Watch Jiro Dreams of Sushi

Jiro Dreams of Sushi is a documentary film about an 85 year old chef named Jiro Ono, who many food critics purport to be the world’s greatest living sushi chef. Ono is the proprietor of the Sukiyabashi Jiro, which is a sushi restaurant that seats ten people. The gourmet, top class Sukiyabasi Jiro is located strangely in a subway station in Tokyo. Despite the strange location and relatively small size of Ono’s sushi bar, it is the first sushi bar ever in the world that has received a three star rating in the Michelin Guide, which is the maximum rating this prestigious guide awards to a select number of top level, gourmet restaurants around the world. Because of the small size of Ono’s bar, sushi connoisseurs from around the world book a spot at one of the ten seats at Ono’s table months and even years in advance, paying unknown dollars for these prized lunch seats. Jiro Dreams of Sushi tells the story of how Jiro Ono and his exceptional sushi talent came to be. The story continues into Ono’s present quest to bring his sushi making skills to the level of perfection. The film also explores Ono’s relationship with his two sons who both followed in their father’s footsteps and became sushi chefs as well. Ono’s youngest son Takashi Ono has no pressure to succeed his father. He has opened a restaurant in Roppongi Hills, Japan with a similar format as his father’s restaurant in the Tokyo subway. On the other hand, Ono’s eldest son Yoshikazu Ono faces the pressure of succeeding his father and not only taking over his three star Michelin rated restaurant, but also of living up to the reputation and skill level of his father. Jiro Dreams of Sushi was directed by the American filmmaker David Gelb. It is narrated in English with English subtitles appearing on the screen when native Japanese speakers are talking.