‘The Chef Show’s Jon Favreau on Why He’s Continuing to Explore the Culinary World
Steak and potatoes. Pasta and Bolognese sauce. Fish and chips. Some things just go well together — and for actor-director Jon Favreau and award-winning chef Roy Choi, that’s food and friends.
The two men, who hit it off while working together on Favreau’s 2014 dramedy Chef, bonded over their love of being in the kitchen and immediately began brainstorming ways to collaborate again. “It was such a fulfilling experience,” Favreau says. “I wanted to continue exploring this world.”
And so The Chef Show was born. On each episode of the delightful series, the pair celebrate the joys of cooking, baking, grilling and hanging out with pals, including Favreau’s Avengers costars. Gwyneth Paltrow drops by in Episode 1 to enjoy food inspired by her character’s name, Pepper Pots, while Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man) and Tom Holland (Spider-Man), take in a seafood feast in Episode 2.
Other installments continue the mix of conversations and cooking, including a visit to the Franklin Barbecue in Austin and a look at the culinary delights in L.A.’s Koreatown. “We wanted to capture the spirit of coming together,” Favreau says of the series, which he and Choi have been working on for three years.
“Cooking is about learning and sharing.” Choi agrees: “Sometimes life is about spending time [with loved ones] and letting that be enough.”
The Chef Show, Streaming now, Netflix