Originally Published in Print, April 2022.
While real food is undoubtedly the best food there is, given that one can actually eat it, the imagination is a worthy competitor. So, “tie your napkin ’round your neck, cherie,” while TN2 presents a selection of animated dishes that would give ‘real’ food a run for its money.
The ‘Be Our Guest’ banquet, Beauty and the Beast
If the cheesy quote above wasn’t indication enough, this list was initially inspired by the decadent spread featured in the Disney animated classic Beauty and the Beast. French cuisine has long been praised as the highest quality food in the world, and it seems the menu on offer at the Beast’s Castle is no exception. Sentient candelabra-turned-maitre-d’ Lumiere delivers a cornucopia of fancy courses, from soup du jour and cheese soufflé to the infamous ‘grey stuff’. The quality of this imaginary dinner is so exemplary that it inspired a real restaurant based in Walt Disney World, aptly named Be Our Guest, which is as close to Michelin star approval as fictional food can get. This on-screen feast not only engages the taste buds, but also the eyes and ears, as Belle is serenaded by the cutlery and dishware in a true display of five star service. After all, who doesn’t love dinner and a show?
An Array of Food, Studio Ghibli Films
While the Hayao Miyazaki-led Japanese animation studio is acclaimed for their masterful storytelling and complex themes, it is important that the food designed by Studio Ghibli does not go unnoticed. The breakfast produced by Sophie, Howl and his resident fire demon Calcifer in Howl’s Moving Castle looks mouth-wateringly delicious, with the image of the bacon and eggs sizzling on the pan no doubt seared into the mind of any viewer with a rumbling stomach. In Spirited Away, the variety of cooked meat dishes are so tasty that they literally turn those who consume them into pigs, unable to stop engorging themselves. This theme of greed and gluttony remains throughout the film, but does little to make the food presented any less inviting.
Ratatouille, Ratatouille
The titular dish prepared for the climax of the Pixar film Ratatouille is a humble meal, consisting of onions, courgettes, tomatoes, aubergines, and peppers, fried and stewed in oil. While most children typically find vegetables unappealing, the array of colours and the satisfying preparation montage of the dish make it desirable to even the staunchest of veggie-phobes. The meal is also shown to be powerful enough to transport the grumpy food critic back in time after only one bite, stirring the long-buried joyous childhood memories within him, suggesting it may even have some hidden magical, or at least hallucinogenic, qualities among the simple ingredients. The texture and appearance of the food looks so appetising that one could almost overlook the fact that it was made by a rat. Almost.
The Krabby Patty, Spongebob Squarepants
Made by The Krusty Krab, the finest eatery under the sea, the Krabby Patty could be seen as just your typical burger, topped with lettuce, cheese, onions, tomatoes, ketchup, mustard and pickles. However, its true appeal lies in this simplicity, along with the notorious secret formula used to make them superior to the offerings of rival restaurant The Chum Bucket. Throughout the series there are also many variations on the iconic Patty, from the adorable miniature Pipsqueak Patty, to the colourful Pretty Patties, the latter of which come with a fun side effect of turning one or more body parts the same colour as the Patty. Besides, in what other restaurant could you get a burger topped with intriguingly-purple jellyfish jelly?
Food Weather, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
The assortment of foods falling from the sky in this sci-fi animated adventure is truly the stuff of dreams. A world where donuts, spaghetti, ice-cream with hot fudge and whatever other delicacy your heart desires are all available for free the moment you step outside? Sign me up. While the quality of food produced from a water vapour powered machine in the sky is highly dubious and may even be hazardous according to some scientists, much like a real-life all you can eat buffet, the value of quantity over quality is key.
