Many western high end restaurants are moving towards this idea - obviously its not a new idea in Japan, though. There’s a lot of places moving towards the idea of a “qualified diner”, some restaurant groups won’t even allow people to book certain restaurants unless they’ve visited their other venues and proved to be capable of being well behaved. Obviously the super rich will always be able to dine pretty much wherever they like, but there is a strong movement away from people that want to be seen at restaurants and towards people that enjoy them. It’s divisive, but if the movement keeps growing hopefully it will encourage people to enjoy the moment more.
I can imagne many high end restauarnts are cornered by an utterly boring uber wealthy jet-set, but still, to pay 350 Eur for a meal you need to be pretty incredibly wealthy, not just local
Dude, you’re one of the best travelers of world restaurants I have witnessed. Your compliments are the best. You are decent because you admit when you don’t understand the flavors, I respect that deeply. Most importantly, thank you for letting me see what I would not be able to without you.
Love you using a local guide instead of Michelin to choose this restaurant. I find that Michelin inspectors use certain criteria in their decision-making that I don't always love. Getting ratings from locals is often an amazing way to find incredible places to eat!
While maybe the Michelin guide is useful if you like French cuisine, it's arrival in Japan was very suspect and draws into question it's ratings for Japan. Like you can look up lists by cuisine/country and as you would expect, you'd see France as having the most stars being that Michelin is a French company. What you wouldn't expect is that Japan comes in second. Japan has good food no question, but for a country that Michelin only started going to in 2007 makes you wonder. And you wouldn't be alone since when it happened, the Michelin guide was heavily criticized and some Japanese restaurants/chefs refusing the stars because Michelin was awarding stars partially for marketing their guide and new expansion out to Asia so them awarding stars in Japan was profit driven which makes their guide for Japan suspect.
The main reason though this restaurant is not in the Michelin guide, is because it's technically near impossible to visit if you don't have connections.
Michelin guide is dumb anyways. It started out as a food guide for people traveling by car in the early 1900s so they knew what places were good to eat at as a scheme to get people to buy more cars. Now its just a dumb "gold star" that says you met some foreigner's stupid high standards. I remember watching iron chef japan as a kid and they had some Michelin guide people on the judges panel and they hated everything and thought every dish was some bastardized western food. I like it when people turn down michelin stars. You dont need one to get people to come in. If your food is good and the service is good, people will come. Its why my favorite places to eat are mom and pop hole in the wall joints or dives. The decor may be outdated and they aint serving you caviar and foie gras, but gimme a big plate of wok hei chow fun with gai lan and beef over that any day served by a chef who knows he loves what he does and the folks that pop by for their homemade dishes
i truly believe the best restaurants in the world are those that no one knows about. the kind of place that a chef runs out of a passion so pure that only a select few ever get to experience and be a part of. as much as a restaurant stays with you, the experience of cooking the perfect dish and serving it to another stays with the chef, that kind of experience cannot be commercialized. it was very interesting watching you go to a place that is not on the Michelin guide, and i truly hope to visit such a place one day. thank you to Alexander and Sugita-san for putting this on the internet, much love from Switzerland.
i live in japan and i love the philosophy of kintsugi - finding beauty in imperfection, highlighting, not hiding the brokenness, and being made whole again with something precious.
That's very deep. It's something that hits home for Japanese people too. As you probably sense it, it's not just referring to pottery. It symbolizes life itself.
@@ddavidjp but yet mental health in Japan is a faux pah to talk about and suicide is through the roof. The hypocrisy is real, find beauty in those who struggle too.
I remember reading about it... a little imperfection highlights the perfection and beauty of the whole, like Marilyn Monroe having a little "beauty-mole" in her face.
Some highly underrated thing that I love about your vids is that you credit all the B roll footage you get, its very easy to just take some else's footage, but its awesome you do that. I also love that you have subtitles, thats just going the extra mile.
I can't believe you actually went to Sugita!!! I've been disappointed that hardly any westerners post videos about Sugita, especially since it is praised so highly here in East Asia.(many consider him as 'The God of Sushi') Whenever I saw a western review video about a sushi place in Japan, swooning extravagantly over some kind of 'respect' and 'artistic culture', I thought "These guys know nothing about real sushi..." But your choice of restaurants is fine as always. You, sir, have gained another layer of my respect. The quality of your videos are unrivalled. Proud to be subscribed ever since your first video and will stay tuned for more excellent gourmet content!
This might be my favourite one yet, the pure joy on both your faces, trying something you are not well versed in, how high end but personal the whole episode was, this one was pure class.
My favorite video you’ve done to date. Your respect for the Japanese culture and way of doing things is beautiful. So happy for you that you’ve had this experience! And major kudos for your pronunciations - very good job! This continues to be the best food and restaurant content to be found! ❤❤❤
While it may not have been apparent, the order the fish is served in and the temperature of the rice and fish are all meticulously planned. You may not have noticed, but chef Sugita was likely varying the time he'd work shaping each piece so it would be served at the proper temperature to get the best flavor. The only downside to eating sushi at a place this good is it makes typical sushi seem like junk food versions of the real thing forever after.
