Sukiyabashi Jiro Roppongi Hills Restaurant

We had the 5:30 omakase which is a lot more rushed than the later one. The chef himself told us that the 5:30 one is a lot faster while the 7:30 one is usually around 2 hours. We enjoy faster paced sushi so we enjoyed how quickly everything came out. Everyone was kind and the sushi we had was different and amazing! We loved trying out the different types of seafood here. We had an amazing time, but make sure to book the later slot if you prefer it.

Had lunch at the famed Sushi Jiro, not impressed. Atmosphere: A Customer Service: D (rude & condescending) Food: A- (the rice in my opinion is too moist … gets stuck in my throat) Overall: B minus I’ve had the best and this is not it. True masters are kind, without preconceived notions and rude expectations. While the atmosphere was elegant, clean and inviting, the staff was coarse, rude and unkind. This is very rare to find in Japan, where kindness and virtue are 99% of the time — key communication elements. The rice got stuck in my throat on 3 occasions, not what I prefer. I was asked prison-like what do I not like, an illogical question when I have no idea what is in store. If I was asked what I like, I would say all variants of Maguro, Ise Ebi, Ikura, Tamago — perhaps my favorites. As much as I was looking forward to this experience, I found it exceptionally underwhelming.

I've been to many Omakase spots in Japan and this was by far my favorite experience. I actually preferred the quick pacing rather than a drawn out meal. Top quality sushi & fish (as expected!) and Chef Takashi was very nice an engaging. He spoke English well, explained every piece, told me a funny story and even accommodated other guests in Chinese. Just make sure to show up on time since he has a tight schedule! Ignore the negative reviews - a lot of people complaining they didn't get good service or whatever because they were late! どうもありがとうございます

I’m really curious why the chef needed to be this rush. There were four sashimi dishes, 17 sushi bites and a tamagoyaki as the last menu. Everything was served in 42 minutes (exact from my first and last photo timestamps. The next bite is served right before I can swallow the one in my mouth. When I slowed down a little bit, to have a slice of pickled ginger, the chef suddenly asked me to quickly eat the next bite and stop watching him making sushi. (This is a restaurant, not a show. Please eat! — kinda like this). About the sushi. I really think the vinegar and soy sauce are way too strong. I cannot enjoy the taste of the fish. Hirame was served twice, as sashimi and as sushi. The sashimi one was really good as the chef didn’t add the sauce on served. However, the sushi one turns to be a rubber dipped in sauce on vinegary rice. From a person who has had many omakase experiences, I’m not quite sure how this place became so popular and got two stars from Michelin. To me, this is not really worth it.

This is the worse omakase experience I ever had. Chef are so rude when talking with us. He told me to eat the next sushi when I haven’t finish last bite. The course took only 40 minutes and no dessert. Rice are too heavy on vinegar. It’s super sour that I couldn’t taste the ingredients at all. The soy sauce also too much giving too salty flavor. I would recommend going to other omakase store that will worth 80k jpy.

Best Akami and Tamagoyaki I’ve ever had. The Akami was incredibly tender, almost like chutoro but more flavorful, chutoro itself was fantastic too. Normally don’t like Tamagoyaki but this one was a great mix of sweet and savory while having a moist cakelike texture. The chef was friendly and explained each piece to us in English, including recommendations for how to eat each.

During our stay in Tokyo, we had the opportunity to try several renowned sushi restaurants, including some listed in the Michelin Guide. Unfortunately, our final dinner ended on a disappointing note. The welcome was cold and distant—far from the warm Japanese hospitality we had come to appreciate throughout our trip. The dining room’s atmosphere was austere and lacked warmth, which did little to enhance the overall impression. It is also regrettable that no wine or beverage list was offered, limiting the possibilities for pairing drinks with the meal. As for the fish selection, it was classic and predictable, without any surprises or originality. Unlike other establishments of a similar standing, we found neither creativity nor a distinctive personal touch. All in all, it is a solid traditional sushi restaurant, but one that seems to rely more on its name than on the quality of the dining experience. Based on our visit, the two Michelin stars are difficult to understand or justify.

I wanted to write a quick review to address my amazing experience and this restaurant and comment on some of the prior reviews criticizing the chef and atmosphere of the restaurant, particularly for ENGLISH SPEAKING CUSTOMERS. First, the food is unbelievable, easily one of the best meals of my life. The variety of flavors and textures, many I have never experienced before in my life, along with watching a true master at work, is a once in a lifetime experience. I could not recommend this experience more highly. THAT BEING SAID, if you are coming here from a western countries perspective, you have to understand that you are stepping into a very different cultural experience. In the west, when paying $200+ for a michelin star meal, we expect to be treated to the highest level of service, including staff bending over hand and food to make you feel as welcome and cared for as possible. This is simply not a western restaurant and is a very traditional Japanese dining experience, with their own rules and expectations to follow. Think of it as watching a theatrical performance. You would not talk through a theater production, or stop in the middle to ask the performers lots of questions, or ask for lots of modifications to the performance. You are paying money to be guided on an experience that has been prepared for you by a master. The chef here is truly very kind to customers, and speak english and chinese well. He explains all dishes patiently to customers, and welcomes a small question or two here or there. But when people are interrupting the flow of the meal he is preparing, not eating what has been prepared as specified, etc, he gets frustrated because you are not following the rules of the institution. In the same way that if you were at a fancy western restaurant and were not respecting the unspoken rules of etiquette that we in the west simply know to follow without thinking, they would become frustrated as well. In conclusion, I highly highly recommend coming here but PLEASE KNOW WHAT IT IS YOU ARE SIGNING UP FOR. This is not a typical michelin star meal, it is something else entirely different with very different rules from a very different culture. Many fancy restaurants in Tokyo have learned to cater to western etiquette. This restaurant doesn't do that, and that is okay. And if you want an amazing omakase where you can ask lots of questions, or ask for lots of modifications, that is entirely understandable and reasonable, and entirely possible elsewhere in Tokyo. That being said, if you understand these expectations and cultural rules, this is a once in a lifetime experience that I really could not recommend more!

Fantastic experience. Takashi is a master at what he does and is also very friendly. He explained the process in which they made each piece with. The Roppongi Hills atmosphere makes you feel like you are in the right place. Highly recommended.

the priciest meal of my life--was a once-in-a-lifetime reservation at the legendary Sukiyabashi Jiro. Now run by Jiro's son, Yoshikazu Ono, this once Michelin-starred sushi restaurant (no longer officially starred) is notoriously exclusive. You can't book directly; reservations must be made through a hotel concierge, which is how we secured a coveted spot via the Hilton Tokyo concierge during our stay. From the start, the experience felt intense: a strict dress code, a no-nonsense cancellation policy, and a firm reminder to arrive 10 minutes early. For two people, the 20-course omakase set us back about ¥132,000 (~$920)--an extravagant splurge. I was nervous about everything--from dressing appropriately, finding the unassuming Ginza main branch location, following the strict etiquette, to the fear of fumbling the delicate sushi. The rice was incredibly soft and fluffy, barely held together, demanding gentle hands and precise chopstick skills. Admittedly, I stuck to eating with my hands, which is acceptable and, frankly, less stressful for me! Every piece of sushi was a revelation: the squid was magically tender, the bonito blew me away and became my favorite sushi of all time, while the uni was fresh but still not to my personal taste. The entire meal was a nerve-wracking but unforgettable "wow" moment. Photography inside the restaurant is strictly forbidden, but the chef kindly took photos of us outside afterward and stamped our menu as a keepsake.

