A current Netflix release from Thailand. A talented cook working at her dad's noodle shop, played by Chutimon Chuengcharoe, is recruited by an infamous chef's staff, Gunn Svasti, after an employee's dismissal creates a vacancy. The chef, Nopachai Chaiyanam, cut from the same Gordon Ramsay cloth, is a tyrant in the kitchen who wants things done his way & woe be the food prepper who crosses him (as evidenced when one is caught smoking while making soup & then forced to slurp said concoction w/ashes & all). Chuengcharoe comes into this environment w/open eyes & naïve as hell (she was hired for her quick fire skills so she's in limbo when her services are not needed) but still manages to impress diners enough w/her skill to gain notice from a restaurateur who wants to back her in own spot. Lasting long enough to see how things are run, she soon leaves after a rich client, who has organized an endangered species menu (where a bird is hunted & shot) makes her realize this is not what she wants. After taking her place in the kitchen as the boss & making her restaurant a hit, word comes down some rich influencers have hired her & Chaiyanam in a gala spread where both master & student will finally see who will come up on top. Taking a page from last year's The Menu or the Bradley Cooper starrer Burnt from 2015 where the great looking (& presumably tasting) meals take a backseat to the Shakespearean drama unfolding in the cooking area. The narrative plays out fine but some nips & tucks could've improved the overlong run time which sometimes engages in a bit of character ellipses & fetishistic shots of finished plates.
