The best food shows and movies have migrated from traditional networks to on-demand services like Netflix in recent years, resulting in a new wave of onscreen cooking and high-definition belly candy. So, what are some of the best Netflix chef shows? Below are some chef shows on Netflix that you must see.
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Why should you watch Netflix chef shows?
What culinary shows are remaining on Netflix now that all of Food Network’s programming has moved to Discovery+ and Hulu? If you were to mention all of them, the response would be lengthy, so we’re just going to focus on the best of the streaming giant’s originals and exclusive content.
These days, Netflix has a plethora of cooking shows. Anyone with enough time on their hands might absorb them all and learn more than a dozen good cooks’ secrets (or just a really bad temper). In any case, watching too many cooking shows isn’t recommended; there’s a lot of chaff out there, and if you’re going to binge, you might as well get something worthwhile out of it, whether it’s exclusive tips, entertaining drama, or the perfect brain-massaging experience of watching steamy chocolate ganache drip down the side of a fresh sponge cake.
So, to help you slim down, we’ve compiled a list of our top five recommendations for the crème de la crème, the six best chef shows on Netflix, plus one extra option that’s a little different. Find out more in the sections below.
Top 6 Netflix chef shows to stream online now
1. Ugly Delicious
In Tokyo, there is pizza. In Houston, you can get Vietnamese-Cajun crawfish. BBQ is in Los Angeles. Netflix’s Ugly Delicious chef show, hosted by renowned chef David Chang, analyzes how foods move, thrive, evolve, and endure. In each episode, Chang follows the wayward paths of a single popular food, from tacos to fried rice, in each episode. Unlike other chef-driven food shows on Netflix, David Chang goes into the dishes with a group of like-minded foodies, fostering intense debate with comedians, artists, and chefs. Chang frequently confronts the sacralization of phrases like “genuine” in how we talk about food in each episode, encouraging the audience to acknowledge the origins of favorite dishes while also admitting that all recipes — even the most sacred — are the result of unpredictable fusions and tastes.
View more: The 5 Best Cake Shows On Netflix To Enjoy Baking Arts
2. The Mind of a Chef
What drives cooks to dedicate their careers to the culinary arts? Which plates are they hankering after? Chefs, why do they, well, chefs? The Mind of a Chef is one of Netflix’s more fascinating chef shows, delving into the creative processes of the world’s best chefs and taking you inside their kitchens and motivations. Instead of dedicating each episode to a different chef, each season is curated by one cook (or culinary partnership), which includes chefs David Chang, Sean Brock, April Bloomfield, Edward Lee, Magnus Nilsson, and Gabrielle Hamilton. The Mind of a Chef, produced and narrated by Anthony Bourdain, combines a sprinkle of travel documentary, a pinch of delicious philosophizing, and a hefty serving of culinary fetish.
3. The Chef Show
To master the profession for his 2014 film Chef, director/actor Jon Favreau teamed up with real-life chef and proprietor of the legendary Kogi taco business, Roy Choi. The two agreed to rejoin for a Netflix docuseries, this time in front of the camera, to film their shared trips and experiences cooking with a range of specialist chefs to learn about their cuisines and cultures. It’s a charming travelogue, as are many food shows, but with Favreau at the helm, The Chef Show on Netflix is able to attract some exciting celebrity guests, ranging from Marvel stars (including a truly wild appearance by Gwyneth Paltrow) to Seth Rogen, making it especially fun to watch the intimate experience of cooking with someone.
You also like: 10 Best Cooking Competition Shows On Netflix To Fuel Your Culinary Fire
4. Nadiya Bakes
Fans of baking programs cheered for Nadiya Hussain when she competed on The Great British Baking Show in 2015, and they’ve continued to do so even after she won the season. She’s really a joy to be around! Nadiya Bakes, a UK import exclusive to Netflix in the United States, gives her her own baking show, which highlights her bright personality and lovely baking skills of various breads and cakes. In this chef show on Netflix, she produces recipes that are all about efficiency and very attainable for even rookie bakers, just like Nadiya’s Time to Eat, her equally captivating cooking show. Above all, you’ll be calmed by her warm, exuberant presence in the series and kitchen; her giddy delight in nailing a bake is yours to share. This is probably one of the best baking shows on Netflix according to a great number of viewers.
5. Chef’s Table
The Chef’s Table series’ melodramatic approach has become such a caricature of itself over the years that it has its own Documentary Now! parody. That’s not to say this Netflix chef show isn’t worth watching—it’s the gold standard for filming fine-dining chefs and their often Michelin-starred restaurants, treating the foods that pass across the table (or, in some cases, are the table) as if they were works of art. Chef’s Table is the ultimate in food porn elitism and pretense, but who among us is beyond a little gorgeously shot, vicarious snobbery now and then?
6. Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown
Anthony Bourdain’s final series was one of his greatest. He is a chef, an author, and overall food business superstar. Parts Unknown lured Bourdain to CNN, where he stayed for 12 seasons (5 of which are available on Netflix) and flew all over the world, from Berlin to West Virginia, Louisiana to Bhutan, and of course, New York. This show is also one of the best cooking shows on Netflix of Anthony Bourdain. This Netflix chef show stands apart by focusing on the lives and cultures of the people who prepare the delicacies. As a result, you’ll meet Queens’ most zealous campaigners, hear about the Chicano world’s love for Morrissey, and discover how life in Laos was affected by US bombardment during the Vietnam War’s secret war.
From established greats (Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown) to up-and-comers (David Chang’s Ugly Delicious), we’ve got you covered. Thecookingmovie will help you have the lists of the best chef shows on Netflix because the last thing you need is shows or movies about cooking that make you relaxing.