Sukiyabashi Jiro, Tokyo, Japan, Dec 2023

I usually write a little blurb about the restaurant before I review them, though this restaurant quite obviously doesn’t need one. A few things I’d like to mention, though. Firstly, they do have a very strict dress code. I highly recommend you come with a jacket, slacks, and obviously, dress shoes, though you don’t need a tie. I wouldn’t recommend you celebrate anything here. You’re going to be eating 18-20 pieces of sushi in exactly 30 minutes, with no dessert at the end besides maybe a slice of melon. You will also be scarfing down your sushi in complete silence. No talking to anyone else of the chefs and no questions. Go to the bathroom before the meal, since you literally aren’t allowed to leave for the thirty minutes. Men must eat their sushi in one bite, and women get two. You must use your hands to eat the sushi, the chopsticks are only to eat the pickled ginger as a palate cleanser. Though they provide you soy sauce in a small bowl, you can’t use it. To my knowledge, no alcohol, only tea or water. To confirm what everyone else says, yes, the service by Western standards is pretty. If you follow their very strict rules, they’ll be respectful in turn as well.

I don’t really know how to review the food since it was obviously just nigiri and I wasn’t really able to many photos really do to their policy. I’ll say this. Don’t let your disdain for their service and hospitality effect how you view the sushi itself. It was absolutely as good as the other top sushi places! The rice is in the top 3 I’ve ever had and the quality, treatment, and cutting of the fish is second to none! My favorite pieces of the night were the tuna (all 3 in the flight), uni, baby scallops, gizzard shad, and bonito. Do realize that’s just personal preference, and every piece was incredible. If I rated this place as I do to normal restaurants, almost every piece would get a 10/10! The only exceptions would be the squid (7/10), the ask shell (8/10), and the steamed abalone (8/10). This is, quite simply, edomae-style sushi done literally perfectly! I will agree with many others that the progression of the pieces doesn’t make sense at times. The tamago and melon at the end were certainly quite nice.

Food cost – $400; Value for money – 4/5; Overall rating – 5/5; My Michelin rating – 3*; Would I recommend – Yes, if you’re okay with putting up with the rules.

by Schwarzwaldstube