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TOM CRUISE is back in action as Agent Ethan Hunt in the seventh Mission: Impossible film — Dead Reckoning Part One. This time too, the super spy waltzes around the world as he staves off the threat from a worthy antagonist — a rogue AI named “The Entity”. Stunning action sequences are set against equally stunning backdrops, but picturesque locations have always been a hallmark of the M:I films. From Central Europe to the UAE, Hunt’s globe-hopping escapades take him to some of the world’s best cities. And each of these, as befits their status, has a thriving food culture that even the most jaded gastronome would be thrilled by. Don’t just take our word for it though! Join us on this Mission: Impossible inspired journey, one destination and dish at a time.
Prague — Mission: Impossible (1996)
Prague, the capital city of the Czech Republic. Site of one of the most iconic opening sequences in a Hollywood film. Prague was where the action unfolded as Hunt’s teammates were picked off one by one, their covers seemingly blown, their mission clearly jeopardised. The city has equally iconic dishes, though few perhaps are as beloved as the "trdelník" or chimney cake. Technically, this is a Slovak dish rather than a truly Czech one, but Prague has adopted it so much gusto that it may well be a homegrown food.
Trdelník is a sweet pastry made from rolled dough that is wrapped around a cylindrical spit, grilled, and then coated with sugar and sometimes topped with nuts. It is typically served warm and can be enjoyed plain or filled with various fillings such as ice cream, chocolate, whipped cream, or fruit. Grab a freshly baked pastry from one of the street stalls in Old Town Square. We guarantee you won’t regret it!
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Moab — Mission: Impossible 2 (2000)
The unforgiving, red-hued topography of the Dead Horse Point State Park, about 50 km from the city of Moab in southwestern Utah, is where Hunt wows us with his free-soloing skills, scaling a cliff with nary a safety harness in sight.
Utah is known for several comfort food staples, including fry sauce (a ketchup and mayonnaise blend, that may contain additional ingredients like vinegar, pickles, or spices; a popular condiment to accompany French fries, onion rings, and other fried eatables) and funeral potatoes (aka Mormon or Utah potatoes; a casserole-style dish comprising diced potatoes, sour cream, a condensed cream soup, cheese, and a crispy topping made from crushed cornflakes or potato chips).
One dish that is particularly noteworthy in Moab though, is the "Navajo Taco". Having originated in neighbouring Arizona, and with a painful history to its main ingredient — fry bread — the dish is inspired by the Navajo Nation's culinary traditions and is a favourite of locals and visitors to the Moab area.
The fry bread is made by deep-frying a dough consisting of flour, water, salt, and sometimes baking powder. The result is a crispy, slightly chewy bread with a golden exterior. It serves as a delicious foundation for a variety of toppings. Popular fillings for Navajo Tacos include seasoned ground beef or shredded pork, along with beans, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, salsa, and sour cream.
Grab yourself some craft beer and a bison burger later — though it’s unlikely you’ll have any appetite left after polishing off a sizable Navajo Taco.
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Shanghai — Mission: Impossible III (2006)
Hunt bites his captor and makes a daring escape through a crowded part of Shanghai, but may we recommend you bite into a xiaolongbao — soup dumpling — instead? These delicate dumplings are filled with a mixture of minced pork, gelatinised broth and various seasonings. The dumplings are then steamed, which causes the gelatinised broth to melt into a hot, savoury soup, creating a burst of flavour with each bite.
The traditional way to eat xiaolongbao is to place a dumpling on a spoon, carefully bite a small hole in the dumpling's skin, and sip the hot soup before enjoying the rest of the dumpling. Xiaolongbao is often served with soy sauce, black vinegar, and julienned ginger as dipping condiments. These succulent soup dumplings can be found in local eateries, street stalls and renowned restaurants throughout Shanghai.
