Jiro Dreams of Sushi is a fantastic documentary about the 85-year-old sushi master Jiro Ono. His 10-seat sushi-only restaurant in a Tokyo subway station is a Michelin three-star restaurant.
I love this movie as a meditation on work, design, and simplicity. It’s fascinating to see how finely honed craftsmanship, deep knowledge of ingredients and preparation methods, and a touch of myth-making can result in an incredible culinary experience. It’s a product design inspiration.
Here are some of my favorite quotes from the movie.
Simplicity
If you were to sum up Jiro’s sushi in a nutshell: Ultimate simplicity leads to purity.
Qualities of a Great Chef
A great chef has the following 5 attributes: First, they take their work very seriously and consistently perform on the highest level. Second, they aspire to improve their skills. Third is cleanliness. If the restaurant doesn’t feel clean, the food isn’t going to taste good. The fourth attribute is impatience. They are not prone to collaboration. They’re stubborn and insist on having things their own way. What ties these attributes together is passion. That’s what makes a great chef.
How to Make Delicious Food
In order to make delicious food you must eat delicious food. The quality of ingredients is important, but one must develop a palate capable of discerning good and bad. Without good taste, you can’t make good food. If your sense of taste is lower than that of the customers how will you impress them?
Purposeful Meander 