This review may contain spoilers
UNMEMORABLE BUT SWEET
The story is bringing women empowerment as Chef Ling Xiao Xiao faces discrimination, however the story is unmemorable.Nutshell: Decent; laugh worthy; short; Lighthearted
PLOT
Chef Ling Xiao Xiao earns her place in the Delicacies Kitchen and befriends Crown Prince Zhu Shou Kui. Despite the Crown Prince known for being obnoxious and "violent" by throwing food around, the two eventually make a friendship which grows to something more. In the end, after facing the cruelty of the Empress and King, Chef Ling Xiao Xiao must pick between ever setting foot in the Delicacies Kitchen again or marrying Crown Prince Zhu Shou Kui. In the first ending, after she picks cooking, Crown Prince Zhu Shou Kui gives up the title of Crown Prince to chase after Ling Xiao Xiao. They later marry. The second ending consists of the two marrying, however Ling Xiao Xiao confessed to the Crown Prince after the Crown Princess selection, which has no “dramatic” decision between the kitchen and the Crown Prince.
PROPS:
The costumes and props were in the medium budget range. It has even made its way to Disney+.
OPINION
The drama was okay, and compared to other Chinese dramas, it is short at 16 episodes+1 Alternate ending. “Delicacies Destiny” was just okay because it didn’t offer a grand or extremely enticing plot, however it was funny and light hearted. Ling Xiao Xiao beats the bad guys (minimal) and is the classic “smart” female protagonist. Since the show is PG and light hearted, it does not feature the usual scheming palace.
CRITIQUES
The male lead throws "tantrums"—throwing food on the floor and flipping the table over which seems realistic for being a spoiled prince. However, it is a first bad impression because the question to pose is: An adult male who is throws food on the floor is supposed to be a good male lead? It is understandable for characters to have flaws, and we see less of his tantrums in the future, however it is not good for a habit like that to be featured. However, as the habit disappears, it may be showing his change.
AGE RATING
On Disney+, the show is rated PG, however it has minor elements that could make it more in the higher age range due to the little amount of “violence” of the Crown Prince’s tantrums (flipping over a table of food; spoiled Prince stuff but minimal) and a man trying to cause a scene to make Ling Xiao Xiao go home with him as his “wife.”
CONCLUSION
The story is good overall, however it is not the best and is obvious it is not striving for it. Despite the possible areas of improvement, the drama is enjoyable to watch, will bring smiles to your face, and will make you laugh.
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This review may contain spoilers
I had been curious about this drama for a long time, but it somehow kept getting pushed to the back of my mind. Haha…Anyway…
Story about Ling Xiao Xiao (XX) , a girl who dreams of becoming an imperial chef in the palace. She’s constantly underestimated at home because of her gender. Determined to prove herself to her father—and to challenge the gender bias in the culinary world—she sets her sights on the palace.
XX eventually manages to enter the palace, but instead of being assigned to the imperial kitchen, she ends up in the Crown Prince’s (CP) kitchen. The CP is known to be a very picky eater; many chefs have failed to satisfy his palate. But XX believes his pickiness comes from boredom with the greasy, repetitive dishes usually served.
So, she prepares something simple for him. However, before CP even tries the dish, he feels insulted by its simplicity and has XX kicked out of the palace. But everything changes when he finally smells and tastes her food—he’s completely mesmerized by the flavor and immediately orders for XX to be brought back.
XX agrees to return, but only after striking a deal with the CP—one that he reluctantly accepts.
From that day on, XX becomes CP’s personal chef. As days go by, she slowly grows closer to him. She eventually learns the real reason behind CP’s pickiness — and realizes that beneath his cold exterior lies a kind-hearted man.
Throughout her time at the palace, XX meets many people, including the Emperor and Empress. At first, she faces challenges due to her gender, but she ultimately wins everyone over with her talent and kindness.
As time goes on, the bond between XX and the CP grows stronger, giving rise to romantic tension. At first, XX doesn’t fully understand her own feelings, but moments of jealousy and separation help XX realize what she truly feel for CP.
So the question now is—what will happen to Xiao Xiao? Will she end up joining the Crown Prince’s harem, or does another destiny await her? And when she finally realizes that becoming the Crown Princess means giving up her dream and leaving the kitchen behind? In the end, which path will she choose?
