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 Sukiyabashi Jiro Honten, the 10-seat counter restaurant run by
the 94-year-old Jiro Ono, widely regarded as one of the world's
greatest sushi chefs, had held a three-star rating since
Michelin published its first guide to Tokyo dining in 2007.
Along with another tiny three-star restaurant, Sushi Saito,
Ono's restaurant was not included in the 2020 guide because they
no longer accept bookings from the general public, the Michelin
Guide said in a statement.
Sukiyabashi Jiro Honten appears to have become the victim of its
own renown, particularly among tourists. In the 2011 documentary
about Ono and his establishment, the bespectacled chef describes
how he massages octopus to make it tender before cooking.
The restaurant, in Tokyo's upscale Ginza neighborhood, was
established in 1965 by Ono who still works as a chef, along with
his son. The 20-piece "omakase" tasting menu starts at 40,000
yen ($368) plus tax, not including drinks.
"It's a shame. It is one of Ginza's best-known restaurants and
people from all over the world have visited," said 59-year-old
Yuko Ikeda, who was having lunch with her mother at another spot
in Ginza.
"I think people visited because it had the three stars."
'BEST SUSHI'
On its homepage, Sukiyabashi Jiro Honten said it was no longer
taking reservations by telephone, and overseas diners would have
to book through their hotel concierge.
"As our restaurant can only seat up to 10 guests at a time, this
situation is likely to continue," it said. "We will not be able
to accept telephone reservations until further notice."
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A call to the restaurant before regular opening hours was met with
an answering machine message apologising for no longer accepting
bookings.
Many Japanese restaurants maintain a policy of admitting visitors
only through prior introduction, to avoid trouble over cancellations
and payments.
Obama dined at Sukiyabashi Jiro during a 2014 visit, taking a stool
alongside Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the narrow wooden
counter. The U.S. president declared the meal the "best sushi" he
had ever had, according to reports at the time.
Despite the exclusion of arguably the world's most famous sushi
restaurant from the guide, Michelin said that Tokyo once again is
the city with the most starred restaurants in the world, with 226.
"Taking full advantage of its position as a centre for high-quality
food, and highly skilled domestic and international chefs who
prepare it, Tokyo is likely to continue to lead the world as a city
of gastronomy," Paul Perriniaux, the chief executive of Nihon
Michelin Tire Co. said.
A total of 11 Tokyo restaurants were given the highest three-star
rating, Michelin said.
(Reporting by Ami Miyazaki; Additional reporting by Akira Tomoshige
and Shiori Ozawa; Writing by David Dolan; Editing by Kenneth
Maxwell)
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