A Documentary about Real Ramen

A hearty broth, soft noodles, savory flavors, a boiled egg sliced in half, tender mushrooms, wilted greens or altogether different condiments: ramen is as popular as ever. Houston is no exception and several dedicated ramen shops have opened up within and beyond the beltway, such as Ramen Jin (Westchase), Samurai Noodle (Heights), Tiger Den (Chinatown), Jinya Ramen (Webster) and of course Soma Sushi (West End), where chef Gabe Medina earned a reputation for creating a hearty bowl of ramen incorporating local ingredients and Southern flavors.

Houston-based independent filmmaker Carl Rosa decided to rewind and take a closeup look: “What is ramen?” Over a period of two years, Rosa went in search of origin and traditions, balancing authentic ramen against contemporary creations that appeared on the surge of ramen popularity. The result is a full-length documentary Spilled. The film is based in Houston, but spends time in Austin, New York, Los Angeles and even throughout the land of Japan. Rosa himself was sold on ramen in Kyoto, Japan, on the 10th floor of the central train station. Known as Kyoto Ramen Koji (Kyoto Ramen Floor), it is paradise for ramen lovers with many regional styles of ramen to sample.

For more information, visit spilledthemovie.com.

*The release date and location was yet to be confirmed at the time this issue went to press.