Fresh from filming Irish Wish with Lindsay Lohan, we asked Elizabeth Tan what she would eat for her last meal on earth
So I would start with a margarita with volcanic black salt as well as Himalyan salt mixture. I’d invite Cate Blanchett to drink with me. She’s so vivacious and a good cocktail party guest: you want someone who doesn’t want to be censored and she’s got a great sense of humour. I’m always seeing the funny side, and she’s the sort of person who can just be free. It’d be a great start to the evening. We’d drink lychee martinis when the margs ran out.
Money’s no object as it’s my last night on Earth, so I’m not going to restrict myself to ethical food. I’ve also got a teleporting machine to get around the world in one night. Why not? For starters I’d go to an izakaya under a railway track in Tokyo. I’d have sashimi, starting with uni, which is sea urchin, and some toro tartare, the fatty tuna, served with some Dassai 23 sake. I’m so lucky to have travelled for filming and in Japan we were in a hole in the wall place where the quality was incredible. I’m determined to recreate that.
As for the teleporting, my technique is inspired by the I Dream of Jeannie show from the 1960s with Larry Hagman: the girl from that just makes a little noise and all of a sudden she’s transported somewhere radically different.
I’d clap my hands and be back on the British Isles for fresh rock oysters to cleanse the palate. I’d pair those with a glass of Puligny Montrachet by the winemaker Etienne Sauzet, who makes a steely crisp white burgundy. It’s really expensive and absolutely heavenly. Then I’d go to China and have Peking duck with pancakes with a lovely white Chinese tea, because I’d need a break from the boozing.
To Italy, for white truffles with a pizza bianca, really well cooked so it’s crisp. My dining partner would be Marty Scorsese who I’d talk movies with (he’s my fave) and then I’d be off to India to have a lovely curry with all those proper naans with different fillings, potato and onion, like the ones I used to eat while hanging out with Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone when we were filming the movie Love Aaj Kal. The Bollywood scene is very different from filming in Hollywood or the UK, they have a really lovely energy.
I’m doing a tasting menu of the world so now I’m in Morocco having peshwari lamb, which they smoke for hours underground. The lamb would be from Ireland where they do the best, and while I’m there I’d teleport Cillian Murphy over. We’d eat Irish-cum-Moroccan lamb and I’d ask him about acting and all the wonderful roles he’s done.
Then we’d do dessert. In Portugal we’d have pastel de nata. We’d queue in line for ages at the best place to get them when they’re hot and fresh. I’d pair these with forty-year Francesco Grand Tawny port and just go and sit with some old Portuguese men and have a chat. They’re so lovely and friendly.
I want to end it all in Italy. I’ll be in Venice on a gondola with all my best friends, my family, my granny and all my favourite actors and directors, eating Italyyyyaan geeelaaaaaatooooo! And having a laugh with the sun on us, all singing and having fun. And then the gondola would fly up in the air and go to a new planet.
• Elizabeth Tan stars in Netflix movie Irish Wish