We came from the U.S. with high expectations, but our experience here was deeply disappointing. A truly magical dining experience is about more than just food quality--it's also about exceptional customer service and making every guest feel valued. Unfortunately, we felt treated differently because of where we came from. When we asked if hot sake was included in the dining menu, instead of answering our questions, the chef responded rudely, asking where we came from instead of answering our question. Upon hearing we were from the U.S., he remarked, "Americans would ask questions like this. A lot of Chinese people too." After this exchange, his behavior changed--he barely explained the dishes, only stating their names, while being chatty and engaging with other guests. Midway through the meal, he asked again about my ethnicity like "where I'm really from", despite us already stating where we came from. His attitude remained dismissive and uncomfortable for the rest of the meal. While the sushi quality was decent, we've had better elsewhere in Japan. More importantly, no level of food quality justifies such prejudice and bias. It's 2025. Discrimination towards guests based on nationalities or skin color should never be tolerated in any dining experience, regardless of how good the food may be.

What a memorable omakase tasting experience at this Michelin 2-star gem! Initially, I was a bit reluctant to book a reservation here because I heard that the main store in Ginza dining speed is rushed and foreigners are treated poorly compared to Japanese customers. But a friend of mine had dined at this Roppongi branch previously and reassured me that it's a completely different experience so I decided to give it a try...and glad I did! Because we are Japan residents, we were able to secure a reservation with help of Japanese friend. If you are not a resident, then you have to go through a high-end hotel concierge or pay for 3rd party booking onljne service. It's no where near as impossible as the Ginza main store to get a reservation. Chef Takashi Ono, the second son of the famed sushi chef Jiro Ono, is not shy about his passion for quality ingredients and properly serving the finest sashimi and sushi. There are two tasting plans for lunch. Plan A is sushi only (15 pieces) for ¥22,000. Plan B is 4 types of sashimi and 13 pieces of sushi for ¥27,000. Towards the end of the meal, you have the opportunity to re-order previous items you enjoyed or add on other premium pieces like otoro fatty tuna for additional fees. It was a pleasure seeing Chef Takashi in action and learning so much about each piece of masterpiece from him. He is professional yet warm, serious about his work and has a good sense of humor. I am glad I chose this Jiro branch and not the main shop.

I can't deny the quality of the ingredients or the skill of the master at work here. That being said, this experience just wasn't my cup of tea. Jiro thoughtfully introduced each dish, providing some context on the quality of ingredients and the steps taken for preparation. The quality of the food was incredible. The pace of the meal, rapid fire with the expectation that you eat each dish on pace with the others at the counter was difficult for my dining companion (smaller person, with a smaller appetite to match). The unwritten rules of etiquette were also a little tricky - several folks were dressed down by the chief for violating the sacred tenets of sushi law, which made for a somewhat awkward experience. No sharing, no slow eating, no late arrivals. Ambience is intimate, and seating very limited. It was less a dining experience and more a celebration of a masterwork, so come prepared for that.

I was extremely pleased with the overall experience here. Some of the best sushi I've had to date, with my favorite callouts being the shrimp (which was boiled right before it was served to us, both tail-end and head/brain); the saltwater eel (which chef Jiro emphasized was cultivated specifically because it was saltwater and therefore had different taste and texture compared to farmed freshwater eel); the female and male uni (the female was more creamy); the smoked bonito (holy cow! amazing); and last but not least the fluffy tamago. The environment felt a bit tense, with Chef Jiro having a very stern presence behind the sushi counter to his apprentices who are working hard to learn the best practices from the Chef. However, he was very informative and helpful, providing us a breadth of information about why certain pieces of the sushi were selected for the evening and where they originated from and why they sourced the ingredients from that specific location or region. The overall evening is quite quick, about 40 minutes of dining with 10-15 minutes of post-meal chatter with the Chef. We got commemorative photos after the meal - memorable evening!

A wonderful dining experience that teaches you the art of sushi while enjoying each bite. Chef Jiro gave us lots of information regarding the fish he was serving us and cracked jokes that made for a really enjoyable dinner. Each piece is carefully crafted and sized to how much Chef Jiro thinks we'll need to get full. My favorites were the female uni, salmon roe, chutoro, the tiger prawn (the head half), big scallop, and little scallops. Although not all the sushi is for me, they are definitely worth the try. It's the only that way can you learn about the different types of fish, and figure out what you really like. It's all top grade fish selected for our dinner, so why not? Other pieces in our omakase included flounder, cuddle fish, lean tuna, otoro, gizzard shad, ark shell, horse mackerel, giant clam, male uni, smoked skipjack (very smoky), hard shell clam, mackerel, salt water eel, and egg. -Chef Jiro's knowledge makes the sushi worth the money. He likes to share stories and experiences with previous customers that make it fun too

Jiro . . . Dreams of Sushi . . . need I say more. Jiro--san is the second son of the venerable sushi chef Jiro-sensei who makes us all dream of sushi. Here in Roppongi the younger Jiro has two Michelin stars and it is equally difficult to book a seat at his small counter, but we did. So you see, sometimes dreams do come true.

I thought I knew sushi. I thought I knew what good sushi rice was. I've been to a few renowned Japanese places and spoken w many self-proclaimed sushi experts who have all told me, "Jiro is good but a bit overpriced for what it is and there are better..." I am so glad I went ahead and tried Jiro for myself before passing judgment because MY TASTEBUDS now know what EPIC SUSHI RICE is supposed to taste like and now sushi is ruined for me forever. Takashi-San was very hospitable and thoroughly explained every bite. He also affectionately joked how his established is more laid back than the original Ginza location, where they are 100% focused on food and do not say much as they present each delicious piece of sushi. But back to that sushi rice. It's warm, about body temperature, with the perfect amount of vinegar... able to hold its shape when you pick it up yet melts in your mouth immediately. Seriously folks. This was a game changer. Definitely a bucket list foodie established that cannot be missed.

This review is way overdue. It's been over five years since I've had Jiro's sushi and I still cannot forget about it to this day. The best sushi I've ever had in my life, and I like to think I've had a lot of sushi in my life. From the not so delicious but stuff your face conveyor belt sushi and ayce sushi to omakase in Tokyo, even at Tsukiji Market, back when they still use to do the fish market. But back to Jiro, and how the second son of the great Jiro in Ginza, did something spectacular. I had my cousin make a reservation for me before I came back to tokyo, and luckily he was able to make a lunch rezzy. The only difference between lunch and dinner is about $100 and a few pieces of nigiri. After the omakase, you can order some more pieces of nigiri, from what was had earlier or what was not served and what he offers. Now back to the sushi. This was the most sublime and enlightening experience I've had when it comes to food, not only sushi. The way Jiro explains each piece of nigiri, and how it was prepared to how to eat it, made a world of difference. The one thing he told me that has stuck with me to this day is how to judge the quality of tuna. He said that everyone likes to go for the fatty cuts like toro or o-toro. But he said that the fat content in those pieces hides the true quality of the fish. The best way to really judge the quality of tuna is by tasting the akami, lean part of the tuna. And he was correct. You can really taste a difference in quality when tasting the leaner cut. Each piece was fantastic, but would stood out to me was the smoked bonito, the ikura, and the uni. The ikura was fantastic because it was freshwater salmon vs salt water. And because of that, it was not as salty but burst with flavor as you bit into each piece of roe. And the uni.. oh the uni. Absolutely exceptional and the best thing I believe I've ever tasted. Everytime I think of it it brings a smile to my face. If you have the opportunity, you definitely have to try sukiyabashi jiro, whether it's the one here in roppongi, or the OG in Ginza

