I found this Japanese film in the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, I jokingly thought the title (translated "dandelion") was something to do with a feminine hygiene product, it was rated very well by critics, so I hoped it would be worthwhile. Basically a pair of truck drivers, the experienced Goro (Tsutomu Yamazaki) and his younger sidekick named Gun (Ken Watanabe), stop at a decrepit roadside ramen noodle shop named "Lai Lai", owned by widowed Tampopo (Nobuko Miyamoto). The two truckers return, Tampopo asks their opinion of the noodles, Goro and Gun tell her they are "sincere, but lack character". Goro gives her advice, and she asks him to become her teacher, they turn the establishment into a place that will have the "art of noodle soup making". Goro takes her around and points out the strengths and weaknesses of her competitors, but Tampopo cannot get the broth just right, so a Noodle-Making Master is brought in for his superlative expertise. After saving the life of a wealthy old man (Hideji Otaki), from choking on his food, he lends her his chauffeur Shohei (Kinzo Sakura), who has a masterful way with noodles. Through trickery, they are also able to pry ramen secrets from their competitors, the group also change the name of the restaurant to "Tampopo". Goro previously had a fight with a customer called Pisuken (Rikiya Yasuoka), they have a rematch, ending in a draw, Pisuken reveals he is a contractor, he offers to makeover the shop's interior. Tampopo's latest effort still comes up short, so Pisuken teaches her his own secret recipe, this proves to be successful, soon customers are filling the newly redecorated shop. There are other subplots going on at the same time, including culinary knowledge in a French gourmet restaurant; a women's etiquette class on how to eat spaghetti properly; and a man in a white suit (Koji Yakusho), an elegant gangster, and his lover (Fukumi Kuroda), exploring erotic ways to use food, in the end he is shot dead, his last words to his lover are about a secret recipe for sausages. You could argue that this movie is much more about the food, the performances are all fine and it is nice simple story about transforming a failing noodle business into a successful venture, along with little spoofs of westerns and stereotypical American movie themes, characters and other stuff, but the most memorable sequences involve the preparation or eating of noodles and various other Asian and continental dishes, almost food porn, so feast your eyes on this enjoyable comedy. Very good!

Tampopo (Japanese: Tanpopo (Dandelion)) (1985) Director: Juzo Itami 8/10 A "Ramen Western", Charming characters and plot, Visually winsome, Satiate all your cravings, Gastronomic and sexual! Though well-paced funny, Satirical side vignettes Felt interruptive And discomfiting to watch. Sadly, both better alone. Somonka is a form of poetry that is essentially two tanka poems (the 5-7-5-7-7 syllable format), the second stanza a response to the first. Traditionally, each is a love letter and it requires two authors, but sometimes a poet takes on two personas. My somonka will be a love/hate letter to this film? #Somonka #PoemReview

Fun Japanese comedy about that most sensual of activities: eating. A heroic stranger intervenes to save a widow's ramen shop, so there are no shortage of comparisons between this 'noodle eastern' and 'spaghetti westerns'. Interludes about food and culture are interwoven between segments of the main story, including scenes of some highly erotic fork-play. The film is in Japanese of course but the dubbed version that I watched while on an airplane was well enough done. The film will make you hungry, so be prepared (although I was not sufficiently inspired to order pot-noodle from the in-flight catering) – this would be a great movie to watch with friends while slurping noodles and drinking sake.

Tampopo is a wonderful lighthearted film. There is no antagonist in the film except for possibly "insincere noodles". The film centers around the quest of a shy humble restaurant owner to improve her product. She has no idea what to do, until her hero Goro (a truck driver)arrives by chance in her restaurant and reluctantly agrees to mentor her in the art of noodle creation. Sounds boring, I admit, but it is not. The movie bounces from one absurd scene to another, with one common theme: food. There are even a couple of bizarre and hilarious sex scenes centered around food. Very funny stuff! It also features a very young Ken Wantabe in one of his earliest roles. If you don't mind subtitles, this is a gem of a film: a completely original comedy.