First, I'm no expert on Chinese dramas, especially historical ones, because they normally aren't my cup of tea. They tend to be too angsty, too overdone, too dubbed, too costume-y, too long, too slow, etc.

I happened upon this one accidentally after watching something else on Disney+. What a pleasant surprise! This show was very light, funny, and enjoyable to watch. And when I say funny, there were numerous laugh out loud moments for me. Add to that the fact that it was only 16 episodes, I'll give the editor kudos for keeping the editing tight and managing to leave out most of the filler.

There was so much to like about this show, I'll name just a few of my favorite things.
-Wang Xing Yue as the Prince - this actor is only 22! I think he will probably go far in the business. I loved the character he played. He was cold and reserved, as befit his station in life, yet meeting Xiao Xiao turned him a besotted, sometimes clueless, man. I loved how his eunuch was so supportive, giving him a "thumbs up" when he did something right. There were times that he behaved in an immature way, but that really endeared him to me. He was in uncharted waters, but was forging ahead in his feelings for her. His broken heart was heartbreaking to watch. The way he looked at Xiao Xiao, he didn't care who knew he was in love.
-He Rui Xianao as Xiao Xiao - though I didn't always love her character, I thought she did a fine job with her part. There was a stillness about her, a quiet determination in her actions. She had a goal and wasn't going to let anything get in her way. However, I did find it interesting that when she was upset her food tasted bad, but she didn't notice? Did she not taste her own food?
-The Queen - random, I know, since her part was relatively small. However, I LOVED how supportive she was of the Prince. So many historical dramas have the evil queen character, and it was refreshing not to have it here.
-Side characters - especially the kitchen staff. They started out with tension but grew to trust and care about one another.
-The food - this was a plus and a minus for me. Food porn is an apt description for the abundance of food cooking, food presentation, and food eating. The eating part is where I had a problem. Were they going for ASMR? The loud sounds of them slurping, chewing, swallowing, with the extreme close-ups of their mouths, was disgusting.

Ending/alternate ending - this confused me. I had been reading that episode 16 was an alternate ending, but it was almost a carbon copy of episode 15. There are basically two endings in episode 15. SPOILER: In one ending she leaves the palace - watching the Prince's heartbreak was so sad! He "pretends" to die so he can go and be with her? I had a couple of problems with this. I love a love story, and the fact that she could walk away without a backward glance made me think that she couldn't have loved him that much. Also, she can't have gone too far from the palace because she heard about his "death". Did he not go and look for her? Also, in that day and age, would she, as a woman, be able to open her own restaurant? Where did she get the money for it? THEN, she's wasting away when she thinks that he has died. Seemed a bit much since she had no problem leaving him. THEN, when he shows up and stays with her, I didn't like how their relationship was presented - she was always nagging him to do some work, and he was just lazy. Their personalities had changed so much. The other ending was unsatisfying as well - if they married and stayed in the Palace, I would have liked to have seen how she adjusted. We are just shown a brief snippet of them when they are old. END SPOILER.

So, I'd have to say that the ending/s were the weak link for me. Thankfully, the rest of the show made up for it. This is an easy, funny, fluffy, low angst watch when you need a break from heavier shows.