[Mainland Chinese Drama 2022] Cupid's Kitchen 舌尖上的心跳

[SC2019]

 

Details:

Chinese title:  舌尖上的心跳
English title: Cupid's Kitchen

Genre: Food, Comedy, Romance

Director: Li Jun

Episodes: 40

Broadcast Date: Jan 13, 2022 - Feb 4, 2022

Network:   iQiyi, Tencent Video, Youku, ZJTV

 

Cast:

Ethan Ruan as Jiang Qian Fan
Song Zu Er as Lin Ke Song
Liu Dong Qin as Song Yi Ran
Wang Zhuo Cheng as Wei Ke Te
Wang Rui Zi as Chu Ting
Xu Jia Wen as Alice
Liu An Qi as Lin Xiao Yu
Zhang Jun Ming as Li Yan

 

Synopsis:

Lin Ke Song has an acute sense of taste and she loves to eat. She works in a hotel but due to an incident with a guest - Jian Qian Fan (of her own doing), she is fired by the hotel. To pursue a rich schoolmate that she has liked for over 10 years (who treats her like a buddy), she follows him to Shanghai. In a strange turn of events, she joins a cooking competition, and is chosen by a renowned Michelin-certified chef Jiang Qian Fan as his disciple. Unbeknownst to her, he has a reason for doing so and it certainly has nothing to do with her lack of culinary talent. Due to a medical condition, he is slowly losing his sense of taste and needs to nurture someone to achieve his goal which is to ensure the restaurant he is running is upgraded from a two-star Michelin restaurant to a three-star one. Having witnessed Ke Song's highly discerning sense of taste and passion for food, he is determined to transform Ke Song via his rigorous plan. From someone who is undisciplined, with zero culinary skills, his aim is to develop her into his successor. Together, they prepare for the cooking competition, and they have only three months for her transformation to take place. Along the way, love blossoms.

 

 [Adapted from the novel "The Heartbeat at the Tip of the Tongue" (舌尖上的心跳) by Jiao Tang Dong Gua (焦糖冬瓜)]

 

Cr MDL, Dramawiki

**Please use spoiler tags for those who have not seen the episodes yet**

 

Preview:

OSTs:

coming soon

Additional Links:

Coming soon...

 

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Please report to @SC2019

 

[SC2019]

I've not watched Ethan Ruan act before and I must say he looks rather imposing here as a chef. Lareina Song is 16 years younger than him. So the show reminds me of Dating in the Kitchen, there's food galore - Michelin style, there's a discernible age gap between the ML and FL, and as usual, there's very little love between them from the beginning; the major difference is that the ML is a chef himself and not a rich chaebol's son AND our FL knows nothing whatsoever about cooking.

 

The only challenge right now with this drama is that it has not been subbed as yet. I am hoping it will soon and that someone will come along and watch this drama. It airs everyday, so the waiting game is more tolerable. Someone, come join me real soon!

[jadore1]

Ok ok I will join you  LOL...up to ep 3 subbed.  Ethan joined my favourites with his mischief in Legend of Fuyao so of course I will watch. Thank you for posting and telling us that this drama started. 

FL does come across as ugly duckling lol but her food senses are like he said phenomenal , genius. Yes I get the Dating in the Kitchen vibe, but since i love to cook and see beautiful cooking drama , I am in.  Our 'China town' does not do the justice to the   rich tapestry of Chinese dishes and the communal sustainability of traditional foods. 

Romance , I will have to see what develops and how it develops. Everyone has their story and I hope theirs is more sweet than sour and for our sake entertaining and feel good drama. 

[SC2019]

@jadore1 hip hip hurray! Thank heavens its being subbed. Considering the two main actors though I was somewhat confident that it would be. I don't like some parts of it, like how he's trying to inculcate discipline into her and something feels off about it. I don't know if it's the acting, the execution or the plot. Otherwise, I think it will be quite a fun watch, seeing how they come together later on. And of course when the 2nd ML comes around and realises that the FL means more than just his best buddy.

