Who will be the King Chef? We'll soon find out
I can't handle this kind of contest
Don't jump to conclusions yet
If piracy existed in culinary arts
I'd be your ultimate bootleg chef
I'm the owner/chef
of a private kitchen
Ho is my assistant
Our business has been booming
Here come the crabs. Enjoy
But I don't really care for cooking
I've been copying my mother's recipes
She was the genuine culinary master
Unfortunately., nobody knew about that
Beef Noodle
Soy Sauce Noodle.
She apprenticed
in a big hotel's kitchen
Took her ten years
to become a "frier"
Sweet and Sour Pork
Ming, you cook it
Sexual discrimination limited her career
She never got a promotion
As a kid, I had two big questions
First, there were only two of us at home
Why did mom always cook so many dishes?
Yau
This meal is for Elvis' memorial
At 2:00 am Hong Kong time today
US President Ronald Reagan
having survived an assassination attempt
is in a stable condition after surgery
The White House denies the need for
Vice President to take over his duties
Who should we thank for this meal. Yau? ,
President Reagan
As a kid
having good food sure was fun
But seeing mom
weep in private
out of exhaustion from cooking
I felt very guilty
Soon, I began to reject her cooking
And became anorexic in the end
UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
...met with Deng Xiaoping this morning
to discuss the handover of Hong Kong
She tripped outside the Great Hall of the People
when she left the meeting
Hurray. Time for grocery shopping
Oh my God
Our family recipes have a new volume
Why did dad run away before I was born?
Will he be back?
That was the second big question I had
The fact that your father dumped us
was because of the curse
Yes. Our family curse
Your name is Yau Murong
Murong is your mother's family name
We were a prestigious family
in Southern China
Ju Murong, your granny's granny
excelled in literary and martial arts
She was the crown jewel of the family
Mom said that Ju was a spoiled brat
Auyoung was a master chef in town
He was deeply in love with Ju
Ju told Auyoung that
she would marry him
if he passed over his cooking skills
Using the Galactic Rotation Stance
Ju sucked away Auyoung's culinary talents
Auyoung lost his cooking skills for good
Ju's righteous father
was furious
He kicked Ju out of the family
He even hired a shaman
to cast a spell
So that Ju and her female offsprings
would all become chefs
to pass on the Auyoungs' culinary arts
Meanwhile
they would all be dumped by men
until the karma
came full circle
Your dad dumped me before your birth
This is your dad
My dad should look like Chow Yun-fat
Not an ordinary old man
I didn't ask about dad again
My anorexia continued
Then one day
mom cooked a simple meal
It was the best meal of my life
It was blissful and joyous
Who were there at the table?
I can't remember a thing
I studied fashion design
Worked as a buyer in a department store
Then the economic bubble bursted
I hopped from one bad job to another
Mom opened her restaurant
3 years ago
But she passed away 6 months later
I managed to take over
Thanks to mom's secret cookbooks
But it seems that
I'm destined to be a chef
Thank you for the hard work
So that's what the show is like
Let me show your way out
Sure
Please thank Mr. Murata
for inviting us
As for the contest
I have to think about it first
I shall wait for your good news
He says he'll wait for your good news
Good. So long
Goodbye
The show's famous. Even in the US
You have to accept the invitation
They announce the ingredients live
No time to flip through the cookbooks.
I'd be caught totally off guard!
You can't depend on your mom's books
for the rest of your life
It's time you found your own style
and became a genuine chef
The show'd be the perfect opportunity
Nah, our business is good
No need to complicate things
Stop it
Gotta pretend I don't speak Japanese
But you really don't speak Japanese
Chun Yao?
Yau
No wonder
What do you mean by that?
You hit me from behind
Mine's a rental car
How're you gonna compensate?
Compensate?
Yeah
I'll pay right now if you dare to ask
It's okay. Yes
Just a scratch. Insurance will cover
A friend?
Sorry. Chun Yao
Ho
Nice to meet you. How's it going?
Do you have time for coffee?
Gotta take some friends to the airport
I'll be busy tonight
If the mechanic needs anything, call me
Okay
I stay at Shimbashi
Century Hotel
Room 2301. Call me anytime
Anytime
Okay
Your ex?
How do you know?
It's all written on your face
About time. Thought you'd stood us up
Where's Ho?
Cruising the town on his own
The flight is 6:30. Still have time for coffee
Blue Mountain, please
You and Ho will go to onsen tomorrow
Things will happen when you're naked
Just keep in mind
your ass droops a bit these days
Turn off the light before you undress
Shut up. I'm not horny like you
He's been working for me for 3 years now
Never got a raise or bonus
The trip's an incentive
Thought you were here to keep me company
Turned out to be a shopping trip for you!
