Cupid's Kitchen Episode 27 Recap
> Cupid's Kitchen Recap
During the cooking competition, the host interviewed Lin Kesong about an unusual action she took during the challenge. She was asked why she had dumped her nearly finished stuffing and started over with a different pan. Lin Kesong explained that while making the Eight Treasure Duck, she noticed that Thomas, one of the judges, was using a bronze pan, whereas she had been using a non-stick pan.
Her exceptional sense of taste allowed her to detect the metallic flavor of the bronze, prompting her to switch pans to replicate the original dish accurately. Thomas later confirmed that he indeed used a bronze pan for sautéing the stuffing to ensure even heat transfer, expressing surprise at Lin Kesong's sensitive palate. The final results of the competition were then announced.
Victor Quentin placed first, with Lin Kesong securing second place due to her perfect replication of the duck's meat, stuffing, and sauce. However, her presentation, color, and arrangement were deemed lacking, resulting in deducted points. Lin Xiaoyu came in third. These results solidified the top four chefs for Mueller's Future Star Culinary Competition: Victor Quentin, Lin Xiaoyu, Blu Weini, and Lin Kesong. Lin Kesong's parents celebrated her achievement, with her father enthusiastically offering discounts and free alcohol at his restaurant.
Meanwhile, Song Yiran's brother, Song Yisen, was watching the competition online. He informed Song Yiran that Chu Ting's father had called him, stating that the issues between the young people should be resolved among themselves and would not impact their business relationship. Song Yisen expressed his admiration for Chu Ting's father's broad perspective and apologized to Song Yiran for having pressured her, especially regarding marriage.
Song Yiran thanked him, acknowledging that while his support had given her a comfortable life, she felt unaccomplished at 24 and wished to make her own decisions about her career and relationships. Song Yisen, in turn, promised not to interfere in her future choices. Following the competition, Thomas, the chairman, addressed the top four chefs.
He questioned Lin Kesong, noting that security footage showed her and Jiang Qianfan arriving at the venue half an hour early, yet she was late for the competition. Lin Kesong remained silent. Thomas then asked Lin Xiaoyu to explain why she and Lin Kesong had entered Boris's car together, but Lin Xiaoyu returned alone on a bike twelve minutes later. Boris interjected, asserting that it was Lin Xiaoyu's personal time and she was not obligated to answer.
When Thomas pressed Lin Kesong and then Jiang Qianfan for an explanation, both chose to remain silent, with Jiang Qianfan stating he would "go with Lin Kesong." Thomas, though not pursuing the matter further, issued a stern warning, drawing on his ten years as chairman: any competitor who was dishonest or not fully focused on the competition would "lose miserably, with no exception." He hoped they understood his words.
Subsequently, the semi-finals group drawing took place, with both Lin Kesong and Lin Xiaoyu drawing Group One. After the drawing, Lin Xiaoyu confronted Boris, accusing him of leaving her vulnerable to Thomas's scrutiny by not providing an explanation, which made her feel judged by others. Boris dismissed her concerns, questioning why she cared about others' opinions when her name was listed after Lin Kesong's.
Lin Xiaoyu, fed up, declared she had followed his advice and schemes, only for it to backfire on her, leaving her looked down upon while Lin Kesong remained unaffected. She blamed Boris for her poor performance and refused to listen to him anymore. Boris called her "useless" and "pathetic" for being easily defeated by a minor setback, regretting his faith in her. Lin Xiaoyu retorted that she too was wrong to trust him, and stormed off.
Lin Kesong, still upset by Lin Xiaoyu's actions, expressed her anger, calling it "too evil." Jiang Qianfan, comforting her, remarked that Boris had done worse things to him, but he had simply chosen to forget them. Lin Kesong admitted she found it difficult to forget such things. Elsewhere, Junbin secured a two-million loan by collateralizing his home, agreeing to a 15% higher interest rate, with the contract signing scheduled for the following day.
Meanwhile, Elise's mother returned home to find Elise had twisted her foot. After sending Victor to get medicine, Mrs. Quentin noticed a message from Junbin on Elise's phone, related to the money. She confronted Elise, correctly deducing that the money was for Li Yan. Elise confessed that she had already given Li Yan ¥830,000 and he was now demanding ¥2,000,000, promising it would be the last time.