People who never tried high quality food can't comprehend the immense respect you have instantly for the cook... The food, the traditions, the producers... You had a scale of food taste your whole life & it shattered instantly & you now have a new scale... Doesn't mean food we eat aint' good... But this is godly. If you have the occasion, get yourself a mind blowing food experience.
@@TheTurtletaco123 I remember in the sushi documentary from 2012, the taster was so moved by the sushi experience he cried afterward. It's definitely a possibility here. It's like the restaurant version of the Opera.
actually so pleasantly surprised by the quality of this video and the clear depth of effort. the pronunciations, the digging beyond western michelin guides, not orientalizing japanese culture while still highlighting unique aspects, just all around amazing video. way better than any ive seen in this genre
This is not just a food & travel channel ....This is a cultural documentary that makes me appreciate our planet and I will support this channel till I'm an old woman. 🥰👍🥰👍
Being a foodie here in Japan and having been to dozens of the greatest sushi restaurants (including Sugita and Saito mentioned), I was very positively surprised to see that you did top notch research. Normally you would expect reviewers coming to Japan just to go to the famous places (which generally cater to foreigners and fall far from the greatest restaurants) or follow the international guides (The World's 50 Best Restaurants has listed "Den" as the top restaurant in Japan for many years, which is a total joke according to the foodie community here), so when you mentioned that you had been to Tokyo in a recent video I feared that you had ended up at one of these places. So when you mentioned Sugita, and also its top spot on Tabelog, I knew that you had been in safe hands. Although that being said, Tabelog is unfortunately also not very accurate because the scores are weighted to certain approved reviewers, so unless your restaurant is often frequented by them you cannot increase your score over a certain number, thus heavily favoring the approved reviewers top spots. Because of this Tabelog is also generally useless outside main cities, and even the Tokyo suburbs, since the approved reviewers do not go there and restaurants are stuck at a permanent maximum low score. In the end, word by mouth through other foodies is the best way to find the truly greatest spots. Also, while you can get some decent hints, Guide Michelin is also not a great one to follow since many top restaurants even refuse to be a part of it, plus it does not have the same prestige as overseas so most chefs do not care about catering to the Michelin standards (and also do not care about their stars at all). Hope you will continue your research and come back for some other of the top spots, and of course explore outside of Tokyo as well!
Such a high quality video. Storytelling, the story itself, footages(especially the small details mentioned like the chef's scooter), and the edits on the video are all phenomenal. A very fitting video for a very exquisite restaurant experience.
Sugita-San and his staff are amazing. Even though he doesn’t speak English, he is very welcoming and warm. Iba-san, his head sou chef is fluent in English will help translate and explain things to you. It’s definitely an incredible experience. Top restaurants in Japan are so incredibly hard to get into now. Sushi Amamoto (#3 ranked sushi in tabelog and had 2 stars) also was removed from the guide this year. If you’re traveling to Japan, use Tabelog as a guide. Any fine dining over 4 is quite good. Anything above 4.5 is top of the top.
Amamoto made reservations not open to the public like many other top level restaurants in Tokyo. A lot of these places are tiny and only hold 9-10 seats per serving. So they are maybe serving 20-30 people per day. The regular and the people who they bring take up 99% of the slots . The demand is so overwhelming it that losing stars on michelin wont affect the restaurant. These restaurants have tried to alleviate this with private rooms and side counters, manned with sou chefs but these eventually get scouped up immediately
One of my most favorite episodes for sure. I can live on sushi alone. When you and your guide closed your eyes and he sometimes was close to tears as to how delicious the food was I totally related.
the cracked bowls fixed with gold dust to signify things get broken but then fixed and are even better afterwards is just beautiful. this dining experience is very enviable. ..actually all of your dining experiences are enviable.
I appreciate the Michelin guide for doing that. As it is a travel guide, not just a restaurant guide. And I am glad there are spaces just for the locals, and their friends.
In all the channels I am subscribed to and all the different walks of life I am interested in… this is my favourite channel on UA-cam. I’m am addicted.
Traditional exclusivity and luxury in Japan is almost always understated. The exceptional aspect is the quality of the craftsmanship and resources used.
When Science and Art meet in perfect harmony: Sugita San, watching you brought tears to my eyes! Thank you Alexander for taking us on this ride with you...
Loved this. I LOL when you commented using the word sh*t while trying your best to pick up that first piece of sacred sushi. It reminded me of one of those broken little cups that they fix representing ourselves one day. 😎 That was so nice that the Japanese man helped you to get in there. I have been to Japan a few times. Used to live in Asia. They are so polite and friendly there. Everything is so organized. Clean. Things the rest of the world could really learn from.
