A number of aspects of food preparation and eating are the primary focal points of movies that belong to the “Cooking” genre.
The movies usually depict mouthwatering dishes in an effort to encourage or tempt viewers to watch them, or the stories they frequently tell center on the professional and personal lives of chefs, or sometimes it can just be a drama movie that involves either food or chef or both. Still, whichever it is, it’s always a delight to the viewer.
Usually, this attention is matched with narratives reflecting professional chefs’ frenetic labor. Yet, there are times when cooking films are more focused on creating a warm atmosphere and giving the audience the opportunity to experience vicarious pleasure.
Below is a list of 50 such Cooking genre movies that will have the viewers in awe, hunger, and craving delicacy but, above all, provide them with a cinematic delight.
1. Ratatouille (2007)
Remy, whose voice was provided by Patton Oswalt, is a local of Paris who has an appreciation for high-quality cuisine and a relatively refined palette.
He dreams of one day becoming a chef so that he may produce and indulge in delectable culinary works of art to his heart’s content. The one and only issue is that Remy is a rat. The rodent gourmet realizes that he is in a position to make his goal come true when he finds himself in the sewage system beneath one of the most fabulous restaurants in Paris.
- Voice Cast: Patton Oswalt, Lou Romano, Jane Lynch
- Genre: Cooking, Animation, Comedy
- Rating: G
- Where To Watch: Disney+, Prime Video (rent/buy)
2. Chef (2014)
Chef Carl Casper, played by Jon Favreau, decides to leave his work at a prominent restaurant in Los Angeles because he is being overly controlled by the business’s owner, played by Dustin Hoffman.
He discovers himself in Miami as he attempts to determine what the following move he should take should be. In order to create a food-truck company, Carl teams up with his ex-wife, played by Sofia Vergara, his closest friend, played by John Alberto Leguizamo, and his son, portrayed by Emjay Anthony. This gives Carl the opportunity to revive his passion for cooking, in addition to his zeal for life and love.
- Cast: Jon Favreau, Sofia Vergara, John Leguizamo
- Genre: Comedy, Drama
- Rating: R
- Where To Watch: HBO Max, Prime Video (rent/buy)
3. Julie & Julia (2009)
Julie Powell, a New Yorker portrayed by Amy Adams, is fed up with her soul-crushing work and decides to challenge herself by attempting to cook all 524 dishes in “Mastering the Art of French Cooking,” a classic cooking book by Julia Childs.
The actual narrative of how Julia Child (played by Meryl Streep) singlehandedly mastered French cuisine with love & boldness is intertwined with the fictional story of Julie, which is told from Julie’s point of view.
- Cast: Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Stanley Tucci
- Genre: Comedy, Drama
- Rating: PG-13
- Where To Watch: Netflix
4. Burnt (2015)
Bradley Cooper plays Adam Jones, a former celebrity chef in Paris who had a breakdown brought on by substance abuse and alcoholism that caused him to put his profession on hiatus.
Adam gets a second chance at life after his previous maitre d’, who is portrayed by Daniel Brühl, grudgingly appoints him as the main chef of the fine-dining restaurant he owns in London after he has relocated there from New Orleans.
The abrasive and volatile Jones is given a second opportunity to win a third Michelin star, and he makes it clear to his newly assembled team, which is portrayed by Sienna Miller and Omar Sy, that he expects nothing less than perfection.
- Cast: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Daniel Brühl
- Genre: Drama
- Rating: R
- Where To Watch: Netflix, Prime Video (rent/buy)
5. No Reservations (2007)
Master chef Kate Armstrong, portrayed by Catherine Zeta-Jones, maintains an imposing level of control over both her personal life and the kitchen she works in.
Nevertheless, she may be setting herself up for a recipe for catastrophe when she is appointed the caretaker of her little niece at the same time that she is butting heads with the brazen sous-chef, who has just joined her team.
Even when romantic feelings develop between Kate and her competitor, she must turn elsewhere in order to get the pleasure she seeks.
- Cast: Catherine Zeta-Jones, Aaron Eckhart, Abigail Breslin
- Genre: Drama, Romance
- Rating: PG
- Where To Watch: Prime Video (rent/buy)
6. The Hundred-Foot Journey (2014)
Hassan Kadam, who was played by Manish Dayal, is a beginner chef with extraordinary skills who essentially taught himself how to cook on his own.
After Hassan and his family are forced to leave their home in India and relocate to a picturesque town in France, they make the decision to launch an Indian restaurant there. On the other hand, Madame Mallory, the proprietor of a renowned restaurant that is only 100 feet away, has significant objections to the idea. Helen Mirren plays the role of Madame Mallory.
