Oooh things appear to be getting spicier as Gu Sheng Nan encounters a fierce rival in Dating in the Kitchen episode 8!
Dating In the Kitchen Episode 8 Recap Highlights:
- Gu Sheng Nan gets her job back
- There is a new general manager at the hotel
- Gu Sheng Nan makes Lu Jin witch’s brew
- Gu Sheng Nan gets lectured by Li Man
Lu Jin’s bad mood
Lu Jin furiously walks out of Gu Sheng Nan’s neighborhood. He tries to get Meng Xin Jie to pick him up, but Meng Xin Jie is still in Zhuozhuo.
Meanwhile, Li Man asks Meng Xin Jie why Lu Jin went back to Suhai hastily. Which puts Meng Xin Jie in an awkward position.
Li Man tells Meng Xin Jie to return to Suhai right away.
The next setting is Lu Jin’s house called Matsuhashi #1. The backyard faces a water way. It is quite peaceful.
It is here that Meng Xin Jie and Lu Jin meet back up.
Lu Jin admits to Meng Xin Jie that though his house is beautiful, he can’t feel its beauty.
Lu Jin tells Meng Xin Jie to wrap things up at the hotel. After business at the hotel is finished, they will leave.

Back at Bauhinia
Gu Sheng Nan answers the door at her apartment. It’s Manager Shen.
Manager Shen offers Gu Sheng Nan her job back at Bauhinia hotel. He is willing to pay her quite a bit.
Gu Sheng Nan walks back into the kitchen at Bauhinia hotel with a lot of swagger. She immediately grabs the paper for the next order.
The next order is from room 1123, Lu Jin’s room. Gu Sheng Nan happily goes off to cook.
The other cooks complain about Gu Sheng Nan. They find it strange that she has such good connections.
Gu Sheng Nan brings the meal to room 1123. She fixes her hair before she knocks on the door.
The man who opens the door is not Lu Jin. Gu Sheng Nan is disappointed, but still polite to the customer.
He is still leaving
Lu Jin walks past Meng Xin Jie on the phone with Li Man. Meng Xin Jie almost gets caught tattling on Lu Jin.
Lu Jin tells Meng Xin Jie to book a ticket for Switzerland the next day.
The new boss is coming
When Gu SHengnan returns to the kitchen everyone is furiously cleaning. They will are trying to make everything spic and span for the new boss.
When the new manager comes in, we discover that it is Cheng Ziqian, Gu Sheng Nan’s childhood friend.
Gu Sheng Nan pulls Cheng Ziqian aside to talk with him.
She thanks him for giving her the job back. Cheng Ziqian says he didn’t do it, but Gu Sheng Nan takes his response as modesty.
Gu Sheng Nan asks Chen Ziqian if President Lu will be coming back to the hotel. Chen Ziqian doesn’t think he will.
Cheng Ziqian smiles at Gu Sheng Nan as she walks away.

Do you like him or not?
Xu Zhaodi and Gu Sheng Nan are hanging out together. Gu Sheng Nan is sad about Lu Jin leaving.
Gu Sheng Nan knows now that Lu Jin traveled 10 hours in a taxi to see her. She feels badly for scolding him.
Then Gu Sheng Nan admits to liking Lu Jin.
Xu Zhaodi comes up with a plan for Gu Sheng Nan to confess to Lu Jin.
Gu Sheng Nan begins making a meal for Lu Jin that will be her confession– witches brew.
After the witch’s brew has simmered for the night Gu Sheng Nan rushes out the door to stop Lu Jin from leaving.
As Lu Jin is heading to the airport, he asks the driver to make a detour by Gu Sheng Nan’s neighborhood.
With rush hour things get kinda stressful for Gu Sheng Nan who is trying to catch up with Lu Jin. When she gets to the station, it seems like Lu Jin’s train has already loaded.
As she stands at the train station, someone in a hurry knocks into her. The witch’s brew she made hits the floor and spills.
Gu Sheng Nan kneels down to pick up her mess. Lu Jin appears in front of her. He picks up Gu Sheng Nan’s thermos.