Skeptical, Elise expressed her desire to confess everything to Jiang Qianfan, unable to bear the fear and anxiety any longer. Mrs. Quentin warned her that Jiang Qianfan's temper could be volatile and he might report her to the police, asking if she was prepared to go to jail. Elise, unwilling to face imprisonment, agreed to Mrs. Quentin's proposal: if Li Yan contacted her again, she would direct him to Mrs. Quentin.
Mrs. Quentin then revealed she had kept a crucial agreement specifically to protect Elise in such a critical situation, emphasizing that Yuxuan was like Jiang Qianfan's child, and she would sacrifice his child to protect her own. She also reminded Elise that Junbin was genuinely good to her. Junbin later messaged Elise, reassuring her that the money would be raised soon and encouraging her to make her choices without external pressure.
Blu waited outside Lin Xiaoyu's restaurant, asking her if she was responsible for Lin Kesong's tardiness. Lin Xiaoyu admitted her involvement, telling him to stay away from her because she was a "bad person." Blu insisted that Boris was behind it, calling him a "demon" and urging Lin Xiaoyu to distance herself from him. Lin Xiaoyu countered that Boris was her mentor and had helped her reach the top four.
Feeling that everyone disliked her, just as they disliked Boris, she accepted her situation with a bitter laugh, saying it left her "no other options." She then walked away from Blu, later crying on the street before regaining her composure and continuing forward. Back home, Lin Kesong was receiving numerous congratulatory phone calls from her classmates, who praised her appearance and success. Feeling proud, she started to sound complacent about her achievements.
Jiang Qianfan, observing her, ordered her out of the kitchen, taking her handkerchief as a symbol of her lack of focus. He sternly criticized her for not taking cooking seriously, telling her she was "the worst out of all 8 chefs" and didn't "even have the right to compete with them." He asserted that her success was due to luck and his assistance, questioning how she expected to defeat Lin Xiaoyu with mere compliments.
Lin Kesong silently resented his words, believing her hard work earned her place, not just luck. Later, Dr. Zhou Dawen, who placed eighth in the competition, visited Lin Kesong. He expressed his dissatisfaction with his ranking and challenged her to a one-on-one competition, believing it was unfair that she had advanced over him. Jiang Qianfan suggested they use the four crab dishes he had prepared as the theme, aligning with the "fresh" theme of the semi-finals.
Dr. Zhou then recited a classic "Crab Poem" related to a complex crab dish, implying Lin Kesong's lack of culinary knowledge, which she admitted to. After they both cooked, Jiang Qianfan declined to judge, stating his mentorship made it unfair. Lin Kesong tasted Dr. Zhou's dish and was amazed by its quality, asking why he hadn't placed higher.
Jiang Qianfan explained that Dr. Zhou, a nutrition major, prioritized nutritional balance in his dishes, often deviating from the competition's themes—for example, by adding vegetables to the Eight Treasure Duck or baby cabbage to steamed crab to increase fiber. Dr. Zhou confirmed this, acknowledging that his stubborn focus on nutrition made him unsuited for culinary competitions, though he had no regrets.
Lin Kesong then revealed she had only spent 400-500 hours in the kitchen, while Dr. Zhou admitted to over 10,000 hours, yet humbly stated he still couldn't compare to Jiang Qianfan, Victor, Lin Xiaoyu, or Blu. As Jiang Qianfan walked Dr. Zhou out, he thanked him for his help. Dr. Zhou confessed that he had entered the competition specifically because of Jiang Qianfan, but was surprised he had chosen Lin Kesong so early.
Jiang Qianfan clarified that even without Lin Kesong, he wouldn't have chosen Dr. Zhou because his true passion was nutrition, not cooking. Dr. Zhou understood, expressing surprise that Lin Kesong still needed such a "spur" in her culinary studies. Upon returning home, Jiang Qianfan found Lin Kesong cutting her hair. She explained her intention was to make herself look "ugly" so she wouldn't be tempted to go out, allowing her to focus entirely on cooking.
After seeing her reflection, Lin Kesong cried, feeling her new haircut was too hideous. Jiang Qianfan affectionately reassured her that it looked fine and remarked that "the girl who drank the toilet water is finally back now," referring to her renewed determination. Later, Jiang Qianfan learned Elise was injured and picked her up for work. Elise mentioned an article that referred to Da Mei, one of Yuxuan's chefs, as "the pillar of Yuxuan."
She found his arrogance unbearable, especially his apparent attempt to advance himself by undermining Jiang Qianfan. Jiang Qianfan, however, dismissed it, confidently stating that for anyone to step on him, they first needed to be capable of reaching his level.