Conflict breaks out between the two restaurants until Mallory acknowledges Kadam’s remarkable epicurean abilities and accepts him as a disciple.
- Cast: Helen Mirren, Manish Dayal, Om Puri
- Genre: Comedy, Drama
- Rating: PG
- Where To Watch: Prime Video (rent/buy)
7. Like Water for Chocolate (1992)
Lumi Cavazos portrays Tita as the smallest and the youngest daughter in her household, and she is lovely. Nevertheless, she is not allowed to marry Pedro, the man she truly loves (played by Marco Leonardi).
Pedro marries Tita’s older sister, Rosaura (played by Yareli Arizmendi), despite the fact that he still has feelings for Tita. This is because the rules say that Tita must take care of her mother. As a result of the circumstance, there is a lot of stress in the house, and Tita’s tremendous emotions begin to show through her cooking in strange and spectacular ways.
The everlasting love that Pedro and Tita share is put to the test as the years go by due to a series of strange occurrences.
- Cast: Marco Leonardi, Lumi Cavazos, Regina Torné
- Genre: Romance
- Rating: Age 15+
- Where To Watch: Prime Video (rent/buy), Showtime
8. Babette’s Feast (1987)
Under the watchful care of their stern pastor father, the beautiful but devout sisters Martine (played by Birgitte Federspiel) and Philippa (played by Bodil Kjer) mature into spinsterhood on the forbidding and barren shore of Jutland.
One day, Philippa’s previous suitor sends Babette (played by Stéphane Audran), a Parisian immigrant, to work as the household chef.
The lavish holiday dinner that Babette is preparing in their honor tempts Babette’s family’s congregation, who have abstained from fleshly pleasures like fine food and drink.
- Cast: Stéphane Audran, Bodil Kjer, Birgitte Federspiel
- Genre: Comedy, Drama
- Rating: G
- Where To Watch: HBO Max, Prime Video (rent/buy)
9. The Lunchbox (2013)
Ila, a housewife living alone and portrayed by Nimrat Kaur, is bored with her marriage and decides to try to spice it up by preparing a unique lunch for her husband.
Nevertheless, the delivery is misplaced, and the baby winds up in Saajan’s care, who is a grouchy old widower (played by Irrfan Khan). The next day, out of pure curiosity, Ila places a note in the lunchbox specially sent to Saajan.
As a result of this peculiar connection, Saajan, and Ila are able to converse with one another about their joys and sorrows despite never having ever seen one another in person.
- Cast: Irrfan Khan, Nimrat Kaur, Nawazuddin Siddiqui
- Genre: Drama, Romance
- Rating: PG
- Where To Watch: Prime Video (rent/buy)
Also read: 50 Best Family Movies to Watch Right Now
10. Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)
The legendary sushi chef Jiro Ono, who is 85 years old, continues to put in long hours in the kitchen of his restaurant, Sukiyabashi Jiro, which is housed in the basement of an office building in Tokyo.
Jiro is determined to fulfill his lifelong goal of creating the perfect piece of sushi, despite the fact that his son Yoshikazu is having a difficult time following in his father’s footsteps and managing the renowned restaurant.
- Cast: Jiro Ono, Yoshikazu Ono, Masuhiro Yamamoto
- Genre: Documentary
- Rating: PG
- Where To Watch: Hulu, Prime Video (rent/buy)
11. Haute Cuisine (2012)
The region of Perigord is home to the renowned French chef Hortense Laborie. She is taken aback when she learns that she will be serving as the personal chef to the head of state of the republic of the United States of America.
Hortense reluctantly agrees to accept her nomination, but after doing so, she puts forth an incredible amount of effort to develop trendy and authentic food.
Due to the forcefulness of her demeanor, she is able to establish herself for a period of time despite the resentment that she engenders among the other chefs.
That was just for a short time, which was a huge disappointment for both her and the President.
- Cast: Catherine Frot, Jean d’Ormesson, Hippolyte Girardot
- Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
- Rating: PG-13
- Where To Watch: Prime Video
12. Big Night (1996)
Primo and Secondo Primo are two brothers who emigrated to the United States from Italy with the intention of opening an Italian restaurant. Primo is a fiery and brilliant chef who is outstanding in his culinary prowess and is determined not to squander his ability to manufacture delicacies that people are accustomed to eating.
Although Primo is exceptional in his culinary prowess, he is also determined not to waste his potential. Secondo fulfills the role of the friendly frontman and tries hard to keep the restaurant financially afloat despite the fact that there aren’t many customers at the restaurant other than a poor artist who pays with his paintings.
