Chinese Title
愛很美味
愛很美味
Love Is Very Delicious
Network: Tencent Video
[Recaps]
Cast
Wang Zi Yi: Liu Jing (young)
Ren Fei Er: Fang Xin (young)
Qiao Yi Yi: Xia Meng (young)
Zhou Cheng Ao: Jiang Shan Mu
Liu Dong Qin: Song Chao
Wang Sheng Di: Jiang Wen Wen
Ren Bin: Zhang Ting
Zhang Fan: Lu Bin
Yang Bo Xiao: Wang Ji Chong
Crew
(Updated as of May 2022)
♠ 仿生人間 [Song Wei Long, Wen Qi]
♠ A Murderous Affair in Horizon Tower (2020)
♠ Moonshine and Valentine (2018)
♠ A Murderous Affair in Horizon Tower (2020)
♠ Wait in Beijing (2020)
♠ Moonshine and Valentine (2018)
Scriptwriter: Shen Yang
♠ A Murderous Affair in Horizon Tower (2020)
♠ Moonshine and Valentine (2018)
Scriptwriter: Yi Shuai Jie
♠ A Murderous Affair in Horizon Tower (2020)
Genres
Reviews
Five (5/5)
Mm-Mm-Mm! I’ve never felt so drawn to all three main characters. Usually, there’s one I’d skip, but not this one! Their stories converge and diverge so smoothly. It’s done with taste and invigorated with humour and wit. I want more! So clever, you little Show, with all the metaphors, the revelations, the choices, and the logic behind every decision. Show also touches on heavier topics (sexual harassment, annoying parents, divorce) and can be emotional, but it never feels heavy.
It’s a drama where I love the girls first and the romance second, and then by the end, I love everyone anyway. Each prominent character is attractive because they strive to improve, be it the girls, the guys who got the girls or the guys who didn’t get the girls. These characters are written so well, there has to be at least one character that resonates with you (I would think). I resonate with at least three, ha and even some of the guys. There are so many moments that make me feel this show really gets it, gets me, my nuances, my ticks, my hypocrisy, and that it’s okay, and everyone else has the same insecurities. (A warning! The girls have flaws. You may hate them for it.)
The romance is the biggest tease. You have no idea who the girls (2/3) will end up with, and I was addicted to that. At Ep19, I’m still hanging onto a thread that feels like it’s about to snap, but it’s still there!
On the ending that I love: it’s a little open. I love the shock factor. It’s the good kind, and full of mischief. What can I say? Our girls are hypocrites, haha.
[Beyond this point are major spoilers!!]
I find the theme at the end a little sudden, but it’s still thoughtful. My takeaway:
- The most delicious romance is the one we choose;
- The most beautiful moment is the one decided by us
- Liu Jing’s beautiful moment: when she sincerely convinced her parents to open her restaurant. How could I not cry with her when her love for her dream was so pure and so resolute?
- Xia Meng’s beautiful moment: when she decided to come clean about her vulnerabilities. It’s the first time she’s ever been truthful, truthful to the point that it’s her weakest moment but also her prettiest moment.
- Fan Xing’s beautiful moment: when she improvised her presentation so brilliantly and so touchingly. (How could CEOs not love her?)
- Liu Jing is indecisive about love and everything else but not when it comes to food and her dream.
- Xia Meng is confident about everything but herself and in the end she learns to face her insecurities. No drama, no lies, just her bare self.
- Fang Xin is always prudent, ponders on every move, but gradually, almost unnoticeably by me, she transforms into a woman who’s independent and confident. I love that her romance was always simple and pure and only with one man, but ultimately, the choice that stresses her the most is between her career and her man. She’s no longer the woman who turns silly when in love. It’s not because she loves Zhang Ting less, she just knows how to love herself better.
Four (4/5)
Reviewer: FanFanX
(See in comments)
Date: Jan 2022
Fang Xin & Her Ex: Yes, girl, get rid of the weasel! Yes, yes, yes! I was so proud of her for confronting the mistress, and the second time around, for telling him how awful he truly was. I’m not sure how she stayed with him for five years plus. I wanted to puke when we found that his mistress made her those meals. G-r-o-s-s! The way she handled her divorce was awesome and tough - GTFO, filed the paperwork, and moved on from that phase.
Fang Xin & Work: I love how she persevered and turned things around. I absolutely loved her revenge on that sleazy president. And she finally got the respect she wanted with her boss and then CEO Zhang. Her friendship with Mr. Huang is funny.
