ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE MIDDLE EAST

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Xu Fu (Shen Teng), a chef from Northeast China, heads to the Middle East to work at a Chinese restaurant. Carrying his wok, 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 little‐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?

• DirectorWen Mu Ye
• StarringShen Teng, Jiang Qiming, Omar Sherif, Aarif Lee, Sherif Sobhy
• LanguageMandarin
• SubtitleEnglish / Malay / Chinese
• Release dateFri 11 Sep 2026
• Running time141 mins