Jiro
Dreams Of Sushi has to be the most hunger inducing well-rounded documentary
I've ever seen. Not only is it mouthwateringly beautiful to watch, but special
credit goes to the director, David Gelb, who approaches the subject in
totality, by not only focusing the documentary on Jiro Ono, but also on
everything that has had an influence on him and on those that he influences.
Jiro Ono is considered the as the top sushi chef in the world having a small unassuming three star Michelin restaurant in Ginza Tokyo Subway Station, Japan. Given his whole life to the art of making the perfect sushi, the documentary is an insight into his art form and a walk down memory lane where we learn how Jiro reached his present day legendary culinary status. Where the documentary truly excels is that it moves its focus away from Jiro, from time to time, and features the people around him; from his two sons who are an equally important part of his life, to his apprentices, to his friends, and also the people who provide him with the raw materials of his trade. The audience as a result gets to the see the complete picture as Jiro's personal and professional life is dissected along with intricacies of making sushi and the changing nature of the business as eating sushi becomes more and more popular and commercial each year.
Jiro Dreams Of Sushi derives its name from the fact that Jiro, when he was young and working in a restaurant, would have dreams of sushi, wanting to make it different from the conventional norms. His life is inspirational when one realizes the dedication he has placed in this art and while some might consider it an obsession and his methods to be eccentric, it is more of the passion that has been the driving force for Jiro who continues to work equally hard even at the age of 85.
It
is the philosophy, the technique, the heart that makes Jiro's sushi special
and as he has no qualms about passing on his learning of the trade to his son,
Yoshikazu, and his apprentices, whom he teaches for free if they work in his restaurant.
As a result we see that he is not at all possessive about the art, which doesn’t
mean he is lenient about it either, and it can take up to 10 years for an
apprentice to truly understand and get a grasp of the techniques that make Jiro’s
sushi the best. Moreover, Jiro is also passionate about wanting to keep sushi pure
by not mixing it up with other foods, and as a result his restaurant only serves sushi
without the interference of other foods and drinks that might take away from
the pleasure of having the perfect sushi.
Jiro Dreams Of Sushi is an informative, entertaining, and heartwarming documentary that looks at the life of an individual who has given everything to a culinary art, and still feels an incompleteness wanting to discover and do much more. It is a documentary that through the people digs deep into the culture of a country and how that too has an effect on the way personal and professional lives are carried on.
My only recommendation for when you watch the documentary, which you must, is that do not do so on an empty stomach, or at least have a contingency plan ready to go out and eat afterwards.
Rating 5/5