We have been to a few very similar Japanese restaurants in Tokyo, Kyoto and Hiroshima. No tourists - just locals. Everyone sits at the counter and just a dozen or so seats. Everything prepared fresh right in front of you. It's amazing and the chef's love it when their exquisite skills are appreciated. I loved the mirror polished knife. Great review ATG. Your channel is outstanding.
i just discovered this channel today and wow amazing! coming from 10 years as a server in normal restaurants, bravo to you with your depth of knowledge and storytelling.
Just find this channel past 5 days, In love with the Food Experience and Classy story telling. Best Food, Great Experience, Classy Story Telling and neat video editing. Keep up!
Excellent review of your experience at the best sushi restaurant in the world. Simply magnificent sushi prep. I always love Alexander, how you relate your experience with such humanity, such as fumbling that one piece of nigiri. ❤
I absolutely love how this channel has evolved! It looks like you had lots of fun in this episode, and you seem a lot more relaxed and happy narrating it! 8:50 was really humorous, and I'm glad you had such a great time. The editing, storytelling, and pacing were all also great. Can't wait till the next episode!
At 10:06, seeing your friend having a full-blown existential crisis made me laugh so hard. What an experience this must have been, even coming back monthly as you said he does. So blessed!
@@CooManTunes Lol aww someone's unable to process emotions. It's okay buddy, one day when you're an adult these big ideas won't be so hard to understand :)
I have been waiting for you to do Japan and sushi in particular. More of this please. My wife and I are planning a trip to Japan and hope to eat and an upper-level sushi spot.
Love the introduction to Tokyo and the chef! Great to see you branching out a bit. It was always interesting in Japan seeing how the Tablelog guide and the Michelin guide differed on certain restaurants. As a Westerner, I found sometimes I was agreeing with each, depending on the place. An example of each: I was at a 2* place in Tokyo that served French cuisine; nice but I wasn't impressed, easily my weakest 2* experience (and worse than many non-starred French places I've been to). It was scored around 3.8 on Tabelog. I also went to a restaurant that had 4.43 on Tabelog, which puts it in the top 1000 in the country (it had one star); there were three dishes that were good (not great), the rest were very underwhelming.
Might be my favourite episode ever, I love Sushi. The level of accuracy those sushi masters reach is something you can’t experience in any other cuisine.
I’ve been watching this channel for a while. This channel will easily hit 1 M subscribers before the end of the year if the video output is as consistent of the quality of the videos.
You are by far the greatest when it comes to quality when making these types of videos. Your explanations to give context behind the food scenes and how even Michelin has a hard time getting in is absolutely brilliant. Your descriptions of the food are always impeccable and appetizing, so much so, that it's like I'm eating there myself. Even the banter you have with Henry and the nigiri as well gave me a good laugh. I genuinely hope to see you become the number 1 channel for not only fine dining, but food in general.
When you finally taste the real wasabi, it's like discovering a whole new world of flavor-gentle, fresh, and alive with this almost floral heat that blooms and fades so gracefully. I experienced it at Koi in Las Vegas, shark skin paddle too.
I bought wasabi root for my self once. I live in Switzerland. It’s amazing and tastes different than horseradish or “fake wasabi” although it is to a certain degree similar.
I understand how artistic the sushi and the presentation is but I'm now kind of obsessed with those knives. I know nothing about blades but that was a thing of beauty.
I'm actually shocked by how unassuming and simple the restaurant and food looked. I've been to fancier looking Japanese restaurants with better looking dishes. Really shows the essence of the food and simplicity is all that matters.
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE RAWNESS OF THIS VIDEO. Especially when you show yourself fumbling the first piece of nigiri. A little embarrassing but its nice to show that even a dinning professional like yourself can have these moments while dining.
I just had my first shift as a professional Sushi Chef in Chicago yesterday. I wish we had real wasabi at work, and I wish we didn't use so much frozen fish (it's hard to get fresh ocean fish in the Midwest)! But the job is still fun as hell and I'm improving rapidly. I'd love to visit Tokyo someday and see Sugita-san's incredible work myself!
I might give you you a hard time sometimes, But I really do enjoy your Channel . But I would be interested to see you review like a place that you had been when you were just starting out as a Sous Chef that has like a special place in your heart ❤️. And what that experience was like.
@@sophisticated9999 He owns a restaurant in Hungary. In one of his first videos he says hes doing these travels to gather impressions on what to change and improve in his own restaurant. Its true hes not the chef though. Not that I care. Im just glad he chooses to share all of this and in such a well-edited manner. And I can watch it all for free.
People who don't normally eat this type of delicate high end Japanese flavors can't comprehend and will not enjoy this type of places. I see many tourists who try high end Japanese restaurants in Japan and leave bad reviews such as bland and boring. Real Japanese food is simple, yet so complex. For people whose palate is not used to sensing these delicate flavors, it's very hard to appreciate these kind of places. I always condition my palate before I head back to Japan by cutting down on sodium and spicy foods which can hinder my palate from sensing these complex yet rich flavors.
very interesting to see your take on sushi. having really good sushi in japan is one of the only fine dining experiences I've had, and I completely understand the inability to fully convey just how unique it is in flavor and texture.