Both the brothers put in a lot of work for the big dinner at Paradise on the Night when the legendary Italian-American musician Louis Prima would be performing there. What happens at this supper probably will determine the restaurant’s future.
- Cast: Stanley Tucci, Tony Shalhoub, Isabella Rossellini
- Genre: Drama
- Rating: R
- Where To Watch: Prime Video (rent/buy)
13. The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989)
Once the pretentious and nasty mobster Albert Spica, played by Michael Gambon, purchases an expensive French restaurant in London, he frequently eats there, to the point where he drives away customers with his harsh behavior.
His wife Georgina, played by Helen Mirren, is particularly disgusted by him, and she quickly begins an affair with Michael, a different patron at the restaurant cast by Alan Howard.
Spica discovers that they have been having secret love meetings despite their best efforts to conceal the information, and he thus plans on exacting terrible revenge on both of them.
- Cast: Richard Bohringer, Michael Gambon, Helen Mirren
- Genre: Drama
- Rating: R
- Where To Watch: Prime Video
Also Read: Helen Mirren’s 10 Best Movies (According To IMDb)
14. Eat Drink Man Woman (1994)
Eat Drink Man Woman tells the age-old tale of simmering resentments and love issues in the context of a retired but still working Master Chef Chu imparting his culinary talents to his three unmarried children while also attending to the many emotional journeys each of them is experiencing.
Jia-Jen teaches chemistry, Jia-Chien is the manager of an airline, and Jia-Ning is employed in the quick-service restaurant sector. They make it a point to be together as a family on Sundays to take part in preparing and consuming a sumptuous and elaborate meal.
This practice offers a lot of insight into their lives and assists each daughter in coping with the disruption caused by new love concerns.
- Cast: Sihung Lung, Kuei-Mei Yang, Yu-Wen Wang
- Genre: Comedy, Drama
- Rating: PG
- Where To Watch: Prime Video (rent/buy)
15. Tampopo (1985)
Trucker Goro is the central figure in this comedic ode to the joys of eating. He arrives in town in the style of a modern-day Shane to aid Tampopo in developing the perfect noodle soup company.
A number of tangential tales on the subject of the worth of food are woven throughout the primary storyline.
These tales include one about a thief who partakes in unsanctioned meal pairings and another about an old lady who torments a shopkeeper by incessantly compressing his products.
- Cast: Ken Watanabe, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Nobuko Miyamoto
- Genre: Comedy, Japanese
- Rating: R
- Where To Watch: HBO Max
16. Mostly Martha (2001)
A German restaurant’s kitchen is under the control of chef Martha Klein, and diners who complain about her food face consequences. She is completely devoted to cooking and has no intention of changing.
Even in counseling, she discusses control and her work. Her 8-year-old daughter Lina gets everything after her sister dies in a car accident. While looking into her niece’s paternity, Martha takes care of her. She is terrified by Mario, a mysterious new chef at Martha’s restaurant.
Her work and personal obligations create a situation that will put her views and life decisions to the ultimate test as these intrusives start to impact it significantly.
- Cast: Martina Gedeck, Sergio Castellitto, Maxime Foerste
- Genre: Comedy, Drama
- Rating: PG
- Where To Watch: Prime Video (rent/buy)
17. Soul Food (1997)
For forty years, the Sunday meal of soul cuisine hosted by grandmother Mama Joe has kept her family together, but due to an unfortunate event, the family meals halt when she is hospitalized for diabetes, and tensions between her three children begin to tear the family apart.
Two of the sisters are always at odds with one another. Teri is envious of Maxine’s marriage and is angered by how everyone expects the family can utilize her corporate pay. Maxine dislikes Teri’s arrogance and disregard for family customs.
The youngest, Bird, just wed an ex-con and took a favor from an old lover, which resulted in her husband being arrested. Ahmad, Mama Joe’s grandson, devises a plan to reunite the family and get everyone back to the dinner table.
- Cast: Vanessa L. Williams, Vivica A. Fox, Nia Long
- Genre: Comedy, Drama
- Rating: R
- Where To Watch: Prime Video
18. Waitress (2007)
Jenna is miserable in her marriage to Earl and is trying to save money to win a pie-baking competition. If she is successful, she plans to use the prize money to get out of her marriage. Her plans are immediately thrown off course when she finds out she is pregnant.
The pies she bakes at Joe’s Diner are out of this world, she takes Old Joe’s advice to heart, she puts up with her unpleasant boss Cal, she gets along with the two waitresses, Dawn and Becky, and she has a thing for the new doctor who moved to town.
