In Chef, a passion project, writer-director Jon Favreau serves up a tasty, if predictable, dish that should satisfy most cinematic palates.

He has high-quality ingredients: an appetizing cast, including Scarlett Johansson, Sofía Vergara and Dustin Hoffman, and a fairly well-flavoured script. Favreau portrays a chef rebuilding both his professional and personal lives following an embarrassingly public meltdown. Thus, he decides to open a food truck and spread his love for Mexican street food across America. The food sits centre-plate during this film, providing a riot of onscreen colour and vitality. This tempting fare is seasoned further by a sizzling soundtrack.

Chef clearly got Favreau’s creative juices flowing. The central father-son story line is not especially Michelin star-worthy, and the film as a whole will not set modern cinema ablaze. It will, however, make you hungry, zestify you – and make you want to dance.

RATING: 3/5

INFORMATION

CAST: Jon Favreau, Sofía Vergara, John Leguizamo, Emjay Anthony, Scarlett Johansson and Dustin Hoffman

DIRECTOR: Jon Favreau

WRITER: Jon Favreau

SYNOPSIS: A professional chef goes on a Mexican-flavoured journey across the country in a food truck following a devastating restaurant review and subsequent online meltdown.