What to Watch: 'Jiro Dreams of Sushi' Offers a Delectable Look at the Creative Process

Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011) Netflix, Amazon Instant and iTunes

The Basics: Study at the knife of a Japanese sushi master in this ecstatically reviewed (and drool-inducing) foodie documentary.
If You Liked: Chef, Kings of Pastry and Big Night
The Nugget: Come for the opportunity to watch renowned chef Jiro Ono prepare his delectable sushi delights, stay for the familial drama that develops between Jiro and his two sons.

If the mouth-watering parade of sizzling Cuban dishes on display in Jon Favreau’s current indie hit, Chef, has you starved for more cinematic delicacies, allow David Gelb’s documentary to transport you to a (literally) underground sushi restaurant nestled in a Tokyo subway station.  The name of this particular joint is Sukiyabashi Jiro, and despite its odd location, it’s a world-renowned destination restaurant that boasts a three-star rating from the prestigious Michelin Guide and has hosted gourmands, celebrities and politicians, up to, and including, President Obama.  Embedding himself in his host’s cramped quarters, Gelb captures Jiro’s day-to-day routine and the methodical way he prepares each dish, always aiming to concoct the perfect plate of sushi and always, in his mind anyway, falling short.  If food is an art form—and many chefs, not to mention more than a few artists, would argue that is indeed the case—than Jiro Dreams of Sushi is an insightful look at the artistic process, particularly the imperfection that so often results from the pursuit of perfection. But it’s also an emotional father/son story, as both of Jiro’s adult children wrestle with working in the shadow of their old man.  While the youngest, Takashi, has opened his own restaurant, 50-year-old Yohikazu is being groomed to assume control of his father’s place, though Jiro is reluctant to let it go.  It’s that rich, dramatic relationship that adds an extra layer to this already delightful confection.