Chef Takashi is the second son of Chef Jiro Ono. Takashi was trained by his father at the original Sukiyabashi Jiro in Ginza before setting up his own restaurant, Sukiyabashi Jiro Roppongi. Chef Takashi also appears in the Jiro Dreams Of Sushi documentary talking about his relationship with his father and continuing Jiro's legacy. Chef Takashi might not be everyone's cup of tea. He is in general pleasant towards customers, especially if you take care to observe a few rules (e.g. not wearing strong perfume, not dipping the sushi in more soy sauce...). His English is also remarkably fluent, and he even speaks some Mandarin Chinese and Taiwanese. However, he can be rather blunt and outspoken on certain political issues (only applicable if you speak Japanese), and can definitely rub some people the wrong way. Meals move at a brisk pace. A meal of 14-16 pieces of sushi, plus time for extras, clocked in at just under an hour. (Plenty of banter with the chef, as my wife is fluent in Japanese .) This can feel too rushed for some diners, especially if you just want to take your time. I did manage to take photographs each time before eating, but it is also a good idea not to leave the sushi on the plate too long - ideally, each piece should be eaten as soon as it lands in front of you. Also is customary to ask him before taking pictures as it's his art on the plate. Once you finish your meal, there is no time to linger or order more saki. As Takashi will say, we are a fine dining experience not a bar to hang out unless you are still eating. The freight on this dining experience averages about $350 per person with saki so don't pass out when you look at your Amex statements after Tokyo in general. This is next level sushi here folks and he is a true master. The bar has definitely been raised for this Cali boy!

We were lucky enough to have our dinner reserved here during our honeymoon. Everything was perfect - excellent food and excellent chef! Ingredient was so fresh! I haven't had any sushi for more than 2 months after I returned to the U.S. Apparently, after having so much tasty sushi, my body rejects anything inferior lol Chef was very talkative. He speaks many different languages including English, Japanese, and Chinese. He can also speak some dialects, which is very impressive. He also shared his learning experiences (mostly language related) and educated us about different ingredient. For example, he told us how to distinguish the gender of sea urchins based on color and/or taste. If you don't speak Japanese, this place is probably the better option. Toward the end of the meal, we witnessed how tough it is to be an apprentice of a top-notch chef. We can hear the chef "yelling" at his apprentices about washing things too slow, not preparing enough ingredients, serving the customer too slow, etc. It was really tough... I've always heard how hard it is to become a sushi chef in Japan, so good luck to you all.

I was so full that my belt was about to cut off circulation between two halves of my body whilst my growing triple chin was about to drag me off the bar stool. And when the chef asked me if I wanted more sushi I said yes because he is the glorious son of Jiro Ono. Standouts: - Uni, sweetest and creamiest uni that did not taste like coagulated piss - Ikura, house-prepared salmon roe that did not taste like salt bombs from most other places - Bonito, perfectly smoked on the outside like in Jiro Dreams of Sushi - Abalone, tear-jerkingly the best abalone I've tasted - Mantis shrimp, comes with roe, umami AF I left the restaurant a happy seafood octomom

Yes, we watched the documentary; yes, we were a bit nervous and excited at the same time; and absolutely yes, this was an unbelievable and unforgettable experience! A couple of things; this is not your typical "let's hang out and have sushi and have some drinks" type of meal. This is a "let's have amazing sushi and learn about the food that we're eating." Also, it's clear that the chef is extremely proud of what he does and they have this whole experience down to a science, so I could see how some may be turned off. With that being said, the entire staff was respectful, accommodating and dare I say, the chef was quite amusing and entertaining. We were fortunate to have another "sushi experience" the following evening and all I could think about was this meal. Lastly, yes, it is expensive however, we have spent equally with mediocre sushi in comparison, factoring in gratuity, so for me, it was completely worth it! Book it now!!

Quite an interesting experience. I definitely experienced different side of Japanese culture through this dining experience. Jiro sushi has been on my to eat list since I watched Jiro Dream of Sushi like most people who came to the restaurant. I had asked my friend who lives in Tokyo to make the reservation for me and my friend. She had to pay 20,000 yen to secure the reservation for two. Since we only booked one month ahead, we were only able to get lunch reservation. There were six of us at 1 o'clock lunch reservation. We made sure we had plenty of time to find the restaurant. Even though the restaurant is only 10 minutes away from Tokyo Midtown. We walked about 45 minutes. Luckily, we were on time. I read the tips on their website to make sure I wouldn't do anything disrespectful to the chef. Chef Takashi was very pleasant at first. He learned multiple languages to explain the fish to his customers. Everything was going great till one of the party arrived and he was 15 minutes late. You can tell very obviously that chef was upset about it. He didn't care to explain the fish or even place the sushi to his plate. He had his apprentice to serve those sushi without explaining much of them. Then, I started to notice the chef kept nagging to the second apprentice. I was uncertain if he was upset at him or anything else. Then, it was our turn. Here's a tip: DO NOT SHARE YOUR SUSHI. My friend who's pregnant (she was not aware before we made the reservation) couldn't finish her sushi. She gave her nigiri to me. Chef Takashi was pissed! He disciplined us and said "the sushi was made for you not her". Like I mentioned, I read the tips on the website, and it didn't mention this. After he was upset with my friend. He went on and nagged on the second apprentice some more. Then, he went into the kitchen and yelled at the staff. That's when the atmosphere was quite awkward. Besides the service, the sushi was great. The most memorable fish that I had was horse mackerel. It was probably my favorite nigiri of the entire meal. The Hokkaido uni was just okay. It was not better than the uni that I have in the states. Also, I was disappointed otoro was not included in our omakase set but chu toro. In all, an interesting experience to the Japanese culture. Sushi was not bad but I wouldn't return again in the future. I will be trying out other sushi joint in Tokyo next time.

You haven't tasted sushi until you have been to Sukiyabahsi Jiro. It is so different from the sushi in the United States. The texture is different. The flavor is different. Let me tell you the story of Same Day Sushi (#samedaysushi). My friends and I thought it would be fun to fly to Tokyo to have sushi, and have a couple bottles of wine later, we made it a reality. We booked tickets from SFO to NRT, arriving in Tokyo at 3:30PM, just in time for sushi. Our return ticket was booked for midnight, from HND to SFO. Thats right, we were only staying 9 hours in Tokyo! I shall reaffirm: we are a crazy bunch. With flights booked, we proceed to get a reservation at Jiros (Note to self: Don't buy tickets to a restaurant you don't have a reservation for, especially when it turns out they are closed on the day you will be there). Well, Sukiyabashi Jiro (down in the subway station), is closed on Sundays. A few frantic Yelp searches later, we discovered Sukiyabashi Jiro Roppongi Hills was open on Sunday. And guess what! We managed to get a reservation! I won't get into the nitty details, but you can check them out at: http://www.xpeditionist.com/2015/10/28/same-day-sushi/ Now, on to the meal! We walked into the small restaurant, and soon realized why reservations are hard to come by. The sushi bar sat maybe 10 people, and our group of 4 took up almost half of it. There were a few tables on the other side of the room, but no one sat there. We sat down, as Takashi's Ono prepared the most amazing sushi available. He and his assistance both spoke some English, and were able to tell us about the sushi we were eating, where it comes from, and how its different from American sushi. It was amazing. The texture of the sushi was soft, yet solid. It almost melted in your mouth. I was surprised most by the squid, which wasn't rubbery at all. Another amazing piece was the salmon roe, which was neither fishy nor salty tasting. Takashi said it was fresh, and thus lacked the salty flavor imparted during mass production. As I ate it, the little balls exploded in my mouth, an amazing feeling to say the least. One of my favorite dishes was the three types of tuna: lean, medium, and fatty tuna. Trying each in progression allowed me to taste the subtle differences. We each had green tea with our meal, which was constantly refiled; I don't think I ever saw the bottom of the glass. The overall atmosphere of the room was quite, and it took us a few minutes to adjust to that, but it was a wonderful experience. The 90 minute meal left us stuffed, but I will never look at sushi the same way again. If you wanna read about the full story of Same Day Sushi, check out: http://www.xpeditionist.com/2015/10/28/same-day-sushi/

The best meal of my life. Completely worth the $300 for lunch. I learned today: They do not serve salmon because all salmon served in sushi places is frozen -20celcius as it is a freshwater/river fish, which means parasites. They only use saltwater fish that are wild caught because bacteria cannot thrive there. There is no such thing as "fresh salmon" 2. The kanji for sushi is two symbols, one meaning "fish", the other being "delicious" 3. They use this cup in the store that has a crack in it. Back in the day, these specific cups were only used by the palace/royalty, and ones with chips or imperfections were sent off to the common folk to be used. A clever crafter named Yamaguchi started making these cups with the crack so that all the common folk can use things that even the royals use Everything here is just phenomenal.

