Michelin-starred chef Mory Sacko’s forthcoming Japanese culinary journey Food Samurai is set to arrive on Disney+ in the U.S. and Canada.
The six-part series follows Mory, joined by pastry chef and friend Theó Segretin and guests including Omar Sy, as he delves into Japanese culture and gastronomy to discover how to create the perfect bento. Along with Lupin star Sy, the guest lineup features other figures including multi-Michelin-starred chef Pierre Gagnaire and writer Chihiro Masui.
The docuseries – created, produced and directed by Eric Nebot – represents Mory’s first visit to Japan and follows his mission to master a cuisine he has admired since childhood. He meets different people and takes part in tastings, participates in centuries-old customs and samples food from small streetfood stalls to discover what drives Japan’s food culture.
Mory, who has Malian and Senegalese heritage, ranks among France’s best-known celebrity chefs. he grew up in the Paris region before gaining national recognition through the French edition of Top Chef and subsequently launching the acclaimed MoSuke in France’s capital city. His cooking is regarded as a fusion of French technique, African flavors and Japanese influences, and he received a Michelin star in 2021.
The series draws partly from the story of Yasuke, the African man who became a samurai in 16th century Japan. Nebot has been marketing the series on a territory-by-territory basis through his Eagles Team Entertainment imprint, and has already brought Disney+ France aboard the project. In the U.S., the series will debut on September 30.
“We all have an idea of Japan – we think we know sushi, tempura or yakitori, but through Mory’s eyes, we discovered just how limited our imagination had been: the air between grains of sushi rice, the sound of tempura, the discipline of fire,” said Nebot.
“The same was true of Hiroshima. Oppenheimer brought the bomb back into popular culture without taking us there. Meeting a survivor made that history immediate and human. Food Samurai is about going beyond what we think we know.”
Nebot previously founded product placement company Hill Valley, which has contributed to films and projects such as One Upon a Time in Hollywood, the James Bond franchise and Emily in Paris. He launched his filmmaking career as a co-writer on Philippe Faucon’s The Disintegration, which screened at Venice in 2011.
His recent producer credits include Arnaud Desplechin’s Filmlovers!, Yann Gozlan’s Visions, and the Academy Award-nominated animated short Yuck!, while he also created and directed The Chef in the Truck, which tracked Ritz Paris pastry chef François Perret in California and debuted on Netflix.