Jiro Dreams of Sushi

I strongly do not recommend this to sushi lovers! They may well end up spending all the family savings on the journey to get just this one dinner in the restaurant with no toilets in the Tokyo subway. If sushi is not so high on your list of priorities you can watch it with no fear, because it’s mainly about the old-world Japanese demeanor which is aimed at constant self-improvement through their absolute attention to detail and infinite humility. Despite having been the very best in their field for decades. But have you heard what our cooking celebrities have to say to this exceptional documentary about the “philosophy of sushi" as practiced by the Ono family (with Jiro as a leader who made it all the way into a sci-fi comic book by the culinary adventurer Bourdain) in one very special restaurant that got three stars in the Michelin guide? Zdeněk Pohlreich: Well I’ve never seen anything like that before! Look at him how he’s touching it with his dirty mitts and has the cheek to stare straight into your face, less than an inch away from you, watching you eat! Jiří Babica: Hmm, interesting, I must say. But unnecessarily snobbish ingredients. I would add ketchup and a frankfurter sausage to the rice. And in fact ketchup instead of the rice and the frankfurter because ketchup on ketchup blends nicely together and it’s a yummy treat which you can have every single god given day. Jaroslav Sapík: Excellent! Delicious! But where is the main course with six dumplings? And where is the beer to wash it down? VydroBoušek: He is too grumpy, can’t speak a word of Czech and how can you call this cooking? - It’s served raw! But you must admit that the funny activity – massaging an octopus for an hour - was the high point of this week. So 5 points for him (which isn’t enough to win), so the winner is Jarka from Velká Bíteš with her traditional meatloaf. Roman Vaněk: That seems odd. Ten years of hard labor day in, day out, just to learn the basics? Yo, losers… Come to Prakul, and we’ll teach him everything he needs to know about sushi in just five hours, for just four thousand crowns! (27/03/2013)

I feel like I’ve watched something important that enriched me in its own way. A beautifully made documentary that no sushi lover should miss. Meaningful interviews, nice music, interesting content. It doesn't feel commercial, it doesn't impose any opinions, it just gushes over the beauty of the taste. (21/07/2012)