Food plays such a significant role in our lives. Food provides us with sustenance, fuel for our bodies, fosters social interaction, conveys narratives, and transports us with its delectable flavours. Thoughts (and stomachs) of viewers are opened to cookery from around the world thanks to food on the big screen, which is a tremendous medium for creativity.
These are the best cooking-related movies that provide a hearty meal for the soul.
A Touch of Spice (2003)
You’ll feel your heart breakingly touched by the Greek film A Touch of Spice. It narrates the tale of Fanis Iakovidis, a little Greek boy who grows up to become a chef and remembers his early years in Istanbul with his father before he and his parents were expelled during the Istanbul Pogrom while his grandfather stayed in Turkey. This film explores issues of identity, influence, cultural preservation, history, and the manner in which our works of art reveal our identities to the outside world. This is a logical account of how one becomes who they are and how their past influences their present.
While the chef is preserving elements of his ancestry and identity through his cooking, it is warm and nostalgic. This film not only features dishes that will teach you about Greek-Turkish cuisine, but it also has an intriguing narrative that uses food as a window to other societal issues like politics, love, and family as Fanis returns to Istanbul to rekindle a relationship he had broken.
Burnt (2015)
In the movie Burnt, Adam Jones is a gifted chef who had a promising career until he lost it to drug misuse and a volatile personality. Adam makes an effort to sober up and return to the kitchen in an effort to rebuild his life and earn the new restaurant he is working for a third Michelin star.
Despite his love of food, he continues to suffer with attitude issues, which put him at odds with the kitchen staff. Burnt explores what it means to be a troubled yet talented person and the challenges of striking a peaceful balance between the two. This film, which features Bradley Cooper, will give you a glimpse into the back end of upscale kitchens, which are frequently loaded with exorbitant amounts of pressure.
Chef (2014)
A fantastic film about life, family, and wonderful food is Chef. A chef named Carl Casper decides to make a dramatic change in his life after his career took a turn for the worse following a dispute with a food critic. In order to reconnect with his creative side of cuisine, he buys an old food truck to transform into his own. He then travels across America serving amazing food to anyone who stops by.
This gamble he makes turns out to be much more than just a food business. In every manner, it improves his life. The movie Chef is about rediscovering who you are and filling in the blanks that can give you the sense of fulfilment you’ve always desired. Simply said, this film is a pleasure to see about cuisine, people, and family; a voyage that will captivate your interest.
Chocolat (2000)
The 1999 book Chocolat by British author Joanne Harris served as the inspiration for the film. Vianne, the main character and a strong independent woman, relocates with her daughter to a traditional French village where she establishes a chocolate business, much to the resentment of the locals. In a town where people have grown rigidly accustomed to their own ways, the shop owner manages to completely upend the community with her understanding demeanour and novel outlook on life.
Using her viewpoint and her ability to consistently predict the type of chocolate that each consumer would be content to appreciate every mouthful of, Vianne is able to gradually assist others. Indirectly, the film explores issues like gender, sensuality, and religious constraint through the temptation that Vianne’s chocolates cause in others. She makes friends with those who need to be heard, seen, and understood. With her kindness and delicious chocolate, she shows them the way to personal liberation and the freedom to experience pure delight without feeling guilty.
Cook Up a Storm (2017)
In the film Cook Up a Storm, Cantonese street chef Jung Yong-hwa and French Michelin-trained chef Nicholas Tse zoom into their inventive cooking for one of the most prestigious culinary competitions in the world. This film is for individuals who enjoy watching authentic cooking with various ingredients, flavours, and fusions of all kinds.
Cook Like a Storm will please your eyes and make your tummy grumble with its abundance of visually gorgeous imagery and colourful and enticing meals.