As the pregnancy proceeds, living with Earl becomes more intolerable, the possibility of leaving becomes less clear, and the doctor’s illicit affair with the patient becomes hampered by the fact that he is married.
- Cast: Keri Russell, Nathan Fillion, Cheryl Hines
- Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
- Rating: PG-13
- Where To Watch: Prime Video (rent/buy)
19. Chocolat (2000)
Nobody could have predicted the influence that enigmatic Vianne and her kid would have on the town’s fiercely embedded traditions when they first arrived in the peaceful French village in the winter of 1959.
She establishes a unique chocolate business a few days later across from the church on the plaza.
The villagers are persuaded to give in to temptation just as Lent is about to start by her ability to anticipate her client’s needs and please them with precisely the perfect confection.
- Cast: Juliette Binoche, Johnny Depp, Judi Dench
- Genre: Drama, Romance
- Rating: PG-13
- Where To Watch: Prime Video (rent)
20. Fried Green Tomatoes (1991)
Even though Evelyn Couch is going through a terrible period, no one appears to take her worries about the status of her marriage seriously.
She is told the tale of Idgie Threadgoode, a teenage girl who resided in Alabama during the 1920s, by Ninny Threadgoode, a lively elderly woman. She runs across her when visiting family members who dwell in a nursing home.
Idgie’s existence serves as an example for Evelyn, giving her the capacity to be more self-assured, and she also has a lifelong relationship with Ninny.
- Cast: Kathy Bates, Mary Stuart Masterson, Mary-Louise Parker
- Genre: Drama
- Rating: PG-13
- Where To Watch: Prime Video (rent/buy)
Also read: 50 Best Bollywood Movies For Wholesome Entertainment
21. Spinning Plates (2012)
In the film Spinning Plates, three unique restaurants and the unusual individuals that run them are profiled. A modern eatery ranked seventh finest in the world, where the chef faces a potentially fatal challenge in order to follow his love.
The only reason a 150-year-old restaurant inherited by the family is still operating is because of its unshakable connection to the neighborhood. A newly opened Mexican eatery whose proprietors are risking everything to make ends meet and care for their newborn daughter.
Together, their fascinating tales of family, ancestry, passion, and survival demonstrate the significance of food and the ability it has to bring people together.
- Cast: Grant Achatz, Cindy Breitbach, Mike Breitbach
- Genre: Documentary
- Rating: Suitable for all audience
- Where To Watch: Vudu (rent/buy)
22. The Trip (2010)
Someone called ‘The Observer’ has tasked Steve Coogan with an important assignment to visit some of the country’s best restaurants. He immediately begins to fantasize about taking his stunning girlfriend on the trip of a lifetime.
But, when she changes her mind and decides not to join him, he is left with no one to go with him other than his closest buddy and a constant source of annoyance, Rob Brydon.
A tale of eating, drinking, and rating a restaurant while curbing the urge to kill each other.
- Cast: Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon, Claire Keelan
- Genre: Comedy
- Rating: Age 15+
- Where To Watch: Prime Video
23. The Founder (2016)
The actual tale of how Ray Kroc, a salesman who was having trouble making it in Illinois, met Mac and Dick McDonald, who was operating a burger business in Southern California in the 1950s.
Mac and Dick McDonald were brothers. Kroc was taken aback by the brothers’ efficient meal preparation method and recognized its potential as a franchise opportunity. Kroc quickly works himself into a position to be able to wrest control of the firm away from his siblings and establish himself as the head of a multibillion-dollar empire.
A tale based on the real story of what made the world-famous and renowned burger joint McDonald’s into what it is today.
- Cast: Michael Keaton, Nick Offerman, John Carroll Lynch
- Genre: Biography, Drama
- Rating: PG-13
- Where To Watch: Prime Video, Netflix
24. East Side Sushi (2014)
One of Juana’s many talents is her lightning-fast and pinpoint precision with knives. After several years working at a fruit stand, she decides to take a job at a Japanese restaurant nearby.
She becomes fascinated by sushi and decides to teach herself how to make different kinds on her own. She ultimately seeks to train as a sushi chef but is refused because she has the “wrong” ethnicity and gender. She embarks on a journey of self-discovery, doggedly committed to pursuing her passions against the odds.
- Cast: Diana Elizabeth Torres, Yutaka Takeuchi, Rodrigo Duarte Clark
- Genre: Comedy, Drama
- Rating: PG
- Where To Watch: Prime Video (rent/buy)
25. Sideways (2004)
Miles, a struggling writer and wine enthusiast, travels to wine country with his engaged friend Jack to enjoy his last days of singlehood.
