The Lady Iron Chef 2007

On the day of the Supreme Dim Sum competition, Madame To and her son S. K. To were appointed judges, since they run one of Hong Kong’s largest catering empires. A crowd of hopeful cooks gathered, each eager to claim fame in the lively world of dim sum, but one mystery contestant quickly drew the judges’ attention. The winner was Jade Rice.

Madame To hoped to see her son married to Jade Rice, while Ceci — a lower-class girl hired to introduce the chefs onto the stage — found herself more impressed by SK than by the champion. Although SK shared that admiration for Jade, he refused the proposed union and kept his distance.

One night, SK was kidnapped and held for ransom. The abduction ended up trapping him in a small rooftop room at the building where Ceci lives with her father, Souza. Ceci sprang into action, rescuing SK and concealing him in her home. To understand him better, she takes him on a street-level tour of Mongkok, exposing him to life beyond his mother’s protective rules. He discovers Ceci’s carefree approach to life and finds himself falling for her.

SK brings Ceci home to meet his mother, who sets a hard condition: Ceci must cook as well as Jade if she is to marry SK. Souza takes Ceci to Macau to learn from his ex-girlfriend, Lady Green, who hails from a royal-chef lineage and is an expert at turning simple ingredients into extraordinary meals.

Ceci trains hard under Lady Green’s guidance and gains confidence quickly. She challenges Jade in a high-stakes culinary duel that becomes a test between two schools of cooking—the North versus the South. In the final round, Ceci presents her dish, while Jade counters with an impressively crafted “Emperor toast.” The judges applaud Jade’s creation, yet Ceci is not left empty-handed, as she is later given noodles to craft a plate of Brokeback Noodles. Ceci wins, due to Jade.