With the release of the now famous documentary and exposure to celebrities/foodies worldwide, one can imagine expectations to be unreasonably high upon booking a reservation (unless you have a local Japanese contact, booking through your hotel concierge 1 month in advance is your best bet) on my most recent trip to Japan. Does it live up to the hype? I can honestly say it was one of the best sushi experiences of my life from start to finish since often times one usually notes a few exceptional pieces interspersed between streaks of unmemorable or mediocre pieces. I enjoyed sitting at the bar and interacting with the younger son of Jiro Ono (Takashi) and having been in the shadow of his famous father for his entire life, of course he has a chip on his shoulder and an inner drive to carve out his own reputation so I'm sure he bristles whenever people ask about his father or how his sushi compares to the main branch. My take is that this only motivates him to work that much harder and be even more focused so I appreciated his attention to detail which he passes down to his apprentices (he noticed a piece was angled slightly off on my plate since I am a lefty so he made sure it was repositioned ever so slightly). Although I have not been to the original location, I've read about and can imagine the experience at the Roppongi Hills location to be more laid back since in addition to detailed explanations of each course, Takashi made sure to take time to inquire about where the non-native diners were from and is well versed to say various greetings in several languages and more than willing to insert a few jokes in between and pose with diners for photos at the conclusion of their meal. Probably the highlight of the night was when my lady friend was getting prematurely full, she attempted to pass one of her pieces of sushi to me and of course there is no way this was going to go unnoticed by Taskashi. Rather than getting offended, he started making miniature versions of the remaining pieces of sushi to allow her to finish and even gave her a pep talk by saying in English "You can do it! Never give up!" which brought smiles to the house. Like others have mentioned, the progression and the freshness of the fish and the rice are what makes this experience so unique. The ikura roe is exceptional since the natural flavor is not masked by a briny aftertaste that is prevalent in any version outside of Japan (as well as those distributed from Tsukiji market according to Takashi), the uni is as sweet/clean as I've ever tasted, and one gains a deeper appreciation of the contrast in texture and flavor between different cuts of tuna (lean/medium/fatty) and anago and unagi (fresh and salt water eel) with consecutive bites. The tamago is the perfect palate cleanser to close the meal and serves as the perfect bite to represent the years of painstaking discipline and dedication for one of his apprentices to become a sushi master (if one recalls from the documentary, at least 200 attempts were required for one apprentice to make one to Jiro's satisfaction). A meal that will definitely reside in my dreams and one which I hope to have the privilege to revisit again someday.

This restaurant gets a five star BUT with a very big caveat that you may see others and yourself be treated in a way that would not reflect what is typically expected at a three star place. First the food... the sushi was amazing here but very edo style. What I mean is the sushi was more dependent on quality than on seasoning. The good thing was that the sushi was expertly prepared... but the sushi was prepared without any marinade, torching, or smoking (except for the bonito) unlike what you normally see in American omakase places. So, people who are used to that American style may find this sushi more plain. However, without the embellishments, I could tell that the fish was very fresh and prepared with amazing technique. There was nothing offensive and the uni was some of the best I ever had (also the blood clam and the toro!) I loved every piece. Furthermore, you got a lot of food with just the sushi course. I was willing to shell out extra money for the optional pieces at the end of the meal but I was TOTALLY stuffed. I think it came out to like 19 pieces! Did not need to add the sashimi course. I really appreciate how generous this place was with portion compare to places in the US! The chef was SO knowledgeable about all of the fish and techniques. He apparently only started learning English a few years ago but is able to explain all of these great facts to us. He told us all about the different fishes and preparation styles. My boyfriend said that this was an education. It really made the experience even more special. He was sociable and charismatic! However, the "uglier" side of this business that people report is also true. There was a couple whose English was not their first language (maybe from Thailand) and they got the sashimi course. Even though the chef told them they were the only ones that got the sashimi course, they were still confused as to why they were getting different pieces. The chef seemed very annoyed with the couple. Later, the couple would leave food on their plates and the chef would tell them to eat it. When they were getting full and the chef told them they should have warn him earlier. He then complained to the staff about them in Japanese. The chef also got mad at one of his assistants and berated him the entire dinner while the student apologized numerous times. I think these sorts of things may damper one's meal but I think it is very standard for this sort of field. I like to think that instead of being customers, we are having the honor of eating art created by a master.

(Late post) Last stop before headed back home. 20 course Omakase was really good. Of course it differs with everyone. I had maybe two out of the course that were ok. The rest was awesome.

Definitely the most fresh fish I've ever had. When you walk in, they will take your coats and guide you to your seat. You will be able to see the chef at work. He will first ask you if there's anything you won't eat. Please be honest with him as it is disrespectful to the chef and the fish if you do not eat and give it to someone else. You will notice how much he cares for his craft. He cuts the fish perfectly and creates the perfect nigiri. I also noticed the nigiri / sushi was brushed with soy sauce so you don't have to dip it and just eat right away. My favourite fish has got to be the tuna. Every part of the tuna he gave us was delicious. Honestly the best tuna I have ever had. During the end of our meal, he gave us this dessert tamago. My god, it was the best tamago I've ever had. He explained how he made it and wish I took notes! Customer service here was great. They refilled our tea constantly and made sure our omakase plates were clean. Great experience if you'd like to try fresh sushi / nigiri. Before you go, be sure to make reservations as well!

