UPDATE: In honour of the debut screening, Executive Chef Jason Bangerter of Luma will present an appetizer from A Matter of Taste - Cured Kona Kampachi with Foie Gras Chantilly and Wild Sorrel Leaves. The dish will be available in the Luma dining room and the BlackBerry Lounge.
I was asked to preview the screener for A Matter of Taste - Serving up Paul Liebrandt.
I was asked to preview the screener for A Matter of Taste - Serving up Paul Liebrandt.
SYNOPSIS
A Matter of Taste takes an intimate look inside the world of an immednsely talented and driven young British chef, Paul Liebrandt. At 24, he was the youngest chef to have received 3 stars from the New York Times for unforgettable and hyper modern dishes such as "eel, violets and chocolate", "espuma of calf brains and foie gras," and "beer and truffle soup."
Critic William Grimes likened Paul to "a pianist who seems to have found a couple of dozen extra keys." Conversely, Gourmet critic Johnathan Gold called Paul's food "the result of a failed science experiment." He soon became a chef critics loved or loved to hate
The film is a straightforward behind-the-scenes portrait of Paul and reveals the creative process, the extreme hard work, long hours, and dedication it takes to be a culinary artist and have success in the cutthroat world of haute cuisine in New York City. Exploring the complicated relationships between food critics, chefs and restaurant owners, the film delves into the life of an uncompromising, thought provoking, young chef ahead of his time.
A Matter of Taste was selected as one of the eight films for SXSW 2011 Documentary Competition (from a total of 808 submissions). Each film is a World Premiere. Watch the short trailer below:
MY THOUGHTS
I really enjoyed A Matter of Taste, a 70-min film about Paul Liebrandt, who is truly an amazing figure - both a chef and a food artist. His sophisticated dishes are out-of-this-world (!!!) and it was really fascinating watching him in the kitchen. Liebrandt is also a very funny guy - he is bold, quirky, and inventive, but he is also very shy and socially reserved. One of my favourite things in the film were the interactions between him and his girlfriend...they are so cute together! The film basically follows Liebrandt's up and down career in NYC's treacherous restaurant business, and I really felt for him at the beginning when he was working at normal bistros and restaurants that did not allow him to showcase his incredible talent. My favourite part of A Matter of Taste was definitely towards the end, when Corton opened and all the staff's, owner's and Liebrandt's anxiety over when exactly Frank Bruni (New York Times food critic at the time) would come and visit (as his reservations are made under a false name). The question "How many stars would Frank Bruni give? Two? Three?" was all they cared about and lived for. I thoroughly enjoyed A Matter of Taste and I would recommend it to anyone who loves and appreciates food.
**Liebrandt now co-owns the Tribeca restaurant Corton with owner of Nobu, Drew Neiporent. New York Time's food critic Frank Bruni gave Corton three stars. Corton is one of only six New York restaurants to have two Michelin stars.**
I will be attending A Matter of Taste's opening night at TIFF Bell Lightbox. I will also be interviewing Paul Liebrandt and director, Sally Rowe.
WANT TO JOIN ME ON OPENING NIGHT?
I'm giving away a PAIR of tickets to A Matter of Taste's opening night screening on Thursday, September 29th @ 7:30PM at TIFF Bell Lightbox. All you need to do is follow me (@foodieyu) on Twitter and tweet the following exactly as shown:
I want to win a pair of tickets to A Matter of Taste at TIFF BLB http://bit.ly/pPODKq #AMOT
The contest ends on Wednesday, September 28th @ 12:00PM. The winner will be decided randomly by from random.org. I will be announcing the winner on Twitter shortly after the contest ends.
GOOD LUCK! ^_^
If you're interested in watching A Matter of Taste, click here for TIFF show times.