Review | The Solitary Gourmet movie review: beloved Japanese TV food comedy hits the big screen
Directed by and starring Yutaka Matsushige, The Solitary Gourmet movie gives a warmhearted tour of traditional Japanese small-town cuisine
4/5 stars
After more than a decade of gastronomic adventures on the small screen, Yutaka Matsushige brings his beloved travelling foodie comedy The Solitary Gourmet to cinemas.
The film follows much the same format as the long-running television series, albeit with a bigger budget and an international palette. Businessman Goro Inogashira continues to allow his rumbling belly to lead the way as he explores traditional culinary delights in France, Japan and South Korea.
Venturing outside Asia for the first time, Goro arrives in Paris to deliver a painting to long-time friend Matsuo (Sansei Shiomi).
After a brief detour to devour some onion soup and beef bourguignon, he learns that the old man is dying. Matsuo’s final wish is that Goro help him track down the ingredients for a special soup his mother used to make for him.
Goro’s journey takes him to the remote Goto Islands in Japan’s Nagasaki prefecture, where islanders are unfamiliar with the ingredient he seeks. As he savours local delicacies, ranging from shiitake mushrooms to dried deep-sea fish, he slowly pieces together a puzzle.