Jiro Dreams of Sushi – Movie Review

This is my first real attempt at reviewing a movie; minor spoiler alert as this is my first time. Next time I must remember to bring a notepad to take notes while viewing; wonder how the real critics do this?

“Jiro Dreams of Sushi” has been passed through many food blogs as a must-see film about the most revered and famous sushi chef, Jiro Ono. For a person that loves food, loves sushi (but doesn’t eat sashimi), this is one film I’d rate as the best for 2012.

The movie starts off showing Sukiyabashi Jiro, the 10-seat restaurant that Jiro and his son Yoshikazu run within a small shop at the Ginza subway stop. The simplicity and selectivity of the restaurant is spelled out with a guest asking for a pamphlet and asking what is served. Nigirizushi. Starting at 30,000 yen. 1 month reservation. No other type of Japanese cuisine on the menu. The bluntness of facts is how Jiro runs his life and restaurant. The goal is not to be exclusive, but to offer guests a simplistic experience with what he believes is the proper way to eat sushi. Commonly, guests are nervous when Jiro serves them sushi as they do not know if their reaction will be sufficient for the master chef.

 A sample of the nigiri sushi offered

The utter simplicity, repetitive motion, and painful perfection of each piece of sushi is a metaphor to Jiro’s 365-day work schedule and his perfectionist methods of training. Even after receiving his plaque for his first Michelin 3-star rating, he goes to work the same night “because he was tired of standing around”. As the movie progresses, we learn of Jiro’s life growing up without a father, how he earned his strict work mentality of putting his entire heart into making and evolving sushi, and life events that have made him who he is today. Jiro’s youngest son Takashi owns a second restaurant in Roppongi Hills; the dynamic of Japanese restaurant ownership culture is vividly explained when the sons explain their choice follow their father’s footsteps. 

Apprenticeship under Jiro is like med school; ten years of learning from basic tasks such as twisting hot towels dry for guests to the highest task of preparing the sushi rice. Tamago (a favorite of mine) is perfected by an apprentice who had previously attempted over 200 times but none of which Jiro approved. Massaging octopus for 40-50 minutes is another repetitive task performed so that when eaten, the meat is not rubbery. Jiro is meticulous in training those under him; each piece made is taste tested prior its serving to customers. The shortest apprenticeship? One day. Previous chefs who have completed their apprenticeship under Jiro talk about how they feel Jiro is always watching them prepare sushi, as if he was a ghost.

The movie also delves into the unseen world of sushi: the market. You get to see who Yoshikazu (and thus Jiro) entrusts with buying tuna, rice, and other staples of their menu. Each monger or vendor showers Jiro with endless praise, thanking him for entrusting them with his choice of quality. Jiro’s own opinion of sustainable fishing and the difficulty on finding quality ingredients points toward the California Roll and the boom of sushi in cuisine outside of Japan. The average timespan for a tuna to reach 100kg is ten years, according to Jiro. Mass fishing has prevented the smaller fish from maturing to its full size, decreasing the number of larger tuna available and driving prices up. This is one of the reasons menus are written up each day as it is based on what Yoshikazu buys at the market each morning. You start to understand the reason why the 20-course 1-piece tasting menu is 30,000 yen. I could spot about $50,000USD in Japanese sushi blades alone being used to prepare the sushi; there is no skimping on the quality of tools for Jiro.

Jiro Ono (center), Yoshikazu Ono (right), and various apprentices

(photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures)

Overall the film was what I expected of it and more. The insight Jiro brings audiences about food that we normally slather in wasabi and soy sauce is mind-numbing. His attention to detail, down to the symmetry of the restaurant layout of Takashi (Jiro is left-handed, while Takashi is right-handed) mirrors his years of observation and attentiveness to detail. The successorship and pressure on Yoshikazu is always present. Director David Gelb made the right choice in not only pairing some of the most popular classical concertos to mirror the brushstrokes of Jiro’s mastery but also kept the entire movie subtitled and without American language. This felt that it was a true cultural documentary without the standard American anesthesia and the story could truly be told by Jiro himself. Macro cinematography is used throughout the film to capture the fine details of each piece of nigiri; at certain points excessive depth-of-field only capture part of the food but a regular moviegover will overlook this.

After watching the movie, I plan on breaking my stigma of sashimi and gain enough tasting experience to travel to Japan in 2014 to try not only Sukiyabashi Jiro but his son’s in Roppongi Hills.

For reservations to Sukiyabashi Jiro, see: http://www.sushi-jiro.jp

"Jiro Dreams of Sushi" is showing at the Nuart Theater, 11272 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA. Check Landmark Theaters for showtimes.