After rave reviews for Ugly Delicious, celebrity restaurateur David Chang has returned to Netflix with the playful Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. Launched on October 23, the four-part show continues Chang&rsquos hugely successful formula (of having no formula) and takes viewers through a quick world tour for&mdashyou guessed it&mdashfour epic trips centred around breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The first episode sees Chang trawl the streets of Vancouver with comedian, actor and director Seth Rogen. The two indulge in recreational marijuana (it&rsquos legal in the city) and go on a meet-the-munchies binge into the multicultural city, trying samosas, dim sums and more. Future episodes see Chang unravel Chrissy Teigen&rsquos view of Marrakesh via medinas, the desert, and getting their hands dirty in a tagine pot reminisce nostalgic &lsquoLA go-tos&rsquo like crawfish and deep-fried brownies with Lena Waithe (Master of None) and jaunt across Phnom Penh with Kate McKinnon to sample durian, rice doughnuts and the country&rsquos troubled history.
Needless to say, the show&rsquos vastly entertaining, with each guest dominating their respective episodes with their unmistakable aesthetics and senses of humour. But the main question, of course, is this is Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner actually focussed on celebrating food cultures Or is that merely a base to pique the viewer's interest enough to hit &lsquoplay&rsquo, a base that&rsquos quickly overshadowed by three hours of 'celebrities they&rsquore just like us'
We&rsquore midway into the show, but still haven&rsquot come to a decision. Those in the American entertainment industry aren&rsquot exactly the ideal guides to teach audiences about multiculturalism. Even in informal conversations, the guests on Ugly Delicious easily displayed their experience, and added seasoned insights when tackling authenticity and food. It almost felt academic. And though still an interesting watch, that profound deep-dive feels absent from Chang&rsquos latest.
Nevertheless, the star power in Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner should help uninterested viewers abandon stereotypes and want to learn more about foreign cuisines. We&rsquore waiting to see how Chang takes things up a notch in season 2.