I love your channel. I love Japanese cuisine more. So many great episodes, this one was lost on me. It says, I'm rich, I have friends, I think the food was great.
They may be the masters of culinary perfection but you are the master of culinary description. You take us on a journey that is out of reach for me and perhaps most of your followers. Now, let me be, I have a pizza to finish.
I thought instantly about Jiro from the document "Jiro dreams of sushi" and his place, called the best one in Tokyo. I don't know if he still owns this place or if his son does. I hope Alexander will visit this place as well ❤ Anyway, it's incredible that Alexander was allowed to take the pictures and make a video! 🙌👏
I'm glad Alexander knows about Tabelog (食べログ). You'll see how passionate many people in Japan are about their food. They write friggin' novels disguised as restaurant reviews. You'll usually see places with a high 3 have a line during lunch and dinner. Mind you, a high 3 is quite high already considering how critical Tabelog users are.
So many amazing sushi places in Tokyo...SushiM, Udstsu. The omakase looks very much the same, with each chef putting their spin on it. BTW...try sake in a proper wine glass, really enhanced the aromatics. Great video as usual. When are you coming to Toronto?
As a Chef I may not agree with many Restaurants Featured. But as a Chef Humility must be present. I honestly thought this might be a feature on Jiro. But to find out the Shady practice of Reservations in Japan was something I Just Learned. As well as Japanese People taking back their Cuisine. AMAZING STUFF ALAXANDER
There's something very admirable that the majority of the reservations to this restaurants are booked by locals, and not by the ultra-rich.
Many western high end restaurants are moving towards this idea - obviously its not a new idea in Japan, though.
There’s a lot of places moving towards the idea of a “qualified diner”, some restaurant groups won’t even allow people to book certain restaurants unless they’ve visited their other venues and proved to be capable of being well behaved. Obviously the super rich will always be able to dine pretty much wherever they like, but there is a strong movement away from people that want to be seen at restaurants and towards people that enjoy them.
It’s divisive, but if the movement keeps growing hopefully it will encourage people to enjoy the moment more.
They are booked by the ultra-rich of Japan and the ultra-rich foreigners who have connections through hotels and business partners in Japan 😅
Japan is pretty notorious for having places mostly for their own people
Yeh, the locals are all going out for $375 meals of tiny bits of fish. 🙄
I can imagne many high end restauarnts are cornered by an utterly boring uber wealthy jet-set, but still, to pay 350 Eur for a meal you need to be pretty incredibly wealthy, not just local
Thanks to the chef for letting you film
yet too..toooo much random stock footage ...almost unwatchable....show real restaurant
except the chef allows filming. You will find tons of videos from Koreans and Japanese about the place.
Dude, you’re one of the best travelers of world restaurants I have witnessed. Your compliments are the best. You are decent because you admit when you don’t understand the flavors, I respect that deeply.
Most importantly, thank you for letting me see what I would not be able to without you.
Let's make this top comment
wrrrr
Frfr
He is definitely the best on UA-cam
Bro I wanted to say exactly the same! ❤
Love you using a local guide instead of Michelin to choose this restaurant. I find that Michelin inspectors use certain criteria in their decision-making that I don't always love. Getting ratings from locals is often an amazing way to find incredible places to eat!
While maybe the Michelin guide is useful if you like French cuisine, it's arrival in Japan was very suspect and draws into question it's ratings for Japan. Like you can look up lists by cuisine/country and as you would expect, you'd see France as having the most stars being that Michelin is a French company. What you wouldn't expect is that Japan comes in second. Japan has good food no question, but for a country that Michelin only started going to in 2007 makes you wonder. And you wouldn't be alone since when it happened, the Michelin guide was heavily criticized and some Japanese restaurants/chefs refusing the stars because Michelin was awarding stars partially for marketing their guide and new expansion out to Asia so them awarding stars in Japan was profit driven which makes their guide for Japan suspect.
The main reason though this restaurant is not in the Michelin guide, is because it's technically near impossible to visit if you don't have connections.
The French know nothing about non French food. It’s useless outside Europe.
Probably paid sponsor
Michelin guide is dumb anyways. It started out as a food guide for people traveling by car in the early 1900s so they knew what places were good to eat at as a scheme to get people to buy more cars. Now its just a dumb "gold star" that says you met some foreigner's stupid high standards. I remember watching iron chef japan as a kid and they had some Michelin guide people on the judges panel and they hated everything and thought every dish was some bastardized western food.
