Recipes to Live By


Recipes to Live By is a 2017 Hong Kong television costume historical period comedy drama produced by Chong Wai-kin for TVB, starring Tony Hung and Sisley Choi as the main leads, with Hugo Wong, Rebecca Zhu, Stephanie Ho, Ram Chiang, Joseph Lee, Mary Hon, Maria Cordero, Toby Leung and William Chak as the main cast. It premiered on Hong Kong's TVB Jade and Malaysia's Astro On Demand on January 2, 2017 airing Monday through Friday during its 8:30 to 9:30 pm timeslot and concluding February 3, 2017 with a total of 25 episodes.
Recipes to Live By is set in ancient China with a food theme plot. The drama centers on god of cookery with Tony Hung playing Ding Yat-san, a poor village boy who is a foodie. However his true lineage is much more complicated than he knows.

Synopsis

Village boy Ding Yat-san was born with a golden tongue, which makes him able to distinguish bad and good tasting foods with one bite. Yat-san is also gifted at cooking but his father Ding Yat forbids him from cooking as every time he cooks a dish something bad happens to his father. Wanting to show off his skills Yat-san runs away to the city of Yeungchou to enter a cooking contest against famous chef Koi Siu-tin,. While lining up to enter the city Yat-san, meets and offends local bandit Sek Yau, when he cuts her in line. Sek Yau, who is dressed as a male to disguise herself is a small time bandit and drug dealer. Trying to hide incriminating evidence against her when imperial guards search her, Yau's drugs are accidentally eaten by Yat-san's pet pig. While trying to retrieve his pet pig from Yau, Yat-san gets entangled in Yau's mess and soon Yau gets entangled in Yat-san's mess. With only Yau to help him, Yat-san has Yau enter the cooking contest while he assist her. Yau and Yat-san's contest dish gets them noticed as it is comparable to the former God of Cookery and soon Sui-tin's father wants to know what is the connection between Yat-san and the former disgraced God of Cookery who was found guilty of treason when he was framed for food poisoning imperial officials.

Cast

Ding family

Sek family

Koi family

  • Henry Lo as Koi Bak-chun
  • Hugo Wong as '''Koi Siu-tin'''

The Fifth family

  • Rosanne Lui as The Fifth Lin
  • Rebecca Zhu as The Fifth Yuen
  • Helen Ng as Man Chun-fai
  • Samantha Chuk as '''Lo Lai-giu'''

Dung family & household

Extended cast

  • Toby Leung as Ah Chau, a mole sent by Dung Hon-yik for a secret mission. Her face is disfigured due to a large birthmark.
  • Maria Cordero as Ho Tai-lei, a Persian princess that have stayed in Yeungchow for love reasons within decades.
  • Sam Tsang as Tong Hin-yan, Ding Yat-san's biological father who died 20 years ago. He was called the God of Kitchen and was framed for food poisoning and imperial government official.
  • Leo Lee as Chuk But-fan
  • KK Cheung as Ko Tian-li
  • Steve Lee as Yim Lo-wong
  • Savio Tsang as Governor
  • Lily Leung as Senior Lady Cai Ng
  • Anderson Junior as Lee Bun
  • Chan Wing-chun as '''Siu Hai-chung'''

Development and production

  • The costume fitting ceremony was held on September 21, 2015 12:30 pm at Tseung Kwan O TVB City Studio One Common Room.
  • The blessing ceremony was held on October 21, 2015 3:00 pm at Tseung Kwan O TVB City Studio Twelve.
  • Filming took place from September 2015 till February 2016, entirely on location in Hong Kong. Majority of filming took place at TVB studios for interior scenes and the newly built TVB Ancient City back lot for exterior setting.