Of course
Show me what you got
Kwai works in a talent management firm
But dating is her true profession
This one? I didn't see it
Even back in kindergarten
she was already full of potential
There was this boy in our class
who had a very bad habit
He'd take out his thingy
and parade it around
Quarry Bay
But it didn't bother Kwai at all
She told the boy
I'm bored
Show me your thingy
And they got caught
Both got detention
Thought I'd go sweep the outlets
But May said it's too far away
Too classy for her
She didn't want to go
May's a successful publicist
Someone way too elegant to visit outlets
Three years ago at the Mid-Autumn Festival
some friends came
to my restaurant for crabs
Kwai brought May over and introduced us
Wait. Let's eat first. Shall we? ,
Alright, alright
I first learned about
the sensuality of food that night
If you ever want
to have a food orgy
I suggest having crabs with a bunch of friends
With a crab in hand
a bond was established between you and the crab
A private universe emerged
But May really stood out
Full of elegance and sensuality
It wouldn't be bad to be that crab
Touched by her lips and fingers
Then ended up deep inside her
That's worth dying for
How many did you have?
Five times
I mean five
And you?
Two
When it hits the spot, one's plenty
Do you mind?
I worship May ever since that night
A slight change of plan tonight
You're a man
You ought to hang out
in Kabukicho
Let me introduce. This is Mr. Yoshida
He speaks English
Nice to meet you
I'm Ho. Nice to meet you
But you promised me
to go shabu-shabu
You don't wanna hang out with your boss
Mr. Yoshida knows Kabukicho very well.
He says it's safe. Don't worry
I have to meet somebody
Go have fun. See ya
Yes, I did have to meet somebody
Only that somebody didn't know about it
I wanted to hang around Chun Yao's hotel
See if I could bump into him
Why does he live here?
But the place is too convoluted
Chance of bumping into him is slim
No, no message for Mr. Chun Yao
Oh... sorry. Can I ask, his room
Is it a single room or a double room?
Sorry, madam
we cannot give out such information
Oh, Ok. Oh. Thanks, bye
So I made a sensible decision
I went for a movie nearby
Maybe after the show
I could bump into him on his way back
Wait. Please wait
I'm sorry, I'm not going
After a Japanese flick with no subtitles
I finally felt like a moron
Only Chun Yao has the power
to transform me into a moron
This ex-boyfriend from five years ago
There are CDs for sale
I've already bought it for you
Each will get one
Thank you
Back so soon? Chickened out?
I could take care of myself.
If you had other plans
all you had to do was to tell me
My bad. I treated you like a horny boy
You're a man of principles
A horny boy who can take care of himself
Don't twist my words around
Just kidding. Did you eat?
Let's go back to the hotel
They have great shabu-shabu on the top floor
My treat, okay?
I don't feel like shabu-shabu now
You didn't eat a thing?
What kind of date was that?
Sake. You have sake?
Sake? Yes
I don't sell alcohol
No alcohol served
I really embarrassed myself today
No big deal. I didn't blame you
I'm not talking about you, dummy
You're so pretty. I can't help it
This is my private sake. My treat
Thank you. Thank you very much
Yours. Cheers
In the end. I finished the whole bottle ,
One less drunk
ramen stall owner in Tokyo tonight
But one more babbling drunk woman
Chun Yao was
my tutor at junior high
He was also my first love
Of course. He wasn't aware of that ,
Then I met him
again six years ago
Hi
Tutor?
We're colleagues now
Don't call me Tutor. I work at the sports section
6th floor. Purchasing department, right?
I saw you yesterday
But you didn't see me
Gotta find some topics
Ask him how he has been. Ask
It's been a long time
How's your sex life?
Not bad, not bad
Do you recall my love letter?
When?
The day before
you quit the tutoring gig
I put the letter in your backpack
No, I didn't see it
Wasn't that letter the reason
you quit the job?
No. I joined the Hong Kong Sports Team
Had to go training
What did the letter say?
It's not too late to tell me now
What? You went to stalk Chun Yao
after seeing us off at the airport?
How lame
It's been five years
Yet you still haven't recovered
Where's the gal who declared
that the relationship was hopeless?
You suck
Yes, I did say that
And I meant it
We were colleagues and we fell in love
It happened all so fast
At least I felt that way
Chun Yao was a perfect gentleman
But I was the aggressive one
One weekend, I suggested camping
Your mind's in the gutter
But we were hit by the storm of the century
and had to be rescued by firemen
even before the foreplay
Two weeks later, at Chun Yao's place
Turn off the light first
Fire. C'mon, still time for a quickie
Time to run for our lives
We went to Macau for a change of luck
Nothing could go wrong, right?
It's okay
We're in a rush
I checked. The pipes are working
The smoke detector's
been wet-wrapped
Nothing can stop us tonight
Wait
The springs are sturdy, too
You prefer DF or SF?
What? What does that mean?
Dinner first or sex first?
PPF
What's PPF?
Po Po (hug) First
Wait
What's wrong?
SMF
What SM?
Suo Mun (lock the door) First!
Okay
Quick. Lock the door
Let's go together
I'm truly sorry
It's a network error
We're fully booked tonight
But our staff is searching
for availabilities in other hotels
So who's moving out then?
Not us. We booked the room first
We'll move
No way. It's a matter of principle
But we did book the room first
After two hours of arguments
we won and didn't have to move
Yet the mood was totally ruined
One time could be an accident
But over and over again, that's fate
I couldn't help
but think about the curse
Is it for real?
