Cinderella Chef

On Cinderella Chef, a modern cook named Ye Jiayao is pulled through a mysterious portal into a distant past, where she assumes the role of Ye Jinxuan, the daughter of a magistrate. Her arrival coincides with danger when she is seized by a bandit gang, and she soon crosses paths with their leader Xia Chunyu, a former nobleman fallen on hard times. The situation strands her in a sham marriage that complicates loyalties at court and in the mountains. Relying on quick thinking and savvy kitchen skills, Ye Jiayao uses clever tricks and a sharp wit to win people over, turning ordinary meals into leverage as she navigates danger, honor, and survival. Her cooking know-how becomes a passport.

Directed by Zhang Jin Qing and Zhao Jin-Tao, Cinderella Chef released in 2018 as a Chinese TV comedy with fantasy elements, from an original concept by Yang Zi Lip, Gao Weiran and Sun Ai'li.

Reception notes the show's breezy mix of humor and fantasy, anchored by Ye Jiayao's inventive cooking scenes. The series leans into identity and adaptation, social mobility, and the clash between modern sensibilities and ancient codes, all delivered with a playful fast paced tone.