Cover A scene from 'Hunger' on Netflix
A scene from 'Hunger' on Netflix
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Our senior dining writer’s reaction to the Thai drama currently streaming on Netflix
Movies don’t usually intrigue me—unless they are about the food industry. And with the rise of films and series addressing the issues around fine dining over the last two years, I’ve found myself spending more time in front of the screen.
From the 2021 British drama Boiling Point and the American comedy-drama series The Bear to Mark Mylod’s The Menu, it is clear that the future of the dining industry is a topic on the tip of everyone’s tongues. While Boiling Point presents a realistic expression of the stresses that industry workers face, dark comedy The Menu is a satirical, over-the-top take on classism. Hunger falls somewhere in between, juxtaposing fine dining staff and those that they cook for.
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Above Official trailer of 'Hunger'
Contrasting scenes are used effectively, from noodles frying in woks by the street side to pristine kitchens filled with expensive cuts of meat and luxe ingredients. While the switch in scenes between street food and luxury dining experiences is repetitive, the movie portrays the socio-economic class divides rather effectively through vivid cinematography.
The plot focuses on Aoy, played by Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying, a young woman working at her father’s pad see ew restaurant. Faced with the opportunity to work with the renowned chef Paul, played by Nopachai Chaiyanam, Aoy tackles her aspirations with her values, finding herself torn between the two. While Aoy sweats in her family kitchen, frying plate after plate of hearty noodles based on a family recipe passed down from her grandmother, the food she makes at Hunger (chef Paul’s restaurant) takes hours to perfect.
Hunger’s clientele—politicians, billionaires and celebrities—make a spectacle out of the food they are served, slurping in delight, sauce dripping down their chins, and colouring their teeth. The diners' theatrical display of their ability to enjoy chef Paul's food, which serves as a status symbol, is grotesque.
Above Pad see ew chef Aoy (played by Chutimon Chuengcharoens) changes her perception of food when she goes to work at a fine dining restaurant
Pad see ew chef Aoy (played by Chutimon Chuengcharoens) changes her perception of food when she goes to work at a fine dining restaurant
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Aoy’s father, in contrast, takes a sip of a trendy, expensive cup of coffee, and tells his family he doesn’t understand what makes it special. In a way, his detachment of food and status allows him to have a more discerning palate than those who are able to afford Hunger's food.
The movie presents a clear narrative of good and evil, pitching fine dining and those that are sucked into its traps against comforting, homestyle fare. While reality is often not so black and white, it has to be said that fine dining has become a favourite filmmakers' tool to talk about classism and, in this movie, toxic work environments.
In one scene, a sous chef steals foie gras and Wagyu from the kitchen, and questions why he is unable to afford or enjoy the very ingredients he has been trained to cook to perfection. Sadly, that is the reality for the majority of kitchen staff, due to low wages as well as long and odd working hours.
Above Nopachai Chaiyanam plays chef Paul of Hunger
Nopachai Chaiyanam plays chef Paul of Hunger
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As Aoy spends more time working at Hunger, her approach to dining changes. She tells family members to use certain utensils, and looks down on the simple fare she once enjoyed, showing how her exposure to the pretence around the fine dining industry has resulted in a lack of satisfaction. And, that is what Hunger is about—being hungry for status, wealth, exposure, for more than any meal can satisfy.
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About
Katelyn is the dining and travel editor of Malaysia and Indonesia. Based in Kuala Lumpur, she offers readers an inside look at the movers and shakers in Asia’s growing food and beverage industry.
