Movies like This Is Not What I Expected

If you like "This Is Not What I Expected" you are looking for light, inspirational and feel good movies about / with chef, happy ending, food, couple relations, love, justice and cooking themes of Comedy, Drama and Romance genre shot in China.
Find your next favorite and similar movies in two steps: 1. Identify all themes of interest from this film (block below). 2. Look for them in the presented list.
This Is Not What I Expected (2017)
 6.7
 2K
This Is Not What I Expected (2017)
Original name: 喜欢你
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: China
Duration: 106 min.
Story: Lu Jin is a handsome, wealthy hotel executive whose drive for perfection is matched only by his taste for fine cuisine. When he checks into the Rosebud, he's dissatisfied with everything he sees and is ready to take action... until flamboyant female sous chef Gu Shengnan creates the perfectionist what may be a perfect meal. Now, these bitter rivals find themselves brought together in the kitchen in this light-hearted romantic comedy, infused with fun and flavors to create a delicious dish that foodies around the world wouldn't dare to miss.
Style: light, inspirational, feel good, captivating, entertaining
Plot: chef, happy ending, food, couple relations, love, justice, cooking, love story, life philosophy, coworker relationship, art, asian, adaptation, hotel, restaurant, opposites attract, hotel owner, restaurant kitchen

Movie in categories

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Most similar movies to This Is Not What I Expected

The list contains related movies ordered by similarity. Recommendation engine sorted out light, feel good, entertaining and captivating films with plots about love and romance, love, couple relations, male female relationship, love story, food and cooking mostly in Comedy, Romance and Drama genres. Some movies like This Is Not What I Expected: Salt N' Pepper (2011), The Kitchen (2012), A Dash of Love (2017), Single Street (2019), Dating in the Kitchen (2020). The matching attributes are highlighted in bold.
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Salt N' Pepper (2011)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: India
Duration: 118 min.
Story: Kalidasan, a foodie, receives a phone call not intended for him. He finds that the person at the other end, Maya, is also fond of food and cooking. Soon they develop feelings for each other.
Style: romantic, funny, entertaining, light, captivating ...
Plot: chef, cooking and food, relationships, love and romance, love affair, couple relations, romantic relationship, boyfriend girlfriend relationship, male female relationship, love story, food, love ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
95%
 8.5
 6K
The Kitchen (2012)
Genre: Comedy
Country: Russia
Duration: 25 min.
TV show
Story: Maksim "Max" Lavrov wants to become a great chef. But he finds out that the kitchen isn't the place for an easy career. And in restaurant "Claude Monet" this job looks even harder and much more complicated than just ...
Style: feel good, entertaining, light, captivating, humorous ...
Audience: family outing
Plot: food, cooking, coworker relationship, restaurant, couple relations, job, chef, friendship, justice, happy ending, love, rivalry ...
Time: 21st century
⇓ similarity ⇓
85%
A Dash of Love (2017)
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 85 min.
Story: A young woman who dreams of opening her own restaurant lands a job at a prominent restaurant whose head chef becomes her unlikely ally when the restaurant's unscrupulous owner, a Master Chef herself, plots to return the place to its former ...
Style: light, sweet, feel good, humorous, funny ...
Audience: girls' night, chick flick
Plot: restaurant, cooking, chef, happy ending, love, food, intrigue, promise, rivalry, society, love and romance, male female relationship ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
83%
Single Street (2019)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: Netherlands
Duration: 90 min.
Story: Cardiac surgeon Monqiue has centered her life around her work. When extraverted gay artist Max moves in next door they develop a friendship which makes her realise there is more to life than work.
Style: sweet, light, romantic, entertaining, feel good
Audience: date night
Plot: career, life philosophy, lifestyle, love and romance, neighbor neighbor relationship, happy ending, fall in love, opposites attract, love story, first date, couple relations, male female relationship ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
83%
Movie in collections
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Dating in the Kitchen (2020)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: China
TV show
Story: Working as an assistant chef at the Zijing Hotel, Gu Sheng Nan was a woman well on her way to making her dreams come true. Well situated, in a job that she loved, she was free to express herself through her food, as she sharpened her skills as a ...
Style: psychological, disturbing, captivating, satirical, romantic ...
Plot: chef, cooking, couples, hotel, workplace, satire, love interest, culinary arts, employer employee relationship, businessman, cooking and food, male female relationship ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
81%
A Husband for Christmas (2016)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 87 min.
