Netflix didn’t have much to offer for 2015 in turns of a selection for C and I really wanted to do something from the past year to catch up. Tranquil Dreams is all about food. I go to food festivals and try new things and figure out how to eat better and all that lovely stuff. Its something I truly enjoy, so it probably comes as no surprise that I love watching cooking shows. Sadly, there aren’t really many choices of those cooking competitions and the likes on Netflix. However, Chef’s Table landed on Netflix not too long ago and its caught my eye. I only knew it was a documentary series when I started it up. While I’m not huge on documentaries, this one did have me intrigued. You know what? I thought about it and figured why not do a little crossover of TV Binge and Netflix A-Z!
Let’s check out The Chef’s Table! 🙂
Chef’s Table
(A Netflix Documentary series, Season 1)
Directors: Clay Jeter, Brian McGinn, Andrew Fried, David Gelb
Chef’s Table goes inside the lives and kitchens of six of the world’s most renowned international chefs. Each episode focuses on a single chef and their unique look at their lives, talents and passion from their piece of culinary heaven. – IMDB
Episode 1: Massimo Bottura
Episode 2: Dan Barber
Episode 3: Francis Mallmann
Episode 4: Niki Nakayama
Episode 5: Ben Shewry
Episode 6: Magnus Nilsson
I didn’t know about any of those the featured chefs before watching this series. Chef’s Table grabbed me from the first episode. Starting with Massimo Bottura was the perfect way as he embodies creativity, groundbreaking and inspiration. It was my favorite episode out of the 6. However, that isn’t saying that I didn’t enjoy the rest because each had their own views and creations that just wowed me. It takes you into a world of cooking that isn’t just getting normal good food. Its about the gastronomical experience that isn’t only about taste but about the thought and innovation behind certain foods. There was a modern or unique take on all of their styles. Except its not about foods, these chefs take us on a journey through their lives from the foundation of their skills to their achievements, mentality, cooking and creativity concept, what all this means to them and their regrets. Each has their own personality and their own view on what groundbreaking cooking methods are and what they are trying to achieve as an end goal. Its an eye-opening experience, especially because what these chefs accomplish are really in the most unexpected places.
Chef’s Table is a powerful documentary because it kind of goes deeper to search for these chefs that might not be high key and renowned on cooking competitions or whatnot. I’m not discrediting the hard work of popular chefs but these guys are in the background and they fell and got up and repeated until they could be where they are. They aren’t just chefs but entrepreneurs. Most of them try to break out of an image and some of them find a journey within themselves as they seek their unique style. The highest passion of anything is expanding the view to what relates to it, its not just in the kitchen but also the source of the food and the flavors and seeking out, experimenting and seeking out those flavors that get neglected.
Some chefs like Dan Barber, who breeds food to get a flavor, is equally amazing. While Ben Shewry also is involved in farm-like outside of the restaurant ideas. Both these chefs find the source of where the food is and try to make outstanding cuisine. Sometimes, eating can be casual but at the same time, gastronomical experiences are in everything and sometimes eating is also an educational experience of learning about where certain foods come from and how they come about and what you are eating, how its made so that it brings out the best.
If my words aren’t enough for you to go check it out, you might also want to know that just watching the plating styles for each of these chefs and their amazing and imaginative ideas on the dishes they create are just a whole new level of food porn. These shots I’ve selected are just the tip of what is to come. I might not be into gastronomical dining experiences but I can understand the appreciation for it. Especially after watching a documentary series like Chef’s Table, it helped gain a completely different outlook on eating. Plus, some of the chef’s stories struck a chord with me.
Overall, Chef’s Table is an amazing documentary series. Its full of food porn and great chef’s stories. Its inspiring to watch and astounding to watch the creations. It takes you on a journey through what the highest level of cooking is and that passion doesn’t stop at that one thing but its about broadening our horizons and views to achieve groundbreaking levels. It may be about food on the surface and man, all the food is fantastic, but every story tells something a little more about the chef and their personality. It brings up life lessons and experiences that can be related to. Its a must-watch. I absolutely loved every second of it!
Have you seen Chef’s Table? Are you a fan of documentaries?
Now that I’ve opened up my options for D. What do you think my selection will be?
Tranquil Dreams 