Miles just wants to relax and drink some wine, but Jack is hoping to have one more fling before tying the knot. As Miles and Maya become close, Stephanie and her friend Jack’s head to bed. When Miles tells the woman that Jack is getting married, they are both furious and decide to cancel the trip.
- Cast: Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, Virginia Madsen
- Genre: Comedy, Drama
- Rating: R
- Where To Watch: HBO Max, Prime Video (rent/buy)
26. The God of Cookery (1996)
A chef’s title is taken away from him after he publicly shamed and exposed the chef who was coined as the “God of Cookery” as a con artist out of jealousy.
The main job of the “God of Cookery” is to be an outstanding chef who passes judgment on all challengers. While this new chef has assumed the role of the God of Cookery, the old God of Cooking is making an effort to recover his former throne. He proposes combat to determine forever and ever who is the true God of Cookery.
- Cast: Stephen Chow, Karen Mok, Vincent Kok
- Genre: Comedy, Drama
- Rating: PG-13
- Where To Watch: Disney+
27. Toast (2010)
Even if his mother’s culinary expertise is limited to making toast, Nigel Slater has high hopes for his future in the kitchen.
Nigel’s relationship with his father begins to deteriorate after the death of his mother, which is exacerbated by the fact that his father later remarries a lady who woos him with a lemon meringue pie. Nigel enrolls at a cooking school and also begins working in a bar.
Soon fierce competition starts brewing between his stepmother and him for two objectives, his father’s undivided attention and doing better than her in kitchen expertise.
- Cast: Freddie Highmore, Helena Bonham Carter, Ken Stott
- Genre: Comedy, Drama
- Rating: PG-13
- Where To Watch: Peacock TV
28. The Ramen Girl (2008)
After four years of college, Abby, a spoiled brat with no direction, moves to Tokyo to be with her sweetheart, but he soon moves on to Osaka, abandoning her. She is upset since she knows very little Japanese and works as a gopher at a legal firm, but she wants to stay in Tokyo in the false hopes that he will return to her.
She stumbles into the ramen shop managed by Maezumi, a skilled chef who is sick, and his wife, Reiko. Because o how good his soup is, Abby decides to become an apprentice. When he is uninterested and she is insistent, he screams at her and gives her all the household chores. After weeks of her persistence, will he finally teach her?
- Cast: Brittany Murphy, Toshiyuki Nishida, Tammy Blanchard
- Genre: Comedy, Drama
- Rating: PG-13
- Where To Watch: Prime Video (rent/buy)
29. A Touch of Spice (2003)
A seasoned astrophysics professor, Fanis finally makes the trip home to Constantinople to see his ill grandfather, a spice trader.
While taking a trip down memory lane, Fanis reveals the story of the forced exodus of the persecuted Greek-Orthodox population of Constantinople from 1964–1965 and his training as a gastronome. He also discusses his early romantic experiences, his lifelong love of food, and the adversities that shaped him.
- Cast: Georges Corraface, Ieroklis Michaelidis, Renia Louizidou
- Genre: Comedy, Drama
- Rating: R
- Where To Watch: *Not Available to stream on any platform right now*
30. The Kitchen (2019)
Hell’s Kitchen is a rough neighborhood located in New York City that spans 20 blocks between 8th Avenue and the Hudson River.
This area is controlled by the Irish mafia. Nevertheless, things are about to take a dramatic and unexpected turn for Kathy, Ruby, and Claire, who are all married to mafia bosses. As their husbands are sent to prison by the FBI, three women decide to operate the rackets and eliminate the competition on their own. They do this by taking over the businesses their husbands ran.
- Cast: Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish, Elisabeth Moss
- Genre: Crime, Drama
- Rating: R
- Where To Watch: Prime Video (rent/buy)
Also read: 40 Best Snake Movies of All Time
31. Burnt Offerings (1976)
Ben and Marian Rolf can’t believe that the rent at their enormous Victorian summer house is so reasonable. Yet, after some time has passed, they have begun to get the impression that there is something odd about the location.
Ben learns that he is prone to uncommon outbursts of fury, while Marian has a peculiar obsession with keeping the house clean, and his formerly bubbly aunt Elizabeth withdraws into herself before passing away for unknown reasons. When the couple makes efforts to readjust, they begin to speculate about whether or not the house itself could be to blame.
- Cast: Karen Black, Oliver Reed, Burgess Meredith
- Genre: Horror, Mystery
- Rating: PG
- Where To Watch: Prime Video
32. Woman on Top (2000)
Isabella, a seductive Brazilian chef with severe motion sickness, must always be in command, whether she’s behind the wheel, in the kitchen, on the dance floor, or engaging in sexual activity.