I like it when people turn down michelin stars. You dont need one to get people to come in. If your food is good and the service is good, people will come. Its why my favorite places to eat are mom and pop hole in the wall joints or dives. The decor may be outdated and they aint serving you caviar and foie gras, but gimme a big plate of wok hei chow fun with gai lan and beef over that any day served by a chef who knows he loves what he does and the folks that pop by for their homemade dishes
i truly believe the best restaurants in the world are those that no one knows about. the kind of place that a chef runs out of a passion so pure that only a select few ever get to experience and be a part of. as much as a restaurant stays with you, the experience of cooking the perfect dish and serving it to another stays with the chef, that kind of experience cannot be commercialized. it was very interesting watching you go to a place that is not on the Michelin guide, and i truly hope to visit such a place one day. thank you to Alexander and Sugita-san for putting this on the internet, much love from Switzerland.
i live in japan and i love the philosophy of kintsugi - finding beauty in imperfection, highlighting, not hiding the brokenness, and being made whole again with something precious.
That's very deep. It's something that hits home for Japanese people too. As you probably sense it, it's not just referring to pottery. It symbolizes life itself.
@@yo2trader539 exactly. it’s a beautiful metaphor.
@@ddavidjp but yet mental health in Japan is a faux pah to talk about and suicide is through the roof. The hypocrisy is real, find beauty in those who struggle too.
I remember reading about it... a little imperfection highlights the perfection and beauty of the whole, like Marilyn Monroe having a little "beauty-mole" in her face.
that is also wabi sabi
Some highly underrated thing that I love about your vids is that you credit all the B roll footage you get, its very easy to just take some else's footage, but its awesome you do that. I also love that you have subtitles, thats just going the extra mile.
wr
It’s also required by law, otherwise he would be infringing copyright lol.
too..toooo much random stock footage ...almost unwatchable....show real restaurant
I can't believe you actually went to Sugita!!! I've been disappointed that hardly any westerners post videos about Sugita, especially since it is praised so highly here in East Asia.(many consider him as 'The God of Sushi') Whenever I saw a western review video about a sushi place in Japan, swooning extravagantly over some kind of 'respect' and 'artistic culture', I thought "These guys know nothing about real sushi..." But your choice of restaurants is fine as always. You, sir, have gained another layer of my respect. The quality of your videos are unrivalled. Proud to be subscribed ever since your first video and will stay tuned for more excellent gourmet content!
I think given how insanely difficult it is to get a reservation explain why no one else goes. They simply can't get in.
This might be my favourite one yet, the pure joy on both your faces, trying something you are not well versed in, how high end but personal the whole episode was, this one was pure class.
My favorite video you’ve done to date. Your respect for the Japanese culture and way of doing things is beautiful. So happy for you that you’ve had this experience! And major kudos for your pronunciations - very good job! This continues to be the best food and restaurant content to be found! ❤❤❤
His pronunciation on Japanese words is actually better than I see in most UA-camr videos too. I was kind of surprised.
wrrrr
While it may not have been apparent, the order the fish is served in and the temperature of the rice and fish are all meticulously planned. You may not have noticed, but chef Sugita was likely varying the time he'd work shaping each piece so it would be served at the proper temperature to get the best flavor. The only downside to eating sushi at a place this good is it makes typical sushi seem like junk food versions of the real thing forever after.
People who never tried high quality food can't comprehend the immense respect you have instantly for the cook... The food, the traditions, the producers...
You had a scale of food taste your whole life & it shattered instantly & you now have a new scale... Doesn't mean food we eat aint' good... But this is godly.
If you have the occasion, get yourself a mind blowing food experience.
Henry tearing up and experiencing food at 10:09 is really amazing… you can see how much this sushi meant for him
I'm quite sure he just had too much wine and was nursing a headache
I'm gonna go with an extra flake of wasabi hit his bite of food
that or wasabi. i hope both. xD
@@ChrisS-nj3ye i doubt thats not the case, could be wrong but that sushi of that class may quite well leave you in tears.
@@TheTurtletaco123 I remember in the sushi documentary from 2012, the taster was so moved by the sushi experience he cried afterward. It's definitely a possibility here. It's like the restaurant version of the Opera.
actually so pleasantly surprised by the quality of this video and the clear depth of effort. the pronunciations, the digging beyond western michelin guides, not orientalizing japanese culture while still highlighting unique aspects, just all around amazing video. way better than any ive seen in this genre
I really love how you scale your expectations regarding atmosphere and decor with the place, culture, intent and are always ready to accommodate.
I really love the story you shared about the broken dinnerware, how they fix it and the reasons why, that is so beautiful
This is not just a food & travel channel ....This is a cultural documentary that makes me appreciate our planet and I will support this channel till I'm an old woman. 🥰👍🥰👍
Being a foodie here in Japan and having been to dozens of the greatest sushi restaurants (including Sugita and Saito mentioned), I was very positively surprised to see that you did top notch research.
Normally you would expect reviewers coming to Japan just to go to the famous places (which generally cater to foreigners and fall far from the greatest restaurants) or follow the international guides (The World's 50 Best Restaurants has listed "Den" as the top restaurant in Japan for many years, which is a total joke according to the foodie community here), so when you mentioned that you had been to Tokyo in a recent video I feared that you had ended up at one of these places.