We checked out
and went back to Hong Kong
Later, we did one more try at my place
It was more out of desperation
No suicide
No arsen
No endangered buildings
Chun Yao ended up with a broken arm
In order to make for the
Hong Kong Bowling Team
he quitted the job and went to the US for treatment
After that he headed for team training
Soon we barely saw each other any more
Until this time in Tokyo
Strictly speaking, we never broke up officially
Hello
Awesome. Ho's making a Pepsi cake
All you think about is food
Don't you want to be in shape
for the Miss Hong Kong pageant?
No way the whole market's out of chicken
Wing's stall is closed
How about Kau's? Don't they have chicken?
You said Kau's chickens were never fresh
And their weight's not accurate
What's wrong?
Come with me
I soaked the sea urchins for two days
I planned to cook them with duck sauce
The second dish should
be roast chicken
He didn't buy a single chicken
And he bought ducks instead
The first dish uses duck sauce
How can the second dish be duck again?
Tell me what to do
Come on. The sea urchins can wait
You can cook them tomorrow
Serve your famous roast duck tonight
Delicious
Why do you keep provoking her?
You know she's been out of it
after the Japan trip
Why do you keep solving her problems?
Let her figure things out herself
Train her reflexes
Train her for the King Chef Contest
Of course
I thought you were only joking
In order to train her, you'll continue
to buy wrong ingredients on purpose?
Yes
Ever since the Japan trip
I've been indeed out of it
Lots of feelings stirred inside of me
I have a habit
I iron when I'm moody
No way
Kwai dragged me out of the apartment
She took me to a bar run by firemen
That sounded intriguing
Hi, Don. Let me introduce
Don's a firehouse captain
This is Yau
Hi. A friend of yours is already here
Where?
Over there. Seems to be having fun
Excuse me
Enjoy
Thought you didn't want to come
Wanted to see if it's
up to the level
And? What do you think?
It's a keeper
Told you it's hunk central
Attention. Ladies. Twelve o'clock ,
We've got eye candy
Handsome. But a bit too young
I have a new boyfriend now
You know, the honeymoon period
Want to be together all the time
Coming from you, it's hardly news
You want real news. Ask Yau here. ,
She bumped into her ex in Tokyo
And she's been in the clouds for days
Look at her. So out of it
Wake her up, will ya?
If you can't let go, don't. So what?
For love...
You have every right to torture yourself
God have mercy
No wonder I worship her
Relationship's never a bilateral affair
It's a game of solitaire
I didn't quite get May's reasoning
Kwai flirted with Don for while
Then she went to see her new boyfriend Mook
The cute guy and I sat till closing time
Then we went our separate ways
A week later, May called me
and reserved a table in my restaurant
Is it here? Sure? Go for it
He always shows up
at the worst time
Shit
Here you are. Good thing it's my day off
We have good news and bad news
The bad news. Guess you already know
The good news is that I'm here
to pick up your remains all night long
in case you fall into pieces
It was you. Chun Yao didn't think so
Come. Let's get reacquainted
Hi
May said you were the owner and chef here
I was in shock
What a coincidence
I didn't know he was your high school tutor
That's right
Did I tell you to cook chicken tonight?
Friday's Kunpao Shrimp. Remember?
Don't you remember?
You changed the menu yesterday for May
That's right
Sago & grapefruit in mango syrup. Try it first
My favorite
How do I look?
You fly, babe!
Go. Go
Thanks
How's everything?
Superb
They all say Yau has magic fingers
Even the most ordinary dishes
turn sublime in her hands
Some even find her cooking blissful
They're just being nice
Incredible. Really
You didn't think I could cook?
My mom was a chef. Remember?
I do. But it's been so long ago
Why don't you sit down?
We have an ulterior motive tonight
Okay
My company just closed
a huge deal in China
May's in charge of organizing
the contract-signing party for us
You're the first caterer that came to my mind
So I took him here for audition
But I haven't done
parties for ages
I'm not taking no for an answer
Mr. Chun Yao here is our best sales rep
How do you do, Mr. Chun Yao?
You're in good hands. Trust me
Red wine's running out
Please check on it
Heard that? Check on the wine
We have plenty
Sure?
Yeah
Great. Here you are, Chun Yao
What's up?
He just opened a new store in New York
What day will that be?
Take over for a while
Sure
More wine, Miss?
Okay. Thanks
This is not bad
but it's not suitable for this party
Yeah? Why is that?
Hot dogs are for baseball games
Popcorns are for movies
This wine's an overkill for this party
Cheaper stuff would've done
However, having it with you here
is most appropriate
Not very original, are we?
Really?
I have to work on it
Guess I'm still in business mode
I wholesale this wine
I'm also a part-time writer. You?
I'm a Cantonese Opera singer
I love Cantonese Opera
Honestly?
I love Fong Yimfun's "Snow in June" & "The Nymph of River Lo"
What's your best tune?
Everybody Loves Kungfu Fighting
Cheers
I'm sure you don't know how to play
I do
Not like that. Watch
It's not checkers
I know. Let me rub it first
Gorgeous
Let's go
I'm watching the fireworks
I'll drive you for a closer look. Come
Watch out. Come on
I'll give you a ride
The percentile I studied in school turns out to work in real life
Should I hang out with this girl?
