• Home
  • About
  • Recipe Archive
  • Cooking Classes
  • Cookbook
  • Press
  • Contact
  • Plate & Pencil
Menu

Appetite for China

Street Address
City, State, Zip
Phone Number

Appetite for China

  • Home
  • About
  • Recipe Archive
  • Cooking Classes
  • Cookbook
  • Press
  • Contact
  • Plate & Pencil

Top 5 Movies Starring Chinese Food

February 19, 2009 Diana Kuan
 (Photo by Scott Waldron   www.dslrninja.com   ,  CC)

(Photo by Scott Waldron www.dslrninja.com, CC)

Watch any of the following films with a carton of Chinese take-out instead of popcorn.

Eat Drink Man Woman (1994) - This film, set in Taiwan, is an obvious favorite. It opens with the father, Chef Chu, plucking a live chicken from his backyard coop and minutes later turning it into a steaming, mouth-watering casserole dish. The behind-the-scenes look as his restaurant prepares for a massive banquet is also impressive, as the camera scans down aisle after aisle of uniformed cooks and flaming woks. Beware: Ang Lee shoots the Chu family meals with a food pornographer's eyes. Don't watch on an empty stomach.

A Christmas Story (1983) - Imagine watching this movie in elementary school as an immigrant kid from China. On Christmas day, the family finds that their oven has caught on fire and the neighbor's dog has run off with the turkey. They head to the local Chinese restaurant, where the waiters sing Christmas carols in heavily-accented English. A beautiful roast duck arrives, but it has the head intact, and Ralphie's brother bursts into tears. Huh? you wonder. Ducks are always served with heads. After many years of living in the US, it's easier to find the humor in the situation.

My Life as McDull (2001) - This Hong Kong-made animation is too intelligent to be just for kids. McDull, the little Cantonese pig with a Scottish surname, trains for Hong Kong's annual Bun Climbing competition, in which contestants climb up a mountain of steamed Chinese buns. (Yes, this is a real event, seemingly too bizarre to be made-up.) There is another McDull film (whose name I can't remember) that opens with terrorists taking an office building hostage. But at the same time they phone in their lunch orders for Cantonese roast pork and beef brisket noodles. No matter how busy you are, there's always time for ngau lam fun.

Rice Rhapsody (2004) - Martin Yan stars as Singaporean restaurant owner who creates a "Hainan Duck Rice" dish to upstage the acclaimed Hainan Chicken of his neighbor and object of affection Jen Fan. The two decide to compete in a national televised competition to see who can claim the best Hainan poultry in town. Was this film an ode to Singapore's national dish or to Martin Yan's knife skills? Both are quite impressive.

The Joy Luck Club (1993) - Food is a backdrop for many arguments, make-up scenes, and mahjong games, just like real life. Anyone about to meet your Chinese girlfriend's family for the first time should take cues from this movie of what not to do. Don't gulp down your alcohol when making a toast. Don't boast about your chopstick skills when you don't have any. And do not, under any circumstances, try to improve her mother's food by dousing it with soy sauce.

What are your favorite food films?

_________________________________

Related posts:

100 Chinese Foods to Try Before You Die

Eating Weird Stuff for CBS

Fun Fruits for Chinese New Year

_________________________________

In Blog Tags Culinary Culture, Food, Movies
← White Port, the Underrated ApΓ©ritifRestaurante Litoral, Macau →

Upcoming Classes in NYC

  • May 19 - Intro to Sushi-Making @ Brooklyn Brainery
  • May 21 - Intro to Sichuan @ Brooklyn Brainery
  • May 25 - Dumplings & Wontons @ Brooklyn Brainery

Looking for a private cooking class or corporate cooking class? Contact me!

The Chinese Takeout Cookbook: Quick and Easy Dishes to Prepare at Home
By Diana Kuan


Subscribe to my RSS feed

Let's connect on Instagram!

I have a crazy weakness for almond croissants, and the ones from Las Delicias Patisserie at @unsqgreenmarket are among the best I’ve ever had. πŸ₯πŸ’›
Stir-fried sweet potatoes and red-veined sorrel with quinoa 🍠 πŸƒπŸ΄
Chocolate sea salt almond cookies for @doug_wisdom’s adoption day party 🐢 πŸͺ
Spring cauliflower rice with fresh English peas, shiitakes, and sun-dried tomato pesto
Old Bay biscuit sandwiches + mini pickled carrots at @cherrybombemag #cbjubilee yesterday. Great gathering of amazing women in the food world ❀️
Banh mi lunch from Sau Voi. Post-surgery recovery will involve a ton of takeout, thick books, and Netflix. πŸ₯‘πŸ“š πŸŽ₯
Kimchi deviled tea eggs. Happy Easter! πŸ₯šπŸŒ·πŸ£!
More experiments with spicy miso ramen. 🌢 🍜
Food Styling for Photography class today at @bkbrains. πŸ“· ❀️ Thanks to everyone who came out!
Slushy commute to the UWS today, but this view sure was pretty. ❄️
Join us for the next session of Food Styling for Photography, this Saturday March 24th at @bkbrains!
Kimchi ramen with rich chicken broth 🍜
The last Intro to Dim Sum classes at @bkbrains! Join us next Sunday, March 18th 🍡
Salted caramel and coconut ice cream. Glad to be home but missing CA a wee bit. 🍨
Temecula wine country. A surreal landscape with hilly vineyards and palm trees. 🍷 🌴