[jadore1]

Sorry I am late  with updates...subbed up to 9 as of Jan 20/22 and raw 16.  The miracle of food , or should I say the miracle of nature and humanity when we sincerely and optimally co create ...there is no end to the possibilities.  Up until now the techo world thinks it has humanity by the b..s but its the miracle of Mother Earth and our food that is our greatest potential...green pepper is the sweetest at 3 am , I never knew that ....we are really using only 1% of our intelligence because we have no idea how to appreciate our nest and environment. Great drama .   Characters as diverse as the menu . ML is fighting for his life in a sense and the ugly duckling I am hoping will turn out to be his swan to overcome all the hurdles. Jiayou !!! 

I just read some comments on another site and it never entered my mind that it could be like this wow ... I don't know how to share this so I will put it under the spoilers 

Spoiler

I think Oli's Ex put something in those diffusers to cause his taste loss. I think she believes he will come back to her if he no longer has cooking as a passion.

•  

  ooohhhh that's an amazing guess! I believe Elise is cray cray enough for it. Her constantly angry face scares me

 

[jadore1]

up to ep 12/40  subbed. Elsie the bit**  (Elsie is really  ugly  and our ugly duckling is becoming more dear and beautiful LOL)  sure enough provided the night oil defusers that are impacting his taste buds /brain nerves and now she is pretending that the soup she is making him will alleviate that condition without telling him about the oil .  Our instincts , or his instincts to keep away from her are still 100% but because of past relationships we all blindly follow guilt trips ...loyalty  is fine and good but when it becomes detrimental too bad we don't know how to change fast without becoming victims.

This drama so far is providing me with very nice entertainment  and I look forward to the next 28 episodes . 

[jadore1]

I can never enter a house or a car where people use artificial dirt masking oils / perfumes. I can never wear or stand close to anyone that still uses fabric softeners (they too essentially create a film over the dirty clothes or towels and they are never clean , ever again)   so ep 13 definitely had my attention .

 I wipe off or take a bath daily but never wear chemical underarm deodorants ( and people ask why the % of breast cancers sky rocketed for the past 30 years...shave and apply chemical garbage and guess where it goes, the most sensitive female organs ).  So if this episode helps some to open their  eyes and saves them from serious respiratory illnesses and cancers , I definitely thank this writer and director for coming out and showing the senseless and detrimental habits that shamed us into acquiring . 

Note:  I seem to really really dislike Elsie the dog and miss poor Nina ...hopefully FL will get her back soon  and ML crawl with apologies. 

[SC2019]

@jadore1 Our chef really goes to such extreme ends to ensure the food he serves is in optimal condition; my hats off to him. Yes, I've watched what you commented in the spoiler section and would you be surprised considering how vindictive/ business-like the mother is? 

 

I am still a little conflicted watching our Chef, he really needs work on his emotional intelligence and I really like the scene where our ugly ducking told him to sit down, that she needed to talk to him. I applaud her for being so adult-like about it and setting the terms and condition for their relationship.

 

I just finished watching E17...and she's so heartbroken, poor thing. I can't wait for tonight but there's only one episode- sigh.

 

[leo2020]

Just started this drama. I loved Loreina Song's pairing with Xu Hai Qiao in Dark Lord. So strange to watch her in modern clothes .  

[SC2019]

@leo2020 welcome! I hope you enjoy it.

 

 

@jadore1 where are you at with this drama? I've reached E32 and am anxiously waiting for tonight - I hope their relationship progresses to the next level, and for heaven's sake I hope it doesn't only happen in E39 and 40, I would be gnashing my teeth in exasperation at the long wait.

 

Incidentally, watching the ML is like sitting in a roller coaster. You don't know when he's going to burst out in a fit of anger. I know someone like that at work and it's like having to walk on egg shells as you don't know what you say or do will trigger the person. In this case, I really admire our FL for forgiving him each time. The good news is that he is softening up to her, it's extremely obvious and I wonder if she realises that she has that impact on him. On her end, her heart aches for him but whether she realises why, I wonder as well. I still can't get over the way our FL smiles, it's erh...unconventional...the way she breaks out in a smile? I think the show has this message (at least to me) that age is definitely not a sign of wisdom (e.g. the ML and the 2nd ML's brother). 

