I love documentaries, what I love even more is sushi! So it is fairly certain that my favorite documentary is one about sushi.....well about one man's quest to develop his skills to the point of perfection. Jiro Dreams of Sushi is one of the most amazing and moving documentaries I've ever had the pleasure of viewing and it is now steaming on Amazon Prime. I saw this documentary many years ago and since it is back on a streaming service, I thought I would take a moment to share it with you and a few of my sushi photos as well. Unfortunately my life decision to live as a fairly strict carnivore keeps me from partaking in sushi except as a "cheat" meal, understand that I adore sushi.....I even have two sushi tattoos!!!
Jiro Dreams of Sushi introduces us to Jiro Ono a celebrated Japanese master sushi chef and explores his life-long obsession with the simple culinary creation of sushi. Although many of his dishes are quite simple in comparison to some of the ones I've shared, his technique and dedication to his craft and to ingredient selection elevates his simple dishes to extraordinary heights and his sushi is some of the most sought after in the world. At the time of the documentary, people were making reservations at his small restaurant a month in advance and his meals started at 30,000 Yen (approximately $244 USD at current market levels)!
It is not uncommon for people to spend this kind of money at renowned eateries for a several course meal with appetizers and dessert, but Jiro ONLY serves sushi....that's it.....yet his creations command such prices as a testament to his life's work to harness excellence and serve it as a simple sushi dish for others to enjoy. His painstaking process of creating sushi has not changed or waivered in decades and decades of preparation. His sushi is as constant as the northern star. The documentary chronicles his life and follows him and his family as they choose ingredients, prep their kitchen, and explore how they serve the sushi to their customers.
Through this journey the viewers find themselves more and more intrigued by this titan of the Japanese culinary world and your respect for him and his craft blossoms to sheer adoration for his precision and ambition for his pursuit of perfection in the simple world of sushi. I can't recommend this documentary enough and if you love documentaries, food, or sushi, this film will fill your soul to overflowing and you will leave after watching it a better person than before you started! There are two other documentaries that run a close second and third to this one, but their names escape me. One detailed the production of sake and the other was an immersive experience chronicling the creation and social impact of ramen. If I can find them, I will create a post for them as well.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my post and let me know if you've seen this documentary or if you know the names of the two other ones I can't remember. Remember that I love you all and your each were born for greatness!
Note- photos are my own and the trailer video is from Youtube.
All That Is Gold Does Not Glitter, Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost -Tolkien
