East Side Sushi (2014) User Reviews (116)

A fun indie film about food and culture

[jen-lynx · 8/10 · 23 September 2015]

Oakland, California is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the U.S. Over 100 different languages are spoken in the region. In "East Side Sushi", we see two of those cultures collide in the most time honored tradition, over food.

Juana Martinez, a single mom, and her father run a fresh fruit cart, a staple in Hispanic street food, that is when they aren't working their other jobs. Urban life has its drawbacks and when Juana gets robbed, she decides a change is needed. She takes a chance and answers a help wanted sign in a Japanese restaurant. She lands the job, discovers the passion of sushi, and sets out to become a sushi chef herself. As a Hispanic woman, this proves to be a more a difficult task than one might presume.

"East Side Sushi" is a feel good story, at times hilariously funny, made on a shoestring budget, and as such has no money for advertising campaigns. Relying on word of mouth, it is finally being released in theaters, at least in California. If you like food, particularly Mexican and/or Japanese, if you live in or near Oakland, CA or just like urban themed dramas, or if you like good independent cinema, then I recommend this film. It is not a perfect film, sometimes feeling a little forced and a couple of scenes seem unlikely, but it has great pacing, some wonderful characters, a fun sense of humor and really brings out the beauty of the city across the bay.

The Latin sushi

[Sexy-scientist · 7/10 · 29 September 2016]

This movie is all about the story, none about character development. All characters are one dimensional and the story also does not have much content. But here, less is more. Whatever the story, however short, is solid. There are all around awesome performances, weather it is our lead actress Diana or the supporting cast Rodrigo, Yutaka or even Kaya. The background music is a bit off putting and looks like it's been picked up from public domain. It always tries to over dramatize the situation. The movie has some clichés, but they are well put.

This is one of those films which fills you with energy, while being far from an action film. Positivity oozes out it every single minute. If you want to watch a moral boosting, feel good movie, I highly recommend you this. But beware, you will end up hungry and craving for sushi till the end of the movie.

An Inspirational Film, Excellent Writing, Editing, and Cast

[spacechick-75-91100 · 8/10 · 20 November 2015]

I saw this movie with about 7 new friends. I did not expect much. Boy, was I wrong! From the moment this movie started I identified with Juana (myself being a single mother) and how hard it was to move up in the business world. I remember being paid at least 25% less than men doing my same job (and I mean the EXACT same job).

This movie is a combination of the Karate Kid, Rocky, and a Cooking Contest. That may be oversimplifying it. Truly inspirational for anyone.

Good thing I remembered to grab a handful of Kleenex because I needed at least 3, the girl next to me and the girl next to her. There was even a guy sitting below us who was crying.

I liked everything about the film, the location specific aspect of it, the directing, writing, acting, and the excellent cast. Have recommended it to my friends to be on the lookout to watch back in my hometown of New Orleans.

Can't wait to go see it again.

A mixture of charm and cheesiness.

[gabethurau · 6/10 · 18 September 2019]

I'd like to to give this a better review, but I have to hold back. The story and message are important, but to me, the execution was lacking.

I understand that this film had an extremely low budget, so they did a good job at producing something of merit with their limited resources. But I can't help but feel that this underdog story has been told many times before.

Yes, iterations of these stories are important, and they can shine a light on important social issues.

Especially in the Trump era, this sort of intercultural celebration hits home and is encouraging to see. I also really liked the celebration of learning in this film as well: learning languages, cultures, cuisine, and the interpolations of a hybrid Mexican-Japanese-American dynamic.

But for me, the acting, music, and writing veered more towards ideas that have already been explored, and less towards unique perspectives on the important social aspects that should always be showcased.

Just my 2 cents.

I love film like this, as they are about REAL people with real problems.

[planktonrules · 9/10 · 20 August 2015]

I noticed some time ago that some of my very favorite films are about food--perhaps it's because I love to cook. Off the top of my head, I can quickly think of some real classic foodie movies, such as "Babette's Feast", "Mostly Martha", "The Big Night" and "The Hundred-Foot Journey". I might want to a new film to this list-- "East Side Sushi". Unfortunately, this film is not yet scheduled for a nation-wide release, but there are going to be some limited engagements in California theaters starting September 18th--most likely because the audiences there have a large concentration of Hispanic-Americans (and the leading character is a Mexican- American). I sure hope it comes to other markets, as this film by Anthony Lucero is a little gem.