[ElleSor]

Oh, It's Ethan Ruan. I think I might try this out for a bit.

He usually has interesting dramas. 

[SC2019]

10 hours ago, ElleSor said:

Oh, It's Ethan Ruan. I think I might try this out for a bit.

He usually has interesting dramas. 

Just to set your expectations, if you are looking for full-out romance in this drama, please manage those expectations. There are many comments in another forum where people are lamenting the lack of any romance despite there being only 3 episodes left. My POV is that it's subtle, there's a lot of tenderness, and the emotions definitely run strong. But whether it's because the FL was only 20 when she shot this drama (and too many kissing scenes were inappropriate) or because the scriptwriter doesn't prefer such scenes, you won't get too many hot passionate scenes. However, the chemistry between the ML and FL are good, and the underlying feelings are definitely there.

 

Oh, and if you are looking for retribution for unethical acts, please manage those expectations as well.

 

Otherwise, it's not a time-waster, and there's enough food scenes to keep me interested. So hopefully it does the same for you.

[ElleSor]

13 hours ago, SC2019 said:

Just to set your expectations, if you are looking for full-out romance in this drama, please manage those expectations. There are many comments in another forum where people are lamenting the lack of any romance despite there being only 3 episodes left. My POV is that it's subtle, there's a lot of tenderness, and the emotions definitely run strong. But whether it's because the FL was only 20 when she shot this drama (and too many kissing scenes were inappropriate) or because the scriptwriter doesn't prefer such scenes, you won't get too many hot passionate scenes. However, the chemistry between the ML and FL are good, and the underlying feelings are definitely there.

 

Oh, and if you are looking for retribution for unethical acts, please manage those expectations as well.

 

Otherwise, it's not a time-waster, and there's enough food scenes to keep me interested. So hopefully it does the same for you.

Thanks for the heads up.

Haven't started this yet. I'm hoping to soon. 

[Latte_Anyday]

Am watchin' this ONLY for Ethan LoL. He's just so so so sexy ha-ha. Not a fan of fl. Don't know why most fls in asian dramas act like they're forever stuck in puberty ew.

    Another trope I despise is the dreaded sfl (yes I mean Elise LoL) who would do ANYTHING to sabotage the otp's happiness. Gurl ya had your chance alright!? Now move along ok sweetie. Then there're the other annoying side characters who're just as narcissistic LoL.

 Victor's hair crack me up! He looks like those huts with straws used on the roof LMFAo!!! His singing dear God just put me out of my misery it's so cringeworthy. 

    Xiao Yu oh my Lord this gurl right here is on another level of monstrosity - if that's a word. She gets slapped twice. Suffers burns and yet think she's Queen of the World WoW (slow claps) I know it's great to have such high self esteem, but geez the gurl is toxic!

    Then the so-called Qian Fan's doctor who has zero ethics and shares everything with Elise LoL. All this kind of get tedious and make viewing really difficult. I have watched over 35 ep. am contemplating whether to finish or drop. I really like Ethan but geez the characters drive me insane.

[SC2019]

@Latte_Anyday I stayed on mostly because of him as well. The girl is really young looking and it's unbelievable that in the story, she is older than Xiao Yu. You should watch the ending... the only thing about the last 5 minutes is that 

Spoiler

it's bizzare, I don't know why they introduced song and dance like a musical into the ending when the entire show I believe has never had such scenes. It looks like a mob flash combined with a musical. I really wonder what the director was thinking.

 

[Latte_Anyday]

@SC2019

Right?? I've had a crush on Ethan since his earlier Taiwanese dramas LoL. He's just aged so well~

    I too was baffled when everyone kept addressing Ke Song as the older one LoL. I was like huh!??! 'Cause Xiao Yu look much much older LoL! I already finished this drama despite reservations.

