Sukiyabashi Jiro Roppongi Hills Restaurant — Restaurant in Tokyo

[My review copied directly from elsewhere]

“An Impatient Master”

— I’ve just finished lunch at Sukiya-bashi Jiro, one of the two eateries featured in the popular documentary “Jiro Dreams of Sushi.” A small venue, seating about five for lunch at the bar, allowed inspection and direct interaction with the chef himself throughout the meal. This post/review is as much about him as it is about the food he and his staff served me.

The chef, who I believe is the son of the famous Jiro, is clearly a learned man about his craft. His most charming moments were serving me the piece of fish he had just prepared in front of me while explaining the origin of the fish, how it may differ from others of it’s kind I’ve eaten elsewhere, and what I should look for gustatorially to judge its quality. He clearly delighted in sharing the knowledge as much as sharing the food itself, and the information (e.g. in paraphrase, “Uni should be sweet and cool, not salty and warm. Some of the best comes from Santa Barbara, CA, which we can no longer get.”; “Saltwater eel is altogether different from freshwater, which most restaurants serve.”; “Our salmon roe we prepare in house. It will be noticeably different from factory-produced roe, served elsewhere; we do not use salt to keep it fresh or flavorful; we seek to embellish its natural flavor.”) was quite interesting.

However, in equal turns as delightful as he was about his food, he was rigorous and gruff. Clearly used to being the man in charge and perhaps tinted by the fame which he carries around in the small shop of Blu-Rays and books he’s set up at the front of his shop, he is rough with his staff and with his customers whenever they do not live up to his very high expectancies. Openly and harshly chastising a waiter and apprentice for accidentally bumping the rice container while serving me tea and then again later for failing to pick up on his cue to bring out the scallop shells to illustrate the difference between two types he served, he left an uncomfortable and acid taste in the air of his establishment. He stewed and muttered upset about things of that nature between bouts of delight, and sitting directly in front of him not more than an arm’s length away I was hard pressed not to feel infected by the negative mood. This infection from his interactions with the staff, however, was little compared with his passive aggression toward some patrons, who as I did (though much much worse) happened to arrive later than their reserved time. Not once, not twice, but thrice did he passively but openly comment on his disappointment and bewilderment at their rudeness for not only showing up late but also failing to let the restaurant know about it. While I don’t excuse their behavior or his initial reaction — they were a full half-hour beyond the appointed time and seemed without remorse — the unrelenting nature of his criticism festered the blunder into a strange sore throughout a good part of the later half of my meal.

Yet, despite the mood at times, the food was — unsurprisingly — quite good. The particular dishes I favored were his unique ones: the saltwater eel, the lean tuna, the clam, and the salmon roe (of which I requested a second helping).

Given the expectation of a two-Michelin-Star meal, my...

I wanted to write a quick review to address my amazing experience and this restaurant and comment on some of the prior reviews criticizing the chef and atmosphere of the restaurant, particularly for ENGLISH SPEAKING CUSTOMERS. First, the food is unbelievable, easily one of the best meals of my life. The variety of flavors and textures, many I have never experienced before in my life, along with watching a true master at work, is a once in a lifetime experience. I could not recommend this experience more highly.

THAT BEING SAID, if you are coming here from a western countries perspective, you have to understand that you are stepping into a very different cultural experience. In the west, when paying $200+ for a michelin star meal, we expect to be treated to the highest level of service, including staff bending over hand and food to make you feel as welcome and cared for as possible. This is simply not a western restaurant and is a very traditional Japanese dining experience, with their own rules and expectations to follow. Think of it as watching a theatrical performance. You would not talk through a theater production, or stop in the middle to ask the performers lots of questions, or ask for lots of modifications to the performance. You are paying money to be guided on an experience that has been prepared for you by a master. The chef here is truly very kind to customers, and speak english and chinese well. He explains all dishes patiently to customers, and welcomes a small question or two here or there. But when people are interrupting the flow of the meal he is preparing, not eating what has been prepared as specified, etc, he gets frustrated because you are not following the rules of the institution. In the same way that if you were at a fancy western restaurant and were not respecting the unspoken rules of etiquette that we in the west simply know to follow without thinking, they would become frustrated as well.

In conclusion, I highly highly recommend coming here but PLEASE KNOW WHAT IT IS YOU ARE SIGNING UP FOR. This is not a typical michelin star meal, it is something else entirely different with very different rules from a very different culture. Many fancy restaurants in Tokyo have learned to cater to western etiquette. This restaurant doesn't do that, and that is okay. And if you want an amazing omakase where you can ask lots of questions, or ask for lots of modifications, that is entirely understandable and reasonable, and entirely possible elsewhere in Tokyo. That being said, if you understand these expectations and cultural rules, this is a once in a lifetime experience that I really could not...

There was an insatiable aura of edgy, borderline trepidation, of sublime exuberance as I arrived prematurely to my long awaited reception at Jiro-san. I had found another lad, casually dressed, and who was from Spain, sitting casually nearby. Ever since I was a young lad watching Jiro dreams of sushi, I knew then and there that I had to experience the best example of Edo-mae Japan had to offer. And today was the day.

“You must be here for Jiro-san.” the lad said.

“How do you know?” I inquired, somewhat dubiously.

“You look tense, and your belt buckle is buttoned just a hole too tight.” he smiled, smugly.

I feigned a smile as I nodded and muttered under my breath, but the second hand on my 1957 Stainless Steel International Watch Company Schaffhausen Calibre 89 finally ticked for me to step inside the shop at the very precise second to the dot.

I stepped in. My olfactory senses heightened from the sushi vinegar, wafted with smoked kombu.

It was a delight. The rice beckoned me inside. The smell of history.

And as I sat down, we were seated as students in a dojo, awaiting their master’s instruction. “Hai! Sensei!”

…was the harmonious hum from the staff as their hands trembled with fear from their grand master. Make one mistake and they were out, or so it seemed.

As the Kamotsuru Tokusei Gold Daiginjo poured out to symbolize our covenant of friendship before the first fish lathered itself on my tongue, I already drizzled out of my pants.

My Goodness! That was good. The history of Japan lies within the fish, the rice, the water, and the hands that crafted the very word Edo-mae. Each fish thereafter became a life lesson, as Jiro-san had disciplined my contemporaries as they were not paying enough attention to him. My friend whispered that he’d rather starve than be trapped inside with him. Facetiously, of course.

I took a bite of the O-toro. (………………………….) (I’m speechless. I can’t open my mouth. I…… Aaaaaaahhhhhhh).

I needed to order one again. Another served and I….. (………. Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhh). No time for photos. Just plop them inside my mouth. So good. So resiliently good that I felt two thousand years of history from one sitting.

All in all, I can say that this is worth the try. If you are a meticulous perfectionist like myself, attention to detail is key in enjoying the moment. Become indifferent with the way you are served, and you will be like water that envelopes the fish. Do or do not, you must forego all past experiences and come here with an open mind.

If I had to describe the best rendition of Edo-mae, I would say, “Jiro-san.”

Arrigato...