Fang Xin & Zhang Ting: She had to initiate every step, because that’s just who he is - a bit dense when it comes to emotions/romance. But I’m so happy they’re together because he’s so sweet. I knew there was something about him when he returned to bring her the allergen-free baked goods. I loved his bakery slogan, “Let's make the world smell better.”
Liu Jing
Liu Jing & Song Chao: I was rooting for this guy as he seemed sincere, funny, sweet and was very into her. They also get along very well. However, his lack of employment and copious amounts of money bothered me - I mean, what’s he actually doing with his “free” time? Is he even productive? Honestly, he’s a bit of lonely child who needs to find himself and his purpose - never mind having a relationship with her right now. Is there hope? Perhaps.
Liu Jing & Work: Wow. I understand that she wanted to find passion in her work. I also understand how much of a huge risk she was taking to open this restaurant. I believe in going after your dreams, and understanding that failure is actually not the worst outcome. For me personally, I love cooking and baking but I’ve long decided that my passion ≠ work-for-profits. I’ve had different people ask me about this for the past decade plus, and I’ve told them the same thing - my passion becomes stress when there is profit involved. I know, it makes no sense to some people but that’s just how I work.
Liu Jing & Jiang Sha Mu (& Jiang Wen): I like how supportive they are of each other’s work and home life. Jiang Sha Mu seems to be the right person for her - mature, employed, caring, responsible and just a bit silly. However, I did not see much romance between them. Was this intentional? Wen Wen is a real show stealer. She was such a highlight for me.
Xia Meng
Xia Meng & Wang Ji Chong: I felt sorry for Wang Ji Chong because he was so emasculated by her, and everyone around them just encouraged his insignificance, including his own parents. But the more I think about it, this isn’t 100% her fault - he should have at least chosen to work elsewhere so they’re not literally on top of each other all the time. They both had unaddressed insecurities in that relationship, and after eight years, they had obviously gotten “used” to how their relationship worked - but it didn’t mean that it couldn’t have been changed. Frankly, I found it petty and ridiculous how he breaks up with her, moves out and doesn’t even let them discuss it. I actually liked it when he worked on himself and realized that he still loved her but I’m not a fan of how he wanted them to stay together, without considering her feelings and needs. Does he have another chance? Depends on her.
Oh and that scene in Ep1 when they’re in bed - one of the most outrageously hilarious things I’ve seen in a cdrama!! I couldn’t believe they did that scene. LOL)
Xia Meng & Work: She’s good at what she does - managing people and projects. She needs to be controlling with work - but does she have to be outside of work? Maybe not as much.
Xia Meng & Lu Bin: I just like Lu Bin the most of the guys in this series. I love how down-to-earth he was, boy-next-door appeal and he was making an honest living. He knew who he was and he was into her. Now let’s talk about her pile of lies - I could not stand it for him, and it was giving me anxiety and anger with every ep that her lies grew. And when the fallout occurred, I was so relieved and saddened by it.
Further Commentary
>>They did such a great job casting these kid actors for the child version of the adults. Their personalities and even some facial expressions were so on point.
>>The girls were so different from one another and yet their friendship worked because of their differences - they balanced each other out and having a different worldview helps expand one’s one POV.
>>I appreciated how meta this series was with having a drama within this drama - via Jiang Shan Mu’s work or Xia Meng’s work. I was relieved when that palace actress, Jia Wen Yi, wasn’t actually a love rival or some other thorn for Liu Jing, too.
>>It may have “romance” in the title but this series isn’t just about romance. It’s about these girls, their livelihood, their friendship, and their everyday lives.
>>I liked that the ending was optimistic but wasn’t a bow tie ending. The ending is like our real lives - you don’t know the outcome until you get there, and even then…
Episodic Notes
Reviewer: flash2351
Liu Jing
I think drama was always teasing with Song Chao, but the hints always pointed to JSM. E.g. when she returned after Song Chao got punched, she didn't like the pig brain. But when she was young, she would like a food just cause the guy she likes like the food (pork burger).
I also liked the scene of JSM and Song Chao drinking together. It's funny how both of them have negative experiences with liquor previously, and yet it is the alcohol that brings them together in the end. And I appreciate how Song Chao is shown to be respecting the boundaries once he learns of the r/s (e.g. asking both of them out for dinner through JSM). Similarly, I like how JSM respects and trusts Liu Jing to go for a meal alone with Song Chao.
