By Pamela Pollack Fremd
SPOKANE, Washington — If you like food, especially Japanese and Chinese food, you will enjoy this movie. In many of the scenes the preparation or consumption of food is the primary or secondary focus. Ramen Shop directed by Eric Khoo and written by Tan Fong Cheng and Wong Kim Hoh is not only a “foodie” movie, it is also a travelogue, a romance, a mystery, and a history lesson.
Masato (Takumi Saito) is a young man working in his father’s ramen shop in Takasaki, Japan. His father is a master cook, but he is a very unhappy man and a cold and distant father. Masato comments to his Japanese uncle, “He would pay more attention to me if I were a bowl of ramen.” The father dies suddenly, and while going through his father’s possessions, Masato finds a suitcase full of photos, a diary, and other things his mother cherished. His mother, Mei Liam (Jeanette Au), was Chinese and from Singapore. He knows very little about her, but the pictures refresh his memory a little. Masato decides to go on a quest; he travels to Singapore to learn more about his mother and her family and, of course, about Chinese food. He has been in contact with the foot lover whose blog is known as Miki’s Gourmet Journal. Miki, a Japanese transplant, becomes his guide in Singapore.
While learning about his own family history, Masato also learns about the relationship between Japan and China during World War Two. It is a very good example of what happens when you mistreat your enemy. Sometimes it is possible to alter the way a person thinks with new information. However, it is almost impossible to change the way a person feels. Although Masato begins to understand why his maternal grandmother hates Japanese, that does not stop him from attempting to change the way she feels, and surprisingly he eventually succeeds.
The Ramen Shop is a satisfying movie on many different levels. There is beautiful scenery of both Takasaki and Singapore. I really enjoyed this movie. It opens at the Ken Cinema, 4061 Adams Ave, San Diego on Friday, April 12th.
*
Fremd is a freelance writer who specializes in movie reviews. She is based in Spokane, Washington