“You have to love your job. You must fall in love with your work.”
Before Jeroen and I got married, we spent our spare time watching rented laser discs and VHS tapes at home (yes, this was the late ’90s).
To this day I look forward to our movie dates at home, though renting movies outside is no longer necessary.
I enjoy watching movies on my Mac, with the lights out, the freezing aircon, and hiding under a blanket.
Yesterday my dad gave us a copy of Jiro Dreams of Sushi, about an 85 year-old sushi chef, Jiro Ono, considered by many as the world’s greatest sushi chef.
Ten minutes into the film, Jeroen and I felt very much moved by documentary, which also made me seriously crave for sushi. Watching it reminded me of eating sushi in Ginza, where tears rolled down my cheeks when the chef put too much wasabi on my food.
Such a thing would never happen in Sukiyabashi Jiro, where sushi is prepared to perfection.
The 10-seat, sushi-only restaurant is located in a Ginza subway station. But despite its humble appearance, it is the first sushi restaurant to be awarded three Michelin stars. A three-star Michelin rating means it is worth traveling to that country to eat in that restaurant.
A typical meal here costs 30,000 yen (or Php 16,000) for 20 pieces of sushi—all served within 15 minutes. But despite its top-dollar price, the restaurant is always booked—you need to reserve at least one month in advance.
Watching the film made me think of all the humble Japanese workers I’ve seen around Tokyo doing their day-to-day jobs, where even the simplest of tasks—such as gift wrapping in a department store—is performed with utmost care and skill—something us Filipinos could learn from.
Jiro Dreams of Sushi is director David Gelb’s first feature film. It teaches the importance of work and repetition, family, and the art of perfection, while chronicling Jiro’s life as an unparalleled success in the culinary world.
Jiro’s life wasn’t easy. He practically raised himself when his parents left him alone at age 7. In order to survive, he started working very young and very hard.
Though he admits having been absent during his two sons’ growing up years, he made up for lost time by training them, pushing them out the door, and making sure to leave them a legacy of hard work, pride and very high standards.
If you love sushi, Japan, and its lovely people, don’t miss this.
https://www.facebook.com/jirodreamsofsushimovie
