Tampopo: Ramen Western Weirdness (and I'm here for it)

Okay, so I finally watched Tampopo (1985). I'd heard it described as a 'ramen western' and honestly, that's… pretty accurate? It's not a book adaptation, obvs, but I'm including it anyway because it's a film film, ya know? Like, so visually evocative and themed around, well, food. I was expecting a quirky ramen-making story, and it definitely delivers on that front with Tampopo's quest for the perfect noodle. But the random vignettes thrown in throughout were just… unexpected. The gangster who's obsessed with food and foreplay? The etiquette lesson on eating noodles? What was going on?! I think the weirdness is what makes it work though. It's all so completely committed to the bit, and there's this undercurrent of reverence for food that's really charming. Like, even the 'gross' stuff, like the scene with the old man teaching Tampopo how to really slurp. It's never played for laughs; it's all about respect for the ingredients and the craft. It's kinda hot tbh. I wasn't totally blown away, but it's definitely stuck with me. The scene where Goro (the older truck driver) is teaching her how to make broth is genuinely inspiring. It also made me really, really hungry for ramen. Anyone have any good recommendations in LA? P.S. - I know literally nothing about the Dircector so someone wanna fill me in? (and maybe tell me why they never made a sequel, lol)