Sukiyabashi Jiro

Tokyo, Japan

This three Michelin star restaurant and its owner/chef, Jiro Ono, were immortalized in the 2011 documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi. The highly expensive course is omakase only - Jiro himself selects 20 nigiri pieces daily based on that day's catch from the Tsukiji fish market. You are not expected to use soy sauce, as many pieces are already brushed with it. The restaurant only has ten counter seats, and due to its popularity, advance reservations are required by telephone in Japanese. While reservations open on the first day of every month for the following month's seating, they almost always sell out the same day. Reservations via a concierge (hotel, American Express, etc.) may be the best way for foreign visitors to secure a seat.