That's the documentary that inspired me to try Michelin starred Sushi restaurants in Japan. I went to Jiro's son's restaurant, which is by all accounts better, but nobody will say so because they don't want to disrespect Jiro while he's still alive. It's a Japanese culture thing.
My father asked me why I spend so much money on raw fish and rice.
I tried to explain to him that the high-end sushi restaurant experience is really a magic show that also includes food.
Have you heard of the placebo effect? Shamans "treat" their patients with practised rituals that make people feel better. Sure, nothing has ever been cured through such methods, but it sure does feel nice!
I have a personal pet theory that this is a side-effect of our evolution: little kids that sat quietly mesmerised watching the elders perform their arts and crafts would pick up the skills and eventually master them themselves. Kids that didn't sit quietly didn't get to be as skilful and would in turn fail to be good parents and hence had fewer children.
Some people call it ASMR, which is a fun term to search for on Youtube if you can't sleep at 11pm.
Watch any magician, or master craftsman at work, and you get the same tingly feeling on your scalp. You sit still, quietly mesmerised as you follow the swift and sure movement of their hands.
THAT is what good sushi is about. You sit at the table with the sushi master in front of you and observe as he slices the fish with rhythm and precision. You're entranced as he picks up the rice, moulds it, applies the wasabi, places the fish, and coats the assembly with sauce. It's like watching a magician dealing cards!
People pay hundreds of dollars for a magic show in Vegas. In Japan, you get the same experience except you also get fed in the process...
Japanese sushi is one of those foods that have almost no chance to be replicated at home.
First there is almost no way to get the rice to consistently taste anything close to how they do it in restaurants.
Second, itβs unlikely you will buy dozens of different high end top quality fish, prepare the fish, and then just make a few slices for your meal.
Finally, sushi is made to be eaten immediately. So if you want to make your own meal of 20 to 30 different types of sushi, you will have to either make and eat as you go, or make them all then eat them after they have sat for too long.
At least for many Western dishes, I can replicate maybe 80 percent of the taste. Sushi is a completely different level.
Last time I did it (my ex-wife is hafu), I didn't find the rice particularly difficult, but yeah, from a variety perspective there is no real option: you pick 2-3 types of fish and mix them up in as many different ways as you can. You are effectively forced to prepare for 5-6 people minimum. This is probably why sushi, in Japan, was traditionally considered festive food, not an everyday staple: there is no way to make it well for a single family.
If you don't appreciate the art form then it might not matter what dollar level or Michelin stars a place has.
I've never been to a Michelin star restaurant but do watch cooking shows where they make food like that and I don't know if I'd appreciate it.