The Famous 'Jiro Dreams of Sushi' Restaurant No Longer Has Michelin Stars
The famous sushi restaurant from the documentary "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" just lost one of its status symbols — three Michelin stars.
According to the National Post, Sukiyabashi Jiro, the Tokyo restaurant owned by one of the world’s best and oldest chefs (Jiro Ono, who is over 90 years old), officially lost its Michelin three-star rating because the restaurant is no longer open to the general public.
If you want to get a reservation at this long-established eatery, you have to be a regular, have “special connections,” or use a luxury hotel concierge service, the National Post reported. Sukiyabashi Jiro is considered the “best sushi restaurant” in the world and has attracted celebrities and important figures such as former President Barack Obama, Hugh Jackman, David Beckham, Anne Hathaway, and other famous chefs the world over.
But if you’re a regular person looking to get a taste of this world-renown sushi, you’ll be waiting a long time.
Because of this, the Michelin guide says they can no longer include Sukiyabashi Jiro in its guide. “We recognize Sukiyabashi Jiro does not accept reservations from the general public, which makes it out of our scope,” said a Michelin Guide spokesperson to the National Post.
Sukiyabashi Jiro said it was no longer accepting general reservations due to the restaurant “currently experiencing difficulties in accepting reservations,” according to the National Post. The restaurant apologized for the inconvenience, but unfortunately, it still means that it does not fit into Michelin’s guidelines, which are specifically for restaurants where anyone can dine, according to Insider.
That is not to say that the restaurant “lost stars” over quality, Insider reported. “It was not true to say the restaurant lost stars but it is not subject to coverage in our guide,” said a Michelin spokesperson to Insider.
One of Ono’s sons runs another branch of the restaurant in another location, which is still open to the public and is rated with two Michelin stars.
However, you’re still guaranteed to find a good meal in Tokyo, even if it isn’t at the famous Sukiyabashi Jiro. Michelin’s 2020 guide will feature 226 other Tokyo restaurants, the most compared to any other city, according to Insider.
