I rather like the alternative title of this PTS drama: A PATISSERIE WITH NO NAME, rather than the literal LOVE & PASTRY.

 

 

So obviously, it’s going to be about food, in particular, pastries. I’ve been craving for sweets myself (after missing all the delicious desserts when I was back home recently because I was always full and now when they’re no longer within my reach, I want to eat them, how cruel is that) and turning to a drama to satisfy my craving does not only entertain me but saves me from the calories as well.

 

 

There’s really nothing special with the plot: A pastry chef (Tian Tian) who makes only three pastries a day in a cafe that’s almost always empty. A backpacker (Allen) stumbles in then there is the mysterious ex-boyfriend (Yu Wen) who comes back. Plus a little boy who may be Tian Tian’s son, a goofy shop assistant (Ah Lou) and an older sister (Tian Xin) who is always unlucky in love.

I’ve only watched the first episode titled “The Chocolate Banana Cake”. Apparently, each episode will feature a pastry/dessert and a story related to it. In episode 1, it’s about Tian Tian’s older sister who has some kind of a jinx when it comes to love and gorges with chocolate banana every time she is dumped or depressed.

The drama–or at least the first episode– spends a lot of its time telling the stories of the people in it rather than showcasing the pastries that I was really looking forward to see. But then this is a drama so if I was looking for food porn, then I might as well watch the Food Network (except that I don’t have cable… you mean, in this day and age of YouTube, streaming and the Internet, people still pay for cable?).

But still, you have gems like this even for a few seconds in each episode.

 

 

Anyway, the cast is not really famous which gives it a refreshing feeling. I mean, yeah Sandrine Pinna is not exactly unknown; in fact, she has won best actress at the Golden Horse last year for A TOUCH OF LIGHT and she was in that “controversial” Rainie Yang micro-movie also last year where they played lovers. She also has another best actress award from the Taipei Film Festival for YANG YANG (2009). In short, she’s got more acting cred than the regular-issue idols of Taiwan.

 

 

Perhaps the one who will look familiar to Taiwan drama fans is Xiu Jie Kai, who plays the ex-boyfriend, because he was in that Zai Zai and Mark Chao action drama BLACK & WHITE. This dude always looks so intense whatever role he takes on, seriously.

 

 

Completing the love triangle is Liu Yi Hao, who I can’t remember in IN TIME WITH YOU and has another ongoing drama on FTV that looks interesting, WO AI NI AI NI AI WO, about a girl and a boy who grew up as siblings though they have different biological parents then start to fall in love with each other (sounds like typical fan fiction).

 

 

Stephanie Chang is also in the cast as the wacky Ah Lou. She was a scene stealer in OFFICE GIRLS.

 

 

The Tian Tian role may have been tailor-made for Sandrine, who is half-French. Here, she supposedly went to France to study and from stills of the drama I’ve seen, seems they will be showing scenes in Paris?

 

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Thing is, this 14-episode drama started airing in May and ended last month but only the first episode has been subbed (and I’ve seen lots of impatient people waiting for the subs, with some of them bordering on the rude; I mean, the gall of these people really when these subbers do it for free and out of goodwill). That said, I do hope that the 13 other episodes will eventually be subbed because it really does look like a heartwarming drama with less of the shouting and not so much of the overly convoluted, unbelievable plots.

And since this is a Taiwan drama, the opening theme is sung by a pop star, in this case, Hebe of S.H.E

 

 

… and the closing theme is by Olivia Ong (I like the closing song better).

 

 

Plus, there are guest appearances from Janel Tsai (one of my fave Taiwanese actresses) Hannah Quinlivan and Lara. Wait a minute, is Jay Chou an investor in this drama? LOL.

 

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Care for dessert?

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Photos were taken from the drama’s Facebook page and I’m not sure if these were actually the desserts they featured in the drama.

All that sweets would be perfect with any tea.

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