Set during the Ming Dynasty, the story follows the journey of a palace maid who joins the bureau in charge of preparing meals for the imperial family. In pursuit of mastering Chinese cuisine, she meets friends and falls in love with the young prince Zhu Zhanji.

The vast empire of the Ming Dynasty enjoys a time of peace and prosperity to attract countless envoys from different kingdoms. In order to entertain them properly, the Yongle Emperor issues a decree for any woman with cooking skill to enter the palace and join the recruitment for royal cooks. After many rounds, Yao Zijin (Wu Jinyan) is selected to become part of the food bureau.

Yao Zijin meets the acquaintance of Luo Xingqiao who was born a beggar and Su Yuehua who is a genius chef. Their presence ignites Yao Zijun's interest in cooking as the three pour their heart and soul towards making innovative dishes and ingeniously integrating Chinese medicine into scrumptious delicacies. Through her own efforts, Yao Zijun gradually moves up the ranks all while her love story with Zhu Zanji (Xu Kai) begins.