    I guess the director was goin' for a Disney/Broadway/Bollywood production thing ha-ha. It was just so.. ODD. And I felt the dubbing was HORRIFIC.

    The baddies conveniently let off easy like some, 30+ ep. Elise gets deported - WoW such a great redemption arc eh LoL. The woman nearly killed her ex who she claims to still have feelings for.

    The actress was cringey to watch. Her over exaggerated head movements while she speaks LoL. I guess it's a foreigner thing. They do speak with big gestures i.e. Italians. While Ke Song showed growth in the drama, her character was that of a child or teen. Sighs it's very Zhao Lu Si or every other C-Drama fl character ever. 

    I didn't feel chemistry with all couples here. It all seemed very forced. 

[rocat]

I was drawn to this drama cos of the leads. I liked the FL in the skating show (forgot the title) and she reminds me of Zhao Lusi. Affable and she proved that short fringes are not for everyone.

The age gap between her and Ethan Ruan is rather large but it wasn’t too strange for me - he aged well. I think Song Zuer also pulled the weird off somehow- I was watching her mostly in scenes with the two leads and she took the edge off the very, extremely, unbelievably prickly older guy. The temperamental ML character was all doom and gloom, with sadistic / egotistical tendencies and yelled just too much. Talented but demented. I empathize with his plight but boy he is one shade shy of a full blown depression. His grief never made it past anger. He’s highly unlikeable if not for Ruan. 
 

The other characters were rather unpleasant too - portrayed to show how the want for success manifests the evils of ambition and greed, of the pain of failure and loss, of vanity and pride. 

Except for the FL, her uncle, Buluo and his mentor, everyone has an ulterior motive with varying degrees of darkness.
 

The ending gave me a real good laugh. Incredible. Perhaps it’s what desperation to fill the last few minutes looks like.
 

But I finished all 40 eps. What gives? I reckon it’s the food.

 

 

[SC2019]

@rocat I spoke with my niece who has half a foot in the Chinese netizen news, and apparently the two of them were dating after the drama, well they've long split up, but that explains their off-screen chemistry (and on screen feels). I know @Latte_Anyday says she didn't perceive any chemistry between the duo but I think despite the 16 years age gap and the unbelievably moody character (ML), they did pull it off; though it's not the steamy hot passionate chemistry, but it's there somehow. 

 

Yup, I didn't realise the actress who played Elise was half Italian, I know she is of mixed parentage from her name, and the dubbing for her part was really off. Her facial expressions were really exaggerated - that part I completely agree, to the point it was rather distracting. 

 

For what it's worth, the FL is supposed to have had a tough journey learning cullinary skills, but the drama didn't give me that impression. In fact, I felt that she had it rather laid back. For a ML who is so obsessed about perfection and bringing her up to speed, I think he cut her too much slack. But then again, his intention of keeping her by his side wasn't really for her to win, it was so he could make use of her taste buds to help him come up with new Michellin-grade dishes. Then again, if you ain't gonna listen to others' opinions about the food (eg meat and shrimps pairing), then what's the point?

[Latte_Anyday]

@SC2019

Yea I read 'bout their hook up too LoL. It was unbelievable 'cause nope, I still feel nothin' between 'em (chemistry onscreen)

    The actress who plays Elise is in "Star of Ocean" as well.. She's not dubbed there. She sounds like what an "Asian Banana" would sound like if they were to speak Chinese ha-ha! In that drama, she goes back and forth between english, chinese. 

    I agree with your assessment on the characters. I felt Qian Fan picked her for selfish reasons. For her "super power taste buds" and that she'd practically be his nanny basically (come to think of it) all men are overgrown boys anyways.

    Ke Song was a terrible pick for an  apprentice as she had zero interest in the culinary arts. Qian Fan's understandably cocky as he's probably expected to perform well everytime. Idk he's meticulous so he's probably a perfectionist too. 

    Elise's plans of gettin' him to rely on her backfired & instead pushed him more toward Ke Song. It humbled him greatly also.