I agree with Barack Obama on one thing..."This is the best sushi I've ever had in my life" After watching the Netflix documentary "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" I was determined to try this family's art of sushi. There were levels of preparations before we sat down in front of Jiro's youngest son to enjoy this culinary experience. First, emotionally.... My husband teased me for weeks that I would either be thrown out of this Michelin starred restaurant or they would plaster "No sushi for Basi" posters with my face all over Japan. Dare I say Why? Well....because I'm a full on Deconstructor! I find most places don't make their sushi right....too much rice, not enough rice, too little wasabi in between fish and rice, too small piece, too large piece...the end result is I deconstruct my sushi to make my own individual perfect bite cuz I'm a sushi snob. OK? Fine, I said it. So I was a bit terrified to eat here. I didn't want to offend and I was afraid I wouldn't be able to finish the entire served meal. I even practiced no deconstruction prior to arriving here and it was plain inedible torture for me and pure entertainment for my husband. Well my fear was laid to rest. Master Takashi Ono is a bigger sushi snob than myself and therefore his care and love that goes into each piece is pure perfection. I didn't have to nor did I want to change ANY piece of sushi he placed on my plate. Each piece melted in my mouth in harmony. There were textures and flavors and sensations I have never experienced before. All extremely distinctive and delicious. The rice was perfect, the fish was fresh, the temperature was exact, he glossed each piece with a paintbrush dipped in soy. Or he changed the sauce and told you not to dip it in soy. He described each fish like a sommelier discussing wine. It was like being gently led into a whole new world of sushi craftsmanship. Second, some preparation on etiquette was deemed necessary..... Although Jiro's son seems to be more relaxed than his father he is still his disciplined apprentice and now his son also works here as an apprentice, so one should respect that. Photos are allowed but seem disrespectful during dinner. Your sushi is meant to be eaten the minute it touches your plate, so even waiting a few minutes to take a photo diminished that flow. The lady next to us kept snapping photos and the stern look on the chef's face still makes us giggle and glad that it wasn't aimed at us. Using your hands or chop sticks is both perfectly acceptable. Dress is business casual. Lastly, the reservations... This is the hardest part. The reservations have to be made by someone in Japan; your hotel concierge or a local. Chef Takashi explained this to us that in the past there were too many cancellations by foreigners. They also have to be made exactly a month in advance, on the first of the month, when reservations are taken for the following month. Unfortunately, even with our hotel concierge working a month in advance and spending 3 hours attempting to reserve a seat at Jiro's restaurant in Ginza, we were unable to reserve a seat. However, we are so grateful to have experienced his son's restaurant in Roppongi Hills. The experience: -The restaurant is hidden away in a business district. There are areas to sit & wander about so we arrived early because there was no way I was going to be late and start off as an annoying American. Familiarize yourself with the external view as there are no English signs. The restaurant has only seven (7) sushi bar seats and two of those are always reserved for his regular customers. If they do not come for a meal, he does not fill them on purpose. There are two tables used only for waiting. We were seated here for about 2 minutes before we were moved to the sushi bar. -The sushi itself is indescribable. -Chef Takashi Ono was stern but friendly, talked openly with all of us and answered questions easily. It was interesting to hear him discuss why women cannot be sushi chefs (mainly due to hormonal fluctuations that affect the sense of smell). It was fun hearing him recite greetings in Polish or any of the other 40 languages he knows. I was amazed when he stated his son at the age of 18 stopped being his son and become the apprentice. It was fun seeing his son shy away from the camera and smile and it was evident how hard he works to please his father. A family tradition that demonstrates the dedication of hard work and love of sushi is apparent. At the end of the meal, he will take as many photos with you as you like and he loves the thumbs up;) -A truly memorable experience of artistic culinary expression within a disciplined, traditional family setting. Sadly, to me no other place (except maybe his dad's or someday his son's) will compare. Eat here with caution as it may ruin your sushi dining experiences forever. BarbaraD dreams of being a regular (even with the ~$300 per person per meal price tag) ;)

Best! Octopus! Ever! All that massages paid off. I think everything else was as expected.

Jiro, a once in a lifetime experience. I get dropped off on the main street in front of the restaurant, but the restaurant is kinda hidden on top of shops towards the back. Super secretive location. We walking in, a gentleman takes my coat and handbag and I'm seated. They serve- 1. Flounder 2. Squid 3. Needle fish 4. Lean tuna 5. Med tuna 6. Japanese gizzard shad 7. Salmon egg 8. Mackerel 9. Large Japanese prawn 10. Uni 11. Seasoned mackerel 12. Little neck clam 13. Smoked tuna 14. Fresh water eel 15. Fatty tuna 16. Tamago The sushi comes pre-soy sauced, which is nice. Overall, it was a good experience, but we were only in the restaurant for 45 minutes at most. The bill came out to be $200+ per person. I wouldn't recommend this place to others because at the end of they day, I'm not sure if dropping 2 bills for 45 minutes was worth it.

Overall a really wonderful experience. I loved how chef Jiro was super friendly, speaks a little bit of 40 different languages and tries to interact with all the guests. He even made sure to come out and take a picture with you and send you off after the meal. If you're expecting mind-blowing sushi because of the movie Jiro Dreams of Sushi, then set your expectations lower. Everything was great but only a few pieces were amazing and possibly couldn't be beat by other sushi restaurants -- ikura (marinated overnight in-house so it doesn't have the salty ocean taste), uni (the sweetest uni I've EVER had, they must have first dibs of the top uni!), smoked bonito (never had this at other sushi restaurants before), anago (usually I don't like eel, but Jiro's definitely made me feel differently about it) and of course their famous tamago. TIP: If you don't want to overspend but still get a full Jiro experience, get reservations for lunch! We spent ~$160/person for lunch and left super full!

This is by far our best omakase sushi experience ever. Both my husband and I loved this place and it exceeded our expectations for a 2-star Michelin restaurant! Best sushi ever, and we're so glad we came! If you're not able to secure a reservation at Jiro Ono's 3-star Michelin restaurant, then come here. You won't be disappointed. Granted we didn't try any of the other Tokyo Michelin restaurants while we were in town (so we had nothing to compare to), but that doesn't matter! The sushi here was great! :) Make a reservation through your hotel concierge, and get ready to delight your taste buds! See here for more details & sushi photos: https://ourwelltraveledlife.wordpress.com/2015/06/02/sukiyabashi-jiro-sushi-restaurant-in-roppongi-hills/

World class sushi. It does not get any better. We enjoyed lunch here on our first day in Tokyo and it's spoiled me for sushi anywhere else.

The best sushi I have ever had. For a mere $180 or so USD (eep), you get 15 pieces of perfection (for lunch). And it is perfection indeed. Not only did I enjoy fish I had never had before, but tasting what certain things are actually supposed to taste like (i.e. salmon roe, sea urchin, even shrimp) was amazing. The complete entree list was: Flounder Squid Lean tuna Medium tuna Marinated sardine Bloody clam Horse mackerel Salmon roe (made fresh in house daily) Sardine Japanese tiger prawn Mackerel Sea urchin (male only as it is apparently sweeter than female sea urchin) Bonito Saltwater eel (tastes way different and so much better than freshwater eel!) Fatty tuna (an additional add on) Egg By course 10 I was getting full, and by the end I was stuffed. It was also a joy to watch Chef Takashi and his assistants work; they are clearly a well oiled machine and take pride in their work. Service was excellent: everyone in the shop spoke some English, and Chef Takashi was friendly and explained each fish he served (while his assistants helpfully popped up behind him with visual aids a la textbook photos...or a giant sieve full of salmon roe!). He also agreed to a photo at the end, and walked us out of the restaurant. The complete experience was an absolute treat, and I would definitely go back!

Came here earlier this month for dinner. It is a 2 Michelin Star restaurant and well known from the documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi. This location is opened by Jiro's son. Reservations are strongly recommended and is probably the most difficult part for for a tourist. The restaurant won't accept reservations unless it is made by your hotel. However, sometimes by the time the hotel gets back to you with available times and you reply back, those times will be taken. If you have a Japanese speaking friend it will be 100 times easier. Evidently, they have a lot of issues with non-locals. So if the person making the reservation is not the person dining, a 10000 Yen deposit is required upfront. Anyway, once all that is settled you can get ready to salivate. The restaurant is on the 3rd floor rooftop of a residential building. It might be tricky to find. Basically once you reach Roppongi Station, head towards Roppongi Hills and up the escalators that look like it will take you to heaven. It'll be in the building across the street where Louis Vuitton is. You'll be seated a bar that seats about 6-8. Once you begin, you'll be asked which option of dinner you want. I opted for sushi and sashimi. It's really hard to put to words how delicious everything was, so go check out the pictures. You probably have to be very familiar with sushi in order to appreciate the freshness and the preparation work that goes into each piece. My personal favourite is the smoked bonito. The uni and abalone were simply unreal and had so much flavour on its own, which is something I'm not accustomed to. Honestly, everything tastes great without dipping into soy sauce. I wouldn't dip at all in order to taste each piece the way it is meant to be devoured. If you love your sushi, you certainly will not be disappointed here (but maybe your wallet will). Service was great and attentive. My green tea was always refilled promptly. Not a big deal, but they didn't really clean off my plate after every piece. Chef Ono speaks some English and has a sense of humour as well. And you'll definitely get your photo op with him afterwards! This place is a must for the sushi lover of all sushi lovers!