So when you mentioned Sugita, and also its top spot on Tabelog, I knew that you had been in safe hands. Although that being said, Tabelog is unfortunately also not very accurate because the scores are weighted to certain approved reviewers, so unless your restaurant is often frequented by them you cannot increase your score over a certain number, thus heavily favoring the approved reviewers top spots. Because of this Tabelog is also generally useless outside main cities, and even the Tokyo suburbs, since the approved reviewers do not go there and restaurants are stuck at a permanent maximum low score. In the end, word by mouth through other foodies is the best way to find the truly greatest spots.
Also, while you can get some decent hints, Guide Michelin is also not a great one to follow since many top restaurants even refuse to be a part of it, plus it does not have the same prestige as overseas so most chefs do not care about catering to the Michelin standards (and also do not care about their stars at all).
Hope you will continue your research and come back for some other of the top spots, and of course explore outside of Tokyo as well!
Wooow super awsome info!
Would you mind sharing some of your favourite spots? 👏🏻
Whoever is the editor and animator, PLEASE give him a raise. Zseniális mint mindig.
That was something else, it's a privilege to experience what Sugita is, something that many will never be able to in person. Thank you Alexander
wake up babe, Alexander The Guest posted
Lmao glad I’m not the only one to wake up my other half for these amazing pieces of work
LOLLL true😂
Hell yeah!!
hahaha it's so true
hahhahaha sameeeee
Such a high quality video. Storytelling, the story itself, footages(especially the small details mentioned like the chef's scooter), and the edits on the video are all phenomenal. A very fitting video for a very exquisite restaurant experience.
Sugita-San and his staff are amazing. Even though he doesn’t speak English, he is very welcoming and warm. Iba-san, his head sou chef is fluent in English will help translate and explain things to you. It’s definitely an incredible experience.
Top restaurants in Japan are so incredibly hard to get into now. Sushi Amamoto (#3 ranked sushi in tabelog and had 2 stars) also was removed from the guide this year.
If you’re traveling to Japan, use Tabelog as a guide. Any fine dining over 4 is quite good. Anything above 4.5 is top of the top.
Why were the stars removed?
Amamoto made reservations not open to the public like many other top level restaurants in Tokyo. A lot of these places are tiny and only hold 9-10 seats per serving. So they are maybe serving 20-30 people per day. The regular and the people who they bring take up 99% of the slots . The demand is so overwhelming it that losing stars on michelin wont affect the restaurant. These restaurants have tried to alleviate this with private rooms and side counters, manned with sou chefs but these eventually get scouped up immediately
Though iba san has gone ages ago
@@Solomonsjcshe was there in September but I guess she must have left recently since her IG says Ex sou chef. She’s in this video 5:25
One of my most favorite episodes for sure. I can live on sushi alone. When you and your guide closed your eyes and he sometimes was close to tears as to how delicious the food was I totally related.
the cracked bowls fixed with gold dust to signify things get broken but then fixed and are even better afterwards is just beautiful. this dining experience is very enviable. ..actually all of your dining experiences are enviable.
I like this style of video compared to the others, it feels much more respectful of other diners' privacy
Thank you for this quality content, its an amazing way to look into the fine dining experience. Perfect vid as always
The quality of those videos is really off the charts . Such a great production !
As a Chef trying to work up and get better i found your Channel and i've just been binging these videos non stop i love them! Glad to catch a new one
I appreciate the Michelin guide for doing that. As it is a travel guide, not just a restaurant guide. And I am glad there are spaces just for the locals, and their friends.
In all the channels I am subscribed to and all the different walks of life I am interested in… this is my favourite channel on UA-cam. I’m am addicted.
Traditional exclusivity and luxury in Japan is almost always understated. The exceptional aspect is the quality of the craftsmanship and resources used.
I love the fact that the chef doesn't care about the michellin stars. That's what it means to know yourself and trust yourself
When Science and Art meet in perfect harmony: Sugita San, watching you brought tears to my eyes! Thank you Alexander for taking us on this ride with you...
Loved this. I LOL when you commented using the word sh*t while trying your best to pick up that first piece of sacred sushi. It reminded me of one of those broken little cups that they fix representing ourselves one day. 😎
That was so nice that the Japanese man helped you to get in there. I have been to Japan a few times. Used to live in Asia. They are so polite and friendly there. Everything is so organized. Clean. Things the rest of the world could really learn from.
Bro this channel has been such a pleasure to watch. The growth rate speaks to the quality of the videos
Fool.
Cool to see you use an other local way of determining the restaurant would be cool in different countries too
Thank you, Henry, for letting Alexander and us alongside with him see this side of Japanese high class dining!
