Fish tale

Can a man create sushi so impressive that it's worth flying to Japan for lunch? Eric Jou packs a bag and finds out in Tokyo.

It's said that when a restaurant receives a Michelin star, the restaurant is worth visiting. When a restaurant reaches two stars, it's worth a detour when you're traveling nearby. But when a restaurant reaches the highly coveted three-star rating, it's worth it to visit a country just for the food at the restaurant alone.

In Japan, there are 17 restaurants with three Michelin stars, but the most celebrated is the subterranean sushi bar known as Sukiyabashi Jiro.

Since snagging three Michelin stars in 2009, the restaurant and its proprietor, 88-year-old Jiro Ono, have become international icons. The staff and restaurant were the subject of David Gelb's 2011 documentary, Jiro Dreams of Sushi.

To dine at this holy shrine of sushi takes more than just finding Jiro, located at Tokyo's Ginza subway exit C6. Be ready to jump through hoops: Jiro admits only diners with reservations, and newcomers and foreign guests must make a down payment when they make the reservation - at least a month in advance.

The tiny restaurant seats only 10 people at the bar. There are three small tables where guests can enjoy an after-meal dessert with tea. There is no bathroom.

Jiro serves only a chef's-recommended menu, which involves 20 or so pieces of nigiri sushi. Patrons can decide to order more if they wish. The whole experience costs about $300 depending on the price of fish, plus extra for drinks and additional sushi.

Jiro's eldest son, Yoshikazu, slices and prepares the fish as Jiro himself puts the sushi together, adding the wasabi and the special sauce. Like normal nigiri sushi, there is wasabi beneath the fish where it meets the rice. Unusually, Jiro applies a special sauce, so there is no need to add soy sauce even though Jiro provides it.