Serving Sushi to Obama in a Subway Station - The Natural Treasure: Jiro Ono
With approximately 150 000 restaurants, you could name Tokyo as the culinary capital of the world.
However, it’s not only about the number of places, but also the quality. With 226 Michelin stars, Tokyo has by far the most stars of the iconic restaurant guide.The first sushi restaurant to ever receive three stars was Sukiyabashi Jiro [すきやばし次郎] in Ginza, operated by sushi master Jiro Ono. Even though it was removed from the Michelin list as it requires reservations to be made through the concierge of a luxury hotel, this place is one of the best, if not the absolute best sushi place on the planet.
The sushi master will take every decision with stoic calmness, as he never aimed for international recognition. Jiro Ono only aims for the perfection of his favorite dish: sushi. In 1951, he became a qualified sushi chef and after years of apprenticeship and working for professional restaurateurs, he opened his own restaurant in 1965.
Despite being located in the underground corridor near a subway station, Sukiyabashi Jiro has risen to global fame, which built the reputation of the restaurant, where the best sushi anyone can savor is being served.
The dishes are selected by the master himself with a standard meal covering 20 courses. This cost the customers a minimum of ¥30,000 [US$270]. His most famous guests include former US president Barack Obama, former PM of Japan Shinzo Abe, world-renowned chefs like Joel Robuchon, and Hollywood bigwigs such as Tom Cruise.
In 2011, the restaurant became famous even outside the culinary bubble, as American director David Gelb released a documentary called “Jiro Dreams of Sushi '' [available on Youtube] that focused on Ono's way to the perfection of sushi. The idea for the movie initially was to interview several sushi chefs, but after dining at Sukiyabashi Jiro David Gelb was so fascinated that he decided to shoot a movie about Jiro Ono and no other.
Jiro Ono is a picture perfect example of the importance of mastery in Japanese culture. Even if its just a simple dish, improving it everyday is the best way to perfect it.
