Jiro Dreams of Sushi
The gist: The film pays homage to 85-year-old sushi master Jiro Ono, the owner of Sukiyabashi, a Michelin three-star restaurant. It also investigates how Jiro’s two sons go about forging their own path in the sushi world – quite a feat considering the magnitude of their father’s success.
Where you’ll start getting hungry: The intermittent scenes beautifully capturing Jiro busy with his craft, meticulously building different delicious-looking pieces of sushi.
The Hundred Foot journey
The gist: When an Indian family opens up a restaurant, Maison Mumbai, 100 feet from Le Saule Pleureur, a Michelin-starred French establishment, a bitter, and often quite humorous, rivalry ensues. Fortunately, there’s a blossoming romance on the horizon between two chefs from opposing sides of the proverbial fence.
Where you’ll start getting hungry: When young Indian chef Hassan makes Madame Mallory, the matriarch of Le Saule Pleureur, an omelette like she’s never had.
Chef
The gist: After having a unsavoury run-in with a food critic, a professional chef returns to his home town where he opens up a food truck specialising in cubanos – Cuban sandwiches – and, in the process, reconnects with his ex-wife and son.
Where you’ll start getting hungry: It’s a toss-up between the carne asada he makes at the restaurant and the cheese-oozing sarmies he makes in his food truck.
Fried Green Tomatoes
The gist: You’ll need to get the hankies out for this one – it’s a tearjerker. An elderly woman, Ninny, tells her story to unhappy housewife, Evelyn, about how she and her best friend cooked food at the Whistle Stop Café in the Depression era.
Where you’ll start getting hungry: While it won’t get you salivating, the food fight scene amid a stint of pie-making is legendary. You’ll also start craving fried green tomatoes in the scene where Evelyn brings Ninny a freshly made batch.
Chocolat
The gist: If you’re a sucker for a good love story and a chocoholic to boot, you’re doubly spoilt for choice with this film. When chocolatier Viviane opens up a chocolate shop in a quiet French village, right when the townsfolk are celebrating Lent, she causes quite a stir, but eventually most of the village’s residents – as well as visiting gypsy, Roux – fall under her spell.
Where you’ll start getting hungry: During a party, Viviane makes roast quail with a creamy chocolate sauce. And, let’s just say the rest of the food doesn’t look that bad either.
Ratatouille
The gist: A true feelgood gem, this animated film sees Remy, a gutsy little mouse with a penchant for cooking, become the ghost chef behind a hapless young guy called Alfredo in a restaurant kitchen.
Where you’ll start getting hungry: That’s a no-brainer – Remy’s special ratatouille, which reduces a feared food critic to (happy) tears.
Julie and Julia
The gist: The film follows the early life of the late culinary legend, Julia Child, as well as that of Julie Powel, who starts a blog about recreating each of the 524 dishes featured in Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
Where you’ll start getting hungry: Golden brown Dover sole in a butter sauce, duck breast encased in puff pastry, an oozing piece of Brie, a roast chicken with stuffing… really, the drool-worthy food moments are numerous.
Great suggestions, thanks!