Chen Yan, an unemployed chef fired from the Yunding Restaurant and grieving the loss of his grandfather, clings to his grandfather's final words, "The noodles must be chewy, and a person must be upright," and opens a late-night noodle stall in an old alley.
When the family's heirloom celadon bowl heats up, he unexpectedly awakens the ability to cook with empathy:
The noodles he makes can reveal people's hearts;
The flavors he tastes can awaken long-buried memories.
One bowl of noodles makes a homeless man, who has spent fifteen years searching for his daughter, break down in tears;
One bowl makes the thugs who smashed his stall fall to their knees, and sends him viral online;
One bowl eases insomnia, depression, and the pain of losing a child;
Even the richest man in the city begs, "I want to eat my mother's noodles!"
Psychologist Su Wanqing joins him, using scientific evidence to demonstrate the power of empathy;
A retired judge, a food delivery rider, a top-tier star, veteran soldiers... Countless people find healing in a bowl of noodles and make the little stall their refuge in this world.
But Chen Houdé, the ruthless mogul behind Yunding, refuses to let him go.
An old grudge over a stolen recipe from thirty years ago, a child labor scandal, a fake food poisoning frame-up, an international capital hunt...
The conspiracies close in at every turn.
Chen Yan smashes through every obstacle and turns the tables in a face-slapping comeback,
visiting sites of intangible cultural heritage, restoring ancient techniques, reaching the heights of Michelin, and taking on the international competition circuit!
From a tiny late-night noodle stall to a bearer of China's intangible cultural heritage.
He never forgets:
Cooking is neither mysticism nor a superpower.
It is the natural flavor of the ingredients, the cook's intentions, and the bond between cook and diner.
Nourish the heart with food, and share feelings through flavor.
The late-night eatery never closes.
Every bowl of noodles here is waiting for someone with a story.
