That said, there is one final scene in the film that does successfully tug at the heartstrings. It’s a particularly interesting moment, which builds up after close to 90 minutes of melodrama.
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Warning: do not watch Ramen Teh on an empty stomach. Shots of chili crab, fried bee hoon, sizzling zi-char dishes all abound in this lovingly-filmed celebration of Singapore’s foodie culture.
Directed by Eric Khoo, the film began as a simple idea to mark the five decades of friendship enjoyed between Singapore and Japan. Takumi Saitoh stars as Japanese chef Masato, who travels to Singapore on a mission to uncover a fractured past involving his parents (starring Tsuyoshi Ihara and Jeanette Aw).
The title pays homage to the cross-cultural ramen and bak kut teh product, an actual dish made by Keisuke Takeda (of famed Singapore ramen chain Ramen Keisuke) for the film.
Unfortunately, for all the heartburn-inducing shots of food porn, they do little to salvage Ramen Teh’s bland plot and pacing. Perhaps this has to do with viewership bias. Aw’s performance is particularly contrived and overly saccharine. Masato’s Japanese expatriate friend Miki (Seiko Matsuda) also weakly spends far too much time in her scenes explaining Singapore’s dishes to a hungry Masato. It’s historical, serious, and far too boring.
The saving grace is Mark Lee, who plays Masato’s uncle and lends some much-needed comic relief to the dull proceedings. Lee’s deadpan mannerisms complement Saitoh’s low-key, subtle performance.
That said, there is one final scene in the film that does successfully tug at the heartstrings. It’s a particularly interesting moment, which builds up after close to 90 minutes of melodrama. At that moment, Khoo’s attitude towards food makes itself clear – cooked right, it is simply a metaphor for love.
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