A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES
METEOR GARDEN
EPISODE 14
CHINESE CUISINE CULINARY COMPETITION
Next, can we please give a round of applause
and welcome the ten contestants.
Shancai, you can do it!
The contestants will first present their dishes for the stir fry round.
Now, our judges
are carefully tasting each dish our contestants carefully prepared.
We can see the unique and thoughtful expressions on their faces.
How do the dishes prepared by our contestants taste like?
Can it entice our judges' appetite?
Shancai should be fine, right?
Of course.
If she can't qualify, who else can?
Next, the judges would be tasting
the contestants' broiled dishes.
This round is coming to an end.
Who will continue standing on this stage?
Who will be eliminated?
May we please have our judge, Tu Xiaowen, announce the results.
I'm announcing the results.
Dai Jingjing.
Gao Xinting.
Zao Xiaoyang.
And...
Lin Wenjiao.
I'm sorry, you are eliminated for this round.
The competition ends here for you.
FIRST ROUND EVALUATION RESULTS
Shancai qualified for the next round. That was close.
Hey.
I can't believe it.
Little Ms. Flying Kick, who kicked you in the hallway before
is now a very skillful cook.
Do you have an eye for talent
or is this all due to your sister's strict training?
Whatever it is,
Shancai has unique determination
that can accomplish the impossible.
After the first round of elimination, we still have six contestants left.
These six contestants would enter the next phase of the competition,
which is the pastry round.
Next, may we please request our judge, Miss Tang Jingmei,
to discuss the criteria for judging.
SECOND ROUND, CHINESE PASTRY
Pastries were initially made to reward soldiers when at war.
It's also the essence of our Chinese food culture.
In this round,
the contestants need to choose a flower as a key ingredient.
Infuse the flower's flavor into the pastry,
present a visually enticing and tasty course and create
a unique pastry that stands out in color, fragrance, and taste.
Everyone, please do your best.
So what are our contestants waiting for? Please go to your stations immediately.
CHINESE CUISINE CULINARY COMPETITION
Next, let's see
the cooking process of each contestant in the kitchen.
The time limit for the second round, the pastry round, is one hour.
At the end of this round, we'll select four out of six contestants.
What is Shancai doing?
I don't get it as well.
It's good that you don't get it.
If you knew what it was, it wouldn't be amazing.
Only one minute left. Let's start the countdown.
All right. Time's up.
Now, the contestants have completed their dishes.
Whose dish will move people's hearts?
Please bring your dishes in. Judges, please get ready.
All right. Next, we'll ask our contestants to present their dishes.
Now, our judges are carefully tasting each pastry our contestants made.
So what do our judges think about the pastry they've tasted?
This Lotus Flower Cake is very interesting.
From its physical appearance,
it looks like
lotus flowers known as flower fairies.
As for its taste,
it's soft, fluffy and sweet.
It's very flavorful.
Very good.
Thank you.
It's so beautiful. Its fragrance is very inviting.
It delights the heart and refreshes the mind.
I want to have another piece.
This is the natural fragrance of lotus flowers.
I preserved its natural state.
I like this girl.
No way.
Are you falling for Caina?
Now, the judges are holding Miss Dong Shancai's Plain Flower Candy.
It tastes delicious.
Should I say
that it's grayish
or yellowish?
Do you know what's the most important thing
required to win this competition?
This pastry is called
"Dong Xiaowan's Blooming Beauty, Exquisite Elegance,
Delicate Grace and Golden Age."
Wow, is that a tongue twister?
I want to hear more about it.
Dong Xiaowan is a famous chef in history.
She especially likes to use flowers in cooking.
That's why she made this pastry.
Many years ago,
her husband, Mao Xuejiang, fell sick.
In order to make her husband recover quickly
and take up his sword,
she made this pastry herself
and named it Plain Flower Candy.
Even though this is just a simple pastry,
but it comes from a very beautiful love story.
There are very few people who know how to make this pastry,
especially young girls like her.
-That's not easy. -Yes.
You know quite a lot.
All right. Thank you, Dong Shancai, for your Plain Flower Candy.
Next, we'll go to our next round.
Who will continue standing on this stage?
We'll find out after the commercial.
CHINESE CUISINE CULINARY COMPETITION
After a heated discussion among our judges,
we have the results of the second round.
Four contestants will enter the final battle between the East and the West.
Can we have our judge, Tang Jingmei, to announce the results.
Who are the final four contestants?
After careful deliberation from the judges' panel,
the following will be able to enter the final deciding round
of the Chinese Cuisine Culinary Competition.
