Jiro Sushi The Best Sushi Restaurant In Tokyo Japan

When I watched the Jiro Sushi documentary some years ago, I silently vowed that one day I would eat at his restaurant, making it onto the list shared by Obama and such. That “one day” happened when during my third Japan trip.

I made the lunch booking immediately after I booked my ticket to Japan, months in advance. The booking confirmation came with instructions, including being on time, having a specific schedule and not wearing perfume.

My Jiro Sushi Restaurant Experience

On an actual day, we reached Roppongi really early. I didn’t want to mess up the reservation after going through the lengthy effort to book it. So, with a few hours to kill, we roamed the posh area, checked out South Indian culture paintings at Mori Art Museum Japan and returned to the restaurant half an hour before the scheduled time. Finally, at precisely 11:30 AM, the restaurant door opened.

A waitress dressed in all white came and asked us if we had a reservation. Yes, we did, and in we went. The restaurant is small, catered for ten people max, I reckon. That day, it was only us and another couple.

We were greeted by Jiro’s son, Takashi-san

I couldn’t stop smiling. It’s rare for me to be starstruck by someone famous, usually because I am oblivious. But, this time, it was different. I had seen this man in the Jiro Sushi documentary.

He asked us what we wanted to drink. I opted for the sake. What was today, if not a celebration? He greeted each of us again, this time in our mother tongue, and told us that he had memorized 40 greetings in different languages because he wanted to greet his customers who welcomed him in Japanese, in their language. Double starstruck.

Takashi-san was humble and kind, with many smile lines marking his face. He shared how it took him ten years to learn the art of making sushi by hand. When the sake came, I gulped down my first cup. It was not even noon yet. I was nervous and excited to eat the best sushi in Japan.

Full Course of Omakase at Jiro Sushi

Omakase (pronounced oh-mah-kah- seh), simply put, means the chef’s choice; it’s a multi-course meal where we let the chef choose our food for us. Also, unlike most sushi places, the chefs take their time to converse and explain each dish they choose for us. This was the second time I had an Omakase meal in Japan. The first time was when I ate sushi for breakfast at Tsukiji Fish Market’s Sushi Dai.

“Sushi and sashimi or only sushi?” — All of us chose sushi and sashimi. He asked whether we had a specific allergy or disliked anything in particular. I had tears of refusal when I swallowed a sea urchin during my last Japan trip, so I opted it out.

The four restaurant patrons, a Taiwanese, a Hong-Kongese, an Indonesian and an Indian, started chatting. We talked a little about Japan and more about the sushi that kept reappearing in front of us.

They bought the seafood fresh from the market every morning to be served on the same day. I guess it really mattered because I was “oooh” and “aah” -ing every time I put a piece of sushi or sashimi inside my mouth.

Remember when I said I refused the sea urchin earlier? Takashi-san managed to convince me to try it. He said their sea urchin is different, has no fishy smell nor weird taste, is different in colour, and it’s good quality. I hesitated at first; it’s the texture I don’t like, but I agreed to try it because I am at Jiro Sushi! So I had it, though it didn’t change my mind about the weird texture; it was good. Sweet and fresh.

If I chose an absolute favourite, it would be the second to last course, the shrimp sushi. The shrimp was kept alive until the last minute to retain its freshness. Takashi-san instructed us to eat the tail first and then the head. His reason? The head is sweeter and yummier.

A waiter stood nearby to clean the sushi platter and returned my chopsticks if I forgot to put them on the holder. Despite having the chopstick police who’s on his feet and works with such efficiency, we didn’t feel rushed at all. Instead, we chatted leisurely and took our time to eat the most delicious sushi in our lives.

The meal ended with homemade tamagoyaki, essentially a baked egg; it’s a traditional breakfast dish in Japan. Jiro Sushi’s tamagoyaki was served in the shape of a cube. Soft and fluffy. Compared to a basic cake, it tasted less sweet but much more likable. I couldn’t think of a better dessert to tie the bow to this phenomenal meal.

We thanked the sushi crew, took a picture with Takashi-san, and walked off from Jiro Sushi ecstatically. When we regained our senses, we agreed that it was an afternoon and money well spent.

Jiro Sushi Tokyo

In 2017 we paid AUD120 for the online booking and then AUD600 for 2 people 12 Full Course of Omakase meal. Take the train to Roppongi station and get down at Roppongi Hills exit. The restaurant is located at 6 Chome-12-2 Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo 106-0032, Japan. It's not terribly hard to find, but you gotta ask around.

Will I Ever Eat Here Again?

We went here as Fafa’s birthday treat. Before this, I had only seen him eat sushi once a week at Iwasa Sushi at the Tsukiji market. Unfortunately, this means the standard of his sushi and birthday gift will be hard to match from now on.

I don’t have much sushi-eating experience in Japan. There was a sushi joint on my first time in Japan, Sushi Dai on my second time in Tokyo, Iwasa Sushi mentioned above and the sushi at the airport on our last day in Japan. All were above standard, but Jiro Sushi easily topped the list. Heck, Jiro Sushi is one of the top 10 best meals I have had in my lifetime, not just in sushi or in the Japanese meals category. It’s the most expensive, even more, costly, than the Indonesian food my cousins and I had in Switzerland.

I think about the cost sometimes, and given a choice, would I do the experience again? For the first time? HELL YEAH! It’s worth every single yen. Some people go to Japan so that they can eat at Jiro sushi! But will I go for a second round? I am not sure. I want this to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience unless I save up to go to Subayaki Sushi and be served by Jiro himself.

Eating sushi is an integral part of the Japanese cultural experience. And if you are planning to treat yourself to the best sushi in Japan, book at Tokyo’s Jiro Sushi.

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