A popular Japanese way of eating sushi at restaurants is by eating while standing. Michio Yasuda of the ORENO Corporation is bringing his standing restaurant concepts to New York and hopes it will also be a hit.
According to the Reuters report, Yasuda owns 18 restaurants in Tokyo and wants to bring the concept to New York, allowing New Yorkers to eat quality sushi without paying hefty prices.
In Japan, the restaurants eschew seating in favor of price, as chefs from Michelin-starred restaurants cook meals that are more accessible and affordable than seated venues.
"Only a tiny portion of people can afford to eat at Michelin starred restaurants but those who earn a modest income should also be able to try high quality food," said Yasuda.
In Tokyo's standing restaurants, which include French and Italian establishments in the posh Ginza district, diners can enjoy dishes like tender beef tournedos with foie gras, with an average meal costing about 4,000 yen ($39.30), around the cost of drinks and snacks at a simple Japanese-style pub.
"Japanese food at a top-rated place in New York is so expensive. We want to completely change that," said Hiroshi Shimada, a chef who set up a gourmet standing Japanese restaurant in the Ginza after leaving the Michelin three-starred Japanese restaurant Azabu Yukimura.
The report said Yasuda is planning a standing, gourmet Japanese restaurant but doesn't offer more specifics.
"This restaurant was a result of connecting the two dots - serving first-rate food but for much less money," Shimada told Reuters last year.
