masa: dishwasher. everything. anthony: for how long? masa: first two years. anthony: only in the third year, the rice. masa: [ speaking japanese ] anthony: and if you get that right, eventually, maybe, just maybe, the master will begin to teach you the next phase, how to stand next to him as a wakita, slicing the fish, eventually, eventually, creating pieces of nigiri for guests at the bar. of the dozen young men who work here, not all will make it to become a sushi shokunin. masa: oh, it s been a long time. anthony: to achieve that status of truly becoming a master chef. how many years? seven years to learn, right? masa: yeah. anthony: that s a lot of time. masa: a lot of time. anthony: a lot of work. a lot of pain. what was it like apprenticing here? hard? masa: his father was very tough. anthony: yeah? masa: very tough. at that time, his grandfather was here too. very tough. anthony: young masa was first
right? this is the country food. [ laughter ] kanpai. welcome home! ishi: [ speaking japanese ] anthony: you don t get this in new york. masa: no. mm. [ speaking japanese ] anthony: this is really good. i see why you love this. catherine, by the way, is a pastry chef at the great restaurant, the french laundry, in the napa valley. so high level cooking seems to run in the family. anthony: you grew up sitting in the sushi bar. catherine: i did, yeah, sitting on a milk crate with a cheeseburger in front, and i d watch my dad prepping, and i d call out, dad! and he d be like, i m not your dad here! i was like [ gasps ]. anthony: oh, that s funny. what did you do for fun back there? catherine: i was eating. [ laughter ] anthony: well, your father was in the fish business. wholesale masa: fish business, yeah. no, no. retail. he d make sashimi, right? anthony: mm-hmm. ishi: [ speaking japanese ]
masa: shimane prefecture. anthony: wow, just one oyster is a meal. it s like as big as a steak. masa: yeah, yeah, yeah. thank you! just like that. anthony: hold it french style. masa: french style. anthony: wow. masa: good, huh? anthony: mm! masa: right? they re the best. anthony: wow, that s good. and tender for a big oyster, you know? masa: thank you! anthony: arigato. masa: that s so good, huh? anthony: woo! anthony: the geisha profession, or geiko as it s known in kanazawa, gained widespread popularity in the
anthony: and when it s sukiyaki time, after a whole lot of, shall we say, home brewed sake you just kick back, stir in the maitakes and the shiitakes and some tochigi beef and enjoy the day. masa: this is what i do. beautiful, right? anthony: oh yeah. this is going to be good. masa: yeah, more, more, more, more, more. more, more, more, more, more, more, more yeah, yeah. good, good, good. anthony: nice eggs. masa: beautiful eggs. so good. see? that s what i like. outside, especially outside it tastes better, much better. anthony: everything tastes better outside. masa: exactly, exactly. anthony: so how long have you known these guys? masa: uh, since, since high school. anthony: high school. masa: high school, yeah, which is what? 44 years. anthony: 44 years. masa: yeah, it s a long time. huh? [ laughter ] anthony: how does he remember you in high school? who was the best student, who was the worst student here? masa: he s the best student. anthony:
right? this is the country food. [ laughter ] kanpai. welcome home! ishi: [ speaking japanese ] anthony: you don t get this in new york. masa: no. mm. [ speaking japanese ] anthony: this is really good. i see why you love this. catherine, by the way, is a pastry chef at the great restaurant, the french laundry, in the napa valley. so high level cooking seems to run in the family. anthony: you grew up sitting in the sushi bar. catherine: i did, yeah, sitting on a milk crate with a cheeseburger in front, and i d watch my dad prepping, and i d call out, dad! and he d be like, i m not your dad here! i was like [ gasps ]. anthony: oh, that s funny. what did you do for fun back there? catherine: i was eating. [ laughter ] anthony: well, your father was in the fish business. wholesale masa: fish business, yeah. no, no. retail. he d make sashimi, right? anthony: mm-hmm. ishi: [ speaking japanese ]