Who is the most famous Japanese chef?

Justin McCurry in Tokyo

The ‘world’s best sushi restaurant’ has been stripped of its three Michelin stars.

But the decision, which was announced in Tokyo on Tuesday, has nothing to do with the quality of the restaurant’s tuna belly or the consistency of its vinegared rice. It is because it is no longer open to the public.

“We recognise Sukiyabashi Jiro does not accept reservations from the general public, which makes it out of our scope,” a spokeswoman for the Michelin Guide, said as it unveiled its latest Tokyo edition.

She added: “It was not true to say the restaurant lost stars but it is not subject to coverage in our guide. Michelin’s policy is to introduce restaurants where everybody can go to eat.”

Sushi Saito in Tokyo, which was awarded three stars in the 2019 guide, was removed from the latest edition for the same reason.

Jiro, a famously exclusive restaurant where Barack Obama dined with the Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe, in 2014, had received three Michelin stars every year since the culinary guide’s first Tokyo edition in 2007, and was the subject of the 2011 documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi.

Its owner, Jiro Ono, is still serving sushi into his 90s with the help of his eldest son, Yoshikazu. His younger son runs a branch of the restaurant that is open to the public and has retained its two stars.

The fabled main restaurant, which is often known simply as Sushi Jiro, opened in the upmarket Ginza district in 1965 and has a guest list that includes the French chef Joël Robuchon, the actor Hugh Jackman and the singer Katy Perry.

Demand means it has never been easy to make a reservation, but now diners willing to part with at least 40,000 yen (£285) for the chef’s selection must be regulars, have special connections or book through the concierge of a luxury hotel.

Jiro’s website said it was “currently experiencing difficulties in accepting reservations” and apologised for “any inconvenience to our valued customers”.

It added: “Unfortunately, as our restaurant can only seat up to 10 guests at a time, this situation is likely to continue.”

It isn’t the first time the Ono sushi dynasty has ruffled feathers. Yoshikazu Ono once said that women make inferior sushi chefs because their menstrual cycle affects their sense of taste – a claim that has been dismissed by Japan’s female sushi chefs.

Jiro is a far cry from cheap kaiten conveyer belt sushi restaurants that have become established parts of the dining scene in cities such as London as part of the global popularity of Japanese food.

Obama reportedly said the sushi he ate with Abe was “the best I’ve ever had” and was particularly fond of the chutoro, a fatty, expensive, cut of tuna. But his appetite was apparently no match for the 20-piece menu selected by the chef, with reports at the time claiming that he stopped eating with half the course yet to come.

Michelin’s 2020 guide reinforces Tokyo’s status as arguably the world’s culinary capital, with 226 starred restaurants, more than any other city. Eleven restaurants have been awarded three-star ratings, three of them for the 13th year in a row, it said on its website.

“Taking full advantage of its position as a centre for high-quality food, and highly skilled domestic and international chefs who prepare it, Tokyo is likely to continue to lead the world as a city of gastronomy,” the chief executive of Nihon Michelin Tire, Paul Perriniaux, said in a statement.

While the overwhelming majority of sushi chefs are men, Perriniaux noted that the number of featured Tokyo restaurants with female chefs was rising every year, with 25 establishments in the 2020 guide led by women, including three with Michelin star status.

For most people, buying sushi at the local seafood restaurant or sushi bar is usually more than enough to satisfy their cravings for the delicious dish. But for many others, sushi is meant to be a truly special meal that should only be prepared by chefs that have spent decades of their lives honing and perfecting their skills. These are chefs whose culinary prowess has earned them a reputation in the world of cooking as masters of creating the finest sushi that money can buy, with many of them offering their talents to the world’s rich and famous.

1. Eki Ichimura

As one of the world’s foremost sushi chefs, Chef Ichimura has more than 40 years of cooking experience under his belt. Having been trained in Tokyo, he ran a sushi bar called Ichimura that could be found in the Upper East Side of New York City, before he moved the restaurant to Brushstroke. Much of what he focuses on includes nigiri and sashimi, and usually spends a number of days preparing for special tasting events.

1. Jiro Ono

Considered by many of his peers as one of the greatest sushi chefs in the world, Jiro Ono owns and runs Sukiyabashi Jiro, a sushi restaurant in Tokyo, which was awarded 3 Michelin stars a number of years ago. He has served a number of prominent people, including Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, as well as President Barack Obama, whom he served in 2014. With over 65 years of experience to his name, he is known for his perfectionism, spending countless hours ensuring that every piece of a sushi dish is prepared to perfection, no matter the cost or time spent.

1. Masaaki Koyama

As one of the best chefs in Australia, Masaaki Koyama made a name for himself after he opened his famous sushi bar in Tasmania. Located on the coast and famed for its good food, it’s the perfect place to kick back and enjoy a bit of the eSports betting Australia has to offer while snacking on his creations. His sushi bar, Masaaki’s, is so popular that it usually sells out whenever it opens, which is around twice a week.

1. Mitsuhiro Araki

Chef Araki is considered as the top sushi chef within Europe at the moment, and currently lives in London where he owns a restaurant by the name of Araki sushi-ya. Before moving to the UK, he was a 3 Michelin star-awarded chef that lived in Tokyo, where he gained fame for his precision cooking skills and his ability to develop deep flavours in his dishes.

1. Yoshiharu Kakinuma

Currently the head chef at Sushi Sikon in Hong Kong, Kakinuma hails from a long line of famous sushi chefs. He trained as an apprentice under the guidance of master sushi chef Mr Yoshitake, after which he learnt English and move to New York City. He took over his current role in 2012, and has since worked tirelessly to provide top-quality dishes to all customers. He flies in all of his fresh ingredients every day from Tokyo to ensure that his sushi is always up to standard.

Who is the most famous chef ever?

Who is the world's best sushi chef?

What is a Japanese chef called?

Why did Jiro lose Michelin stars?