Summary
Netflix documentary A Tale of Two Kitchens is a wonderful, intimate 30-minute window showcasing two similar restaurants in different locations.
Netflix documentary A Tale of Two Kitchens documents Chef Gabriela Cámara‘s vision of opening a restaurant in two very different cities with a similar menu; San Francisco and Mexico City. Her dream was to replicate the “beach cafe” cultural experience to a sister location, but also what she found is that a merger of cultures was equally as rewarding.
The Netflix documentary uniquely stands out for its realness. A Tale of Two Kitchens is not an evidence-based 30-minute feature, more an insight into the welcoming kitchen cultures in similar but also dissimilar restaurants. The evidence is the people that work there.
A Tale of Two Kitchens isn’t just about the American’s perspective of Mexican food; though it does make a slight dig at the un-Mexican Taco Bell, it’s more of an intimacy between the kitchen staff despite the differences in culture. It’s admiring how welcoming varying cultures are, and the documentary opens a window into how a kitchen brings people together.
I was especially enlightened by Gabriela Cámara’s recruitment policy which is to be accepting of anyone’s background; for example, one waiter feared he would not get a job because he had left prison days earlier, but A Tale of Two Kitchens shows a fairer world with second chances rather than judgment. There’s a real family feel in the 30-minute window. In the kitchen, you are part of the same group.
Netflix documentary A Tale of Two Kitchens enjoys making a point about migrant workers, especially in San Francisco. To be less judgemental, more welcoming, more appreciation for migrant workers is honed in to show togetherness, that through projects like this, people of different backgrounds can be brought together, and positively.
Netflix documentary A Tale of Two Kitchens will not take up much of your time, and it’s highly recommended that you give it a watch.
