Originally Posted by bocastephen

So we finally did it - thanks to an amazing concierge at the Mandarin Oriental, we confirmed a lunch reservation at Jiro Ginza last Friday. Here is my review and comments:

1. our reservation was for 1230P, but we arrived early. The restaurant area was very quiet and no one was in Jiro eating. We were quite surprised as we expected the restaurant to be full, but I think they stagger the seating times so no one is waiting? Not sure about that. One other guest arrived a few minutes after us, and another foreigner arrived as we were leaving.

2. the restaurant has a (new?) senior apprentice who speaks perfect English - he handles greeting and seating guests, confirm food allergies/preferences, drink orders, etc - and help with any questions, etc. Communication at Ginza is no longer an issue.

3. both Jiro and his eldest son look very serious while working - I think many guests, especially Western, have mistaken this for being disinterested or standoffish, but in reality you can see their concentration and focus and instead of wondering why there is no chit-chat, just sit and watch how Jiro prepares each piece. Another guest who arrived after us was a younger, very pretty Japanese girl - he wasn't chatty with her either, and they only exchanged a few comments during the meal. It's just the way it is.

For me, at least 50% of the experience was watching someone who woke up every morning with a single minded focus on perfecting a craft he has worked daily for his entire adult life. I can't recall ever meeting another person with that level of passion or dedication about what they do. I think it's inspiring, even for someone who doesn't eat sushi.

4. the pace is not fast or rapid - we had one piece about every 90-100 seconds or so, which is probably a similar pace one would eat their sushi if it was sitting on a plate all together and they didn't pause to talk with anyone. Our sushi session took about 45 minutes including the dessert course and a few extra pieces we ordered (yes, you can order more).

5. after the sushi course, you move to a side table for tea and melon - and if you think the sushi tastes heavenly, wait until you try the melon!

6. after we finished, the apprentice asked us to step outside and wait a moment - then out came Jiro to pose for a photo and thank us personally for visiting. Considering he had two other customers still eating, we were surprised he took the time to do this.

7. the food - there is no question this, like the sushi we had last year at Jiro Roppongi is the best we've ever had. It is, for most people, likely different - especially in the preparation of the rice which many might find sour, but I thought it matched the sushi perfectly and the hand grated wasabi in just the right amount along with a paint of soy made each piece taste amazing.

So, I will admit that some people will not like the sour rice, some will not like the painted on soy, some might not even like the fish selections - it's not for everyone.

I will say this - if you're just 'curious' because you saw the movie or heard about it, or read about Obama eating here, that's not the right reason to go and spend upwards of $300 on lunch or dinner. It's usually the curious who are disappointed, or the foreigners who expect high end service and attention for their $300 - that's not going to happen here.

Who should visit Jiro? Someone who loves sushi, can appreciate high quality fish, understand the different methods of rice preparation and seasoning and most of all, appreciate the work of someone who has dedicated their entire adult life in the pursuit of perfecting one simple thing. 99% of non local people will probably eat here once and not return - then move on to compare Jiro's style with other places like Sushi Kyubei. I think that's a perfectly fine approach and next visit we will try and secure a 1st floor reservation at Kyubei to compare.

Like last year, we had a second sushi meal at Zanmai, this time selecting the less hectic and quieter location across from Shibuya Station. We tried to order as many of the same items from Zanmai that we at a couple days before at Jiro - and the difference to any experienced sushi palate was definitely remarkable - but having said that, you can eat at Zanmai for $30 including toro, and get a superior sushi taste and quality experience to even a $150 sushi restaurant in the USA, so everything is relative.