Akihabara on four wheels, Okamoto Kitchen's mission for over a decade has been to serve authentic Japanese fusion cuisine to an eternally hungry Los Angeles whose tastebuds freely explore lesser-known dishes seldom plated anywhere else. Chizuru and Gerald Abraham have thus amassed a sizable following on social media with a blog, wearable merchandise, and Youtube channel to boot retelling their adventures on the road as well as exploring the significance of some of their own dishes. With their East-meets-West fusion now set to cross-over into the animated world, the Abrahams have brought on a host of talent to bring their food, as well as a colourful cavalcade of characters, to audiences far and wide in ‘Okamoto Kitchen'.
Okamoto Kitchen is screening at Japan Cuts
Told through the eyes of Haru Umesaki whose life story up until the present day unfolds as she fantasises over Tetsu the boy who introduced her to video games, ‘Okamoto Kitchen' finds Haru under the wing of Chef Chizuru who runs the aforementioned food truck. Starving for fame with a curry she has now perfected, Chizuru is vying to take her food to the streets in the name of gustatory liberation, only to find the rules of the road dictate strict, longwinded restrictions for parking at Miracle Mile. Alerted to these rules by another food truck, Friendly Burger, Okamoto Kitchen join a dynamic convoy waiting for those rules to be lifted.
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Decidedly pacing himself to flesh out Haru's origin story – a longstanding anime archetype as integral to “Okamoto Kitchen” as the food itself – Abraham effectively wedges in a comprehensive prologue into an inherently restricted space. Serving up the personality and arguably personal history without the need for self-indulgence “Okamoto Kitchen” quickly steers into its story proper, a rousing battle cry for a comfort cuisine free from the fatty and greasy foods Americans have become accustomed; Chizuru's aura of determination glowers against Haru's video game distractions tugs at the imagination, long enough for the rapid-fire succession of zaniness almost out of nowhere. Though there is a distinct lack of visible curry within these ten minutes, there is an abundance of unforgettable characters making every valuable second count as they turn Miracle Mile into Fury Road for a prime parking spot, particularly Colin from the Friendly Burger van whose incomprehensible snarling is definitively uproarious.
There is also no shortage of talent coursing concurrently with ‘Okamoto Kitchen's sense of humour: Cristina Vee brings a sense of familiarity to the project that is both inviting and iconic whilst Magic Bus' animation deftly morphs this world into an over-the-top thrill ride. Popping with vivid colour and style, each food-truck team possesses a Wacky Races-esque persona about them as they race for supremacy; these character designs from Takuya and Asusa Saito, are, perhaps cruelly, left to the final moments of the segment, teasing an overwhelming craziness right up to a perfectly-timed cliffhanger ending.
Bursting with just as much charm as the cuisine the Abrahams have continued to feed the growing L.A. populace with, their namesake “short” promises earnest authenticity and inspiring perseverance from the get-go, a tale rich in personable resolution as well as flavour. Though what effectively appears to be more of an extended trailer of what's to come, Abraham's handling of thrills and suspense is all on display here which, just like any element of a tasting menu, leaves us wanting more.
