I recently wrote about my fascination of the food documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi in this post. Watching that stunning and moving documentary flooded my memories with images and sounds from several other food documentaries I have enjoyed in the past and while several of them are no longer streaming on any of my subscriptions, I did find one of my top 5 and rewatched it with as much joy, giddiness, and adoration as the very first time seeing it. This wonderfully stimulation documentary was Ramen Heads and it is currently streaming on Hulu.
As is the case with sushi, prior to becoming a dedicated carnivore, ramen was a food my daughter and I shared a strong bond over and we are very snobbish when it comes to sushi and ramen...lololol We have traveled to every restaurant that serves ramen within about a 2 hour drive of our home and when we went on vacations, we made it a point to find ramen shops or sushi places. So it was no surprise that when we discovered Ramen Heads we became instant appreciators of this noodle-inspired saga. Up until seeing this film we only thought we had tasted good ramen, we were gravely mistaken as this film takes us to ramen levels that only existed in our fleeting dreams or the far reaches of our imagination!
Released in 2017, this insightful documentary covers so many aspects of the history, creation, and current trends dealing with ramen in Japan. However, the main focus and highlight of the movie is the day to day journey ramen chef, Osamu Tomita, and his ceaseless pursuit of ramen perfection. His passion for this meal from humble origins borders on the level of fanaticism and the movie is shot so perfectly that you can almost smell the aromas pouring off of the broths as they are ladled into the bowls. It is a moving experience and I recommend this to anyone who love ramen or documentaries!
The climax of this ramen odyssey is the culmination of three of the top ramen chefs in Japan, Tomita included, or collaborate on an "ultimate" ramen bowl for the 10 year celebration of Tomita's ramen shop. Each chef brings a unique specialty and flair to the mixture and this band of ramen heroes embrace their differences and similarities in the pursuit of ramen elegance. You will have to watch the movie to believe the results of their efforts......it was almost a religious experience to foodies!
So, just like Jiro Dreams of Sushi if you like food, ramen, or food documentaries, then this will undoubtedly be in your top 5 for the rest of your life. It is expertly directed and the cinematography is an art unto itself. You will be entertained to say the least....but be warned....you will develop the most severed craving for ramen you have ever experienced!!!!! lolol Thank you for reading my post and remember that I love you all and each of you are imbued with the potential for epic achievements!
All That Is Gold Does Not Glitter,
Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost
-Tolkien
