Latest news with #culinarydrama
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘The Bear' Renewed for Season 5 at FX
FX has once again said 'yes, chef' to 'The Bear,' renewing the hit culinary drama for a fifth season. ''The Bear' continues to be a fan favorite worldwide and their response to this season—as seen through incredibly high viewership—has been as spectacular as any of its previous seasons,' FX chairman John Landgraf said in a statement. 'Year-in and year-out, Chris Storer, the producers, cast and crew make 'The Bear' one of the best shows on television, and we are excited that they will continue to tell this magnificent story.' More from IndieWire Lena Dunham Took an 'Intentional Break' from Public Life Post-'Girls': 'I Felt Confused' After Media Backlash 'The Bear' Season 4 Should've Mixed Up the Menu - What Worked, What Didn't, and What's Next No production timeline or release date for 'The Bear' Season 5 was announced, though history suggests the show is likely to return in summer 2026. 'The Bear' famously releases new seasons at the same time that Emmy voters are considering the previous season, ensuring that the show is top of mind during the home stretch of the Emmy race. If that happens, Season 5 will aid the Emmy campaign of the just-dropped Season 4, which has received largely positive reviews, even if the ending proved to be polarizing. 'Seen one way, 'The Bear' Season 4 is still pretty fun; an emotionally rich restaurant drama with great food, a few laughs, and lots of heart,' IndieWire's Ben Travers wrote in his Season 4 review. 'Seen another way, though, and it's our second straight disappointment; a prolonged story propped up by its talented cast and dragged out for reasons that remain unclear. Revisiting 'The Bear' will likely always leave you nourished. But it's drifting further away from a Michelin-level hang.' Co-showrunners Christopher Storer and Joanna Calo also have to reckon with a problem faced by many successful TV shows: the budding film careers of their cast. Jeremy Allen White will play Bruce Springsteen (and possibly mount an Oscar campaign) for this fall's 'Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere,' Ebon Moss-Bachrach makes his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in this month's 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps,' and Ayo Edeberi stars in Luca Guadagnino's upcoming campus drama 'After the Hunt.' Best of IndieWire Guillermo del Toro's Favorite Movies: 56 Films the Director Wants You to See 'Song of the South': 14 Things to Know About Disney's Most Controversial Movie Nicolas Winding Refn's Favorite Films: 37 Movies the Director Wants You to See
The Guardian
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘For inspiration, we go back to family': the Bangkok hotel chef whose authentic cuisine is rooted in his past
Athiti Moungthong ('Aon' to his friends) lets his food do the talking. In his open kitchen at Waldorf Astoria Bangkok, the unassuming head chef conducts a silent orchestra of Thai sous-chefs. Egos are for Netflix. Here, guests can view a real-life culinary drama while sipping Thai-inspired cocktails such as komen (a blend of Phraya rum, Silpin tamarind syrup and Kopi vermouth) as woks are fired up to full power. The restaurant at the Waldorf is called Front Room for a reason. Diners are literally and figuratively welcomed into an open salon in the landmark hotel's lobby. Front Room's interiors mirror the contemporary cuisine: sophisticated yet unpretentious. The decor showcases Thailand's famous welcome: comfortable chairs and padded banquettes invite diners to while away hours; and 200 glass lights, which resemble the lanterns lit in Thailand to promote good fortune, illuminate the scene. Front Room combines a welcoming setting with homely cuisine The culinary inspiration is ros mue mae, which translates as 'cooked by mother'. Dishes draw ingenuity from generations of time-honoured recipes. 'For Thai people,' says Moungthong, 'sharing food is so important that anyone who could cook in my area of Bangkok was like a hero.' His foodie passion was fired by his late Bangkok grandmother, Thongyoi, and his first kitchen job was to stir 'her favourite recipe of gaeng som', a staple Thai curry that elevates fisher-fresh seafood with turmeric and limes. 'Sharing food is so important,' says Moungthong There's one major factor that makes Front Room different from many other restaurants in Bangkok. It showcases Moungthong's passion for presenting the best of Thai cuisine using recipes drawn from all four of Thailand's regions. Thai restaurants tend to be regionally focused, so it's hard to find this lovingly curated flavour combination anywhere else. He draws inspiration from the spicy flavours of Isaan in the north-east, the seafood-rich southern islands such as Koh Samui, the crossroads cuisine of central Thailand, and the hearty and humble dishes of northern Thailand around Chiang Mai. A collaboration of regional memories produced Front Room's menu of authentic Thai flavours with a modern twist. In Moungthong's words: 'Because our team comes from around Thailand, we brainstormed over lunch and met in the middle!' His colleague Waraporn Kaewpetch, for example, hails from Koh Samui and she shared her mother's recipe for wai khua. This dish takes two ubiquitous island ingredients – squid and coconut milk – to make a texture-rich white curry, cooked with lemongrass and tamarind paste. 'For inspiration, the easiest way is to go back to our family,' says Moungthong. The open kitchen provides a spectacle for diners, while the comfortable environment invites guests to while away the hours From the north comes larb, a traditional dish containing seven spices. Yet his version of pla gao nueng phrik larb kua forgoes meat in favour of a flaky southern fish, grouper, which has the heft to soak up spices such as Sichuan pepper, cinnamon and star anise. It's an unforgettable dish that diners will be hard pressed to find elsewhere. 'Thai cuisine is all about balancing the four Ss,' says Moungthong. 'Sour, sweet, salty and spicy with hidden tastes of nutty, bitter and astringent.' Too spicy for some? 'Thai food is more about bold flavours,' such as holy basil and galangal, says Moungthong, rather than heat. That said, if lowering spices would 'not give the original flavour of the dish, our service team would recommend an alternative'. Authenticity reigns. Moungthong's colleagues bring the flavours of their regions into the mix For Moungthong, the ingredients are as important as the recipe. He sources his northern flavours from Or Tor Kor market, near Bangkok's new train terminal, where sleeper trains railroad through the night to Chiang Mai. The market is renowned for its specialist stalls: one dedicated to mangos, another stocking only mantis shrimp. 'Visitors can win at Instagram at Or Tor Kor market,' laughs Moungthong. To reach it, Waldorf guests can board the nearby Skytrain, which zips through Bangkok's 21st-century skyline in air-conditioned silence. A handful of ingredients are sourced from overseas. Like Japanese Hokkaido scallops, coveted for their meaty nature, which Moungthong dices into his phla lai bua hoy shell, one of his signature dishes. Like most at Front Room, the recipe relies on skill and flawless timing. Phla refers to the base salad of lemongrass, kaffir limes and shallots. 'Then I dress the soup with rice sugar, tamarind juice and dried shrimp,' says Moungthong. The Hokkaido scallop is seared for a single minute, before finishing its ceviche-style cooking process in the soup, alongside pomelo (a giant citrus) and lotus root. 'When guests say that my food is delicious, it makes me happy too,' says Moungthong Of all Moungthong's dishes, one of his desserts personifies his unpretentious style. Maphrao cheesecake was inspired by Moungthong's original kitchen role as a pastry chef. Served in a bowl shaped like a coconut, the pudding toys with textures of jellied coconut and white chocolate mousse. The result is a sensory climax of feel and flavour. As satisfied diners depart the Front Room to ride the elevator to one of Waldorf Astoria's panoramic guest rooms, Moungthong is content. 'When guests say that my food is delicious, it makes me happy too,' he says. Discover Southeast Asia and Waldorf Astoria Bangkok today
