A Time of Taste

SHEUNG MUN, born in a poor village, is the only survivor in the family after a drought. He leaves his hometown for the imperial city to find a job. There he meets PO who has been a royal cook, but after the downfall of Ching Dynasty he is compelled to operate a food stall for a living after leaving the palace. At first, PO does not have a favourable: impression of MON. However, time and again MUN helps PO who gradually changes his attitude towards MUN. Once, Po is ridiculed by the others who discover that he is eunuch. At another time, PO's house is on fire and his life is at risk. In both circumstances, MUN comes to his rescue. Meanwhile, Po is attracted by Master YUK's young sister SANG YIN.

IN has once been an imperial concubine. Since leaving the palace, she comes to stay with the YUK family but she is always sad. Later, PO gets a job as the chef for Master YUK. MUN goes with PO and works as a servant in YUK family. At the same time, he learns cooking skills from PO. PO and YIN both have lived in the palace and shared the same sentiment. Po also is eager to make YIN happy and he always prepare delicious dishes for her. The two of them get along very well with each other. Misunderstanding arises between MUN and TUNG SO SO, Master YUK's daughter-in-law and the two are not on friendly terms.

Master YUK is eager to arrange another marriage for YIN, who feels delighted with the hope of getting a better home. However, because she has previously been an imperial concubine, not many make proposals. YIN feels depressed and vents her anger on PO, who on the other hand tries to uplift her spirit. In the end, YIN feels better and. ~O" is happy to see YIN smile again. However, he grows jealous as he finds YIN and LUK HO YEEN growing fond of each other. YEEN is in fact a friend of HUNG CHEUK, Master YUK's eldest son. Master YUK discovers that someone has stolen some of his precious seafood. PO suspects MUN as the thief and drives him away. Later, they discover that another servant is the one to blame. PO goes to look for MUN and promises to teach him all his skills.

YEEN starts courting YIN and they fall for each other. Seeing this, PO feels greatly hurt and thinks of leaving YUK family. Unknown to the others, YIN spends a night out with YEEN who in fact wins both her heart and her body. However, YEEN deserts her afterwards saying that is interested in her because me has been an imperial concubine. CHEUK feels in furious about this and beat YEEN fiercely while YIN, greatly hurt, tries to commit suicide. Master YUK's second son, HUNG JIM, has not yet grown up. He gets along very well with SO. Once they go out together and JIM gets lost. SO feels very frightened and with the help of MUN, she finally finds JIM. After this, the relationship between SO and MUN gets better.

YIN's attempt to kill her fails. Though she is saved, she loses all her interest in living and is very depressed. Seeing this, PO decides to stay on in YUK family and keeps trying to cheer YIN up. YIN gradually gets better and is touched by PO's sincerity. The two grow more intimate but YIN is ~ill not sure whether she should join hands with PO. With the help of General CHEUNG, PO YEE again ascends the throne and calls back his former servants. PO does not want to leave YIN and asks for her hands. Facing separation, YIN knows that she is in fact in love with PO. The two get united and leave for distant villages to live in peace. CHEUK is a patriotic young man and he cannot bear to see the revival of Ching Dynasty. Being ready to sacrifice his life for a worthy cause, he attempts to assassinate General CHEUNG. In the end, he lost his life and his family are also persecuted. The members run for their lives.… ...

Twenty years later, MUN has grown up and runs a food stall in Shanghai. On the other hand, SO has become a social butterfly and a mistress of a Japanese investor, LAM YAT SANG. As for JIM, he has been to France and has just come back to China on business as a correspondent with a foreign news agency. In order to get a better feel of the common life in Shanghai, JIM rents a bed space from MUN and the two of them develops to be friends. SO and MUN runs into each other many times as SO lives one floor beneath MUN's. However, they cannot recognize each other. Same .as years ago, conflicts arise between them. SO is in fact living with. a Korean lady KAM YIN SHUN who comes to Shanghai with a dance troupe to look for her boyfriend, YUNG.