Juana (Diana Elizabeth Torres) is a brilliant cook. But she and her father are struggling to raise her daughter. Their pay is meager and her job selling fruit on the streets has become rather dangerous. On a lark, she decides to go to work at a local Japanese restaurant instead of doing her usual Mexican-style cooking. Here at the restaurant, she does a lot of the prep-work--and the sushi chefs do the actual sushi work. But she is fascinated by their work and soon realizes that sushi is delicious...and so, with only a little bit of help to get her started, she teaches herself how to make sushi. After a year of practice on her family, Juana is quite accomplished and is ready to make the leap in the restaurant from prep work to sushi...but there is a problem. Mexican-Americans do NOT work in sushi bars and everyone KNOWS that only Japanese men can excel in this art..right?! Well, Juana is determined...and conventional wisdom may not be right after all.

So why did I like this film so much? Well, the biggest reason is that the film is about people. Because of the wonderful performances and nice direction, you can believe that Juana is a real person--not just a plot device. You feel for her, you see her struggle, you like her and want her to succeed. I like movies about people and their everyday lives--and this one really works for me. I also appreciate that many times I expected things to happen one way in the movie but the writer (also Lucero) chose to avoid these clichés and formula--so it kept me guessing. Overall, this is a lovely little film--one that left me a bit hungry for more.

Good premise marred by mediocre execution

[gregorysamuelruben · 6/10 · 24 January 2021]

I liked the premise of this movie but ultimately found it pretty disappointing.

The acting is bad, across the board. Seems like nearly the entire cast is non-actors and it shows. Many of the line readings are stilted and it leaves an uncanny, uncomfortable veneer through the entire movie. The cinematography is mostly uninspired and sometimes downright lazy, with framing you'd expect to see in a student film. There are similar issues with writing and direction.

Hard to see how this fresh take on the chef/food genre could be done better

[steven-leibson · 9/10 · 19 September 2015]

Stop me if you've heard this before: aspiring chef wants to make it to the top. Sure, we've seen those films. Now stop me if you've heard this one: aspiring Latina wants to become a top sushi chef. Wrong race. Wrong gender. Ambitious goal. Lead actor Diana Elizabeth Torres delivers an outstanding performance as Juana, the barrio fruit cart vendor who aspires to better things.

Walking by a sushi restaurant one day, she spies the food and marvels at the look of the food. After all, for sushi the look is as important as the taste and the mouth feel. It's an edible art form unlike the rolled burritos and fried tacos she's used to making.

Juana also spies a help-wanted sign in the window of the sushi restaurant and gets a back-kitchen position. However, she dreams of making sushi out in front behind the sushi counter. The movie's story is all about her efforts to get there despite many obstacles at the restaurant and at home.

This is a very inspiring film of grit and determination. If it were a western, Juana would be wielding a gun and a Bowie knife. Instead, it's a sushi knife.

Do yourself a favor and go see this film. It was filmed in Oakland on a shoestring budget by an indie filmmaking company and writer-director Anthony Lucero but I think it's as good as anything you'll see from Hollywood.

East Side Sushi is the story of Juanna, a working class single mother in East Oakland, California who wishes to become a sushi chef.

[abhijith-alpha · 7/10 · 20 August 2020]

Juanna Martinez and her widowed dad struggle to keep a living and raise her daughter by working a series of odd-end jobs like working in a supermarket, a gym, and selling fruit in a cart. After a particularly deadly incident while selling fruit in the streets, Juanna decides to look for a more stable and safe job. She spots a 'help wanted' advertisement in the shop front of a Japanese restaurant, Osaka, and decides to apply. Despite not having any previous experience in Japanese restaurants, she is hired because of her long history of working in Italian and Mexican eateries in the past. Once in, she diligently works her way in the kitchen. With medical benefits and the leftovers that she can take home, Juanna seems to have finally found some stability in her life. Once she finds the stability, she starts to become creative with her job. She experiments on the Japanese dishes at home, and within a year, can be seen to have progressed enough to impress her reluctant dad and enthusiastic daughter, with her sushi. But, progress at work seems difficult, with a boss who seems determined to hold on to traditional ways of Japanese cooking. I would leave the rest for the audience to enjoy, because, even if we have seen empowering storylines like this before, and can predict the story beats, watching it unfold is still a pleasure. Independent movies like this are a delight to watch for mw, because it feels like I'm watching real people struggling with real issues that I can find a few streets down my house. The acting is very natural, with the exception of a few stilted scenes, the emotion is real, poignant and earned. The cinematography reflects Juanna's mind, starting with muted colours during the hardship phase and increasingly becoming colourful as she finds joy and passion in her job. There is plenty of commentary about how society and economy is set up in a way to keep the working class working all their lives without ever being able to securely retire. There is also the narrative of personal development, of how someone can pull them up by their bootstraps, but the movie does very well to put it alongside the structural issues of poverty and economy rather than a reductive, fancy, neoliberal tale of emancipation.

