The Tiny Japanese Restaurant Anthony Bourdain Absolutely Loved

Superstar chef Anthony Bourdain wasn't shy about making his opinions known. From the foods he hated with a passion to the dish that was the worst food he ever ate, the culinary icon was unabashed about sharing his views on all things cuisine. But Bourdain was also verbose when it came to praising something he liked, and one small Japanese restaurant in Tokyo had a particular place in his heart — a place where he enjoyed the best sushi he ever ate.

The restaurant, Sukiyabashi Jiro, is situated below ground and can only host 10 patrons at one time — just the sort of hole-in-the-wall place Bourdain liked to pick when choosing travel destinations for "No Reservations." Though situated in a rather obscure location, the restaurant has gained global fame and, impressively, had three Michelin stars at the time of Bourdain's visit.

The restaurant maintained those stars for many years — though it was removed from the Michelin guide in 2019. While that sounds like a strike against a food establishment, it was actually a testament to the elite status of this particular restaurant. The reason Sukiyabashi Jiro was no longer eligible for rating was not that the food quality somehow diminished, but rather because it became closed to the public. A dining spot for public figures like Barack Obama, the restaurant became so famous that it stopped taking public reservations. To eat there these days, you have to either have the right connections or already be an established patron. At the time Bourdain visited, though, the restaurant was still open to the broader world of cuisine lovers.

Sukiyabashi Jiro is still located in the same office building basement where it was established in 1965, in the Ginza district of Tokyo. Anthony Bourdain first visited the establishment for the taping of an episode of "Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations," his long-running television show. The owner of the restaurant and chef at the time, Jiro Ono, served Bourdain a multi-course meal during the filming.

Sushi literally doesn't get any fresher than the way it's served at Sukiyabashi Jiro. The seafood used is brought in fresh each day, and the preparation of vinegared rice is timed to each customer's reservation. The chef places each piece of sushi on the patron's plate as soon as it's prepared, and the diner is expected to eat it promptly so the full, optimum flavor is experienced.

Ono is noted for his attention to excellence and is considered to be the best sushi chef in the world. He wielded his knife at Sukiyabashi Jiro well into his 90s, retiring in 2024, the year he turned 99. In 2019, Guinness World Records named him the Oldest head chef of a three-Michelin-star restaurant. His prowess as a sushi master definitely made an impression on Bourdain. The food celebrity was so impressed by the meal, in fact, that he later declared it was where he would eat his final meal if he were about to die.