Food book: Jiro Gastronomy is a masterclass in sushi bar etiquette
Legendary Tokyo chef Jiro Ono lays down the laws for eating sushi, writes Susan Jung. Among them: don't dip sushi rice in soy sauce or take off the topping, eat each piece in one bite, and never chat at a sushi counter
I've not been lucky enough to eat at Sukiyabashi Jiro, the Michelin three-star restaurant in Tokyo that features in the documentary film Jiro Dreams of Sushi, which shows chef and owner Jiro Ono (85 years old at the time; he's now 90) in his quest to make the perfect sushi. Until I do get into the 10-seat restaurant, I can at least study Jiro Gastronomy, given to me by a friend who's been to the sushi bar several times.
New customers who have seen the film, or watched Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations episode about the place (in which the American celebrity chef ate what he says was "the best sushi of my life"), will know that they're going to be spending a lot of money (30,000 yen/HK$2,000 for omakase - the only option at lunch and dinner) on a quick meal: Bourdain ate his 15 pieces in 20 minutes. Ono wants his guests to eat each piece as soon as he serves it, which is why he frowns on guests taking photos of their meals.
The book shows and describes the correct way to enjoy the experience, from eating the sushi and what you should drink with the meal, to the dress code. If you're using your hands to eat the sushi, "Gently lift it up so that it maintains its shape"; if using chopsticks, place them "parallel to the tray as if they are the shrine's carrying poles, and lift up the sushi by grasping it along its sides"; "don't dip sushi rice into soy sauce" (and in any case, Ono seasons each piece, so additional flavourings are not needed); don't separate the sushi topping ("pulling off the topping is the greatest insult to the sushi chef"); "eat the entire sushi in one bite"; "we ask our guests to refrain from wearing strong perfume"; "at a sushi … counter, there is no need to trade banter while drinking or dining together; in fact, it is taboo. If you wish to chat and enjoy conversation, please sit at a table".
The book also describes 30 types of seafood you might be served at a sushi restaurant and which season is the best for each. Ono serves awabi (abalone) from May to September; torigai (cockle) in April and May; katsuo (skipjack tuna) from June to November; while sumi ika (golden cuttlefish), inada (juvenile yellowtail) and aji (horse mackerel) are available year-round.