While Hunt’s frantic dash through Shanghai means he’s unable to sample the veritable cultural smorgasbord that surrounds him, do make time to try delicacies like shengjianbao (pan-fried pork buns), la zi ji (spicy chicken), lion's head meatballs (large pork meatballs), and beggar's chicken (a whole chicken wrapped in lotus leaves and clay, then baked) if you get the chance!
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Mumbai — Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)
Mumbai is where a vibrant street food culture and celebrated haute dining all cohabit along a spectrum. But in terms of sheer recall value and universal approval, few Mumbai dishes can match the vada pav.
For this street food staple, a spiced potato fritter (known as vada) is sandwiched between a soft bun (pav) and served with various chutneys and fried green chili. The vada is made by mashing boiled potatoes and mixing them with a blend of spices such as ginger, garlic, turmeric, and chili. The mixture is then shaped into patties, coated in chickpea flour batter, and deep-fried until golden and crispy. The pav, a soft bun, is typically slathered with chutneys made from tamarind and green chilies, and the vada is placed inside.
As a no-fuss, yummy on-the-go snack found at stalls and carts across Mumbai, the vada pav is a metaphor for the city itself.
Vienna — Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015)
A precarious and dramatic assassination attempt unfolds at the opera in Vienna, with bullets and fists flying fast and thick among Hunt and his foes. In contrast with the glamour of that scene is the decidedly more down-to-earth Viennese culinary icon, the Wiener schnitzel.
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This breaded and pan-fried veal cutlet is made by tenderising a thin slice of meat, coating it in breadcrumbs, and then frying it until golden and crispy. A slice of lemon and a garnish of parsley completes the dish. There are specific rules and traditions that define an authentic Wiener schnitzel: it must be made from veal, not pork or other meats; the breading should consist of crumbs made from crustless bread; and the veal should be fried in clarified butter.
The dish is served in many Viennese restaurants, where you can also dig into a Sachertorte to bring your meal to a sweet finish.
Queenstown — Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)
The death-defying helicopter scene from Fallout is all in a day’s work for Ethan Hunt. So also is producing a world class Pinot Noit, for the city of Queenstown — the New Zealand location around which that vertiginous sequence is filmed.
Central Otago, the wine region surrounding Queenstown, is renowned for its Pinot Noir. The cool climate and unique terroir produce exceptional red wines, and there are several local wineries and vineyards where you can sample and appreciate the celebrated libation. You’ll register notes of red berries, cherries, plums, and sometimes darker fruits like blackberries or currants. These fruity aromas can be complemented by hints of spices such as cinnamon, clove, or subtle floral notes.
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The terroir also reflects in the Queenstown Pinot Noir’s more earthy characteristics, such as nuances of forest floor, mushrooms, or hints of truffle, that add complexity and depth to the wine. Its mouthfeel is described as velvety, its texture — elegant and silky. In other words, as suave as our favourite secret agent.
Abu Dhabi — Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)
Hunt contends with Abu Dhabi’s desert heat and vast expanses in his latest caper. While he grapples with hurdles that nature and man erect in his path, we’re more focused on all the food that our man of the moment could be having — and isn’t! In particular, we’d love to see him digging into the “national dish” of the UAE (and therefore. Abu Dhabi’s too): machbous.
Machbous traditionally consists of rice cooked with meat — lamb or chicken — along with a blend of aromatic spices. The meat may be seasoned and cooked with ingredients such as onions, tomatoes, garlic, as also a combination of spices like turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, saffron and black lime (loomi). The dish is believed to have Bedouin roots.
You may want to cap your Abu Dhabi experience with a bite of luqaimat. These small, deep-fried dumplings are made from a dough of flour, sugar and yeast, then shaped into balls and fried until golden and crispy. They are often served drizzled with date syrup and sprinkled with sesame seeds.
That brings our Mission: Impossible food tour to a close. But at Slurrp, the food adventuring never ends! Join us on more such journeys — we promise to make them exhilarating.