RATINGS

Direction 6.5 Story 6.5 Acting 7 Cinematography Very Indie Overall 6.5

VERDICT: A wonderful one-time watch that combines food, multiculturalism and empowerment.

Exceptional Work in Entrenched World...

[sacredridgejc · 10/10 · 9 January 2015]

I approached screen time with cynicism. "What can this movie show me that I don't already know?" The answers came quickly and sustained me with sublime surprises.

Flawless acting that is displayed with an authentic, non-acting-documentary-predisposed delivery. It's a gem that permeated into every character. I could not pinpoint a weak performance...

Framed in a thematically predictable outcome, the film delicately balances the contrite notions of gender, culture and ambition with refreshing human authenticity that ultimately defines its redeeming value.

How hard you try to achieve you want...... but without emotions of losing

[hikerhetav · 6/10 · 25 July 2016]

The movie is completely dedicated to Anthony Lucero and Diana Torres. The movie looked like a B grade movie but had little bit of attraction of viewing than most other indie movies. Lucero made this film with no such extraordinary or inventive theme. But there's some essence you'd find throughout the movie and that's just looking Diana's patience and grit towards her goal. It's simple:You wanted to achieve a goal and your boss has everything to overlook you and your skills only to see you defeated. But you, on other side, have everything to ignore all who hates you and to concentrate on just one thing that's your goal. The movie was determined well, one directional, and somewhat holding you to your seats in the second half.

While the movie has its slow moments but that are passable against the act of Diana Torres. The acting is quite impressive for such a low budget movie. Yutaka Takeuchi is impressive and to be seen in this one. Had this been cut down for 15 minutes, it would be more crispy and amazing. Can this be seen with children? Definitely Yes. It's a wholesome entertainment for all and I'd say it's best among other high budget feel good movies.

Beautiful inspiring film! REAL LIFE heart! Also bringing two unique cultures together...

[pinokiyo · 10/10 · 16 May 2016]

Hollywood can't make this kind of Gold.

I used to work at a sushi restaurant and the little things in the script is so hilariously true to life... right to the type of customers, the whole having to master cutting cucumber, getting mad at ordering teriyaki at a sushi bar... looking stuff up on craigslist -- the little things! (The only thing I found to be a little unrealistic was how the restaurant getting together during their lunch break(?) feeding their staff nice sushi and rolls... well, I guess they really are a nice restaurant and not stingy to their workers! What luxury...)

The main lead, Juana, is beautiful!! She sort of reminds me of a young Salma Hayek, but cuter. She's great!

The main lead's father deserves Best Supporting Actor award; his delivery and reactions are so natural and hilarious... he's immediately very likable.

Aki, the Japanese chef, (and they actually got a real Japanese guy!) is good too.

Just great casting overall - very very likable cast, even the young daughter. ('There's a Chinese man at the front door.' haha)

I love the scene with the main lead and the chef having sake together; great script-writing. To me, that scene was touching (got me teary) and hilarious at the same time bringing up the issue about being a woman and races. (soo funny and true about assistant chefs being Chinese and Korean... 'he smells like ashtray!' haha Koreans love to smoke)

I love how they intertwine Mexican and Japanese culture together. Very very cool. I really enjoyed it and was engaged the whole time; it went by really fast.

If you work at a sushi restaurant/love sushi/like Mexican/Japanese cultures, or just want a movie to inspire to go after your dreams, watch it. You'll love it.

It's funny, cute, touching film that you can enjoy multiple times.

It's not a big budget movie and perhaps may have a little high quality TV-Movie feel, but who cares. These are the types of movies that's worth watching; real-life conversations and stories people can relate and be inspired to.

Highly recommend! It has become one of my favorite movies.

One funny goof I noticed... when the chef asks the girl to help him out with the phone orders, she puts it on regular plates instead of a to-go box. xD

Oh and when Mr. Yoshida was cutting the cucumber "art" and the customers respond in amazement/kind of sucking up to the chef is sooo funny - that really happens in real life... it's also funny because that cucumber didn't even look amazing at all. What the hell was that? Haha

A movie with soul

[trenmast · 7/10 · 14 September 2019]

Low budget flick with lots of heart. Acting and technical stuff isn't brilliant, story is a little cheesy, but it works. I liked it.

so so

[patricianledezma · 4/10 · 23 February 2018]

A cute movie but would not watch again because it's so predictable. single Latina mother, trying to eke out a living, nasty ppl all pushing her down. still it has a good msg, pointing out the sexism in restaurants. I've worked in restaurants before and there's a lot of discrimination. boring ending though

For Foodies

[panta-4 · 7/10 · 29 March 2021]

Very sweet inspirational movie about a single mother trying to succeed in the food business industry... sometimes generalizing too much, sometimes too melodramatic, but I could not ignore very good clean cut script, safe directing, excellent cast and very beautiful cinematography.

