Our take
While billed as a “ramen western”, Tampopo satirizes plenty of other American genres, including, but not limited to: 1) the inspirational sports film, with Tampopo’s diligent training, 2) the erotic, arthouse drama through its egg yolk kiss, 3) the witty, social comedy pointing out the absurd in dinnertime tables, and 4) the melodramatic mafia romance with its room-serviced hotel getaway. But the film doesn’t buckle under the weight of carrying all these genres– instead, the customer vignettes are all delicately plated to balance out the hearty journey of a store owner learning about ramen and the bemused, yet cohesive contemplation about food. Tampopo is one of a kind.
Synopsis
In this humorous paean to the joys of food, a pair of truck drivers happen onto a decrepit roadside shop selling ramen noodles. The widowed owner, Tampopo, begs them to help her turn her establishment into a paragon of the "art of noodle-soup making". Interspersed are satirical vignettes about the importance of food to different aspects of human life.
Storyline
A milk truck driver helps a struggling widow noodle shop owner to cook great ramen, while other customers explore different appetites in different vignettes.
TLDR
This reminds me of that one weird, yet oddly relaxing dream where I was laying down on a mattress sized chashu pork slice, floating in a river of ramen broth, and my hair was made of soba noodles. Good times. Not for the squeamish.
What stands out
The food, of course. It really makes you hungry to see ramen being meticulously plated, but from the very first moment, Tampopo makes you contemplate about food, even the very snacks you’re eating while watching this movie.