Photo by Moiz K. Malik on Unsplash
What has always drawn me to French gastronomy is its sophisticated spirit, the constant drive for perfection, and its idealization of the culinary arts. Recently, I had the chance to discover that same spirit, perhaps even refined to a higher level, in a completely different setting. It didn’t surprise me, though, given that it involved a Japanese chef.
"Jiro Dreams of Sushi" tells the story of Jiro Ono, regarded as one of the, if not the, best sushi chefs in the world. At 85, he has devoted his entire life to the art of making sushi, striving every single day to improve and refine his craft. Consistency, as we all know, is one of the hardest things to achieve – yet at his small restaurant in Tokyo, the sushi rolls are always the same: exceptional. It is no coincidence that Sukiyabashi Jiro was the first restaurant of its kind to receive three Michelin stars.
Don’t expect sophistication in the conventional sense: the restaurant seats no more than ten, and yet reservations are made months in advance. Jiro’s sophistication stems, according to an ancient principle, precisely from simplicity. He does not make or serve anything but sushi.
Beside him, his eldest son, Yoshikazu, continuously strives to absorb as much of his father’s mastery as possible. And the apprentices, who must endure ten years under Jiro before they can be called "shokunin," practice relentlessly to meet Jiro's standards. Sometimes, this practice goes on for months; one apprentice recounts how he made the omelet for sushi two hundred times before it was deemed perfect.
This is not for glory or fame – Jiro has already achieved those. But he is the kind of person who, after attending a ceremony where the Japanese government acknowledges his achievements, humbly returns to his restaurant to keep doing what he has done for 75 years. Beyond his genuine love for what he does, Jiro embodies another deeply internalized principle: "Always look above yourself" – a line that fittingly closes the film.
An excellently crafted 81-minute documentary, both in concept and production, "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" showcases, without exaggeration, perfection in small bites. And perhaps we needed those small portions precisely because perfection, a concept difficult to digest, can leave you speechless. That is exactly what happened to me after watching Jiro.
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