Sadly, I think we have to agree to disagree on this topic. I've actually met Handle Lee on a number of occasions (even went to a fabulous party at his Huairou house in 02) and think he is a really nice guy. That having been said, in light of the plethora of quality Japanese dining options in BJ and SH, I don't feel that his restaurants warrant the hype. When I eat Japanese food, the two things I care most about are freshness and quality. With respect to these benchmarks, there are much better options; aside from the restaurants I mentioned upthread, the place in the Ruijin Office Building in SH and Yotosuba in BJ are both superior IMO (and I don't doubt there are others).