Ramen Heads.

  "Ramen Heads" is a documentary that begins by following Japan's top ramen chef Osamu Tomita, and his obsession for creating the best ramen in Japan.  Delving into the daily grind of his restaurant, Tomita takes us through the process he uses to make, what has become known as, the best ramen in Japan.  Tomita notes that while most restaurants hide their traditions and recipes, he flaunts them proudly because, "there is nothing special about how it's made."  By simply using many great ingredients in his broths, and stewing them for up to three days, he delivers award-winning flavor daily.  His commitment to the selection of ingredients used in making the noodles, as well as the process he implements is just as laborious and critical to his award-winning ramen.  By the end of this documentary, Tomita will have won Japan's "Top Ramen Chef" award, with no indication of slowing down.

  As the film reaches the halway mark, we are then introduced to the culture surrounding Ramen, as well as the history of how ramen came to be the worldwide phenomenon that it is.  This part of the film was very informative for an, admittedly, "Ramen novice," such as myself.  The many types of ramen that exist are covered and examined including, tonkotsu, shoyu, miso, tsukemen, chashu and niboshi to name several.  Multiple ramen restaurants that are considered to be the top in their fields are visited by the production crew, as well as by Tomita on his days off.  For a full list of these shops and location, I discovered this blog; something that will be very handy for my inevitable trip to Japan, I'm sure.

  While this film was so exceptionally ramen-centric, it definately appeals to any foodie, critic or cook! I was more than elated during one of the interviews with Tomia's cooks.  I made sure to qoute him directly, as I have often found myself feeling the exact same way as he put it: "On my days off I get depressed around nighttime knowing it's going to start up again the next morning." While noting that they were just being negative at the time, this brought me to directly relate with fellow cooks half a world away.  In the cooking industry, I have found myself in the exact same situation, and the ability of this film to help me relate to the people in it is part of what makes this a wonderful documentary!

  I can hardly speak more highly of this movie! With a soundtrack that ranges from epic to quirky (both highly complement the atmosphere), to being down to earth as well as highly informative, I loved the journey "Ramen Heads" took me on, and I thoroughly recommend it!  Though it may be on the more difficult side to get your hands on, as it is not available on Netflix, Amazon Prime or Hulu, don't be afraid to check an old-fashioned library for a copy.  That's how I got my hands on it! I give it four and a half stars! Enjoy!

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