Eat Drink Man Woman (1994)
Both a taste of life and a taste of food are provided in this film. A widowed father and his three unmarried daughters, each with a very individual personality, are the main characters in the novel. Chef Chu, the father, cooks delectable meals for his children but is about to retire. His daughters, on the other hand, are at a turning point in their relationships with their father, their romantic relationships, and their careers. This film explores the complexity of human individuals in familial contexts, highlighting topics like possibility, transformation, freedom, love, and loneliness.
Eat Drink Man Woman, a delight on many levels, will provide you insight into human desire, human relationships, as well as the ways that food connects people. The food preparation and presentation scenes in this film have received appreciation, but much more so have the sensitive observations of how many human lives play out. It serves as a lovely reminder that despite how hectic life might be and how diverse each family member’s life may be, sharing a meal together can always be a means to bring them closer.
Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)
A documentary titled Jiro Dreams of Sushi is about one of the greatest sushi chefs of all time. Master sushi maker Jiro Ono, 97, has dedicated his life to the art of preparing sushi and has been honing his skills day by day. With each dish being freshly cooked on the spot, his business is regarded by many as the best sushi restaurant in the entire globe. Due to its exclusivity, which prevents it from being accessible to the general public, it has lost the three Michelin stars that it had previously acquired for its outstanding standards.
You can enter the mind of this incredibly passionate and committed chef during the one-hour, 20-minute documentary. The film examines Jiro’s relationship with sushi as well as his way of life, philosophy, and management of his restaurant. It also looks at his relationship with his son and how they want to uphold the image and legacy they have established. This film explores the culinary arts as well as the value of consistency and quality ingredients.
Little Italy (2018)
Little Italy tells the tale of two families whose shared passion for food and one another has helped them succeed in their joint effort to open Toronto’s best pizzeria. But despite having a long and unbreakable history together, one single day makes them enemies. The two families are now opening their own pizzerias next to one another, putting intense competition between them.
Despite their parents’ animosity, Nikki and Leo, two excellent chefs and long-lost best friends, transform the cooking and interpersonal dynamics of their family when they reconcile after Nikki returns from London. All pizza lovers will enjoy the feel-good movie Little Italy. It is chock-full of enticing photos of pizzas and descriptions that will make your mouth water. Throughout the film, topics including sauce, crust, and sweet vs. sour are discussed. This humorous tale will serve as a good reminder that one of the finest methods to achieve the highest level of expertise is through collective creativity.
No Reservations (2007)
In this endearing film, Katherine Armstrong, a head chef at a prestigious restaurant in Manhattan’s West Village, tells her experience of falling in love with her kitchen. She doesn’t have any other hobbies and visits a therapist because of her obsession with every aspect of the kitchen. Nevertheless, after a sad incident leads Katherine to take on the responsibility of caring for her niece Zoe, the restaurant’s owner Paula employs another sous-chef, Nick, to relieve Katherine of the workload.
Nick, who is unassuming, entertaining, intelligent, and the complete antithesis of Katherine, has a way of pleasantly cooking and managing the kitchen workers. Yet, what initially appears to be a threat to Katherine ends up altering her perspective on life and food. No Reservations offers a great ambiance, a lovely cast, and delectable food, all of which will make this viewing enjoyable.
Simply Irresistible (1999)
A charming film about cooking and falling in love, Absolutely Irresistible. Ordinary chef Amanda Shelton is anticipated to take over her mother’s restaurant after her passing. Her subpar cooking doesn’t draw much attention, though. However, when she receives a special ingredient while shopping, her meals are radically changed. The quality of Amanda’s dishes is completely altered by this mystical element, which also causes anybody who eats her cuisine to experience very intense emotional responses.
Her cooking, with a little magic, not only impresses her patrons but also aids in the beginning of a relationship with a very special individual. This humorous film is about cooking with a dash of magic.
The 100-Foot Journey (2014)
The Kadam family from India moves to France in The 100-Foot Trip in pursuit of a new chapter in their lives after experiencing violence in India that makes them feel uncomfortable. The Kadam family, who loved to cook and had owned a restaurant back home, decided to open a restaurant when fate took them to a little French town and showed them an empty plot of land.
