- Hey guys this is the crew from Shokunin.
We just wanted to let you know that we won a New York Emmy
- Along with our host Chef David Bouhadana.
And here is one of our favorite episodes.
Check it out.
(dramatic music)
- Generally in Japan, you know sushi is usually a
ten year minimum.
The first few years, you're a busboy, you're a clean the
restaurant, you're doing deliveries.
There's no touching ingredients.
There's no touching anything.
There's no even interacting with staff.
It is simply to prove that you are loyal.
That you're not going to steal and that you're trust worthy.
And for a master to pass it on to a student,
it's all about trust.
(light bouncy music)
We have here a very well seasoned Japanese veteran chef
and a young American lady.
A new age, a new era.
(light bouncy music)
- It's been about three years now.
Learning the basics of what the fish were.
How to keep things clean.
How to answer questions.
Whenever we're together, he's constantly teaching me.
Like, even now.
He's frequently said to me, do not compete with anyone
but yourself, or me, meaning him.
- You're first day, I already knew that the basic training
was already, I can see, you have it.
So I avoid it.
- I got (inaudible)
- Same scenario for myself, you know I was a waiter
and then the chef did ask me, to step behind the sushi bar
I remember my first question, he asked me
have I ever held a knife, and I lied.
I said yes.
But I never held a knife before in my life.
- Yeah you're knife is not part of your body yet.
You hold it.
That's extension of your fingers.
You're still, using a knife.
- When you're a waitress and you make mistake
obviously you're in trouble for something
for making the mistake.
When you're in a sushi bar and you make a mistake
- The guilt for making the mistake is so much greater
behind the bar.
It hits you in a more heavy place because it's not your
knowledge, that you're messing up.
It is someone else's knowledge and someone else's
knowledge before them.
So.
- Don't use the chopstick to chopstick, bad luck.
- See?
Learn something new all the time.
This is the life.
It's not a job.
- So it's not about the money?
- No.
- What's it about?
- The religion.
That's the right answer.
- I think this is just human nature
that whenever you really care about something, someone
you fear it because it has meaning.
It has weight.
What helped me convince him to teach me was
that I never asked for money only for knowledge.
- All I wanted was for my master to be happy.
Just to have his recognition.
Have you had this kind of partnership
or relationship with another employee or chef?
- Other place I never had.
Because they are working for just for money.
My master is 90 years old, (inaudible)
They, they teach you with a plan
cleaning a master's room every Sunday.
Go to the public bath and clean his back.
Apprentice is not right word for me.
It was a slave.
But he taught me how to love the food.
That's most important to me.
- For me, being 18, American guy behind a sushi bar, um
there was little phobia.
A customer said I cannot eat his food.
- I mean, so far, from what you said it was exactly the same
Like at first for me he make sushi for me and
I would serve it.
And that was, you know how you learned about the weight
feel, texture, and also how to gain people's trust.
Everyone is treated completely equal, um here.
- A lot of very difficult customers.
We had I do not want to eat, uh female chef's sushi.
But I said, doesn't matter female or male.
I asked her to make sushi.
So she's okay.
So you don't want to eat her sushi,
I will not make your sushi either.
You will go home.
That was my answer.
Otherwise I would not ask you to make sushi.
- Those sort of situations actually end up, it builds your
confidence a lot more.
Because knowing someone else has confidence in you
does wonders.
(lighthearted music)