Food TV tips: May
We all watch Netflix and TV. Because we have a hangover and are incapable of doing anything else, to learn new things, or simply for fun. Every month, FavorFlav gives you an overview of the best, newest, most informative television programs, films and documentaries about food and drink.
Midnight Dining: Tokyo Stories
When: whenever you want; the series is available on Netflix.
What: a series about a tiny restaurant in Tokyo where guests eat Japanese food in the middle of the night. The characters differ in each episode. Each episode is about one night, one dish served that night and the guests who come to eat at the restaurant that night.
Why watch: it’s a lovely series full of delicious food. No competition, no shouting for once—just going over your day with a steaming plate of food in front of you, a breath of fresh air. We’re fans.
Raw
When: in Dutch cinemas from 27 April.
What: this film is intense: it’s a deeply unsettling coming-of-age horror drama in which food plays a very unusual role. A staunch vegetarian girl has to eat raw meat during her initiation. This triggers cannibalism in her. Yes. Really. Be careful not to faint.
Why watch: the reviews of this horror film are rapturous.
Read a review from The Guardian here.
Keuringsdienst van Waarde Quiz
When: from 10 May, every Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. on NPO 3.
What: a quiz testing Dutch celebrities on their knowledge of food.
Why watch: the Dutch celebrities taking part include Thomas Acda, the ladies of Toren C and Sophie Hilbrand. What more could you want?
Broodje Gezond
When: from 10 May, every Wednesday at 9:05 p.m. on NPO 3.
What: Marlijn Weerdenburg and Ersin Kiris (both also known from Keuringsdienst van Waarde) investigate the facts and fiction surrounding nutrition and health.
Why watch: this season investigates whether there is any truth to the slogan ‘milk is good for everyone’ and whether chocolate is good or bad for your heart. It also brings some order to the E-number debate that is currently taking place.
De Nieuwe Garde
When: from 10 May, every Wednesday at 9:45 p.m. on NPO 3.
What: a six-part series following promising young chefs and a sommelier.
Why watch: if you’re curious about everything you have to sacrifice to reach the top in the hospitality industry, this is the one to watch.
Keuringsdienst van Waarde: terug naar de basis
When: from 11 May, every Thursday at 8:30 p.m. on NPO 3.
What: a program searching for the origins of typically Dutch products.
Why watch: because you want to know where coffee, liquorice, bananas and the bintje potato come from.
3Doc: Bugs
When: 11 May at 9:00 p.m. on NPO3.
What: this documentary discusses a possible solution to the global food problem: eating insects.
Why watch: the little creatures are increasingly being discussed in the food world: chefs praise insects for their taste, environmentalists for their low ecological impact and scientists for their nutritional value. In this documentary, three Danish men travel around the world to catch, breed and taste all kinds of insects. During their journey they eat, among other things, honeypot ants, locusts and poisonous (?!) giant bumblebees. We’re curious.
Keuringsdienst van Waarde also devoted an episode to this subject. Watch it again here.
Ants on a shrimp
When: 18 May at 9:00 p.m. on NPO 3.
What: a documentary about one of the most influential people in the food world: chef René Redzepi (Noma). Together with his team, he embarks on a major culinary experiment in which he swaps Copenhagen for Tokyo.
Why watch: the director of this documentary, Maurice Dekkers, created the program De Keuringsdienst van Waarde and is not without reason ranked highly among FavorFlav’s top 100 food influencers.
https://youtu.be/Q7SYpav7a_k
Noma – My Perfect Storm
When: 25 May at 9:00 p.m. on NPO 3.
What: a documentary about the now-closed restaurant Noma, which was the best restaurant in the world for years.
Why watch: you get a wonderful glimpse into the kitchen of one of the most memorable restaurants in culinary history. Chefs and experts discuss its success, the constant pressure to perform and the deep lows restaurant Noma experienced, such as when 63 guests fell ill after dining at the top restaurant.
Mounirs Marokko: een smakelijk avontuur
When: every Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. on 24Kitchen.
What: a series following Mounir Toub, a Moroccan chef, on his culinary journey through Morocco.
Why watch: because Moroccan cuisine is amazing: colorful, fresh and flavorful. What’s more, with this program Mounir builds a bridge between Dutch and Moroccan culture—the hospitality you’ll see is impressive.
Junior MasterChef Australia
When: every weekday at 8:10 p.m. on 24Kitchen.
What: a cooking competition for 8- to 12-year-olds.
Why watch: sweetly competitive: the junior version remains the most fun, especially when it comes from Australia.
Topchef Academy
When: every weekday at 6:30 p.m. on RTL5.
What: an elimination contest in which six chefs cook their hearts out in every episode. One chef wins the episode. He or she then gets another chance to prove themselves during the final weeks. Ultimately, one chef wins. From then on, he or she will appear as RTL’s new TV chef.
Why watch: if you’re not tired of all the cooking competitions on TV yet, this one is another bloody good one. Miljuschka Witzenhausen and Martijn Krabbé have been presenting this new RTL5 program since the beginning of April. The final weeks are in May—and you don’t want to miss them.
Image: KRO-NCRV, 24Kitchen
