"exceptional
cuisine, worth a special journey". – The Michelin Guide [i]
Three stars on
Michelin guide can be interpreted as the quotation. This one is the world’s
famous restaurant guide book and also well known for its severity. Such
Michelin guide appraised one tiny Japanese restaurant by giving their best
grade. Compared to a historic and fancy restaurant in French, this sushi
restaurant has very poor facilities. Its capacity for customers is only for ten people
and it is located nearby subway station. How could they impress all the
conceited Michelin inspectors?
It takes approximately ten years to make 'proper' tamago-yaki(grilled egg). Apprentices, their first
job is squeezing a hot towel. This is very hot, the temperature is very high,
at least hundred degrees. It is almost torture rather than training. All kind
of chores including going fish market at four o’clock in the morning, cleaning
the toilet are asked to be certified his/her sincerity. They are allowed to
‘practice’tamago-yaki only after ten years doing that. This is just one example
showing their rigor.
Jiro, who is the main chief of this
restaurant, is eighty-five years old and he spent all his life on sushi. He
literally dedicated his life for sushi. He entered this world when he was
twenty years old. About sixty years, he always wears a hand gloves when he goes
out, to protect his hand. He does not like holidays because he cannot work. He
even works in his dream as well.
It is easy to find
someone like Jiro in Japan. Usually, a family succeeds their own techniques and
spirit for generations. How did it possible? Interestingly and unexpectedly,
the theory comes from samurais. After the war, the demand for samurais was
getting lower. In order to survive, they needed to find another ‘job’and that
was joining in a cottage industry. They had to work very hard to be selected as
a successor, since as the place was limited. With this desperateness, the
peculiar spirit of samurais, 一生懸命[ii], which means ‘work hard even if it is dicing
with death’ created this Japan’s unique craftsmanship.
One food critic
commented Jiro’s sushi as, ‘eating his sushi is same as understanding his
philosophy.’ In general, money is the drive to make people work. But someone
like Jiro, for them, job is not only for a living, but a life itself. They love
their job and work every day with a sense of duty. Sushi, it would seem
insignificant for some people. Jiro raised it to a higher level. He had elevated
this to a beautiful artwork. That is how we call them as ‘Master of Crafts’ This
spirit made the world fascinated including Michelin reviewers.
Young Ah
Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)
Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)
Director : David Gelb
Cast : Jiro Ono[iii]
* Last modified on : 29 October 2012
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