Lu Jin tells Gu Sheng Nan that he missed his train and Gu Sheng Nan lets out a relieved laugh. She has a tear running down her cheek.
Lu Jin smells the thermos and asks Gu Sheng Nan if it had witch’s brew in it.
When Gu Sheng Nan indicates that it did, there is a sweet understanding between the two of them.
Confusion
The next day, Lu Jin is at his house and is surprised to see Li Man there. She returned from Zhouzhou to check how things were going with the new manager.
She has been cooking and offers her dish to Lu Jin. It is witch’s brew.
Lu Jin says, “Isn’t this a little inappropriate for me?”
Gu Sheng Nan cheerily walks into the kitchen, apparently Meng Xin Jie let her in. She is holding a cake box.
Outside of Lu Jin’s house, Xu Zhaodi, Gao Quan An, Meng Xin Jie are all waiting to find out if Lu Jin and Gu Sheng Nan will officially be together.
Lu Jin introduces Gu Sheng Nan to Li Man. He says she is a cook from the hotel. Li Man assumes the cake Gu Sheng Nan brought was sent from the hotel to wish Lu Jin good wishes.
Gu Sheng Nan notices the witch’s brew sitting on the table.

Li Man gives Gu Sheng Nan an envelope of money for the cake.
Li Man keeps Lu Jin from talking to Gu Sheng Nan alone by telling Lu Jin he has to call his mom right away.
In the next scene Gu Sheng Nan, Xu Zhaodi, Gao Quan An, Meng Xin Jie are gathered around a table at Gao Quan An’s shop. Gu Sheng Nan is crying.
The friends learn about what happened in the kitchen at Lu Jin’s house. Meng Xin Jie explains that Li Man is the deputy director and the favorite employee of Lu Jin’s mom.
Though the friends are there to support Gu Sheng Nan, they don’t understand how hurt she is.
Beef Wellington
That night Li Man cooks for Lu Jin again.
Lu Jin takes a bite of the Beef Wellington, asks Li Man if she has changed the recipe, and decides he isn’t really that hungry.
Li Man offers to cut the cake from the hotel instead.
The cake has a whimsical feel and features a toy turtle on top.
(Lu Jin gave Gu Sheng Nan a turtle. The turtle has a small aquarium at Gu Sheng Nan’s house. The turtle is named after Lu Jin. It is called “Fussy Lu.”)
Li Man comments that Gu Sheng Nan is very unique.
Lu Jin interjects very quickly, almost cutting Li Man off. He wants to know how Li Man knows Gu Sheng Nan.
Li Man reminds Lu Jin that she met her that morning.
Lu Jin begins taking bites of the cake and is thoroughly amused with the decorations.
Gu Sheng Nan looks up Li Man on the internet and is completely jealous and sad.
Hotel inspection
Lu Jin and Li Man go to the hotel the next day to inspect it. They are trying to figure out ways to make the hotel better.
Gu Sheng Nan does not hide her sad feelings.

Li Man asks Gu Sheng Nan to cook a meal for her and Lu Jin.
Lu Jin enjoys the food Gu Sheng Nan made. It is beef wellington. Li Man only takes one bite.
Gu Sheng Nan is brought out to Lu Jin and Li Man’s table to discuss the meal.
Li Man asks Gu Sheng Nan why she used a shiitake instead of a russet mushroom. A russet mushroom is what is normally used in beef wellington.
Then Li Man tells Gu Sheng Nan that, though her beef wellington has a special taste, Gu Sheng Nan needs to stick to the international standard of how beef wellington is made.
Beef wellington was made with ingredients which by definition match. Li Man takes the time to explain that there are certain foods that match and ones that don’t.
This seems to be an indirect attack on the relationship between Lu Jin and Gu Sheng Nan.
Lu Jin tells Li Man to stop, but Li Man keeps going.
Li Man explains to Gu Sheng Nan about the expectations of cooking at a high class hotel. Li Man even questions Gu Sheng Nan’s education.
Through this, Gu Sheng Nan remains composed. She is beginning to explain herself when the episode ends.

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Comments
I feel like things might get heated between Gu Sheng Nan and Li Man. Gu Sheng Nan has a fighter’s spirit, I don’t think she will let Li Man get away with treating her badly.
I wonder how the tension between Li Man and Gu Sheng Nan will affect Gu Sheng Nan’s relationship with Lu Jin.
Will Lu Jin flake on Gu Sheng Nan again? Or will Gu Sheng Nan be able to put up with the negative comments of people close to Lu Jin?
Let me know what you think!