Coming Soon

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

Name: Once Upon a Time in the Middle East (Mandarin, Eng Sub)
Genre: Drama, War
Released: 2026-09-11
Duration: T2H20M
Cast: Shen Teng, Aarif Lee, Qiming Jiang

140 min | 11 Sept 2026

Strong violence and coarse language

Trailer

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
Rating: MA (Strong violence and coarse language)
Release Date: 11 September 2026
Runtime: 140 min