“The Chef” and “The Bear”, two series that put chefs on the grill

“The Chef”, on Canal+, and “The Bear”, on Disney+, are widely opening the kitchens of their restaurants, one in London, the other in Chicago. At their head, gifted under pressure. Thrilling.

Uno letter and an ocean separate them. Carly, heroine of the exciting series The Chefis the British alter ego of Carmy, the American cook of The Bear. These two kitchen maestros opened their restaurants a few months apart, in 2022. The Londoner appeared first in the film Boiling Point, by Philip Barantini (titled The Chef when it was released in France), critical success across the Channel. The Chicago chef followed closely, and has since won all the awards in Hollywood. The Chef depicts the chaotic evenings of a chic restaurant in the English capital run by Carly (Vinette Robinson), barely opened and already on the verge of bankruptcy… A kitchen nightmare similar to the one faced by Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) In The Bear.

Ingredients

The Chef et The Bear are both filmed with hand-held cameras, often in nervous sequence shots. When it comes to the kitchen, it's always a blast. We scream to drown out the noise of frying — and during frequent spats. In the dining room, the atmosphere is more subdued but just as tense. Anxious and passionate – like Carmy – Carly plays her skin on each dish. The Englishwoman turns out to be more delicate and discreet than her American colleague, impulsive and self-destructive. Their brigades, on the other hand, are almost twins: a new kid, a toxic deputy boss, a mother figure, an agitated financier…

Recipes

The Chef et The Bear are presented above all as human dramas, tackling serious themes such as depression, addictions and suicide. When they escape from the kitchens, it is to reveal the intimacy of broken but resilient characters. Carmy and Carly thus share the same inaptitude for happiness, crushed by the weight of a tragic past and dysfunctional families – sick mothers, never supportive, absent fathers. As a result, their love lives are devastated and when love comes to them, they feel helpless. A trendy figure of the cursed artist revisited in fashion foodie.

Cooking methods

However, these two pressure series do not use the same cooking methods. The Bear, dark as it is, was classified in the “comedy” category at the last Emmy Awards. Mixed cooking, therefore, in Chicago, where laughter sometimes arises during a (rare) break. Propelled by the success of its first three seasons, the series should simmer for a long time, at the risk of lose its flavor. London opts instead for quick cooking with British humor, sharp, dark, seasoned with irony. The Chef – currently presented as a miniseries – can be consumed in just four episodes. Hence an even stronger feeling of urgency, which leads to a slight frustration: when the bill arrives, we are still hungry.

The Chef, Thursday 20.10, on Canal+; The Bear, three seasons available on Disney +.