Jiro Dreams of Sushi: And You Will Too

PBS' Independent Lens has a particularly strong line-up of documentaries this season and on Monday they aired Jiro Dreams of Sushi, a 2011 documentary that will make your mouth water. Ostensibly a simple story about a Japanese chef, director David Gelb has created a spellbinding movie that serves as a philosophical meditation on ambition, craftsmanship, and what it means to live a fulfilling life.

Jiro Ono is an 85-year-old sushi master who runs Sukiyabashi Jiro, a sushi restaurant nestled inside a Tokyo subway station. This tiny restaurant has earned three Michelin stars, putting Jiro in the record books as the oldest chef to be awarded such an honor. Over the course of the documentary, we learn how Jiro's success is driven by an indescribable passion for sushi and an indefatigable pursuit for perfection. Apprentices at his restaurant spend weeks learning how to hand-wring hot towels for the customers before they are even allowed to touch a knife. That is the kind of tough Japanese training and single-minded attention to detail that Jiro brings to every aspect of his life.

The documentary also features Jiro's two sons, both of whom trained under their father at the restaurant. Owing to the Japanese tradition of the eldest son inheriting the father's business, Takashi, the younger son, left to open his own sushi restaurant, which is a mirror image of Sukiyabashi Jiro and has earned two Michelin stars. The eldest son, Yoshikazu, is still working under his father, awaiting his father's retirement. He will face impossible expectations when he runs the restaurant, although an intriguing anecdote at the end of the movie suggests that all will be well when Yoshikazu takes over.

We are also introduced to the various fishmongers that are favored by Jiro, who declares that he may be an expert on sushi, but these people are even greater experts about seafood. They are all passionate about their respective fields and it is wonderful to see how a piece of tuna that is painstakingly chosen at the fish market is later combined with meticulously-prepared rice to become a sublime piece of sushi. A food critic movingly compares a meal at Sukiyabashi Jiro to a symphony, each course carefully orchestrated to create a harmonious and fulfilling experience like no other. Throughout the film, delectable pieces of sushi are prepared and deposited with a flourish on a plate, and it takes a supreme effort to not futilely reach out to the screen.

Jiro Dreams of Sushi is a sumptuous movie in more ways than one - it is visually arresting, the soundtrack is beautiful, the people are incredibly interesting, and the story is stunning. When you're done, you will have learnt a host of lessons about how to appreciate good food, explore your passions, and live well. And you'll want to catch the first flight to Tokyo.