Story: Brooke and Roger, two graphic designers in a soon-to-be-merged company, help one another by agreeing to a loveless marriage of convenience, suggested by their new boss. In the process, Brooke gets to upstage the sister who just announced her ...
Style: romantic, feel good, entertaining, humorous, light
Audience: girls' night, date night
Plot: christmas, unlikely couple, couples, relationship vs career, opposites attract, fall in love, employer employee relationship, moral dilemma, workplace, wedding, love story, transformation ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
80%
I'm Glad It's Christmas (2022)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Family, Romance
Country: Canada, USA
Duration: 85 min.
Story: An aspiring Broadway singer is convinced to participate in a small-scale production for her local Christmas celebration. Along the way, she finds hope and unexpected mentorship towards her dream career. But will her professional success come at the ...
Style: entertaining, feel good, sincere, captivating, light
Plot: christmas, relationships, happy ending, male female relationship, love and romance, couples, love story, love, christmas movie
⇓ similarity ⇓
77%
 5.8
 1K
Off the Menu (2018)
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 96 min.
Story: An unlikely heir to a Mexican fast-food franchise goes 'cuisine' hunting for the next culinary big thing, and finds himself in a small, dusty New Mexican town where foodies come from all over to salivate over the culinary treats of a ...
Style: captivating, romantic, entertaining, semi serious
Plot: chef, cooking, male female relationship, family business, unlikely couple, romantic relationship, unlikely friendships, love story, couple relations, satire, love interest, fast food ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
76%
Movie in collections
 5.9
 234
Merry Ex-Mas (2022)
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Country: USA
Story: Two unwitting ex-high school sweethearts who, while stranded at a random hotel bar during a snowstorm, discover their first love memories may be more than that after revisiting their past and present lives.
Style: entertaining, funny, feel good, captivating, light ...
Plot: hotel, love and romance, couple relations, relationships, love story, christmas, storm, love, couples, male female relationship, snow
⇓ similarity ⇓
76%
Kiss through the Wall (2011)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: Russia
Duration: 87 min.
Story: Kesha, a young magician assistant, is desperately in love with a young journalist Alisa. He is ready to do everything possible to conquer her.
Style: feel good, light, entertaining, captivating, humorous
Audience: family outing
Plot: love and romance, couples, life turned upside down, fall in love, couple relations, youth, creativity, happy ending, lifestyle, transformation, life philosophy, adaptation
⇓ similarity ⇓
76%
Love and Love Not (2022)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 104 min.
Story: There are two places Nicky Leandro calls home each reinforcing a particular facet of his personality: the red-blooded New Yorker and the L.A. transplant. Up until now each have done a fine job of compartmentalizing themselves. That is until Lily, an ...
Style: feel good, romantic, light, entertaining, captivating ...
Plot: restaurant, relationships, male female relationship, love affair, boyfriend girlfriend relationship, womanizer, love, love and romance, couples, couple relations, woman
Place: california, los angeles
⇓ similarity ⇓
76%
No Reservations (2007)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 104 min.
Story: Master chef Kate Armstrong runs her life and her kitchen with intimidating intensity. However, a recipe for disaster may be in the works when she becomes the guardian of her young niece while crossing forks with the brash sous-chef who just joined ...
Style: feel good, romantic, sentimental, sweet, uplifting ...
Audience: chick flick, girls' night, date night
Plot: cooking, restaurant, chef, love, love story, cooking and food, opposites attract, fall in love, initially antagonists, guardian, love and romance, food ...
Time: year 2007, 21st century
Place: new york, italy, usa, manhattan new york city
⇓ similarity ⇓
75%
Love is Not Blind (2011)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: China
Duration: 110 min.
Story: Xiaoxian’s life is right on track. She has a steady job at an upscale wedding planning company, a cute apartment, and most importantly, a loving boyfriend of 7 years. Any day now, Xiaoxian is sure that he’ll pop the question. But everything ...
Style: realistic, feel good, humorous, light, captivating ...
Audience: girls' night, date night
Plot: best friend, couple relations, couples, lifestyle, love, betrayal, love story, friendship, young love, wedding planner, love and romance, friends ...
Time: 21st century
Place: china, east asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
75%
Change of Heart (2016)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 85 min.
Story: Diane McCarthy (Leah Pipes) is a reality television producer for her arrogant ex-boyfriend’s show highlighting travel destinations. While driving to her next assignment, Diane swerves off the road and gets stuck as a storm approaches. Nearby, she ...
