Mouth-wateringly photographed food is the biggest selling point in Friday’s “Chef” — with John Favreau playing a famous chef who goes on the road with a food truck after being fired from his Los Angeles restaurant gig. Even a humble grilled cheese sandwich never looked as appealing as it does in this movie.
Here are 10 other films from around the world that will whet your appetite for some serious eating afterward:
‘Big Night’ (1996)
A pair of brothers (Stanley Tucci, Tony Shalhoub) pull out all the stops for a celebrity guest to save their failing Italian restaurant on the Jersey Shore.
‘Julie & Julia’ (2009)
Food porn doesn’t get much more than serious than cooking director Nora Ephron’s last movie, which intercuts the adventures of the legendary Julia Child (Meryl Streep) and a food blogger (Amy Adams).
‘Ratatouille’ (2007)
An animated feature about a rat who serves as chef of a five-star French restaurant in Paris might not sound appetizing, but zut alors! It sure is.
‘Babette’s Feast’ (1987)
Arguably the most famous meal ever committed to celluloid occurs in this Danish classic, where a pair of 19th-century sisters whip up a Christmas dinner to end all Christmas dinners.
‘Eat Drink Man Woman’ (1994)
Chinese food? We got that covered with Ang Lee’s film about a very food-oriented Taiwanese family.
‘Like Water for Chocolate’ (1992)
The aphrodisiacal effects of quail with rose sauce are demonstrated in Alfonso Arau’s art-house hit from Mexico.
‘Tampopo’ (1985)
The link between love and food is further explored in this famous Japanese movie that explores many cuisines.
‘Mostly Martha’ (2000)
More fusion cuisine (Martina Gedeck) as the workaholic chef at a French restaurant adds an Italian sous-chef to the menu.
‘Sideways’ (2004)
It just doesn’t seem right to offer up a gallery of food movie clips without including this classic comedy starring Paul Giamatti as a cranky oenophile.
‘Penny Wisdom’ (1937)
How far have American kitchens come in 77 years? Take a look at this Technicolor comedy, about a newspaper cooking columnist who rescues a housewife’s dinner, which won an Academy Award for Best Short Subject.