Do I really want that dress?
70 percent? Or 75?
I'll buy it for 75 percent
I really want it
When I bumped into you in Tokyo
I asked myself
How badly did I want you?
The answer was: Very very much
But maths doesn't work here any more
One minute it's 100 percent
The next minute it's only 20 percent
The whole world's upside down
Short-circuited
I really don't know what to do.
Ho?
How come it's you?
Why shouldn't it be me?
How come we're here?
It's you who didn't want to go home
The party. What about the party?
Don't you remember?
Remember drinking with
that cheeseball?
A little
Well, I asked Chun Yao to help
We carried you to the parking lot
Had you rested in the car
I wanted to drive you home after the party
But you wanted to go for a spin
I've been waiting for you to sober up
I left you running
the party alone?
You can say that
People were satisfied with the service
I blew it. I totally blew it
What did I say? What did I tell you?
Did I say something stupid?
You were teaching me percentile
Drive me home. Now
Yu's stall has acquired some geese
Should we buy
some goose eggs?
Sure. It's your call
My call?
Yes. I'm giving you a promotion
You can make your own calls now
Wait. Do you really trust me?
Or is it just to shut me up?
I won't tell anyone about last night
I really feel bad about it
Leaving you on your own like that
Besides, you've been with me for 3 years
It's time you took on some cooking...
I take your words for it then
Does that mean
I can read your cookbooks?
Those cookbooks
are really personal
I can't show them to you
You have the recipes in your computer
But to cook the Murong family dishes
I need to know your family history
Or the dishes would be soul-less
Nonsense
You never put your soul into cooking
Have you thought about that?
Yet every dish you cook tastes great
It's because
of your mom
The notes and pics in her cookbooks
She left you
her heart and spirit
You're exaggerating
Either way, I have to think about it
Can't answer you right now
Let's eat
The phone
Hello, May?
No way. I did the cooking myself
The ingredients were all fresh
I cooked them fresh and delivered them right away
Please investigate carefully
What's wrong?
It's May
She said a dozen guests
got food poisoning
and were hospitalized
Could our food
have been contaminated?
Impossible
Coffee?
No, thanks
How do you prove
that it's our food?
It's just suspicion
Suspicion?
The Health Department is turning my place upside down
That really hurts my reputation
It's standard procedure
The hospital was
obliged to report it
May has been to my place many times
She knows about my quality very well
She could've explained to the hospital
Or defended me against the Health Department
Did she do that?
Don't blame her
She was the party's organizer
It's a big headache for her, too
I had to explain to my boss also
Alright
so I'm the scapegoat
Are you satisfied?
Who can I blame if I go out of business?
With friends like you
I don't need enemies
Come on. Be fair, okay?
It's strictly business
Don't make it personal
I make it personal?
Yes
How do I make it personal?
You were the customers
I was just the server
So you're not happy
about my service?
Or you think I set you up?
I didn't say anything like that
You're distorting the situation
If you believe in your innocence
why get so worked up then?
Mark my words, Chun Yao
It's got nothing to do with my food
Okay. Simmer down then
He's peeking over again
So cute. I'm getting turned on
You whore.
You look so horny
Stay away from me
But he's not looking at me
He's checking you out
Really
You're nuts
Look
I asked her to come
She called you to apologize
But you weren't answering
You have every right to be mad at me
But please hear me out
Those guests were rushed into the ER, having diarrhoea and vomiting
Some even needed IV
They're business partners from China
The language barrier didn't help, either
This morning they felt better
We found out that they'd had
unsanitary seafood before the party
The Health Department confirmed it
You know me. Yau ,
I never make things personal
I wasn't targeting
you in any way
I was a bit rash
And I took off half way last night
Chun Yao said you didn't feel well
He said that?
Migraine
Feeling better now?
Much
Ho was quite something
He was totally in control
Oh yeah?
Now don't be mad any more
No hard feelings?
None
Great
I suddenly realized that
if I were a man
I'd be in love with May
Happy?
Ready for fun tonight?
So what teams are they?
On the left are the HKU alumni
On the right are the British alumni
To help you memorize, simply put
the right side is the "Iron Buns"
What's that?
Use your imagination
Look at Numbers 4 and 7
I give their buns 95
The rest has an average of 80
What about the left side?
The "Iron Hammers"
Why hammer?
What're you laughing about?
Do you prefer inches or centimeters?
How disgusting. You tramp
What?
I meant how high they could volley
You filthy girl
Can't take you anywhere
Kwai told me
you're into athletic men
So knock yourself out
Number 4 has a law degree from Cambridge
Works for a prestigious law firm
Number 8's an MBA from London U
Works at the Monetary Authority
What are we waiting for? I'm gonna go
How? You didn't drive here
Paul ' Dick
Dick No. 4
Hi. How are you?
I'm Kevin. Number 7
Number 7
See you at the bay
Bay? Why?
The Marina Club
I'll give you a ride
Excuse me. Where's May?
