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Once Upon a Time in the Middle East (Mandarin, Eng Sub)

140 min | 11 Sept 2026

Xu Fu worked as head chef of a Chinese restaurant in Middle East, running the Dragon Restaurant with manager Ma Junsheng.

Xu Fu (Shen Teng), a chef from Northeast China, heads to the Middle East to work at a Chinese restaurant. Carrying out his work, he hopes to support his family and pay off his debts. He serves up classic Chinese dishes: the Dragon‑Raising‑Its‑Head feast, candied sweet potatoes and Kung Pao chicken. He partners with restaurant manager Ma Junsheng (Jiang Qiming): Xu Fu handles the cooking, while Ma Junsheng takes care of guests. Together, they turn the lit-tle‑known Dragon Restaurant into a thriving spot. War soon breaks out, and local conditions quickly turn dangerous. Different armed groups clash across the region. What will happen to Xu Fu? Can Dragon Restaurant survive amid the chaos of war?

Director
Muye Wen
Cast
Shen Teng, Aarif Lee, Qiming Jiang
Genre
Drama, War
Release Date
11 September 2026
Runtime
140 min