That's pretty much the story without giving the spoiler. Now what I like and don't.
What I Like:
+ The food! It seriously made my mouth water while watching. The way the cast eats — with so much expression and enjoyment — OMG!!!! Feels like they’re teasing us through the screen.
+ The Emperor and Empress are surprisingly kind & reasonable characters. I’m so glad the story didn’t get unnecessarily complicated by having them disapprove of XX.
+ There are many interesting supporting characters , each with their own quirks and charm. Like the imperial consort, when have we ever seen imperial consort this fat but still loved by the Emperor. No offense intended, of course—I just said the fact.
+ The Interesting ending…. Oh I'll not write in here. You have to watch it yourself to know what I mean.
Overall This is such an underrated gem— sweet, heartwarming, and full of great food and romance and not so much drama or palace intrigue. it’s definitely worth watching.
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If you love Chinese foods , you have to watch this drama
This was an unexpected fun drama with great cookings and foods scene with romance. I was watching ROYAL FEAST first, but then I found this drama. Well I ended up finishing this drama before Royal Feast. It was only 16 Ep + extra episode. So it was easy to watch and I simply couldn’t stop watching it. ( Royal Feast is good too but it’s getting tedious and this one was more fun to watch .)It’s a light romance comedy. ML who is a bit spoiled 世子(Crown Prince) is well played by Wang Cing Shou Kui. FL is played by He Rui Xian who is also in Royal Feast. There are lots of cooking scenes and variety of great looking Chinese foods. I really enjoyed watching these cooking and visually delicious dishes. At the same time the sounds and the scenes of eating these foods made me hungry and I had to go get some Chinese foods each time I watched this drama.
The romance is quite cute between ML and FL. ML is handsome and nice to watch him being jealous. FL is probably more experienced actress and I really liked her a lot. Their chemistry is very good and side actors played well. In the beginning some of serving maids were bit mean to FL, but they all got along right away due to FL’s skilled cooking. Story is very hart warming and funny.
The only thing I didn’t care is the last episode. They even made extra alternative ending, so I am happy the way it ended with extra episode, but I just don’t get it why they don’t make this ending as alternative ending from the beginning instead of ep 16 ? Ep 16 ending was bad.
Anyway as long as you can watch the extra episode, then you will be fine and you will like this drama a lot for sure.
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Entertaining but not perfect imo
The ending.... Was quite something. Oh, I don't even watch the alternate ending yet as I write this. What i noticed is that I like the inclusivity of this drama you know, coz it didn't try to be realistic as possible for a historical drama. I like that it gave something new like how man got to be treated like the way woman always got in a real world or usually it would be like that for them. Also, the beauty standard, like I said b4, the inclusivity of plus size and rounded face girls. Another thing, I love that the dramas in the imperial harem were not cruel and vicious. The devotion and patience of the Hero and the strong and courageous stand of the heroine. I'm glad my tears are worth it in the end. Kind of.Was this review helpful to you?
It's good until it reach ending. I don't get both the ending.
this movie have 2 endings. but, I don't really get both the ending. I don't know if I am just dumb, but both the ending is kinda forceful for me. I actually quite enjoy the shows (episode 1 - 15). For episode 17, it's basically just a re-run from previous episodes. I think they want to emphasize the alternative ending.It's funny and don't have much politic involve even though the setting is in kingdom. It's also a good thing the emperor and empress both are easygoing.
Actress wise, I don't know why, her hairstyle looks so weird. People around her have similar hairstyle, but in my opinion only her hairstyle looks a bit silly. She is pretty, though.
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Mouthwatering food for an unsatisfying story
It’s an easy watch, the story is simple enough, the acting is good and the food looks great; I didn’t like some of the soundtrack choices (it sounded too modern if that's possible) and I actively dislike the last part of the drama.The main draw of the drama, for me, is the female lead. She’s independent and smart. Nothing seems to faze her and no matter what she always lands on her feet. She also cares for the people around her, even if she doesn’t show it openly. She is very goal oriented in the first half of the drama and I really liked that. She’s basically a watered-down version of one of mi favorite cdrama heroines, Wei Yingluo (Story of Xanxi Palace).