THE BEST SUSHI IN THE WORLD!!!! No joke, all seriousness!! Everything is fresh and delicious! You would not want to eat sushi anywhere else!

The experience is indescribable. It's sushi and it still tastes like sushi but it's like all the food planets aligned within Takashi Ono's kitchen. First of all, watch out for the hot towels. They are made in boiling water because all the bacteria is killed that way. They will also remove the skin from your hands if you're not careful. My advice is to let the towel cool for a moment instead of picking it up right away. Omakase only, sashimi is for suckers. Each piece is carefully crafted, and the flavors are incredible. The rice is heavy with vinegar, but once you get used to the acid punch in the face, it's easy to see that the rice really brings out the flavor of the fish. I loved trying three cuts of tuna back-to-back - it's a great way to understand the difference that fat content makes. I actually liked the lean tuna best. It's bold and sophisticated with a lot of depth. The smoked bonito is very unique, and they explain their grass-burning method clearly. The Ikura is probably one of their most unique pieces, IMHO. The preparation removes all the fishiness and brine so you're left with a much smoother roe. We opted for the mantis shrimp and abalone as well, and I have absolutely zero regrets. The chefs are wonderful. They readily answer questions, and provide just enough information about what you're eating to make it interesting. It is a privilege and a truly unique experience, unforgettable on all accounts.

Five stars all around! I came in with high expectations and they were met! This place is a bit tricky to find but it's actually located in a outdoor mall/ business building. Look for Louis Vuitton and there's a side area to go into with stairs and elevator which will take you to the 3rd floor and you walk down the walkway to a unlabeled restaurant and you will be greeted by one of his workers! We were like 2 mins late which we thought they wouldn't seat us but they did immediately and Takahashi Ono asked us immediately if there wasn't anything we don't eat and if we would like the sashimi and nigiri omakase. Immediately we started off on a good note, he was incredibly personable and nice, it was easy to hold a conversation with him! He's so funny but so serious with his work! We started with a few pieces of sashimi with bonito, abalone and flounder. After that we started on to the nigiri, we had way too many pieces to count but my favorites were definitely they anago, chu-toro, o-toro, skipjack, spotted prawn, razor clam and the uni were all amazing! I actually can't say that I didn't like any of the pieces because all the pieces he served were amazing! I would definitely come back here in the future! After we finished the omakase he offered a la carte fishes and we ordered all of them. So freaking amazing! Just a note, they don't tell you how much the extra pieces are so bring extra money or your credit card! At the end, we had such a good time with Takahashi Ono that he let us take a picture with him! Total for 2: $700

This is really good sushi. There is a flow and progression from start to finish. It left me very satisfied yet not over stuffed. It is a very traditional Japanese restaurant and needs to be respected. You should only go here if you love food. The Chef Jiro strives for perfection in his food from every cut to timing of every piece of sushi. I was very impressed.

LIFE CHANGING SUSHI. Jiro was nice and funny, and I loved every $1203949203490234 piece we ate. He speaks some English, so I asked him what his favorite was, and he replied, "puh-re-tee guhl." For a second, I thought to myself, "Must be some fish I don't know," but after hearing people around me burst laughing, I realized he said, "pretty girl." Hahahahahahahah. After you finish your meal, you have the option to eat more pieces of whatever he has (a la carte). My friend ended up getting everything O_O which cost him an additional ~$110+. He allows you to take pictures (of the food and the chefs but not of other parties). I highly recommend this place if you can get reservations! Roppongi is also a really nice area, so explore afterwards!! We later wanted to check out a sushi conveyer belt restaurant, but we eventually decided not to wait for a table because the cheap sushi served on conveyer belts straight up looked like plastic compared to the amazing sushi Jiro served us. Truly a life changing meal at Jiro because I'll never see sushi the same.

When my boyfriend and I started planning our trip to Japan, we knew we had to make reservations to eat here! We had watched the Netflix documentary "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" and we just had to check this off the bucket list. We made reservations online a couple months before our trip and were so excited when it got confirmed. This is the son's restaurant (Jiro's original restaurant is located in Ginza)! After reading reviews on Yelp, we knew that this place was a little hard to find, so we made sure we got there early so we wouldn't be late for our reservation. The seating was at 7:30pm and there were a total of 6 of us at the sushi counter. I'll admit, I was a little nervous as to what we would be served because I am not the most adventurous seafood eater! But I was beyond impressed with everything we were served and how he gave explanations of everything he was giving us to eat. The dinner included 20 pieces, ending with the famous egg at the end. This was also my first time eating sushi with my hands, so it was a real eye opening experience for me! What I loved most about this dinner was that it was like an ongoing conversation with him and his apprentice during dinner. He told us about his life, where he started off, what he likes to do on his free time, and what a typical work day is like for him. I have so much respect for those who are sushi masters because of the hard work and endless dedication to the art of making sushi. This dinner was such a memorable and amazing experience that I will never forget. The only negative is that my standard of sushi is so high and I will ALWAYS compare my sushi to what I ate that night. If you're planning a trip to Japan, plan ahead and get a reservation here because it will not disappoint.

Food: 5.0/5.0 Service: 4.0/5.0 Value: 3.5/5.0 Decor: 4.5/5.0 Overall: 4.5/5.0 Note that this is a belated review from a 2012 visit. I frankly couldn't get a reservation at the the original Jiro in Ginza (though I did have a little bit of run-in with the elder Jiro and his staff), but I was able to get a last minute reservation at this establishment run by his son. It's important to know that a) I'm not actually a big sushi person and b) I had just had my mind somewhat blown by the Sushi Dai in Tsukiji. The sushi here took that mind blowing to a whole other level. This spot is easy to book because it isn't technically run by the elder Jiro and thus hasn't been played up. I obviously can't actually speak for the comparison from experience, but I'm basically certain that the original Ginza Jiro can't possibly be *that* much better to be worth the hassle of getting a reservation and dining with a chef that just isn't very friendly (the younger Jiro here is happy to strike up a conversation when he can and offers to take a photo as you leave - it may be a little cheesy, but come on...).

Sushi in Japan is entirely more difficult and different of an experience than anything you'll find in the United States. At a sukiyabashi like Jiro's, there are hard fast rules that you're asked to oblige to, and there's no frills, no bright lights, DEFINITELY no hip and trendy music, and absolutely no dunking your sushi into a pool of soy sauce that's been laced with a cloud of wasabi. We selected Sukiyabashi Jiro at Roppongi Hills since Takashi-san is known to receive foreigners with a more pleasant approach, allows photography of food in his restaurant (this is also a strict rule that seems to go beyond just sushi here in Tokyo), and engages with his customers with the intent of making them feel welcome and even cracks a few jokes to ease the tension. I have two serious food allergies that include fish eggs and sea urchin. It's a long winded explanation as to how I found this out, but the long and short of it is that I get puffy and have, in some cases, experienced anaphylaxis. Needless to say, Takashi-san and his apprentices were able to graciously work around my food allergies, and I received two awesome substitutions for the two sushi pieces that were served. The meal was overwhelmingly delicious, and each piece of sushi was a wonderful piece of art. The one thing I've taken to noticing in Tokyo is the meticulous detail that goes into everything. Food is definitely an expression of this as Takashi-san and his apprentices are EXTREMELY observant on how their guests eat. For example, our friend who came with us is left-handed so the pieces of fish were sliced such that he could pick them up with ease using his chopsticks. In my case, since I take smaller bites of things, the pieces of sushi were cut in a thinner, easier to eat way so that I could enjoy it without a mouthful of fish all at once. My husband, on the other hand, must have a big mouth since his fish slices were significantly larger and thicker than mine. No surprises there, I guess ;). After everything was eaten, Takashi-san gave us his business cards, took a few photos with us, and sent us on our way with an entirely full stomach. Having had sushi a number of different times and places, eating here was truly remarkable and an absolute treat. I have no idea where some of these negative reviews come from; I couldn't be more pleased with our experience and would absolutely come back and recommend to anyone who is looking for an out of the world sushi experience.

