.
He received CCTV footage of Mai adding something to the thermos. Mai then asked to meet up.
Mai asked him if he had really lost his sense of taste. Oliver could not really deny it so he admitted it and then asked Chef Mai what he wanted.
Chef Mai told him that they are a Yuxuan family and he would protect Oliver and his secret. He then warned Oliver about Boris.
Uncle Lin had an attack of a bad back and asked Kesong to help out as they can’t contact Xiaoyu.
Oliver volunteered to go with her. So Oliver took charge of the kitchen.
Afterward, Uncle Lin insisted that Oliver and Kesong stay for some dinner. He added that Xiaoyu, who had finally come home, made the best fried rice.
Episode 31
The evil Xiaoyu is up to no good again. She made fried rice and then divided it into little bowls. She then recorded herself adding a copious amount of edible alkali to the fried rice for Oliver. She said that the alkali would make the fried rice very bitter. But when Oliver tasted it, he complimented her.
She then went to Boris to show him her video.
Boris did not waste time. He knocked on Oliver’s door late that night and confronted Oliver about the truth by showing him the video.
Boris said that Oliver is over and that he will download the video.
And he did as soon as he got back at 2:30 am.
It trended immediately.
Even Uncle Lin learned of it and was incandescent with rage against his own daughter who he accused of biting the hand that fed her. He then threw her out.
Episode 32
Elise was doing her damage limitation with the press. She arranged a presscon at three that afternoon but the press were already camped at Oliver’s mansion at mid-morning in the pouring rain.
Oliver called Elise and told her to come right over because he was going to hold a presscon at eleven.
Elise took out her frustration at Kesong. They ended up fighting and Dr Xie had to act as a referee. He told them to behave.
Anyway, during the presscon, Oliver admitted that what Boris said was true. Oliver had lost his sense of taste a few weeks ago.
A barrage of questions came including about integrity. Oliver just said that the prescon was over.
Finally, Kesong could not take anymore of the lies being bandied about Oliver so she spoke up. She went upstairs and took the ipad where she had recorded the different level of tastes of ingredients that Oliver had religiously consult. Kesong said that she has a very good sense of taste, probably not the best in the world but better that anyone of them in the room.
The press did not take her seriously so Oliver said the only thing is demonstration. Someone cooks something and he would replicate it.
Someone from the press volunteered. He said that there is a special secret family recipe for Kung Pao chicken. He will cook it and Oliver must show that he can replicate it without seeing the process.
So Oliver and Kesong went to the rooftop garden while the press guy was cooking. It was being livestreamed.
Boris and Xiaoyu were watching it. Boris was crowing that Oliver won’t be able to replicate it in a million years because of the cooking method.
Oliver and Sekong were called down. Sekong tasted the Kung Pao chicken and told Oliver the exact taste and texture of the chicken.
As soon as he started cooking the press guy already knew that it would taste like his chicken because Oliver knew how his recipe was made. Oliver used high heat and then had to take out the wok from it and put it back again which achieved the desired chewiness.
Oliver explained that Sekong explained the taste and Oliver knew instinctively how to make it.
The press guy then asked Oliver if he can improve the taste. Oliver added more sauce to it and everyone was convinced that they were in front of a kitchen god.
So all’s well much to Boris and Xiaoyu’s frustration.
Oliver and Sekong got even closer.
Episode 33
Thomas spokes to both Oliver and.Boris about Montgomery. Thomas said that Montgomery was absolutely worried when Boris left and he looked for him for a year wanting to know whether he was ok.
Thomas added that Montgomery wanted both Boris and Oliver to be able to pass their skill and love of cooking to someone else and only then they would realize the relationship between a mentor and his trainee.
Boris started having second thoughts about his own relationship with Xiaoyu and tried to be kinder to her but Xiaoyu was something else. She was naturally aggressive.
Oliver is going blind. He had started practicing chopping vegetables blindfolded which were making Elise feel so guilty.
Elise wanted to go to the police and confess but her mother stopped her. She said that she should not be selfish to endanger Victor’s chances in the competition.
Oliver is feeling depressed when he was not with Kesong and when she was with him all he could do was look at her.
