The picky Prince Zhao Fengpan, in an attempt to regain his lost sense of taste, sets up a lavish wager called the "A Taste Worth a Thousand Gold Coins." Chef Cheng Biyuan, seeking to save her brother, comes to take on the challenge. With a bowl of "Longing Soup," she awakens the prince's taste buds and is subsequently coerced into becoming the royal chef. Thus begins a life in the palace where the two engage in a battle of wits, tempers, and culinary skills.