I had put off watching this drama for quite some time due to the low-ish rating and because I was scared I would compare the drama to the other drama starring the same leads - Story of Yanxi Palace. After finishing the entire drama, it does not fare far behind Yanxi Palace, but it is definitely not to be compared.

If you are watching this drama for a quick and easy romance, I don't think this is the right drama for you. Romance is secondary to the point the drama is trying to show. It follows the main FL's story as she enters the palace as a mere food maid. The characters throughout the drama, were well developed (although play into some cliches of palace drama and fighting) and even the so called "villains" cannot be considered entirely bad. It's rare for all the characters to all be relatable to a certain extent.

However, romance is definitely present, in the details, and hidden in the strong understanding between the two leads. I would say, it's definitely a slow burn.

I tend to start skipping parts of dramas, especially when they begin to drag out scenes and have unnecessary plot lines, this drama has definitely been a hard to skip drama. And while I understand why some might have a low rating for this drama - when considering the cast and previous dramas, it was indeed well down and worth a watch.

There's more to this drama than just the cast, you may even learn a lesson for yourself, hidden in the lessons of cooking.