My main criticism is probably Liu Jing's career storyline. I like that she found her passion, but I feel like her parents have very valid concerns. Sure, she feels like she will persist with this dream, but I'm sure she felt the same way about art, about MBA, about all the other things she did before this. Also, sure, she likes to cook, why don't she join a restaurant to work and train under professional chefs? Why must she start her own restaurant and risk all her money? It just feels very reckless.
In the same vein, I don't like the message that you must do what you are passionate about. I actually agree with the dad here. It's more important to do something you are good at, and you can use your free time to pursue your passion. Of course, it's great if your passion lines up with your work, but it is neither shameful nor wrong to do something simply to earn money.
Fang Xin
I loved her divorce storyline and it was actually the trailer of her divorce scene (the second time round, when they finally succeeded) that convinced me to watch this. In contrast to Liu Jing, I love the message here. Sometimes, it's not about what's fair, what's right. It's just about doing what's best for yourself. And if giving up a small amount of money would allow her to cut this toxic person out of her life, so be it.
Her career storyline was no less exceptional. I liked her struggles and how she fought to give herself a chance, and finally earning recognition through her own intellect and hard work. I also really enjoyed her revenge scene, where she got to use the exact lines back on him "Oh... are you going to cry?" and smacking his butt. The disinfecting her hand in front of his face was just the cherry on top of the cake *chef's kiss*
Her love story with Zhang Ting was pretty vanilla, but funny in it's own way. A girl used to being chased finally has to come round and chase the guy she likes, because he is too dorky and dumb to make the first move. At the same time, he wins the girl through his sincere actions, despite saying the wrong thing literally every time. I loved how he didn't even trust himself to confess his love, he just kissed her. Because he always does the right thing, just like how he always says the wrong thing. Haha... Oh, also while there is the small hints of career vs romance, I like that show didn't make a big deal of it. I feel like the choice of bread vs love is overly binary. At times, you choose to give up a bit of love for your career, at times you choose to give up a better career opportunity for your love. It's not black and white, you don't have to keep choosing one over the other, and at times, both might even be the same choice.
One major highlight for me was Mr Huang. I liked how they revealed that he was gay and how normal he appeared. For all the representation that LGBT gets in western media, there are just as many negative stereotypes being perpetuated by it... Yes, there are flamboyant gays, but there are also flamboyant straights. I'm surprised at (but definitely applauding) this normal and good representation in chinese drama lol.
Xia Meng
I hated her lies initially, but slowly, as we learnt more about her character, I sorta understood. I can also understand Lu Bin's anger at her and I loved how they made up, when she bared her soul to him, telling him her deepest darkest fears so that she will no longer have any secrets from him. I was also super touched by how she revealed how important his affirmation was for her.
Overall
I also appreciate the friendship shown between the 3 girls, both as kids and adults, especially the scene of them drinking together, arguing, making up and then hugging each other to sleep. It just feels so real and relatable....
I also liked how each episode had a theme that was shown by the flashbacks into the past. The ending was also interesting in that it's not a typical happily ever after. The girls have grown and become better women, but with each phrase of life comes new challenges. Xia Meng has learnt to love herself and open herself up to someone, now she has to learn to love someone else. Fang Xin has learnt to stand up for herself and fight for what she wants, but now she has to learn that she can't have it all, she will have to make sacrifices to maintain her relationship and her career. Liu Jing has learnt to take the plunge both career-wise and romantically, but now she needs to learn to persist when the initial adrenaline rush fades...
Fang Xin
Fang Xin & Work: I love how she persevered and turned things around. I absolutely loved her revenge on that sleazy president. And she finally got the respect she wanted with her boss and then CEO Zhang. Her friendship with Mr. Huang is funny.
Fang Xin & Zhang Ting: She had to initiate every step, because that’s just who he is - a bit dense when it comes to emotions/romance. But I’m so happy they’re together because he’s so sweet. I knew there was something about him when he returned to bring her the allergen-free baked goods. I loved his bakery slogan, “Let's make the world smell better.”
Liu Jing
Liu Jing & Song Chao: I was rooting for this guy as he seemed sincere, funny, sweet and was very into her. They also get along very well. However, his lack of employment and copious amounts of money bothered me - I mean, what’s he actually doing with his “free” time? Is he even productive? Honestly, he’s a bit of lonely child who needs to find himself and his purpose - never mind having a relationship with her right now. Is there hope? Perhaps.
