Chef Movie Review – Jon Favreau Serves It Up!

While this has little to do on a food blog, I felt the need to write about this one. Having some time to myself today I decided I would watch “Chef” currently available on Netflix. Several people I’ve crossed paths with have recommended it with very enthusiastic tones, so I figured it was finally time to pop a squat and take a look for myself. I was expecting just an average funny movie from Jon Favreau, but what I got was a heartfelt story that is very easy to connect with and fun to watch.  

I’ll explain why this movie, if you haven’t watched it, is worth your time. If you have, you probably already know not to watch this motion picture on an empty stomach. I won’t go too much detail about the plot since there are plenty reviews on this popular movie that do a fantastic job at that. I’ll just write about my take on it and why it inspired me as a cook myself.  

The food looks amazing!

It made me want to cook everything he cooked myself! I loved how he highlighted the best parts of cooking – sauting stuff like the pasta aglio e olio, roasting big chunks of meat, toasting buns, all of it was fun to watch! All of it looked so satisfying! I loved the spread of food at the end! It made me smile so hard I knew this was worth it’s own post on my blog.  

Stimulating

I say all the time that culinary art is the only art that stimulates all 5 senses. Jon Favreau delivers what he can through the big screen – the bright colors of the spread of food at the end, the crunch your hear when they slice the toasted buns, the sizzle you hear from the grill – all wonderful things one experiences in the cooking process. The other 3, taste, touch and smell are up to you by cooking things yourself. It’s a wonderful thing to experience and to know you had a big part in making it happen. 

Fatherhood

“Chef” also touches on the subject of father and son bonding by showing how cooking impacted Chef Carl Casper’s relationship with his son. In the beginning of the movie, the chef and his son are distant, due to the father’s dedication to working at the restaurant all the time. His son even expresses he misses spending time with him. This hit close to home since I have worked at demanding restaurants myself and didn’t get to see my son very often. Thankfully I don’t anymore.

 I enjoyed the grilled cheese sandwich scene very much. Very often I find the moments I cook something simple, yet wholesome and tasty for my son are the most rewarding. I love those moments. Too often I present my son with a plate of food and he sits down and devours the meal on it, after washing his hands of course. He likes to say things like “yummy, mmm tasty” in the meantime. My heart melts every time. 

Definitely a great movie to watch if you want to get a closer look at what cooking is about. A lot of what happens in the movie, happens in real kitchens. How they prep and how they talk to one another. The tasting of the final product knowing anyone who eats it will enjoy it. As crazy as it sounds, it’s all very exciting to me. I’m good at it. I love using food to put smiles on people’s faces. I love eating things I know are real food. I love providing real food cooked perfectly to my family. “Chef” has reminded me why I do what I do and I am thankful for that.