If you are a foodie, and sometimes get emotional watching dramas, this is a film for you!

Best movie I've seen all year!

[jessica_lewis-207-900191 · 10/10 · 8 January 2015]

Love the uniqueness of the story... I mean how many non-male, non-Japanese sushi chefs do you see? I loved that the lead is a very strong female (Hispanic!) character (all too rare these days).

Wonderful acting, writing, editing, directing.

Beautiful sushi and watching it being made was fascinating.

This film brought tears to my eyes many times and I left the theater wanting a sushi dinner! Definitely the best movie I've seen all year... actually I've seen it twice and can't wait to see it again! Brought friends the second time I saw it who all felt the same :)

I can't wait to see this movie again.

We Can Only Fly When We are Allowed To

[rgordon-59262 · 7/10 · 28 September 2017]

That this movie was filmed on a shoestring or maybe a shoestring's shoestring makes me appreciate it all the more. In a time when finger pointing at those who do the jobs others won't or blame those who can't seem to get ahead, this gives some very subtle insights. When other decide what it is that we can or can not do, everyone looses.

A Beautifully Told Story of Hope, Determination, Family and Friendship

[markbresee · 10/10 · 23 September 2015]

Behind the scenes at our favorite restaurants are the hidden, talented and relentlessly hard-working individuals who are instrumental in delivering the dining experience, but all too often do not share the spotlight. This is a film about a tough, young single mother who tries to move out from behind the scenes.

But it so much more than that -- it is a touching, funny, inspirational film about family, parenting, cross-cultural friendship and understanding, breaking glass ceilings and cultural barriers, and determination. Most importantly, the story unfolds and the characters develop (and some, evolve) at a perfect, subtle pace. In these days of hateful, sound-bite generalizing and bashing of people who do not look like me, this film is a reminder of how wrong the talking heads are.

Brilliant movie, totally enjoyable

[jkt2006 · 7/10 · 8 January 2022]

This movie proves that a good, entertaining and inspiring movie does not need a big budget. Very well directed and performed. Everything about this movie is awesome. The main lead comes across as a veteran actor when she is probably not. There is not a single boring moment in the movie. Thanks for a good one!

Everything about this movie was great!

[ninewives · 10/10 · 20 September 2015]

This was a completely enjoyable movie. The script was well written, the acting was superb, and the cinematography was great. Even the sound, which sometimes suffers outside of Hollywood, was perfect. My only complaint is that I am not a fan of hand-held camera, but I understand that it is a legitimate technique, and it actually pulled me in during one scene, which is unusual.

One of my favorite parts about this movie is that the "moral" is a little ambiguous and isn't hammered home. Hollywood movies are always so black-and-white with good guys and bad guys, which is nothing like real life. East Side Sushi is much more subtle and realistic about themes like racism, gender bias, and social class. It is very refreshing.

I ended up discussing this movie for hours afterwards, and recalling some of the great scenes, which is unusual and definitely the sign of great filmmaking. I very highly recommend East Side Sushi!

I wanna be a sushi chef.

[spaceboy-95434 · 6/10 · 27 September 2020]

While I understand life can be tough running a fruit stand and having to work other jobs to make ends meet. After the main character, Juana, gets robbed, and then realized she gets mistreated by her boss while working at a gym. Then Japanese restaurant took her in with no prior knowledge of Japanese cuisine. After one reluctant bite of sushi, she quickly evolved to loving it on the level where she is determined to make it herself! She then brings an entire platter home.

When eating at an ethnic restaurant, I would say it goes a little bit further than the ability to make the food. There are certain prejudices involved to maintain the desired image of the restaurant. Asians of one nationality can get away with counterfeiting the experience posing as another nationality. Most non-Asians would not be able to see the difference. But having someone outside of the ethnicity involved in making the food would take away from the cultural experience. It would almost feel like ordering fries at a Japanese restaurant.

While the owner of the restaurant was supposed to be viewed as a villain, I did agree with his perspective. It is his restaurant. But Juana kept moving along with her "anyone can do what you do" attitude. She had no regard for her environment, she felt entitled to a promotion because she's tired of being hidden in the back.