Liu Jing & Work: Wow. I understand that she wanted to find passion in her work. I also understand how much of a huge risk she was taking to open this restaurant. I believe in going after your dreams, and understanding that failure is actually not the worst outcome. For me personally, I love cooking and baking but I’ve long decided that my passion ≠ work-for-profits. I’ve had different people ask me about this for the past decade plus, and I’ve told them the same thing - my passion becomes stress when there is profit involved. I know, it makes no sense to some people but that’s just how I work.
Liu Jing & Jiang Sha Mu (& Jiang Wen): I like how supportive they are of each other’s work and home life. Jiang Sha Mu seems to be the right person for her - mature, employed, caring, responsible and just a bit silly. However, I did not see much romance between them. Was this intentional? Wen Wen is a real show stealer. She was such a highlight for me.
Xia Meng
Xia Meng & Wang Ji Chong: I felt sorry for Wang Ji Chong because he was so emasculated by her, and everyone around them just encouraged his insignificance, including his own parents. But the more I think about it, this isn’t 100% her fault - he should have at least chosen to work elsewhere so they’re not literally on top of each other all the time. They both had unaddressed insecurities in that relationship, and after eight years, they had obviously gotten “used” to how their relationship worked - but it didn’t mean that it couldn’t have been changed. Frankly, I found it petty and ridiculous how he breaks up with her, moves out and doesn’t even let them discuss it. I actually liked it when he worked on himself and realized that he still loved her but I’m not a fan of how he wanted them to stay together, without considering her feelings and needs. Does he have another chance? Depends on her.
Oh and that scene in Ep1 when they’re in bed - one of the most outrageously hilarious things I’ve seen in a cdrama!! I couldn’t believe they did that scene. LOL)
Xia Meng & Work: She’s good at what she does - managing people and projects. She needs to be controlling with work - but does she have to be outside of work? Maybe not as much.
Xia Meng & Lu Bin: I just like Lu Bin the most of the guys in this series. I love how down-to-earth he was, boy-next-door appeal and he was making an honest living. He knew who he was and he was into her. Now let’s talk about her pile of lies - I could not stand it for him, and it was giving me anxiety and anger with every ep that her lies grew. And when the fallout occurred, I was so relieved and saddened by it.
Further Commentary
I relate to Liu Jing the most - her love of food, stubbornness, honesty, nagging parents, the way she dabbles in different things and tries to excel at it and will drop it if need be, her streak of independence and being eccentric. I’ve asked questions all my life - hence wanting to learn new things but not necessarily being an expert in any one thing. A small part of me relates to Xia Meng's need to control things/people - but after decades of this useless mentality, I've learned there is no point in trying to control everything/everyone. I'm not the center of the world - I'm just a part of it and I should just live my life. I don’t relate to Fang Xin as much because I don’t have gongzhu bing - that really cracked me up for some reason. (I’m also not that girly, gentle, etc. I have friends like her, and we do balance each other out. ha.) However, I did like her character more and more when she became braver with each episode, and she’s such a loyal friend.
>>They did such a great job casting these kid actors for the child version of the adults. Their personalities and even some facial expressions were so on point.
>>The girls were so different from one another and yet their friendship worked because of their differences - they balanced each other out and having a different worldview helps expand one’s one POV.
>>I appreciated how meta this series was with having a drama within this drama - via Jiang Shan Mu’s work or Xia Meng’s work. I was relieved when that palace actress, Jia Wen Yi, wasn’t actually a love rival or some other thorn for Liu Jing, too.
>>It may have “romance” in the title but this series isn’t just about romance. It’s about these girls, their livelihood, their friendship, and their everyday lives.
>>I liked that the ending was optimistic but wasn’t a bow tie ending. The ending is like our real lives - you don’t know the outcome until you get there, and even then…
Episodic Notes
Ep3. The cow meat tray. Chaoshan beef hot pot: You start with the fattier cuts, then the leaner ones, and finally the side dishes. That's why it's shown in that tray, so you can see which parts of the cow it came from. (I looked it up when Liu Jing said the name, so I got curious.) This post explains the cuts, and explains that snowflake cut that they did the countdown for. :) And to my eyes, it looks to be about 2-3 oz. of meat in each section. I’d go for hot pot soon but I think I will have to settle for one of those instant self-heating ones at home. T_T
Ep17. When Liu Jing cries eating that bowl of noodles because of the emotions/memories it triggers. I empathize with her. Certain foods trigger such emotions/memories for me, too. My parents' guest noodles is one such example. I feel like I’m transported back to my 5-year-old self when I eat it and it makes my heart ache a bit, and when I find that second boiled egg in my bowl - I’m almost ready to cry.
