Original subtitles

[theme music]

[squeaking]

We eat what we must tokeep the frail body going.

Protein.

Carbohydrate.

Enough calcium to fuel our thought, our motion.

It's about need.

And then, there's desire.

No one needs foie gras.

A slab of texturized soyprotein would do as well.

Some would say would do better.

And every once in a rare while, someone

kills for what he needs.

But every day, someone killsfor what he or she desires.

Bon appetit.

I'd like to speak to the chef.

OK.

CRAIG [VOICEOVER]: Uncle Leetold me to be a master chef you

must treat all dishes with respect,

do justice to every meal you cook.

For every time something iseaten, something must die.

Jon Pierre, I want these lobsters still

dancing before they're served.- Cool.

STAFF: Got it, Matt.

TINA: Craig, the couple at table eight,

they want to make a substitution.

Substitution?

BOTH: We don't do substitutions.

Not in this restaurant.

This guy's pretty insistent.

He even brought his own ingredients.

What?

[applause]

I'm Craig Yun.

I heard you wantedsomething cooked to order.

I'm sorry. Mister?

Hugo Lawery.

Miss Antippa and I would like it very

much if you would prepare something

special for us this evening.

Of course.

No. No.

What we want is not on the menu.

Blowfish.

You must have a lot of trust in my abilities.

You're aware that if--

If improperly prepared,the meal could prove fatal.

Yes.

I've never seen blowfishoutside the Orient before.

As far as I know, they're illegal here.

Hugo and I have searched a long time

for a chef of your skill.

I believe you can do it justice.

I'll have some appetizersbrought out to you

while I prepare the fish.

No.

No appetizers.

But there is one other thing.

Yes.

We'd very much like to watch you work.

[chopping]

[slicing]

[flame blazing]

What I do here.

It's about arousal.

Desire.

Exploring the boundaries of our sensuality.

Yes.

Of course, Mr. Yun.

Don't the words carnal and carnivorous

come from the same root.

I suppose they do.

And after a particularlysatisfying sexual experience,

don't you feel both satiated and exhausted?

I would have said that ifthey're both exceptional,

afterwards they should leave you wanting more.

Bravo.

OK.

I've changed my mind.

I prefer takeout.

What's that all about?

I have no idea.

Strange couple.

I hadn't noticed.

That's not like you.

What's this?

The guy handed it to me on the way out.

My god, "The Secret Shih Tan."

What?

You all right?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[speaking chinese]

Do you know what this is?

Of course, I do.

It's "The Secret Shih Tan."

But I've only heard of it in whispers.

I thought it was just a myth.

I never knew it really existed.

Now, I may a chance to see it.

Cook from it.

What do you think?

What do I think?

I think you're not ready for the "Shih Tan."

What?

Who better than me?

After I took over your restaurant

it's become the hippest place in town.

I'm the best.

You are too young.

When will I be ready?

When I'm as old as you, andI have no one to cook for?

I'm sorry, Uncle.

These are supposedly the mostexquisite and profound recipes

conceived by man.

When I was a boy in Chunlong province,

I worked in the kitchen of Master Yan

Mei, one of the greatest chefs in all of China.

Like you, he could cook anything that walked,

flew, or swam through the sea.

Like you, cooking for him was not really

a profession but an obsession.

One day, Master Yan cameinto possession of a book

it's said no chef whoselife is food could ignore.

This was "The Secret Shih Tan."

More tea?

CRAIG: No, Uncle.

Master Yan was said to have cooked

all he wants from this book.

For two days he laid onthe floor of a dark room,

mumbling he had tasted God andthat he wanted nothing more

to touch his lips until the meal had

passed completely through him.

From that moment on, Yan waspossessed by "The Shih Tan."

Eventually, he went insaneand had to be locked

away the rest of his life.

Tasted God.

[WHISPERING] I'd sell my soul.

What did you say?

I'd sell my soul for a look at that book.

