Restaurant
Sukiyabashi Jiro Honten
Tokyo, Japan
Jiro Ono is a legend. He was born in 1925 and has been making sushi since he was nine years old. No other person comes close to the experience Jiro has when it is about sushi. And the most amazing with him is that he still stands behind the counter of his restaurant together with one of his sons, Yoshikazu Ono, and makes the most perfected nigiri sushi ever made.
Just sitting at one of the ten seats at his counter watching him work will fascinate you. It is a privilege to have the opportunity to watch such perfected work of art. Several decades of experience, year after year perfecting the skills of making nigiri sushi have resulted in something far beyond what you are used to see in your local sushi shop.
It is all about the flavours and you will not find any better sushi anywhere. There are many fantastic sushi restaurants around the world and especially in Tokyo of absolute top class, but none is better than the original Sukiyabashi Jiro Honten in Ginza. Everything is calculated and nothing is a coincidence. Ono-san still only makes half of the Edo-Mae standard with just ten cups of rice at a time. Seven to eight of the cups are used for the guests with only the best rice and at body temperature.
Jiro and his work can be compared to a tourbillion which originally was made to improve accuracy. The sushi Chef and his work is as improved as it can be, nothing should be added or taken away and that is also why you do not have any wasabi. The master decides the amount of wasabi so every piece of nigiri is perfect and there is just very little soya to add exactly how it should be for the most ultimate sushi experience.
It is amazing that Jiro Ono still stands behind the counter every day and makes impeccable sushi for his guests, treats his regulars like they are sent from heaven and makes sushi quicker than anyone else. It just takes a few seconds for him to make you a piece of sushi to die for and your whole meal will go quick.
Jiro Ono also owns an impeccable sushi restaurant in Roppongi which is easier for people not coming from Japan, with English speaking staff etcetera, but we highly recommend the original little shop in Ginza. The restaurant keeps track of its regulars so you can expect a better and better experience the more times you visit. And you will never stop being fascinated how Chef Patron Jiro Ono uses his palm to consistently measure the exact quantity of rice per piece.
Written by Andy
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Sukiyabashi Jiro Honten
Tsukamoto Sogyo Building B1F
4-2-15 Ginza
Chuo-ku
Tokyo
Japan