From Pulp Fiction to The Big Lebowski, the 5 favourite films of British chef in Hong Kong Jamie Draper
- Quotable films gel with British chef in Hong Kong Jamie Draper. ‘I could probably recite it from start to finish,’ he says of 1987’s Withnail and I, a favourite
- Pulp Fiction’s theme of redemption resonates with him, as does the attitude of characters in another Quentin Tarantino classic, True Romance
Born and raised in London, chef Jamie Draper had his passion for food ignited by travels during his childhood, where his adventurous appetite saw him tucking into snails and freshly shucked oysters from a young age.
That daredevil spirit lured him to Asia, and today he is head chef at Melody, on Third Street in Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong.
Draper shares not his favourite foods but his top five films, as well as some of their memorable quotes – such as “F*** it, dude, let’s go bowling” from the 1998 cult classic The Big Lebowski – and why he continues to so strongly relate to them.
1 Withnail and I (1987)
Draper discovered this cult British film, about two out-of-work actors on a disastrous country weekend holiday, when he was about 15 years old.
“It’s the most quotable movie I know […] I could probably recite it from start to finish,” he says. “There are so many hysterical moments. It’s a film I genuinely enjoy watching repeatedly – and I have done so.
“I love how they navigate from one minor disaster to another, as well as the quality of the English language they use.”