Though this might work more effectively as a documentary short film, there is plenty to smile about and take away from the movie you never knew you needed – Ramen Heads, a film about the art and craftsmanship of ramen chefs and all that goes into making their traditional Japanese cuisine.
Written and directed by Koki Shigeno, who also narrates the film, the first 40-plus minutes of the film focuses on Osamu Tomita, Japan’s “King of Ramen”, whose titular 10-seat restaurant has been awarded an award akin to being named “Best Ramen Restaurant” for multiple years. Tomita’s ramen is so popular, patrons line up for hours before the establishment opens. The demand is so large that Tomita created a ticketing/reservation system to handle all potential
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If he is unable to be in his establishment, the restaurant does not open. On his rare days off, he visits other ramen houses and samples new recipes. Eventually, we learn he is married with three young children, though it becomes unclear how much time he actually spends with them. In a scene where they are out, together, as a family, they are…(wait for it)…having ramen in a neighboring restaurant.
Shigeno eventually mixes in a half-dozen more chefs and cooks into his film. One chef, over 70 years old, generally turns out over 1,000 bowls of ramen each day. The different cooks all have different takes on the same basic recipe. Shigeno shows us that the broth and the ingredients used to populate it make all the difference. Essentially, there’s plenty of ramen to go around for everyone and, at times, you cannot help but wonder, does anyone ever eat anything else?
Ramen Heads focuses on the meticulous approach these chefs go through to make their food distinct and unique. Tomita, whose noodles are made from a mixture of four specific types of flour, references the viscosity of his broth, insists on making it himself, and shares “I have a staring contest with the cooking pot. The soup gives me the message whether it is ready or
Chao-Wei Wu Jeffrey McMahon English 1A 23 July 2014 Chef Jeff Henderson_Cooked Chef JH’s personal memoir, Cooked, is a model confirmation that it is feasible for an author to give a moving message without sounding sermonizing and redundant. Cooked takes place after Henderson's rise and fall (and rise once more). The story begins with his alliance with drug merchants of becoming one of the top split cocaine merchants in San Diego by his 23rd birthday. It leads to his capture and inevitably his rising into the culinary business (Ganeshram 42).
Xu Xi writes, “My parents ate sparingly, long after we were no longer impoverished, and disdained “unhealthy” Western diets” (124). Since during her childhood her parents ate sparingly and in moderation, she was never able to eat anything but plain foods and was unable to eat any food from other cultures especially Western. Even when her family was no longer poor and going through a famine, they continued to eat like they were. Her father was a vegetarian so they mostly ate tofu. He prohibited his family from eating meat. The food they ate was plain and her parents would often skimp on food. Now that Xu is on her own and alone in New York she decides to eat only the most expensive of foods. She can finally satisfy her curiosity for Western food. Now that she is free to order whatever she wants she goes all out and orders foods such as, hot scones, smoked salmon, steak, cold shrimp, as well as cabernet sauvignon. She over indulges in meals that she was not able to eat when her parents were still alive. She had many missed opportunities and now that she has no restrictions she is enjoying the pleasure of food. Growing up she was taught to be ashamed of a luxurious lifestyle and that there were more important things in life. Now she can finally enjoy the more expensive pleasures in life without having to feel the guilt from her parents. Now she is finally living a life and having the experience of something that she had wanted since she was a
The story is based on a time just after the Civil War, a time when the modern western world which had just encroached upon the American West, condemning the Native American, began to engulf traditional Japan as well. The purpose of this film is to give a voice to these people, to share in their struggles and experiences and be enlightened, as the protagonist is, at their way of living and their out look on life and its purpose. The audience is simply people with a connection to the struggles of a culture undergoing rapid changes by modern development. Any person passionate about culture and tradition and simply, any person who can open their mind to a world unknown to them and to learn from it. As well as this we must recognize that it is a Hollywood production and its purpose first and foremost would be entertainment, and being able to satisfy the wants of the majority.
Adding all these factors together, it paints a picture of this New Chinatown that is set in its ways when it comes to the food they eat and prepare. The absence of a farmers’ market or community garden does not seem to matter much, as the availability of typical Asian food is more than adequate to this community.
