Tokyo Michelin Guide Removes Famous Sushi Restaurant

The Tokyo Michelin Guide to restaurants in Japan has removed a famous sushi restaurant in their latest guide.

But it is not for a reason one might think of.

CNN Travel reported:

(CNN) — It's considered one of the best sushi restaurants in all of Japan, yet a famous restaurant bible won't recommend it. What gives? 

Tokyo's Sukiyabashi Jiro is legendary, not only for its top-quality sushi but for the 2011 documentary film "Jiro Dreams of Sushi," which made chef Jiro Ono an international name. 

But the newest edition of the Tokyo Michelin Guide will no longer recommend Ono's restaurant -- not because the quality has declined, but because it's nearly impossible for a regular person to eat there.

To read more, go here. 

"Jiro Dreams of Sushi"

Jes's cell phone alarm went off at 4:00 this morning.  Thank goodness we went to bed at 9:00, so we got plenty of sleep.

However...

It was actually worth getting up early as we watched a great DVD she checked out at school.  The title of it was, Jiro Dreams of Sushi.  It is a 2011 documentary of then-85-year-old Jiro Ono who runs the three-star  (by the Michelin Guide) sushi restaurant, Sukiyabashi Jiro, in the basement of a Tokyo subway station.  He is considered the greatest sushi chef in the world.

It was a fascinating documentary. It contains the story of Ono's life, how he got started, the apprentices, his relationship with his sons and grooming of his eventual heir Yoshikazu, his eldest son.  The documentary also has scenes of the famous Tsukiji Fish Market, Ono's hometown of Hamamatsu (including his trip there via bullet train) and a behind-the-scenes look at the preparation of sushi meals.

One does not just drop in to Sukiyabashi Jiro, reservations must be made months in advance and the price of a meal isn't exactly typical of sushi restaurants.  It costs ¥30,000 (roughly $300) per person.

This is such a good documentary that I plan on purchasing it.  Beware!  It shouldn't be watched while having an empty stomach!

Tokyo Retains Title As Culinary Capital

Tokyo retains its title as the culinary capital of the world.

According to a Reuters story:

(Reuters) - Tokyo retained its tasty title as the Michelin guide's world gourmet capital on Wednesday, although the number of three-star restaurants fell slightly. 

This is the sixth consecutive year the capital of food-obsessed Japan has been awarded top honours by the publishers of a guide book regarded by many as a fine-dining resource. 

Tokyo was also lauded for having the most restaurants bearing three-stars -- the Michelin guide's top honour -- even though the number slipped to 14 from 16 last year. 

"Japanese gourmet cooking is even more creative, inspired and inventive than in the past," said Michelin Ellis, international director of the Michelin guides.

Maybe I can talk my "roomie" into a trip to Tokyo next year as she is a culinary student and do an "Iron Chef" tour.

To read more, go here.

Michelin Guide To Focus On Hiroshima

Above, the famous torii gate at Itsukushima Shrine
on Miyajima Island.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Travelers to Hiroshima, Japan will have a new guide to use next spring.

Kyodo News reports:

The publisher of the Michelin Guide said Thursday it will publish a new guidebook next spring giving ratings to restaurants and hotels specifically in Hiroshima Prefecture, western Japan. 

At a press conference in the city of Hiroshima, Bernard Delmas, the president of Nihon Michelin Tire Co., said Hiroshima is an excellent target for the new book because it attracts many tourists -- such as to Miyajima, a UNESCO world heritage site -- and restaurants there provide an array of delicious dishes from both the sea and the mountains.

To read the full story, go here.