Isabella’s husband, Toninho, is understanding and perplexed by the situation. The independent young woman has had enough of her adulterous boyfriend and chooses to do what she does best and go to San Francisco. For the first time in her life, Isabella will feel valued when she begins a successful career as the host of her television cooking program.
- Cast: Penélope Cruz, Murilo Benício, Harold Perrineau
- Genre: Romance, Comedy
- Rating: R
- Where To Watch: Prime Video (rent/buy)
33. Simply Irresistible (1999)
Amanda Shelton, a poor cook, has problems drawing clients to the restaurant her family owns after her mother’s passing.
Gene O’Reilly presents her with a mystical, magical thing called a mystery crab, which also gives her some of the materials she needs. After that, Amanda’s meals suddenly become exceptional, and those who consume them experience a range of powerful feelings as a direct result.
Tom Bartlett, who is getting ready to launch his own café, samples some of her cuisine and immediately falls in love with her.
- Cast: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Sean Patrick Flanery, Patricia Clarkson
- Genre: Romance, Comedy
- Rating: PG-13
- Where To Watch: Hulu
34. A Walk in the Clouds (1995)
When a newly wedded American soldier named Paul makes his way home from World War Two, he runs into Victoria. Victoria fears returning to her Mexican family since her father is quite traditional and controlling, and he is very likely to disapprove of her unwed pregnancy.
Paul promises to play the part of her spouse to help smooth things over until he can go again, but as they spend more time together, they find themselves falling in love. As Paul is still married, they have to hold back until some tragic event brings them together.
- Cast: Keanu Reeves, Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, Anthony Quinn
- Genre: Romance
- Rating: PG-13
- Where To Watch: Prime Video
35. Last Holiday (2006)
In New Orleans, Georgia Byrd is a cashier in a retail establishment, and she delays gratification by eating Lean Cuisine instead of preparing gourmet meals, creating extravagant meals for herself, secretly liking a coworker, and avoiding leaving Louisiana in order to save money.
Everything shifts when a CT scan reveals she has only three weeks to live. In Prague, she visits the Grandhotel Pupp and withdraws money to dine at Chef Didier’s table. In the hotel are several powerful Americans, including a member of Congress, a senator, a successful retail tycoon, and his boyfriend.
After checking in to the Presidential Suite, she goes snowboarding and ends up attracting the attention of the hotel’s chef. Seeing as she has nothing to lose, she gives them honest feedback.
- Cast: Queen Latifah, LL Cool J, Timothy Hutton
- Genre: Comedy
- Rating: PG-13
- Where To Watch: Netflix
36. Love’s Kitchen (2011)
Emerging as a bright new star in the world of cuisine and culinary, along with being the owner of a restaurant in London, Rob Haley is devastated by the death of his wife.
Rob gets the idea to liven up his life by transforming a run-down rural bar into a high-end restaurant from his renowned buddy and real-life TV chef Gordon Ramsay. Ramsay encourages Rob to pursue this life-changing endeavor.
His cuisine piques the interest and taste buds of the stunning American food blogger & critic Kate Templeton, and the two of them quickly collaborate on a love dish that satisfies their hearts and stomachs.
- Cast: Claire Forlani, Dougray Scott, Michelle Ryan
- Genre: Romance, Comedy
- Rating: PG-13
- Where To Watch: Peacock TV
37. The Magic of Belle Isle (2012)
As a result of his alcoholism, Western author Monty Wildhorn has lost all of his motivation. His nephew convinces him to spend the summer on the peaceful Belle Island. He reluctantly meets a woman who has recently become a single parent and her three daughters, all of whom assist him in regaining the inspiration to write.
- Cast: Morgan Freeman, Virginia Madsen, Madeline Carroll
- Genre: Comedy, Drama
- Rating: PG
- Where To Watch: Prime Video (rent/buy)
Also Read: 20 Best Morgan Freeman Movies To Watch – According To IMDb Rating!
38. Today’s Special (2009)
In New York City, Samir works as a sous chef, but after being passed up for a promotion and having his cuisine criticized by his boss, he decides to leave the company.
Samir’s father had a cardiac arrest and, therefore, must remain at home for weeks to come by, so instead of going to Paris for an unpaid internship, Samir has to run the family’s failing Indian restaurant in Queens.
As the chef leaves, Samir tracks down Akbar, a cab driver who claims to have cooked for English nobility in Bombay, and things rapidly get out of hand because he has no idea how to prepare Indian cuisine. In addition to cooking from the heart, mind, and stomach, Akbar offers philosophy. Samir’s new friend, Carrie, in New York City, helps him start to enjoy his work there.
