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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Lifestyle
Belinda Luksic

The kindness of strangers: a knight in dining armour scored me a seat at a Michelin star restaurant

Michelin Kenji Japan
‘Here was the Japanese hospitality I had read about … one that puts the comfort of the guest above all else.’
‘Here was the Japanese hospitality I had read about … one that puts the comfort of the guest above all else.’ Composite: HUM Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

In Osaka in 2017, at the end of a trip to Japan, I decided to treat myself at Torisho Ishii, a yakitori joint (that is, specialising in skewered grilled chicken) with a Michelin star. My calls to the restaurant went unanswered so I decided to try my luck in person.

Behind its discreet entrance not far from Naniwabashi station, I found an intimate, minimalist space with counter seating for 10, a few small tables and a private dining room.

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