Tag: Documentary

2021 Week 46 – The Donut King

Short post this week as I’m getting back into the swing of things after being off work for a few days.

Hulu is now showing the rags to riches Documentary called “The Donut King.”

The story of Ted Ngoy, also known fondly as “The Donut King,” is one of fairy tales- fate, love, survival, hard knocks, and redemption. It is the rags to riches story of a refugee escaping the Khmer Rouge, arriving in America via Camp Pendleton in 1975 to escape the brutal genocide in his home country of Cambodia, to build an unlikely multi-million dollar empire baking America’s favorite pastry, the donut. From gas station janitor to donut shop owner and the surprising success that came with it, Ted found that a great joy in life was the ability to help others…and help, he did. Ted sponsored hundreds of visas for incoming refugees, who were coming to California by the thousands, and helped them get on their feet by teaching them the ways of the donut business. By 1979, he was rich, living the American Dream. But, in life, great rise can come with great falls. With his great success, he was seduced by the casinos in Las Vegas and lost it all. By 1992, in his sixties, he was homeless, sleeping on a friend’s floor in a mobile home in Long Beach, CA, and the very community he helped in the seventies turned their backs on the hand who once fed them. Alas, a spirit like Ted Ngoy’s doesn’t die easily and he left behind a legacy of independent donut shops spanning from California to Texas to Canada, shaping everything we know about the beloved pastry. It’s the American Dream, with a twist.

https://bentonvillefilm.org/artists/the-donut-king/

If you have Hulu and 90-minutes to kill, this is a very interesting documentary. Have you seen it? Leave your thought in the comments section below.

Sushi Rules & a Movie Too!

Bon Appetit online had a refresher article about the do’s and dont’s of eating Sushi (presumably at a real sushi bar and not likely something you would find in Indy).  If you’re a frequent sushi diner it’s not a bad idea to refresh yourself with some proper rules (in case your chef is actually paying attention to what you are doing).

At the end of the article Bon Appetit had a link to a documentary coming out about an 85 year old sushi chef.  The preview looks really interesting.  Unfortunately it looks like Chicago is the closest it will be coming to Indianapolis…

JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI

Jiro Dreams of Sushi is a quiet yet enthralling documentary that chronicles the life of Jiro Ono, the most famous sushi chef in Tokyo. For most of his 85 years, Jiro has been perfecting the art of making sushi. He works from sunrise to well beyond sunset to taste every piece of fish; meticulously train his employees; and carefully mold and finesse the impeccable presentation of each sushi creation. Although his restaurant Sukiyabashi Jiro only seats ten diners, it is a phenomenon in Tokyo that has won the prestigious 3-Star Michelin review, making him the oldest Michelin chef alive. Jiro Dreams of Sushi chronicles Jiro’s life as both an unparalleled success in the culinary world, and as a loving yet complicated father of two. Jiro Dreams of Sushi explores the passion required to run and maintain a legendary sushi restaurant, and one son’s journey to eventually take his father’s place at the head of the culinary dynasty. (Fully subtitled) Official Web Site

Food Inc. = Worth Watching

Watched Food Inc. last Friday night and although it had a lot of information already covered in other documentaries it was still a good movie.  If you are interested to see just how far the food industry has come in the past 100 years this is an eye-opening film.

It’s sad how the food industry is controlling the farmers and determining how they run their business. Unfortunately I fear this is just the beginning.  I’m really glad to see the increasing number of Farmers Markets and Co-Ops in the surrounding towns.  This is definitely a trend I hope continues!

Give Food Inc. a try & if you can, watch it with your kids as they are the generation that will ultimately end up living with the choices that are made by us today.