Style: romantic, captivating, entertaining, light
Plot: male female relationship, romantic relationship, boyfriend girlfriend relationship, couple relations, in love, fall in love, love affair, love interest, love and romance, destiny, relationships, love story ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
73%
Kitchen in Paris (2014)
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Country: Russia
Duration: 106 min.
Story: The employees of the famous Russian "Claude Monet" restaurant are forced to move their business to Paris.
Style: humorous, entertaining, captivating, funny, feel good ...
Plot: restaurant, escapades, workplace, couples, friendship, coworker, co worker co worker relationship, chef, cooking, gastronomy, meal, waiter ...
Place: paris france
⇓ similarity ⇓
73%
Love's Complicated (2016)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 83 min.
Story: Leah thinks all is fine coasting along in a relationship with the ever-predictable Edward until he surprises her and enrolls her in a conflict-management class. In the class, Leah finds herself locking horns with a handsome, radio talk-show host who ...
Style: captivating, romantic, entertaining, light, cute
Audience: kids
Plot: boyfriend girlfriend relationship, male female relationship, couple relations, love and romance, routine, relationships, love affair, love story, coping, romantic relationship, happy ending, novelist ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
73%
 6.9
 3K
Master Cheng (2019)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: Finland, China
Duration: 114 min.
Story: Cheng, 45, a restaurant owner from China, has travelled with his young son halfway around the world to a remote village in Finland. His wife died recently in an accident, and Cheng wanted to have a break from everything by traveling with his son to ...
Style: captivating, psychological, disturbing
Plot: chef, chinese immigrant, food, father son relationship, widower, cooking, culture clash, single father, society, small village, family relations, village ...
Time: 2010s
Place: finland, china
⇓ similarity ⇓
73%
Love on the Menu (2019)
Genre: Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min.
Story: When chef Hank makes a deal with frozen food executive Maggie to save his restaurant, their unexpected attraction complicates matters, leaving Maggie conflicted: Does she choose her allegiance to her cut-throat boss or does she partner - both in ...
Style: romantic, captivating, light, entertaining
Plot: restaurant, cooking, love story, love and romance, relationship vs career, deal, chef, relationships, romantic relationship, male female relationship, love affair, couple relations ...
Place: seattle, new york
⇓ similarity ⇓
73%
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Love's Kitchen (2011)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: UK
Duration: 93 min.
Story: Rob Haley (Dougray Scott), an up-and-coming chef and restaurateur in London, is grief-stricken when he loses his wife. With encouragement from his infamous friend and real life TV Chef Gordon Ramsay, Rob decides to spice up his life by turning a ...
Style: semi serious, sentimental, touching, feel good, humorous ...
Audience: girls' night, date night
Plot: cooking, chef, cooking and food, restaurant, food, lifestyle, fall in love, starting over, love affair, english countryside, wine, gourmet ...
Time: 21st century
Place: england, europe
⇓ similarity ⇓
72%
 7.5
 1K
Pasta (2010)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: South Korea
TV show
Story: Pasta follows the dreams and successes of a young woman who aspires to become an elite chef at La Sfera Italian restaurant.
Style: captivating, humorous, light, suspenseful
Plot: food, unrequited love, restaurant, rivalry, cooking, love and romance, love, male female friendship, workplace situations, couple relations, friendship between men, friendship ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
72%
A Taste of Romance (2012)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Family, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min.
Story: Uptight French chef, Sara Westbrook, gets fired up when her upscale café, Chez Varenne, is suddenly overshadowed by a new restaurant moving in next door run by a group of rowdy firemen. Led by handsome former fire fighter Gill Callahan and his ...
Style: feel good, sweet, light, funny, emotional ...
Audience: family outing, date night, girls' night
Plot: firefighter, restaurant, chef, food, love, rivalry, lifestyle, love and romance, cooking, cooking and food, love affair, male female relationship ...
Time: 21st century
Place: usa
⇓ similarity ⇓
72%
Christmas in Rockwell (2022)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: Canada, USA
Duration: 83 min.
Story: A famous Hollywood actress returns to her hometown where she is enlisted to participate in a Christmas play which threatens her small peaceful village with the chaos of Hollywood.
Style: entertaining, light, captivating, feel good, witty ...
Plot: christmas, love affair, love, female protagonist, couples, male female relationship, relationships, love and romance, couple relations, boyfriend girlfriend relationship, christmas movie
⇓ similarity ⇓
72%
The Kitchen: World Chef Battle (2017)
Genre: Comedy
Country: Russia
Duration: 110 min.
Story: Victor Barinov at the personal request of the Russian President will go to Sochi at the world championship for professional chefs and to prove that he and his team are the best in the world! The hard struggle for the title of winner of Operations ...
