Isa Dreams of Sushi, too.

There's a documentary I watched recently that I can't seem to shut up about. Take a look at the trailer and see why the question as to whether or not I'd like the film was a resounding "uh, duh."

Jiro Dreams Of Sushi is a documentary that places a spotlight on sushi and the master who makes them, 85-year-old Jiro Ono. I knew I had to watch this documentary the moment I saw the trailer because one, the documentary features the only sushi chef to be awarded 3 Michelin stars, and two, I love sushi. Sushi is a beautiful, beautiful thing! If there are other movies or videos that show high definition images of sushi, I'm all for it.

The documentary focuses on Jiro, his 10-seat hole in the wall, 30,000 yen a plate restaurant at the Ginza metro station, his two sons and his legacy to each of his shokunin and to the sushi-eating world.

The film is food porn, a fact that made my sushi-loving heart soar. The 1 hour 20 minute minute film had a rich source of what I'd call sushi montage. Various images of ingredients being sliced, charred, flipped, massaged and finally put together under the graceful hands of Jiro all come together to present the final image; a single piece of sushi placed carefully atop a shiny black rectangular plate, ready to be enjoyed.

It's beautiful, it's artful, it made me hungry.

Aside from the breathtaking imagery, the film is able to impart nuggets of wisdom through the voice of Jiro, who has strong opinions regarding discipline, work ethic and the journey towards perfection.

Opinions and statements like this:

One thing I also liked about the film was that it gave foreign eyes like mine a glimpse of the market, where Jiro's son visits everyday to buy a day's worth of seafood. I like the idea that there are specialists for each kind of seafood, which in turn guarantees quality. The Japanese take quality really seriously, apparently. I also liked that the film touched on the issue of the depleting tuna population. Jiro and his shokunin are in a business that relies heavily on the gifts of the sea, and it is for that same reason that they put importance in its sustainability for the next generation.

The film, in my opinion, drives a simple point: Jiro is the best because he loves what he does. Everything else, his role as father (he was rarely home), chef (he has three Michelin stars), and teacher (his apprentices went on to have their own restaurants), as well as his constant need to better himself are after effects of this one point. It's inspiring.

If it's not obvious already, I liked the movie. It made me want to be in Japan and take a place in one of his seats. It made me dream of sushi, but in a different way. Unfortunately, this dream is a bit far-fetched. Ticket to Japan + 30,000 yen + expenses that will let me live = Bankruptcy! So I'll just resign myself to just reading about the whole infamous Jiro experience here.

But I'll keep dreaming about sushi, anyway. :)