Chefs Share Their Ultimate Film & Food Pairing

You’ve heard about pairing a dish with a bottle of wine. But how about a film? We got chefs to share their ultimate film and food pairing.
Sugi Saki Ramen
Masaki Sugisaki's incredible ramen.

A lot of the chat around the Mob office tends to revolve around food. That makes sense considering that we're a food media company that spend 90% of our time creating recipes for you lovely people. But if I had to take a guess at what the second-most popular topic of conversation around the office was, it'd have to be films and movies. Whether it's about whatever's coming out in the cinema that weekend or some arthouse flick that our graphic designer has seen recently, you can always expect to hear some heated conversations surrounding the silver screen.

We've already rounded up the best food films ever made (according to us), so – to further cement our passion for films and food – we thought it'd be a good idea to go around and ask some of our favourite chefs what their favourite films of all time are and get them to pair a dish with that flick. Why? Because if you can do it with wine, you can do it with movies. Right?

We didn't ask them to tell us their favourite films about food (though some chose food-adjacent films anyway) because we wanted to get a fun pairing with a movie that simply means a lot to them. The responses we got were nothing short of brilliant. These are some food and film pairings that I simply can't wait to try out at my next movie night.

Simon Shand – Magnolia + Frogs Legs Fried In Garlic Butter

"I think if I wasn’t cheffing I’d probably have gone into film and Magnolia is my all time favourite – Paul Thomas Anderson is a genius. The perfect pairing? Frogs legs fried in garlic butter with a nice piece of baguette and some goddamn regret... if you know you know!"

Simon is the head chef of Leroy.

Gabriel Waterhouse – Into The Wild + Girolles and Chestnut Mushrooms

"I love the film Into the Wild: the heart-breaking true story of Christopher McCandless. Although his need to reconnect with the wild is extreme, I think a great dish to go alongside this film would be one that celebrates wild ingredients – girolles and chestnut mushrooms paired with elderberry dressing."

Gabriel is the chef and founder of The Water House Project.

Chris Shaw – Inglourious Basterds + Apple Strudel

"One of my favourite films is Inglourious Basterds, and particularly love the tension in the scene where Hans Landa is speaking with Shoshanna. I’d make a buttery, crispy apple strudel to pair with this film and of course… attendez la crème!"

Chris is the head chef of Townsend.

Masaki Sugisaki – Tampopo + Ramen

"I love Tampopo as it showcases the ‘geeky’ side of Japanese ramen culture, and the food really takes a starring role alongside the actors. And of course, a ramen made over a long time, with lots of the love is the only dish to pair with it. I like to top my broth with egg noodles, boiled egg, char-siu pork and spinach."

Masaki is the head chef at Dinings SW3.

Related Content

Christmas Feasting Spread
How To Make The Perfect Christmas Feast
We’re showing you how to host a proper festive dinner party with Stella Artois Unfiltered. Perfect if you’re stuck for Christmas dinner party ideas.
How To Caramelise Onions
How To Make Caramelised Onions
Learn how to caramelise onions with ease thanks to this handy how-to guide. Your shortcut to a perfectly caramelised onion awaits with these quick tips on how to make an easy caramelised onion recipe.
How To Make Peking Duck
How To Make Peking Duck
Want some secrets on how to make Peking duck? Also want to know where to find the best Peking duck in London? We've killed two birds (or ducks) with one stone right here.
Christmas Gift Guide For Food Lovers Recipe
Christmas Gift Guide For Food Lovers
From chef’s knives to aprons and pepper jelly, these are the best Christmas gifts for the food lovers in your life.
How Long To Boil An Egg
How Long To Boil An Egg
Let's cut to the chase: you want to learn how long to hard boil an egg and how long to soft boil an egg, right? This article will tell you how to do just that.
Best Instagram Food Accounts
39 Instagram Food Accounts You Need To Follow
From Eric Tries It to Carolina Gelen, these are all the tastiest food accounts on Instagram you should be following. Along with us, of course.