East Side Sushi is a romantic comedy film that stirs up appetites and emotions as skilfully as its heroine presses rice and nori together.

Set in California, the film is based around a Mexican-American single-mother who lives with her daughter and father. She works as a fruit vendor with her father when one day she is forced to quit in search of a more secure job. She ends up landing a job in a Japanese Restaurant, much to her father's disappointment, and works her way up the ranks, but just when she gets to the top, the restaurant owner stands in her way, on account of her being of the “wrong” gender and race.

In frustration, she quits, only to be selected by a sushi competition. The staff from her former restaurant watch it all live on TV, including the owner, and in doing so she proves herself and earns the position as sushi chef, despite having only come in second.

Diana Elizabeth Torres plays the main character, and her approachable air creates a down-to-earth environment. The realistic plot makes the viewer feel as if they are standing there chopping sushi-rolls with her, making the whole experience more engaging.

Amid all the Pitch Perfects and Bad Moms, East Side Sushi is what viewers needed to get their minds back on track. It's inspirational, realistic, and questions some ideas that need to be questioned. It shows that you can do whatever you want to, no matter what gender or race, which I believe is a very important message that needs to be expressed more.

The film ends with the main character and her boss toasting, leaving viewers feeling warm and happy. Here's to many more films like this one.