This is a warm, well-intentioned movie that does what it sets out to do: tell a feel-good story about food bridging cultural divides. The performances are strong, the food looks incredible, and the message about overcoming prejudice through understanding is solid.

That said, let's be real: most kids will find this pretty slow. It's a prestige drama aimed at adults who like foodie content and heartwarming stories. The 2014 aesthetic already feels a bit dated, and the pacing is deliberate in a way that modern kids raised on Marvel and YouTube aren't trained for.

The cultural conflict elements are both a strength and a concern—they're handled thoughtfully and resolved positively, but the arson scene is genuinely upsetting and requires maturity to process. This isn't background viewing; it's a 'sit down as a family and discuss' kind of movie.

Best fit: families with tweens/teens who are already interested in cooking, food culture, or who have personal connections to immigration stories. If your kid watches cooking competition shows or asks to help in the kitchen, this could be a hit. If they need constant action, hard pass.