Oodles of Noodles

Tampopo, where do you begin with such a masterpiece.

I defiantly feel my work ethic is below par with how much dedication Tampopo puts into her everyday work life to make the perfect Ramen.

I could easily talk about the main plot line in detail about Tampopo and Goro and their beautiful partnership into creating the Ramen, but it was the scenes in between that really stuck.

I don’t think I will ever pick up a peach and touch it in the same way again.

The Japanese Rocky moment, I mean, this bitch is really dedicated. I mean it starts with her moving her mighty ass pan of boiling water left and right continuously, then the next things she’s doing her rocky run.

It does link the next scene with the Japanese men sitting down to order their grub, all ordering the exact same thing until one younger man decides to be extra and order like a true gastronomer.

I won’t speak much about the next scene but you will hear a lot of slurping of z’noodles that’s for sure.

Boobsssss, yassss! I mean I thought this was going to be your average hotel room scene with a glorious array of your finest foods, sweetly given to the lady. Next thing I’m watching is nips, lemon, some liquid I can only fathom was honey, a live linguine being murdered for pleasure and of course an egg yolk being passionately passed mouth to mouth.

Now all I can picture is the man in white going in for a mouthful of nice salty oyster, only to cut his lip and the blood being licked off his face, I mean, I’m not one to judge but considering this was filmed in 1985 or something, I just wouldn’t appreciate getting an AIDS diagnosis later in life.

The poor lady who was forced from her death floor to make a meal for her family, I mean brutal, but also highly entertaining to watch the husband command the children to eat the last meal their mother had made them whilst they sob.

The vagabonds, what a bunch, half of them looked dead but I mean, they’re still alive and kicking ready to share there secrets. We had some black and white film music over the top of a scene of one of the vagabonds taking the child up a staircase to a kitchen which did seem a bit sinistrous but it all worked out well in the end.

Talking of the child, I felt much motherly affection for him at one point (and I’m not even a mother) but the poor boy got beaten up a couple of times, but thankfully, it all ended well for him.

I mean there is so many stories in one but all I can say is this movie captures the pure pleasure of eating and touching food from all different perspectives. It’s sensory pleasure, we all connect with food, it’s a comfort. The film shows love and dedication, towards food and towards others. Goro helps Tampopo for the love of his Ramen to begin with but he builds a beautiful relationship with her in the end. Love. Love of food and love of people.

I will leave this last thought in your mind just as the film did...a lady breastfeeding her baby. Fin. A Review by Laura 🙃