Unfortunately, the moment they start to develop the romance more, my interest waned a little, the male lead is very unlikable in the first few episodes but melts down fast and is all about the fl all the time which is ok, we never saw him doing much anyway ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
My hot take is (and I can’t believe I’m saying this) that I would have prefer a sad ending. The last few episodes are about how the fl is asked to sacrifice a huge part of who she is in order to be with the male lead, and her having second thoughts about it is bad actually. But this happened to other female characters throughout the story; they are the ones who have to sacrifice something in order to be with their male love interest. And what’s worse, this is treated like the only correct choice.
And make no mistake, at no point the narrative asked the same from the male lead, he doesn’t have to make any sacrifices, he gets to have the cake and eat it too. Thus, their relationship is never equal and I hate that, but more than anything I think the ending does a great disservice to the characters as they were presented throughout the drama. Maybe it’s a me problem, but it just left a bad taste in my mouth.
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Weekend binge cuddle up romcom
Delicacies Destiny is not just a drama—it’s a gentle feast for the heart. In only 16 episodes, it serves a story so tender, you feel as if you’re being let in on a quiet secret between two souls. There is no cruelty here, no shadows of betrayal—only the soft unfolding of affection, like steam rising from a warm bowl on a winter’s day.Our heroine’s journey is a slow simmer, each step adding depth and flavor to who she becomes. She is as endearing as any Audrey Hepburn heroine, and her story feels like a Cinderella dream—one where love grows not from grand gestures, but from shared glances, quiet laughter, and the joy of simply being seen.
It is a drama best enjoyed in unhurried moments, when you can let the warmth seep in and the sweetness linger. But be warned—its dishes will tempt your appetite, and its romance will leave you hungry for more.
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This review may contain spoilers
The picky and smitten Crown Prince and his personal chef turned Crown Princess | WXYs so adorable!
I can't think of any other way to start this review aside from talking about the most controversial aspect of this story—which is the ending; so here you go.Honestly, I am not sure where to direct my frustrations towards the ending of this drama to...should it be to Ling Xiao Xaio (FL) or the writer and director?
The story was going smoothly not until it reached ep. 10-11 that parts of it started becoming more and more questionable—LXX not knowing that getting into a relationship with the Crown Prince can result to her becoming the Crown Princess or Concubine is absolutely ridiculous to me. I know that she's inexperience and naive when it comes to love and the whole romance thing but isn't it common knowledge that you'll end up as one if you ever get tangled with the Crown Prince? Like make it make sense to me why she doesn't realize that despite him mentioning it on his very 1st confession? Seriously! ><
Also, her rebuttal of "But I am just a Chef" whenever she's facing the "Being in a relationship with the Crown Prince means you'll automatically be the Crown Princess" is pure madness to me. Like, Girl!? Do you need a wake up slap or something?—Yes, you indeed are!! But, it's the Crown Prince who you are being lovey dovey with and not just some random commoner, so there are most certainly consequences along with it!
Lastly (for this section of my review cause I want to talk about the good aspects of the story after this), what's with the dual ending? That was just so random from this production really... They created all the drama only to show us that LXX actually chose the latter option and ended up having the opposite life of what was initially presented. I myself got it, at the very least, since I am so used to trivialities of c-dramas but still, why? What for?
Moving forward... One thing I adored and enjoyed about this drama is their playful yet excellent presentation of the cooking process and the people's reaction whenever they're eating LXX dishes. The animated effects and facial expressions were extreme yet doesn't look cringey to me. In fact it contributed a lot to the overall charm of the drama.
Their eloquence and smart choice of words in terms of describing the taste of the dishes were also satisfying that it made me drool and even more hungry while watching it. I should really learn from them in regards to utilizing my adjectives. Haha!
Phasing - The sequencing and variety of different events each episodes are impressive. It gave the characters significant amount of time to show off their individual personality and appeal. It also makes the storyline compact because we get a decent screentime for each of the events that made the story coherent and doesn't felt rushed.
Another thing I love about this drama is its overall theme revolving around positivity, kindness and self-worth. This is one of the main reason why I have let them slide in terms of their audacious representation and blatant act of breaking palace norms and etiquettes—well aside from the fact that this is an Idol drama and some aspects should've been expected to be like that. Hehe!
Lastly, I just want to mention how I appreciate both of the main leads. I love LXX bright and wise personality. An extremely capable and wonderful woman. + Getting to watch Wang Xing Yue in this innocent and lively role during the early years of his acting career makes me elated.
