Unlike Jiro Dreams of Sushi (David Gelb, 2011), the focus of John Daschbach’s charming documentary is not the food, but the community that has built up around Bizentei, an unassuming Tokyo ramen restaurant established by Masamoto and Kazuko Ueda some 40 years ago. Falling into cooking by accident rather than vocation, creation of his limited, much-loved menu diverted Masamoto from a troubled personal life. For the devoted regulars who fill his restaurant night after night, this familiar, comfort food has bonded them together as a makeshift family, one at risk from Masamoto’s determination for his restaurant to remain a one-generation establishment.

Notes by Kevin Coyne