Pan Defend
The princess is a picky eater.
In an effort to find something that she will eat, the Emperor has invited famous chefs from around the world to his court, sent wise men to dig out ancient cookery books, sent spies to steal recipes from foreign courts.
One young apprentice chef, the most junior in the palace kitchens, has a different idea. Armed only with his skills with a paring knife and defended only with makeshift armour made from pots and pans, he sets out into the wild beyond the Empire’s borders to discover new recipes for himself.
Accompanied only by an retired monk who he was treating to snacks from the kitchen, he frequently runs into trouble and monsters, but always finds a way out through cooking and eating together, finding a common ground in food.
The monk starts writing accounts of the cook’s adventures and sending them home to the palace, where he quickly becomes famous, unwittingly winning the heart of the princess.
(I think the retired monk might be the old Emperor, forced into retirement by his power hungry son)
Maybe a comic book series?