I can no longer eat sushi in America without constantly comparing it to the amazingness of Sukiyabashi Jiro. Every piece melted in my mouth and gave me a taste I will never forget and will always be searching for. I ate each and every piece the way it was served to me and every piece was explained with what type of fish it was and how it was prepared as well as the best way to enjoy it. I have never ever understood the idea of crying over food until I ate here. Every bit I was ready to bawl my eyes out! I even enjoyed the uni! Though I don't think I could get used to the texture. Either way, I will find myself back here again the next time I'm in Tokyo! Such an amazing experience! If you decide to go here: First- you are in for a near orgasmic food experience! Second- please be respectful and realize a reservation is a reservation (don't show up half an hour late like the people seated next to me did) and Thirdly: Think of going here like you are going to the best surgeon in the world. They will give you recommendations on how to eat your sushi and they really are always right. Don't dunk your sushi in like you're at some mall sushi take-out place and don't just dunk wasabi in the soy sauce like it's a soy sauce/wasabi soup. They really know how to explain what needs what and if you listen to the advice you seriously will enjoy your sushi in the best way possible.

Boyfie planned the most epic anniversary dinner in the world! I really don't know how he plans on topping it next year :P Aside from the trouble of finding this place, the experience was epic. I was a little intimated going into the dinner because I've heard the craziest stories of how people are pressured to eating as quickly as possibly or whatnot, but that just wasn't the case here. Although Chef Takashi did not look welcoming at first, he really opened up quickly into our meal and made us feel comfortable. I won't lie, it was one of the quietest meals of my life, but it was worth every second. We had about 20 pieces and I was insanely stuffed at the end. We added a piece of abalone which was hands down the best abalone I've ever had in my life. It was so tender and flavorful unlike other abalone I've tried with a tough, chewy texture. The bonita was the best thing I ever tasted in my life... I can actually still taste a little in my mouth till this day... if you are curious as to how it's made, watch Jiro Dreams of Sushi. I still don't understand how amazing they made sushi taste here, but I can honestly say the hype is real. This is after eating at Sushi Dai at the Tsukiji Market (I thought that was the best sushi I'll ever have in my life at the time). We had a jaw dropping reaction to each piece we were given and my boyfie and I both looked at each other was amazement after each bite. I'm ruined forever and I'll forever dream of the amazing sushi I had here. I think I truly understand the meaning of dreaming of sushi ;) Hands down the BEST SUSHI OF MY LIFE.

I had the most amazing dining experience here and Takashi may have ruined sushi for me forever after I leave Japan. If you've watched the documentary "Jiro Dreams of Sushi", his son's branch in Roppongi Hill (2 Michelin Stars) is much easier to obtain a reservation. I've heard that Takashi is much friendlier than his dad and the sushi is just as amazing - and you know what, rumors are absolutely right! We arrived early for our 7PM reservation on a rainy day, and the hostess who took us in wiped down our umbrellas (which I thought was amazing, but totally unnecessary!). We were seated promptly by the bar, and served hot tea. Undoubtedly, we were a little nervous in the beginning as the environment seemed a bit tense and formal. When Takashi came out, all tension was gone. He's extremely friendly, and chatted/joked around with us as he prepared our meal. Without getting into extreme detail about each piece of sushi, the uni (sea urchin) and the sea eel was by far the best I've ever had. The uni had no hint of fishiness, and in fact tasted sweet. My friend who normally detests the taste of uni, actually LOVED it. He cut bigger pieces of sushi in half for the girls, so that it's easier to eat. The sequence of each piece of sushi was like a story line - we started from the lighter tasting pieces to the heavier ones, ending off with the sweet taste of tamago. At the end of our meal, Takashi asked us to pick one type of sushi that was our favorite, and he will make us an extra one. I thought this was so generous of him. When it came up during conversation that I came from Taiwan, he put down his knife and thanked Taiwan for the aid we provided during the Tsunami in Japan. He then bowed deeply, and his assistants bowed after him. This was actually quite awkward for me, as I had no idea... being a Taiwanese born Canadian. But, hey! It was a good day to be Taiwanese! The bill was around $350CAD per person. When I went to the hostess to pay for the bill, the assistant chef ran out from behind the sushi bar and gave me back almost a third of my cash. I was very confused by this 'discount' but Takashi just winked and went back to serving other customers. My friend had to take a business call towards the end of the meal, but we did not have a phone plan. Takashi offered his phone to us, and my friend will be forever grateful as that was an important call. She used the phone for almost half an hour, till 9:15PM (They close at 9PM!) We felt so bad, but they were nothing but smiles although they had to wake up early next morning to go to the fish market. Takashi happily took a picture with us, and walked us outside and bowed again. Wow, what an amazing experience. I honestly cannot eat sushi again without thinking about this place. A MUST-VISIT if you're ever in Tokyo!!

I'm the person that enjoys those crazy dragon rolls from American izakaya places with 3-4 kinds of fish and topped with all sorts of roe and sauces, so it's probably a little waste of money for me to come here but I enjoyed the dining experience: sitting at the counter, listening to the chef pronouncing the names of the fish in multiple languages (depending on where the other diners are from), watching them work, etc. they serve some of the dishes slightly differently depending on the gender of the customer. A great experience.

I ended up here by complete accident. My room was not ready and I had a few hours to kill around lunch time. Checked Yelp and this was walking distance from Grand Hyatt Tokyo. Rating looked good, photos looked good. Read a few reviews and walked over.. got lucky and there was a seat available at the bar. About a quarter way into my meal I realized I had stepped into something incredibly special. If you have a chance, take it. You will not regret it.

I'll preface this review by just stating one simple fact. This was the best meal and service I have ever experienced at any restaurant in my life. I was so unbelievably happy I was able to secure a reservation to this restaurant. Like many, ever since I saw the documentary it was only in "my" dreams that I could ever experience a meal like this. Years pass and the opportunity for me to visit Tokyo arrived and I knew that this was the number one place I wanted to go to. Did I wish I had a reservation to the main branch in Ginza? Sure, that would have been phenomenal, but to enjoy the same experience from Jiro Ono's son, in a more relaxed environment, that's one heck of a consolation prize. Now before this meal, I've had 100 yen sushi, 2000 yen sushi, and 4000 yen sushi from Sushi Dai (a 1 Michelin Star restaurant as well). Jumping to a 25,000 yen restaurant was a large leap and having had great sushi at other establishments, I wasn't sure how Sukiyabashi Jiro would raise the bar again. Of course it did, and if I could give this establishment more than 5 stars, I would. The major difference between this restaurant and others is the service. That's not to say I've had bad service at other restaurants, they were all top notch. However, this place was different. I felt like for that hour, I was being waited hand and foot by the assistants in the restaurant. My plates were wiped clean after every piece of nigiri, my tea was ALWAYS filled to ensure I was always sipping HOT tea, warm tea not being good enough for their standard, everything was explained to me in English, greatly appreciated given the fact that I am the foreigner and should be showing respect for the Japanese language. I was a bit scared that I would appear to be disrespectful, but that was all alleviated by their warm and comforting treatment to their customers. Perfection is the bedrock on which this restaurant lays on. Takashi Ono was carefully inspecting even the most minute details down to the seaweed wrap to make sure that it was adequately enough to serve. He was stern towards his chefs to make sure everything was perfect, but when he interacted with us, he instantly turned into a friendly face. One of the major differences between this one and other great sushi restaurants is the main ingredient, the rice. It was the best rice I've ever had all trip. It was seasoned perfectly and temperature controlled to just be perfect when paired with the raw fish. The flavor was enhanced to really showcase the natural umami of the fish. My favorite pieces were the lean tuna, mackerel and the tomago. Best tomago I will ever eat in my life and I will stand by that. The appetizers of bonito tuna and raw scallop were also world class. I have never had a tuna steak like that before that packed so much natural smoky flavor that was not overpowering but just right. In addition, the chef immediately shifted my attention to properly prepare it with fried onions and a mint leaf that took that appetizer and changed the entire flavor of the dish with two small changes. Mind blown. This is definitely an experience I will never forget, if I got another chance I would come back in a heart beat, but alas I do not have the time, money or opportunity to truly feast like a king everyday at Sukiyabashi Jiro. The price tag is not for the meal, it is for the years of experience, experimentation and the world class level of service you receive, in addition to your meal.