May? She left
Left?
Bye
Let's go
Fooling around
wouldn't be a big deal
But having been
set up like that
didn't make me feel good
Also, seeing May flirt with another guy
should I feel bad for Chun Yao
or should I be gleeful?
I just wanted to go home
So I told
Kevin the truth
Kevin, I'm married
So?
Me, too
It took me a while to get out of it
Ho? You're at the restaurant?
I wanted to tell you
you can refuse to compete in the show
But I'll still try to convince you
That's my freedom
We'll see
I'll prepare the dishes
for Kwai and May tomorrow
Having just been betrayed by friends
I suddenly realized this young man here
is the most reliable person in my life
Your jazz bar's at Causeway Bay?
Right behind Mitsukoshi
Live shows on Fridays. You're all welcome
Friday nights
Do you play any instrument?
He blows harmonica like a pro
Teach me
Dirty minds. I mean the real thing
Time to pop the wok
We're out of wine, boss lady
Where're the
'82 Veuve Clicquot-Ponsardin?
Time to hand them over
Coming. Let me finish this dish first
You think they have X.O. Sauce?
Let me go check. Thanks
Need something?
Nothing
Come out and join us after this
Okay
Okay. Go back out. It's a mess here
I'll be done soon
Sorry
How's everything?
Great
Drink this bottle first. There's one more
What about the XO sauce?
Sorry, I forgot
Are the dishes too bland?
They're perfect
Men. It's never enough for them
It's like Chun Yao and his chili sauce
Just ignore them
I didn't know you like it spicy
A newly acquired habit
Okay. I'll go get it
Sit down and join us
I can't cook and eat at the same time
You guys enjoy, I'll make dessert. OK?
Enjoy
Try this
What's your problem?
They're here to apologize, I thought
Yet you have to
serve them
Running around like a slave
That's some way to apologize
What're you talking about?
They didn't even save you a glass
Hello
So late. Where's May?
She went with Kwai to Mook's bar
Are you guys okay?
Fine. We're fine
I just want to apologize to you
I was way out of line
You lost quite some business
Sorry about that
I should be the one apologizing
I was drunk and irresponsible
Let's call it even
If he looks at me once more
I'll hug him
Want a drink?
Can we be friends again?
Thank God he doesn't say
he treats me like a sister
I wanted to contact you all these years
When I bumped into you in Japan
I wanted us to patch up our friendship
I waited for your call. But you didn't
I thought you didn't want to see me
Now I'm with May
We'll probably see each other often
I don't want us to feel awkward
That's why I'm here
Can I ask you a question?
Go ahead
Do you really really like May?
I've dated enough girls in my time
This time is for real
Do you think she feels the same?
Doesn't matter. It's been going well
Now he treats me as a friend
I feel obliged to be honest
I understand
Say it. Tell him May's a flirt
You two are perfect together
You're all grown up now
Here
It's late. I should go
I'll see you out
I'd love to have a sister like you
Still washing the dishes?
I'm working on tomorrow's stuff
Why are you back?
I forgot the cookbooks
I didn't lock it
I locked it up for you
Don't worry. I didn't peek
That's not what I meant
Then why are you back so late?
What're you doing? Making a cake?
But tomorrow's dessert is
swallow's nest with crystal sugar
You caught me
You know better
You
You're making me a birthday cake?
Your friends were so rude today
You wouldn't want to spend your birthday with them tomorrow
I was going to take it home
And bring it back tomorrow
It's not a big deal
On my birthday, after work
Ho and I had a picnic outdoors
We finished the whole cake before work
Are you really dumb or just faking it?
Ho has the biggest crush on you
I kinda figured it out
So what are you gonna do?
I don't know. It's just so awkward
Remember
you'll never be sure till you make a move
True, he's three or four years younger
But it's the 21st Century, Miss Yau
Don't be such a square
Lighten up, will ya?
I've gotta
go to Mook's
I see. So this time's for real
Yes
Every morning, I always wonder
what new challenges will I face today?
Everyone will find challenges in different things
But what fun can you get out
of your boring daily routine?
Have to go
Think about what I said
Okay. Bye
Hi. Everything okay?
Care for another glass?
No, thanks
Okay. Enjoy
Hi
What's up?
May I sit down?
Be my guest
I'm Joseph. You?
Names don't mean much
What would you like to drink?
"Names don't mean much". Nice
How cheesy
I knew I've had enough drinks
Joseph was not cheesy at all
Polite and humorous
Young and knowledgeable
Well read
Yet no ego whatsoever
Certainly an endangered species
in a place like this
What followed shocked even myself
Sorry
What's wrong? Did you already?
No. But I have to stop
Why? Is it me?
No! You're...
Yes. I've been attracted by you all along
I've been to that bar for a month
You're definitely the one
What are you talking about?
I wanted to prove something to myself
You're gay and you want to be straight?
No. Not at all
I'm straight
I just wanted to confront my weakness
I'm a new theology student
I'll be an apprentice priest tomorrow
I just wanted to see if I was able to
reject seduction of the flesh
and dedicate myself fully to the Lord
Now I know
I can absolutely do it
Thank you, Lord
Sorry
Excuse me, excuse me. Sorry
Could you spare a minute?
