Duke787

Looks like at our price point the two places the concierge could recommend were:

Sushi Iwa - however the Owner-Chef will be out of town for the entire time that we are there (so not sure whether it is still worth going)

or

Sushi Kanesaka - which is obviously Michelin-starred but review that I've found online (in English) seem mixed

I think the GF is more interested in being able to buy per piece (she's worried she'll get something that she won't like) whereas I'm more interested in doing Omakase and will eat anything (or almost anything) the chef puts in front of me.

Thoughts from those who are far more knowledgeable than me?

s0ssos

I saw a book about Jiro's philosophies and in it he claims he takes feedback because he is not perfect and always is looking for ways to improve.
Can anyone who went to his restaurant comment?

In general Japanese food is not modified to every little thing the customer wants, unlike Western food where you can get s cheeseburger without the cheese. So I feel the idea of chef being right versus customer's tastes bud is different. It struck me strange in Japan when there was an ad saying this brand's sake was different because they strive to make it taste best, not follow tradition. In America that would be the norm (does Budweiser have tradition?)

bocastephen

I don't think any first timer, especially a foreigner, has the cojones to suggest something isn't quite right or could be better. Having dined there a few times, I can honestly say even with years of experience eating sushi, my knowledge could barely fill a grain of rice compared with Jiro, so who am I to suggest he do anything different? For me, the sushi is perfect, and more importantly, consistent so my expectations are consistent and fulfilled no matter how many times I go, or to which location - however for many people, the way Jiro seasons his rice, or the fish he selects is not their personal preference or something they like - ie, my other half felt their rice was too sour and just doesn't like eating there, while I felt it nicely complemented many of the fish selections. So, "perfect" is in the eye of the beholder - what is perfect for me, may not be for someone else.

I think you need to take the "Jiro" experience in its totality - appreciating the work ethic of someone who has dedicated their life to perfecting one thing, and the attention to detail that goes into the entire supply chain process up to the point the piece of sushi is placed in front of you, and even that is timed to ensure the temperature of the rice vs sushi is set correctly so the taste is optimal based on his decades of practice. When looking at it from that perspective, I think most people will appreciate the experience and the cost that goes with it - but when you're looking at it from the point of "how does this piece of sushi compare with the sushi I had last time at Sushi Saito", I think something gets lost. Jiro is not for everyone, and I think many foreigners go in with the wrong intent or expectation, hence the difference in opinions over whether or not it's worth it. Many locals will tell you that other sushi restaurants have comparable sushi at lower prices, or better sushi at similar prices, but I don't think another restaurant has a sushi chef so well known for his work ethic and never-ending pursuit of perfecting such a simple appearing, yet complex dish.

LapLap

s0ssos

Well, to me Japan has to be exotic, as I don't live there, thus be definition. I do live in America so am used to the food culture where you can modify anything. But even at Japanese fast-food I don't see people making requests. I thought it was the culture. Are there restaurants in Japan where they gladly accept requests, you asking for this or that substitution? From my experience requesting any substitution is a no-no, never taken well, rarely granted.
(I don't know what you mean by "orientalise", as Japan is very different from Korea is very different from China in terms of culture)

s0ssos

I appreciate your detailed explanation, and do love people who dedicate their lives to something (like melon growers who own a tiny plot of land and only grow melons their entire life). But I do wonder how much of the experience of something being perfect is being told it is perfect, and you trying to figure out why it is perfect. In Japan it feels easy to me to try to fit in, be like everybody else, act like everybody else, even though I am not Japanese.
Your other half doesn't like it, but perhaps if really wanted to like it could like it as well? As there is no such thing as good taste or bad taste, but what we learn from our culture (many examples in Asian cultures of foods people grow to love, even adore, like durian, stinky tofu).

LapLap

bocastephen

Not to stray off the forum topic, but I can agree with the poster to some extent - last week at Mosburger, I asked for my shrimp burger to be served with the rice bun instead of the bread bun....but was told no, that's impossible - as a westerner, I had trouble wrapping my head around how putting a fried patty on a different bun type is "impossible". Aside from places like noodle shops where the vending machines allow for endless customizations, and higher class restaurants where information on dietary restrictions is requested when you make a reservation, I think the majority of rank and file restaurants are less than enthusiastic about modifying menu items. Of course we can't really generalize - here in South Florida we have a popular restaurant called Flanigans, a very simple old style seafood restaurant and bar, where any substitution of any kind is refused - I couldn't even get them to throw my clam chowder in the microwave to make it hotter, they just say no to everything, and a cheeseburger is served with cheese whether you like it or not.

