Food Samurai x Bento&co: Behind the Scenes of Mory Sacko’s Disney+ Documentary

Disney+ will launch Food Samouraï on September 30th, a 6-episode docuseries following Michelin-starred chef Mory Sacko on his very first trip to Japan. You'll see our Kyoto shop featured in Episode 1. Thomas Bertrand, founder of Bento&co, shares the behind-the-scenes story of this unique collaboration and the experiences that came out of it.

Food Samouraï: Origins and Concept

One day in 2023, an unexpected email

The story began long before the release. Back in 2023, the agency developing the project reached out to me: they were preparing a documentary series in Japan with a French chef centered around bentos, and they were looking for a shop in Kyoto.

At that point, the project didn't even have its final title. Fun fact: the series was originally supposed to be called Chef Bento. Ultimately, Food Samouraï won out. I must admit I had a slight preference for the first title, though I might be a bit biased!

The filming itself happened quickly in the spring of 2023. A few intense days in Kyoto, cameras in the shop, hours of raw footage, a food crawl through Nishiki Market... and then, silence. One year. Two years. Three years.

In media production, you quickly learn that a lot of time can pass between raw footage sitting in a box and a slot on a global streaming platform. More than three years went by between shooting and release. But what a thrill to finally see the trailer and be so close to launch as I write these words on September 10th.

The concept behind Food Samouraï

Six episodes, exclusive to Disney+, created by Éric Nebot and produced by Eagles Team Entertainment (produced by Éric Nebot and Alice Cointe). At the center is Mory Sacko, chef of the Michelin-starred restaurant Mosuke in Paris, who gained fame on Top Chef and later hosted Cuisine ouverte on French television. At his side is Théo Segretin, his pastry chef and culinary sidekick.

This time, it’s not a competition. It’s a quest for the bento in the land of bentos, with a chef who brings pure wonder to the screen. The overarching theme: working with water, earth, fire, air, and the void—the five elements of Japanese tradition—and then bringing them together in a single box.

The final service takes place at a yatai (a traditional street food stall) in Osaka. In between, there are artisans, markets, tastings, and a country Mory Sacko knew only through manga, movies, and books, but had never visited. It was a wonderful discovery for him and for us watching, ultimately inspiring dishes that blend Japanese, French, and African flavors.

The documentary also features appearances and commentary from legendary chef Pierre Gagnaire, food writer Chihiro Masui, and actor Omar Sy.

The official poster for Food Samouraï. © Eagles Team Entertainment

Mory Sacko in Kyoto: Behind the Scenes of the Shoot

The challenge of finding the perfect bento box for Mory

When Mory Sacko arrived in Kyoto, he had a clear goal: build his bento. But first, he needed the box. That’s where Bento&co came in.

In our Kyoto shop, we spent time talking about what makes a great bento: proportions, compartments, materials, the difference between a curved cedar magewappa and a lacquered box, and why a Japanese bento box is chosen based on what you plan to put inside, not the other way around. I handed him the boxes that would accompany him all the way to the end of the series.

What impressed me most was his curiosity. He isn't a chef who experiences Japan as a background set. He is someone who has known the culture for a long time through manga and cuisine, asking the precise questions of someone who wants to understand the technique, not just capture a nice image. Like other Michelin-starred chefs, Mory Sacko knows you need to visit Kyoto from time to time to learn and satisfy that culinary curiosity.

With Mory Sacko between takes in Kyoto.

The art of editing, or how our Nishiki Market visit became a quick glimpse

We also filmed at Nishiki Market, known as "Kyoto’s Kitchen"—a 400-meter arcade overflowing with fish, tsukemono (pickles), dashimaki (Japanese omelets), tea, knives, and more. Two moments really stood out to me.

First was the yuba, the delicate tofu skin that is a Kyoto specialty, tasted right there on the spot with just a drizzle of olive oil. Nothing more. It perfectly captures the essence of Kyoto cuisine: an extraordinarily delicate product, often seen as a simple byproduct of tofu making, but actually a local treasure best appreciated straight from the source.

Next, we bought some fresh, still-damp wasabi roots. Mory Sacko used them... in a chocolate dessert inside the bento. I remember it even better than the heat of the condiment itself because the pairing was so spot-on. It was an incredible flavor combination, and that’s exactly what you expect from a great chef: seeing something in a river root that everyday people wouldn't imagine.

From what I understand, much of this sequence was shortened in the final edit. That’s the nature of film production! Fitting an entire country into six episodes means making cuts. Still, I have the photos, the memory of the yuba, and that amazing wasabi combination.

Filming at Nishiki Market in Kyoto, spring 2023. A good portion of this footage didn't survive the final edit—that's all part of the game!

Episode 6: One hundred bentos at a yatai in Dōtonbori

The climax of the journey takes place in Osaka during the sixth and final episode. Mory Sacko sets up a yatai street food stall right in Dōtonbori, under the bright neon lights, serving around a hundred bentos to passersby.

Seeing boxes that started in our Kyoto shop end up there, filled by a Michelin-starred chef, and handed to eager food lovers in Osaka... that’s the kind of moment you can’t plan for in a business model.

The yatai set up along the canal in Dōtonbori. Osaka at its finest.

Bento&co x Food Samouraï: A collaboration close to our hearts

In two years, Bento&co will celebrate its 20th anniversary. All this time, we’ve championed a simple idea: a bento isn't just a lunchbox; it’s a way of thinking about a meal and a piece of Japanese culture. A container that dictates structure, composition, and balance. It's a joy to share that philosophy with the world.

Explaining that concept, article after article, product after product, is what we do every day. Seeing a renowned French chef arrive at that same conclusion on screen for a global series helps spread that message faster than we ever could alone.

And honestly, seeing your shop in a documentary produced for a global platform gives you a bit of a surreal feeling when you remember starting out with just a blog and sending a few boxes from a Kyoto apartment in November 2008.

Filming at the Bento&co shop in Kyoto, spring 2023.