I know this is out of nowhere
My name is Tony
I'm a screenwriter
My apartment is above your restaurant
I remember. I've seen you before
I can smell your cooking everyday
Smells delicious
It's even... seductive
I have an acute olfactory instinct
I can tell apart delicate fragrances
Your cooking's smell
is multi-layered
You must be kidding
No, no. Believe it or not
some people have observant eyes
I have an observant nose
Like music
Music can sound very differently
depending on the musician's mood
Am I making any sense?
What kind of mood do you think I'm in?
Not a very good one
Sorry. I'm just being babbling
Don't mind me
In fact, I'm writing a screenplay
about a guy with a sensitive nose
He smells his neighbor's cooking everyday
And he falls in love
with the aroma
Though he's never met his neighbor
he feels they know each other well
I was planning on paying you a visit
And here we are
I want your help in my research
Would that be okay?
Come over when you have time then
Great. Thank you
Thank you for your time
Sure. Bye
Bye
Excuse me. What's your name?
Yau
Bye, Yau. Bye
The world is full of surprises
Appearances are always deceiving
Should I take May's advice then?
Should I take the initiative?
What's up? Calling me here this late
Pour two glasses of wine
You are now the first outsider
who gets to read the Murong cookbooks
What do you think?
That's quick
What do you mean?
I had lots of plans to impress you
Like what?
Like telling you I hate your mean friends
And?
Telling you I never want to get off work
And?
And taking you to fun places
Good
I think our lead should own a private restaurant
And she has a female assistant
Maybe a male assistant
would be better?
Have there been accidents with Ho?
Like floods, bed collapsing and stuff?
Don't you jinx it
Thanks. Bye
Your shoe laces
Let's place the salted fish on top
And skip all other spices
Maybe a little sugar
Watch out. It's hot. How is it?
Beyond words
It's like an out-of-body experience
We did it
What should we have?
I love you, Murong Yau!
I love you, Yau
Your turn
Wait. It has to
come out naturally
I...
Enough?
Okay. I'll wait
A few weeks later, things changed a bit
So?
Taste good?
Haven't had burgers for a long time
Gotta have one more
It's good once in a while
I have it all the time by myself
You know, I don't get paid much
What do you mean by that?
I was just thinking
I'm casual on eating, too
I'm going karaoke tonight. Wanna come?
But last time you dozed off
I was dead tired from work
All right. Let's go to the arcade now
Okay
Let's go
He even minded paying the bill
He lacks a sense of security
You haven't slept together, have you?
You can tell?
You are not ready for it yet?
I can't make the first move
Guys his age should
all be horny dogs
I don't get him
What's Ho up to?
Can't figure him out. Sorry
I'm just a writer. Not a psychologist
But you are a man
That's true
Is something bothering him?
Maybe he finds you not
sensitive enough?
I thought only girls are like that
You're wrong
You're not joining the King Chef for me, right?
Of course not. I made up my mind
You'll help me, right?
Of course
You sure are up early
I didn't go to sleep at all
You're copying me, pay up
Well, it doesn't work anyway
Have clothes that need ironing?
I know. You had a fight with Mook?
No big deal
Why don't you two come to Japan?
You can make up and be my cheerleaders
Great! Let's ask
May and Chun Yao, too
The more the merrier
Great. May agrees to go
Really?
I had breakfast with Chun Yao
He said both of them will go to Japan
Wonderful
He asked me what I think of them
I said what you mean by that
It turns out he plans to propose to May
So soon? They haven't been together long
I know what you're thinking
They're both my friends
I couldn't talk ill of May to him
He likes her so much. What can I do?
Has it occurred to you?
In fact you want Chun Yao to be hurt
I don't want to talk to you now
I said what I said
because I'm jealous of Chun Yao
Ho and I made love
for the first time that night
Ho saw through me
I would enjoy seeing Chun Yao suffer
Ho came to apologize
because he didn't
want to affect my morale
Tomorrow's show
will be the same
Only it will be live
We'll have all kinds of ingredients
ready for the Chinese cuisine
Please check everything
Is everything okay?
Welcome. This way please
Where's Chun Yao?
Don't know
After we checked in at the hotel
someone called him and he went out
He didn't say who called
Hey. You're here, too?
You didn't know they were coming?
Kwai didn't tell me
Where is she?
She went out after
we'd checked in
I'll order a beer
Hi, what's wrong?
Are you ready?
Let's order first
Let's set things straight first
Why are you so drunk?
Something's bothering you?
Yeah?
I don't know
Why don't you ask May?
That won't be necessary
Yes, Mook and I did sleep together
We're all grown-ups here. We know the rules
It's no big deal
That's that
You said you could separate sex and love
I told you I couldn't be monogamous
I'm aware of that
But May's my friend
Friends or not
it would've bothered either way
That does it
Wait a second
This has nothing to do with faithfulness
Talk about being faithful
I'm always faithful to my wife
Your wife?