It was the quarter-finals, Uncle Lin came to take Xiaoyu home but she was totally aggressive. Uncle Lin wished fervently that she loses.
Xiaoyu was annoyed that her own father did not wish her well.
Oliver and Kesong escorted the irate Uncle Lin who said that he really hope that Xiaoyu loses because if she wins she would become a certified monster and will think that everything evil things she did was worth it for the win.
Episode 34
It was the contest between the Lin Cousins.
Everything the Kesong picked in terms of ingredients, Xiaoyu did as well.
Xiaoyu was like a deranged girl, she replicated everything that Kesong was doing.
Even Boris was impressed at how machiavellian Xiaoyu was. He admitted to Oliver that he would have not thought it himself.
So as they cooked, Xiaoyu looks at Kesong’s cooking and would do it as well until the final moment when she thought she could really better Kesong’s cooking by crisping the fish skin using a blow torch.
She then liberally poured Chinese wine into the fish and used the blow torch. The warning from Thomas, Boris, Oliver, and the audience was too late.
Xiaoyu was on fire and ended up in the hospital.
Xiaoyu was so annoyed with Kesong when she came to see Xiaoyu especially when Thomas confirmed that she had lost to Kesong.
Blu withdraw from the competition against Victor.
Victor is in love with the Bike Lady.
Yiran and Chuting are getting on well.
Oliver’s eyesight was getting worst so he transferred Yuxuan London and Yuxuan Shanghai to Elise.
Episode 35
Elise showed the documents to her mother who was gleeful that she has now full control of both the branches of Yuxuan.
Elise however said that Yuxuan is Olivers and he can’t lose it. If Mrs Quentin continue to covet what was not rightfully hers, she will lose Elise.
Elise then started calling the police but Mrs Quentin stopped her at the last moment.
Mrs Quentin surrendered and gave the deeds she had already had authorised to Elise.
Elise burnt them.
But the trouble was just starting.
Oliver had fully lost his sight and as can be expected he was depressed.
He told Kesong to leave after the competition.
Kesong asked him if he doesn’t need her anymore? Can he leave without her?
Kesong continued to say that she can’t leave without him because she doesn’t just like him because in fact she loves him.
To make her point, she kissed him. She then asked if he was really unmoved.
Kesong parents came to Shanghai to visit Xiaoyu. They stayed and helped out at Lin Feng’s where they heard about Oliver going blind as Elise had a press release that Oliver had lost his sight.
Kesong parents texted Kesong to come to see them.
Episode 36
Her parents tried to dissuade her from having a relationship with Oliver but in the end, they told her that it was her decision.
Kesong felt blessed for having super understanding parents.
However, she finds that it was not really easy to get along with Oliver because he still does cooking while she had become very protective of him.
Boris came to see Oliver. He gave the missing half of the last page of Monty’s journal.
Montgomery wrote “I hate Sugar. I am Sugar.”
So sugar is a necessary evil.
Boris said that he knew Oliver will never touch or have anything to do with sugar after finding the journal. But instead of declining in his cooking ability, Oliver only got better.
Boris told him that he was leaving. He got a job a chef in a cruise liner. He wanted Oliver to go with him as his assistant. He said that in the sea, they will be nearer Monty.
Oliver agreed to go with him.
Episode 37
Victor asked his mother if Elise made Oliver blind as well.
Mrs Quentin said it had nothing to do with Elise.
Liyan came back and totally disgusted with Elise for not only making Oliver lose his sense of taste but now she made him blind as well.
Elise told him that she did not make Oliver blind.
It was another medicine that Oliver was taking that had conflicted with the toxin she gave him that made him blind.
Liyan said that if he finds out that she had taken Yuxuan and hurt Oliver further she had him to answer to.
Elise got a text from her drug dealer, who said that he had the cure for Oliver’s condition.
She consulted Jubin about it.
Jubin said that he had heard of the drugs but it had not gone through rigorous animal testing yet and he heard it was too painful but it does energise the senses.
Elise asked her mother for 500,000 to get the drug.