That is exactly why you must not

go down this road any further.

[flame blazing]

OK. Go.

Go. Go.

What are you doing?

Cutting.

When I say Julienne, they must Julienne.

Not chopped.

Not hacked.

Not sliced to bits.

Julienne.

Look.

That's me for tonight.

What are you talking about?

We have a room full of customers.

You've seen me do it enough times.

You do it yourself.

I've cooked these dishes a thousand times.

I could do it in my sleep.

I'm going home.

[horn honks]

Just what is it you want from me?

I would have thought that was obvious.

We want you to do what you do best, Mr. Yun.

Egzan was just explaining to me

the meaning behind the nameof your restaurant, The Burned

Tail.

She said it has somethingto do with the carp.

They swim up the Huanghe River to spawn.

Apparently, there's a turbulentplace in the river, where

the fish are unable tonavigate until one brave soul

learned to leap.

And so impressed were the gods with this fish

as it flew through this shimmering arc of spray,

they burned his tail gold.

That's pretty close.

LAWERY: So in China when yousay someone has a burnt tail,

you're talking about a personof exceptional courage,

someone who forges ahead whereno one else would dare to go,

someone with a glitteringfuture so to speak.

Are you that someone, Mr. Yun?

Well, when you are ready toread "The Secret Shih Tan,"

we'll talk.

[doorbell ringing]

Come in.

He's waiting for you.

"The Secret Shih Tan."

I think it's fair to saythe last copy in existence.

The single most important writings ever

compiled on the culinary arts.

This book has the power to change lives.

Are you ready for your life to change, Mr. Yun?

Yes.

Excellent.

[chuckle] Patience.

Patience, Mr. Yun.

Surely I-- I shouldn't have totell you to savor the moment.

First, we must come to an agreement.

Do I have to sell my soul?

[laugh] No.

No.

No.

Nothing as dramatic as that.

Then, what?

Then what?

I want you to cook for me.

The proposition is this.

You get to read the book.

And you read it all the way through.

Take all the time you need.

Then, you simply choose a recipe,

and you cook it for me and afew very discriminating guests.

Do we have a bargain?

Take your time.

I'm sure, like me, you hate it when

people read over your shoulder.

Well, I leave it with you then.

[shouting]

A young woman is to be carefully eviscerated.

Every organ prepared in a different manner.

Then returned to the body whichhas been braised or roasted,

depending on the chef's--the chef's predilection.

And the original shape restored as close

to perfection as possible.

In order to ensure the humbleness-- the outcome

of the meal, it is imperativethe main ingredient

be made up to the eveningbefore the banquet.

Thus endowing the object ofthe meal with spiritual unity

and tenderness.

[panting]

Where are you going?

You're insane to think I'm going to cook

anything from that book.

I'm leaving.

Was the technique too difficult?

Technique?

If it's a question of ingredients--

You're talking aboutkilling people for a meal.

Some things are so pure in their purpose

they are above morality.

We struck a deal.

I mean to see that you honor it.

I want to taste God, Mr. Yun.

I have nothing to offer you.

You think it's that simple to run out on me?

Huh?

I kept my part of the bargain.

Now, it's your turn.

Find yourself another chef.

If it were up to me, I would.

But Zan has specificallyrequested that you be the one

to fulfill this delicate task.

Goodbye, Mr. Lawery.

A real chef couldn't walkaway from "The Shih Tan."

Perhaps, you're not the culinarygenius you pretend to be, hm?

Perhaps, your restaurant is overrated.

Perhaps, people should be warned away

with rumors of tainted food.

Is that a threat?

Think you can tell thedifference between calf's liver

and human liver?

What do you mean?

How about the leg of a lampand that of a small child?

One piece of meat ispretty much like another.

Wouldn't you say?

I'd be willing to bet thatthe patrons of your restaurant

can't tell either.

Whoa.

What are you getting at?