Story - 9.5, Although the last 5 episodes made me feel bored watching it, I just cannot deny the fact that it was actually a pretty good drama overall. The ending wasn't bad either. My issues is with LXX, the writer and director alone.
Acting/Cast - 10, I'm truly satisfied with all the cast, more so, their acting. It was on point and I never feel bothered about anyone during my whole watch experience. Gotta give it to WXY though, for nailing his character so hard!
Music - 10, Straight up perfection! I really love all the music used in this drama. I love how they corresponds to the scenes they're used to and I love how fun and exciting they all sounded.
Rewatch Value - 9.0, I love it a lot but I just don't see myself watching it from the very 1st episode to the last. I would surely watch some of WXH cute and adorable moments in this drama though.
Overall - 9.5, This being an Idol drama is one of the reason why I was way more letient to it than usual. However, I also don't want to ignore and diminish the fact that this drama do really have such a good story which is the main reason why I am giving it such a high rating despite my mini-complain above. It was overall a good and enjoyable drama to watch.
IF you find my review helpful please let me know
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Chinese copying everything as usual lol
"There are allegations and suspicions that the Chinese drama 'Delicacies Destiny' has plagiarized the renowned Korean drama 'Jewel in the Palace' also known as 'Dae Jang Geum.' Amid these allegations of plagiarism, the controversy is growing as it was revealed that the Chinese drama is being streamed all over the world except for Korea."Typical Chinese Drama Copying Everything and Stealing Other Culture LOL.
Hope they make their own drama out of their brains!
Hope you guys have fun watching it!
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This review may contain spoilers
Depois que terminei Scent of time (e anteriormente The Double), acabei descobrindo que este drama é do mesmo roteirista e também é estrelado por Wang Xing Yue. Só por isso eu já sabia que a história seria boa, pois amei The Double e Scent of Time. Além disso, o charme do Wang Xing Yue é irresistível, mesmo ainda sendo muito novinho neste drama, ele definitivamente é muito cativante. O enredo do drama gira em torno da jovem Ling Xiao Xiao, que deseja se tornar a maior chefe do mundo e para isso ela entra em uma seleção para se tornar uma chefe do palácio Imperial. Por conta de suas habilidades extraordinárias ela é escolhida e passa a servir como chefe do príncipe herdeiro, um jovem extremamente mimado e exigente com comida. Graças a sua assertividade e habilidades culinárias ela logo conquista a simpatia do príncipe que, pouco a pouco, também vai se apaixonado por ela.
Delicacies Destininy é um drama com um enredo bem de conto de fadas. A clássica história da moça comum que acaba conquistando o coração do príncipe. Os conflitos são poucos, os pais aceitam Xiao Xiao como princesa herdeira sem preconceitos. O grande conflito está em Xiao Xiao abrir mão de ser chefe (algo que ela faz com paixão) para se tornar a princesa herdeira ou continuar sendo chefe, mas esquecer o príncipe. Ela não pode ter os dois e precisa escolher. A nossa sorte como expectador é que não precisamos escolher. O drama oferece os dois finais e acho que assim todos ficam satisfeitos.
É um drama leve e bem humorado, ótimo para assistir quando quer desanuviar um pouco a cabeça. Nada de argumentos complexos, intrigas palacianas, conspiração etc. É realmente um "conto de fadas".
Além da história de amor da chefe Xiao Xiao com o príncipe herdeiro, Zhu Shou Kui, o drama também é uma grande propaganda da culinária chinesa. Diversos pratos são apresentados ao longo dos episódios esteja preparado para passar vontade.
É possível encontrar o drama no Disney + (canal Star) com o título "Sabor do Destino", com legenda e dublagem em português, algo inédito pois até então nunca tinha visto um drama chinês com dublagem. Recomendo, especialmente se está procurando um romance levinho e despretensioso!
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Carino ma senza gridare al miracolo
Breve serie cinese romantico-culinaria con aneliti di femminismo in 16 episodi da 44 minuti, per la regia di Guo Hao.Ling Xiao Xiao è una bravissima cuoca, che aspira a diventare “il” miglior cuoco in un mondo dove tutti gli chef di una certa levatura sono maschi. Riesce conquistare il palato del principe ereditario Zhu Shou Kui, un giovane capriccioso ma di buon cuore, e si installa nelle sue cucine superando anche col suo aiuto via via tutte le difficoltà, mantenendo sempre bene in vista il suo obiettivo.
