I Dream of Jiro

About a month or so before my trip, my dear friends Katherine & Paul mentioned that I should check out the film Jiro Dreams of Sushi, a documentary about the 85-year of Jiro, the only three-star Michelin sushi chef in the world, and his passion for sushi making.  I was enthralled by the film and decided that I just needed to go.  This turned out to be a bit more difficult then I originally anticipated, as reservations are hard to come by and need to be made by someone who speaks Japanese.  I lucked out with some help from the concierge at the Ritz, who was able to get me a dinner reservation for Friday night.

With the reservation came a formal agreement with specifications I had to accept (namely no being late, even by 2 minutes, cash only, no perfume is to be worn by diners and no candid photos of the chefs) over email, and that was delivered to me again in writing upon my check-in at the hotel.

My reservation was set for 7pm, but nervous about the idea of being late, I got a cab at 6:15pm from the hotel.  Again, the hotel came through with very specific directions and even a printed map to find the location (a subway entrance) and to locate the restaurant below ground.  

Of course I brought Coco with me :)

I arrived at the Ginza station, below The Suit Company at 6:38pm, and was happy to find that after heading down the stairs, making a quick left, followed by a right, I was standing right in front of Sukiyabashi Jiro.

Being below ground and in the subway station
isn't quite like it would be in NYC, as the subways in
Tokyo are much cleaner & aren't full of homeless people.

I recognized the restaurant right away, and waited outside for my reservation time.  The space is quite small: only 10 seats at the counter and 3 low tables.  I was greeted earlier than 7pm by one of the apprentices who escorted me in and to my seat.  I got the best seat in the house!  Right smack dab in front of Jiro, his eldest son, Yoshikazu, and with a view into the kitchen.  By 6:51pm I had freshened up with a hot towel, ordered a bottle of sake and was about to pop the first piece of sushi into my mouth.

Sukiyabashi Jiro

By 7:08pm I was already onto the 4th course.  The dinner is done as a tasting menu, with 21 courses.  I had talked to a few friends (mostly Americans) who had eaten at Jiro's and their biggest tip to me was to eat each piece of sushi as soon as it is served, and not try to delay the meal, as the chef's are serving the fish at the optimal temperature and leaving the fish sitting is seen as both rude and silly (for not enjoying it at its best).  For this reason, in addition to attempting to be as inconspicuous as possible (and it isn't very possible when you are a tall blonde woman in Japan), I didn't take any photos of the fish.

The menu for the day.

The food fish is prepared and served like a well rehearsed performance.  The apprentice will bring each course of fish from the kitchen on a bamboo tray and hand it to Yoshikazu.  He in turn will cut the fish into just the number of pieces being served (1 per guest) and hand each to Jiro, who then places it on the rice, shapes it and then paints a sauce across (some) before placing it on the diner's plate on the counter.  It was incredible to watch and let me just say wow wow WOW to eat.  I have never tasted any fish quite so amazing.

At some point, a group of 4 were seated and this slowed down the courses slightly - which I was grateful for.  It wasn't that they were coming too fast to eat or enjoy, it was just that I wanted to prolong the evening as much as possible.  In total there were only 7 guests, so it was quite intimate: me, a group of 4 Japanese, and a couple from NYC on their honeymoon (go figure).  Occasionally the chefs would speak to each other, request something from the kitchen or some such small talk.  The guests were mostly quiet.  I had heard that Jiro could be quite cold and even perhaps unfriendly to non-Japanese guests, however, I experienced none of that.  He is stoic and focused to be sure, but not unfriendly in any way.  I smiled a lot and made some slightly exaggerated gestures to show I was enjoying the food (what else do you do when eating at a Michelin three-star restaurant less that 2 feet from the chef who is preparing your food and staring right at you?!).  Jiro would nod in what I interpreted as appreciation of my compliments and Yoshikazu smiled back and seemed quite pleased I was enjoying myself so much.

Perhaps it was the sake, or maybe just the excitement and adrenaline, but I was feeling bold and finally spoke to Yoshikazu, asking him which fish on the menu was his favorite.  Though none of them spoke much English at all, through some gestures he understood my question, thought about it for a bit, turned to his father, it appeared he asked him, they both smiled and exchanged a few words, then Yoshikazu turned back to me and said "all are my favorite" with a big smile.  

I finished the final course - egg - at around 7:22pm and was asked if I was full.  I am never full, so I went on to order a piece of each of my two favorites from the dinner: semi fatty tuna and uni.  YUM.  I was then moved to the lower tables to enjoy a delicious melon dessert.  

I made what turned out to be a genius move when I asked if I could keep the menu.  Yoshikazu was pleased to give it to me and BONUS asked if I would like "Papa" to sign it.  I of course said yes and he took the menu to the back room to have Jiro autograph.  When he returned, I asked if he would also sign it.  He seemed quite surprised by the request, but heartily agreed.  

I had my Japanese friends confirm
that it read both of their names.

When I had finished my melon, I as asked if I wanted to have a photo taken with "Papa" - I was beyond thrilled!  I had wanted one all along, but was definitely not going to request one.  I was taken outside, and again insisted that both Jiro and Yoshikazu be in the photo.  I thanked them once again and offered a deep bow to Jiro (I'd learned the proper etiquette and technique from my Japanese colleagues in preparation for our work meetings early in the week).  This seemed to either please Jiro, or perhaps just humor him, for he cracked a smile, returned my bow and waved me off as I left.  It was 7:39pm.  

My evening was absolutely wonderful.  It was such an incredible dining experience, and while definitely pricey, was worth every yen.  It was a great way to kick off my week of vacation here in Japan.

I would like to dedicate this post to Paul & Katherine Suberlak, whom I love dearly, and without whom I would never have become obsessed with Jiro, known about this restaurant or enjoyed such an amazing evening.  Thank you!