I've taken certain precautionsto ensure that you keep up

your end of the bargain by sending over certain,

shall we say, provisions toyour place of work this morning.

They should be well into lunch by now.

You wouldn't.

All it takes is one phone call.

What do you think the police would do?

Do you think after a scandal like

that they'd even allow you to prepare

food in a prison kitchen?

Hm?

You fucker.

I want to taste God, Mr. Yun!

Fuck you!

[chatter]

[applause]

Hello, Craig.

Thanks for coming in.

Of course, without Lee we'dhave had to close the doors.

- Hello, Craig. - Whoa.

Whoa. Whoa.

What the hell is this?

- [inaudible]. - No.

No. No.

Liver.

Liver.Where'd you get the liver?

The liver from the market this morning.

No. No.

I didn't go to the market.

I didn't have this delivered.Look.

This meat is bad.

It's tainted. - Nonsense.

I had the first dish of it.

And I'm fine.

- How many covers went out?- 20.

25.

It was chalked up as the special of the day.

Tasted great.

[plate breaks]

Either you get out of here rightnow and cool down, or I quit.

He's taking him.

I'll-- I'll-- I'll take him home right now.

You'll see.He'll be better tomorrow.

You'll see.

Craig.

You've seen "The Shih Tan."

You can never return to the way you were.

You can never unknow what you now know.

Today, you are different.

Why didn't you tell me?

Warn me, huh?

I tried.

Look.

Now, that I've read it, everything I've cooked,

everything anyone else hasever cooked seems ordinary.

It tortures me for feeling this way.

Once you opened thatbook, the decision was made.

It's no longer a question of whether you will cook

from "The Shih Tan," but what you will cook

and how you will do it justice.

[doorbell ringing]

Mr. Yun has come to see us.

I trust you've change your mind.

Everything has changed.

I have to do it.

Excellent.

And what dish do you wish to prepare?

The whole woman banquet.

A banquet I knew a chef of your ability

could choose nothing less.

There's just the matter of the main ingredient.

You mean Egzan.

You don't look surprised.

I suspected as much.

You're all right with that?

You're not going to back out?

No.

I made my decision.

Then, Egzan's ready.

Now, as you know, she must be harvested

at the peak of sexual ecstasy,the evening before the banquet.

Agreed.

If it helps your conscience, when

Egzan was just a little child, I took

her off the streets of Bangkok.

Set up a trust fund for herfamily with the condition

that her life was mine to do with as I wished.

She lives only to serve me,and she is resigned to the fact

that one day I shall ingest her.

There's a lot of things to arrange.

If you don't mind, I'dlike to start right away.

I'm sorry.

I'll put them away.

It's OK.

They don't scare me anymore.

I spent years preparing for this moment.

I'm glad it's going to be you.

Is he watching?

He's always watching.

Does that disturb you?

No.

I know Hugo is a man whobelieves in perfection.

He has kept his word to me.

And I must keep my word to him.

BOTH: [moaning]

[moan]

[grunting]

[retching]

[water boiling]

[flame blazing]

[sizzling]

[chatter]

[applause]

I would like to welcome you on behalf

of your host, Mr. Hugo Lawery.

Who one day dreamed that the recipes

of "The Secret Shih Tan"would bring him closer to God.

Today, that dream has become reality.

Hugo. Where is Hugo?

Oh.

He's here.

He's very much here.

[gasping]

[applause]

CRAIG [VOICEOVER]: In the the end,

"The Secret Shih Tan" was morethan just the ultimate book

of culinary back arts.

It taught me about life anddeath, ambition, and vanity

too.

But most of all, I learned about justice.

And the way Hugo met his end, that was justice.

Uncle Lee was right.

Every time something iseaten, something must die.

But something is also nourished.

And sometimes, out of that death comes life.

[squeaking]

Mm.

[theme music]

THEME SONG: Love.

Obsession.

Power.

And possession.

Hunger.