Irony of romance
The romantic entanglements of the characters are full of dramatic ironies including the patriarch himself. The two youngest daughters make fun of their eldest sister's shortcomings when it comes to dating yet they too have them. Jia-Ning advises his friend about his unrequited romance which leads the boy to realize his feelings for her. Moreover, Mrs. Liang leads on Mr. Zhu with the hope of courting him but he ends up marrying her daughter Jin-Rong in a dramatic twist.
The irony of gender roles
The generational gap between the daughters and the father causes a clash in terms of gender roles. Even though Jia-Chen wanted to become a chef like her father, Mr. Zhu denied her the opportunity for it is considered a male role. She proves to be good at cooking even criticizing his father’s food when it falls short; regardless, the father hardly appreciates her expertise. Even at her place of work Jia-Chen is an exceptional employee surpassing her male counterparts contrary to their opinions.
Lunch Meals
The lunch meals that Shan-Shan takes to school are subpar compared to the meals that Mr. Zhu prepares. Therefore, she makes a deal with Zhu to exchange her lunches with the one prepared by him. Through this, her family is unaware that she barely eats their lunches since she exchanges them with Mr. Zhu. At school, the other kids find the meals interesting and delightful as opposed to the simple meals intended for children.
Mr. Zhu’s sense of taste
Mr. Zhu's taste buds are gradually failing him without his knowledge but those around him begin to notice. When he is confronted about the flavor, he lashes out denying that his cooking skill is deteriorating. Both at work and home, his cooking suffers but he remains oblivious of his failing sense of taste until later in the film. Furthermore, his health is declining, and frequently visits the hospital but he is not aware that Jia-Chen already knows about his illness.