We have been to a few very similar Japanese restaurants in Tokyo, Kyoto and Hiroshima. No tourists - just locals. Everyone sits at the counter and just a dozen or so seats. Everything prepared fresh right in front of you. It's amazing and the chef's love it when their exquisite skills are appreciated. I loved the mirror polished knife. Great review ATG. Your channel is outstanding.
I love the simple, warm and cozy interior.
i just discovered this channel today and wow amazing! coming from 10 years as a server in normal restaurants, bravo to you with your depth of knowledge and storytelling.
Just find this channel past 5 days, In love with the Food Experience and Classy story telling.
Best Food, Great Experience, Classy Story Telling and neat video editing. Keep up!
I imagine you have been binge-watching his videos?!
Excellent review of your experience at the best sushi restaurant in the world. Simply magnificent sushi prep. I always love Alexander, how you relate your experience with such humanity, such as fumbling that one piece of nigiri. ❤
Greatest restaurant channel on youtube. Deserves more than a million subs.
I absolutely love how this channel has evolved! It looks like you had lots of fun in this episode, and you seem a lot more relaxed and happy narrating it! 8:50 was really humorous, and I'm glad you had such a great time. The editing, storytelling, and pacing were all also great. Can't wait till the next episode!
incredible video and production, congrats to all the team
At 10:06, seeing your friend having a full-blown existential crisis made me laugh so hard. What an experience this must have been, even coming back monthly as you said he does. So blessed!
PFFT. You simps are a dime-a-dozen. 'Existential crisis'... He was fuming from the wasabi, jakaz z.
wrrrrr
Existential crisis? Feeling heat from wasabi qualifies as an 'existential crisis'. Your parents shouldn't have dropped you.
@@CooManTunes Lol aww someone's unable to process emotions. It's okay buddy, one day when you're an adult these big ideas won't be so hard to understand :)
@@noahvanderveer-harris4257 Don't blame me because your parents dropped you.
This is - by far - my favorite channel on youtube.
That knife!
I'm a chef and blade sharpener, the pursuit of excellence in everything I just watched is humbling. Thank you.
wrrr
The combination of the David Hasselhoff t-shirt, flip-flops, and fedora was chef’s kiss 😂🍾👏
I have been waiting for you to do Japan and sushi in particular. More of this please. My wife and I are planning a trip to Japan and hope to eat and an upper-level sushi spot.
Jiro dreams of Sushi is one of my favourite documentaries. It really made me appreciate the artistry of Sushi-making!
Love the introduction to Tokyo and the chef! Great to see you branching out a bit. It was always interesting in Japan seeing how the Tablelog guide and the Michelin guide differed on certain restaurants. As a Westerner, I found sometimes I was agreeing with each, depending on the place.
An example of each: I was at a 2* place in Tokyo that served French cuisine; nice but I wasn't impressed, easily my weakest 2* experience (and worse than many non-starred French places I've been to). It was scored around 3.8 on Tabelog.
I also went to a restaurant that had 4.43 on Tabelog, which puts it in the top 1000 in the country (it had one star); there were three dishes that were good (not great), the rest were very underwhelming.
Ur pronunciation of these places is top tier your incredible the one true goat of the restaurant reviews !!
Might be my favourite episode ever, I love Sushi. The level of accuracy those sushi masters reach is something you can’t experience in any other cuisine.
I’ve been watching this channel for a while. This channel will easily hit 1 M subscribers before the end of the year if the video output is as consistent of the quality of the videos.
Its crazy how this awesome video is completely free for anyone to watch. How does live TV compete with this?
Wow. The quality of this film is astonishing. Well done.
You are by far the greatest when it comes to quality when making these types of videos. Your explanations to give context behind the food scenes and how even Michelin has a hard time getting in is absolutely brilliant. Your descriptions of the food are always impeccable and appetizing, so much so, that it's like I'm eating there myself. Even the banter you have with Henry and the nigiri as well gave me a good laugh. I genuinely hope to see you become the number 1 channel for not only fine dining, but food in general.
Production quality is off the charts on this one!
This is the best video I have seen till date 😊
When you finally taste the real wasabi, it's like discovering a whole new world of flavor-gentle, fresh, and alive with this almost floral heat that blooms and fades so gracefully. I experienced it at Koi in Las Vegas, shark skin paddle too.
Few will get a chance to eat here and all I can say is you have made it look quite magical! Great content sharing!
Very nice to see different types of cuisine on your channel. Appreciate the quality as always!
big fan of your channel. thanks for bringing us along for the journey.
I bought wasabi root for my self once. I live in Switzerland. It’s amazing and tastes different than horseradish or “fake wasabi” although it is to a certain degree similar.
Michelin guide is NOT the thing to follow in Japan, as you did right. Tabelog is waaaaay better in Japan not even comparable.
Again how does this channel not have a million subscribers yet?!?! Proud to say I was here before that mark💪🏾🔥
I understand how artistic the sushi and the presentation is but I'm now kind of obsessed with those knives. I know nothing about blades but that was a thing of beauty.
