Japanese restaurant’s ‘rules are longer than the menu’? Expert: Guests have forgotten how to respect chefs

▲Michelin three-star Japanese restaurant Ryugin (Photo /Ryugin official website)

By Rita

What other strange rules do Michelin restaurants have besides no smoking or jeans? Well, there’s this one Michelin three-star Japanese restaurant in Japan whose list of rules is actually longer than its menu. What’s going on with all these dining restrictions? Let’s hear from an expert to break it down.

According to Lonely Planet, the Michelin three-star Japanese restaurant Ryugin in Tokyo requires guests to follow a series of steps before enjoying their meal, including no shorts, no mobile phones, no perfume, and no bringing your own alcohol.

Beyond the above, if you cancel your reservation on the day, you’ll be fined 20,000 yen (about NT$6,000); additionally, large SLR cameras are also banned because the restaurant doesn’t like flash snapshots of dishes. Also, if dropped, they could damage the tables, which are antique furniture with centuries of history. Smoking is prohibited because it interferes with the chefs preparing the dishes. As for perfume and cologne, there might be some “wiggle room.” Most importantly, the restaurant’s website states that customers who do not eat fish, vegetables, seafood, soy sauce, or miso are asked to “not make a reservation.”

An etiquette expert explains,because many customers these days are too self-centered, thinking that paying means they’re in charge. He believes restaurants should proactively set basic rules instead of just fearing to offend guests. Good rules help retain those who truly appreciate the establishment and weed out the difficult ones.

Another British Chef of the Year winner believes he personally respects restaurant rules and the effort chefs put into achieving their standards. However, dining out is about more than just food—the experience matters too, and too many requirements may risk going overboard.