Culinary stars have been made in the realm of television, and it would be remiss to ignore such an important part of the gastronomic world. Be it Anthony Bourdain’s gastronomic tours across continents to Gordon Ramsay’s impassioned episodes on Masterchef, they all have one thing in common—they have spread the love of food around the world, highlighting different cultures and cuisines that have us salivating. From cooking competition shows to docuseries centred on chefs, or even dramedies about life in a restaurant, here are some TV shows you should watch to soothe your foodie soul.
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Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown
Anthony Bourdain at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards Governors Ball (Photo: Getty Images)
Chef and author Anthony Bourdain was a titan in the restaurant industry, beloved for his strong opinions and an unabashed instinct to point out injustice. His death in 2018 left the culinary world reeling, leaving us with his books and episodes of his TV shows to remember him by. Of this, Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown is essential watching for anyone curious about culinary cultures all over the world.
Bourdain not only showed how delicious food all over the world can be, he was also not afraid to comment on the historical and political legacies that have haunted countries. In India, he looked into the legacy of British imperialism in India; in the episode “Jerusalem” in season 2, he visited Israel, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank where he flatly pointed out that a Jewish settler home on Palestinian soil was in “contravention of international law”. (In Singapore, he even called out Singaporeans for their reliance on domestic helpers by “living off the labour of a repressed class”.)
Needless to say, Bourdain showed the human side of food and linked it to greater stories of identity, culture and heritage.
Iron Chef
Iron Chef Japan may no longer be running, but its legacy in Japanese television cannot be understated. Airing from 1993 to 1999 with a whopping total of 309 episodes, the cooking competition show features four Iron Chefs, each specialising in Japanese, French, Chinese, and Italian cuisine. (The Iron Chef Chinese, Chen Kenichi, is the father of Chen Kentaro, who runs one-Michelin-starred Shisen Hanten in Singapore today.) In every episode, chefs are invited to challenge one of these Iron Chefs in a cook-off around a specific ingredient.
Described as a curious mix of reality TV and sports commentating, the show is defined by its vivid costumes, dramatic editing, and grandiose personalities. With the help of an English dub, Iron Chef became popular in the United States, spurring a series of spinoffs in America, the United Kingdom, and Canada.
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Chef’s Table
This is an essential if you’re interested in haute cuisine. Each episode of Netflix’s Chef’s Table focuses on a different chef around the world, telling their story and how they came to helm the lauded fine dining institutions they do now. Replete with gorgeous cinematography and heavy on the food porn, past seasons have included star chefs such as Nancy Silverton, largely credited for the sourdough craze in the United States, Virgilio Martinez of Peru’s Central, and celebrity chef Gaggan Anand.
Look out for season four, which is solely dedicated to pastry (Will Goldfarb, who runs Room4Dessert in Bali and now Air Restaurant in Singapore, is featured). And don’t miss out on its spinoffs, which include Chef’s Table: Pizza, Chef’s Table: BBQ, andChef’s Table: France.
Chefs Uncut
Chef Pam Pichaya Soontornyanakij of Potong, featured in ‘Chefs Uncut’ on Netflix
When you’re done with Chef’s Table, queue Chefs Uncut next for a glimpse of what Asia’s top chefs are doing at their restaurants. The Netflix docuseries features six chefs across Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, including chefs Thitid “Ton” Tassanakajohn (Le Du, Asia’s No. 1 Restaurant in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023), LG Han (one-Michelin-starred Labyrinth), and Jordy Navarra (Toyo Eatery).
Street Food
Want to know where you can find cheap eats across the world? One need only look at the Street Food franchise on Netflix. Beginning with Street Food: Asia, this series has featured iconic street hawkers such as Jay Fai in Bangkok and the Korean delicacies up for grabs at Seoul’s Gwangjang Market. Make sure to check out Street Food: Latin America too, which takes you through a journey of spice and flame before arriving at Street Food: USA, showcasing everything from New York hotdog stands to poke bowls in Hawaii.
The Bear
Still from the upcoming third season of ‘The Bear’ (Photo: FX Networks)
If legions of chefs have called this TV show the most accurate portrayal of running a restaurant, it must be worth paying attention to. Lauded with several Emmys, The Bear follows Carmy (Jeremy Allen White), an ex-fine dining chef who has returned to his native Chicago to revamp his recently-deceased brother’s lagging sandwich shop. There, he is challenged with the task of getting the shop’s jaded cooks on board and settling its old debts, all while battling demons of his own.
Boasting a cast of rich personalities, including aspirational chef Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) and abrasive Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), the dramedy punches above its weight with its breakneck editing and intense one-take kitchen scenes that should be more scintillating than anything you’ve watched in recent memory.
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Masterchef
Does anything need to be said about the importance of Masterchef? One of the most recognisable cooking competition shows out there with exhilarating challenges and pressure tests, the show has produced moments of elation, tension and drama, but most of all, delicious food.
Masterchef first aired on BBC in 1990 before it was cancelled in 2001, and then revived in 2005. The American version of Masterchef, which aired in 2010, was based on this earlier British version, with celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey acting as its permanent judge. If you’ve finished the series and can’t get enough, the list of international spinoffs is almost endless, including Canada, Australia, Brazil, India, and even Singapore.
The Great British Bake Off
Beloved even beyond the British Isles, The Great British Bake Off first aired in 2010 and has become something of a baking phenomenon ever since. It’s been responsible for surges in the sale of baking accessories and ingredients, and interest in baking overall, and it’s not hard to see why. Under the guidance of judges Prue Leith, Mary Berry, and Paul Hollywood, the show has been delightfully wholesome and has launched the careers of many bakers.
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