Documentary
A Tale of Two Kitchens. https://www.netflix.com/ke-en/title/80244680
The documentary, which is an original Netflix production, focuses on Mexican star chef and restaurant owner, Gabriela Cámara, who opens a restaurant in San Francisco, Cala, and maintains a menu and employee cultural diversity similar to that in a sister eatery in Mexico. The documentary highlights the diverse points of view between people in two different countries (Hart, 2020). While in the acclaimed Contramar in Mexico, the employees and customers consider themselves as part of a large family, the employees in Cala, who are racially diverse, view their employment only as a chance for personal growth. The documentary’s sole aim is to portray the restaurants as more than eating points, but also as places where individuals can connect and form one community (Hart, 2020).
Several impressive facts that relate to hotel management can be obtained from the documentary. The first is the selection of employees. Gabriela’s employee selection policy is particularly remarkable. On top of the required qualifications, Gabriela looks for employees who understand teamwork and collaboration (Hart, 2020). Secondly, Gabriela understands the impact of culture on the success of any business. With this in mind, she can project expected challenges and plan for them accordingly. Finally, it is impressive how the eatery in Mexico has impacted on the society at large. Such an impact is essential since it shows how maintaining a good relationship with the customers and employees can simplify hotel management.
An important lesson learned from the documentary is the benefits that can be accrued from unity. When the United States is facing the turbulence resulting from racial profiling, the documentary gives hope that the American society can heal by identifying a common unifying factor which could be as simple as sharing a meal. Additionally, the documentary brings out the social aspect of restaurants. Initially, I only viewed restaurants simply as business enterprises whose main aim is to make profits. However, having watched the documentary, my perception of restaurants has changed completely. I realize that restaurants can be used as vehicles of impacting positive change in society (Wood, 2018). However, since the documentary is a contrast between Contramar in Mexico City and Cala in San Francisco, a comparison of the official dress code for the two restaurants’ waiting staff feels irrelevant for me. Employee dress code in either restaurant does little to influence performance or the reception of the restaurants in either community. Furthermore, the dress code does not strike me as a factor that requires in-depth consideration (Wood, 2018).
I would recommend the documentary to anyone, especially those looking for a documentary that illustrates the importance of dedication to work. The documentary portrays the hard work and determination of the background employees in restaurants and their work to ensure the best results are presented to the customers (Keller, 2019). Additionally, the documentary shows how different cultures, especially the Latin American culture, values their workplaces and how much they mean to them. Such dedication and love for what you do are required to ensure success in any industry. However, despite the commendable delivery of the documentary, it could be improved on, majorly the focus that it pays on food. For a restaurant documentary, A Tale of Two Kitchens seems to pay more attention to the employees than the food served in both restaurants (Keller, 2019). The filmmakers could improve on this by contrasting how the meals are made in the two restaurants. Some questions that should be addressed include; Are there different ways of making the same dishes as applied in either restaurant? Are there new meals introduced in Cala to fit the current market that does not exist in Contramar?
References
Hart, D. (2020). A Tale of Two Kitchens Review: Same Food, Two Different Cultures. Ready Steady Cut. Retrieved from https://readysteadycut.com/2019/05/22/netflix-review-a-tale-of-two-kitchens-documentary/
Keller, J. (2019). A tale of two kitchens: stream it or skip it? The Decider. Retrieved from https://decider.com/2019/05/22/a-tale-of-two-kitchens-stream-it-or-skip-it/
Wood, R. C. (2018). Strategic questions in food and beverage management. Routledge.