Written and directed by Alexandra Cuerdo, following the rise of the Filipino food movement via the chefs crossing over to the centre of the American table. Starring: Alvin Cailan, Chase Valencia, Nico de Leon, Nicole Ponseca, Miguel Trinidad, Johneric Concordia, Christine Araquel and Andre Guerrero.

It’s no surprise to anyone that trying to convince people in years gone by to try food that comes from different cultures was not an easy task. Unfortunately, that seems to be the main point Ulam: Main Dish is making, and it never truly moves forward until the very last minute. Granted, it’s worth exploring the long term struggle and effort that has been made to bring Filipino food to the masses but it’s a shame to not see it then quickly move onto the food itself.

That’s they key issue with Ulam: Main Dish, it spends a lot of time talking about wanting people to know what Filipino food is and what the people stand for, but rarely actually spends time doing that. It’s quite a frustrating experience, to watch it continually treading that same ground which is time that could have easily been spent on portraying the culture. There’s only sporadic mentions of the types of ingredients that are common in Filipino food, or the types of dishes that are beloved.

It’s especially a shame as Alvin Cailan is such a phenomenal presence, and the film doesn’t make the most of his personality. His dedication, passion and charisma are wonderful and it’s a joy to watch him talk about his food and what he wants people to experience, his final scenes are even quite touching. Unfortunately, the rest of the film simply doesn’t capitalise on that, the talking heads chosen are still great, you can feel their motivation, but the overall tone and how the films uses their time misses the mark.

The other main problem is the style, particularly the use of music which is entirely overwhelming. It’s loud, distracting and takes away from the sincere conversation its subjects are trying to have. The way that it’s presented feels more like a cooking reality show than a documentary. It’s very standard, vague and formulaic, it hugely misses the opportunity to capture the vibrancy that Filipino culture has to offer.

Ulam: Main Dish had a good idea but doesn’t do it justice. Ultimately, it doesn’t feel like the film had much to say, repetitively hitting the same points rather than being a genuine exploration of the roots and evolution of Filipino food. The people which they chose to tell this story all clearly have a passion for it but the way that this film is put together basically undermines their efforts. There are a couple of really nice scenes with Alvin Cailan in the end, talking about what he wants diners to experience with his food and what it means to him but that’s what the entire documentary should have been.

Verdict: ✯✯½ | 5/10

Available to Rent or Buy on Digital, Cable & Satellite, also available on DVD, from July 11 | ulamthemovie.com