Video review of this series up right here and written review below.
Ugly Delicious (TV Series 2018-)
Stars:
Hello and welcome back to the Solo Set here on the Zero DB podcast feed. The last review I did was the Netflix Series Altered Carbon. You can check out all 10 episode review right here on this channel.
The next Netflix series I’m doing is in documentary format and it’s called Ugly Delicious.
Ugly Delicious is a non-fiction original series on Netflix combining travel, cooking, and history. Each episode highlights one dish or concept, and explores how it is made in different regions and how it evolves.
Each episode examines the cultural, sociological, and culinary history of a specific popular food. The shows host or guest chef (if you will) David Chang, challenges and explores the attitudes in each dish’s lore. Mike Hale wrote in his review for The New York Times’s that Ugly Delicious is an “an extended television essay, in the form of free-associative, globe-trotting conversations about food and culture.”[2]
The series is 8 episodes long. Pizza, Tacos, Home cooking, Shrimp and Crawfish, BBQ, fried chicken, fried rice and Stuffed (the series closer that looks at the age-old debate between Italian and Asian dumplings)
Overall I really liked this series. I am a big fan of Anthony Bourdain and his programming. And one of the main reasons for that is how the food is almost second in importance following the cultural, sociological, and culinary history of that specific food or region or country. Ugly Delicious has that same feel where David Chang is very honest and human about how he feels and what he feels and for me more importantly he is honest when he doesn’t understand a point of view or when he really enjoys something and is not afraid to show his excitement for it. Some people think there is a little too much politics in this show, but I say boo hoo to you. This show isn’t only about food, it’s about David Chang. This is who he is or at least is represented this way in this series and I think it’s honest. I don’t like safe shows about food or just breaking the food down with no personality. It’s refreshing to see someone’s honest opinions on the food industry or just food culture all together. And lets give it up to Chang’s co-host Peter Meehan. Peter Meehan is the former New York Times $25-and-under restaurant critic, the co-author of the Momofuku cookbook, and the editor and co-founder of Lucky Peach.
OK, stay tuned for the next review here on the Solo Set. For the Zero DB Podcast feed, I’m your host Gabe Añel and I’ll see you on the next review! Thanks!