Miss Zhou Caina.
SECOND ROUND EVALUATION RESULTS
Miss Luo Qianni.
Miss Ling Chenxi.
And last but not the least...
Maybe
this is a little unexpected.
Congratulations, Miss Dong Shancai.
-Shancai! You did it! -Hey!
-Si. -Si.
-Shancai! Well done! Shancai! -Calm down, Si.
-Did I hear it correctly? -All right. Miss Dong, step forward.
-Yes! -Yes!
-Hurray! -Hurray!
She's great!
That's great!
The Budding Beauty, Elegance...
-No, Exquisite Elegance. -Your tongue is all tied up.
Anyway, Dong Shancai's Plain Flower Candy is the best!
-Come on. -Come on.
Yes!
Let's watch more.
I'm so tired.
Why is this cooking competition
more tiring and nerve-wracking than when I competed?
All right. Thank you, judges.
This year's Chinese Cuisine Culinary Competition's champion
will be chosen from these four contestants.
Congratulations again for advancing to this round.
Please return backstage and take a rest.
Please look forward to the final deciding round.
I'm furious!
I'm so unlucky!
It doesn't matter if I lost to Caina.
But I couldn't even beat Dong Shancai.
It's so infuriating!
Hey, did you bribe the judges?
That's right.
I...
It's a fact that you lost to her.
You can't lift yourselves up by putting others down.
It would just show how unsportsmanlike you are.
Shancai.
Drink something warm and relax.
Thank you.
Miss Zhou Caina.
-This is for you. -Thank you.
I'm so nervous.
I'm not sure what the challenge is for the next round.
You can do it.
-Thank you. -This is for you.
I'm Meizuo. Nice to meet you.
Excuse me. I still have work to do.
Si, aren't you going to encourage her?
That's right, Si.
You were so excited earlier.
Why aren't you encouraging her now?
Come on. The competition is about to start again.
Well...
You...
What?
-What? -Good.
What do you mean "good"?
You did well earlier.
Keep up the good work. Keep getting great results.
Why are you laughing? Didn't you ask me to encourage her?
Hi, all. Chinese Cuisine Culinary Competition
is brought to you by High-End Smart Kitchen Electronics.
Can we have our judge, Jang Jinbao,
to discuss the criteria for this round.
Unique traits of a local place give special features to its people.
Our hometown flavors always carry us away, lost in reverie.
In the last round,
the contestants will be accepting the most rigorous challenge.
Listen carefully. For this round,
you have to prepare a special dish from your hometown
within 45 minutes.
Everybody can make their hometown dishes.
But in just 45 minutes...
Can they make it in time?
That's right.
The dishes we taught Shancai
would take at least two hours to prepare.
Forty-five minutes is very tight.
What are you waiting for? Aren't you rushing over to your stations?
Zhou Caina is really good.
In such a short amount of time,
she was able to sculpt a chrysanthemum from a cabbage.
And she looks so confident.
Zhou Caina's flower looks really good.
Hey.
You're not going to the cemetery. Why do you need a chrysanthemum?
-Si. -What?
This is not a sculpting competition. This is a cooking competition.
I think Shancai is having a hard time.
Look.
This is so hard.
A hometown dish in 45 minutes.
The Shanghai dishes I've learned, such as egg white-topped fried crab on a shell,
salted pork with bamboo shoots soup, braised Mandarin fish with white sauce,
"Eight Treasure Duck."
They all need a lot of time to make.
Unless, fried river prawn.
No.
Okay. Now we can see the three contestants have selected
their ingredients and went back to their stations.
Only Dong Shancai's basket is still empty until now.
Stupid girl, why are just standing there?
There's not enough time. Move it!
Hey, relax.
Shancai must still be thinking.
You'll only make her panic even more.
-What is he doing? -Where are you going?
-What's going on? -What's happening?
Sir, please leave the recording room.
Sorry, sir, we're filming right now. Please leave.
What are you doing?
Hey.
Shancai.
Everyone, we apologize.
There's been a minor hiccup.
Maybe Miss Shancai's fan is too passionate.
He went to the cooking stations.
Shancai.
-Shancai! -Please leave.
Shancai!
-Shancai. -All right.
I know you're reminding me that I have to win.
My dad has a one million yuan debt to pay.
I can't just give up.
-Sir, please leave. -Please go.
Daoming Si.
What should I do?
My brain is completely blank.
Stupid girl. Go and choose your ingredients.
Stupid boy. What should I choose?
Stupid girl. Is your brain damaged? Think about what you should do.
