It took me about two years to watch one to five seasons of "Chef's Table" and the French version of "Chef's Table" on and off. I have to admit that Netflix has good taste, and the first episode was blocked by a fairyland title. And the soundtrack (Vivaldi's Winter in Four Seasons) is amazing, and almost every episode is beautifully shot, especially the food features. How do chefs' restaurants stand out? These restaurants are so different that there is little common ground that applies to all restaurants. Some restaurants may have the following characteristics:
1. Westernized expression. High-end restaurant, small amount of exquisite, elegant and beautiful, presented in the form of Western food or French food in our minds, and enjoyed with a knife and fork. No matter which country's chef wants to be recognized for their own cuisine, the expression of the cuisine must be based on Western standards. The chefs from Russia and India are the most impressed.
2. Artistic and creative. The food in most of the restaurants in the film has reached the level of art, and their appearance and taste are creative and unique. Using new ingredients and using new technologies, such as the younger brother of the chef at Bulldog Restaurant, who is almost always exploring technological innovations in cooking, his restaurant always surprises. Another example is the chefs who use food to express poetry and artistic conception, and express the geography and altitude of their country.
3. Integrate the local characteristics of the country. This is almost a necessity and the key to winning foreign clients. When traveling to a country, stopping by a Michelin-starred restaurant that reflects the country's characteristics is indeed the perfect part of "going here". Even a certain restaurant can give extra points to a certain country and place, attracting more tourists to visit. What impressed me the most was a female chef in a certain Eastern European country and a seafood restaurant on a French island. Of course, this kind of fusion generally needs to meet the above two conditions skillfully.
4. Be promoted by big coffee or the media. In my impression, several restaurants began to turn around after they were tasted, recognized and reported by food giants. Of course, you can understand that opportunities are for those who are prepared, but luck is also very important.
After writing these four points, I found that in fact, this documentary chooses not only excellent restaurants or chefs, but also needs the chefs to have stories. The restaurant is special enough and belongs to a mild curiosity. Unfortunately, not a single Chinese chef was selected. Maybe the production team doesn't know much about the diverse and complex Chinese cuisine, because they have no choice because they can't control it.
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