Ep20. Why am I crying when her mother eats the snowflake mashed chicken?! There was just something about the look in her mother's eyes when she takes that first bite and also the way she's looking at her mother. It's such a powerfully emotional moment. I started crying, and then sobbing when her parents came around to fully support her decision.
(See in comments)
Date: Dec 2021
Date: Dec 2021
Spoiler-y on the final romantic partners!
You have been warned!
I think drama was always teasing with Song Chao, but the hints always pointed to JSM. E.g. when she returned after Song Chao got punched, she didn't like the pig brain. But when she was young, she would like a food just cause the guy she likes like the food (pork burger).
I also liked the scene of JSM and Song Chao drinking together. It's funny how both of them have negative experiences with liquor previously, and yet it is the alcohol that brings them together in the end. And I appreciate how Song Chao is shown to be respecting the boundaries once he learns of the r/s (e.g. asking both of them out for dinner through JSM). Similarly, I like how JSM respects and trusts Liu Jing to go for a meal alone with Song Chao.
My main criticism is probably Liu Jing's career storyline. I like that she found her passion, but I feel like her parents have very valid concerns. Sure, she feels like she will persist with this dream, but I'm sure she felt the same way about art, about MBA, about all the other things she did before this. Also, sure, she likes to cook, why don't she join a restaurant to work and train under professional chefs? Why must she start her own restaurant and risk all her money? It just feels very reckless.
In the same vein, I don't like the message that you must do what you are passionate about. I actually agree with the dad here. It's more important to do something you are good at, and you can use your free time to pursue your passion. Of course, it's great if your passion lines up with your work, but it is neither shameful nor wrong to do something simply to earn money.
Fang Xin
I loved her divorce storyline and it was actually the trailer of her divorce scene (the second time round, when they finally succeeded) that convinced me to watch this. In contrast to Liu Jing, I love the message here. Sometimes, it's not about what's fair, what's right. It's just about doing what's best for yourself. And if giving up a small amount of money would allow her to cut this toxic person out of her life, so be it.
Her career storyline was no less exceptional. I liked her struggles and how she fought to give herself a chance, and finally earning recognition through her own intellect and hard work. I also really enjoyed her revenge scene, where she got to use the exact lines back on him "Oh... are you going to cry?" and smacking his butt. The disinfecting her hand in front of his face was just the cherry on top of the cake *chef's kiss*
Her love story with Zhang Ting was pretty vanilla, but funny in it's own way. A girl used to being chased finally has to come round and chase the guy she likes, because he is too dorky and dumb to make the first move. At the same time, he wins the girl through his sincere actions, despite saying the wrong thing literally every time. I loved how he didn't even trust himself to confess his love, he just kissed her. Because he always does the right thing, just like how he always says the wrong thing. Haha... Oh, also while there is the small hints of career vs romance, I like that show didn't make a big deal of it. I feel like the choice of bread vs love is overly binary. At times, you choose to give up a bit of love for your career, at times you choose to give up a better career opportunity for your love. It's not black and white, you don't have to keep choosing one over the other, and at times, both might even be the same choice.
One major highlight for me was Mr Huang. I liked how they revealed that he was gay and how normal he appeared. For all the representation that LGBT gets in western media, there are just as many negative stereotypes being perpetuated by it... Yes, there are flamboyant gays, but there are also flamboyant straights. I'm surprised at (but definitely applauding) this normal and good representation in chinese drama lol.
Xia Meng
I hated her lies initially, but slowly, as we learnt more about her character, I sorta understood. I can also understand Lu Bin's anger at her and I loved how they made up, when she bared her soul to him, telling him her deepest darkest fears so that she will no longer have any secrets from him. I was also super touched by how she revealed how important his affirmation was for her.
Overall
I also appreciate the friendship shown between the 3 girls, both as kids and adults, especially the scene of them drinking together, arguing, making up and then hugging each other to sleep. It just feels so real and relatable....
I also liked how each episode had a theme that was shown by the flashbacks into the past. The ending was also interesting in that it's not a typical happily ever after. The girls have grown and become better women, but with each phrase of life comes new challenges. Xia Meng has learnt to love herself and open herself up to someone, now she has to learn to love someone else. Fang Xin has learnt to stand up for herself and fight for what she wants, but now she has to learn that she can't have it all, she will have to make sacrifices to maintain her relationship and her career. Liu Jing has learnt to take the plunge both career-wise and romantically, but now she needs to learn to persist when the initial adrenaline rush fades...
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