Stupid boy.
It would be good if I know what to do.
Stupid girl.
It doesn't matter if you forget everything.
Shancai! Release your fighting spirit.
Yes, I have to win. I have to release my fighting spirit.
I can do it.
Sorry, sir. Please leave.
-Pineapple? -Pineapple?
Shancai is so interesting.
Shancai.
You have to believe your strong genes.
The blood of a chef is in you.
Shancai looked so cute when she closed her eyes.
Cute?
I was terrified for her earlier.
Me too.
I don't know what Shancai will make with pineapples.
My brother is too involved.
He looked so cute when he barged in.
He really thinks he's her knight in shining armor.
But I think Shancai has to relax.
Maybe she'll really lose this round.
Shancai, you're going to lose to me this time.
Why?
Because I know how delicious a dish would taste
just by looking at it.
I already feel very lucky for being able to stay in the competition until now.
Maybe I can depend on my luck to keep winning.
Luck will not always be on your side.
All right.
The last round of our Chinese Cuisine Culinary Competition,
Hometown Dish, only has two minutes left.
Time's up.
Please stop cooking and get ready to present your dishes.
DONG SHANCAI
ZHOU CAINA
LUO QIANNI
LING CHENXI
All right. We're going into the very intense part of our competition.
Our judges are already starting to taste the dishes
prepared by our contestants.
What surprised me
was that Wenchang Chicken usually needs to be soaked in broth
for at least three hours
before it can produce such rich flavor.
Miss Zhou Caina, may I ask
how did you use 45 minutes to complete this dish so beautifully?
It's easy.
I used chicken bones and a large amount of chicken wings.
I also added onions, mushrooms, potatoes and cooked them all
at the right temperature.
That way, the soup cooked in 20 minutes can also have a rich taste.
Just the way the chicken was cut
is already very impressive.
How did you achieve such good cutting skills?
When I studied abroad,
I didn't want my family to pay for my living expenses.
I always went to the market
-and bought the chicken bones. -Who wants to listen
-to her nonsense? -After a long period of time,
-I cut all the meat -If Shancai's the one talking,
-from the bones -he won't be mad.
and made Kung Pao Chicken for my friends.
This dish is quite excellent.
-Luo Qianni's stewed pigeon -She is so perfect to receive
-has a nice flavor. -such praises from Mingde's alumni.
The Chinese Yam is so soft.
-Can you tell us how you made the pigeon -You're exaggerating.
-so flavorful in such a short time? -I'm not.
-Not at all. -Covering the bowl with salt...
If I were the judge, I'll choose her now.
We're in sync, all right.
The pigeon meat would be even more delicious.
Next, judges, please taste the dish prepared by our last contestant,
Dong Shancai.
May I ask what this is?
This is "Eight Treasure Spicy Noodles."
Why are you laughing?
Didn't they tell her to make famous hometown dishes?
Because "Eight Treasure Spicy Noodles" is too common.
Didn't Shancai train at Daoming Si's house for a long time?
Why did she make such a common dish?
Yes.
Dear,
did you teach her how to make this "Eight Treasure Spicy Noodles"?
No.
Why did she think of making this dish?
Are you from Shanghai?
Yes.
I grew up in Shanghai.
Every time I got sick and had no appetite,
I would gain my appetite back
after I ate "Eight Treasure Spicy Noodles."
However, other contestants
prepared well-known dishes that are hard to make.
Yet you made this snack.
Aren't you afraid of losing?
I am. Of course I am.
But I feel
that regardless if it's a hard or easy dish,
it would be able to rise up to the challenge
as long as it has its unique quality.
There's a reason why
you won't get tired of eating "Eight Treasure Spicy Noodles"
even if you eat it every day.
I think the flavor is quite unique.
Did you add pineapples?
Yes.
You added pineapples?
How did you think of that?
Based on my personal experiences.
Apparently, Miss Shancai's experiences are different from others.
Maybe someone in her family plants pineapples.
You were the one who inspired her, right?
Who knows?
I just wanted to encourage her.
Who knew she wouldn't be able to contain her inspiration
when she saw me?
What? Isn't that possible?
Of course it is.
Of course, nobody can beat true love.
Even though that's a very honest answer,
"Eight Treasure Spicy Noodles"
might be her dad's provided work meal.
Look at the expression on the judges' faces.
Would they be convinced by her?
The results will be announced soon. I'm so nervous.
Don't worry.
Shancai would surely win.
Don't look at me that way.
Because I'll vomit.