Ovviamente, fra i due nascerà un sentimento che, per una volta, non sarà osteggiato dalla famiglia reale di turno. No, quello che verrà proibito non sarà l’amore, ma il mestiere di Xiao Xiao: come futura moglie del principe ereditario e, in prospettiva, imperatrice, dovrà rinunciare completamente alle cucine, che sono la sua ragione di vita. O rinunciare al principe. Una scelta traumatica per tutti gli interessati.
Si tratta palesemente di un progetto a basso budget. Tutto, dai costumi alle ambientazioni, dal numero relativamente limitato dei personaggi alla realizzazione dei piatti, è decoroso ma certo non memorabile. Soprattutto, trattandosi di cucine imperiali, le ricette proposte sono apparentemente poco ricercate e raramente decorate.
Il commento musicale, invece, è piuttosto azzeccato e sicuramente contribuisce al successo dell’opera.
Gli attori, senza troppe eccezioni, hanno recitato ben sopra il minimo edittale. In particolare la coppia principale chef-principe, interpretata rispettivamente da He Rui Xian e Wang Xing Yue, ha saputo reggere la scena in modo ammirevole. Specialmente il giovanissimo Wang Xing Yue, classe 2002, pur con un’esperienza tutto sommato limitata, è già in grado di dare dei punti a tanti colleghi ben più navigati, ma che magari fondano la propria fama più sull’aspetto che sulla bravura.
La coppia principale funziona molto bene, sono entrambi inesperti e combinano tutti i pasticci del caso ma, quando finalmente arriva il momento di darsi un bacio, Wang Xing Yue non si tira certo indietro, pur tenendo a mente che il bacio alla francese è sconosciuto nei drama cinesi.
Lo svolgimento della vicenda è piuttosto semplice e lineare, affidando tra l’altro molto schermo alla preparazione dei cibi e al consumo degli stessi. E qui entrano probabilmente in campo le differenze culturali, visto che per il gusto occidentale è piuttosto disdicevole focalizzare l’attenzione in primissimo piano sull’atto del mangiare, specie perché, contrariamente a quanto si vede in buona parte dei drama asiatici, da noi parlare a bocca piena è un deciso no-no. Se ci aggiungiamo che, nel momento in cui si pone il cibo in bocca, la produzione ha pensato bene di aumentare gratuitamente il volume dei relativi suoni, si ottengono sequenze piuttosto sgradevoli, almeno ai nostri occhi e, soprattutto, alle nostre orecchie. Vogliamo dire che è [i]asmr[/i], come qualcuno ha suggerito? Ma se è così, su di me non funziona…
Il [i]polLiticamente[/i] corretto in Cina non è ancora arrivato e si vede: nel cast ci sono due donne sovrappeso e, delle due, una è inizialmente un personaggio negativo e l’altra è pure una povera di spirito. Ed entrambe non fanno altro che mangiare, anche se in questo stanno in buona compagnia. Io stessa sono in sovrappeso e questa cosa mi disturba sempre.
I personaggi soffrono di una caratterizzazione un po’ monodimensionale: la chef parla sempre solo di cibo, nelle cucine si pensa sempre solo a mangiare e il principe, per quanto di cuor gentile, è piuttosto egocentrico e non pare rendersi conto dell’importanza dei punti di vista diversi dal suo. Per contro, la famiglia imperiale è molto fuori dai cliché, molto alla buona, addirittura e, per quanto si parli tanto di regole, alla fine quella veramente importante pare essere che le principesse non devono stare in cucina (eppure nei primi episodi ce n’è una che cucina quando le pare).
Ad ogni modo, la serie si lascia guardare senza opporre troppa resistenza fino alle ultime puntate, quando la nostra Xiao Xiao viene messa di fronte a un aut aut: la cucina o l’amore. La scelta sarà molto sofferta sia per lei che per il principe e si protrarrà per un paio di episodi, fino ad un finale solo apparentemente insoddisfacente e confuso, che viene spiegato negli ultimi minuti.
Tutto sommato, una visione gradevole e di poco impegno, non stellare ma di onesto intrattenimento, da cui potremo trarre ispirazione per qualche ricetta, magari nell’attesa che vada in onda il prossimo kolossal che stiamo aspettando.
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