Soon after the release of the “Jiro Dreams of Sushi” documentary, Sukiyabashi Jiro Ginza suddenly attained a cult-like status, quickly becoming an unbookable place for many. Meanwhile, its Roppongi branch operated by Jiro’s second son remains more accessible for those seeking for a glimpse of the Jiro magic (think of those slow motion fish slicing shots with equally slow classical music played in the background).

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Apparently there’s a huge discussion on the Internet over the Ginza and Roppongi shop. Some enjoyed the food despite the cost, some felt it wasn’t worth the money, and some spoke about their nasty experiences and etc.

Conveniently located near Roppongi Hills, Jiro Roppongi is not hard to locate. An undeniable draw would be its good service and English-friendly environment. At least, Ono Takashi　（小野隆） could name the seafood in English and communicate in simple English – which is really helpful for those who do not speak a word of Japanese. Believe it or not, 80% of their guests during my visit, were English speaking.

At the lunch hour, your bill starts at 17,850 yen the moment you step in – for 15 pieces of sushi. If you desire, you can always go a la carte and the prices will vary depending on your order. This price, however, does not include the Otoro, which happens to be the most popular a la carte item of the day. I ordered two extra pieces which is the abalone and otoro. Paired with one sake, my bill came up to 20000+ yen.

Onto the sushi – I find the rice portion to be a little too big for me – I wish there’s less rice in the sushi as I was totally full towards the end. Having said that, they were very generous with their portion of fish too. The rice has an obvious vinegar taste to it. Some may feel that it’s too aggressive, but I thought it was still acceptable. The sushi was good, but the egg was disappointing. I had better hirame and Ika (Squid) elsewhere, though what I got wasn’t bad either. Overall, it’s still a good place for foreigners to visit, at least Ono Takashi cares to teach his diners how to properly enjoy sushi. In addition, the dining atmosphere was comfortable and relaxing.

However, it does have reasons why it’s still stuck with the two-star rating – it’s good, but it’s not “there” yet to attain the coveted three-star rating.

After the meal, Ono Takashi asked me to watch the documentary. I guess the documentary helped them in many ways.

Ono Takashi (小野隆)

Sukiyabashi Jiro (すきやばし 次郎 鮨) Roppongi
Tel: +81 3-5413-6626
Address: Roppongi Hills Keyakizaka 3F, 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo (東京都港区六本木6-10-1 六本木ヒルズ けやき坂通り3F)

Visited on: 8 August, 2013
Price: Lunch ￥17,850; Dinner￥25,200
Hours: Lunch 11:30-2:00pm; Dinner 5:00-9:00pm (Closed Tuesday)
Chef: Ono Takashi　（小野隆）

For reservations in Japan, you can click here to check it out