- Cast: Aasif Mandvi, Naseeruddin Shah, Jess Weixler
- Genre: Comedy, Drama
- Rating: R
- Where To Watch: Prime Video (rent/buy),
39. The Scent of Green Papaya (1993)
A young girl from the countryside by the name of Mui is recruited by a wealthy family in Saigon to work for them as a maid. The story takes place in Vietnam.
Despite the household’s financial situation deteriorating, Mui continues to work for them as a servant and develops romantic feelings for one of their acquaintances, the dashing Khuyen.
When some time has passed, Mui finds work for Khuyen, who has since become a famous pianist. Although Khuyen is in a relationship with someone else, he has come to recognize the deep connection he shares with Mui over time.
- Cast: Tran Nu Yên-Khê, Man San Lu, Thi Loc Truong
- Genre: Drama
- Rating: U
- Where To Watch: Prime Video (rent/buy)
40. In the Mood for Love (2000)
Chow Mo-Wan, a newspaper editor, and his wife moved into a new building in Hong Kong in 1962. Su Li-Zhen, a stunning secretary, and her successful husband both enter the busy building at the same moment.
Because their spouses are often on the road, Chow and Li-zhen spend much of their time together as friends instead than as husbands and wives. They have many interests and hobbies, from martial arts to noodle sales.
Soon they find out, to their dismay, that their partners are cheating on them. In spite of their anger and resentment, they find comfort in their growing connection and vow to avoid making the same mistakes that led to their spouses’ infidelity.
- Cast: Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Maggie Cheung, Ping Lam Siu
- Genre: Romance, Drama
- Rating: PG
- Where To Watch: HBO Max
41. Soul Kitchen (2009)
Zinos owns a restaurant in Hamburg that serves low-quality food, but he struggles to make ends meet because his girlfriend moved to Shanghai, he injured his back, and he is unable to cook.
His irresponsible brother can only be released from jail on a daily basis if Zinos employs him even though if he refuses to work, a classmate wants to purchase the restaurant’s property, and the tax authority and health inspector are investigating him.
Zinos appoints a volatile chef and loses every client; he next executes a power of attorney giving his brother complete control over the restaurant; and last, he purchases a ticket to China.
- Cast: Adam Bousdoukos, Moritz Bleibtreu, Pheline Roggan
- Genre: Comedy, Drama
- Rating: R
- Where To Watch: Apple TV (rent/buy)
42. The Cup (1999)
During the World Cup in France, two Tibetan emigrants, ages 16 and 17, arrive in a monastery in exile in India that doubles as a boarding school. A young student named Orgyen, obsessed with soccer, has somewhat disrupted the setting of peaceful thought.
After being unable to watch the Cup finals on television in a nearby hamlet due to a combination of events, Orgyen decides to rent a TV for the monastery.
A test of teamwork, resourcefulness, and camaraderie, this endeavor takes place while the monastery’s spiritual head, the Lama, contemplates the challenges of spreading Buddha’s teachings in a world where everything is changing so quickly.
- Cast: Jamyang Lodro, Neten Chokling, Lama Chonjor
- Genre: Comedy
- Rating: PG
- Where To Watch: Prime Video (rent/buy)
43. A Chef in Love (1996)
The story of Pascal Ichak, a flamboyant French traveler, party animal, and chef who becomes infatuated with Georgia, who is a Georgian princess in the 1920s. Everything is going smoothly as the Soviet revolution that has spread through Russia reaches Georgia until the Red Army of the Caucasus shows up.
The narrative is presented as a flashback from the present day when a French-Georgian guy, whose mother was Pascal’s lover, translates his memoirs for Pascal’s niece.
- Cast: Pierre Richard, Micheline Presle, Otar Iosseliani
- Genre: Romance, Comedy
- Rating: PG-13
- Where To Watch: *Not Available to Stream Right Now*
44. The Taste of Others (2000)
Castella is a prosperous businessman who is struggling to keep up with the ever-accelerating pace of change. Allowing his wife Anglique to bring him to a production of Racine’s “Bérénice” is something he does more because he is bored than because he is interested in the play.
He was taken aback by how powerful and beautiful the lead actress, Clara, was. He was captivated by her performance. Ultimately, these opposite poles’ personalities are forced to interact with one another when Clara is cast in the role of Castella’s English instructor while he attempts to learn the language on his own.
- Cast: Anne Alvaro, Jean-Pierre Bacri, Alain Chabat
- Genre: Comedy
- Rating: R
- Where To Watch: Prime Video
45. The Mistress of Spices (2005)
A young Indian woman named Tilo has the ability to see into the future. Bandits murdered her parents, and she was kidnapped before escaping to a safe haven where the First Mother raised her in a traditional spice cult.
