A fish called Wanda

A little while ago, in October 2012 (haha), I penned a transcript of my interview with Eric Ripert, head chef and co-owner of Le Bernardin, a 3-star Michelin restaurant in New York that specializes in seafood. This past weekend, I had the pleasure of watching Jiro Dreams of Sushi, a documentary about another 3-star Michelin restaurant that specializes in seafood - sushi specifically - this one in Tokyo.

Jiro Ono is a shokunin, a master in his field. He has been making sushi since the age of nine and is now 85. He is the head chef and owner of Sukiyabashi Jiro, arguably the world's best sushi restaurant. A meal there consists of about 20 pieces of exquisite sushi, takes about 20 minutes to eat and costs the equivalent of about $400. If you're at all mathematically-inclined, you've already calculated the break-down: it's $20 a minute. 

Some other interesting facts about Sushi Jiro include the fact that the "restaurant" seats a maximum of 10 people and that Jiro makes each and every piece of sushi with each and every customer in mind. Is the customer male or female? Right-handed or left?

Heaven.

Though I lived in Japan for one year and would have, had I known about it, eaten at Sushi Jiro in a Tokyo minute, I didn't. But watching the documentary almost makes me feel like I did. Beautifully filmed and filled with transporting classical music, the documentary is not only full of interesting facts, it is also full of flavours.

You heard me. 

I could literally taste the sushi while I was watching it.

Ripert himself has claimed to be a huge admirer of Jiro and I hope to one day have the pleasure of saying the same. Until then, I'll settle for my very own, homemade salmon tartare. Not quite 3-star... but not bad!

If you're wondering what the drizzle is, it's a balsamic reduction. Oh yeah. That's what I said.