Of course at a high-end sushi restaurant like Sukiyabashi Jiro that serves only omakase, unless you have a food allergy, it's expected that you will trust the chef and allow them to serve what they prepare as-is.

LapLap

jib71

How flexible is a proud [insert your preferred region here] barbecue chef in the USA if you tell him that you prefer your meat seasoned and smoked in a different way? I think he's likely to tell you that it's a free country and you can have your meat seasoned any way you like, but he does it the way he does it ... and to do it your way would not be [insert your preferred region here] barbecue.

Mike Royko said more or less the same about the Chicago Hot Dog - an article that led me to one of my most underwhelming culinary experiences ever:
Even A U.s. Senator Can Somehow Botch A Recipe For Success - tribunedigital-chicagotribune

The old itamae at my local sushi restaurant liked to surprise his regular customers with special treats from time to time - perhaps a fish that had just come into season, or an experiment with spicy oil in lieu of soy sauce on a piece of silvery sardine. On those occasions he would ask for feedback. But he certainly never asked me what I thought of his rice. If I had a problem with that, I think he would have informed me that it's a free country and I'm free to do whatever I like with my rice in my own kitchen... It's not all that different from the proud barbecue chef or proud (heavens knows why) Chicago Hot Dog aficionado.

Yes. Dating back to the 1870s. I wonder if I could persuade Budweiser to adapt its brew to my tastes.

s0ssos

Hmm, I am not from the south and haven't met a proud bbq chef. The places I've been to have many choices of sauces and you can choose to slather or dip with whatever and however much you want. I feel Jiro, from the description, wants it controlled from beginning to end.
At Japanese places I understand you don't do wasabi yourself, they put in however much they feel is right.

jib71

Any sushi chef will happily comply with your preference to adjust the amount of wasabi (or eliminate it entirely) in the sushi.
If you decide to mix wasabi into your soy sauce, some chefs may tell you that's a bad idea.

bocastephen

I would say mixing wasabi and soy is really reserved for American sushi buffets where it has the dual purpose of adding flavor to otherwise cardboard fish, and hopefully killing surface pathogens from accumulated coughs and sneezes. Depending on the restaurant, but generally when I want a quick sushi fix in the USA at a place that doesn't pre-season their sushi, I will mix some soy and wasabi to create my own seasoning, but I will use a piece of ginger to dip in and then paint my sushi topping with just enough to do the trick.

While dining at Sushidokoro Suzu in Tokyo a couple weeks ago, all was well until a group of foreigners with their local host arrived doused from head to toe in enough perfume and cologne to be walking fire hazards, and the one seated next to me plunked an entire pile of freshly grated wasabi into a random bowl of sauce (the chef provides multiple sauces for different pieces during the omakase, but not for the nigiri which he seasons for you), then asked for another pile that went into the sauce, afterwards he dropped each piece of nigiri, rice side down, into his newly created puddle of green goo, and then declared it all delicious - having had each of these pieces myself 30 minutes before they arrived, I knew he wasn't tasting anything except soy and wasabi and not only wasted his money, but grossly insulted the sushi chef who was beyond gracious keeping his composure between the rest of us being gassed by Armani and Chanel, and the mutilation of his sushi.

And this is why nicer restaurants from Jiro and his peers, down to even a mid-tier, but highly regarded restaurant such as Sushidokoro Suzu require foreigner reservations through a hotel concierge with the guest placing a credit card deposit and agreeing to a code of conduct - which too many people end up ignoring.

od_sf

Definitely Iwa over Kanesaka, even if Iwa-san is out of town. It's extremely unlikely that you'd sit with Kanesaka-san either, so you will be seating with an assistant either way.

Kanesaka's shari is not balanced, excessively sweet, and just not very good. Iwa's shari is fantastic - with a good akasu presence, and very balanced. I highly recommend the 13 nigiri piece lunch set at ¥8,000 + tax. In my opinion, the nighttime omakase (which now runs around ¥30,000) is overpriced.

If you *must* order okonomi (à la carte), then Kyubey is your best bet. It's a step or 2 down from Iwa, though.

EDIT: just saw the question was from February... 2015! Still, my recommendation stands, in case it might be helpful to anyone else.

AlwaysAisle

Media is reporting that Sukiyabashi Jiro will not be listed on next Tokyo edition of Michelin Gide. Michelin made the statement:

"We recognize [that] Sukiyabashi Jiro does not accept reservations from the general public, which makes it out of our scope,"

Sukiyabashi Jiro has not made any statement publicly, yet.

Tokyo's famous Sukiyabashi Jiro sushi restaurant removed from Michelin Guide (CNN site with video)