The Small Japanese Restaurant Anthony Bourdain Couldn't Get Enough Of

In 2008, Anthony Bourdain filmed a sequence of his show "No Reservations" at Sukiyabashi Jiro, a 10-seat sushi restaurant in the basement of a Tokyo office building. After 15 courses of single-bite nigiri sushi from the restaurant's owner and much-celebrated chef Jiro Ono, Bourdain seemed to achieve nirvana. As Bourdain narrates, the fish and rice are served at room temperature, which Ono believes captures the purest essence and beauty of the fish. It's no secret there are a number of restaurants that Bourdain practically worshipped, but his meal at Jiro was so memorable that he later stated that he wanted his final meal to be a 22- or 23-piece omakase tasting menu prepared by Ono, washed down with the rarest and most expensive sake.

At the time of Bourdain's visit, Sukiyabashi Jiro had earned three Michelin stars, but Ono was known mostly only in Japan. A few years later, the 2011 documentary, "Jiro Dreams of Sushi," elevated the restaurant's profile. In 2014, President Barack Obama reportedly declared, "I was born in Hawaii and ate a lot of sushi, but this was the best sushi I've ever had in my life." Because of Ono's fame, reservations became notoriously difficult to secure to the extent that only regular patrons, celebrities, and concierge services from high-end hotels were able to book a seating. Consequently, Michelin withdrew Jiro's three stars in 2019, and the real reason cited was that the restaurant no longer accepted reservations from the general public.

Ono was born in 1925, and since he was nine years old, he has relentlessly pursued perfection in making sushi. At Sukiyabashi Jiro, every element of the sushi must be prepared in an exact manner. Rice, for example, is always served at 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit), and each type of fish is maintained at the proper temperature for the most enjoyment. Ono's apprentices train for 10 years, learning how to properly handle the fish before they are even allowed to put a knife in their hands. Although Ono did not invent omakase dining, he was definitely influential in introducing it to a global public. But despite Bourdain's adulation of Sukiyabashi Jiro, the restaurant isn't for everyone, especially if you're accustomed to taking your time to enjoy the meal.

In the "No Reservations" episode, Bourdain states that the experience lasted 68 minutes. But in reality, from start to finish, it's only 20 minutes. You're served one piece of sushi approximately every minute, and once served, you're expected to eat it immediately because Ono believes that the fish and rice begin to lose their peak deliciousness the moment it is plated. For some people, the meal can feel rushed and tense. With the current price of ￥88,000 (approximately $600) per person, it's a decidedly pricey date night. At 99 years old, Ono isn't at the restaurant much these days, but his eldest son, Yoshikazu Ono, continues his father's legacy.