MUN is attracted by SO's beauty but misunderstanding between them drives them apart and SO does not have a favourable impression of MUN. Learning of the relationship between SO and SANG, MUN grows envious. Meanwhile, MUN runs into heavy debts and is forced to close his food stall. This is a great blow to him and he gets very depressed. seeing this, SHUN offers him consolation and support. JIM learns of MON's plight and decides to give him a hand. He writes an article in the newspaper about MW and praises highly his cooking skills. SANG is impressed by the article and asks MUN to be his collaborator, financing MUN to start a new restaurant. MUN is greatly delighted by this invitation. Since SANG and JIM have come to know each other while they are travelling on the same train, SO gets a chance to meet JIM. Yet they cannot recognize each other but SO has fond feeling of JIM because of his resemblance with CHEUK.

After some coincidence, MUN, SO and JIM finally recognize each other. Their reunion brings them much joy but at the same time it also develops into a love triangle. MUN has great love for SO while SO on the other hand is eager to rekindle the love between her and JIM, hoping that JIM can take her back to France. Hence, when MUN tries to get closer to SO, SO refuses him. Feeling heartbroken, MUN turns. all his attention to running the restaurant. SHUN gradually grows hopeless as she gets no news of YUNG. She attempts to commit suicide but fails. 3,ympathsizing her, MUN offers her consolation and comfort. However, this arouses SO's jealousy.

In fact, YUNG is hiding away from the chase of Japanese soldiers as he once tries to assassinate a Japanese general. He finally finds SHUN and seeks help from her. With the assistance of MUN and SO, SHUN succeeds in escorting YUNG to the railway station. Yet, while he is boarding, the Japanese soldiers rush in and kill him on the spot. Knowing that SHUN is greatly affected by the death of YUNG, MUN takes good care of her and gives her much comfort. One day, SHUN recalls from her dream that SANG is in fact a Japanese general and her whole family are killed by SANG. Even though she tells MUN about that, MUN refuses to believe her. SO is greatly hurt when she learns that JIM has no special affection for her but treats her merely as his sister. Besides, MUN also treats her coldly and with indifference. Faced with such blows, she grows very depressed. On the other hand, MUN is caught in a dilemma.… ...

By chance, JIM learns of SANG's plan to invade Shanghai. JIM writes an article to the newspaper trying to disclose SANG's Identity and evil plots. However, before he can get his article published, he is arrested but he manages to hand the article to MUN, who is very afraid of getting into trouble with the military officers. In the end, NUN destroys the article and JIM is forced to write a letter of remorse admitting his own mistakes. Such is the condition for his release. SO has tried to help JIM but is ridiculed by SANG. Unable to face up with harsh treatments, JIM finally gives in. His letter of remorse is widely publicized and he loses all his supporters who now look upon him with discern. Feeling ashamed of his cowardice, JIM hides from his friends. Later, when he learns that SHUN falls into the hands of the Japanese, he even feels too scared to help her. In fact, SHUN tries to assassinate SANG who has raped her.… ...

After years of war, the Communists finally rule over China. MUN has now SHUN as his wife and has adopted two children, FUNG and CHOI. He runs a new restaurant in i' Shanghai and his business prospers leading a happy life. SO, on the other hand, has not been so fortunate. During the years of fighting, she makes a living as a prostitute and is now undergoing moral reformation in an institution which is administered by JIM. JIM finds that SO has lost her pride or self-respect and has little zeal for living. Accidentally, MUN discovers SO’s whereabouts on one of his business trips. FUNG runs into a young girl called KIU SAM and is attracted by her.

MUN .goes to visit SO in the institution but So refuses to see him. When SHUN learns of SO’s plight, she urges MUN to help her. Under the encouragement of JIM and the support of MUN and SHUN, SO decides to start a new life. With good performance and good conduct, SO is allowed to leave the institution and is assigned to work in a Dance School where she meets SAM. This calls back her memory of her lost daughter who is separated from her during the war years.

SO and SAM feel a certain closeness to each other and they two get along very well with each other. SHUN gets pregnant and this delights MUN greatly. Besides, he also learns that SO has once got a child and he is eager to know whether the child is his or not. SO refuses to answer him and urges him to take good care of SHUN. A wave of nationalization of business becomes prevalent in the country. MUN feels much resistance over that for fear of his restaurant being turned into a cant.eh for factory workers and his power being weakened. MUN and JIM hold different opinion and the two fall out with each other. Later they reconcile under the help of SO. FUNG and SAM grow fond of each other. SO learns of their relationship and promises to keep that secret for them. It is at SAM's birthday party when SO finds out that SAM is in fact her lost daughter.

