By: Lindsay Garbacik By: Lindsay Garbacik | August 19, 2022 | Food & Drink, culture, Community,
By now you’ve likely seen Hulu’s latest hit show The Bear, starring Shameless actor Jeremy Allen White (or at least the numerous ads for it). The show focuses on White’s character, a fine dining chef, as he returns to his hometown of Chicago to help run his family’s sandwich shop. The internet has been abuzz with talks of the show’s mouthwatering cuisine as well as positive reviews about the show’s strikingly factual depiction of working in the food industry.
Fine dining chef Kevin Tien, from contemporary Vietnamese hot spot Moon Rabbit, instantly became an admirer of the creative show. So much so, that on Monday, Aug. 22, Moon Rabbit will offer a pre-order, to-go menu of cuisine inspired by The Bear. All those sloppy, hearty Italian beef sandwiches and decadent chocolate cakes you’ve drooled over throughout the course of the show will be served with Tien’s added flare.
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“We are big fans of the show and are always looking to expand what we are doing culinary-wise. It was a lot of fun to research the show and examine the food in every episode to be able to do our very own version of all the dishes. I think there are a lot of parallels as a chef and business owner that I identify with throughout the whole season,” says Tien.
For the special pop-up, the menu will feature chicken piccata, pan-roasted fish, Italian beef sandwiches, short rib and risotto, spaghetti, mashed potatoes, fennel salad, fries, chocolate cake, strawberry donut, and an ecto cooler-inspired drink. The menu is only available for pre-orders, and a portion of the proceeds will go to The Giving Kitchen, an organization that supports food service workers in times of need.
While the food will certainly stand out among fans of the show, Tien connected most with the show thanks to its no-frills, realistic characterization of working in food service.
“It's a really accurate portrayal of what is like working in the restaurant industry. It's almost very triggering. As a chef and owner, we have to do everything outside of just cooking, managing the finances, fixing the restaurant space, and cleaning an exploding toilet. I think most people think that a chef's life is glamorous, almost like a rockstar, but it requires a lot of time and dedication. I think a lot of people watch the show and wonder if this actually happens in real life, and the answer is absolutely yes,” says Tien.
Pre-orders are required and can be placed here.
Photography by: Michael Tran / Getty Images