The Food Shows and Movies BA Editors Are Watching This August

I can all too easily fall down a rabbit hole of food media, accidentally watching hours of Top Chef, cake IG reels, and our own Test Kitchen YouTube videos. And now that we’re in the heat of August and it’s way too hot to cook anything lavish on the stove, I am watching others create meals on TV without having to leave my couch. Seeing people prepare food on the screen is both magical and mesmerising, a welcome into someone else’s kitchen without having to deal with any of the clean up.

My Bon Appétit colleagues feel the same. We watch a lot of food content, no matter what temperature it is. So here are the Netflix and Hulu food shows—plus YouTube videos and TikToks, if you want to switch it up—that we’re recommending for you this month. We’ve been obsessed with the street food of Oahu, The Bear and all shows similar, as well as kids’ bake-offs. If you’re anything like me, you may want to grab your favorite snack and set aside a chunk of time for this one.

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Street Food: USA, Episode 5: Oahu

I still think about Bangkok-based chef Jay Fai’s crab omelettes from the first season of Netflix’s Street Food. This season focuses on the U.S., and episode five covers the street foods of Oahu and the people behind them, like food truck Da Bald Guy’s James Martin. His food, like pan-fried poke and boneless kalbi, is a legacy of Martin’s family traditions and recipes, and quickly had me searching for flights to Oahu. —Kate Kassin, editorial operations associate

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The Bear

Each episode spirals me through crippling anxiety, comedic joy, and culinary envy. That’s a testament to the show’s painfully authentic portrayal of “back of house” life in restaurants, revealing the trauma that aspiring chefs may face for a shot at Michelin stardom. The cast spent months training at culinary academies and elite restaurants across the country, and according to those who have lived it for real, this show gets it right. The full series dropped on Hulu last month, but I’m already on an August re-binge. —Dan Siegel, senior director, creative development, food

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Boiling Point

If you devoured The Bear and find yourself still hearing “yes chef” in your sleep, you can get your next kitchen chaos fix from the film Boiling Point. As in The Bear, you’re thrust into a restaurant rife with layered interpersonal relationships, led by a high-octane chef trying to steer his team through a Christmas Eve shift. This one-shot film (yes, really) is sure to keep you deep in the trenches and a little satiated while you wait for The Bear Season 2. —Amanda Veitia, Bon Appétit creative director

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Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend

I had high expectations for this 2022 Netflix reboot, as the 2005 Food Network original is the reason I pursued a career in food television production. The show has all the original’s quirky, fun, and competitive elements (and commentator Alton Brown and chairman Mark Dacascos are back and better than ever) but really upped its game in cinematography, casting, and some new challenges. Check it out if you want to be transported back to a place of food TV nostalgia. —Halie Aaron, Bon Appétit coordinating producer

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I love watching Chef Jon Kung’s content on TikTok. Most recently, he posts a series entitled Spice Library Chronicles, which dives into spices like 5 spice, curry powder, chicken powder, and white pepper. I love watching these background videos and how Kung uses them to make dishes. —Urmila Ramakrishnan, associate director of social media

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Arielle Johnson has a PhD in flavor. Really. She was a fellow at MIT’s Media Lab, the in-house scientist at Noma, and has a book due out next year. In her latest video for Bon Appétit, she walks you through how chocolate is made, from cacao pod to tempered bar. She reminds me of my favorite high school science teacher, making even the most complicated processes approachable and entertaining. —MacKenzie Chung Fegan, senior commerce editor

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Junior Baking Show, Season 6

Instead of cutthroat challenges in which chefs face obstacles with urgency, The Great British Bake Off series offers you a virtual hug through the television screen. So as you’re eagerly awaiting the next season of Bake Off, I encourage you to tune into Junior Baking Show Season 6, coming to Netflix August 17. The bakers, ages 9 to 12, tackle a series of technical challenges and showstoppers including pastry, bread, biscuits, and more. I can’t wait to watch 16 of Britain’s most talented bakers cook their hearts out while exuding charm. —Nina Moskowitz, assistant to editor in chief

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Only Murders in the Building

It’s not really a New York City Food Show (it didn’t, say, drop a Fan Fan Doughnuts mention in its pilot the way Gossip Girl did) but I’ve been enjoying the subtle ways food does play a role in Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building. Take the main character who subsists solely on dips, a mysterious lunch meeting at the (fictional) Pickle Diner, a poignant arc involving an omelet and a relationship in need of repair, and the chicken wrap sponsor for the show’s eponymous podcast. Currently in season two, with episodes releasing weekly, the show is pure brain candy—fun to watch and easy to follow—and that has to count for something, too. —Sonia Chopra, executive editor

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Ratatouille

These days, it seems like almost everybody is vacationing in Paris. But seeing the City of Lights on my social feeds did not compel me to plan a vacation of my own. Instead, it inspired me to rewatch Ratatouille. A love letter to fine dining and rats who deserve Michelin stars, the Disney Pixar classic is an excellent film for anyone looking to escape for a brief moment. The second you press “play,” you’ll find yourselves on the streets of Paris. —Esra Erol, senior manager, social media