You never told me you're married
You never asked
Sorry I spoiled your trip
I have nothing to say. Bye
If it's okay
Good thing I got my revenge
Chun Yao and I did it before we came over
Don't lie. Isn't this messy enough?
I have nothing to say, either. See you
Sorry about the way things turned out
You're in my shoes
Right. Sorry
I have to go after Chun Yao
He needs someone right now
So does Kwai
Go ahead
But you should know
If you can't forget about the past
the future will never come
Go ahead. You may never come back
Don't be silly. Of course I'll be back
Maybe you're right
I was cynical about their relationship
Seeing the way things turned out
I feel responsible
I should've told him everything
Go ahead
Could you check on Kwai?
Let's meet up where
the band plays. OK?
Okay
I was talking to May
I asked her if we could start over
You really like her that much?
More than I expected
What did she say?
Know the tale of the scorpion and the frog?
A scorpion comes to a river bank
It doesn't know how to swim
It sees a frog. So it asks
Can you help me cross the river?
The frog says, "Of course not."
If I carry you
you'll sting me at the back
"I won't do that," the scorpion says
That would kill us both
So the frog carries the scorpion across
Halfway, the scorpion stings the frog
When they are both sinking
the frog asks why
"It's my nature," answers the scorpion
She said she didn't want to hurt the frog
To her, relationship is not bilateral
It's a game of solitaire
She told me that once
But I don't understand
I do. I really do
You look for the right partner
all over the world
Someone that fits your dream
But dream lover doesn't exist
So you end up being manipulative
Trying hard to change your partner
She said she's tired of all that
She believes in fate
She wants both of us to enjoy only the good times
Don't you think she's being selfish?
Perhaps
But you know her well
She was good to you and to her friends
Remember that cheeseball
at that party?
May got you out of the jam
She was just here
Who's that?
Someone we can't afford to piss off
Let me take care of it. Okay?
Okay
May told me and Ho
not to mention it to you
if you didn't remember a thing
I suggested that maybe we shouldn't
show up together in front of you
She thought you ought to deal with that
But this thing with Mook
I still think she's way too selfish
But it seems you've forgiven her
Do you know why we broke up?
We never officially
broke up all this time
When I was in high school
I was a valedictorian and elite sportsman
Running the student council and all
Everybody thought I was the king of the world
Even now
People think I'm a playboy
A womanizer
Perhaps May thought so, too?
She thought she found a match in you
Perhaps
But deep down I'm just a homely guy
All I really want is a woman
who is independent with a sense of humor
Someone complimentary
You're asking a lot, homely man!
Now I know why you dumped me
I don't possess any of those qualities
That's not true. You have changed
You're fabulous now. Absolutely!
Please don't say that
It would still work on me
Sorry. I would be scared, too
What if more accidents happened?
When did we get on the train?
When we're together, odd things happen
Blaming it on me?
Who else can I blame it on?
We've never chatted so openly before
Maybe we could really be friends again
I told him about
my family curse
I told him that
it took a car crash to meet him again
I'm fine. Go wait for Yau
Tell her I'll apologize to her tomorrow
What are you up to?
Don't worry about me. I know the town
See you
I think Ho is a great guy
Don't let this ruin your relationship
What time is it?
Go back. Or he would take it wrong
My heart tells me to go
But my mind says otherwise
Or is it the other way around?
Out of all the people
we know
I realize Ho
is the one
who's most dedicated to love
He wants 100 percent of me
And he's giving me 100% of himself
Can you?
Can you give him 100 percent?
Maybe not
Watching you leave the restaurant
I knew I couldn't
You think he knows?
He knows I can't let go of the past
What about the present?
Can you give him 100% now?
I don't have an answer to that
I can't go back to him until I find it
I know it's unfair to him
But I can't lie to him
I can't tell him I love him 100 percent
He would see through me
She's nowhere to be found
Not even in her favorite cafes and noodle shops
What about Chun Yao?
He helped me look before his flight
He wanted you to know that
Yau would show up
Mr. Murata says we can't wait anymore
Please let us know, Mr. Ho
Is Ms. Yau going to make it?
Yau will show up. I guarantee it
Please wait a bit longer
Are you really that sure?
Yes. She's a responsible person
Mr. Murata really can't wait anymore
Could Mr. Ho take Ms. Yau's place?
Here you are
Go change. Quick
Sorry, Ho. I don't think I can do it
My mind's a mess. Please take my place
No way
Don't let personal affairs
affect your work
That's not the reason
I've lost my confidence
I thought hard about it. You're right
Anything without sincerity is soul-less
No more pretending
No more lying to you or myself
Please take my place
You're the genuine chef
You've read the cookbooks
You can do it
I never opened them
I told myself
before you fully open yourself up to me
I'm not reading the cookbooks
Please don't hide anymore
Let me introduce
This is your
assigned assistant
He has done
this show before
Nice to meet you
Ho Auyoung? Remember me? I'm Keung
Remember back in the culinary school?
Keung. What a surprise
We have to run. See you later
Ho Auyoung?
Your last name is Auyoung?
