Replacing Chef Chico

So, I believe I am on the third episode. How absolutely repellent and gross. We live in a modern world, and it has been so for decades, but perhaps the men in your country don't understand or accept what that means.. It is entirely unacceptable to treat a female professional, a genuis, in this manner. You cannot simultaneously laud the success of a chef, and gutter it at the same time. I suppose that as a male dominated country, you hope to turn back time. I have seen people in my own country who hope to do the same. This attitude is ARCANE.

There is not a woman I know who would subborn this type of behavior. It will be a cold day in Hell before I ever visit your country.

Overall I think it's a missed opportunity to be something better. I like the focus on the customers and how it shows why Hain is special and not just a restaurant serving good food and fine dining. The perspective is really nice, a nice back and forth focus between the kitchen and the customers, but the delivery was pretty cringey. The love stories and the conversations were sometimes just too long and unnecessary. The constant background music was also pretty annoying. This is a typical kind of Filipino telenovela/drama which is not something necessarily negative, but I have my doubts it will be popular for the good characteristics in the west.

Alright, let's talk about Alessandra De Rossi and this weird series. De Rossi rose to leading-lady status after the success of "Kita Kita", a film that dominated the local box office. So following its triumph, she seemed to develop a sense of entitlement, assuming she'd be inundated with similar role offers afterwards, sadly none of it happened to her. To make matters worse, a tensions arose between her and Arci Muñoz after ABS-CBN allegedly reneged on its promise to cast her as a leading lady for a TV show. She was so mad to that. So to ease her frustration, she pivoted to producing her own films, with dashing leading men and narratives seemingly tailored to make her feel desirable that she also written. Lol.

Anyway, we decided to binge this Filipino series that was blatantly trying to emulate the Golden-Globe Winning Series "Bear". Sadly instead the series delving into the intricacies of meals, the show veered into an indulgent exploration of De Rossi's character personal struggles. As if that weren't bad enough, some characters are spewing overly theatrical Tagalog monologues too explaining the menu in some scenes, an absurdity that would never occur in a legitimate fine dining restaurants lol. It was soooo cringeworthy.

And then, of course, there was this preposterous love triangle tension involving Sam Milby and Piolo Pascual's character, pffft! De Rossi as the romantic focal point?! Hilarious! First, the pairing was physically unconvincing. Second, her character oscillated between grating and insufferable. And let's be honest, the concept, along with several key elements, was shamelessly ripped-off from the series "Bear"!

What a lovely series!!! A great story which will warm your heart. The food is beautiful and tantalizing, as the chefs prepare a selection of appetizing dishes which compliment this series. Well acted and presented, lovely scenarios of the customers who frequent the restaurant. The scenes are vibrant, yielding superb food and entertaining miniature stories centred around the restaurant and Chef Ella. I love it!!! Praying for another series of happy ever afters.

Thank you to cast, producers and directors. To the colourful wardrobe and professional makeup.

A brilliant, delightful show, thank you to all.

What an empowering, thoughtful and wonderful show! It's both gentle and captivating and I enjoyed every episode. L I loved how all of the characters gained depth and nuance as the show progressed and I especially loved seeing Chef Ella find her voice and own her talents. I also really enjoyed how each episode centered on a specific event happening in the restaurant showcasing tender-hearted stories from all walks of life. There is some verbal/emotional abuse from the chef that Ella steps in to replace but it is shown to be as such and the show deals with it in an appropriate and healing way. I highly recommend it if you enjoy thoughtful storytelling with a gorgeous soundtrack.