Jiro Dreams of Sushi

What defines "deliciousness"?

Taste is tough to explain, isn't it?

I would see ideas in dreams.

My mind was bursting with ideas.

I would wake up in the middle of the night.

In dreams, I would have visions of sushi.

Once you decide on your occupation,

you must immerse yourself in your work.

You have to fall in love with your work.

Never complain about your job.

You must dedicate your life to mastering your skill.

That's the secret of success

and is the key to being regarded honorably.

I have published several restaurant guidebooks.

I went to every sushi, soba, tempura, and eel restaurant in Tokyo.

Nobody has eaten more of these foods than I have.

Out of the hundreds of restaurants that I ate at,

Jiro's was the best by far.

When I went to Jiro the first time, I was nervous.

After going for years, I am still nervous.

Jiro has a very stern look on his face when he's making sushi.

It's comfortable for people

who like to have sushi served at a fast pace.

But for people who want to drink and eat slowly while chatting,

it won't be a comfortable eating experience.

All of the sushi is simple. It's completely minimalist.

Master chefs from around the world eat at Jiro's and say,

"How can something so simple have so much depth of flavor?"

If you were to sum up Jiro's sushi in a nutshell...

"Ultimate simplicity leads to purity."

- Excuse me. - Yes?

Do you have a pamphlet for this restaurant?

We don't have pamphlets. We only have business cards.

Could I have one, please?

May I have one?

I came all the way from Shizuoka.

Here are a few cards.

- Can I make reservations? - Reservations are mandatory here.

How early do I need the reservation?

- One month in advance. - One month in advance?

Yes.

Since it's February now,

we're taking reservations for March.

I see.

Reservations can be made for lunch and dinner?

Yes, for both. The price starts at 30,000 yen.

- 30,000 yen? - It starts at 30,000 yen.

- Okay. - The sushi and prices vary,

depending on what's available at the market.

- I see. - So it starts from 30,000 yen.

Can we order drinks and appetizers to start?

We only serve sushi. We don't have appetizers.

- Really? - Yes.

- You don't have any other dishes? - No.

- Only sushi. - Yes.

- Okay, thank you. - Thank you.

For fast eaters, a meal there might last only 15 minutes.

In that sense, it's the most expensive restaurant in the world.

But people who eat there are convinced it's worth the price.

We're not trying to be exclusive or elite.

The techniques we use are no big secret.

It's just about making an effort

and repeating the same thing every day.

There are some who are born with a natural gift.

Some have a sensitive palate and sense of smell.

That's what you call "natural talent."

In this line of business,

if you take it seriously, you'll become skilled.

But if you want to make a mark in the world,

you have to have talent.

The rest depends on how hard you work.

He repeats the same routine every day.

He even gets on the train from the same position.

He has said that he dislikes holidays.

The holidays are too long for him.

He wants to get back to work right away.

It's unthinkable for most people.

Is it good? Is it too firm?

- Overall it's a little tough. - Is it?

Probably because it is young.

But the toughness isn't that bad.

If it doesn't taste good, you can't serve it.

It has to be better than last time.

That's why I always taste the food during preparation.

- It hasn't marinated enough. - It is a bit fatty.

This doesn't taste right either.

- How long has this marinated? - For about five hours.

- Put it back in. - It needs work.

Let's marinate it in vinegar a little longer.

My father is right.

- Let's marinate it again. - Put it in the vinegar again.

Put that one in the vinegar too.

- We'll try it again before serving. - Okay.

I've seen many chefs who are self-critical,

but I've never seen another chef who is so hard on himself.

He sets the standard for self-discipline.

He is always looking ahead.

He's never satisfied with his work.

He's always trying to find ways

to make the sushi better or to improve his skills.

Even now, that's what he thinks about every day.

A great chef has the following five attributes.

First, they take their work very seriously

and consistently perform on the highest level.

Second, they aspire to improve their skills.

Third is cleanliness.

If the restaurant doesn't feel clean,

the food isn't going to taste good.

The fourth attribute is impatience.

They are not prone to collaboration.

They're stubborn and insist on having things their own way.

What ties these attributes together

is passion.

That's what makes a great chef.

Jiro has all of these attributes.

He's a perfectionist.

The difference between Jiro today and Jiro 40 years ago

is only that he stopped smoking.

Other than that, nothing has changed.

When I apprenticed for him, he wasn't famous yet.

But he always worked incredibly hard.

He would only take a day off if it was a national holiday.

The only time he wasn't at the restaurant

was when there was an emergency, like a funeral.

But he would still keep the restaurant open.

I would say to the customers, "Jiro is at a funeral,

so I will be your chef today."

I've worked hard, so I have no regrets.

Seriously.

If Jiro has any regrets, then he's crazy!

I feel sorry for his older son.

He should let Yoshikazu take over.

Don't you think?

Yoshikazu is already 50.

Yes, he's only 12 years younger than I am.

Yoshikazu, you probably didn't think

you'd be working with your father so long.

I thought he was going to retire long ago.

Everyone thought Jiro might retire 10 years ago.

He was hospitalized once when he was 70.

Then the Roppongi Hills branch was opened.

Those were the two times when he might have retired.

After he was hospitalized, we weren't sure he could continue working.

How old were you when you started training?

I started when I was 19.

You didn't like it at first?

I hated it at first.

For the first two years, I wanted to run away.

We can have them sit here and here.

But that way, Mr. Taniguchi would have to sit at seat nine.

Have these guests on seats one, two and three.

No, that won't work.

It wouldn't be fair to the people who reserved last year.

Have them sit close together to fit the other party.

It's essential to check every detail.

What the staff might not notice,

I notice because I have been doing it for so long.

I give them detailed instructions on what to do.

Working there wasn't easy.

I worked for him until he was 60.

I wouldn't say he is eccentric.

He just works relentlessly every day.

That's how shokunin are.

The way of the shokunin is to repeat the same thing every day.

They just want to work.

They aren't trying to be special.

I could always tell from his facial expressions

if he was in a good mood or a bad mood.

And when it was best not to bother him.

Once your boss, always your boss.

Let's just say

I don't sleep with my feet in his direction.

Remove the part with tough meat.

We'll age a small tuna for about three days.

We'll age a larger tuna for up to 10 days.

When you compare fatty tuna and lean tuna,

these days most people prefer the taste of fat.

Before World War ll, they used to cook fatty tuna.

The taste of the fatty tuna is simple and predictable.

But the flavors of leaner cuts are subtle and sophisticated.

Each tuna has its own unique taste,

but it is the leaner meat that carries the essence of the flavor.

We can't buy just any tuna.

The tuna vendor works exclusively with tuna.

Our shrimp vendor only sells shrimp.

Each vendor is a specialist in his field.

We are experts in sushi,

but in each of their specialties, the vendors are more knowledgeable.

We've built up a relationship of trust with them.

Sushi was originally sold from street stands.

In New York, there are food vendors on the street.

Sushi was once served the same way.

It is said that the "California" roll

was invented between 1983 and 1985.

Sushi's popularity spread quickly to New York...

and then spread to Europe.

In France, the first Michelin guide was published in 1900.

Michelin inspectors look first for quality.

Next they look for originality,

and finally they look for consistency.