Considered as national dish, kimchi was introduced into the Korean culinary more than two thousand years ago. However, it has only recently achieved worldwide recognition, mainly due to its nutritional properties, flavor and possible health-promoting benefits. Kimchi is a low-calorie food; nonetheless it is abounding in fibers, vitamins and minerals. Moreover, kimchi is believed to be a source of probiotic bacteria. Other potential attributes of kimchi include, lowering cholesterol, improvement of immune function, protection against oxidative and antineoplastic activity. Koreans consume kimchi in a daily basis at virtually every meal, usually as a side dish; nevertheless it can also be utilized in the compositions of other dishes, such as soups and pancakes. Although kimchi production is usually a homemade process, the large scale manufacturing is expanding at a fast pace within the Asian industry.
When cultural diffusion happens, “adjustments are made to accommodate the value of the host society” (Lu & Fine 538). This adjustment, a process in America referred as Americanization, varies among the many cuisines present in the country (Lu & Fine 538). When looking specifically at the Chinese ethic food, some changes occurred between authentic and the Americanized version. As explained by the owner of a Chinese restaurant, Sichuan, in Lu & Fine’s article, Americans are not particularly found of fish head and
Tokyo Godfathers, an anime directed by Satoshi Kon, sets an urban landscape of Tokyo about the lives of those who cherishes supports each other. Tokyo Godfathers clearly emphasizes the human capacity to express, to enjoy, and to love life. In summary, the movie centers on three homelessness characters where each and every one of the three have had a miserable background. On the snowy December of Tokyo, these three set out on an adventure to find a missing baby’s mother. Throughout the story, the film attributes three main issues that are conflicted within the bizarre adventure of the three homeless characters. The film mainly deals with the individual conflicts amongst families, the lifestyle of the homelessness, and the virtues of life.
Imagine sitting down to a beef burger that is piled high with bacon, a fried egg, pickled red onions, cheddar cheese and mayo.
A meal can illustrate one’s culture and tradition. Secondly, it consists of a bowl of rice, a bowl of miso soup, pickled vegetables and fish or meat (Japanese Food and Culture Association). This shows that Japan can eat healthy because of the diversity of the food. Lastly, “Japan is a country of islands, so much of its food comes from the sea” (Ridgewell 8). Everyone knows that Japan is big on seafood.
In this dish, there are only two main things is considered noodles and soup. The basic ingredients of ramen are water, Chicken, Ginger root, clove garlic, green onions, soy sauce, sake, salt, sesame oil, Noodles, baking soda, boiled eggs, bean sprouts.
Indeed, one can count the restaurants offering Japanese food at their fingertips: Sakura at the Pearl Continental, Oishi Sushi at Port Grand and Fujiyama at the Avari. Given the posh locales in which these restaurants are situated, and the steep prices (nearly Rs1,500 per head), it comes as no surprise that only a small section of the elite have developed a taste for sushi and frequent these eateries. “Developing a taste of any kind of food depends upon exposure,” states Akhtar. “Sushi in Pakistan is the ‘rich man’s food’ because it’s expensive and its exposure is confined.”
The movie “The Hundred Foot Journey” is a great representation of different cultures interacting as well as the different food habits. The movie is based on an Indian family who moves to Italy and wants to open an Indian restaurant across street from a famous Italian restaurant in the small town. The Kadam family wants to bring the Indian cuisine to a new culture and share some of their values. They have trouble expanding their culinary delights to the public because Marquerite the sous-chef doesn’t want any competition. Throughout the movie, secrets on certain dishes are shared and tricks to improve the certain style of food is greatly appreciated by both restaurant chefs.
Until 1950s in Japan, the dish was known as "Shina Soba," which means "Chinese buckwheat noodles". Because of the easy preparation of Ramen noodles and its rich flavors, these noodles became famous in no time and its consumption also extended globally. With the use of ramen noodles in different cultures, each culture added the ingredients of its own gastronomy and inspiration but the base as “ramen noodles” continues till the date. Very soon, the idea of putting ramen noodles in to a convenient cup was brought to the marketplace. This allowed ramen noodle addicts and lovers to enjoy ramen noodle away from the home at places like schools, offices and on vacations as
Consumption is an essential part of human life. People consume different sorts of objects in order to support their physiological and psychological needs. Among these objects is what we consider our “primary mechanism for acquiring nutrients” that enables our bodies to function effectively. This object is none other than food (Juele, “The Culture” 1). Through time, food has remained to be among the most important aspects of human life. That is why the food industry, even with modern society’s more rapid way of life, has continuously adapted to changes in order to cater to the needs of human living. With people’s lives becoming more fast-paced, there has been a growing concern in food and that is convenience. According to Drummond and Brefere,
beef burgers are only understood in the Australian beef. Nguyen could ease some of these problems with the McDonald's Association, the source added.