All right. Can we have our judges come to the stage
to comment on the performance of today's contestants
and award the winner.
The result is in my hands.
I'm as excited as you all are at this very moment.
Because the four contestants all performed very well,
especially two of them,
let me just provide some simple comments.
Earlier, Qianni's Huangshan Stewed Pigeon
was a very refreshing soup.
It's such a shame that the meat was too tough.
For Chenxi,
it's really hard for her to make
Buddha's Temptation in such a short time.
Too bad that the cooking temperature was not right.
That Hainan Wenchang Chicken dish
prepared by Miss Zhou Caina earlier
is perfect in every way,
including her cooking skills.
The plating, the substance and flavor of the dish.
Miss Dong Shancai's performance
is also remarkable, right?
Yes.
She put pineapples into the most common "Eight Treasure Spicy Noodles" dish,
that reduced the spiciness for those who don't like spicy food.
It's a very creative move.
Hey.
-Why can't she be direct? -Miss Shancai was able to get rid of
the old idea and focus on the uniqueness of common dishes.
She embodies the creative spirit of our Chinese Cuisine.
Thank you.
Next, our judges will announce
today's winner.
-Why can't you watch it? -Now, the winner
-I can't. -of the Chinese Cuisine
-Culinary Competition is chosen. -Watch it.
Who will win the one million yuan cash prize?
Ms. Zhuang.
Based on overall performance,
Shancai's chances of winning are not high.
It doesn't matter whether she wins or loses.
My brother obviously likes this girl.
I have to acknowledge her too.
Regardless of who wins or loses tonight, we have to celebrate.
The winner...
It's Miss Zhou Caina.
All right. Congratulations, Caina!
Caina, please step forward.
CHAMPION ZHOU CAINA
You're not allowed to clap for her.
Next, can we have the judges
to award the trophy and prize money to Caina.
-Congratulations. -Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you to all the judges.
And thank you to everyone for liking my dishes.
Actually, the contestants in this cooking competition are all exceptional.
But I still believe that I'll be the champion for the whole competition
because I believe that as long as I work hard,
my dream will come true.
Again, thank you, everyone.
All right, up next,
we'll request Mingde University's most beautiful alumni, Tang Jingmei,
to announce the Special Prize winner today.
We especially made an exception this time
to select a special prize winner,
who will get 500,000 yuan cash prize,
in order to serve as encouragement
for her persistent and outstanding performance.
And she's also my junior in school,
Miss Dong Shancai.
Congratulations!
SPECIAL PRIZE, DONG SHANCAI
Dong Shancai, well done!
-I knew you could do it! -Hey.
You're acting nuts!
-Good job, Shancai! -Now, we'll award Shancai
the prize money and certificate.
-Congratulations. -Thank you.
Shancai, say a few words.
Actually,
I never thought
that I can compete together
with such outstanding contestants,
Zhou Caina.
She really deserves to win.
I...
In receiving this award,
I would like to thank
all the people that have helped me.
Thank you to Ms. Zhuang.
Thank you to all my good friends.
Ten days ago,
I still wasn't brave enough to accept this challenge.
I was afraid that I would lose.
It would be too humiliating.
Thankfully, there's someone
who always encouraged me
and supported me
without expecting anything in return.
Thank you.
All right. Congratulations, Shancai.
Next, we'd like to invite our ambassadors
to present flowers to these two contestants.
All right, Shancai!
Cheer for her.
All right. Thank you to the brilliant performance of all our contestants.
And thank you to all the judges for their amazing support.
This year's Chinese Cuisine Culinary Competition
has now ended.
Let's keep promoting the spirit of Chinese cuisine
so that it would spread throughout all of China and the whole world.
We'll see you again next time.
Shancai.
Good job!
I knew you could do it!
Shancai, well done!
She won!
-That's great! -Shancai is the best!
Our daughter won the special prize.
She earned a lot of money!
Yes.
Hello?
"Eight Treasure Spicy Noodles"?
Yes.
You mean the noodles my daughter cooked earlier, right?
Of course we have it.
Let me tell you, I taught her how to cook that.
Yes.
When can we sell it?
Tomorrow is fine. We'll sell it tomorrow.
But you have to be quick.
This dish is limited edition.
You...
All right.
-Somebody just ordered it? -Yes.
Dear.
Do you think we should give this special noodle dish a powerful name?
Yes.
-It should be popular right away. -Yes.
We'll call it Powerful Noodles.
It's too short. It's not powerful enough.
Then we can name it something longer.
I know.
We'll call it Dong Shancai Chinese Cuisine
Special Prize
"Eight Treasure Spicy Noodles."