The chefs at Xiaoyu’s Private Kitchen, including a more reasonable Xiaoyu, made their best desserts for Kesong as her reference for the finals.
Oliver was feeling nervous on the eve of the finals but Kesong assured him that he will be fine and so will she.
It was the finals…
I have to say that after watching 4 episodes for two consecutive days and then only one today was rather a shock to the system. Why couldn’t we have the last three as well today?
Episode 38
It was the finals. Victor won for obvious reasons.
Kesong received a letter from France.
Oliver told her that it was about studying in a cordon bleu school in France.
At first, Kesong declined profusely and said she doesn’t want to go because she will be all alone.
Oliver asked who told her that she will be alone? He said that he. will be going as well as he wanted to study from scratch as a blind cook.
Nina is back.
So all very happy.
Episode 39
Oliver can’t sleep so he took a taxi to Yuxuan to familiarise himself with the set of up of the kitchen.
He then overheard Elise talking with Jubin about the pills she managed to procure for Oliver.
Jubin told her not to mention or give the pill to Oliver because it had not been tested yet. He said the pill will stimulate all the neuron cells in the body so it would mean unbearable pain and could mean death.
He added that if Oliver takes it and is then brought to the hospital because of the pain, the effect of the pill will be useless.
Elise understood so she put the bottle of pills into her desk drawer and locked it.
As soon as they were gone, Oliver got a knife to force open the drawer and took the bottle.
Later on, he asked Kesong, if she was blind and had no sense of taste but there is a drug she could take but it cure her but there is a strong likelihood that it might kill her, would she still take the drug.
Kesong said she doesn’t want to die but she had to do something.
That is all what Oliver wanted to hear.
Episode 40
It is a happy ending.
Oliver sent Kesong to her parents to sort out her visa.
While she was away, Oliver went to the forest where he and Kesong camped before. He did not take the pills immediately. But when he did, he suffered from the most horrendously excruciating pain.
Nina, meanwhile, noticed the absence of Oliver. After a thorough search in and around the house, she called Kesong to advise her that Oliver had gone AWOL.
Kesong who was in the midst of cooking for her parents left immediately in her father’s car in search of Oliver.
She tried to remember where Oliver would go until she realised that he might go near the lake where they camped previously.
And there in the dark, she found Oliver almost half-dead.
Oliver weakly begged her not to take him to the hospital.
Kesong could not take the pain of what Oliver was going through so the next best thing was to call Dr Xie.
Dr Xie, of course, understood immediately that Oliver somehow got hold of the pills. Anyway, he told Kesong that he was going to be right there.
Dr Xie called Elise who was shocked to find that Oliver had taken the pills after she had checked the CCTV.
Oliver was taken to the hospital by ambulance. His heart had stopped beating but after a few applications of the defibrillator, his heart finally started again. But he remained critical for a long time.
Elise issued a statement that Oliver is very critical.
The Yuxuan staff pull together for the sake of the restaurant and not to let Oliver down.
Li Yan went to Oliver’s mansion but was arrested by waiting police.
Elise knew her time was up so she surrendered herself to the police.
Oliver got better. His sweet taste had come back and after a few more days, his eyesight had also come back.
Xiaoyu and Kesong have a more convivial relationship. And it looks like Xiaoyu might go with Blu to Canada.
Victor is happily loved up with K, the motorbike chic.
Mrs Quentin continues with her flirtation with the Zen Master.
Kesong is now working side by side with Oliver at Yuxuan/Shanghai. He is slowly getting the rest of his taste bud but Kesong confessed that her own tastebud is not that strong anymore.
As to Elise and Jubin?!!!
After only five minutes in jail, 😜she was released because Oliver readily forgave her. And as she was really not of Chinese nationality, she was deported. She decided to open a Chinese restaurant in Transylvania, the land of the Master Gnasher, Dracula.
Elise was absolutely ecstatic because she found out that Jubin was going with her. OMG, Romania watch out!🤣🤣🤣. There is no real justice against these two. He was the worst doctor ever and she was insane.
Talking of insanity…
It seemed to be catching as the cast started singing and dancing to end the show. It was fun and I must say I love Boris.
The End
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