Jiro Dreams of Sushi Review

     I recently watched a documentary called Jiro Dreams of Sushi. This is a Japanese, expository documentary starring the world's greatest sushi chef Jiro Ono. His restaurant, Sukiyabashi Jiro is located in a Tokyo subway station and has only ten seats. To eat there, you must make a reservation at least one month in advance and the minimum cost per meal is $300. Because you eat sushi as soon as it is prepared, the average meal is only about 20 minutes. Jiro himself has recieved many awards from Japan and is the only sushi chef to ever receive three Michelin stars, one of the highest if not the highest honor a restaurant can recieve. This documentary captures his perpetual need to keep pushing the boundaries of what he can do with sushi.
   85 year old Jiro Ono works along side his oldest son and several apprentices. The apprentices must work for years and years to master the craft of sushi. It took one apprentice ten years before Jiro allowed him to cook egg sushi and even then it took him hundreds of tries until he could get it right. The film also explains Jiro's background of living on his own since the age of nine and working in sushi resturaunts ever since then. Because his parents weren't around, Jiro pushes his sons to be the independent and great chefs like he is. Although his sons work just as hard as Jiro, one person explains that they will never live up to Jiro as he has become such a legend in sushi culture. In addition to working hard, Jiro and his son explain, that it is also the constant preparation and choosing only the right ingredients that makes a great sushi chef. They will meticulously plan out every detail including where each guest sits and will even make smaller pieces of sushi for women so they can finish at the same time as the men. The film shows how Jiro has come so close to perfection yet will never retire because he is always working to become a better chef.
   An interesting cinematic aspect seen in this film is the use of time lapses and slowmotion in the making of sushi. This shows how long they work, as well as the detail that goes into crafting each piece.  One dramatic aspect of the film is when they staged some dimly lit scenes with just Jiro and his son evoking a dramatic mood.This is showing how Jiro truly is the master of sushi and his sons will do their best to carry on the legacy. Another interesting literary aspect is the point of view. The filmaker made it feel as if the viewer was part of the conversation by having the camera be at eye level and filming conversations between people. This became interesting when it showed Jiro's fish and rice dealers.
    I would highly recommend this film to a foodie or someone who is interested in different cultures. Just seeing how long these chefs have been working for one goal is truly remarkable. If these topics don't interest you as much, you may find some parts to be slow however it will still be very captivating.

Jiro Dreams of Sushi    81 minutes     PG