Delicacies Destiny Episode 1 Recap
> Delicacies Destiny Recap
Ling Xiaoxiao, a chef of remarkable skill and delicate technique, meticulously prepared various dishes, including a renowned "Carp Leaping Over Dragon Gate," in a bustling kitchen, even reminding others to pick up the pace. The shopkeeper, seeing the delectable spread, initially thought it was for customers, but Ling Xiaoxiao revealed she had paid for the ingredients herself and was enjoying her own cooking before opening hours. Enticed by the aroma and sight, the greedy shopkeeper brazenly asked to join her.
Seizing the opportunity, Ling Xiaoxiao presented a contract, offering to let him eat if he agreed to a condition. The shopkeeper, too focused on the food, impulsively agreed to "a hundred conditions" and stamped the document without reading it.
Ling Xiaoxiao then served him the "Carp Leaping Over Dragon Gate," informing him it was her last dish for him as she was leaving for the Imperial Palace, which was recruiting chefs, as her talents were too great to be confined to the restaurant. She explained that the contract he stamped stipulated her departure; if he attempted to forcibly stop her, he would be obligated to pay her one hundred taels of gold per month.
The shopkeeper, jolted by this revelation, tried to retract the agreement, reminding her of their five-year contract. In a desperate attempt to prevent her from leaving, he snatched the contract and ate it. However, Ling Xiaoxiao, having anticipated his behavior, had learned street magic and produced another contract, stating the first was fake. He ate that one too, only for her to reveal it was also a fake, as she possessed an endless supply of such documents.
Realizing his efforts were futile, the shopkeeper sat dejected. Ling Xiaoxiao then persuaded him, explaining that if she achieved the title of "number one chef" in the palace, his restaurant would gain immense fame as the establishment that nurtured her talent, subsequently attracting countless chefs and customers. Convinced by her argument, he reluctantly agreed to let her go.
Meanwhile, within the Imperial Palace, the Crown Prince, having slipped and fallen on a poorly cleaned floor, was in a furious rage, blaming palace staff and complaining about wasted food. Zheng Li (also known as Zheng Gonggong), his attendant, intervened, reminding him to eat before the numerous dishes, which had been waiting for a long time, grew cold. Despite the abundance of food, the Crown Prince found it utterly unsatisfactory, eating very little before overturning the entire table in frustration.
Feeling immense pressure, Zheng Li urged Eunuch Li, who was in charge of recruitment, to swiftly find a head chef for the Zhenxiu Fang (Imperial Kitchen). Ling Xiaoxiao soon arrived at the palace for her audition. She prepared a seemingly simple stir-fried scrambled egg with scallions.
Upon tasting it, Eunuch Li was astounded, unable to stop eating and marveling at how a common dish could be so exquisitely delicious, praising its delicate texture, rich layers, and the perfect softness of the eggs. Though he attempted to maintain a poker face, Ling Xiaoxiao recognized her success. After testing other chefs and finding none to his satisfaction, Eunuch Li decided to keep Ling Xiaoxiao.
He then dismissed the other candidates and demanded ten taels of silver as a bribe from Ling Xiaoxiao. Lacking the money, Ling Xiaoxiao defiantly refused, threatening to expose his corruption at the palace gate if he dared to dismiss her, declaring that the palace eunuch was selecting chefs based on money rather than skill.
Just then, Zheng Li arrived, informing Eunuch Li that the Crown Prince was desperate for a new chef, and immediately assigned Ling Xiaoxiao to Zhenxiu Fang as the Crown Prince's personal chef. On her first visit to Zhenxiu Fang, Ling Xiaoxiao was greeted by chaos as a chicken flew directly at her face. With swift and precise movements, she caught it by the neck, ending the staff's frantic pursuit. Eunuch Li, witnessing her agility, was impressed.
Chef Shen then led her on a tour of the kitchen, which Ling Xiaoxiao found to be dirty and disorganized. She immediately instructed three experienced palace maids to chop wood, kill a chicken, and clean the stove. The maids grumbled amongst themselves, believing Ling Xiaoxiao would not last long, and subsequently abandoned their tasks, even taking the chicken to cook for themselves. Later, Ling Xiaoxiao created a skin-smoothing honey water.
The palace maids, observing others praise its effects, covertly sampled it when the kitchen was empty and found it indeed made their skin smooth. Ling Xiaoxiao confronted them, accusing them of stealing imperial food, and used this leverage to coerce them into revealing information about former Chef Chen. The maids disclosed that the Crown Prince had greatly enjoyed Chef Chen's cooking but had later expelled him from the palace.
Ling Xiaoxiao located Chef Chen's recipe book and, finding nothing inherently wrong with the dishes, asked Chef Shen to recreate them. After tasting them, she finally understood the underlying problem. For her first meal for the Crown Prince, Ling Xiaoxiao prepared a commoner's dish: rice wrapped in vegetables. The Crown Prince, finding it too humble, dismissed it without tasting and attempted to send Ling Xiaoxiao away.
However, upon tasting the dish, he discovered it was exceptionally delicious and immediately ordered her to return. Ling Xiaoxiao agreed, but only on the condition that he promise not to dictate specific dishes in the future, instead eating whatever she prepared.
