Cooking shows and celebrity chefs are so ubiquitous, and so bland, today that it’s a welcome relief to settle in and follow writer/director Monika Treut on her culinary expedition of Taiwan because she keeps the focus of the film on the food and the people who make it. And while there are plenty of cooking shows these days filled with photo ops showing the celebrity chef touring the market early in the morning, you can tell they are only doing it because the cameras are there. Not so the chefs in Treut’s film, most of whom have a personal relationship with the people who raise the food they feed their customers. The director also does a good job of establishing the place where all this lovely cooking takes place, without being snarky or judgmental about it, or too touristy, either. She’s the perfect guide for a culinary journey many of us can only dream about.
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