Linguini, a timid and well-meaning young man, is the new garbage boy at Gusteau's. After going through a series of ill-fated jobs, Linguini is desparate to hold onto this one, which he sees as his last hope. A chance encounter with Remy thrusts Linguini into a highly unusual "ghost-cooking" relationship, in which he provides the gangly brawn for Remy's culinary brains. As Remy's food attracts more and more attention, the pair is subjected to increasingly intense scrutiny. But for Linguini, the opportunity to spend time around his new mentor, Colette, makes all the stress manageable... barely.