State Dinners

Jiro Ono’s Shop Was Second Choice for President Obama’s Dinner That Night

Decent second choice.
Decent second choice. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images

Sukiyabashi Jiro may serve the planet’s most famous sashimi, but that wasn’t Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s first choice for his cozy dinner with the president. Kondo — a two-star tempura hot spot literally a block away — was, but the restaurant was completely booked for that night, and the chef refused to bump any of his guests even after the Japanese government came calling. “Customers with reservations are more important,” chef-owner Fumio Kondo reportedly explained. “Even for the president of the United States, I can’t disappoint my customers who already made bookings.” Considering the president only ate half of Jiro’s sushi anyway, maybe battered and fried would’ve been the better way to go. [Gentai.net via RocketNews24, Related]

Jiro Ono’s Shop Was Second Choice for President Obama’s Dinner That