That's so powerful!
Dear, I knew you were smart.
This name is so great!
-I've forgotten it now. -Dong Shancai.
Dong Danian's daughter.
-No. -Isn't the name--
Dong Shancai Chinese Cuisine Special Prize
-"Eight Treasure Spicy Noodles." -"Eight Treasure Spicy Noodles."
This is the "Eight Treasure Spicy Noodles" that I prepared.
Si, you inspired me to make this dish.
Do you want to try it first?
That's right.
How can we dare eat it if you haven't tried it?
Shancai.
What you just said is as hilarious as your pineapple head.
Based on my personal experiences...
We told you to eat. What are you waiting for?
All right. I'll eat it.
It's a bit spicy,
but it's quite good.
This flavor should be paired with red wine.
It's delicious. I like this level of spiciness.
The pineapple's sweetness balanced the grease of the noodles.
Well...
Actually,
I'm very thankful for the experiences I gained
from the preparation until the actual competition.
Thank you for helping me, Ms. Zhuang
and everyone.
So thank you to all of you.
It's so strange.
Why am I more nervous now with that guy staring at me
than when I was at the competition?
Come with me for a while. I want to tell you something.
You don't need to leave. We'll leave.
Come. Follow me.
Ms. Zhuang, are we going to buy some wine?
Enough talking. Let's just go.
-Okay. -You all don't need to go.
I'll say it in front of all of you.
Shancai.
Spend the day with me tomorrow.
Who asks someone out on a date in front of everyone?
Why should we date in secret?
Didn't you want to thank me?
If you really want to thank me,
then spend the day with me.
All right. Let's all spend the day together.
My schedule is full tomorrow.
I have a tea ceremony tomorrow morning.
At night, I have to discuss some things with Ella,
Selina, and Hebe.
I have to set up our exhibit tomorrow morning.
Then I have a date at night.
Huaze Lei, you're always free, right?
He's going shopping with me tomorrow.
See?
I'm the only one available to go on a date with you.
All right. Let's not talk about it first.
I'll make a toast first
to thank everyone for supporting me. Bottoms up.
Hey, Shancai.
That alcohol is really strong.
You're sober now?
Check it out. What do you think?
What is this?
DONG SHANCAI EIGHT TREASURE SPICY NOODLES
That's right.
It's honorably named as Dong Shancai Chinese Cuisine Special Prize
"Eight Treasure Spicy Noodles."
Please validate the Dong Shancai authenticity logo.
Where did you find such an ugly picture?
Is it ugly?
It's so pretty! I even edited it.
-See how small your face is. -That's right.
Come on.
-Help me record it. -Come on.
-Record what? -Advertisement.
Your mom and I practiced the whole morning.
Record it properly.
Can we start?
When people become old,
they often have no appetite and have poor digestion.
Sea cucumber, abalone, lobster
are not appetizing to them.
Dear.
Guess what I made for you?
Could it be Dong Shancai Chinese Cuisine Special Prize
"Eight Treasure Spicy Noodles"?
That's right.
After eating Dong Shancai Chinese Cuisine Special Prize
"Eight Treasure Spicy Noodles", your back would not ache,
your legs would not cramp up
and your memory will improve.
It'll help you pass the English exam.
Your mom wouldn't need to worry about your studies anymore.
Dong Shancai Chinese Cuisine Special Prize,
"Eight Treasure Spicy Noodles."
Awaken your sleeping taste buds.
A gentle reminder.
Please eat the noodles in a civilized way.
Don't slurp it up.
-How is it? -How is it?
-All right. I have to go. -Let me see.
The orders will start coming in at 10:00 a.m.
What? It's 10:00 a.m.?
Sorry.
Are you hurt, kid?
I'm a man. I don't get hurt that easily.
Little boy,
what are you doing in front of my house?
"Mrs. Dong,
I'm Mrs. Wang from next door.
The company suddenly asked me to do overtime work tonight.
I can't take care of my kid.
The nanny is not here either.
Please help me take care of him today.
His name is Xiao Long.
He's very nice. Thank you."
So you're Mrs. Wong's kid from next door.
Who are you?
I'm Mrs. Dong's daughter.
You can call me Shancai.
Shancai, bring me home.
I'm busy.
My parents went to Hangzhou to buy something.
Think. Do you know any other neighbors?
No.
It's fine. Nobody cares about me anyway.
It's best if I get lost.
Subtitles by Netflix
Translated by Coleen Chua
Ripped and synced by gabbyu @ Subscene