From SAM's parents, SO finally gets proof of SAM being her lost daughter but for SAM's sake, she will keep that secret. MUN's love for SO rekindles and grows jealous of the intimate relationship between SO and JIM whose love for her also revives. SHUN notices that and proposes to help SO to find a husband. MUN gets mad at the idea and give SHUN a fierce scold. When MUN openly expresses his love for SO, SO feels touched by his sincerity and even tells him that SAM is in fact their daughter.

There is a call from the central government for metal ware from the general public as a support for the national steelmaking campaign. CHOI quickly responds to the appeal and submit all the cooking utensils and window frames of the restaurant. This maddens MUN because CHOI has even taken away the only chopper PO has left MUN. Feeling helpless and depressed, MUN goes to see SO who offers him comfort. Out of their passion for each other, they embrace and kiss each other. SHUN sees all these and her heart breaks. She runs out of the family but MUN finally succeeds in finding her. However, she has a miscarriage and MUN feels very guilty of that. SAM's family are taken as counter-revolutionaries. SO asks JIM for his help and even tells him that SAM is his daughter. In the end, with the assistance of JIM, SAM and her parents manages to escape from Shanghai.… ...

Eight years later, MUN has already retired and FUNG becomes the chef of the restaurant. FUNG and SAM has got married and SAM misses SO very much. During the Cultural Revolution, MUN, SO and JIM all suffer a lot. MUN is accused as a capitalist and is locked up undergoing great torture both physically and mentally. Even worse, CHOI, MUN's adopted child, is among his persecutors but much to his consolation, FUNG refuses to ally with the persecutors and stand on MUN's side. SAM's father also suffers from the same plight and kills himself. SAM grieves over that and she learns that SO is also persecuted by the Red Armies and is banished. One day, when SHUN goes to visit MUN in the jail, she suffers from a heart attack and dies on her way.

MUN and FUNG grieve sadly over SHUN's death. MUN is also banished and sent to work on the farm. MUN now works with KWOK who at first finds MUN a great burden to him. However, they gradually get along better and become friends. SO is also sent to work in the family in the rural. Luckily the family welcome her and treat her nicely. Because of her parents, SAM is also persecuted and sent to work on the farm. SAM and FUNG sadly separate each other. On the way to the farm, SAM runs into JIM who also suffers a lot under the persecution of the revolutionaries.

By chance, SO meets MUN again and the reunion brings them much joy. Suddenly, SO gets seriously ill and she has totally given up hope. Her situation grows worse but her spirit gets uplifted when MUN shows her the letter SAM sent him. This gives her much strength and she eventually recovers from her illness. At first, SAM does not accept JIM too much. Later, SAM is impressed by JIM's sincerity and concern for her. They two meet often and give each other support and strength. Under the encouragement of JIM.

After working on the farm for a time, both JIM and SAM get released. JIM goes to look for SO while SAM returns to join FUNG, who is harshly treated by CHOI. The return of SAM brings FUNG much delight and they two decide to leave the restaurant to visit MUN. Therein MUN's place, they are happy to see SO and JIM again. The mother and the long lost daughter finally get reunited. This reunion brings JIM great joy and he dies happily. FUNG feels depressed and lose heart in business. MUN encourages him and asks to persevere in cooking business. SAM's confidence about the future grows and she decides to take up dancing again.

FUNG has totally lost faith in the future of China and he decides to smuggle into Hong Kong with SAM, hoping to emigrate to the states later. Though SO is worried about them, she does not oppose to their decision but asks them to take care of themselves. As FUNG and SAM are struggling his way to the border. It is only on their way that SAM tells FUNG that she is pregnant. At the Lo Wu border, they are discovered by the guards and they run separately for lives. Years passed and in 1990, SAM has become a ballerina and brought-up her child independently. One evening, SAM's son brings her to the restaurant, where there is a group of chefs from mainland China performing their skills. Among the chefs, SAM sees FUNG again. However, after years of separation, they seem to be living in two totally different worlds. Their son is eager to bring them together again but SAM: seems to have reservation about reuniting with FUNG.