A Recipe for the Heart

A Recipe for the Heart (Chinese: 美味天王 jyutping: Mei5 Mei6 Tin1 Wong4, pinyin: Měi Wèi Tiān Wáng) is a 1997 TVB comedy drama with a food theme. Produced by Tommy Leung, it stars Bobby Au-yeung, Esther Kwan, Lydia Shum, Paul Chun, Louis Koo, Maggie Cheung Ho-Yee and Jessica Hsuan as the main cast. The drama is TVB's 30th anniversary drama. Multiple TVB's lead actors and actresses also have cameos in the drama. Original broadcast began on November 10 till December 20, 1997, on TVB Jade channel airing weekdays during the 7:30 to 8:30 pm timeslot.

A Recipe for the Heart
Promo poster
Also known asKing of Delicious Taste
美味天王
GenreDrama, Comedy, Romance, Food
Written byNgau Gun Yin, Wong Wai Keung, Leung Min-ma, Cheung Jung Chai
Directed byWong Kwok-fai, Lai Pui Yan, Lei Suk Man, Jau Pui Ha
StarringBobby Au-yeung
Lydia Shum
Esther Kwan
Paul Chun
Louis Koo
Maggie Cheung Ho-Yee
Jessica Hsuan
Cheung Tat-ming
Opening themeMamma Mia by Bobby Au-yeung, Maggie Cheung Ho-yee, Paul Chun, Jessica Hsuan, Esther Kwan, Lydia Shum
Country of originHong Kong
Original languageCantonese
No. of episodes29
Production
ProducerTommy Leung
EditorNgau Gun Yin
Running time45 minutes
Original release
NetworkTVB Jade
Release10 November (1997-11-10) –
20 December 1997 (1997-12-20)
A Recipe for the Heart
Chinese美味天王
Simplified Chinese美味天王
Literal meaning"King of Delicious Taste"
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinMei5 Mei6 Tin1 Wong4'
Yue: Cantonese
JyutpingMěi wèi tiān wáng

In 2005, the series aired repeated episodes throughout Monday to Friday at 10:45 to 11:45 am.

Synopsis

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Kam Yat-san (Bobby Au-yeung) is in a heated cooking competition with master chef Chun Man-sek (Paul Chun). Right before the competition is judged Yat-san accidentally sneezes peppers on to Man-sek dish. When the judges comments that Man-sek dish tastes weird because it has an overpowering pepper taste and announces Yat-san the winner, Yat-san realizes the contest was not judged fairly because of his sneezed the pepper to Man-sek's dish. Man-sek goes insane after losing the competition, disappears and is never heard of again. Three years later Yat-san arrives under the alias Tin Mei-gut at Man-sek's restaurant "Delicious Garden" to atone for his guilt of what happened. Man-sek's restaurant is currently run by his daughter Chun So-so (Esther Kwan), who is also the current head chef. it is failing restaurant because So-so is a terrible cook. Yat-san now as Mei-gut offers to buy 51% stake of the restaurant and teach So-so how to cook. So-so and her mother Tong Yuen-yuen (Lydia Shum) thinks Mei-gut has ulterior motives but takes his offer anyway since it such a good deal for them.

Cast

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Main cast

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  • Bobby Au-yeung as Kam Yat-san (金一山), Tin Mei-gut (田味吉), Tin Mei-chang (田味橙)
A master chef who won the title unfairly against Chun Man-sek. Uses the alias of Tin Mei-gut to mentor Chun So-so and becomes 51% owner of "Delicious Garden" restaurant.
Chun Man-sek and Tong Yuen-yuen's daughter. A terrible cook who is trying her best to save her father's "Delicious Garden" restaurant from going out of business.
Former master chef and owner of "Delicious Garden" restaurant. He goes insane and loses his memory after losing an unfairly judged cooking competition to Kam Yat-san.
Chun Man-sek's wife and Chun So-so's mother. She manages the dining area of the "Delicious Garden" restaurant. She blames Tin Mei-gut for what happened to her husband.
A up and coming master chef at "Delicious Garden" rivaled restaurant. Ha Jut-jut had initially thought he was Kam Yat-san because he is able to cook a dish like Yat-san.
A food critic who is a foodie. She gave "Delicious Garden" a bad review because of So-so's terrible cooking, She later develops a crush on Kiu Pak-ko.

Supporting cast

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Kam Yat-san's pupil and assistant cook.
Tin Mei-gut's former cooking classmate who has a huge crush on him
Tin Mei-gut's and Leung Song-song's cooking mentor.
Kiu Pak-ko assistant cook.
Owner of "Delicious Garden" rivaled restaurant and Kiu Pak-ko boss.
Yu Yau-bo's wife.
A waitress at "Delicious Garden". Both Siu-ding and Siu-king are rivals for her affection.
The cooking competition judge.

Guest appearances

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References

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