I think a better ending would have been her starting her own fusion restaurant. Even her father encouraged her to add Latin flavors into her own customized sushi. The way she jammed her chopsticks in the rice, showed she lacked cultural awareness. Though it was a petty reason to lose a competition. Runner up in Sushi Master would have definitely been a great chance to open her own restaurant, or go to a place that is open to non-Asians in the sushi bar.

Japanese culture has more strict etiquette guidelines. But this is America, any poor character with heart deserves to be a sushi chef.

East Side Sushi - Award Winner

[csnow724 · 10/10 · 10 January 2015]

East Side Sushi is a very heartfelt film that brings to film the struggles we face in our lives and the accomplishments we can achieve by believing in ourselves. A very creative film production with the simplicity of bringing everyday life to view. The actors were flawless with such great performance from every one of them. You will be cheering for Juana as she stands up for herself. Her dreams of success is not only self-righteous but to bring together unity between cultures. You will be so engaged and will leave wanting more. If you love sushi your mouth will be watering and if not, you will appreciate it's beauty. I loved every moment and hope to see more films from this very creative Writer/Director. Do not miss this award winning film!

Good movie, Mexican cook decides she wants to be a Sushi Chef.

[TxMike · 16 May 2021]

I came across this movie on a rainy Sunday, while hoping the golf tournament in Dallas would resume after the rain. It is a good family movie, and also one about working to achieve your dreams against stiff odds. After all, Japanese Sushi bars don't easily accept a Mexican lady as a Sushi Chef. But she is really good!

Good movie.

Suchi Melting Pot.

[net_orders · 7/10 · 13 May 2018]

EAST SIDE SUCHI. Viewed on Streaming. Not the East Side of NYC, but Oakland, CA! Director Anthony Lucero (also credited as writer) using the ever popular Japanese movie plot of "zero-to-hero" conjures up a cross-cultural tale focused on the art of creating gourmet masterpieces using just about anything shored up by vinegared (sticky) rice. With sticky rice as a metaphor, Lucero goes after tribalism, bigotry, racism, sexism, and phony cultural authenticity in the restaurant business using a light touch with a minimum of lecturing. This proves to be a very effective approach (with a few less-than-subtitle messages tucked in here and there!). A Mexican-American single mother with a young daughter living with her widowed semi-retired and ailing father decides to refocus her life on moving up the socioeconomic ladder from fruit pushcart street vendor to becoming a renown suchi-bar chef. Lead actress Diana Elizabeth Torres seems perfectly cast as a strong woman determined to prevail against a myriad of antiquated male attitudes (including her father's) although her character's credibility suffers somewhat when the Director allows her to ham it up in confrontational scenes. Actress Kaya Jade Aguirre playing the daughter steals every scene she is in (which is customary for child players!). Cinematography (semi-wide screen, color) is excellent especially for hand shots of food preparation. Lighting and color correction are fine as is sound. Score is uneven (sometimes in the background, sometimes nearly drowning out the dialog) and over doses on taiko (drums). Subtitles are okay. Closing-credits song lyrics are not translated. An enjoyable feel-good fantasy. WILLIAM FLANIGAN, PhD. Details: Film = 7 stars. Cinematography = 8 stars. Lighting and color correction = 8 stars. Sound = 8 stars. Score = 6 stars. Subtitles = 6 stars. Translations = 5 stars.

Felt like short of budget plot

[samleejb · 4/10 · 24 October 2020]

First hour is good, it shows the ever learning Juana being disciplined and trying to learn the skills by observing.

However, a sudden twist in her attitude when caught preparing sushi at the store room. You May call it an intense but it's just too quick for a person to became that way.

Her first lunch, Juana doesn't even know how to start and even comparing the food with store bought and the script suddenly wanted her to become aggressive into becoming a Sushi Chef by confronting her employer? (This is the scene when I started to lose interest).

Yes you can bring some intense atmosphere into the restaurant and involving the employer but what about her constant learning attitude (for eg learning about Names from menu) and this shows the script is trying real hard (but obviously not successful) in switching her attitude into "never give up" style by forcing the employer for a position.

Similar genre, I would say the "Hundred Foot Journey" is a better written script if you ask for a comparison.

This movie is good

[jsh-07268 · 7/10 · 14 January 2022]

This movie taught me the importance of not give up. Japanese sushi chef is not accept Mexican woman chef. Nevertheless she did not give up. She is a really strong person. The sushi she made was looked delicious. I want to tell the world about Japanese culture.