Dad died early
So I've been under mom's last name
Our Murong women
have to pay our debt
to the Auyoungs to lift the curse
Our master chef tonight is
Master Yeung of
Hong Sing Restaurant
Our challenger is from Hong Kong
Private kitchen's top chef, Ms. Yau
Concentrate
Let's begin. Today's ingredient is
the world-famous Hokkaido fresh milk
Prepare the bowls. Bring me the eggs
Give me the strawberries. Bowl
Yes
Milk? I've never cooked milk
It's not in mom's cookbooks
I never liked milk
Don't treat it like milk
Keep your mind a blank slate
Come
Smell it first
Smells good? Touch it
Feel its texture
Dab it. Taste it
Cooking is like making love
You have to feel it, explore it
and find the essence
It's a simple meal
Would've cooked more had I known
Everytime my ship docked in Hong Kong
...you always cooked a banquet
I knew because I could smell them downstairs
I was waiting to see when you'd come up
I'm here now. Ain't I? ,
Come and eat Thanks
Turned out mom cooked all the dishes
was to wait for dad's return
I still don't know why they parted
Eight years was a long time
One was cooking upstairs
The other smelling it downstairs
Neither would take the initiative
It must've been a tough knot
Everything suddenly emerged in my mind
Maybe because I need the most courage now
One has to be confident and brave, girl
Don't hesitate. Just do it
Or your life would be full of regrets
I'm off
Dad said next time he wouldn't leave
I blocked this memory for so long
because dad never came back
The milk is very thick
A bit like the soya milk mom used to make
Can we freeze it into cubes?
Like tofu?
I read it in some magazine
Hokkaido's pasture is rich in calcium
Treating the milk like tofu may work
Let's add gelatin and freeze it
It should congeal quickly. Go
I'll make an appetizer
Seasoned eggs, sea urchins
and dried shrimps
Open mom's cookbook volume 6
Cook it like that tofu dish
I told you I won't open the cookbooks
You can open them now. Trust me
Really? Yes
Go
The milk is so fresh and sweet
We can add coconut milk to make Portuguese Chicken
I've tried it in school. I can handle that ,
And... papaya milk
How about dessert?
I have something in mind
Pick a good papaya. I'll tell you later
Still missing one dish
We'll figure it out. Let's move it
Time's up. Master Yeung's dishes are
Seafood and Milk Egg Rolls
Fried Stonefish with Milk. , and Milk Sauteed Beef
Milk Noodle with Spicy Sauce
The dessert is Milky White Bunnies
Challenger Yau's dishes are
Appetizer: Tri-colored Frozen Milk
Swallow's Nest and Milk Eggs
First drill a hole and drain the egg white and yolk
Then inject milk and add swallow's nest
Steam it at 40 degrees
Milky Papaya and Scallop with Rice.
Steam the rice with milk instead of water. Add scallops
Dinosaur Egg
It's Portuguese chicken strips with milk, coconut milk and curry sauce
The texture's just like tofu
Yet the Hokkaido milk's taste remains
Delicious
Here's our judges' consolidated opinion
Master Yeung's dishes are
excellent in traditional style
Challenger Yau, on the other hand
took a much more creative approach
Her dishes are warm and delicate
More importantly, they are full of bliss and joy
The result of the contest is
A tie
We have to go into overtime
The chefs will each cook one more dish
The challenger has something to say
Go ahead. Ms. Yau ,
Please
Please translate for me
Okay
I never really enjoyed cooking
When I was a kid. I was even anorexic ,
Now I run a private kitchen
But it's been just a job to me
Tonight's contest makes me realize
cooking is like the love
I've been waiting for
A feeling of bliss is what I've always needed
During the contest, while I was cooking
I had someone in my mind throughout
This is the first time
I feel such bliss and happiness
Now I know the essence of
cooking and love
It's sincerity and dedication
I may not be the best chef
in the world
But I hope when all my friends
taste the dishes I cook
they can taste that sense of bliss
Winning or losing doesn't mean much now
I found something more important tonight
Love is not a contest
Tonight
I want to thank someone
Thank you
I think it should stay a tie, too
Master Yeung agrees with a tie
Thanks a lot, Keung
Thank you for lying
for us back then
No big deal. Glad to be helpful. I'm off now
Thank you. Bye
Bye. Bye
Kwai, I don't feel good about lying to Yau
Just for now
I'll confess to her later that Chun Yao and I
made up your last name as Auyoung
We helped you break the ice
It's all up to you now
Later, Kwai apologized to me for lying
I wasn't angry. She's my best friend
She and Mook parted
May is still her old self
She comes to my restaurant occasionally
But we are quite distant now
It's an odd feeling
seeing her everytime
Chun Yao hasn't found a new girlfriend
He's still determined to find the dream girl
Watch out
I love you, Ho
What?
I love you very much
What's that all about?
Nobody understands Chinese here
I told you I'd do it, but I never said where
Cheater
Me? Who cheated first?
Mr. Ho?
Sorry. I shouldn't have lied
Look at you. I'm not mad
Let's go that way
I'm sure mom is the biggest liar of all
The curse was just a metaphor of her marriage
But love is like life
It could be magical or cursed
In the end, it's all up to you
THE END Subtitles by: Reklame11