Chefs’ kitchens aren’t places the public usually gets access to, though the trend for “open kitchens”, where at least some of the prep and cooking is done in view of diners, has demystified the process somewhat. But no matter how “open” the kitchen, there’s still a barrier between chef and customer that few get the opportunity to cross.
Which all goes to make professional kitchens irresistibly intriguing for anyone with an interest in food. Those that offer chef’s tables in the midst of the action have no shortage of takers for the ringside seats. But they usually come at a price that puts them out of the reach of many diners.
For the cost of a subscription (or a judiciously applied free trial period, perhaps), you can go behind the scenes in the kitchens of six internationally acclaimed chefs in a new docu-series launching on Netflix. The series has been made by film maker David Gelb, also responsible for Jiro Dreams of Sushi, and launches at 8.01am on Sunday, April 26th.
Don't expect to see any expletive-riddled rants or flying saucepans, but you will get a close up view of how the featured chefs work and run their brigades. Those taking part are Massimo Bottura (Osteria Francescana, Modena); Dan Barber (Blue Hill Restaurant at Stone Barns and in New York City); Magnus Nilsson (Fäviken, Järpen, Sweden); Ben Shewry (Attica, Melbourne), Niki Nakayama (N/Naka, Los Angeles) and Francis Mallman (El Restaurante Patagonia Sur (Buenos Aires).
