Sushi war declared as top Japanese chef accuses others of ‘misusing’ his brand, highlighting impostor problem in the food industry
- Tokyo’s Sushi Saito recently decried chefs who falsely claim to have trained under its legendary founder Takashi Saito to further their careers
- Its statement highlights a restaurant industry problem, with rising chefs commonly claiming a relationship with greats like Joël Robuchon and Alain Ducasse
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, they say. But in the world of sushi, it appears there may be a few rotten ones.
If that sounds dramatic, one only has to look at the statement sent out last month by Global Link Retail Management on behalf of Sushi Saito, the once three-Michelin-star Edomae sushi restaurant that has an outpost in Hong Kong. (The Michelin Guide revoked the stars for the Tokyo original in 2019 after the restaurant changed its reservations system to become referral only, thereby excluding the general public from booking.)
It starts off by opaquely referring to a fair bit of tongue wagging going around about the restaurant. “Recently, the origins of ‘Sushi Saito’ has been a widely discussed topic by many people,” reads the introduction to the one-page statement.
After a few lines extolling the virtues of founder Takashi Saito and his campaign to promote Edomae-style sushi – commonly made with marinated and cured fish as opposed to raw fish – around the world, it gets serious.
“However, various persons have been misusing the ‘Sushi Saito’ brand, which has caused Mr Takashi Saito great distress.”