She is given the title of Mistress of Spices and is under strict orders never to leave the business, avoid physical contact at all costs, and help her customers achieve their goals with the spices she sells, but never her own.
She has broken the first rule by developing strong feelings for Doug, a handsome American architect, and is thus being tormented by the spices.
- Cast: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Dylan McDermott, Nitin Ganatra
- Genre: Romance, Drama
- Rating: PG-13
- Where To Watch: Prime Video (rent/buy)
Also Read: 31 Best Thai Horror Movies To Watch
46. Eat a Bowl of Tea (1989)
Legislation that had been responsible for stopping the immigration of Chinese people into the United States was overturned just prior to the end of World War II.
Ben Loy, a Chinese-American who has recently finished his tour of service in the United States Army, is being pushed by his family to take advantage of this opportunity by traveling to China and coming back to the United States with a new wife.
Ben Loy served in the United States Army. He ends up marrying Mei Oi, but she struggles to acclimate to life in the United States while Ben deals with his controlling family. Eventually, he does find a bride.
- Cast: Cora Miao, Russell Wong, Victor Wong
- Genre: Romance, Comedy, Drama
- Rating: PG-13
- Where To Watch: Prime Video (rent/buy)
47. Tortilla Soup (2001)
Maribel, Leticia, and Carmen are three adult sisters who are attempting to live with their father, Martin, a seasoned chef who is gradually losing his sense of taste and is thus unable to cook anymore.
Despite their efforts, Martin continues to live with them. Martin abides by one rule: everyone must be present at their house for Sunday supper, and this obligation cannot be broken under any circumstances.
A schism appears in the family as a consequence of the sisters’ romantic involvement with other people and the annoying lady played by Raquel Welch’s pursuit of Martin’s love.
- Cast: Héctor Elizondo, Jacqueline Obradors, Tamara Mello
- Genre: Romance, Comedy
- Rating: PG-13
- Where To Watch: Peacock TV, Prime Video
48. The Kitchen Toto (1987)
A missionary in Kenya in the 1950s confronts a terrorist organization known as the “Mau Mau,” consequently, he pays the ultimate price for his defiance by losing his life.
As a result, the preacher’s young son, Mwangi, is left to fend for himself. Mwangi finds a job in the kitchen of John Graham, the British police chief in the area. Graham embraces Mwangi, despite the fact that Graham’s wife and son have a disdainful attitude toward him.
Things turn from bad to much worse when the Mau Mau decide to meddle in Mwangi’s life once more, and this time they demand that he join forces with them.
- Cast: Edwin Mahinda, Michael Kitchen, Phyllis Logan
- Genre: Drama
- Rating: PG-13
- Where To Watch: ScreenPix on Amazon
49. The Wedding Banquet (1993)
Wai Tung and his lover are a gay couple who are quite content with their lives in New York City. Wai Tung’s parents are Taiwanese, and he has not been upfront regarding his sexuality with them.
As a result, Wai-Tung resolves to marry Wei-Wei, a failing artist who is eager for a green card, in order to capitulate to his parents’ yearning for a conventional Chinese relationship.
When Wai Tung’s parents decide to throw an elaborate wedding supper, the straightforward arrangement transforms into a luxurious disaster.
- Cast: Winston Chao, May Chin, Ya-Lei Kuei
- Genre: Comedy, Drama
- Rating: R
- Where To Watch: Prime Video
50. My Bakery In Brooklyn (2016)
Vivien and Chloe, cousins from Brooklyn, were inseparable until quite recently. With their Aunt Isabelle’s unexpected passing, they were left with the daunting responsibility of running her successful Boulangerie.
Chloe, who works as an assistant to Fernando, a chef on a popular daytime TV cooking show, feels they should modernize, while Vivien, who has put off her dream vacation to Europe to help manage the business, wants to stick to tradition.
The Boulangerie is in danger of foreclosure, and Vivien and Chloe must cease baking to protect their family’s legacy. Vivien and the bank agent Paul are attempting to convince the financial institution that Vivien’s uncle Dave, a recent widower, has relocated to the Boulangerie because of mounting debt.
Paul develops feelings for Vivien, Fernando and Chloe’s love/hate relationship heats up, and Paul’s boss covets Isabelle’s job.
- Cast: Eddie Murphy, Britt Robertson, Natascha McElhone
- Genre: Comedy, Drama
- Rating: PG-13
- Where To Watch: Prime Video, Netflix
Also Read: Best 50 Sci-Fi Shows Of All Time To Watch
