1
1
" Yummy Yummy Yummy — Tasty Beginnings, Slow Endings "
I just finished watching Yummy Yummy Yummy and wanted to share my thoughts from my personal vantage point.
✅ What worked for me
Fresh and fun starting premise
"Modern Shen family accidentally time-travels to ancient Yong’an, turning a promo shoot into a fun food adventure — mixing modern flavors and personalities with a historical touch, it feels fresh and fun. The setup of the family trying to survive/time-travel/adapt suited my mood for something not too intense.”
Mouth-watering food scenes
“In the early episodes, the focus on cooking and food really stands out as the Shen family uses modern knowledge to adapt to the past. With snacks like jianbing and other street foods, the drama even has a bit of a ‘food porn’ charm. If you enjoy mouth-watering visuals in period dramas, this part truly delivers.”
❌ What didn’t quite land for me
Slow pace & shifting focus
“The first 10–12 episodes truly deliver on novelty—food, modern-meets-ancient moments, and family fun. But as the story progresses, it slows down and shifts toward heavier plotlines, losing some of that initial charm. The romance also doesn’t pick up until around episode 30, so if you’re expecting early love scenes, the wait might feel long."
Characters: uneven execution
The male lead (ML) character: Cool, handsome, talented — standard for this genre, and he does his job. The female lead (FL): Starts strong — smart, proactive, the one carrying her family. But as the drama progresses, her decisions (or indecisions) in the romance/avoidance arc dragged her character for me.
The rest of the family: I share your frustration. The father-son “airhead” duo, the mother constantly blaming father, the granddaughter’s whining-eating – these characters felt exaggerated, annoying at times, almost cartoonish. While that can work in broad comedy, for my tastes the balance tipped too far into “annoying” rather than charming.
Romantic payoff & chemistry
If you’re watching for a strong, early-on romance, this might disappoint. The “romance” only becomes prominent much later, The time-travel/ancestor trope adds weirdness, which complicates the romance instead of simply making it sweet.
Plot logic & bugs
The family’s modern knowledge advantage is sometimes overstated; the big mystery substance behind the ML’s secret is introduced but feels undercooked.
🔍 A few extra thoughts & “tips”
Viewing tip: Don’t go in expecting a serious historical drama. Think of it more as a food-time-travel comedy with light romance. That mindset will help you avoid disappointment when the logic loosens.
Character tip: Focus on the FL’s arc and the ML’s quieter moments; skip over some of the more “family chaos” scenes if they get too grating.
Food scenes: Enjoy them. Pause if you must for screenshots of dishes! The food aspect is one of the high points.
Patience for romance: If you’re watching primarily for the romantic storyline, be aware you'll need to invest time (maybe 20+ episodes) before it truly gets going.
✅ What worked for me
Fresh and fun starting premise
"Modern Shen family accidentally time-travels to ancient Yong’an, turning a promo shoot into a fun food adventure — mixing modern flavors and personalities with a historical touch, it feels fresh and fun. The setup of the family trying to survive/time-travel/adapt suited my mood for something not too intense.”
Mouth-watering food scenes
“In the early episodes, the focus on cooking and food really stands out as the Shen family uses modern knowledge to adapt to the past. With snacks like jianbing and other street foods, the drama even has a bit of a ‘food porn’ charm. If you enjoy mouth-watering visuals in period dramas, this part truly delivers.”
❌ What didn’t quite land for me
Slow pace & shifting focus
“The first 10–12 episodes truly deliver on novelty—food, modern-meets-ancient moments, and family fun. But as the story progresses, it slows down and shifts toward heavier plotlines, losing some of that initial charm. The romance also doesn’t pick up until around episode 30, so if you’re expecting early love scenes, the wait might feel long."
Characters: uneven execution
The male lead (ML) character: Cool, handsome, talented — standard for this genre, and he does his job. The female lead (FL): Starts strong — smart, proactive, the one carrying her family. But as the drama progresses, her decisions (or indecisions) in the romance/avoidance arc dragged her character for me.
The rest of the family: I share your frustration. The father-son “airhead” duo, the mother constantly blaming father, the granddaughter’s whining-eating – these characters felt exaggerated, annoying at times, almost cartoonish. While that can work in broad comedy, for my tastes the balance tipped too far into “annoying” rather than charming.
Romantic payoff & chemistry
If you’re watching for a strong, early-on romance, this might disappoint. The “romance” only becomes prominent much later, The time-travel/ancestor trope adds weirdness, which complicates the romance instead of simply making it sweet.
Plot logic & bugs
The family’s modern knowledge advantage is sometimes overstated; the big mystery substance behind the ML’s secret is introduced but feels undercooked.
🔍 A few extra thoughts & “tips”
Viewing tip: Don’t go in expecting a serious historical drama. Think of it more as a food-time-travel comedy with light romance. That mindset will help you avoid disappointment when the logic loosens.
Character tip: Focus on the FL’s arc and the ML’s quieter moments; skip over some of the more “family chaos” scenes if they get too grating.
Food scenes: Enjoy them. Pause if you must for screenshots of dishes! The food aspect is one of the high points.
Patience for romance: If you’re watching primarily for the romantic storyline, be aware you'll need to invest time (maybe 20+ episodes) before it truly gets going.
Was this review helpful to you?