Great place amazing Sushi well worth the price and the owner super friendly and speaks English which for us was awesome. 15 servings and after that you can have more or do a repeat of something you liked or never knew you liked. Try everything it's worth the risk. All the guests on our trip are very friendly.

Note: I ate here in September 2013, but am only posting now since yelp just debuted in Japan haha was able to get a reservation pretty easily working with our hotel concierge a couple months before my trip to Tokyo and i have to admit that lunch at Sukiyabashi Jiro was one of the highlights of my vacation. This is Jiro's younger son, Takashi's restaurant in Roppongi Hills and is located near the Mori Tower & Art Museum. (If you're looking for the original jiro as seen in the documentary, you need to go to Ginza for that.) This branch of Sukiyabashi Jiro is foreigner friendly and we were welcomed with open arms for our lunch reservations at 11:30am. for a good part of the meal, we were the only diners in the whole restaurant so it was a very intimate meal experience. while his father has a reputation of being very stern and not so friendly, Takashi is quite the opposite. we carried a pretty good banter with him and his sushi chef assistant who acted as English translator and they were both really nice and talkative. learned a bit about his sushi process and the documentary, Jiro Dreams of Sushi comparisons was brought up quite a bit but they didnt seem to mind and welcomed the topic. even heard some personal stories from the chefs which made the whole experience that much more personable. this very friendly and welcoming atmosphere paired with the amazing food made this a meal to remember! since it was lunchtime, the omakase is only 15 pieces compared to 20 at dinner but we did splurge and tried the Otoro to finish off the meal. meal was very pricey - like $300 a person pricey but it lives up to the price. while i can't eat like this all the time, this was a good reason to splurge on vacation haha. Takashi served the best shrimp, abalone, bonito, toro and omg the egg was nothing like i ever had! its not like normal tamago but mixed with yam, its more of a sponge cake and it was amazing! plus Takashi immediately noticed that i was left handed and every piece of sushi was placed on my left side for easier access :) oh and i did notice that for example my shrimp was cut in half for me, while my husband's wasn't - its this attention to detail and the strive for perfection that makes Sukiyabashi Jiro a world class restaurant!

After reading all the reviews on how fast they serve you and demand you to shove each piece down your throat at an unpleasing pace, I went in with the thought that I would definitely puke in front of everyone if they made me eat like Bolt runs 100 meters. However, I WAS SO WRONG! Chef Jiro and his crew were super friendly. They explained to us everything about the different fish and shell fish they were serving. I loved all the different kinds of shellfish we got throughout the night. Scallop was definitely the highlight. At the end of the night, we were able to get some photos with the chef! Note that they do serve ladies differently than guys. I got smaller pieces of Uni and salmon roe than my husband did. And they cut the tail off the shrimp for me but left the tail on his piece. The Tamago was cut in half for me but not for my husband. Some people may think this is sexist and uncool but I thought it was extremely thoughtful of them for ladies not looking like chipmunks. The location is very tricky to find. You should arrive early and get a map from the main mall area so that you won't be late to your reservation. We had a local friend who helped with reservation 3 months before our visit. FYI: There is a super cute puppy store around the area if you need to kill time before your reservation.

Best Sushi experience ever. Takashi Jiro was very inviting and talkative. His restaurant has a laid-back atmosphere. Takashi and his Staff spoke decent English. You're welcome to take pictures of your dishes (however he tells you not to take pictures of the other guests). His sushi rice is more on the vinegar side. Hard to describe, but think of it as an aged rice vinegar flavor which I'm a big fan of. Everything was fresh and the best medium & fatty tuna I've ever tasted. The octopus is so tender which he mentioned they "massage" it until it gets soft. At the end of the omakese, he had additional items a-la-carte. If you have a budget, this place is not for you. Expect to pay $300+ for the sashimi & nigiri omakase with sake. Well worth it imo.

My group couldn't get a reservation at Jiros so we heard this was a great alternative. Wow, I can't eat sushi anymore because I will be afraid that I will be disappointed every time from now on!!! It was perfect, my group was a group of 7 and it filled up the sushi bar. We had the 14 course lunch, I believe it is about 18,000 yen? I ordered a premium sushi at the end and my total came out to be 22,400 yen no beer and only 1 extra premium sushi. My personal favorites were the giant mussel, the sea eel, and the fatty tuna. My god, the fatty tuna just melted in my mouth. The quality of sushi here is just so good, I am salivating as I write this a day later thinking about what I had eaten yesterday. Takashi and his staff was so friendly!!! To be honest I was quite nervous to eat at this place as a foreigner, but they can speak English pretty well and his apprentice can translate what Takashi can't find words for in English. Takashi is so friendly and cheerful. You can really tell he has a passion for his sushi he makes and the enjoyment of people eating his sushi. He made us laugh and he also laughed so many times! Really friendly guy. One thing I want to point out is that he has a staff of 3 I believe. One in the back, and two that usually work beside him. The English speaker apprentice is more of his right had man, and the other one beside him seems to be more of the one that cleans your plate and refills your glass. Seems like Takashi and the English speaking apprentice was scolding the third guy a couple times because he dropped something. I personally thought at first that this place wouldn't be worth it but wow. This set the bar for all sushi I eat in my life.

I'm wondering if Jean, who previously wrote a review 10 days ago, dined here the same day I did. [EDIT: 30 days ago - couldn't have been the same day, so I'm guessing scolding is a regular deal in the menu]. Because I had quite a similar experience of Takashi scolding his apprentices the whole time. It was REALLY awkward. I asked his top apprentice how long he had worked there for, and he answered 15 years (if I remember correctly). Takashi scolded him right after, and I don't know if it's because he wasn't supposed to talk to me? I was also wondering if Takashi was just having a bad day. Because it seemed like all of the guys were screwing up that day, and I specifically remember him examining the preparation of the Uni and not being pleased. But despite all the awkwardness towards the apprentices, Takashi was actually really kind to all the guests, answering all our questions, and spoke a good amount of English. My husband and I came a but earlier than our reservation time and got the best seats in the house. As other people have said, best Akami, Salmon Roe, Bonito, and Tamago I've ever tasted. Like if you like Tamago, you have to go to this place. I won't even begin to tell you what it tastes like. Will I be back? Probably not. BUT if you are a sushi fanatic, you must try at least once! Ordered an extra Otoro (that we weren't served because we had sushi lunch), I would say not worth ordering the Otoro. Chutoro (that comes in the sushi lunch) might have tasted better in my humble opinion. This was the best sushi I had ever tasted until I tried sushi in SAPPORO. I'm not kidding. Go to the island of Hokkaido to find wonderful sushi for a more reasonable price and less awkward dining experience.