Style: captivating, exciting, sincere, feel good, light ...
Audience: family outing
Plot: food, chef, competition, rivalry, friendship, couples, family relations, meal, restaurant, job, youth, coworker relationship ...
Place: russia
⇓ similarity ⇓
71%
Movie in collections
 5.6
 334
Ex-Files (2014)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: China
Duration: 108 min.
Story: Meng Yun, a former womanizer, meets and falls in love with Xia Lu and they become a couple. Their exes, however, have different ideas.
Style: funny, humorous, entertaining, light, feel good ...
Plot: male female relationship, ex boyfriend ex girlfriend relationship, ex lover, boyfriend girlfriend relationship, ex couple relations, relationship problems, romantic relationship, love affair, love interest, romantic triangle, in love, fall in love ...
Place: east asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
71%
Mostly Martha (2001)
Genre: Comedy, Romance, Drama
Country: Germany, Italy, Austria, Switzerland
Duration: 109 min.
Story: Martha is a single woman who lives for one passion: cooking. The head chef at a chic restaurant, Martha has no time for anything - or anyone - else. But Martha's solitary life is shaken when a fateful accident brings her sister's ...
Style: realistic, touching, sentimental, emotional, humorous ...
Audience: date night, girls' night
Plot: cooking, chef, restaurant, cooking and food, food, love and romance, italian food, wine, self discovery, family relations, opposites attract, fall in love ...
Time: year 2001, 21st century
Place: germany, italy
⇓ similarity ⇓
70%
In Your Dreams (2023)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: Turkey
Duration: 90 min.
Story: You know the feeling. It feels like time slows down as your eyes meet a stranger’s. Then you walk pass each other, neither of you looking back. That’s what happened with Pelin and Engin. Lo and behold, they open their eyes in the same bed. And ...
Style: light, sentimental, feel good, funny, captivating ...
Plot: love, female protagonist, couples, love affair, boyfriend girlfriend relationship, couple relations, love and romance, male female relationship, husband wife relationship, relationships, dream
⇓ similarity ⇓
70%
Love on the Slopes (2018)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA, Canada
Duration: 84 min.
Story: NYC-based copy editor, Alex, is sent to Ridgeline Resort, an extreme sports outpost, to write a story for a travel writing competition. At first, she fails at everything – much to the chagrin of Cole, an extreme sports enthusiast who thinks this ...
Style: romantic, light, feel good, captivating, sincere ...
Plot: rocky mountains, christmas, journey, magazine editor, festival, love and romance, nature, fear, love, love affair, journalism, journal ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
70%
 6.2
 2K
Love Steaks (2013)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: Germany
Duration: 89 min.
Story: A luxury hotel. Steaks frizzle, muffintops getting massaged. Clemens (rare) joins the wellness area as a rookie. Lara (well-done) needs to assert herself in the kitchen pack. The elevator brings the two of them together. They encounter each ...
Style: humorous, entertaining, light, feel good, existential ...
Audience: adult
Plot: drunken woman, love, workplace romance, boyfriend girlfriend relationship, sexual harassment, fired from the job, shy man, coworker, drunkenness, employer employee relationship, shyness, new job ...
Place: germany
⇓ similarity ⇓
70%
The Secret Ingredient (2020)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 82 min.
Story: Small-town baker, Kelly, gets a big surprise when she is invited to compete on a Valentine's Day baking show in New York City - and an even bigger surprise when she runs into her ex-fiance.
Style: light, feel good, humorous, captivating, culinary ...
Plot: happy ending, christmas, contests and competitions, escapades, love and romance, rivalry, ex boyfriend ex girlfriend relationship, boyfriend girlfriend relationship, cooking, ex fiance, marriage proposal, chance meeting ...
Place: new york
⇓ similarity ⇓
70%
The Five-Year Engagement (2012)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA, Japan
Duration: 124 min.
Story: Exactly one year after Tom meets Violet, he surprises her with a wedding ring. By all accounts, Tom and Violet are destined for their happily ever after. However, this engaged couple just keep getting tripped up on the long walk down the aisle.
Style: romantic, funny, humorous, light, clever ...
Audience: chick flick, girls' night, date night
Plot: wedding, couples, engagement, love story, love, relationship vs career, wedding ceremony, relationships, love and romance, workplace, couple relations, wedding preparations and rituals ...
Time: year 2012, 21st century
Place: san francisco, michigan, california, usa, detroit
⇓ similarity ⇓
70%
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