Jiro Dreams of Sushi is a 2011 documentary by David Gelb focusing on Jiro Ono, the 85-year-old owner and head chef of Sukiyabashi Jiro, a three-Michelin-starred ten-seat sushi restaurant in Ginza, Tokyo.The film outlines Jiro's incredible dedication to his pursuit of the perfect sushi, the career paths of his sons Yoshikazu and Takashi and various apprentices, the fine details of sushi-making, of selecting the right fish, and so on, interspersed with shots of delicious sushi and set to a Philip Glass soundtrack. This film contains examples of: Always Someone Better: Yoshikazu knows that when he eventually inherits the restaurant, he will always be seen as inferior to his father unless his sushi is twice as good as what Jiro made. Jiro himself mentions how he wishes he had Joel Robuchon's sense of smell and taste, imagining how good his sushi would be if he was as sensitive as Robuchon. Takashi mentions that although he serves the same food as his father, he has to lower his prices to keep customers coming in (of course, reducing it from 30,000 yen—that's $300—isn't that much of a hit), and has two Michelin stars.

(Most chefs would kill for just one.) He's 85 at the time of filming. sushi delivery london finsbury parkThe only thing he's changed in his rigorous schedule is that after he was hospitalized at 70, he quit smoking and stopped going to the fish market himself, leaving that (the fish market, that is) to Yoshikazu. sushi new york gariFood Porn: One common reaction to the movie is that it's 82 minutes of just pure food porn. sushi grade fish massachusettsThe ingredients and sushi are all lovingly and artfully presented; sushi grade fish aberdeenmany who see the movie say that if you haven't eaten immediately before watching, you'd better have reservations right afterward, because you will be hungry. sushi grade fish vancouver

Heir to the Dojo: Jiro pushed his sons into sushi-making, when they had dreams of going to college and doing other things (Yoshikazu mentions wishing he had had the chance to be a racing driver). sushi grade fish vancouverYoshikazu will inherit Jiro's restaurant, while Takashi runs a literal mirror-image (because Takashi is right-handed where Jiro is left-handed) branch restaurant in Roppongi Hills. jiro dreams of sushi free watch onlineBecause of their training from a young age, they were top-notch sushi chefs far younger than average. Minimalism: An ongoing theme. The cinematography is very simple. Jiro's sushi preparations are noted to be absolutely minimalistic and pure—no fancy multi-layered rolls for him. And the soundtrack is dominated by Philip Glass, the canonical Minimalist composer.

Tokyo Subways: Sukiyabashi Jiro is located just outside the ticket gates at Ginza Station on the Tokyo Metro. Supreme Chef: Jiro and his sons are all legendary sushi chefs. Training from Hell: Jiro's apprentices start by squeezing the hot towels presented to the guests. The water is scalding and burns their hands—but if the apprentice can't hand-squeeze the towels, he won't be able to hack the next ten years of training. Workaholic: Jiro works from 5AM to 10 PM. he'd always rather be working.His restaurant serves only sushi. It has 10 seats at a counter. It is in the basement of a Tokyo high-rise, not far from a subway stop. It has been awarded three stars, the highest possible rating, by the Michelin Guide. David Gelb's "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" is a documentary about a man whose relationship with sushi wavers between love and madness. He is a perfectionist, never satisfied, and if you go to work for him as an apprentice, you will have to spend weeks learning how to squeeze out a towel properly before moving on to learn how to slice a hard-boiled egg.

He agonizes about the placement of mats on his counter. Great attention is paid to where along the counter the 10 customers are seated in relationship to one another. Jiro's 50-year-old son, Yoshikazu, works with him in the restaurant and will inherit it someday. A younger son runs an associated sushi bar elsewhere in Tokyo. At Jiro's, there is a three-month wait for a reservation. A typical meal will cost you more than $300. It will not take very long to eat.This is a portrait of tunnel vision. Jiro exists to make sushi. Sushi exists to be made by Jiro. Even at the high prices of his premium fresh ingredients, you realize he must be a rich man. But to what end? The existence of his sons are an indication that he has a wife, although we never see her. He must have a home, although we never visit it. There must be hours when he cannot be at work, but the film indicates no amusements, hobbies or pastimes. The idea of his courtship of his wife fascinates me: Forgive me, but I imagine that even while making love, he must be fretting about the loss of valuable sushi-making time.

As a documentary about world-class sushi, this film is definitive. It runs only 81 minutes, but the subject is finite. While watching it, I found myself drawn into the mystery of this man. If you find an occupation you love and spend your entire life working at it, is that enough? Standing behind his counter, Jiro notices things. The Unloved, Part 37: "Zabriskie Point" & "The Mystery of Oberwald" For the 37th installment in his video essay series about maligned masterworks, Scout Tafoya examines Michelangelo Ant... Who do you read? Good Roger, or Bad Roger? This message came to me from a reader named Peter Svensland. He and a fr... The Return of Peter Cushing: Another Look at an Underrated Career A look at highlights from the career of the great Peter Cushing. The Unloved, Part 36: "Lisztomania" For the 36th installment in his video essay series about maligned masterworks, Scout Tafoya examines Ken Russell's "L... Rogue One: A Star Wars Story