Yet, a French restaurant with a Michelin star is situated right across the street and poses a serious threat to the family because the previous restaurant was unable to survive. Yet Hassan’s father, Abbu, is sure that his son can prepare delectable meals. A dispute between the two restaurant owners breaks out when Madame Mallory, the owner of the French restaurant, sees their inventive and distinctive menu and feels intimidated by their potential to stand out and draw guests. The owners of the two businesses, however, become more friendly after a turn of events.
The concept of cultural diasporas and how being receptive to new ideas and viewpoints may change one’s outlook on life in general are both brilliantly illustrated in this film. You shouldn’t miss the breathtaking photography and delicious meals in the movie The 100-Foot Journey.
The Lunchbox (2013)
The exquisite film The Lunchbox explores how food may touch your heart. Ila, a wife attempting to save her marriage, turns to sending mouthwatering dishes to her husband’s workplace in an effort to tantalise his taste buds and get him thinking of her. She speaks to the incorrect person in their love language, nevertheless. Saajan Fernandes, a widower who is set to retire from his profession, receives her lunch through the dabbawala delivery system.
Lla sends a message to Sajaan to let him know that she sent the lunchbox to the wrong person after realising her error. As Sajaan decides to reply, a gentle relationship starts to develop as they start sharing their true selves. This film is extremely moving because it places a lot of focus on how cooking is a labour of love and how it can bring people together, especially those from quite diverse backgrounds. Food is a hero in assisting people in learning and comprehending more about one another and the rest of the planet, much like Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown.
The Ramen Girl (2008)
The adventure of Abby, who travels to Tokyo to be with her boyfriend who abruptly departs for Osaka, is followed in The Ramen Girl. She works as a gopher at a law company but is dissatisfied, desperate, and a little lost. She decides she wants to learn the art of making ramen when she stumbles across a neighbourhood where a ramen cafe is run by master chef Maezumi and his wife Reiko.
But she doesn’t seem to give up, Chef Maezumi is unwilling to teach her. Abby is adamant about learning the techniques of the master chef and demonstrating her abilities. She is persistent and tenacious. This is a fantastic film about reinventing yourself, discovering a new passion (in this case, cooking), and going on a trip to show yourself that you are capable.
The teacher-student exchanges, which have their own charm, lessons, and relatable moments through cross-cultural communication and common understanding, are the most appealing parts of this film. Also, it will make you yearn for different varieties of ramen!
The Trip to Italy (2014)
In the movie The Trip to Italy, Welsh impressionist Rob Brydon and English comedian Steve Coogan travel throughout Italy. Years after the popularity of their first movie, in which they sample food all around England, they travel to Liguria, Tuscany, Amalfi, Rome, and Capri and sample delectable cuisine there.
The movie features beautiful scenery, delectable food, and a lighthearted attitude on life that touches on topics like doubts that people may have about themselves, their outlook on life, and the search of happiness. It is enjoyable to observe the dialogue between the protagonists because they have a natural chemistry and don’t take themselves too seriously. Since so much of the movie is improvised, there is room for spontaneity and pleasant surprises. You can go with two pals and experience whatever arises on The Journey to Italy.
Today’s Special (2009)
Today’s Special follows the career of Samir, a cook at a New York restaurant who departs after being passed over for the post of head chef. Things not going as planned prompts him to use the opportunity to study gastronomy in France and immerse himself in the French food he enjoys. Unfortunately, he is made to run the family’s Indian restaurant after his father develops a serious illness. Samir, however, feels like he is beginning from scratch because he has never eaten Indian food before.
He makes an effort to reconnect with his roots and prepare delectable Indian food despite being conflicted between the course he had chosen for himself and the circumstances he found himself in. You can learn interesting life lessons and get a glimpse into Indian culture by watching this film.