Sushi chefs treat their knives like their childten
Fantastic! Lucky you! keep it up, one of the best channels on You Tube, I was here when Alex had 10,000 subs. Doing good, keep it up.
I LOVE the broken and repaired dishes.. The Food looks GREAT.
Too bad MOST will NEVER get to experience it.. Such is life
Pain in the ketsu hahahahaha, I love how formal you always are, even when needing another language to swear while still seeming hospitable and formal.
I'm actually shocked by how unassuming and simple the restaurant and food looked. I've been to fancier looking Japanese restaurants with better looking dishes. Really shows the essence of the food and simplicity is all that matters.
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE RAWNESS OF THIS VIDEO. Especially when you show yourself fumbling the first piece of nigiri. A little embarrassing but its nice to show that even a dinning professional like yourself can have these moments while dining.
I just had my first shift as a professional Sushi Chef in Chicago yesterday. I wish we had real wasabi at work, and I wish we didn't use so much frozen fish (it's hard to get fresh ocean fish in the Midwest)! But the job is still fun as hell and I'm improving rapidly. I'd love to visit Tokyo someday and see Sugita-san's incredible work myself!
I might give you you a hard time sometimes, But I really do enjoy your Channel . But I would be interested to see you review like a place that you had been when you were just starting out as a Sous Chef that has like a special place in your heart ❤️. And what that experience was like.
Well, as far as I know he never was a sous chef, nor a chef of any kind - he's a filthy rich businessman who happens to be into fine dining...
wrrr
@@sophisticated9999 He owns a restaurant in Hungary. In one of his first videos he says hes doing these travels to gather impressions on what to change and improve in his own restaurant. Its true hes not the chef though. Not that I care. Im just glad he chooses to share all of this and in such a well-edited manner. And I can watch it all for free.
People who don't normally eat this type of delicate high end Japanese flavors can't comprehend and will not enjoy this type of places. I see many tourists who try high end Japanese restaurants in Japan and leave bad reviews such as bland and boring. Real Japanese food is simple, yet so complex. For people whose palate is not used to sensing these delicate flavors, it's very hard to appreciate these kind of places. I always condition my palate before I head back to Japan by cutting down on sodium and spicy foods which can hinder my palate from sensing these complex yet rich flavors.
Perfectly said.
Your pronunciation of the restaurant was spot on! Consider me impressed
very interesting to see your take on sushi. having really good sushi in japan is one of the only fine dining experiences I've had, and I completely understand the inability to fully convey just how unique it is in flavor and texture.
I love your channel. I love Japanese cuisine more. So many great episodes, this one was lost on me. It says, I'm rich, I have friends, I think the food was great.
Massive respect to Alexander that used a local guide to pick up the best restaurant and not a Michelin star
Wow. This was so cool. Love how much context you provide. *Amazing Stuff*
They may be the masters of culinary perfection but you are the master of culinary description. You take us on a journey that is out of reach for me and perhaps most of your followers. Now, let me be, I have a pizza to finish.
I thought instantly about Jiro from the document "Jiro dreams of sushi" and his place, called the best one in Tokyo. I don't know if he still owns this place or if his son does. I hope Alexander will visit this place as well ❤
Anyway, it's incredible that Alexander was allowed to take the pictures and make a video! 🙌👏
A huge thank you, once more! this was so touching!
I'm glad Alexander knows about Tabelog (食べログ). You'll see how passionate many people in Japan are about their food. They write friggin' novels disguised as restaurant reviews. You'll usually see places with a high 3 have a line during lunch and dinner. Mind you, a high 3 is quite high already considering how critical Tabelog users are.
The sushi looks amazing but I absolutely love the Kintsugi. It's such a beautiful metaphor.
Yes new video, and it's all sushi! I love sushi, so I'm excited to watch this video!
Nice to see you exploring a cuisine that is outside your comfort zone.
Thank you for sharing! Who knows, we may never get a reservation.
My favorite show on UA-cam!!!!! Alexander The Guest 🔥🔥🔥
One of the best Channel on youtube , 🙏 thanks
Wow, just wow! love this one ❤
Salivating watching this!
The most gentlemany food reviewer I've ever seen. Fantastic!
Also, I want your suit!!! 😂
So many amazing sushi places in Tokyo...SushiM, Udstsu. The omakase looks very much the same, with each chef putting their spin on it. BTW...try sake in a proper wine glass, really enhanced the aromatics. Great video as usual. When are you coming to Toronto?
Sushi is my favorite food. It took me about 62 years to get here, but I am obsessed.
As a Chef I may not agree with many Restaurants Featured. But as a Chef Humility must be present. I honestly thought this might be a feature on Jiro. But to find out the Shady practice of Reservations in Japan was something I Just Learned. As well as Japanese People taking back their Cuisine. AMAZING STUFF ALAXANDER
Great video. Maybe it will be a motivation to have sushi more often!
world class content