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Sure, I can get very tasty sushi at other high end restaurants in Tokyo, and sure, the salmon sushi at Mushashi's in Seattle at $1.85 a piece tastes pretty darn good - but these places don't focus on continually perfecting the historical or traditional preparation of edomae. That difference is what makes Jiro a worthwhile restaurant to try at least once during one's travels or residency in Tokyo.
What other high end sushi restaurants have you dined at in Tokyo? I've only dined at one - so it's hard for me to make generalizations (much less sweeping ones) or comparisons. All I can say is the one I dined at was pretty darn good - the fish was amazing
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BTW - are you saying to try the original Jiro (IIRC - you didn't dine there) - or the "branch" run by the son (which - IIRC - is where you dined)? There are so many types of Japanese cuisine that are very "chef driven" - and sushi is one of them. I wouldn't recommend restaurant X on the basis of dining in restaurant Y unless the same chef was in the kitchens of both (hard to come by - but that apparently happens at Ginza Okuda - where it seems like the chef is in the kitchen at lunch - and in the kitchen at Koju at dinner).
Lots of people rave about Robechon - I was taken to his restaurant for dinner at the MGM and while the food was tasty, it didn't really blow my socks off or meet the hype, and the chef was rather snarky with my host who is a well known pastry chef and knows Robechon; and I don't plan to go back. For me, I'd rather spend the 350 at Jiro than Robechon.
It's Robuchon.
It's been a *long* time since Robuchon was a "single restaurant show" in Paris and he was almost always in the kitchen. I had one of the greatest meals in my life at Jamin (you are probably too young to have had the chance to dine there). Since that time - Robuchon has become another "chef with restaurant empire". I have heard various levels of praise/complaint about his recent restaurants - now scattered around the world. But have only dined at one - the now closed l'atelier at the Four Seasons in New York (and I dined there only because we were staying at the hotel and it was good for night of arrival - especially if we encountered travel delays). I honestly don't think it's fair to judge the quality of a chef's cooking by the quality of a restaurant that bears his name (although one can certainly judge the restaurant where one is dining - and fault the "named chef head of the empire" if the quality control is off). I don't think of Robuchon as the chef in his restaurants today. In my mind - he's the CEO (like other famous chefs who are now the head of "chef empires").
FWIW - here's a review of the Las Vegas place from someone I know. Certainly not a rave (but not a rant either):
http://ulteriorepicure.com/2009/08/0...multi-nippled/
Note that I might try Joel Robuchon in Tokyo. I've read some good recent reviews (and lunch is priced very reasonably). But - if I don't like it - it won't be because Robuchon himself is not one of the best chefs alive today (doubt he will be in the kitchen
). Robyn