Tamako (Yoko Maki) is always cheerful, open, and positive. She’s always been a hard worker. However, her earnest personality has sometimes made for complicated relationships with colleagues. Now, Tamako has been working for over ten years and is over 30. One day, a leader in the food and beverage industry buys Tamako’s company. But women over 30 who work for that company are treated as annoying old women, while sexual harassment from male employees is a daily occurrence.
Now she constantly hears things like, “Do you have a boyfriend or not?” “She’s hot/ugly.” “She put on/lost weight recently.” Gossip flies around fast and furiously. To protect her fellow female co-workers, Tamako admonishes their bosses, who don’t take the constructive criticism well.
Outside of work, Tamako encounters Makoto (Masahiro Higashide), a young chef. He trained at a three-star French restaurant and won an international competition, but his haughty attitude has brought on misfortune and now he can’t even land a job. Makoto is cross with Tamako too, but when it comes to cooking, their serious approaches dovetail. As a member of a new restaurant’s planning staff, Tamako hires Makoto as a chef.
However, Tamako is fooled. Makoto is also seeing one of her female colleagues. It starts with the accusation, “She seduced my boyfriend” and soon enough, rumors about Tamako spread throughout the company, until her superiors won’t let her have a moment’s peace.
Tamako decides to quit, while also resolving not to endure male oppression anymore, but to open and run a restaurant the way she saw fit. She also calls on former female coworkers to go in on the endeavor, but only the dregs show up. On top of that, she’s short on capital. And yet, Tamako manages to open her restaurant. In the meantime, another restaurant opens on the other side of the street, and it employs the treacherous Makoto. That restaurant boasts a luxurious interior, while Tamako’s place has a homemade decor. The rival restaurant has a charismatic chef, whereas Tamako is still an amateur. They use expensive ingredients, while Tamako only has the strength of her feelings.
And so the passionate, delicious battle between women and men begins.